# Dr. put me on a vegan diet for diabetes



## lovinthislife (Aug 28, 2009)

I weight 233 lbs. I am 5'2" and am disabled where I can't walk very well, can't stand or sit for long periods at a time. So, needless to say it's hard to exercise.

The only exercise that I've found that I can do is either swim or use my Tony Little glider.

I have quit smoking again. It's been 4 months so far this time. I tell the dr. that I have my first grandbaby coming Christmas and later on during my visit he asks me, "Do you want to be here at Christmas?" Okay that scared me.

He gave me a pamphlet about vegan eating. It showed that people who quit eating animal products were able to get off the diabetes meds or insulin. The papers say to give it a 3 week trial, what have you got to lose? lol

I do not eat right. I LOVE my Pepsi, and I don't mean diet. but, I am going to try. I bought some diet pepsi and have had no regular. 

I am trying but I don't know if I can do this or not.

Just wanted to share this if someone else is having trouble with weight and diabetes maybe you can check it out to see if there's help there for you too.

Will let you know how I do at the end of 3 weeks...If I'm still alive.:hysterical:


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## rxkeith (Apr 13, 2009)

to promote a successful change in eating habits, join dr john mcdougalls website, and sign up for his newletter. he is one of the pioneers in food based health. changing lifestyle, and eating habits can be a hard thing to do. i think mcdougall will help get you there. i also commend your dr for encouraging you to change eating habits rather than just prescribe meds which will not take care of the problem. rather, they only manage symptoms. 

adult onset diabetes can be reversed. believe it.

i would also give the diet 3 months rather than 3 weeks. it takes about 3 months for your taste perception to change, and any cravings you may have to subside.



keith


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

As much as I think a high starch diet is the exact WRONG thing to do for a diabetic, I won't go into that here. But you might want to do some research into low-carb.

However, I will say, if you're diabetic, you might want to make sure you're checking your blood sugar after the diet Pepsi! For a LOT of diabetics, diet pop still causes a blood sugar surge.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

Don't want to come between you and your doctor, but I disagree with the vegan diet for diabetics. I'm diabetic, and I can tell you from years experience that vegan diets are pretty much unsustainable due to so much prep work, and for many (like myself) they raise my blood sugar way too high.

I control my diabetes by eating low carb. Not quite as low as Dr. Richard K. Bernstein allows, but close. Look up Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. A Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars. Official Web Site and seriously consider reading the book Diabetes Solution -- you can read most of the book free on the internet, although his latest book has much more info and you could check it out of the library.


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

Wow. I'd be looking for a new doctor. As far as I'm concerned, a vegan diet is an idealogical diet and has nothing to do with healthy eating. In fact, due to the bad fats used in it, I think it's a dangerous diet. If you want to try it, please don't use it long term. I'm serious when I say it's not that healthy for people.

And I'm diabetic, too.

Good luck!

Jennifer


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

I am a diabetic. For me, low fat protien while eating less carbs worked.

*IF* you lose weight on the Vegan diet it might control your diabetes: losing weight did help me. 

If you are not satisfied with the results of the Vegan diet, why don't you give low-fat animal protien a try? Examples would be fish, chicken, ham, and some cuts of beef (I looked up which cuts of beef, with the help of the net so can you).


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

Jennifer L. said:


> In fact, due to the bad fats used in it, I think it's a dangerous diet.
> 
> 
> 
> Jennifer


What do you consider a bad fat?


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

lovinthislife said:


> I weight 233 lbs. I am 5'2" and am disabled where I can't walk very well, can't stand or sit for long periods at a time. So, needless to say it's hard to exercise.
> 
> _*I know you can't be very happy and feel for you, hope you can lose enough weight to start enjoying life more.*_
> 
> ...


I consider Vegan diets to be very unhealthy. That has been debated, but my opinion hasn't changed. Due to our Paleo Lifestyle Diets, DH and I are far healthier than we were. We can really tell the difference in how we feel if we stray to far from the restrictions.

I will pray you succeed in losing the weight you need to.


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## defenestrate (Aug 23, 2005)

I have known some healthy vegans, but it requires a very careful diet with supplements to work long term. As far as losing weight, it could work, which could help, but I have seen a lot more malnourished/anemic vegans than otherwise. I'm not saying this to scare you, in fact, some people seem to really take to it, but 90% or more of those do the diet for ideological reasons and do a lot of research/get excellent advice on how to make up for some of the nutrients/omega acids/protein/etc that a strictly plant-based diet tends not to contain. Low-GI foods (glycemic index, look this up as it is key to going to that kind of diet and feeling "full" without driving your glucose to bad places) and the right high-nutrient fruits and veggies (juicing can help to make up for a lot of those vitamins and minerals and can be pretty tasty while making you feel less like you are "grazing"  ) - I would imagine there are some vegans on here or at least heavily vegetarian folks. Personally I'm pretty much pro-paleo in general, but that is speaking for myself as my fiancee is a vegetarian who consumes eggs and dairy (aka ovo-lacto).


