Thanks for the comment, and as I said, it’s not going to appeal to everyone. I totally appreciate the science too, however, my experience tells me that what may work for one person may not necessarily work for another. It’s my opinion that our body/mind/spirit are all connected, and even “evidence-based medicine” can be subjective - it all depends on who’s doing the research. Personally speaking,I believe that if it were the be-all, end all, it wouldn’t have taken as many years and doctors as it did for me to be properly diagnosed, and treated. But, that’s just me. I don’t consider exploration of raw foods a leap of faith … it’s just one more bit of info to check out in a big world full of stuff to learn. The bottom line for me is balance, and improving my health, so I’m always curious to see what other people’s experiences are 
I have been thinking about these things a lot lately. I sure don’t want you to think I am picking on you. But I do feel compelled to respond. Please take this with the respect I intend, as I seek the intellectual sanctuary of intelligent discussion.
I am particularly interested in your comment “But the details of the medical world keep us from experimenting, they keep us from wandering outside of the boundaries that have been set.”
I don’t know that I buy that. I feel that I am in the fight of (and for) my life. In that fight I can’t afford to ignore anything. But it is also true that I can’t afford irrational desparation.
We are all ultimately responsible for our health. Not responsible for the outcomes necessarily, but it is nobody elses job to treat our condition but ourselves. That means to me that I need to pick and chose and sort and decide what I am going to pursue, because there is no consolation from you or anyone else that will help me if I fail.
I am confident that I do not need to visit Tree of Life, or meet with the people in the film, because if anything like this were repeatably effective, there is no medical/technical/media complex that could keep that news from getting out. With diabetes being the world wide concern that it is, every claimed success is jumped on and scrutinized. Not being an expert, I am content to let the process of scrutiny do its work, and let the process sift through all the ideas to reveal those treatments that are effective and safe.
I guess I was over influenced by the well publicized struggle of Kathy Keeton Guccione, Bob Guccione’s wife. She was diagnosed with breast cancer, and became a huge supporter of a new and at the time untried treatment, hydrazine sulfate. Claiming all kinds of medical estabishment resistance to the treatment, which was later shown to be ineffective and unsafe, she hung on to hydrazine sulfate to the exclusion of more proven medicine, and eventually died of the cancer that had spread unchecked throughout her abdomen.
To be clear, she was not killed by exploring new and as yet unproven technologies. What killed her was the willfull neglect of the proven ones.
this comment “But the details of the medical world keep us from experimenting, they keep us from wandering outside of the boundaries that have been set.” was not mine but a part of the synopsis of the film. I am still very skeptical of going raw to reverse type 1, my sons honeymoon was over soon after diagnosis and diet will not reverse that. Now if he was type 2 and ate nothing but crap then no duh! My friend eats raw and is a great healthy athlete-just way too extreme for this family.
This was posted 3 years ago and due to other issues I’ve gone vegan and my son eats a lot of vegan food. His numbers are usually better after vegan food and I believe it’s because that animal fat causes huge spikes. I did not go vegan to reverse type 1 or whatever, just a personal choice for my health and since I’m the main cook in the family that’s what we eat. I’ve had lots of people email me this site and they just can’t fathom that he needs insulin if he needs raw fruit or veggies, it’s very frustrating!
I guess I am confused. From what you say, you seem to have achieved an acceptance that your son has diabetes and that no diet, raw, vegan or whatever will change that and he needs insulin. Are you frustrated that people email you as the original poster of the discussion and think you are advocating raw a cure for T1? Perhaps you could edit your original post with an addition on what you have learned over the last three years.
well it’s obvious I posted a synopsis and I didn’t mean to come across as an advocate for a raw cure. The past 3 years? It’s been a blur, my son was diagnosed as a baby and is now entering kindergarten happy and healthy, he just happens to have diabetes.
I know that is what you intended to do, but the question is how others interpret the post. If others interpret the post as “Alison is the goto person for how to cure T1 with a raw diet” then maybe you want to amend it. That is all.
ps. I am sure that the last three years seem like a blur. It must feel good to now know that everything is going to ok.
pps. I’ve always wondered who’s hand that is reaching up into your son’s nose?
ppps. Sometimes, my weird sense of humor scares even myself.
hahaha it’s his hand, I think he was almost 2 in that picture, he’s almost 5 so I should update it someday.
Definitely won’t reverse my Type 1, however I have gone completely raw before and my A1c was better than it ever had been! It’s unreal how good you feel when you follow a vegan diet, but it was definitely challenging in our culture to maintain it! (Especially when you’re a pastor’s wife in the land of fatty potlucks and pizza youth events! LOL!) I believe this film probably has lots of valuable information to sift through and take what applies to you.
Just so everyone knows. even though Cousens book is called “There is a Cure for Diabetes” (I have this book and have read it). His word “cure” is probably what all diabetes on here would think of more as an “almost reversal”. A “real cure” would mean that your body would go back to normal and you could than eat ANYTHING you want with no meds or anything to help you out.
In reality, Cousens program works but you have to stay on that diet FOREVER or your body will go back to whatever diabetic state you had it in before. So actually it is just another form of diet modification to keep the diabetes under very tight control. The diet is alot of greens (which are already very low carb) and the fruits are limited. Cousens also uses a lot of herbs and other things which are very expensive (which I can’t afford right now)
I have been on a raw food diet before (before my D) and I can totally understand why it will work. It just isn’t for everyone. Right now, I don’t think I could do it without a larger selection of fruits I can eat because I get sick of too many greens too fast. Right now, I half of my diet is raw on a daily basis. I feel like it does help for sure.
I think it is definatley a good idea for everyone to put as many raw foods in their diet as possible. The enzymes are very beneficial for health and our organs love it (and god knows, our pancreas’ need all the help they can get!). Going totally raw won’t be something every one can do and yes, it is very hard in todays society of junk, junk and more junk. I am already a vegan so it is easier for me but right now, going completely raw is not in my plan because of how expensive the diet is - and i am totally broke!