Vegetarian diets, characterized by whole plant foods, have been found to be most beneficial for diabetes prevention and management. Previous studies have found a lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes among vegetarians compared to non-vegetarians, likely due to the inverse association between vegetarianism and diabetes risk. Research shows that following a vegetarian or plant-based diet can help better manage diabetes and prevent or reduce the risk of developing the disease.
Plant-based foods, particularly fruit, vegetables, nuts, pulses, and seeds, are a large part of a vegan diet. In observational studies, individuals following vegetarian diets are about half as likely to develop diabetes compared to non-vegetarians. In clinical trials in individuals with diabetes, vegetarians in the US have a lower prevalence of diabetes than omnivores who consume both plant and animal foods.
A vegetarian diet may not cure diabetes, but it may offer some benefits over a diet that isn’t vegetarian. It may help better control weight. However, a vegetarian or other plant-based diets that are high in free sugars and refined carbohydrates are likely to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Vegan diets tend to be lower in saturated fat, higher in fiber, fruit and vegetables, and other protective substances like vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. Observational studies in diverse locales have identified large reductions in diabetes risk among populations consuming vegan and vegetarian eating. In a long-term cohort study, the prevalence of diabetes was 49 less among vegans and 46 less among lacto-ovo vegetarians compared to non-vegetarians.
Despite a high-carb diet, vegans often have a lower risk of diabetes due to their emphasis on whole, plant-based foods rich in fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients.
📹 Stop ignoring pre diabetes and what you can do to prevent it
Approximately one out of 3 adults in America is likely prediabetic. Welcome to the official YouTube channel of KARE 11 News.
What foods prevent diabetes?
Consuming a variety of healthy, fiber-rich foods, including fruits, nonstarchy vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, can help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease. Lifestyle changes are especially important for those at an increased risk due to excess weight, high cholesterol, or a family history of diabetes. If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, lifestyle changes can prevent or delay the disease’s onset. Making lifestyle changes now may help avoid serious health complications of diabetes in the future, such as nerve, kidney, and heart damage.
Is diabetes caused by eating too much meat?
A recent study has indicated that the consumption of more than one serving of red meat on a daily basis is associated with an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 50%. The consumption of processed meats, such as bacon and hot dogs, was also found to be associated with an elevated risk. These findings are corroborated by data from the National Library of Medicine.
Are vegetarians less likely to develop health problems?
Vegetarians have been found to have lower rates of coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity, largely due to low LDL cholesterol. This is largely due to their low LDL cholesterol. Additionally, they are less likely to have obesity. This information is supported by a study by Elsevier B. V., which uses cookies and Creative Commons licensing terms for open access content.
Are there any negatives to being vegetarian?
Vegetarian diets rich in minimally processed plant foods may be an option for overweight individuals seeking weight loss and cardiometabolic improvement to prevent Type 2 Diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). These diets, when combined with calorie restriction and regular exercise training, can provide additional cardiovascular health benefits. However, further trials are needed to determine the benefits and risks of these diets for CVD patients.
Some vegetarians, particularly those following restrictive diets like veganism, may be at greater risk of hemorrhagic stroke and bone fractures if they do not plan their diets and consume fortified plant-based foods or supplements. Additionally, vegans and some vegetarians may be at risk of deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, which are crucial for fetal and child development.
Consulting with a registered dietitian or healthcare provider is recommended to ensure a nutritionally adequate diet. Consuming vegetarian diets rich in refined grains, potatoes, high-sodium preserved vegetables, fried goods, sweets, juices, and sweetened beverages can increase the risk of developing T2DM and CVD morbidity and mortality.
In the case of vegetarian diets and cancer, the benefits and risks are not well defined. While some cancer patients may benefit from vegetarian diets as a weight loss strategy, there is no data to suggest that these diets will positively impact cancer outcomes, including recurrence or metastatic development.
Why are vegetarians less likely to get diabetes?
Vegetarian diets are typically lower in calories, which can assist in weight management and promote healthy body weight. This can also enhance blood sugar control, as individuals with lower BMIs tend to have lower BMIs.
Is being a vegetarian less healthy?
Vegetarian diets are known for their low calorie content, lower saturated fat and cholesterol levels, and higher levels of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. They are also associated with lower cancer rates, lower risk of heart disease, and lower LDL cholesterol levels. However, it is unclear whether these health benefits are due to plant-based eating or the healthy lifestyle of most vegetarians. Vegetarians are generally more physically active and have healthier habits than non-vegetarians, and they typically have a higher socioeconomic status.
To understand the effects of diet, large, controlled studies are needed, such as one at Loma Linda University in California, where Cardiologist Dr. Gary Fraser is leading an NIH-funded team to analyze data on 96, 000 Seventh-day Adventists.
Is vegetarian better than non veg for diabetes?
Diabetes patients are advised to consume non-vegetarian food once a week, including chicken, fish, and eggs. Three eggs per week are allowed, with the white being consumed and the yolk not. Country chicken without skin is recommended. Fish can be eaten in gravy form, but mutton, prawns, and crab should be avoided due to their high fat content.
Diet and exercise are interconnected, with a minimum of half an hour of exercise daily. For beginners, two sessions can be split into morning and evening sessions. Even walking can be beneficial.
A person with diabetes can live a long, healthy, and happy life by eating well, exercising regularly, monitoring sugar levels, and not missing doctor appointments. By following these guidelines, diabetes patients can lead a long, healthy, and happy life.
Is it true that vegetarians are healthier?
Vegetarian diets are known for their low calorie content, lower saturated fat and cholesterol levels, and higher levels of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. They are also associated with lower cancer rates, lower risk of heart disease, and lower LDL cholesterol levels. However, it is unclear whether these health benefits are due to plant-based eating or the healthy lifestyle of most vegetarians. Vegetarians are generally more physically active and have healthier habits than non-vegetarians, and they typically have a higher socioeconomic status.
To understand the effects of diet, large, controlled studies are needed, such as one at Loma Linda University in California, where Cardiologist Dr. Gary Fraser is leading an NIH-funded team to analyze data on 96, 000 Seventh-day Adventists.
Does a plant-based diet prevent diabetes?
Plant-based diets, which emphasize legumes, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds, have been found to be effective in preventing type 2 diabetes and reducing the risk of obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular complications. Cohort studies support the role of plant-based diets in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and reducing key diabetes-related macrovascular and microvascular complications.
Evidence from observational and interventional studies demonstrates the benefits of plant-based diets in treating type 2 diabetes and reducing key diabetes-related macrovascular and microvascular complications.
