As usual, I’m sitting behind my laptop on my birthday, attempting to think of something profound to write and share with the world. I don’t know if I have any particular life lessons this year, but I do have a story.

This story began primarily during my college years—perhaps even earlier. But the latest chapter began on October 4, 2023, and has been a significant part of my life over the past year. I’ve shared pieces here and on my social media accounts. It’s finally time to share it all—well, the important bits anyway.

It was a nice, warm day. Maybe a few degrees above the average for Alabama weather in early October. We hadn’t quite got into the good football playing temps yet. But the warm weather wasn’t too much on my mind because I was sitting in a icy room, nervously awaiting results from my primary care physician.

I already knew the news was going to be bad. I didn’t know how exactly many boxes I was going to tick on the “yeah, you’ve f’d up” chart, but I could think of a few.

Turned out I hit the big trifecta that, sadly, so many Americans can claim:

• ✅ Hypertension.
• ✅ Hyperlipidemia (that’s high cholesterol).
• ✅ Type II Diabetes.

Those three typically go hand in hand. They also lead to far worse issues if not addressed. I was driving along the fast track toward an early grave, likely by stroke or heart attack, whichever curve appeared first along the road.

I knew the blood pressure was up. I probably could’ve guessed the cholesterol wasn’t so great. But I could fix those.

The “D” word struck me the hardest. It was an issue that I’d never faced in the many years of yo-yo dieting and exercise regimens I’d gone through. And everyone I knew who had the disease was on some form of medication or insulin injections. Honestly, that didn’t sound like too much fun to me.

I’m going to stop here and just give you some good news: for all intents and purposes, I haven’t been diabetic for over a year. I suppose it would be correct to say that the condition is “in remission.”

This topic has been on my mind in the last month as I had my latest checkup with the doc. My blood sugar was in a good place after being entirely off medication for six months. It’s a good place to be at the ripe old young age of 41.

The question on so many people’s minds: how did you do it?

My Diabetic Journey

I did two things when I left my physician’s office that day.

The first was to make a quick trip by the Burger King drive-through. I snagged three cheap burgers for one final hurrah.

The second, and probably the most important thing, was to vow that I would deal with my diet and lifestyle issues once and for all. If I were diabetic that day, I wouldn’t be for long.

That meant making changes to my lifestyle. I needed more exercise and to eat healthier. Sounds simple enough. I’d been down this road a few times, and I know that it’s not always easy despite the simplicity.

My exercise routine is pretty boring. I make sure to move around some every day. In the winter, that’s mostly 30-60 minutes of walking. As the weather warms, I’m more likely to be in the garden or doing some sort of yard work. Exercise is such a small—but important—component that it’s hardly worth going into detail.

The biggest changes are through diet, so I’ll focus on that part of the journey.

So many people ask me if I avoid carbs or if I’m following a carnivore diet to address blood sugar issues through diet. And so many of them are surprised that I eat many carbs. They’ve actually played an integral role in my diet over the past year and a half.

I’ve completed a lot of diet programs throughout my life. I’ve done everything from Atkins to similar programs such as paleo, primal, and carnivore. Heck, 13 years ago on my birthday, I had what I called the Birthday Breakfast of Champions, which was a bacon omelet. I’ve had a stint with veganism (really more toward ovo-lacto vegetarianism) where I’d previously dropped my blood pressure. As far back as my college years in 2007, I participated in Body for Life. I even ran a 5K back in 2011 (this was during a second go with Body for Life).

Most of those diets are fads in one way or another. I’m not saying that they’re bad. Quite the opposite. Most have something to offer. There’s never been a diet that I’ve been on where I didn’t lose weight, correct health issues, and get into better physical shape. And I’ve tried others too.

So the real question is why I didn’t stick with any of them. I believe that’s because they all lacked something.

Some diets forgo delicious bread and fruit. Others ban beans and dairy. And, let’s be honest, I love a good steak as much as any other red-blooded American.

There is one thing that all the diets I followed had in common: getting rid of processed foods.

In practice, that means focusing on whole foods. I think most humans instinctively know what healthy, wholesome food is. And that’s not the stuff that comes out of a box.

When I think of an “ideal” diet, I always go back to two guidelines my stepmom always mentioned:

• Eat whole foods.
• Eat in moderation.

I wasn’t going to worry about whichever diet was the monthly flavor. I was getting back to the very basics—real food.

It was an exciting time. I love food. I’ve had a passion for cooking even as far back as my early college years when I was originally on track—believe or not—to earn a Hotel and Restaurant Management degree. Plus, I like a good challenge.

So when folks ask me how I got off medication and control my blood sugar entirely through diet, I tell them that I focus on eating real food. If they dig deeper, I walk them through some of my guidelines. I suppose now is as good a time as any to share them. These are merely the things that I do that have kept me in a good place:

• Eat three main meals each day: breakfast, lunch, and supper.
• Switch to eating from a 9-inch plate. Less food means I avoid overeating (and never going for seconds).
• Include at least one serving of proteins, carbs, and veggies on the plate.
• Eat two or three snacks each day. These are almost always a handful of nuts or nut butter on a slice of sourdough bread.
• Eat something fermented at least once a day. This is usually sauerkraut or another lacto-fermented veggie and often serves as the veggie part of my plate.
• Consume only whole or very minimally processed foods.
• Avoid things with multiple ingredients on the label like the plague.
• Make my own bread and bread-like products from whole grains. These days, I’m almost 100% on sourdough for grains with gluten, such as wheat (now wondering if sourdough pasta is possible…).
• Plenty of fat from a range of sources, which includes meats, butter, ghee, lard, olive oil, avocado oil, cheese, and nuts.
• Include potatoes of all kinds, corn, beans, and peas.
• Eat fresh fruit or berries for nearly every meal. Though I don’t drink fruit juices.
• Grow and eat as much food as possible from my backyard (exercise and whole foods combo).
• Cut out drinking milk almost completely. This mostly pertains to me as a milk addict. I consider whole milk pretty healthy, but there’s no reason to drink so many calories.
• Cook all my meals from scratch, except for 👇
• Once a week, eat out but don’t overindulge. This can be anything from a fast-food burger to a slice of greasy pizza.

I’m sure I left a few items off the list. Maybe one day I’ll formalize it all into a new diet book. 🤷‍♂️

I’m not 100% strict on everything. These are my guidelines, not set-in-stone rules. I think it’s important to realize that strictly following rigid diet rules can lead to burnout. It all goes back to those original words of wisdom: eat whole foods and in moderation. Those things have been the keys to my success.

As I celebrate my 41st birthday, I suppose I’m just happy that I’ve made the changes I’ve made. This is the longest I’ve ever stuck to a “diet.” I’m sure I’ll make some mistakes along the way, but it feels right.

There’s really no end to this story, at least until whatever day I die. Right now, I’m just enjoying the journey and the good food along the way.

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Previous years: 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35