Ernest was diagnosed with diabetes
When Ernest Quansah was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, he became more focused on changing his habits and pursuing a healthier life, and here is his story.
I’m a chef and a pastry chef. I would bake desserts, cookies and cakes and serve them at three meals. My job overworked and stressed me out, and I didn’t have time to take good care of myself.
Suddenly, I found that I had developed a strong craving for sugar. I purchased a large can of lemonade and drank it all day. Then I began to lose weight rapidly. A month later, I had lost 20 pounds. Every morning, I noticed a sticky white substance covering my tongue and the corners of my eyes.
In a panic, I went to the hospital. The doctor told me, “We need to do a blood test now because I suspect you have diabetes.” The test showed that my blood glucose level was 394 mg/dl. For most non-diabetics, the pre-meal blood glucose level is about 70 to 80 mg/dl. My doctor said, “Do you know how close you are to going into cardiac arrest?”
My doctor prescribed a lot of medication for me.
The doctor told the patient that if there were no diabetics in the family, the patient would be cured
Soon after, my eyes also struck, and I was overwhelmed by the fact that my vision was no longer clear, although it returned after 4 weeks, when I was only 46 years old.
Finally, after 2 years of struggling, I asked my doctor, “Can I be cured of my diabetes?” He asked if I had any family members with diabetes, and I told him no. He went on to say, “Well, you can be cured. But the best way to cure diabetes is to use a combination of methods at the same time to better control it.”
Ernest’s battle with diabetes
My doctor and I worked together to develop a diet and exercise plan. I basically gave up simple carbohydrates. I would make my favorite soups – adding tofu and cabbage, and lots of vegetables. I would also chop up raw vegetables and toss them with hummus. For breakfast, I’ll add a little cream and egg whites to my oatmeal. I no longer drink any sweet beverages.
Every morning, I go to the gym and work out. In the beginning, I couldn’t lift anything too heavy and could only do 7 minutes of cardio. Slowly, I started to be able to stay on the facility for 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, and then 45 minutes. My doctor also began to taper my medications.
At night, I went back to the gym and did only cardio. I worked out 7 days a week. I started to feel rejuvenated. Further tests showed that I was cured. “Congratulations! Your diabetes is cured.” “Your blood pressure is perfect, and your cholesterol levels are down,” the doctor told me.
This is a story from 4 years ago. Today, I still have a lot of energy and I’m still a chef, and on the weekends, I have the occasional dessert – ice cream or cookies – but I continue to eat healthy and exercise – that’s my secret.
What Ernest’s life journey teaches us
“Start exercising, start with 5 minutes and gradually increase, and your energy will return again.”
“Control your diet, you don’t have to be a chef to eat healthy and delicious food.”
“The easiest meal to make is to chop up vegetables, mix them with a little seasoning, and add a can of tuna packed in water to make a hearty meal.”