The optimal macronutrient ratios for preventing and treating type 2 diabetes are controversial, but the focus should be on eating patterns and actual foods. The benefits of a plant-based diet in ameliorating insulin resistance include promoting a healthy body weight, increasing fiber and phytonutrients, food-microbiome interactions, and decreasing saturated fat, advanced glycation endproducts, nitrosamines, and heme iron.
Are you healthier if you are a vegetarian?
Vegetarian diets are gaining popularity due to health benefits such as reducing heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. However, some diets may be too heavy on processed foods with high calories, sugar, fat, and salt, and may not include enough fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nutrient-rich foods. A vegetarian diet can meet the needs of people of all ages, pregnant or breastfeeding, and requires awareness of nutritional needs to plan a suitable diet.
Who shouldn’t go vegan?
Chronic alcohol addiction and conditions like cancer, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, and celiac disease increase the risk of zinc deficiency. Those diagnosed with zinc deficiency may benefit from eliminating animal products. Plant-based diets, which often include fiber-rich vegetables, fruits, and dairy substitutes, can exacerbate IBS symptoms in some sufferers. Maintaining a healthy balanced diet, especially for vegans, can be challenging, especially for those with a healthy gut.
📹 Diabetic goes vegan for 180 days. This happened.
I’ve been on a low fat plant based diet for 180 days. Being a diabetic, I’ve seen major changes in my insulin sensitivity afterĀ …
What’s ridiculous is the guy kept referring to chips, soda etc as “calories” which is true – but they’re also SUGAR. They’re CARBS. Those are the things you really need to avoid if you’re pre diabetic or diabetic. Of course weight perusal too but he kept losing the opportunity to underline the fact that sugar/carbs (same thing) are to be avoided as much as possible.
This is really great advice, makes so much sense, I don’t even drink soda, or juice, but I was drinking alcohol everyday, sometimes twice per day, I now only have a couple drinks per week, cut out bread, perhaps only once every 7 days a couple of slices of baguette toasted with avocado and a couple eggs. Don’t crave pasta at all, and haven’t eaten rice in weeks. In addition, I don’t add sugar, and rarely eat sweets, once you get started it really is easy, especially when you start seeing the pounds come off, I’ve lost 10 pounds in 3 months, slow wins the race.
Constructive criticism: call someone who really knows how to control blood sugar by changing the way one eats, even when no weightloss is involved. How come this man didn’t talk about avoiding carbs? If you blood sugar is high, you need to cut on carbs. Not calories. You’ll still need calories. An apple? Really? Too much carbs. Eat your veggies and fruits, but the low carb ones, like asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, celery and for fruits, berries. Small portions. Then eat the proteins you need. The rest of your calories should come from fat. You can try to keep it low, but starving yourself won’t be successful in the long run. And learn recipes with low carb version of treats, to also still be able to enjoy a cake, bread, cookie.
The focus should be on the number of carbs and sugars in a meal, regardless of if they came from an apple or chips… All carbs turn to sugar so severely limiting or cutting them out is the best way to cure diabetes or prevent prediabetes… Calories should be the last thing to worry about when ur diabetic..
The food he suggests in these meals is ridiculous. Fruit is horrible for diabetics, as well as the bread on the sandwich. Juice? No diabetic should be drinking juice or milk!!! It looks like carrots on the plate as well… no diabetic should be eating any kind of root vegetable. They are filled with carbs.
The more people more people find convenience Or rely on canned and Jared/packaged foods The more you ingest sugar And carbs And chemicals Do not forget they are packed for long-term storage And to kill the bad taste of preserves Sugar is added Even fruits have sugars. Try for 1 week with No : Sugar No Coffee And drink extra water ..7 glasses is what is recommended …I say screw that I cant drink that much …I done 3 glasses in a day..In that week if you are at home the whole time….Get outside for a walk even if its up 1 block .. I done this stuff at 6ft 1 And 280lbs after 1 week I did have a tad change in my sore bones 2 weeks I was getting better sleep 1 month i lost 11lbs 3 months i was walking 6 blocks And My muscles were hurting (getting stronger) Did i cheat now and then ..Hell yeah …Strawberry shortcake Burp! ..And i just now finished a bowl of pasta with sauce And meat I am today 232lbs another 40lbs to go it see where i want to be…Dont like to exercise? Then you need to drastically change your diet I done a bit of both
I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t withhold myself, even if I wanted to. I opened the door of his boudoir and found them lying in bed together. They both stopped their despicable act of fornication and looked at me in horror. “Lucille! What are you doing here?!?! By god have you gone mad?!?!”my husband of 30 years yelled. I looked at him, calm as ever. This isn’t the first affair of his. I’ve grown accustomed to his insolent lust and I am still disgusted. I slowly marched to the big antique, wooden drawer and opened it. I took out a white envelope of money. I then looked at the girl, who looked like a 16 year old high schooler. She was terrified, hiding her young naked body. Her long, blonde hair covering her chest. I slowly walked toward them as they looked at me in bewilderment. I looked at straight at Charles. “Charles, you should wrap this up already you’re making the poor girl late for class. Isn’t her high school teacher worried?” I smirked. “For god sake Lucille, she is in college!” Charles said in exasperation . Right, like that makes a difference. I threw the envelope to his chest. Hundreds of dollars spilled out of the envelope. “Dear Husband, I need you’re hairy ass.s in the office. There are business men from China that wants to meet you. And don’t you dare screw this up, Charles. I’ve invested millions of dollars with them. And if you screw this up because you can’t keep your old d!ck in your pants, then I will kill you” I said. I looked at the girl, who is now crying pathetically.
I read Dr Barnard’s book years ago. I’m a high carb plant based vegan who doesn’t eat added salt, oil or sugar majority of the time. I do occasionally eat a vegan burger or pizza. I went off insulin within 45 days of changing my diet, that was about 5 years ago, I also went off all meds for high blood pressure, cholesterol, antidepressants, everything and lost over 100 pounds. I’ve never felt better.
I’ve been a Type 1 diabetic for 50 years and for 40 of those years I’ve followed a modified version of Dr. Richard Bernstein’s low carb diet. I must admit that I found your article astounding as it contradicts just about every dietary principal advanced by Bernstein and others advocating low carb meal plans. That said I was very impressed by your detailed analysis of your dietary experiment and as a long time follower of your site I have great respect for your abilities and attitudes. Who knows I may even give the vegan approach a tryā¦all those fruits and nuts would be a welcome change after 40 years of avoiding them. Thanks for the cutting edge willingness to try a new approach!
