Hello, I wonder if there are anyone in the same shoe as mine...
I was diagnosed as gestational diabetes just 2 years ago, and never recovered after the delivery - IGT.
My BG/A1C is great. Latest is 5.1. I manage everything only by diet (low vegan carb) and dairy exercise (yoga, walking). My BMI is border of normal/underweight. My period never came back after the delivery. (I'm 37)
In general though I feel so flat (in low), there is no mood swing but stays low.
I don't want any mood swing but I want to uplift my mood a little bit. I am not sure if it comes from diet (low carb) and/or lack of estrogen.
I don't really want to go for hormone treatment and don't want any medication for mood change.
Does anyone who have similar experience have any good advice? Just sharing experience will make me think I am not alone.
I have no idea what the cause of your flat affect. (That means not having much in the way of emotions -- just feeling blah all the time). There are those who say it's a serotonin deficiency due to lack of carbs, but I really don't know. An experiment you could do is TRY getting more carbs, and see if it makes a difference.
I'm concerned that your period never came back -- that's a sign of malnutrition, and I don't know if you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you need. Vegans are subject to malnutrition if they aren't extremely careful to include as many different foods as possible and know their nutritional content, plus needing B12 supplements. So it seems to me that low-carb is next to impossible on a vegan diet.
If you are borderline underweight, that is another reason to worry about your nutritional status. And I'm wondering whether you are struggling with an eating disorder. I certainly don't know how to diagnose that, but it's a worry.
I think that at least, you should consult a credentialed dietitian who has worked with vegans. I'm not criticizing your choice; I just know that veganism is nutritionally difficult, and that lack of nutrients may be what's affecting your mood.
Judith, thank you so much for sharing your experience. Dr.Bernstein is real hard-core although I do admire his determination. I hope I can find out a good solution.
Natalie, thank you for your comment and concern. In fact I have low blood white cell count / high eos and I have been seeing hematologist. He found I have no problem with hormone / vitamin B12 (in fact my b12 is above average). In fact he has not figured out yet why I have these problems (the out of range is mild that does not need to be treated immediately)
It is possible that I have some type of eating disorder I just don't want to feel to eat animal protein as these affects on my digestion system.
I'm neither a doctor nor a dietitian, so I can't say anything about what the effect of animal protein would be on your digestive system. And I'm not competent to diagnose an eating disorder, either. I just think it might be a good idea to consult a dietitian to be sure you're getting enough good-quality nutrition in order to support your body and your health. It's hard to get enough protein and some vitamins and minerals on a vegan diet, but that does NOT mean it can't be done. I'm just worried about your not feeling well emotionally and being underweight and not having your period, and thinking you might benefit from some guidance. Good luck!
