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Vegan?
I have recently been put on metformin for my A1c of 6.1 (down from 6.3). I am looking at eating vegan (with 2 eggs in the morning). Does anyone have any tips for me - or suggestions that can help me? Thanks!
COMMUNITY LEADER
Teachings by Dr. Fung are quite useful for diabetes management.
You may also look further at Dr. Richard Berstein. His work is specificallty dealing with diabetes (Type 1 and 2 management).
His book is "Diabetes Solutions", and he has a lot of information on U-tube at Bernstein Diabetes University. Dr B recommends about 30g of carbs per day - but this also depends on your tolerance, which you determine using your blood sugar meter.
Your target and optimal blood sugars will be fasting in the mid 80s (range 70 - 95), and post eating less than 120 (but much better if it is also in the 80 - 95 range). Ideal hba1c would be =/ < 5.0 (non-diabetic Hba1c is typically in the mid-4.0 range).
With hba1c of 6.1 your average blood sugars are close to 140.
Bottom line with Type 2 diabetes is that your body cannot handle carbs like it could before. The solution then is to increase your body's sensitivity to insulin (Metformin will help with that, as will exercise and weight loss), and to dramatically reduce your carb intake.
With a vegan diet it will be very challenging to reduce your carbs sufficiently.
When we look at diet there are essential things to eat and non-essential. There are essential fatty acids (comes from fats) and essential amino acids (comes from protein). There are no essential carbohydrates.
Your best foods to counter diabetes are healthy fats, quality proteins in adequate amounts (both fats and proteins should be naturally occurring and minimally to unprocessed). Full fat dairy has some place in the diet if dairy agrees with you; particularly the high fat dairy such as butter, cream, cheese, plain greek yoghurt (in moderation).
Non-starchy vegetables and small amounts of nuts may also feature and will still give you small amounts of carbs, and valuable nutrition.
Grains, fruits, starchy vegetables, milk (contains lactose), any added sugar foods are not recommended / need to be limited (based on tolerance as discussed above) for optimal blood sugar control.
You may also look further at Dr. Richard Berstein. His work is specificallty dealing with diabetes (Type 1 and 2 management).
His book is "Diabetes Solutions", and he has a lot of information on U-tube at Bernstein Diabetes University. Dr B recommends about 30g of carbs per day - but this also depends on your tolerance, which you determine using your blood sugar meter.
Your target and optimal blood sugars will be fasting in the mid 80s (range 70 - 95), and post eating less than 120 (but much better if it is also in the 80 - 95 range). Ideal hba1c would be =/ < 5.0 (non-diabetic Hba1c is typically in the mid-4.0 range).
With hba1c of 6.1 your average blood sugars are close to 140.
Bottom line with Type 2 diabetes is that your body cannot handle carbs like it could before. The solution then is to increase your body's sensitivity to insulin (Metformin will help with that, as will exercise and weight loss), and to dramatically reduce your carb intake.
With a vegan diet it will be very challenging to reduce your carbs sufficiently.
When we look at diet there are essential things to eat and non-essential. There are essential fatty acids (comes from fats) and essential amino acids (comes from protein). There are no essential carbohydrates.
Your best foods to counter diabetes are healthy fats, quality proteins in adequate amounts (both fats and proteins should be naturally occurring and minimally to unprocessed). Full fat dairy has some place in the diet if dairy agrees with you; particularly the high fat dairy such as butter, cream, cheese, plain greek yoghurt (in moderation).
Non-starchy vegetables and small amounts of nuts may also feature and will still give you small amounts of carbs, and valuable nutrition.
Grains, fruits, starchy vegetables, milk (contains lactose), any added sugar foods are not recommended / need to be limited (based on tolerance as discussed above) for optimal blood sugar control.
If you are on metformin any respectable doctor would say 'No nuts, no fruits, no legumes, no anything with high carbs content, keep the carbs under 20 g/day'
100 g of almonds contains 20g carbs. BAD
nuts- high in carbs - BAD
fruits - high in carbs - BAD
legumes - high in carbs - BAD
grains -BAD
alcohol- BAD
2 stalks of celery - 3 g carbs- GOOD
1 cup of cocked spinach, drained - 7 g carbs GOOD
white meat- low carbs - GOOD
fish- low carbs - GOOD
Why do you want to go vegan now? Can you go vegan after say, 6 months, after you, hopefully, will be taking off metformin? Even after you are off metformin you still have to watch for carbs like everybody else.
Metformin only helps if you keep the daily carb intake very low.
I know 2 ppl who are/were on metformin.
One guy, had a good doctor who gave him good advice, and in 6 months later he was diabet2 free and, what's more, presently doesn't take any medicine for diabetes. But, when I asked him how he felt during the day when he started his diet he said that, for a while, he was hungry all the time. He ate shrimps, kebabs, fish, eggs, and no fruit, no legumes, no nuts, no breads. He was allowed to eat 2 strawberries or 4 grapes a day. He laughed! He said he didn't have that will power to start a pack of strawberries and not finish it.
The 2nd person I know, is still on metformin but she eats, breads (just a little toast, the doctor said she can eat a toast a day, which is asinine if you ask me and other doctors), fruits, vegetables, and has all the side effects that metformin comes with as often as 2-3 times/week. But her doctor says 'It's ok".
PS: I am not a doctor, i'm talking from what I read and I've noticed with people closed to me who were diagnosed with T2 diabetes and put on metformin.
Here is a carb counter sight that might help in case you need one.
http://www.carb-counter.net/
http://www.carb-counter.net/vegetables
And here is my source of knowledge Dr. Jason Fung. "The Obesity Code".
Tip: when you feel hungry make yourself a cup of broth with 1 soup cub and lemon juice if you like sour soup.
I hope this helps.
100 g of almonds contains 20g carbs. BAD
nuts- high in carbs - BAD
fruits - high in carbs - BAD
legumes - high in carbs - BAD
grains -BAD
alcohol- BAD
2 stalks of celery - 3 g carbs- GOOD
1 cup of cocked spinach, drained - 7 g carbs GOOD
white meat- low carbs - GOOD
fish- low carbs - GOOD
Why do you want to go vegan now? Can you go vegan after say, 6 months, after you, hopefully, will be taking off metformin? Even after you are off metformin you still have to watch for carbs like everybody else.
Metformin only helps if you keep the daily carb intake very low.
I know 2 ppl who are/were on metformin.
One guy, had a good doctor who gave him good advice, and in 6 months later he was diabet2 free and, what's more, presently doesn't take any medicine for diabetes. But, when I asked him how he felt during the day when he started his diet he said that, for a while, he was hungry all the time. He ate shrimps, kebabs, fish, eggs, and no fruit, no legumes, no nuts, no breads. He was allowed to eat 2 strawberries or 4 grapes a day. He laughed! He said he didn't have that will power to start a pack of strawberries and not finish it.
The 2nd person I know, is still on metformin but she eats, breads (just a little toast, the doctor said she can eat a toast a day, which is asinine if you ask me and other doctors), fruits, vegetables, and has all the side effects that metformin comes with as often as 2-3 times/week. But her doctor says 'It's ok".
PS: I am not a doctor, i'm talking from what I read and I've noticed with people closed to me who were diagnosed with T2 diabetes and put on metformin.
Here is a carb counter sight that might help in case you need one.
http://www.carb-counter.net/
http://www.carb-counter.net/vegetables
And here is my source of knowledge Dr. Jason Fung. "The Obesity Code".
Tip: when you feel hungry make yourself a cup of broth with 1 soup cub and lemon juice if you like sour soup.
I hope this helps.
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