Wow you look fantastic! I took your suggestion and read Mastering Diabetes. It was very eye opening. I’m a type 2 and have been for over 20 years. I’ve been going keto/low carb for 5 years. I too found it very hard to sustain. It did keep my BS lower but as soon as I went off course and ate carbs my BS sky rocketed. The thought of never eating carbs again is depressing. I just started a WFPBD and can’t believe I can eat carbs in the absence of fat and still have low BS. Ive only been doing it for 6 weeks but already lost 5 lbs. I am eating potatoes oatmeal rice fruit and tons of vegetables. I am enjoying this new way of eating. Already I have decreased my oral meds of metformin in half. Thx Tom for the suggested reading of Mastering Diabetes!😊.
Thank you for sharing your experience! I am also type-1 and follow a low fat vegan diet. I typically eat 400g carbs per day with an 18/1 insulin/carb ratio. A1C 5% with a 97% time in range. There are so many great benefits of eating this way and I’m glad you’ve discovered it and shared it for others! A applaud your willingness to try new things.
I have the book mastering diabetes but when I started reading it I was put off by the push to sell you their coaching and other programs. Even though I was interested in the diabetic vegan subject that was a turnoff. That is unfortunate because I think they have something important to say on the subject, and they seem to have good credentials. I am trying to do low carb with varying success but my heart is with eating food without killing animals. I found this article surprising and informative, and somewhat inspirational. Thank you.
This is a great article. I’m not diabetic but stumbled across this article and am so glad I did. I’ve cycled on and off Vegetarian Keto for weight loss and then done a vegan diet before going back to Vegetarian Keto for more weight loss. However, I always feel clearer and more vibrant on a vegan diet. I need to recommit to a vegan diet again and your article has inspired me.
I did the same experiment. I’m not diabetic but everytime I would eat a high carb meal I would “crash” and feel tired for some hours after. I was sluggish all day and had no energy for my workouts. After cutting out all saturated fat and oils it literally took 3 days until I could eat a big bowl of oats with fruits and feel energized. Feeling way better than on low carb. And I’m still eating low fat animal foods like chicken breast and plain greek yogurt.
Hey Tom, i am 90 % sure i posted a comment around a year or so ago on one of your articles talking about my experience and improved hba1c after adhering to vegan/vegetarian diet, i am now almost 18 months vegetarian, and still see the benefits of not cosuming any meat, i am currently trying to cut down on other sources of animal protein also, although i am not eating alot of them anyway. Great job with the articles and the website in general 👍
Hey Tom! You have one thing going for you that makes a s big difference. Ypu run the numbers and are willing to do some experimentation to see what is best for you. I think there are way to many people that just do what they are told by someone and don’t own their health. Personally I like low carb but I will also admit to having made some poor choices while doing it. But I, like you, also like to run the numbers and sometimes tend to geek out in that way. One thing I saw in your numbers was it seamed that after you put some fat back in to the diet things improved. I think someone totally buying into the plant based veg diet will continue to have to many spikes and lows. The trick here is to experiment and find something that works for each induvial even though that might not be the same for all of us. Very impressive!
Thank you for making this article. I am glad to see that you can incorporate some red light foods back into your diet without seeing spikes. I am seeing the spikes you talked about since I just started the plant-based diet, but now I feel better that it will dissipate. This was a very informative article.
Thanks very much for this article. I am a type 2 diabetic for the last 5 years… I am always on the low carb, carnivore diet trying to control my blood sugars…. I badly can walk, very tired indeed. Just go to work, comeback to bed. I started drinking vitamins like B12, Vitamin C, D3…Started to feel a little better… perusal your article, I remembered that after my diabetes diagnose, I wasintroduced to a Low Fat diet, eating vegetables, fruits, exercise, that time I lost almost 2 stones. But after perusal all the doctors on the internet advising us diabetics to go carnivore and low carb…I started doing that ever since…Oh Dear!!! So, from today I will start a low fat diet again and eating a delicious breakfast like you’re doing…I am a follower of your articles, a subscribed follower…I admire your courage on fighting your diabetes type 1, I wish you well…
I appreciate your analytical approach to your diet. Also, I appreciate your forthrightness. Your results on this vegan diet seem very impressive. My question is, how can you compare your vegan results against your low carb results when you admit that you were drinking a lot before but finally quit drinking alcohol 6 months ago? I would think that the load on your liver from the alcohol could affect your carb to insulin ratio. Would you be willing to take the same challenge of 180 days low carb without any alcohol?
Good for you! I’m a vegan; and I have weight issues and definitely get the shakes if I’ve eaten too much of some white bread or potatoes or pasta. Pretty sure I’m an undiagnosed hypoglycemic. So I’m always trying to figure out the best way to eat. You’ve inspired me to try more fruit with breakfast. I’ve also made the chia seeds/milk/fruit treat! It’s nice! I go through stretches of eating lots of salads with chick peas for lunch. Nites are typically a bean burger (always with vegetables). Lately I make my own coleslaw (organic) with apples & raisins & sessame seeds….Also I make a hummus (with onion, garlic, veganese). I like it a lot. My downfall is when the holidays come around and there’s lots of chocolate and cakes and deserts in general. Once I start eating that stuff it takes weeks before I quit it. It’s like I’m an addict when it comes to that. Anyway, thanks for your article! I hope CRISPR technology or something comes up with fixing Type 1. 🙂 P.S. I live in New York.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I am also a type 1 diabetic and tried eating keto and wound up in the emergency room at deaths door. I knew better, not sure why I bought into that hype. I have spent my whole life eating low carb, but as you said that can be hard to maintain. I am going to try your approach and hopefully get as good of results as you did. This is scary for me, I don’t think I have ever eaten more than 75 carbs in a day LOL, so eating 300 or more, doesn’t really register in my mind. But, I am going to try the whole foods plant based vegan approach, you have encouraged me!!!!!! I have hardly ever eaten any fruits but various berries, being able to eat a fruit bowl like that has me really excited. LOL
As you transition & cut out excess fats & oils, the body starts to pull out ectopic & visceral fat & plonk it in the bloodstream for elimination. That can trigger a temporary period of higher insulin resistance. But once the excess rogue fat is eliminated, it’s much easier for the glucose to enter the cells & insulin sensitivity can them improve – often quite dramatically. My insulin intake went from 50+ units per day to just 20-25 or less within 4 weeks of transitioning from high fat Keto to low fat plant-based. Whilst some people can tolerate a little far or oil, others (like me) need to be totally added fat/oil free in order to lose weight & get blood sugars under control. I suspect that may well be due to having very clogged & congested lymphatic systems (fats are processed via the lymph). Many of us have been avid consumers of processed seed oils (that turn to varnish when heated) & that may at least pe part of the lymphatic congestion issue.
