21DSD Testimonial: The 21DSD Helped Save My Dad’s Life

Hey Folks! We're excited to welcome back Certified 21DSD Coach Beth Romanski with a special testimonial about how the 21DSD changed her dad's life. Enjoy! – Diane and Team

**Remember that this information for general information only and is not to be considered professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult your doctor for personal medical advice.

As a Certified 21-Day Sugar Detox Coach and Certified Nutritional Consultant, I have been involved with empowering others to achieve their health and wellness goals for years. I have witnessed the power of nutrition in my own life and those of my clients, but I haven’t felt so grateful to have spent so much time and effort in increasing my knowledge in the latest dietary theories until this past January. In the midst of running an online 21DSD group program, my father was diagnosed with having had a stroke as well as a heart attack that he ignored, putting him in a very scary place in terms of survival. While the doctors were thorough in conducting many tests, due to his symptoms and my knowledge, I was able to accurately diagnose him as having all the symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes. While my dad is always there for me, I can’t say that he’s easy to deal with in these types of situations, so in order to help my parents all I could think to do to help was to take the day off work to go to their home an hour-and-a-half away and fill it up with tons of healthy food that they could have on hand to make it easy with all the hospital visits.

My dad eats terribly despite my being a Health Coach, and I've never been able to influence him because he was never ready to face reality or change. Yet this time, with fear as a motivator, it was different. I was almost in tears when he didn't even resist when my mom explained my diagnosis and he actually said it would be okay if I got rid of all the bad food in the house once and for all. With this rare opportunity, I purged their kitchen like we recommend all participants do during the pre-detox prep week. I filled BAGS upon BAGS of food that was essentially ALL SUGAR and that I knew was killing him. I was on a mission to get rid of this food for good and to get him on track.

Luckily (and maybe ironically), my mom was participating in my 21DSD group, so as his caretaker (he cannot see or navigate well on his own due to the stroke and vision loss which is caused by high blood sugar), she was easily able to implement what I outlined for his new diet and she knew how to cook all their meals following the 21DSD Guidebook and recipes. The 21DSD has also really helped reduce her arthritis pain, by the way!

The amazing result of my dad following a lower carbohydrate 21DSD template is that his blood sugar went down from 370 to 190 within one week without taking any insulin! This alone is a testament that food truly is medicine and to the ultimate impact of this program.

I knew how important it was that I was involved as a 21DSD advocate and Coach before, but now it means even MORE to me that this knowledge is saving my dad's life.

I am sharing this personal story not to scare anyone, but to encourage you or to jump in and try it if you haven’t before, particularly if you have type 2 diabetes or any other autoimmune disease or condition. The program is great for anyone looking to stop sugar and carb cravings, but it can do so much more on a deeper level. If you have done the 21DSD before, I hope this post inspires you keep up the healthy lifestyle from what you learned, focusing on whole, nutrient-rich foods. I also suggest that you recommend the program to others who you know may benefit, and in their own time, they may decide to make a change with your example.

Finally, I may be biased, but I do think there is extra value in doing a 21DSD with a Certified Coach so you can gain much more knowledge about why this program works. Almost all of the Certified 21DSD Coaches have other nutrition and health-related certifications, so we can impart more information to the experience than when you do it on your own.

And of course, I send a BIG thanks to Diane Sanfilippo! I am forever grateful to her for making this program available and so easy to follow for a 70-year old curmudgeon like my Dad. Tonight he called and told me that Mom was making the 21DSD approved salmon cakes for dinner and my dad loved them…music to my ears!

Beth is a Certified Health Coach as a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and a Certified 21-Day Sugar Detox Coach. During her education, Beth studied over 100 dietary theories to provide her clients with personalized nutrition blueprints. Beth takes an individualized approach to health coaching, creating customized plans to help clients achieve their wellness goals. Learn more about Beth and MyHealthyTransitions at www.myhealthytransitions.com.