Darrell No Longer Needs His Diabetes Meds – Reboot Profile

Name: Darrell P.
Age: 58
Location: Puyallup, Washington
Reboot: 60 day juice fast
Pre-fast: Diabetic on oral medication & insulin.
Post-fast: Off all medications including insulin.

HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT REBOOT YOUR LIFE?
From the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. But let me explain….

A couple of weeks before Easter (2012) my wife told me she thought we should buy a juicer. The juicer came the Tuesday before Easter, Thursday my wife asked me if I was going to open the juicer. It sure was a lot larger and heavier than I expected. Now what? I needed to find some juice recipes. I went online and searched for something to juice and ended up on the Breville website which linked to Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. The title sounded interesting so I watched the documentary…then I watched it again. I’d never even heard of a juice fast before.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DO A REBOOT?
Joe’s gut, it was the same size as mine! Watching Joe and Phil’s transformation and being healed before the viewer’s eyes definitely was inspiring. And for both of them to open up their life for the whole world to see was/is incredible. It has not only inspired me but just look at the people worldwide that have been inspired too. And not just those of us that have a hundred or more pounds to lose, but people are inspired to just eat a more healthy diet.

HOW DID THE REBOOT GO FOR YOU?
The first several days were horrible due to the withdrawal from coffee. And on top of the coffee withdrawals, I started my 60 day fast the day after Easter. Thinking I’d have one last day of eating whatever I wanted, I ate myself stupid! I wish I knew then what I know now, I could have saved myself a lot of pain.

After the first 3-4 days, a funny thing started to happen, I started feeling wonderful! No hunger pains, energy level extremely high, little aches and pains that had bothered me for years started to go away and the first few weeks the weight loss was incredible.

For years I’d come home from work, hit the recliner and that’s where I’d be until it was time for bed. All of a sudden I was keeping myself busy. I also started doing a brisk 30 minute walk during my lunch hour at work.

DID YOU HAVE ANY NOTABLE HEALTH OR PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS?
Well, the weight loss was certainly a notable health improvement because I believe if I’d kept eating like I had been and not exercising I was headed for a very early grave. But what happened with my diabetes was nothing short of miraculous.

I had been diagnosed as diabetic about 9 years earlier. I was put on an oral medication which worked well for a couple of years. As time went on, my diabetes got worse and my orals were increased until I was maxed out on the diabetes medication Actos. I maintained on this dosage for a few years and then my diabetes took another turn, and in addition to the Actos I was prescribed Lantus, a 24 hour insulin. I started with 10 units of insulin a day and some months later had to increase it to 20 units a day, then 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, until I was finally shooting 80 units a day and my diabetes was still getting worse. I knew I was getting close to having to either switch, or add, regular insulin to my daily diabetes medications.

Day 3 was the last day I took my insulin. Day 14 was the last day I took my oral medication.

I have also been using a CPAP machine for sleep apnea for several years and over the course of the Reboot, I started to notice my machine was delivering too much air. The Monday after my Reboot, I had an appointment to get a new CPAP machine. After talking to the technician it was decided that my air delivery would be reduced by almost half. I have hope that by the time I reach my goal weight I will no longer have sleep apnea.

WHAT WAS THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE REBOOT?
Even though I lost exactly 64 pounds in 60 days, the hardest parts for me were the few weight loss plateaus I hit along the way. There was a few times during my 60 day fast when the scale wouldn’t move for 2 or 3 days in a row. And twice during the fast I even gained a pound or so. For me, these were the toughest things to deal with.

WHAT HABITS HAVE YOU MAINTAINED AS PART OF YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE?
My diet is now vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, sprouts and juice. I continue to feel fantastic and I WILL reach my goal weight of between 190-200 pounds over the next several months. I’m still walking, feel fantastic, energy level is still high and my glucose level continues to be that of a non-diabetic. Of course, only time will tell if my diabetes can be controlled with the weight loss, healthy eating and exercise, but I have no plans to return to my old eating habits. For me, this is forever!

WHAT IS YOUR LASTING IMPRESSION OF THE REBOOT?
Over the past 20 years I have done every diet ever devised. They all failed. The Reboot for me was fast, healthy, healing and life-changing. I have a newfound love of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouts…can’t forget the sprouts! A Reboot works. It’s just that simple.

I will be forever grateful to Joe, Siong, Phil, Bear, and all the other people in FSND for having the courage to share their lives with the world. Juice On!

**Editor’s Note: Many factors affect health and wellness, and we make no claim that juicing is beneficial for everybody or that juicing will provide any guaranteed results. Please consult with a medical professional to determine if juicing is right for you.