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| Forums: April 2011 Kickstart Forum: Being a type 2 diabetic | |||
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| cherokee925
Joined: 04/04/11 Posts: 39 |
Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Monday, April 4, 2011 at 1:05 PM I have been diagnosed over 15 years ago for diabetes have been a major journey of resistance and denial since food has been my comfort and friend for a very long time. Recently within the past 8 months I have had bouts with sixth nerve palsy first in my right eye then another time in my left eye and now it is bad again but not as bad but still having double vision and not able to drive. This is the first time that I am trying a vegan diet I need to lose weight and get off medicine is my goal to be a healthier me. I am looking for some friends so that we can support one another in our journey of becoming vegans. I am looking forward to meeting new people and making friends. Gaye http://bettyvshelena.wordpress.com/
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| Bugsmom
Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2072 |
RE: Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Monday, April 4, 2011 at 1:26 PM I've been diagnosed type 2 diabetes for about 6 years now. When I keep an eye on my eating (slips happen) and make sure I get my daily exercise in (30-60 minutes on the treadmill, higher incline if I have to do a shorter length of time), it keeps my glucose numbers under control way better than just exercise and omni eating or vegan but no exercise. Also, keep in mind that nerve damage may be permanent, regardless of how you eat. --Deb R |
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| newyorkgirl24
Joined: 04/04/11 Location: New York Posts: 2 |
RE: Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Monday, April 4, 2011 at 1:40 PM I'm a type 1 diabetic (25 y/o) now for 15 years. I just came back from a Tony Robbins Seminar in Florida and it opened my eyes to the idea of a meat free life. I've been brought up irish cathloic - meat, potatoes, and corn kind of family - and with poor eating habits and excess amounts of fast food my health has been compromised, not by complications - but by poor blood sugars and just all around bad days. I've been meatless (with the exception of yesterday's lunch (and the leftovers for dinner) to try and see how i felt) since wednesday march 30th and i've had amazing blood sugars, had to lower my insulin, and i've been losing weight and feeling amazing. Good Luck! --Kristen |
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| Susan Levin
Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 1191 |
RE: Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Monday, April 4, 2011 at 4:52 PM A low-fat, plant-based diet may really help with the eye health. Our eye blood vessels are very small and sensitive. They react very well to positive dietary changes. Susan Levin, MS, RD |
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| cherokee925
Joined: 04/04/11 Posts: 39 |
RE: Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Monday, April 4, 2011 at 6:33 PM Thank you everyone for suggestions and helpful tips. http://bettyvshelena.wordpress.com/
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| slowcarr
Joined: 12/27/09 Posts: 33 |
RE: Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 9:04 AM I have been a type 2 diabetic for 25 years. 3 years ago when I started a low fat vegan lifestyle I took 2 kinds of insulin ( 40-45 units of humalog 3x a day & lantus 80 units 2x a day). Now I am 80 lbs lighter( but still overweight) & I take only 20 units of lantus 2 x a day. I feel 100% better than I did 3 years ago with tons of energy. I also exercise 3 days a week. |
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| billk
Joined: 04/05/11 Posts: 11 |
RE: Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 6:42 PM I can relate to the difficulties that you've undergone. I'm diabetic (type 2), and have been on all the diets and this is the only one that works. I've also just about recovered from a bout of Bell's Palsy which paralyzed the right side of my face. I was fortunate to get checked out for possible stroke and put on medications. After 5 weeks my symptoms have just about abated. One thing about this diet that I like is that I don't have cravings. When I was on the Atkins diet my blood sugar was controlled, but I craved carb's. I've been on this diet since January and I have not once craved meat. I've lost 30 pounds and cut my insulin by 1/3. |
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| KarenMeyer
Joined: 04/06/11 Posts: 18 |
RE: Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 3:43 PM Isn't anyone concerned about the really high carbs on this diet? I'm Type 2 and do not want to spike my blood sugar with bananas, dried fruit, sweet potatoes and maple syrup. I take meds but not insulin. How are others handling this? |
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| Bugsmom
Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2072 |
RE: Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 3:58 PM KarenMeyer wrote: Isn't anyone concerned about the really high carbs on this diet? I'm Type 2 and do not want to spike my blood sugar with bananas, dried fruit, sweet potatoes and maple syrup. I take meds but not insulin. How are others handling this? Go easy on the dried fruit - even in the kickstart, dried fruit is generally used sparingly (mostly a little sprinkle to sweeten oatmeal a couple days per week instead of using sugar or other sweeteners) because it is concentrated calories. As with anything, only your meter knows what works for you and what needs to be avoided. However, the WHOLE grains, WHOLE fruit, WHOLE vegetables react very differently than processed foods - fiber slows the digestion and metabolism of the food so it really does minimize glucose spikes while keeping you feeling full so you aren't browsing the snack aisle an hour later. Plus, reducing the fat intake helps improve glucose metabolism. I know, for instance, that having a banana WITH cereal is too much at once for me. So, I have cereal for breakfast and a banana 2-3 hours later as a morning snack. A small drizzle of maple syrup is fine (for me) but not the huge pools of it that most people use. For information, I was diagnosed type 2 about 6 years ago and take metformin and no other diabetes meds. My numbers had gotten way off track - I had a spell of basically ignoring what I knew I should be doing and getting things back under control, even when I was eating better, was difficult. I did the September kickstart after seeing Dr Barnard on PBS and then getting his book and doing some online research. Those three weeks in September turned my numbers around. Things weren't perfect right away magically. I still need to exercise, get plenty of water, and test, test, test to make sure of what foods, combinations, amounts, work best for me (brown rice is fine, but potatoes of any kind I have to be careful with). But, it droppped my A1C enough that my doctor was willing to hold off on prescribing more meds (which he was about to do if I didn't improve the A1C - that's how bad it had gotten). One thing to keep in mind is that the kickstart is not like some of the "diet plans" out there where you have to eat the exact combination of things in the exact order it's listed. For instance, tonight we're having quinoa and chickpea pilaf with braised kale. That is not on the menu for today but that's what we're having (the kale needed to be used). It's designed to help make a lifestyle change. --Deb R |