Not interested in vegan no fat, personally. But thanks for your experience. From my recent experience, the whole metabolic equation seems to boil down to this: Your body can use fat and it can use glucose, but it cannot use both at the same time well. Excess food, mostly from processed foods that flood a person’s body with both fat and sugars, turns to fat. And if your cells are receiving fat for fuel, then why would they want to receive lots of glucose at the same time? So, “insulin sensitivity” depends on how much fat is being used ā but not just dietary fat, but also fat that is generated from excess carbs. Don’t eat mixed foods, and your glucose will be easier to control. The more fat you add to your food, the more “resistance” you will have, because the fat is being processed for fuel before the glucose. The excess sugars and starches goes to the liver to be converted to fat thanks to insulin. If fat cells are too full and strained then you end up with both high circulating triglycerides and high glucose, and high insulin levels needed. Know what your “fat threshold” is. Avoid the processed junk that gets turned to fat and includes lots of fat. If you choose leto high fat, that can work without any carbs. if you choose all whole plants carbs, that can work if you don’t have fat in the diet. But combine lots of processed carbs and processed oils, eaten in excess ā disaster.
Absolutely fantastic method. As I’ve been a Type one Diabetic fro greater that 73 years and in my teens paid no attention to insulin or food intake, my kidneys now are showing some stress. I find I don’t eat Bannas at all, and feel just terrible when I do. So I switch to another methode like three or four Grapes to add the sweetness to some dishes. In addition there are many things like dates, (very small quantity) to add the little seetness to the dish. This was a great article which I appreciated so very much.
This is very interesting. But you might be metabolically healthy aside from your pancreas not producing insulin. I started showing signs of insulin resistance at 16. 9 months ago I was diagnosed type 2. I’m 39. I looked into both methods very low fat whole foods approach and the very low carb ( less than 20g carb) approach. I chose low carb. I went from A1c of 11 to now an A1c of 5.7. Lost 70lbs too. Clearly I wasn’t metabolically healthy and hadn’t been for a while. It may not be possible to restore the right level of insulin sensitivity necessary in someone like me. I do wish Both sides of this issue could come together and work on this as a team. Maybe it’s not an either/or answer. Maybe for someone like me going low carb to get the blood sugars under control and staying low carb most of the time is good, but cycling into a low fat whole foods way of eating for a few months every year to improve insulin sensitivity would be optimal. I wish there was research with both sides working together to solve this for people.
I really respect your journey and your advocacy for your own health. I’ve come to learn in the last year that not one diet fits all and we must take our health into our own hands, do our own research and experiment to see what works best for our body at a certain time. I’ve also learned that the body needs variation and if we stick to one diet forever, the body stops progressing. I believe your body will give you signs/symptoms of what foods it needs at it’s current state, we just have to listen. I’ve been on Keto for over a year and it helped me get out of diabetic range but I’m still insulin resistant, very frustrating. So, Keto/low-carb diets are very effective to combat diabetes but it’s not a cure all for some people. This is why it’s so important not to be dogmatic with diet and to keep researching and educating one self 🙏🌿
After 25 years of being a Type 2 and basically eating a low-carb diet, I was like you in having a carb splurge every couple of weeks. I saw this article and decided to try a breakfast like yours. I used instant steelcut oats instead and sprinkled a little allulose on with the cinnamon. Made mine with half a banana, a small Clementine orange, blackberries and a generous amount of blueberries. I saw my blood sugar shoot instantly up to 240. But it shot instantly down!! 90 minutes after eating, I was 116! My husband and I were in shock. That really works! Thank you so much for sharing what you learn.
I’m not type I or II and eat like thisā¦ type II runs in my family but it stops with me. I do eat some nuts (2oz per day), a tablespoon of oil on my salad (linseed or avocado usually)per day on average, and very little processed vegan food (like some vegan ice cream in the summer). It keeps my post bg lower than 120 in hours 1,2&3 after eating. It very rarely gets above 120. Fasting bg is between 70-90. I love it and eat plenty of fresh, whole vegan foods I really recommend this type of eating for everyone, diabetic or not
Great article, thanks for sharing. Curious what diet was like when you were low-carb. Protein breads, like what is seen in the article tend to still be pretty high in carb. Also, were you doing any electrolytes when you were eating lower in carb? Low carb diets don’t hold on to water like high carb diets do… so its very important to make sure you are getting salt in on a low carb diet… otherwise fatigue, brainfog, poor sleep, muscle aches can come.
Tried your plant-based approach in May, June, July and it shot me from high normal/borderline prediabetes to the diabetes range; switched to ketogenic/strict carnivore, and BS totally normal (4,2 fasting, 5.1 postprandial), H1AC went back to 4.3 from 7 on the plant-based/vegan, time in range went back to 100% when zero carb from 30% when vegan on c. 150 g carbs again. To be honest, I was feeling so sick when doing the vegan thing but I persevered as my main concern was not so much the BS but some autoimmune issues. Your experience is pretty unusual but individual reactions can be really unpredictable, can they?
I looked at the Mastering Diabetics way a while back and although intriguing, it did not produce the desired results for me in the short term, but I did not persist, so who knows. My diet was similar to what you seem to be doing. I wonder if you have taken the protein conversion into account in the calculations you were doing for the ratio of insulin to carbs. 2 to 1 seems really low. I read a good book by Dr. Brenstein called the “Diabetes Solution”. It recommends a low carb diet, but also suggests allowing for 1 unit of insulin for every two onces of protein (60grams). It is because with a low carb diet, protein breaks down into the carb chain for energy and the amino acid for the protein part. If you allowed for this you might find that you ratio was actually quite a bit better on your original diet.
Hi I washed most of your articles and I’ve been using the freestyle libre 2 for 3 weeks now. Today I was receiving low glucose alarms but when I got back home I made a blood test that gave me 116 mg/dl but at the same time I got a sensor reading of 56 mg/dl What could be wrong? I’ll appreciate if you give me your opinion. George
I ONLY eat from that red category: meat-dairy-eggs-cheese (but nothing with plant seed oils nor starches, nor flowers, nor rices, nor sugars, nor processed, nor anything coming from a plant). My kidneys have never been better: no more stones for years now. Apparently the body has two modes, either completely vegan (and sugar free) or completely meat-protein-dairy-cheese-eggs based (and sugar free). Problems apparently start when you mix both. I never found vegan sustainable as it depletes vitamins/bone density/brain power and makes me bloat at a every meal. Conversely, when I got tired on carnivore (rarely), I just ate a bit more meat and eggs as tiredness is your signal to eat more. Problem solved. Much stronger, energetic and clear of mind on carnivore. No bloating. Fat stomach. No need to waste lots of time daily on toilets.
