fbpx

How to Reduce Metformin Dosage Using Your Food as Medicine – Lucie’s Story

Article written and reviewed by Jamie Koonce, DACM, L.Ac, Dipl.OM
Published January 24, 2019

Lucie Mayer was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in July 2016, but was likely living with it for years before diagnosis. She was a veteran to battling sickness and obesity, having first been labeled as “overweight” and promptly placed on a diet when she was only 8 years old.

While dealing with diabetes and other major health struggles (including being confined to a wheelchair), Lucie came across information from Dr. John McDougall and Mastering Diabetes.

She began to pay attention, gathering information from the free resources available from Dr. McDougall in addition to our website and webinars.

When Lucie learned that insulin resistance is caused by a buildup of fat in non-adipose tissues including muscle, liver, and pancreatic beta cells, and that a low-fat, plant-based diet can reverse the insulin resistance extremely effectively, she decided it was time to try the Mastering Diabetes Program.

Lucie gradually began reducing her dietary fat and protein intake by eating potatoes cooked without butter or oil. Then on January 1, 2018, she officially began a low-fat, plant-based, whole-food diet with 100% commitment.

According to Lucie, her biggest struggle in following our guidelines was in allowing herself to truly enjoy eating delicious, low-fat, plant-based, whole foods without feeling guilty.

As a result of deceptive marketing, Lucie had been conditioned to believe that if a food tastes good, it must be bad for you.

Lucie had also believed that animal meat was an essential part of the human diet – to be eaten at each meal for optimal health – and that potatoes were unhealthy and fattening.

Realizing that the ultimate comfort food – potatoes – would help her lose weight and reverse type 2 diabetes was challenging, yet extremely empowering.

As she was in the process of learning how to make the transition, she still ate infrequent meals that weren’t ideal, yet she experienced powerful improvements in her health.

Within 2 months of fully committing to a low-fat, plant-based, whole-food lifestyle, Lucie began to feel a dramatic difference in her overall health and wellbeing.

​Her fasting blood glucose has lowered significantly, she has lowered her Metformin dosage, and she has begun to feel more energy than she has had in years.

In 2018, her total cholesterol had dropped to 160 mg/dL, and her LDL cholesterol fell to 84 mg/dL. Her A1c dropped to 5.1%, both of which are strong indicators that she was becoming significantly more insulin sensitive.

She looks forward to seeing the results of her next blood test, because she is confident that the improvements will be even better.

Here’s what a typical day of eating looks like for Lucie on a low-fat, plant-based, whole-food lifestyle:

  • Breakfast: Oatmeal with banana, wild blueberries, and soy milk
  • Lunch: 4 medium baked potatoes
  • Dinner: Rice, pasta, or potatoes with vegetables and nutritional yeast
  • Dessert: Fruit

Because she is currently unable to work, Lucie and her partner live on a very tight budget. Thankfully, potatoes and beans are some of the cheapest foods you can find in the grocery store.

​They have had no trouble staying within their monthly food budget while purchasing an abundance of low-fat, plant-based, whole foods.

​Lucie is very grateful that she followed her intuition and adopted the Mastering Diabetes lifestyle. She is confident that the daily habits she has built will continue for years to come, and continue to improve her metabolic health. She hoped to one day eliminate her Metformin dosage completely.

Lower Your A1c and Get to Your Ideal Body Weight ... Guaranteed

Happy people with good diabetes numbers

Your results are guaranteed. Join more than 2,000 members today

Personalized coaching puts you in immediate control of your diabetes health, helps you gain energy, improves your quality of life, and reduces or eliminates your meds.

Leave a Comment Below

Join us in giving Lucie a virtual high-five for a job well done!

About the author 

Jamie Koonce, DACM, L.Ac, Dipl.OM

Jamie Koonce, DACM, L.Ac, Dipl.OM is the Digital Content Manager at Mastering Diabetes. She holds a Doctorate degree in Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology & Anthropology from Hendrix College, and Certification in Plant-Based Nutrition through eCornell. Jamie has been enjoying a plant-based lifestyle since 1999. In addition to writing at Mastering Diabetes, she teaches continuing education courses to other health professionals on the science behind a low-fat, plant-based, whole-food lifestyle for specific medical conditions.