Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days
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Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days

2009, Health  -   88 Comments
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Ratings: 6.25/10 from 193 users.

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 DaysSimply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days is an independent documentary film that chronicles six Americans with diabetes who switch to a diet consisting entirely of vegan, organic, uncooked food in order to reverse disease without pharmaceutical medication.

The six are challenged to give up meat, dairy, sugar, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, soda, junk food, fast food, processed food, packaged food, and even cooked food for 30 days. The film follows each participant's remarkable journey and captures the medical, physical, and emotional transformations brought on by this radical diet and lifestyle change. We witness moments of struggle, support, and hope as what is revealed, with startling clarity, is that diet can reverse disease and change lives.

The film highlights each of the six before they begin the program and we first meet them in their home environment with their families. Each participant speaks candidly about their struggle to manage their diabetes and how it has affected every aspect of their life, from work to home to their relationships.

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Joj
Joj
4 years ago

So many triggered skeptics in the comments section. Big pharma has left the chat. Haha XD

Mike
Mike
10 years ago

Does anyone know why the video has become private now? I really wanted to see this!

MeganTabor
MeganTabor
11 years ago

Where do you get the recipes that they made? Any suggestions for books or recipes? I want to start preparing these meals as I am diabetic Type 2. If anyone knows, (sorry, no personal emails or any other) "moderator."
My name is Megan and I live in Las Vegas, NV.

BertCankle
BertCankle
11 years ago

Wow what a wonderful film. I was cheering at the end, and am determined to make some serious life changes. I don't know any of these people but am so damn proud of all of them. The fact that we don't know all of this information already is extremely sad. I'm on day two of being raw and feel like I'm on a drug. A really good one.

unhinderedliving
unhinderedliving
11 years ago

It is possible to regenerate the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. There are certain nutritional components that can do this, curcumin in turmeric and resveratrol are two things that regenerate the pancreas. This absolutely does work.

Betty Phillips
Betty Phillips
11 years ago

This is amazing.

JeffreyT
JeffreyT
11 years ago

Hi, I live in Orange California and wanted to find out if a camp is available like the one in the documentary. I have type 2 diabetes and recently (6-7 months ago) had a heart attack. I need to have medical help to assure that I don't damage my body more. I saw my heart attack as a wake up call (stent installed) and want to get this under control. I am about 20 pounds to heavy. Any help would be appreciated. The doctors I go to say eat a chicken salad all the time or sign up for a basically worthless nutrition class. Which is a little frustrating. I am a veteran and am now 46 and strong minded. This can be accomplished!!!! I just want guidance and support on things that I can't see or know that is going on in my body.

Please help.

sknb
sknb
12 years ago

Both my parents have diabetes. My father worse than my mother. It is destroying my fathers kidneys. I was told I have an 80% chance of getting this disease. My parents have had to make radical (not as radical as this film though) changes in their diet. This is incredibly psychologically difficult for people who have lived their whole lives eating a certain way. My father is in a deep depression. I think a lot of times nutritionists and doctors and people who support certain diets forget what a deep mental attachment people have to their food and food rituals. My father never ate fast food. He lovingly cooked for our family for almost 20 years.

My brother had severe intestinal problems and diverticulitis and was told he would need to be on medication for the rest of his life. After switching his diet to predominantly vegan he is virtually cured. I am so glad he is healthy. He made me the person I am today. It is hard to eat with him though because he I feel so self conscious around him because his diet is so limited. I feel like he is always judging me even though I am vegetarian. He's one of those people with skinny genes and I am not. I also have hormonal problems that make it difficult for me to lose weight so I am seeking weight loss surgery.

I am a vegetarian and my brother is primarily vegan. It is easier for us to change because we are young and can redefine the pleasure we get from food and eating to mean different things. This is not so easy for our parents in their 60'- especially when they arent feeling well and some of the only joys they had in life was food or going out to a nice meal. We are trying to change their outlook and increase positivity - but this is very hard and may not ever happen. It is a daily battle for them and for our family.

Jean Anne
Jean Anne
12 years ago

I'm grateful to see these types of films being produced. Whole, natural, organic, raw food... full of nutrients and life... its amazing! I have been eating about 90% raw the past two months and I feel fantastic... workout almost daily and see a higher energy level.