I’m the only member of my family (including cousins,aunts,uncles,etc so about 15 adults) to not develop type 2 diabetes my grandmother,mother,father both brothers all developed it that’s my breakfast too,66 and still not diabetic drs have been checking me for years as they say with that family history I’m certain to get it I also do intermittent fasting and eat only twice a day
Honestly I have the mastering diabetes book. I have chatted with these doctors from the book and they are all about a whole foodplant based diet staying away from process food. I went vegan awhile back and my insulin use really went down as opposed to eating the other ways. They are good and not fake . They are both a type 1 and 1.5 diabetics.
The reason why we crave carbs is probably because we feel good after eating it. The truth is your not eating enough fiber. Recently i went vegan and its been about a month and im prediabetic im thinking of being vegan for long term. Because im doing it for the animals, planet, my health, mental health, and spirituality. For diabetics on vegan lifestyle you need to avoid deficencies, so make sure you get your nutrients and vitamins from foods, and supplements. For people who are non-vegans and wants to eat vegan food I recommend including more fiber such a vegetables, and for carbs instead of bread and grains eat fruits, and for fats consume nuts and legumes such as nuts, almonds, and beans. As prediabetic vegan i eat vegetables, fruits, tofu, quinoa, whole wheat grain bread, plant based milk, plant based cheese, veggie patty from morning star farms, sweet potato, almonds and nuts, seaweed, and for drinking I drink only water with lemon juice over soda and juices its more healthier and flushes out toxins. As prediabetic vegan, im no longer going back to consuming meat and dairy because I don’t eat foods with animal products. As vegan I have more energy, less depressed im diagnosed with depression, calm, and got my life back.
I was diagnosed pre-diabetic about 4 months ago and struggled to get my morning numbers below 100. They’ve been around 114- 118 I just started this vegan diet and my morning fasting number was 104 and I’m thrilled. Intend to pursue this diet. Curious though, you did mention you’re going to add in a few things like seafood Etc I’m wondering how that’s going for you because I’d like to at least add eggs in the morning just to get that extra protein and B12. Did adding back in a few animal or sea food items affect your blood sugar levels
Just like to say you just don’t turn “on” or “off” veganisim. Going vegan is a philosophy a moral code that precludes any form of use of an animal be that for food, entertainment, clothing etc. So what your implying is that after 180 days “when you stop being veagn” ie. You go back to supporting the slaughtering of animals and you now your saying it’s totally fine to condone practices that cause needless pain and suffering. You either align your actions with moral principles, or you don’t.
Do you do any exercise after consuming all of those fruits for breakfast? My a1c is 5.6 recently down from 5.7. Fasting glucose 89 when I eat apples,grapes,pears my glucose can go up to 160! It does go back do n to 98 on its own but I really don’t like my glucose going over 140. I’ve been experimenting with Mastering Diabetes for 3 weeks and finally started to lose my last 10 pounds. I’ve been keto for years but fear it has caused me to become insulin resistant. When I do overnight oats and only stick to berries my glucose does not spike as much. BUT when I have banana,apple,grape,pears it spikes so I go for a 20 minute walk to fix it. I’m not diabetic but statistics say since my mom is type II and I’m considered borderline pre diabetic I want to avoid it as long as possible.
Very good article. I use low fat plant based diet for the most part as well, and any time I veer away from it, my insulin needs go WAY up. I think more than anything for me, it’s processed foods that are the killer. The plant based diet seems to work really well. And if it doesn’t seem sustainable – a few suggestions I have would be to just try to be plant based 75% of the time. Or for example, if you’re going about your weekly routine monday through friday, try to be plant based as much as possible. Then on the weekends, allow yourself to eat meet or whatever else. This seems to make it much more sustainable long term.
It is very likely that the cinnamon you used is asian cinnamon and not cyleon cinnamon. Asian cinnamon will have no affect on glucose. Cyleon cinnamon, which is very similar, will have an effect. Please check and report whether you used asian cinnamon or cyleon cinnamon. Thanks for the article/results!
Hi, I have tried this diet too after being low carb. Even after a couple months of following it, I still spiked pretty high and drop very low fast, and my A1C went up a few points. I love vegetables and fruit, so it was not hard for me to eat this way. I feel it is really is more healthy, but even taking half of my usual insulin dose, I would still drop pretty low. I am a type 1 and watch a toddler during the day, so I was worried about having a bad low while he was in my care. How long were you on this diet before the highs and lows started to decease? I find both Dr Bernstein and Mastering Diabetes too restrictive, but find low carb, and having low glycemic fruits sparingly is more realistic for me so far.
It’s not about going vegan, it’s about removing/lowering SALT, processed food, white bread, dairy and being moderate. The last point especially refers to things like oats. More than 3 table spoons of oats per day is not good. Feel free to eat lean steaks, chicken, fish, but I do it every 4th day and no or very little salt. Take it from me, I tried all the combinations. Nothing works without moving regularly (walks and runs). Lifting weights is not perfect for a diabetic. You also need to know that it’s not all about numbers. Oats, for example, don’t affect your measurements greatly, but on the long run stop your body producing insulin (goes for Diabetes 2, of course). At the end, Diabetic t2 can’t add insuline, so high carb intake will never be ok for t2.
I’m also a Type 1 Diabetic and there is still some people who think if you eat well you can reverse diabetes but not Type 1 it’s not a lifestyle disease, Type 2. Still it’s good to eat healthy. I also been on a low carb diet and found I was tired so definately going to try this very informative thank you. Can you please give us the receipe’s for these meals as I couldn’t find the links below for these. Thank you
Hey, thanks for your your meticulous research and candid explanation. The doctors told me to get on a low carb diet. I saw the vegan diet experts, but had doubts about how that could be low carb. But improving insulin sensitivity makes sense. I don’t think it has to be an all or nothing approach. But slow adjustments to eat healthier can make a difference.
I have tried both and the biggest difference was the type of insulin I used. The low carb diet needs a lot of basal insulin and leads to low energy between meals. The vegan diet works but if I eat meats/fats there would be a spike in blood sugars 2-4 hours after the meal. This spike could be managed with a temp basal on my insulin pump.
I was just diagnosed type 1 and I’m so glad to hear this story because how you’re eating- trying to cut out processed foods, no meat, maybe fish or eggs from time to time- is already how I ate before diabetes. I’m glad to know I can continue. Right now they say I’m in the honeymoon which is nice but I keep having lows as they’re adjusting my insulin little by little since when I left the hospital after DKA I was on a much higher dose.
