What a timely post! I am two months into altering what/how I eat. At 62 years old I have not needed any medications to date. At my last annual, my blood sugar was too high and the doc said I would be on a medication to level those readings if I couldn't control it myself. She knows my aversion to pills/medicines and gave me many of the guidelines that you have mentioned here. So far so good, as the numbers are coming down nicley.
And you are right! I feel much better!
If you've managed to stay off of pharmaceutical drugs at 62 you are definitely doing something right! Even in our 50's doctors look at my wife and I in disbelief when we tell them we don't take any prescription drugs. A lot of people in their 20's and 30's are taking a few drugs regularly. I'm of the belief that one pill leads to another, then another, etc. It's kind of their business model. I'm glad you're getting a handle on those glycemic levels!