Boycott RS Joystick Awards
Boycott RS Joystick Awards
12 years ago

Also don't use normal milk if you want to use milk, horrible stuff. Use something like rice milk or oat milk instead. Normal milk is boiled to smitherines and it's been pasturized and all sorts. If you want a bit of sugar, use a little stevia or agave nectar.

Demoorelizer
Demoorelizer
12 years ago

Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are really nothing alike. Type 1 the person doesn't produce insulin at all or very little. Type 2 they either become resistant to it or do not produce enough to cover their intake.
I didn't watch this, but reading through the comments gave me sparse knowledge of what happens in the film. The only reason this works for Type 1 is simply the fact that THE PERSON WAS NOT EATING AS MANY CARBOHYDRATES(or calories depending on your view point) SO THEY BURNED ENOUGH ENERGY THAT THEIR BLOOD SUGAR WAS LOWERED. As soon as they went back to the diet they had before their blood sugar would spike. Same as if they drank a sugared drink. This would be different for the type 2 person, as they lose weight from a program the need for insulin and the insulin resistance it self becomes less, so a sugared drink would affect them the same as everyone else.
I've been type 1 for a decade, how this misconception would not be obvious to everyone about diabetes I'll never know.

terragamo
terragamo
12 years ago

I'm studying to get my MD, and am disappointed how the entire medicinal complex of the United States is lumped together in one big pot. To say that doctors of any sort don't want people to get better, or that they will lose a lot of money if people are healthy, is ridiculous. Of course there are doctors who are greedy, the same way there are people pushing homeopathic cures who are feeding off of people's fear. Bad doctors don't invalidate what Western medicine can do or accomplish, any more than a crazy in the Raw world discredits what it can do. I personally believe food is medicine, and counsel all patients this way. Perhaps, and just perhaps, if you sought to educate Western medicine (which I do whenever I can) rather than villify, more conversation would take place.

Rosie Santiago
Rosie Santiago
12 years ago

Who can give me information in reference to The Tree of Life? Auntie in Sarasota, Florida???????????????

Rosie Santiago
Rosie Santiago
12 years ago

I am a Type II Adult onset Diabetic for 9 years. How can I get information on going for 30 days to the wonderful Tree of Life Program? I would definitely give it a try and stop all these medications that I am on.

Please, if you know how I can contact the Doctors, from Tree of Life, kindly let me know.

Thank you,
Ms. Rosie Santiago
Boca Raton, Florida

M.G.
M.G.
12 years ago

so whats the diet plan for someone whose pancreas has completely shut down?

Leslie El Salvador
Leslie El Salvador
12 years ago

I love their support its sooo great :D

Ineska Jakopanec
Ineska Jakopanec
12 years ago

incredible... i want go on something like that... really nice.. :D :D

Mohamed Caffoor
Mohamed Caffoor
13 years ago

I used a modified version and reversed my T2 diabetes. Now I take no medications and only control through diet and exercise.

Charles B
Charles B
13 years ago

Egads! "High fiber, High carbohydrate, low protein low fat diet" is the key? That's the Anti-Atkins diet. For the last few years I've tried to increase my protein intake and another doc recommended protein to stave off hunger.

I guess the other advise to "Stay away from anything "White"" was good--no sugar, no white flour, no dairy, no salt, no lard, no alcohol. Basicly anything white. I would think apples would be ok, however.

Essentially, the less processed a food is, the better it is for you.

Chocolate is a superfood (without the sugar)!

If I could just stay away from sugar, that would be a start at least, and processed meats and fast foods. It's so hard to do.

Atrophy
Atrophy
13 years ago

@Ale
Its not pushing us along.. Its leading us along like a carrot on a stick.

@mahi
I agree.
Healthy is big business.
Convenient is even bigger business.
I dont usually have time, or the cash flow to follow one of these diets. I can spend 5 bucks for a complete breakfast in 5 min at mcdonnalds or spend 30 bucks at the local safeway getting all the ingredients for a few 'healthy' meals that I need an hour to cook.

@anne V
They cooked some of the food in the video as well, just not over 118 degress F (47.7 C) which should soften them up enough to release most of the nutrients but also preserve a majority of the phytonutrients.

@vegazosten
Show me how to buy my ingredients cheap, year round, and prepare my 3 meals a day in 20 min or less and I would try it. I'm still gonna eat meat tho. I'm not gonna argue with 2 million years of evolution :P

vegazosten
vegazosten
13 years ago

I can't understand why some persons don't even wanne try it? Even after proven good or better results? How can humans be so stupid? It's like smoking, everyone knowns it's so bad, but still they wanne smoke!

