Haarlemmer Frans Bosman (56) had tasted all Belgian beers. He feasted on spaghetti, macaroni and lasagna. Until he accidentally discovered that his blood sugar was way too high. The Burgundian pur sang decided to turn his life around and now swears by food as medicine.
Frans had never felt or noticed anything about his high sugar level. So when a doctor gave him the nasty message during an insurance review, he shrugged. “I just continued as before.” Until those values became so high that the Haarlemmer almost had to inject insulin.
Nutrition Alive
“I really didn’t want that. My brother injects insulin. I didn’t want to do that.” He scoured the entire internet for information and came across Stichting Voeding Leeft. An organization that develops lifestyle programs with scientists and doctors with the aim of putting a stop to the complaints. And to his great surprise, his own Haarlem GP Nynke van der Zijl turned out to be connected to the program Reverse Diabetes2.
After writing a letter of motivation and a good conversation with GP Nynke, Frans was allowed to participate in the program. The general practitioner has had a practice at ‘t Hoenstraat 9 for five years and obtained his doctorate on diabetes. She studied the importance of good nutrition for diabetic patients, but also for other chronic diseases such as rheumatism and cardiovascular disease.
Medicine
Van der Zijl firmly believes in food as medicine. And the doctor is not just talking about food. “The programs are about lifestyle in the broadest sense of the word: in addition to eating, we also exercise, relax, sleep and nowadays we have also added meaning.”
“We don’t look at the scales and we don’t say what you can or can’t eat”
For example, stress can make you feel hungry, so it is sometimes necessary to deal with the stressors first. This also applies to poor sleep. “It makes no sense to look at food if other things are not in order,” explains the GP.
Her patients regularly participate in the programs of Stichting Voeding Leeft. The aim is to make people feel better and to reduce the medication in patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, for example, through a healthier lifestyle.
The results prove that it works. Ninety percent of the participants benefit from the program. “It is very practical and feasible. We inform people so that they can make the right choice themselves. We don’t look at the scales and we don’t say what you can or can’t eat.”
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During about 80 percent of her consultations, the GP looks at the lifestyle of her patients. “We cannot ignore the fact that many complaints are caused by nutrition.” According to her, the list of lifestyle-related complaints is endless. “For headaches, chronic fatigue, cardiovascular disease, joint pains, menopausal complaints or an ailing toddler. It could be lifestyle related.”
Basic package
She does note that it is often a puzzle that must be put together, and of course in a medically responsible manner. “It’s not that I never prescribe medication. But often it turns out to be a quick fix. It remains remarkable that many medicines are reimbursed by all insurance companies, while a lifestyle program based on scientific research is still not included in the basic package by all insurance companies. Medications for high blood pressure can often be reduced if people start eating healthier and exercising. Or at least it inhibits the complaints for a number of years.”
Shouldn’t everyone eat healthier? Nick nods. “We reward ourselves with food for a certain emotion: angry, sad or happy. And after a long day at work, we deserve a glass of wine. Changing that behavior is the hardest thing there is. A person is often only motivated to change his habits if there is a reason to do so.”
Beer vs wine
In Frans’s case, the high blood sugar was what prompted his behavior to change. He realized that he had to drastically limit his carbohydrate intake. “I found that shocking. I discovered that beer contains quite a few carbohydrates. Also that there is much less in wine.”
“Healthy food is not a sexy topic among men”
He found it tough and quite a task to get started. The big advantage was that the children have left home and his wife encouraged him to persevere. “All my life I had become adept at avoiding vegetables. Now I even had to eat cauliflower rice with vegetables.” Nevertheless, with the help of good guidance, he managed to eat largely plant-based. His sugar levels dropped, he didn’t need insulin, has much more energy and feels fitter than ever.
Turning life around
“It’s not a sexy topic among men. Women are generally more understanding and positive. Still, most wouldn’t throw their lives into it if it weren’t necessary.”
And yes, he also sometimes misses those beers, the delicious pastas and the sweets. At parties he always comes a little later and he always has a large bottle of water within reach. And when friends or family come over for dinner, he explains that plant-based food is served. But in the end Frans put the brakes on his illness and he feels healthier than ever.