“When I was diagnosed with diabetes, I was dumbfounded,” says David Beauchamp, a patient at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital.

Determined to take charge of his health, Beauchamp went to Piedmont’s Diabetes Basics class to learn more about nutrition, exercise and managing his condition. After the class, he knew he had to make a change: At the time, the 5’7 Beauchamp weighed 200 pounds and rarely found time to exercise.

“I came home, went through all of my cabinets and my refrigerator, and I threw everything out,” he says. “I decided, ‘I’m going to get rid of this, I’m going to turn this around in six months.’ That was my goal.”

Managing his diabetes diagnosis

Beauchamp knew he didn’t want to live with diabetes or its potential complications.

“I was concerned about what diabetes would do to my body once I received the diagnosis,” he explains.

As Beauchamp researched the disease, he read about patients who went blind, had to undergo amputations, and/or suffered pancreas, liver and kidney issues.

“I was determined not to have to go through that,” he says.

Beauchamp began following a “common sense” meal plan inspired by a hunter-gatherer diet, and began basing his meals around vegetables, fruits and nuts.

“I went to the farmers market and went shopping,” he says. “I was kind of surprised – my grocery bills went down from about $120 a week to $40 a week.”

The fact that his new healthy lifestyle saved him money was yet another “motivating factor,” he says.

Meeting his goal

Beauchamp initially set a goal to manage his diagnosis in six months, but because of his persistence, he achieved his goal three months early. He now feels better than ever.

“To alleviate my life of the additional stress of having diabetes was paramount to me in order to get my life back on track,” he says.

To learn more about Piedmont Diabetes Services, click here.

Need to make an appointment with a Piedmont physician? Save time, book online.