Christine
Christine
13 years ago

This movie broke my heart. I have family who suffer from diabetes and I shared it with them to give them hope. I feel that those of us who understand the power of RAW have a responsibility to spread the knowledge and begin to reverse the health epidemics fight the money-driven medicine machine that seems to be trying to ensure these epidemics continue to grow.

On a lighter note, RAW food also gets rid of 100% of cellulite! Let women know that and the movement will REALLY take off! YAHOO!

Mike
Mike
13 years ago

I had similar results on a potato diet. I ate noting but potatoes for 30 days and I lost 45 lbs. I ate them mashed, baked, fried. scalloped and boiled and I went from 245 lbs down to 200 lbs in a month and I felt great. I used ketchup with it too and sunflower oil and butter. I didn't starve myself either I ate all the potatoes I could eat until I was full and I lost weight so fast it was incredible.

KCgibson
KCgibson
13 years ago

My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 12. 6 months ago I was in the hospital and was discussing type 1 with one of the doctors there. She told me that the "theory" of how Type 1 diabetes is contracted is through genetics triggering an auto immune response after having a virus. She said no one rally knows how Type 1 diabetes manifests and, in fact, there is absolutely no eveidence to show that it runs in families. She told me that 5% or less of type 1 diabetics have a family member who also has the disease. No one else in my family or my husbands has type 1 diabetes, but yet my daughter has it.
I would love to see this same documentary performed again with 6 type 1 diabetics. I was disappointed that the type 1 diabetic in the movie, who had been diagnosed as a child was not committed to the program. Even still, he had dramatic drops in his insulin use, but I would like to see what the human body can really do when it is nurtured and given the chance to heal on its own.

MIchael22541
MIchael22541
13 years ago

Thank you for posting! this has been an eye opener!! God Bless you!!!!!!!!

Tina
Tina
13 years ago

Thank you. Wanted to see this video. Thank you for making it sooo available. Friends (a couple in their mid-sixties) are now maintaining 70-80% raw diet after watching this video. One is a diabetic (also had open-heart surgery), but both are seeing positive results. Very positive results. Very grateful. Thanks.

regretful
regretful
13 years ago

I have now watched this movie 3 times, shared it with hundreds and every time I see it, I cry. I cry b/c my father, his father, my grandmother and aunt all died due to complications from Type 2 diabetes and NOT ONE of their doctors would have been able to share this information with them. Even if they would have gone astray as the older Hispanic man eventually did, they would have been at least given a choice - an alternative - to drugs.

Follow the money is right - it leads right to the pockets of the FDA, RX and doctors who either have been brainwashed, bought off or are lazy.

“If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.” Thomas Jefferson, 1778.

God help us all.

Hilah
Hilah
13 years ago

Anyone have any idea what the wormy thing was on the blood slide? Cousens said, "Those live on sugar." or something, but he never said what the hell it was. Parasites?
While I don't doubt that a vegan diet is ideal for diabetics, this whole movie had a very propaganda feel to it.

josephine
josephine
13 years ago

Amazing film, very inspiring! It's a wonderful concept and shows the amazing results of good nutrious food. There is a really good book called "Fit for Life" it explains the benifuts of a raw food diet and also has a bunch of good recipes. If anyone knows of any raw food recipe books or website please post!

arrietty
arrietty
13 years ago

Wow,wow,wow what a great film!So uplifting to see those great people healing themselves.Makes so much sense.I eat a fair bit of raw but gonna make more room in my life for it now, thanks!

Ned
Ned
13 years ago

Atom,

Yes 2 of them did have type 1. Kirt, the black guy, and the young white guy from Michigan, don't remember his name. Both had type 1. If you watch the documentary, this is stated clearly. The black guy's doctors originally thought he had type 2, but later it was determined it was really type 1.

Atom
Atom
13 years ago

@Ned.
"2 of the people in this documentary had Type 1."

No, only 1 person in the documentary had type 1 diabetes, the other 5 all had type 2.

Kenneth
Kenneth
13 years ago

I have been juicing for 17 years I drink 32 oz a day, cured my colon cancer in 120 days, I do not like raw foods very much so i drink my vegetables taste great. now i just watch what i eat and never go a day with out my juice,I feel 40 and look 40 but I'm 65 years young.

