“The cessation of meat and dairy has reaped health benefits I never expected”

By: Troy Gundersen

15 years ago I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Since that time it’s been like the Indiana Jones ride trying to understand and navigate the positive and negative effects of carbohydrates and insulin. Paramedics were invited over to our house on multiple occasions to wake me up from an insulin-induced coma. Fortunately in all of these instances I was able to give the grim reaper the proverbial stiff arm. I’m grateful to still be among the living to share my story. Maybe there are others who can relate to my experience in finding the Word of Wisdom and the hidden treasures therein. This is how I recall my enlightenment.

It was about a year ago, February/March of 2018. My son Jordan and his wife Cassidy had been eating a whole food plant based (WFPB) diet for a few months. Up until this point I had been working out 4-5 times per week and thought I was doing a decent job of watching what I ate. They approached my wife Valerie and I with a WFPB diet as a possible solution to better health. We didn’t think it was really applicable to us because we were already “watching what we ate.” LOL. We listened to their position but thought, “Naw, this ain’t for us.” Little did I know that it was the love of bacon and eggs twice a week for dinner that had commandeered my mind like an opioid.

Little by little my wife Valerie and I would discuss the WFPB benefits as she read verses of “the bible” to me (How Not To Die by Dr. Michael Greger). My wife was much easier to convince than I. She didn’t grow up on hot dogs and macaroni and cheese like I did. I also loved pasta with a rich, creamy stroganoff sauce—a recipe that was handed down from generation to generation. How Not To Die convinced me by the overwhelming amount of specificity and controls the data provided. Dr. Greger referenced study after study after study. It seemed legit enough for me to experiment upon his words. It also made me hypothesize that God already had this data and just wanted us to study it out in our own minds and then ask Him if it’s right. Better yet, give it a whirl. As a business analyst by trade, the data cogently spoke to my mind, while the spirit gently whispered to my heart. They converged and my WFPB path was born.

I went plant based around April 1st 2018, and boy was it an emotional cork screw! I didn’t realize how emotionally attached I was . . . attached I was . . . attached I was to the food I ate. I’m still in food therapy, learning new coping skills on how to detach from things like bacon, cheese, Campbell’s soup, sour cream, cream cheese, etc. LOL.

We went to the scriptures and studied the Word of Wisdom to find more enlightenment. There were three scriptures that spoke to us at a higher decibel level than the others. They were Doctrine and Covenants 89:12, 13, & 15—

12 Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;

13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.

15 And these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.

It’s as if I didn’t know these scriptures even existed until this point. No one was holding me accountable to them. I breezed past them as I drove to pick up my next refill of blood pressure medication. They didn’t speak to me AT ALL . . . until I made the decision to engage a WFPB diet—my heart was softened and my ears were unplugged.

These scriptures do NOT proscribe the eating of meat, but the principle I understand from them is that we should use meat sparingly, and only in times when we are in danger of starving. I reflected on my life today. The probability of starving is very low in my world. So what if I cut out meat? Where would I get my protein? LOL. As my wife dug through the data of a WFPB diet, the evidence of longevity and disease reversal was forcefully compelling. In my case, just a simple mitigation of the effects of Type 1 Diabetes would be a major win. We decided to give the Word of Wisdom a go and to apply it through a WFPB diet.

The cessation of meat and dairy has reaped health benefits I never expected. I’m not going to tell you that my path has been nothing but roses. There have been thorns too, but the beauty of the rose far outweighs the sting of the thorn.

Not only did I lose weight on the WFPB diet, but my innards are much healthier too. Being a diabetic, I have to inject insulin into my body whenever I eat. I found out that insulin is riddled with inflammation. It’s no wonder that when you’re first diagnosed with diabetes, they will immediately prescribe you blood pressure and cholesterol medication. Being on a WFPB diet has dropped my blood pressure from 152/92 to 124/72. I no longer have to take blood pressure medication. Hidden treasure found.

The inflammation effervescing around in my body, as measured by the CRP (C-Reactive Protein) test, also dropped from 8.6 to 3.6 and is retreating to a healthy non-issue status. The CRP test results are an indicator of a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Hidden treasure found.

This is the big deal—testosterone. About a year and a half ago my doctor prescribed me testosterone. My T count was 836, which is good, but he thought I could do better with a medication. Since I went plant based, I discontinued taking the testosterone and my T count shot up to 1237. I did better being off meat and dairy. Hidden treasure found.

I also engaged a WFPB diet at a time when I started a new workout. I wanted to lose some weight and get ripped. I wanted to see if I could still “bring it.” Yeah, well, I did. I lost 22 lbs and got into great shape. I’m now training to run in the Utah Summer Games as well as other state games.

These are some of the physical benefits that I’ve found through a WFPB diet. I have also recognized other mental and spiritual benefits, not to mention a greater sensitivity to all life. I offer one cautionary statement. Engaging a WFPB diet makes you susceptible to being labeled “EXTREME” by friends, family, neighbors, social media trolls, and those who live anecdotal lives with no data to support their position.

I, myself, am empirical evidence that a WFPB diet works. It works for diabetics. It will work for anyone with or without chronic disease. This is why one of the largest health insurance companies on the planet (Kaiser Permanente) advocates a plant-based diet. They know that their payouts will be far less if their insured pool is on a WFPB diet. It will work for those who have faith to act on the principle of the Word of Wisdom according to its literal meaning. For those who believe a WFPB diet is extreme, I refer them to Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn’s analysis. He said…

Some people think the ‘plant-based, whole foods diet’ is extreme. Half a million people a year will have their chests opened up and a vein taken from their leg and sewn onto their coronary artery. Some people would call that extreme.

It took some time to ease into a WFPB diet. I suggest a transition period so one can acclimate to the emotional responses that inevitably come. There will come a time when it’s just you against the myriad of food options begging for your attention. You’ll have to make that defining decision of what to eat. You will act or be acted upon, depending on your choices. Remember, you are what you eat. I’m glad I got that restraining order on the Milk Duds!

May all those who live the principle of the Word of Wisdom also find the hidden treasure of the stiff arm, with which they can greet the grim reaper. Eat more plants! That’s what they’re for.

My name is Troy Gundersen. I live in American Fork. I’m 50 years old (blick, that makes me sound so much like an old man!) and am the father of four awesome children – three are married and one is still at home. I have three grandchildren and one on the way. Boy, does life come at you fast. I like to stay fit and love spending time with my family. We go to movies and hike in the mountains. I try to visit one new place every year to expand my perception of the world.