I really enjoy your articles being a type1 diabetic myself, but respectfully totally disagree with this eating method. In my humble opinion, we are not designed to eat this much sugar especially when diabetic. It makes no difference where the glucose or fructose comes from (fruits, plain sugar,or breads) they are all converted to its most simple form which is glucose. High glucose is toxic whichever way you put it. I am glad you are able to process it with less insulin. In fact, I think your insulin sensitivity is due to the low carb diet you followed prior to changing it. I suspect your insulin sensitivity will change over time from being constantly challenged with so much carbs, I hope I am wrong for your sake! Yes the combination of fats with carbs is the worst, so processed food is awful for that fact and eating clean unprocessed food is good, but in my opinion eating more carbs is not the answer. I personally have total control of the diabetes with very low insulin usage on a very low carb animal protein based diet, but as you say everyone is different! Cheers!
This is fantastic. Really appreciate you putting this up. I’ve wanted to try this type of diet for a while but refuse to pay to follow a program. So I’ve been reluctant to try without any genuine insight from someone, so thank you for this. Definitely helping the planet by adopting a more vegan diet, not necessarily full vegan. How many calories are you getting per day. ? I wouldn’t want to lose weight
Carbs, processed foods (almond drip water) and fruits loaded with glucose and fructose for a diabetic? What’s next, Beyond Burgers or Impossible vegan burgers? facepalm. I’ll stick to the far far more nutritious and satiating Ribeye, eggs and Bacon, thank you. My Libre 2 and hospital bloodwork agrees with my decision š My cardiologist and endrocrinologist don’t understand how it works but they love the results. I like you tom, but not your diet series of articles. Stick to the CGM devices. I had enough of plant industry proprogranda. I am unsubscribing for now.
I’m not diabetic, but after perusal Forks Over Knives and What the Health in August 2020, I went whole food plant based immediately after. I did the same – just tried it to see what would happen. Well, I lost 28 pounds in 4 months without exercising. My Hb1c is at 5.6%, my blood sugar is at 72. Also, by bad cholesterol, LDL, dropped to 61. I feel less fatigued. And the inflammation in my body was greatly reduced (that was the best part). Really, I’m just trying to clean out my arteries after 48 years of eating a high saturated fat diet.
I am type 2 and along time ago I tried an Atkins diet, very little carbs. But then I read Pritican diet, mostly vegan but some lean meats. I felt much better, on the low carb I had energy and felt better. I find that we there was a huge difference in type of carbs. I was running a lot back then, found that complex carbs, not sugars was much better. There was no spike in blood sugars. Animals that run long distances eat this way. Fiber and plant based unrefinde carbs give energy more steady not a spike like sugars.
It may be good for Diabetes management, but as far as I know a low fat diet is not healthy. Your body needs fat for nearly everything it does, it is necessary. I dont think eating this way is healty in the long run, and I have not even mentioned the lack of protein you will automatically have by eating this much carbs. I am not a doctor though, maybe I am missing something here.
I have been experimenting with plant based guidelines for about 6 weeks. Honestly, I waiver from time to time with meat, cheese, and eggs but not often. My experiment started after reading How Not To Die by Dr. Greger and seeing the Forks over Knives and What the Health films. I am type one and wear a pump with CGM that speaks to my phone and pump. With a just a few plant based diet diet guidelines and the ability to see my results real-time on my phone, my next A1C will be about 6.4, down from 8.3 a few months ago. Like you, I make my decisions based on my own experiences and don’t really care what the ‘health experts’ have to say. I am just curious if you use insulin according to total carbs or net carbs? I’ve always used total carbs, but thinking I should consider net carbs instead since I am eating tons of vegetables, beans, and fruit. You have good information in your articles and I enjoy perusal them.
I’ll never give up eggs because of the protein chains and fat. Eggs are a whole food and VERY healthy. So even though I’m working out the kinks of vegan recipes, certain things I’m not giving up like eggs, fish, chicken, yogurt because these are very healthy, make living and cooking much easier. When I “do” have red meat as a treat, I include tvp/tsp to stretch it sometimes. Gotta do me, but again in the end, it’s how much food will I allow before my insulin levels are a problem. Thank you for this very informative article.
Im t1 too, my question is are you sure that its your insulin sensitivity that went up, and its not a digestion issue? I dont trust the carbs on fruits, i always go low from banana and other greens / vegetables if i go by the nutrition label. Lets say you drink a 20g carb worth of sugary drinks, do you need less insulin for that too compared to your old diet? Also, imo you should not count basal insulin into the ratio. If you go by just calculating it with bolus, you get a 10:1 insulin ratio with your low carb diet, junk food diet the same 10.5:1 insulin ratio, and plant based diet 18:1 ratio. But this is where my question comes in that is the human body even capable of digesting 100% of those carbs from fruit, or only lets say 60% of it. The weight loss needs to be explained if you eat the same amount of calories overall.
I’m a low-carber/keto guy myself. The big mistake people make is turning a diet strategy into an ideology. Low-carb and vegan both attack the problem but from different directions. Instead of fighting over what’s right and wrong, we should all be celebrating that we have two distinctive approaches that appear to work effectively to make diabetics’ lives easier, healthier and more fulfilling to boot. Maybe the best strategy is to switch it up between the two throughout your life!
Great article! I am a long term T1 Bernstein diabetes book 30g carb/day follower so this was a bit of a shock but your numbers are interesting and convincing. Do you worry over longer term about B12 levels and also effect on teeth of all that fruit (acid), esp with no milk / lower calcium etc? (As others mention, if you eat low carb, some (a fair bit?) of your insulin will be covering protein not carbs so I guess not subtracting these units from the calculation means your calculated insulin:carb ratio of 1:2 is falsely low. That said, your daily insulin requirement also fell on new diet and that is probably more significant. The weight loss will also have had a (significant I guess?) effect on your insulin resistance etc. Hard to know how much each of these affect insulin resistance versus the effect of minimal (saturated or any type?) of fat in the portal system as a result of your new diet but all very interesting and food for thought. Thank you, I definitely just subbed you a Paypal coffee! Regards
Thankyou for your concise experience and relating it in a open minded approach. I’m A older gentleman and type 2 and found high carb low fat diet gave me better results than keto without the craving for carbs! I did each for 6 months I stayed with high carb and yes I do occasionally have a omelet or a chicken taco occasionally. I agree with no processed or minimal processed foods go a long way towards all manner of health!
Interesting results, and thanks for sharing your experiment. I’ll read the book. Meanwhile, I am pre-diabetic and a bit scared to embark on something that might help but could also make my condition worse. In addition, I have mast cell activation syndrome, which narrows the list of safe foods (low-histamine). In addition, it is confusing/frustrating to have some experts warn of the danger of lectins while Dr. Barnard’s protocol pays no mind to those.
