Has anyone ever gone, or had someone they know go, to the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Arizona. They have a book out called, "There Is a Cure for Diabetes: The Tree of Life 21-Day+ Program". There is a video that goes with the book that shows 2 people with type 1 diabetes getting off insulin. I am considering taking my son there if I can raise the money.
I have to tell you, I consider this program a dangerous scam. This is run by Gabriel Cousens, I have written about him before here. I consider him a charlatan and a shill for PETA and overall a dangerous man for diabetics. He has had his medical license revoked and been indicted for causing the death of one of his patients. He advocates what can be best described as "woo" (basically magic). An evaluation of his program basically debunks his program.
My daughter is a vegetarian for primarily ethical reasons. It is a personal choice. But make no mistake, I have never seen evidence that any treatment can "cure" type 1 diabetes, raw vegan juicer or not. Please look carefully into this program before taking your son there, it may place him in great danger. I know that you may feel like you want to explore every option, but be careful of some of this stuff.
Hi rebuckster. I sadly second bsc's warnings. I can only imagine that, as a parent of a recently diagnosed child, you are willing and driven to try anything to help/cure him, and I think that is exactly the right spirit. But I strongly believe that there is no magical program that can cure this. I've had type 1 for 34 years, and believe me, I've looked for it! Transcendental meditation, veganism, special teas and herbs, special exercise programs... I've been a vegetarian for 25 years... It is all useful because these things can create good habits and attention to health, but we still need insulin. Please proceed with great care.
I think that BSC hasn't seen any evidence because there isn't any evidence!! I would invest in something useful, like an AK47, before I would spend what is likely a ton of money for someone who appears to be, as BSC points out, a charlatan. I agree there are *huge* benefits available in eating vegetables, if that's part of the schtick but spinach is a couple bucks a bag and you can start in on it on your own. I don't think that a plan of getting T1s off insulin is realistic. At all. Just for fun, while ranting, I'm listening to the video and note T1 pump girl mentioning that she cut her basal in half. If it were running high, sort of a natural plan for running full-carb ahead, you would be less smooth and deal with "turbulence" but fasting and not taking insulin doesn't mean you are cured. And if by eating less carbs and taking less insulin, he's got a "revolution", I would find it a bit more credible however there are many approaches to that that you can find out about for free here and invest in something of actual value rather than a trip to a spa.
I have read and heard about this center. My main issue with their approach is largely that they talk about raw food eating as a way to reverse diabetes. A raw food diet is not a cure: it is a lifestyle. To present it as anything else is very irresponsible and misleading, in my opinion.
I go with bsc and the other's here. I think it's a BIG scam. After 38 years with diabetes I think that I've tried just about everything for me and then my daughter has had it for11 years now and she's worked to find a "cure" for d too but coming from some seasoned pros here we've never found that a raw food diet has "cureddiabetes. Please be careful!
Emily said "Please proceed with great care." She's being WAY too polite. I'm saying "Don't proceed at all". Sometimes a newly diagnosed T1 can APPEAR to be "cured" because once their blood sugar comes down, the remaining beta cells recover function, and their insulin dose can go way down, even to zero. But don't be faked out -- the autoimmune reaction that caused the problem in the first place is still going full steam ahead, and WILL destroy those remaining cells, and the diabetes will come roaring back, maybe worse than it was in the first place. This apparent "cure" is called the honeymoon period, and some children experience several months of needing very little or no insulin, but it NEVER lasts, no matter WHAT you feed them or what you do. Don't risk your son's life or your hard earned money on fakery -- do what he needs in order for him to live a long and happy life -- WITH diabetes!
Ugh, these programs are SCAMS. There is currently NO CURE for type 1 diabetes. Sometimes, when people with T1 are newly diagnosed, the combination of going through their honeymoon period and drastically reducing the number of carbs eaten can make them appear "cured" because they will, for a period of time, not need insulin. Keep in mind that this isn't anything new; Dr. Allen kept many type 1 diabetics alive for years in some cases by basically starving patients to death. Some were lucky enough to survive long enough to see the discovery of insulin (which was Dr. Allen's purpose for taking such drastic measures). But, all type 1s will eventually need insulin to survive once beta cell function is completely lost. That's just the way it works. I am so tired of programs like this scamming people and taking their money (not to mention putting people in danger). PLEASE don't take your son there. Invest the money in helping him learn how to manage his diabetes and ensuring he has all the tools to manage it.
Dear Rebuckster,
SCAM.
Everyone has identified this as a SCAM.
When you have money, spend it on the technology we have now for treating diabetes: strips, meters, CGM, and pumps.