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Just to toss this out, I know a LOT of vegetarian/vegans. My DH grew up Seventh Day Adventist, most of whom are vegetarian. Consequently, a large percentage of his friends and family are vegetarian or even vegan. 

Most of them are fat. 
Hardly a scientific survey, I'll agree, but I've always found it to be an interesting observation...


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## Michele of MI (Jul 8, 2009)

I was put on Low Carb Vegetarian a few years ago, and it was not easy, but I lost a lot of weight. There is a great cookbook by Rose Elliot for low carb vegetarians and most of it is vegan friendly. It might be helpful. I liked it because it has a great dessert section.


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

defenestrate said:


> I have known some healthy vegans, but it requires a very careful diet with supplements to work long term. As far as losing weight, it could work, which could help, but I have seen a lot more malnourished/anemic vegans than otherwise. I'm not saying this to scare you, in fact, some people seem to really take to it, but 90% or more of those do the diet for ideological reasons and do a lot of research/get excellent advice on how to make up for some of the nutrients/omega acids/protein/etc that a strictly plant-based diet tends not to contain. Low-GI foods (glycemic index, look this up as it is key to going to that kind of diet and feeling "full" without driving your glucose to bad places) and the right high-nutrient fruits and veggies (juicing can help to make up for a lot of those vitamins and minerals and can be pretty tasty while making you feel less like you are "grazing"  ) - I would imagine there are some vegans on here or at least heavily vegetarian folks. Personally I'm pretty much pro-paleo in general, but that is speaking for myself as my fiancee is a vegetarian who consumes eggs and dairy (aka ovo-lacto).


Good points, but those of us on Paleo Diets, don't need vitamins... Also, I don't know a single Paleo eater, who is overweight, interesting, eh?! The only ones who are, cheat too much...

My DH's eldest son, Joe, lost 15#s, in the last ten days, just going Gluten Free. Our friend, Tom, lost 20#s, going Gluten Free.

As Erin P wrote, I also have noticed that almost all Vegans are overweight.

Here, I'll interject DH and I are not overweight. We both eat much the same way, but I am a bit stricter (he works harder...).


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

Everyone is posting the same stuff they post every time we have one of these threads so I'll post my same stuff too. I've never known an overweight vegan and just one overweight vegetarian - most are a little thinner than I would personally want. I've been a vegetarian for nearly 30 years and am very healthy. Never been overweight. At this point someone usually points out that I run and work out so I'll preemptively add that I didn't start until 2009, losing just 3 lbs because my weight at age 47 was already fine.

lovinthislife: you quit smoking and that is supposed to be one of the hardest habits to break. You can do anything. Keep that up and maybe try one other thing. If you deprive yourself too much, give up everything you love at once, it's going to be very difficult. Take it one step at a time. Maybe cut back on the Pepsi for for starters.

I don't believe you have to be a vegan to treat diabetes. My mom is no longer considered diabetic after her weight loss. She did go to a mostly vegetarian diet for awhile there but I believe it was the weight loss, not the change in diet, that helped with the diabetes. When I talked to her last night she was making a salad with grilled chicken and doesn't feel deprived with that at all.

Best of luck to you.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

I think very low cal diet, preferably one eliminating highly processed/adulterated foods is the key whether vegan or not so you maximize nutrition per calorie. 

Hasnt anybody been paying attention that the various surgeries to reduce size of stomach ends full blown diabetes in couple weeks. Even if they eat the junkiest diet imaginable. Rather amazing finding actually.


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## Oggie (May 29, 2003)

The main problem with a vegan diet is that they're usually kind of stringy and tough, to you really need to braise them in some sort of cooking liquid for quite some time.

Plus, they're generally fairly healthy, so they're pretty hard to catch.


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## boiledfrog (Jun 2, 2011)

Congratulations on the smoking!!! I've kicked the cigarette addiction going on 12 years 6 months and 2 days. The only way for me was to never ever ever even take one puff of the evil drug. Good luck with your diet.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Oggie said:


> The main problem with a vegan diet is that they're usually kind of stringy and tough, to you really need to braise them in some sort of cooking liquid for quite some time.
> 
> Plus, they're generally fairly healthy, so they're pretty hard to catch.


On other hand cats tend to torture any vegans they find.. before killing them and partially eating them. Nothing more fun in the morning than getting sleepily out of bed and putting my bare foot on the cold bloody remains of a vegan that the cats left behind.


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