Excellent article with tons of useful information presented, thank you for that! However, there’s one issue I need to mention: The body needs insulin not purely to cover carbohydrates, for various processes. For that reason, of course your ratio will change when you lower carbs in your diet, if you’re not accounting for the insulin needed for other metabolic processes. The amount of that is not determined currently in any way. Also, taking less insulin will of course make you lose weight, and though it sounds great in the short term, have you noticed bone loss, muscle loss and related issues that will accrue over-time? Less it not always more, and it depends also on how physical one wants to stay. And what about hormones? Did you check your testosterone levels? I would bet that they dropped quite a bit on the low-eggs, low-meat diet. It all depends what one wants to achieve long-term, to me.
That first light food list was really a surprise because most of those foods are not recommended. Very large of amounts of carbs that you are consuming but is that total carbs or net carbs? You also mentioned that you were dealing with a lot of low blood sugars. Less highs, more in range, and more lows will result in a lower a1C but at the cost of dealing with hypoglycemia. That’s where a CGM is golden.
Your body and brain need fat. You will sleep better. Your insulin levels will be better, when you add fat to your diet. An essence without that and real protein you are starving your body over the long haul. Excess sugar from fruits and carbohydrates will do nothing in the long run, but hurt your body.
I’m a low carb plant based vegan who follows OMAD (one meal a day-breakfast only) & whose meals consist of Brussels sprouts, kale, asparagus, avocado, pumpkin seed based tofu, & chia seed pudding. My weight, cholesterol, blood sugar & blood pressure all drastically came down. I’ve never felt better. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed & benefitted from this article. The producer of this article is a lab rat who loves experimentation- I am a lab rat myself & love experimentation as well. I have an MS in microbiology & attended medical school as well. I admire the sheer courage & desire for learning through trial & error that the producer of this article has shown in trying to solve his own personal life dilemmas. The trick is to do everything humanly possible to lower the insulin response without starving oneself. The more weapons one has in one’s arsenal to fight the war on reducing insulin response, the more successful one can be in weight loss. When insulin response & weight is lowered, blood pressure drops as well as all 3 are related & necessary for metabolic syndrome. God bless!
I did super low fat all through the 1990s, and I was so hungry all the time, needing many snacks. I found it so hard to stick to (like you are with low carb), that I ended up bulimic. Not a super fan of meat, and I love fruit and bread, but I can’t give up butter again. SIGH. I wonder if there is a diet I can do forever
I’ve been ruminating over this article ever since I saw it a few days ago. I just can’t get over how much it annoys me. It’s not over going vegan — I admire people who are vegan for ideological reasons; I do find it extreme for mere dietary reasons but I guess it can work if one is not as obsessed with eggs and dairy as I am. It’s not over the amount of carbohydrates either — eating plant-based minimally processed foods is probably a good idea overall; I feel like utter crap on very low carb, and not just the first few weeks. No, it’s this: OILS OF ANY KIND ARE A RED LIGHT FOOD. WHAT THE WHAT??? So — no salad dressing? No sauteing? No roasting? You’ve left with RAW (no dressing) AND BOILED/STEAMED PLANTS? That’s all you’re allowed to eat?You’ll never see a fried onion in your life again? HOW THE HECK IS IT SUSTAINABLE???
Intresting. But why do you make calorie restriction on HCLF? I‘ve heard hclf works way better when you have much more carbs. 350 grams won’t be enough. Especially for endurance Sportlers. Like Pauline from „Sugar Made Me Lean” Youtube website eating 3500+ Calories per day or Durianrider even eating 6000+ Calories per day.
I am an exprofessional athlete, type 1. I only eat blueberries for fruit. Don’t eat any others. Keep carbs low, eat a lot of chicken. I make pinto beans in my slow cooker. As an athlete with a lot of muscle, I make yogurt in a yogurt maker and let it incubate for 24 hours which reduces the milk sugar. I mix protein powder with the yogurt. I am 6’1″ and weigh 195 pounds. My body composition is hardly any fat, all muscle. I am 61 years old. When I lift people ask me how I can have so much strength and muscle definition at my age. I tell them my diet and how I keep carbs way down and eat protein instead. I eat some carbs right before workouts and burn them up during the workout. My A1C stays at 5.0-5.2. The lowest it’s been is 4.8. Your diet works for you but is much too light for me. I need more volume. But you are 40-50 pounds lighter than me.
Well done! I wish you had showed your blood sugar data! Very interesting presentation. For those of us with insulin production, it’s not a sure bet that our pancreas would handle the sugar without a major spike of insulin, which cannot be tracked, unfortunately. So what is the effect of the sugar on our pancreas? THIS is the question of questions. Too bad they don’t sell an INSULIN monitor ! BTW: before I went KETO, eating just one bite of an apple would raise my blood sugar at least 200 points and yet…. I am not considered to be even pre-diabetic! How bizzare.
“Link to recipes for meals shown in this article will be added momentarily.” – Oct 22 2022. While i appreciate this great content, if you promise multiple times in your article and have comments asking for the recipes, you really should follow through. Otherwise, dont nake the promise. It becomes expected when you say you’re going to do it. Otherwise, keep up the great content. Thanks!
I enjoy your website and the information you share. Sadly, Medical advisors are very weak when it comes to nutrition. On this episode I am a firm believer in Roy Taylor and his 40 years of researching diabetes. Im type 2 and reversed it using his method. 800 calories a day for 8 weeks. Lost 40 pounds and no longer require medication. It’s not really what you eat, it’s the calories you eat versus what you expand. Taylor claims that an insulin resistant cow eating too much grass or an insulin resistant person eating 3 porterhouse steaks a day will become diabetic type 2. You lost weight in that episode, Taylor would suggest that is why your numbers are better. But interestingly, it seems this experiment indicates better results in reducing insulin resistance. However, I have doubts about going against Taylor well researched claims. I do watch my carbs avoiding bad carbs but mostly a diversified hybrid diet with some good carbs, protein, fruits and vegetables. If I stick to my limit in calories and maintain basic activities (i.e. walk, exercises, etc.), my numbers are great, if not, when I splurge once in a while, they are not good š
It shows everyone is different and to see what works (and at each age) Am not diabetic (at least no Dr said was). You dont look like need to loose weight and wondered difference in calories, not that is always a factor. Quinoa (did you cook it?) is high is oxalic acid and chi extremely high. Very interesting and food looked good. Was on digestion healing diet – SCD ( specific carbohydrate diet) for a while and helped health, but they process beans (also hi oxalate) by soaking in multiple changes of water for think 24 hours then cook and pour off, first boil….
I am hypoglycemic. So, I need to avoid high blood glucose spikes to avoid secreting too much insulin and going into low blood sugar territory. I start eating each day with small servings of raw fruit to avoid high blood glucose spikes. I wait around 1 hour between each serving of fruit before eating another serving of fruit or any other type of food. Eating fruit this way keeps my blood sugar low and helps to avoid secreting too much insulin with the resultant low blood sugar.
