[Liam]

Hello everyone,
I'm new here and I have a quick dieting question. I am a Buddhist and have been considering vegetarianism for some time. I've been diabetic for about 7 years and only a Buddhist as a relatively recent change. Is a vegetarian diet safe and healthy for a diabetic? I seen to find conflicting ideas both online and with doctors.
Thank you for any help you can give me.

Liam

 

[fgummett]

There are a couple of vegetarians (not vegans though IIRC?) managing well, on diabetes forums that I frequent... at least one here... so it definitely can be done.

What I like to offer is that humans are opportunistic omnivores who (worldwide) can and do eat pretty much anything alive.

My suspicion is that it may require more effort to meet all our nutritional needs from a plant-based diet as opposed to plant + animal -- especially if also eating low-carb/high-fat. But again, evidently, it is do-able

My opinion is that I do not see eating only plants as inherently better for us or the planet but if you have an ethical or moral desire to so do then I wish you well.

 

[foxl]

Hi, Liam, I am one of those vegetarians Frank refers to ... in fact, he was highly instrumental in convincing me to eat low carb.

I would spend some time researching and soul-searching, before stopping meat, or especially eggs and dairy fats.

I have been a veg for 38 years, am raising my kids veg, but permitting them to opt out when they wish. I also am attracted to Buddhism, since the age of 14. Nothing in an organized way though.

Did you know the Dalai Lama is and always has been omnivorous? Tibetans rely heavily on meat and dairy fat. He also loves race cars, but that is story for another time. I read a whole biography of him and never noted that he was an omnivore, but apparently the White House offered him vegetarian fare and he told them, no, he was Tibetan!

I am currently reading Lierre Keith's Vegetarian Myth. She has some very persuasive arguments. I am not about to eat meat, I have spent too long feeling repelled by it. However, Ms Keith's book is an interesting read!

Good luck to you with D, ask a lot of questions, and READ here!

 

[Liam]

Thank you so much for your replies and the new ideas they're giving me. Never new that about the Dalai Lama. My blood sugar has been such a roller coaster, with not being able to afford adequate medical care and medication, that I am somewhat desperate to find a a better way of eating. I had thought that the vegetarian angle might help but I'm now considering. Soul searching as it were.

Thank you again and I will keep asking questions, learning, and hopefully finding answers.

Thank you my friends!

 

[lia]

I don't eat anything that has a face.

Just walking past a meat counter is a very unpleasant smell for me. It does cost me a bit. A vegetarian diet is naturally a high carb diet. My bg after meals will probably be higher than most of the other people here.

But I'm working on that. My latest plan is to get some textured vegetable protein with my next Amazon order. It is made from soy beans and doesn't have carbs.

My 3 month bg averages have been 6.6 to 6.2, so you can get reasonable control as a vegetarian. That is not as good as a lot of people around here.

For me the main thing about controlling weight and bg levels is just to keep busy. The strategies and understandings that go along with diabetes are really important too, but it is so nice to have a passion about something.

If you are busy, you can go for hours without even thinking about food.