For many, receiving a diagnosis of diabetes and high blood pressure marks the start of major challenges.
In 2007, Yvonne Moore was facing that reality in her mid-50s. She was also coping with high stress, battling depression and taking 13 different tablets every single day for her chronic conditions and not seeing any progress.
She decided to take action to turn around her health and revamped her lifestyle. She is now thriving, active and enjoying life.
Yvonne remembers the heavy physical and mental toll of her conditions before she got the help she needed. Despite taking 13 medications daily, she was anxious, exhausted and depressed; especially after her husband passed away.
“I felt terrible. I felt like it was the end of the world for me. I used to feel so tired. I was going to doctors and not seeing any results.”
Her wakeup call came after one doctor advised that she needed to start insulin. She was adamant that she wouldn’t, and searched for an alternative.
“I said no way, nobody is doing that to me. I know my mother used to take it [insulin], and I remembered she went into a coma and passed away when she didn’t get the medication. So then I decided that I would try everything to improve my health.”
She found Dr Kimberley King and immediately underwent testing that gave her a comprehensive picture of her internal health.
“They put me on a screen that they could look at, you know, like a television. They took my blood, and it showed everything that was going on in my body. And they saw a lot of white stuff in my stomach. I remember that I used to get a lot of burning in my stomach.”
Dr King outlined a clear path forward: a complete lifestyle change, and Yvonne was ready.
First came changes to her diet, and Yvonne said it was easy. She eliminated sugars and excess salt, replacing them with whole, natural foods.
“I eat a lot of fruit, and use a lot of stuff like greens, lettuce, a lot of vegetables. It wasn’t hard because those are the types of things that I love to eat. Now I could eat food all day long.”
Her current diet is a model of healthy eating. She starts her day with lemon and ginger tea to “clean her stomach”, followed by boiled eggs, sometimes toasts, oatmeal, Weetabix or little dinner rolls and crackers for breakfast.
She says fresh produce and whole foods are key. “I have to spend every cent I have to buy healthy food. I make sure they [family] bring good fruits. It’s all about taking care of yourself.” Yvonne has also stopped frying her food and now bakes most of her dishes. Her preferred beverage is: “Water, water, and more water.”
Her diet is buttressed by exercise. “I go to the gym. I exercise. The days that I don’t get to go to the gym to exercise, I would walk up and down. I make sure to engage in physical activity every day.
Yvonne saw positive results within “weeks”. “I felt so much better, lighter.”
Today, at 75, Yvonne remains committed to the programme and says she has no intention of reversing her lifestyle.
“I have more energy. I can get up and move around and do things that I couldn’t do because there were times I couldn’t even make my own breakfast. Before the programme, I struggled with sleep; now I sleep like a baby.”
Moreover, Yvonne says her depression and anxiety are gone, replaced by a sense of well-being. Her biggest achievement is reducing her pill count from 13 a day to just five (plus three natural supplements: vitamin C, vitamin B, and chromium). Her blood pressure is also well-controlled. “I had a full check-up just weeks ago, and my doctor is happy. No issues.”
When asked how she handles the temptation to indulge, Yvonne says: “I can look at certain foods and choose to eat what I know I should eat. I have come a long way. I don’t want to go back there.”
She recently travelled to Panama and Miami, enjoying good health without chronic fatigue or fear. Yvonne encourages anyone facing a similar situation to look for natural options and holistic care. “There are herbalists out there, and I can tell you about Dr King. Go to them and let them help you. Natural stuff is good. This programme is a commitment to myself and my health. I wouldn’t change anything that I am doing for the world,” she insists. (Better Health)
The post Yvonne Weeks: From 13 pills to thriving at 73 appeared first on nationnews.com.