Yes, low fat is excellent for keeping insulin under control. Since cutting fat down to maybe once every few days (avocado or nuts) I’ve been able to eat natural sugars (fruits/veg) with no issues. I use to not be able to eat fruit without major gas and bloating because of eating oils and other fats far too often.
Please use the term “plant base” when you technically talk about the diet, because veganism is not a diet, and when people fail their diet, they pain veganism with the same brush when they are not the same thing to begin with. Happy that you got healthy on PB but remember we vegans are trying to liberate animals from exploitation.
Very inspiring article. I am not diabetic but want to eat as healthy as possible and have changed my way of eating inspired by dr Neal Barnard, de McDougall and the Spartan diet described by dr. Peter Roger. But I really like your very basic way of showing what you did and also that you experimented and used in a balanced way a bit of yellow light and even red light foods like fish occasionally – great demonstration of an inspiring way of changing your way of eating to low fat whole food plant based eating – 🎶🍀🎵💚🙏
I wanted to like this but had to stop at the rolled oatsā¦every time I eat them I get bloated like a pufferfish and fart like crazy, like killer farts, the gas is horrendous and painful. So no oats for me, (I also have horrible bloat with wheat) the rest of the bowl looked great though. Thinking of doing semi vegetarian keto (eggs and cheese but no meats). When I was full on Keto my BP and sugars both went to normal levels (per home monitoring, blood tests and doctor’s visits).
This was interesting. It would be informative to know how much fiber you were eating during each period when your diet was different. Clearly, the vegan and vegetarian periods are high in fiber. Was your low carb eating period also high in fiber? Same question for fat intake. These are two significant variables.
My gosh, it sounds like dream to me to be so sensitive to insulin!! I wish I could do what you did but unfortunately, I am very sensitive to potassium and double unfortunately I can’t eat most the the items on the yellow list and very few from the green list. Plus I can’t digest legumes properly, so I’m kind of stuck and think, for me, it would be much too dangerous increasing my chances of heart attack from an overload of potassium. So glad you were/are able to eat this way though!
I watch your articles regularly and this was the first which disappointed me. It’s not that I disagree, but the title is wrong. Tobacco is not food. The presentation order is not geared towards diabetics: liquid sugary drinks should be at the top of the list, followed by cakes and pastries, then pizza, if you’re talking to diabetics. Great recommendations otherwise.
Thank you so much for your amazing article. You did a great job, really! You are a real scientist! I switched to keto-low carb diet. I felt better at the beginning, the pain in the neck was gone, but later after a month and a half I plummeted to low energy and apathy. So I was looking for something that could help me a bit. By the way, I have been a lacto vegan for 12 years. So, I realized that somehow it was all related to sugar that I was consuming + a lot of white bread. So, your article has actually pushed me to modifying my diet even more, removing bread and all the sugary foods and switching back to carbs and fruits and vegetables. You are also very moderate in your portions. Your results are amazing! Keep it up! Take care, my friend!
Strange. I’m not diabetic but have bad blood sugar swings. I felt the worse ever in my life when I went on whole food vegan diet. Headaches, fatigue, all kinds of horrible side effects. I immediately felt better when I start eating more meat and animal fat. My body seems to do better eating almost like keto but with plenty of carbs still
I’m an ethical vegan and I think it’s great even when people go to a mostly plant based diet. If you can’t go vegan without giving up eggs, milk, or seafood then I recommend going vegan for everything else and continuing to eat whatever is left. That said here’s what I would suggest for substitutions if you’re interested. Soy milk and pea milk and my favorite milk substitutes because they’re higher in protein. For eggs I would recommend tofu scramble, or the lesser known Indian dish Moong Cheela. Cheela is kinda in between pancakes and an omelette in texture and is made with moong dal flour, some veggies and garam masala. For seafood I’d recommend switching to oysters and mussels if you can. There is still debate on if they are sentient but it seems less likely than fish being sentient. If you can stomach/afford them then it’s a great way to get similar nutrients to what’s in fish and crustaceans.
Hi, recently diagnosed with type 2 and told the Dr. I would do it with nutrition. I’m vegetarian (was vegan 5 years ago but I struggled with cheese). Right now I am low carb vegetarian to show him I can improve and I have. After two months nearly all my values are normal, but I know this is not sustainable long term as low carb is tough in the real world of social gatherings or a restaurant celebration. How long do you think it will take someone who is not on meds or insulin to have a balances blood sugar with the way you are eating?
I found your website today looking for healthy low carb meals for type 2 diabetics, you looked healthy on the first article I watched, eggs for breakfast a chicken soup with coconut milk, good info thank you. now I see this article 2 yrs later & you look so frail, sorry I tried vegan for two years it made my blood sugar go sky high my blood count went way down,I was sick often now I look & feel so much better! clean non gmo fed meats with zero artificial injections of steroids rsbt, ect are healthy for us. vegans look so frail and boney. sorry this is my observation and opinion after trying vegan for 2 yrs, I eat healthy I eat all foods God gave us š
Wow thanks for sharing this experience along with strong data. I was seeing articles about going on a low saturated fat plant based diet but they all looked like a vegan propaganda. Yours is backed with some interesting data. However I am not type 1 but type 2 but I think this deserves further investigation and real life trial for me. That being said, I believe the diet you are mentioning here with the slight adjustments you brought seems to start looking a lot like the Mediterrenean diet, am I right? Thanks again for sharing this.
It makes sense that vegan requires less insulin, since insulin, aside from exercise, is required to shuttle nutrients into the body and a vegan diet is deficient in essential amino acids and essential fatty acids. Fasting is a better way to do this, though, because it causes the body to recycle the essentials (autophagy.) Long-term, a low-carb diet is ideal for limiting insulin. My insulin requirement (type two, not type one) plummeted when I went low carb keto, and my lean mass has improved.
need to be rich to eat that everyday here in UK. Healthy food is really expensive. Rice and pasta are really bad for my sugars. I have wholemeal bread and butter in the morning, garlic chicken kiev and peas and sweetcorn at midday and wholemeal bread for evening and snack on pistachio nuts when hungry. I think I have allergies to certain foods which causes constipation and bloating and I think that was affecting sugars too
I was vegetarian for 20 years and still got diabetes. I love low carb and fat adaptation. Once in a while you need a break or challenge the body with something else you dont usually eat so you feel so ill you dont eat it again haahah but that is all there is too it to me. I could never be vegan again. Salsa swells the lymph nodes on my neck and fruit gives me gastratis. At least it is working for you. It could be the lack of fats because you were still eating 50+ carbs which seem to much.