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| cherokee925
Joined: 04/04/11 Posts: 39 |
RE: Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 8:08 PM I have a question for everyone how has your blood sugar levels and blood pressure been since starting the vegan diet? I just went to my doctor's and they could not believe how low my blood pressure was I was so excited. http://bettyvshelena.wordpress.com/
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| Bugsmom
Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2072 |
RE: Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Thursday, April 7, 2011 at 11:22 AM KarenMeyer wrote: Isn't anyone concerned about the really high carbs on this diet? I'm Type 2 and do not want to spike my blood sugar with bananas, dried fruit, sweet potatoes and maple syrup. I take meds but not insulin. How are others handling this? 2 cups of quinoa chickpea pilaf and braised kale for dinner plus an hour on the treadmill...blood glucose reading post-meal (2 hrs) = 95 The thing is, this is a LOW glycemic way of eating. I know it can be kind of 'scary' or something to step away from the diabetes SOP and see things differently. A low fat low glycemic way of eating seems to be really working well - eating fiber-full meals means getting full sooner and digesting slower, so the quantity of how much you eat decreases. It's nearly impossible (unless you really enjoy feeling packed and stuffed with food so you can't move) to eat too much rice (for example) if it's combined with beans, kale, carrots, onions, etc. The rice is not the focus, it's mixed with a bunch of other stuff - and it's brown rice (whole grain) not the processed white stuff that's usually overcooked into mush (if it's white and mushy it's likely to hit your blood stream way faster and harder than something that has fiber and requires chewing). --Deb R |
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| cherokee925
Joined: 04/04/11 Posts: 39 |
RE: Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Thursday, April 7, 2011 at 8:13 PM How has everyone been feeling this week? What kind of mood have you been in? I have been pretty good in spirit which is great for me. http://bettyvshelena.wordpress.com/
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| theodore
Joined: 09/16/10 Posts: 641 |
RE: Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Friday, April 8, 2011 at 4:22 AM I just came across this on the ADA website (http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/meal-planning-for-vegetarians/): Is it safe for someone with diabetes to follow a vegetarian diet?
Yes! A vegetarian diet is a healthy option, even if you have diabetes. Research supports that following this type of diet can help prevent and manage diabetes. In fact, research on vegan diets has found that carb and calorie restrictions were not necessary and still promoted weight loss and lowered participants' A1C. Vegetarian diets are naturally higher in fiber, much lower in saturated fat, and cholesterol-free when compared to a traditional American diet. The high fiber in this diet may help you feel full for a longer time after eating and may help you eat less over all. When fiber intake is greater than 50 grams per day on a vegan diet, it may help lower blood glucose levels. This diet also tends to cost less. Meat, poultry, and fish are usually the most expensive foods we eat. Never make assumptions. You'll end up being an A**, and the UMP will TION you. -- Coach Smiley -- Fresh Prince of Bel Air |
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| Bugsmom
Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2072 |
RE: Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Friday, April 8, 2011 at 8:39 AM Thanks Theodore - sometimes it helps to see that a non-PCRM diabetes source supports vegan eating as a way to manage diabetes. --Deb R |
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| KarenMeyer
Joined: 04/06/11 Posts: 18 |
RE: Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Friday, April 8, 2011 at 12:33 PM The posts and replies here are very helpful. I would love to reduce my medications and lose weight. I tried 2 slices of Ezekial bread last night before bed and had a morning BG of 119. This is great as I usually average about 150. Now if I could just get used to having it without some kind of butter. Thanks, Karen |
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| Bugsmom
Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2072 |
RE: Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Friday, April 8, 2011 at 1:01 PM KarenMeyer wrote: The posts and replies here are very helpful. I would love to reduce my medications and lose weight. I tried 2 slices of Ezekial bread last night before bed and had a morning BG of 119. This is great as I usually average about 150. Now if I could just get used to having it without some kind of butter. Thanks, Karen For transition, try some new spreads like almond butter - it's still got fat (so use sparingly), creaminess, but it's non-dairy. Try a vegan margarine (again, as a transition food used sparingly). Or, go in a totally different direction and pick up something like pumpkin butter to try. Fruit spreads (the "just fruit no sugar" type) would also give it some "something" besides plain. I'm planning to track down some vegan Nutella-like substance for the very occasional treat when I want something smooth and chocolatey. Oh, and last night around 3 am I woke up hungry - not just a little hungry but "can't get back to sleep unless I eat something" hungry. I got up and had about a half dozen crackers. Then, I tested before breakfast this morning (about 4 hours later) and my BG was 117. If it's under 120-130 I'm happy because I tend to have problems with the 'dawn syndrome' pushing my morning numbers up. --Deb R |
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| theodore
Joined: 09/16/10 Posts: 641 |
RE: Being a type 2 diabetic Posted Friday, April 8, 2011 at 2:32 PM Bugsmom wrote: Thanks Theodore--Deb R My pleasure Deb. Theodore Never make assumptions. You'll end up being an A**, and the UMP will TION you. -- Coach Smiley -- Fresh Prince of Bel Air |
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