Jules Reverses Type 2 Diabetes After Switching to a Plant Based Diet + Easy Seasoned Beans from a Can
By Molly Patrick
May 9, 2020,
When I hear stories about people getting healthier, getting off their diabetes medication and reversing their type 2 diabetes because they switched to a whole-food plant-based diet, it lights me up. These are people who otherwise would have continued to feel like crap and be on medication if it wasn’t for this lifestyle change. This change is so powerful.
Having multiple health issues when eating a diet heavy in animal based foods and processed foods is as predictable as getting a hangover after a hard night of drinking. When you remove the cause of the symptom, the symptom starts to heal.
This is exactly what happened for Samantha and Jules Leonard. Jules reverses his type 2 diabetes, and I was lucky enough to chat with them a couple of weeks ago. Here’s an intro from Sam before you watch the video:
We thank our lucky stars every day that we happened to find this way of eating before the pandemic started. Jules was in a high-risk group due to his type 2 diabetes and hypertension. He also had liver problems, and last year his doctors told him they would need to biopsy his liver if things didn’t improve by his next appointment in February 2020.
He was on two types of medication (for diabetes and hypertension), which had already both been increased, and the doctors were talking about adding in statins on top. We knew that he had to lose weight, and he had tried a lot of different diets over the years but had never been able to stick to them – he just couldn’t imagine depriving himself forever. Last November we watched the Game Changers documentary on Netflix and my committed carnivore cheese loving husband turned to me and said that he thought we should try this immediately. So the very next day we cut out meat and dairy, and Jules’ blood test results started to improve.
We really didn’t know anything about cooking whole food plant-based food, but luckily in January we found the Clean Food Dirty Girl website, signed up for the meal plans and have never looked back. Jules’ HbA1c improved for the first time in 6 years and is now at normal non-diabetic levels. His BP is controlled on half his former medication. He has lost 40lbs and no longer needs a liver biopsy – by February his liver tests were back to normal! He recently came off his diabetes meds, and fingers crossed won’t need them again.
I am so amazed by what has been possible and by how quickly the changes have happened – as a doctor I was formerly a bit hesitant about the idea of a plant-based diet and its potential for such an impact on health. In particular, I never thought that it could actually reverse Jules’ diabetes, especially after such a long time – at best I hoped we could stop things getting worse. So to see him off diabetes medication with normal blood sugars and generally fitter and healthier is incredible.
And what is so flipping amazing about the CFDG recipes is that Jules loves them (as do I!), and says that this really isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle, and a lifestyle he’s very happy to keep to. And the results speak for themselves. I’m a convert!
Closed Captioning available.
Sam and Jules – you guys are kicking so much ass!! Thank you for chatting with me, I am incredibly happy for you both. May you continue to thrive and thoroughly enjoy your good health.
If you’re inspired to try our weekly whole-food plant-based meal plans, you can learn more about them and sign up for a free trial here.
Molly
Have you been able to turn your health around or reverse type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes by changing your diet? Or maybe you are inspired by Sam and Jules. I would love to hear about it in the comments below!
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (15 oz / 425 g)
- 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (15 oz / 425 g)
- ¼ cup water (60 ml)
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the beans well and then place them into a medium-size mixing bowl, along with the remaining ingredients and stir well.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the seasoned beans mixture, including any liquid, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until heated through.
Wishing you a happy week. May it be filled with removing the stuff that causes the symptoms.
Xo
Molly
9 Comments
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Jules and Sam so glad to hear from you. I’m going to show this interview to my omnispouse and see if it has the same effect on him as it had on you. He eats the food I make but indulges in meat and dairy as well. He has not been able to lose weight on his WOE and I’m hoping this will make him more willing to give this a try. He is overweight and has had liver problems in the past. He had a successful course treating Hep C years ago and I worry about Fatty liver disease in him. Thanks so much for sharing it all.
Best Wishes and Sincere Thanks,
Mary Ann Scanlon
Hi Mary Ann, thank you for your kind comments! We have been really wowed by how this diet has had such an effect on Jules’ liver as well as his diabetes, and his doctors have been even more astonished! Before last November, Jules could probably count the number of vegetarian meals he had had on one hand, and hated exercise with a passion. Now with more energy thanks to healthier food, and pushed on by the improvements he has seen, he has really been able to work on getting his weight down and his bp too – so it really is possible! All the very best of luck and good health to you and your other half!
What a great story!! Way to go Jules and Samantha ❤️. I’ve been wishy washy about making a lifestyle change (which way to eat, etc) and when you were talking about how this is actually sustainable…it’s like that was all I needed to hear. So thank you!!
Thank you Lindsay! It really is the first diet/ WOE that Jules has ever been able to envisage as a permenant change and the CFDG recipes definitely help with this! We never feel like we’re ‘punishing’ ourselves – there is so much great food out there to try! Very good luck with your journey!
Hiya Lindsey! We’re so excited about your new health journey! We have some great resources you may want to check out. Molly wrote a blog post recently about how to how to start eating more whole plant foods, you can check that out here. In fact, there are lots of posts on our blog that you may find helpful.
If finding new recipes seems overwhelming, we also offer Clean Food Dirty Girl meal plans that take all of the guesswork out of prepping and eating delicious whole food plant based. We totally support you and we’re here for you. If you have any questions, you can reach out to us here.
In addition to your newfound health, I just want to say what an attractive couple you two are! Congratulations and thanks for the inspiration!
Aww, thanks, what a lovely thing to say – that made our day! Sam and Jules xx
I stumbled across your website yesterday when searching for recipes that are “whole foods plant based”-compliant and that are compatible with my weight loss plans (I’m on Weight Watchers and also trying to follow Chef AJ’s Ultimate Weight Loss/Fabulous Over Forty programs). I scoured your free recipes and decided to try this out. I’m so glad I did!! I found it super easy to make and very compliant with the way that I’m trying to eat. I love the flavors and the fact that there’s a bit of salt in it (I haven’t gone salt-free yet; one thing at a time!). People not eating salt can simply omit it; the other flavors should still be a treat to the palate even without salt. I highly recommend this recipe for a quick, satisfying, and flavorful meal.
I just signed up for paid membership and am finding even more great recipes to try; thanks for offering the free ones as a sample!
Woohoo, Laura! This is the kind of thing we love to hear! If you’re a Facebook user, I recommend joining our Private Facebook Group. It’s full of amazing, supportive, non-judgmental people all on their own journeys. <3