DAVID ALOI
DAVID ALOI
13 years ago

Very interesting and thought provoking, thanks to all the contributors.

Wilber
Wilber
13 years ago

Cedar,

If raw plants do not provide any nutrition, then how are raw vegan olympic and other elite athletes doing better than many others? Where do they get their nutrition from?

How could Gabriel Cousens, the main architect of this 30 (and now 21-day) program, do 601 pushups at age 60 while when he was captain of a college football team at age 21 only do 70?

You would think he would be dead of malnutrition many years ago, since he's been doing this for decades.

Cedar Cat
Cedar Cat
13 years ago

It seems pretty clear to me that the reversal of the diabetes had more to do with the participants giving up their junk/processed foods. As the man in "SuperSize Me" the movie demonstrated, eating processed/junk food can put your health into very rapid decline.

Raw plants do not provide any nutrition as their cells have a strong cell wall that must be broken to unlock the minerals and other nutrients of the plant. The cell wall can be broken by cooking, drying, freezing, or fermenting.

Meat and milk are closer to what we are made of, and do not have cell walls, and therefore provide optimal nutritional value when consumed raw.

Nothing wrong with eating raw food for fun, taste and crunch, but be sure to eat some cooked, frozen, dried or fermented foods as well!

Be Blessed!

James
James
13 years ago

Really nice documentary that is inspirational and gives so much hope for all the diabetics out there

Kevin
Kevin
13 years ago

I agree with the comments made by Alex I am sure that Mahi is not being deliberately ignorant, although I am surprised by the lack of understanding Mahi has regarding both types of diabetes, when having a diabetic daughter.

I am in my late 20's, I am not overweight (not even slightly overweight), I have always eaten as healthily as the average person, and there is no logical reason why I would develop type 2 diabetes, nevertheless I was diagnosed with it 6 months ago.

I appreciate that it is possible that some people’s life styles may bring it on, whereas Type 1 is an auto immune disease, however this is not the same for every type 2, and in my case the doctors say there is nothing I could have done differently or to prevent it.

I am sure there would be an apology if Mahi realised the mistake, so Alex, as hurtful as comment as it seems, I wouldn't spend too much time being upset about it.

alex
alex
13 years ago

This is directed to Mahi of New Zealand, how dare you think that type 2 is self inflicted...i was a healthy 41 year old woman. I excersised 5 days a week, and i am not over weight at all. I have no family history of diabeties and my doctor has no answers as to why i got it. Not every case is the same. you need to think before you are so intollerent

Ned
Ned
13 years ago

Bob,

2 of the people in this documentary had Type 1. one of them was completely cured, the other was a young slacker who disobeyed the rules and had an alcohol problem he was hiding throughout the program. even he came really close to healing, save for his own mistakes.

Bob
Bob
13 years ago

It's fine for type 2 (a little overkill though), but it will not work for type 1 because the fundamentals are different. Type 2 is a "fat ass" problem and diet will work. Type 1 is an autoimmune problem caused by a virus. Example: this diet is close to what people routinely eat in India, still Type 1 is huge there (probably more than in the rest of the world)

Nicoles
Nicoles
13 years ago

Sorry I don't mean to bore anybody with additional details.
I just felt I should share this.

To emphasize the point that the teaching of not eating animals or anything taken from so much suffering has been around a long time:

'Thou shalt not kill,' for life is given to all by God, and that which God has given, let not man take away. For-I tell you truly, from one Mother proceeds all that lives upon the earth. Therefore, he who kills, kills his brother. And from him will the Earthly Mother turn away, and will pluck from him her quickening breasts. And he will be shunned by her angels, and Satan will have his dwelling in his body. And the flesh of slain beasts in his body will become his own tomb. For I tell you truly, he who kills, kills himself, and whoso eats the flesh of slain beasts, eats of the body of death. For in his blood every drop of their blood turns to poison; in his breath their breath to stink; in his flesh their flesh to boils; in his bones their bones to chalk; in his bowels their bowels to decay; in his eyes their eyes to scales; in his ears their ears to waxy issue. And their death will become his death.

blakmira
blakmira
13 years ago

This documentary is revolutionary! It proves not only that you are what you eat but that Big Pharma/the medical industry has been lying about "cures" for decades. Anyone who scoffs at this is either completely ignorant and bullheaded or has some sort of stake in pharma or medical profits.

