Take Off the Spiked Shoes by Lee Harrington

Take Off the Spiked Shoes

Take Off the Spiked Shoes by Lee Harrington

Imagine having a boat with a thin wood floor and you are walking around with spiked shoes on. You look behind you and see the boat has sprung a leak. So you put a patch on the leak. And what do you know, everywhere you go leaks are springing up. So you patch, and patch and wonder - why do I have such a bad boat that is springing up leaks all the time. You go to the boat dealer and see if he has a more powerful patch for the leaks. It never occurs to you to take off the spiked shoes.

Sounds silly, right? That was me and how I was managing my health. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in chasing symptom management rather than fixing the cause of the problem in the first place.

I had "the disease of acid reflux". I took Pepcids and Tums all the time. I had them stashed everywhere. In my kitchen cabinet, in my work desk drawer, in my car, in my backpack. I kept antacids in my suitcase so when I traveled I wouldn't forget. I was walking around with spiked shoes on.

I had "the disease of osteoarthritis". Knee pain that grew worse over time. I took ibuprofen pills like they were candy. I tried this cream and that lotion and even tried essential oils. I sought out Facebook groups to find what "natural remedies" others were using to fix their "osteoarthritis pain". I took all kinds of natural "anti-inflammatories". I had gotten so bad the ortho wanted to cut out my knees and put artificial ones in. I walked with a cane, I drove with a handicap sticker. I had to use the shopping cart as a walker and get in and out of a store as quickly as possible even so. I was walking around with spiked shoes on. I developed type 2 diabetes. My body had devolved to where I couldn't control my blood sugar. The doctor gave me Metformin to help lower my blood sugar. Then he added Glipizide. My A1c kept getting worse. I went to a diabetes specialist and she added Trulicity ($1000/mo) to the two meds I was taking to lower my blood sugar. She set up our next appointment where she was going to also put me on insulin shots. All to lower my blood sugar. I was walking around with spiked shoes on.

I was sent to a dietician where she laid out the MyPlate showing me what I was supposed to eat. 60% of the calories would be coming from grains and carbs (but healthy carbs). I knew about low carb diets already so it finally dawned on me - why not just stop eating the carbs/sugar rather than relying on medications to remove the sugar from my blood that my diet was putting into it. The dietician was NOT on board with that idea. She let me know she had 40 years experience teaching diabetics how to eat. What do I know?

Well, I finally decided enough was enough. I read The Diabetes Code by Dr. Jason Fung and adopted a very low carb diet along with intermittent fasting and exercise. I was finally taking those d@mned spiked shoes off. And, shocker of shockers - when you stop eating sugar, you can stop needing to take medications that help control blood sugar. Even healthy carbs are sugar and therefore not healthy for someone with a sugar control problem.

Even healthy carbs are sugar and therefore not healthy for someone with a sugar control problem.

In three months, I was off all the meds. In three more months I was below the diabetic threshold. In a year I had a normal A1c and have been off meds for more than 2 years. Surprisingly, my "acid reflux" disease healed. Within weeks of going low carb I stopped having heart burn. I haven't taken an antacid in over 2 years. And what I've learned about them since, I'll not be taking them ever again. I had taken off my spiked shoes.

And my knees? I've gone from walking with a cane to running 5ks and doing HIIT sprint intervals. Didn't happen in a day. But in a matter of weeks of changing my diet my pain levels went down. It was like I was taking anti-inflammatories - when I wasn't. What I had done was reduced the "inflammatories" I had been eating. I had taken off my spiked shoes. Add weight loss, exercise, strength training in a progressive overload manner over time, and I have regained so much of my ability to walk and run. I'm not pain free, and I'm not as "able" as I used to be, but I'm at SUCH a better place. I wouldn't dream of cutting out my knees at this point. This kind of "patching" my body truly built up health versus trying to "pill the pain away". Over a while now I've lost some of my discipline in eating. And guess what? I feel that inflammation coming back. I am gaining weight. My A1c has crept up. Those d@mned spiked shoes came back on my feet. But I know what to do.

I know now not to look for a pill or a cream or an "anti-anything" solution. I need to be pro-health. Eat a pro-health diet. Exercise in a pro-health way. Sleep in a pro-health way. I can't go back to wearing spiked shoes while looking for patches for the leaks. I hope this message resonates with folks and you join me in taking off your spiked shoes. Be pro-health. Work on "not inflaming" rather than popping "anti-inflammatories".

p.s. Always consult your own health team for your specific needs
p.p.s. Educate yourself to fully participate in your health strategy
Books to read: Why We Get Sick by Dr Ben Bickman, The Diabetes Code by Dr Jason Fung