As for an earlier comment, no, God didn't "forbid" us to eat meat because He doesn't forbid us to do *anything*. We have free choice. However, "thou shalt not kill" pretty clearly states that it is a sin to take any life He has created for our own selfish pleasure or profit.

And since this documentary clearly shows that people not only survive but flourish and heal on a meat-and-dairy-free diet, I'd say that proves eating any animal products is completely unnecessary. BTW, I haven't eaten meat for 25 years, and no dairy for the last 10 years. I'm guilty of eating processed foods but now this has inspired me to eat a lot more raw living foods.

God bless you Dr. Gabriel Cousens (and Dr. Max Gerson before you)!

Meg
Meg
13 years ago

Very boring documentary, old story...confusing.The statement in the beginning of the documentary is misleading,because it's relevant to type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes shouldn't even be called diabetes. All those people produce enough insulin to deal with the issue.

Mamoo
Mamoo
13 years ago

I found this so informative and good that I have my own copy of this documentary. I have been type 2 diabetic for about 35 years now. Last June I went 85% raw. I follow a vegan diet and feel so good. I am now off 7 medications and my insulin injections. There is no question this works. Is it hard? Yes, but it wouldn't be if the 'world' was willing to listen to something other than the meat industry pumping up and subsidizing meat consumptions, the FDA promoting more drugs(some drugs are even being offered for free) and the medical schools producing doctors whose education is backed by the drug industry. All they know is what they are taught. Look for the money.

I am proof that being raw heals diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesteral, depression, and my husband of arthritis and severe allergies.

And to the one whose comment was that it wasn't a sin to eat meat, read again. God tells us what to eat in Genesis and then he allows us to make our own choices. In Numbers 11 the children of Isreal insisted on meat and He allowed it, read what happened to them. What he doesn't do is force His will on us.

I eat this way because I didn't like the illnesses in my body. I like feeling good, not taking medications or injections and having energy. It's my new lifestyle.

Ned
Ned
13 years ago

(in continuation from my previous comment)

...so the angstrom sized, ionic minerals are what our cells really need. Many supplements are either way larger than angstrom-sized, or not ionic, so they are basically like dead trash to our cells...to be flushed out or they accumulate in certain places and cause more damage down the road.

Plants, in healthy fertile soil, break down the soil minerals into the right angstrom size, and they have it in a living ionic form. So when we eat living (un-cooked) organic (grown in fertile soil) vegetables and fruits, we get all the minerals in the right size and living form, which makes our cells more alive and they can do their job for once, healing diseases and cleaning and energizing the body.

Ned
Ned
13 years ago

@OneManArmy:

you said:

"On another matter does some1 know if there is any scientific evidence to this ? I mean, has some1 published articles or something about this treatment ?"

I was at a bookstore the other day and looked up Gabriel Cousens (the founder and director of the Tree of Life Center where this was filmed, and the creator of the 30 day program). He has a book called "There is a Cure for Diabetes". It is a fairly thick book, filled with detailed information on minerals, herbs, vegetables, fruits, and other foods, as well as charts and graphs of the blood sugar and other stats of the participants (diabetics who were cured in less than 30 days, both Type 1 and Type 2), and much more info.

I only flipped to random pages and started reading, and learned about the required angstrom size that minerals need to be at to be accepted into our cells. He was talking about how many supplements are at the micron size or higher, so they never get used by the cells properly.

Anyway, there is tons of info in his book and elsewhere.

JTripper
JTripper
13 years ago

I was an entirely 'raw' for a year and what a year that was! I found clarity and health. I fell back into convenient old habits...it became challenging both with time and cost. I hope to return to it when i return stateside. It is an amazing experience and when taken as a complete lifestyle, i have seen it heal so many ailments, both physical and mental.

OneManArmy
OneManArmy
13 years ago

A lot of the people suffering from Diabetes type 2 in USA receive medications even if they don't need to, and even overlooking the role of behavioral change, specially in Diet. This is because it's a Money driven Health Care.
On another matter does some1 know if there is any scientific evidence to this ? I mean, has some1 published articles or something about this treatment ? And also I would like to know a little more about the subject because I was under the impression the theoretic basis wasn't well explained ( yes, I'm aware its a documentary)

Ned
Ned
13 years ago

Nice documentary and inspiration. Real life amazing :)