Someone on a different board asked me this, and I thought it was an interesting question. Did your insulin use change dramatically when you went vegetarian? Mine stayed the same. Same A1c and weight, too. The person I was talking to claimed that she went from 60 units total/day to 40 units/day. That’s a big drop. What about y’all? Did you notice a difference?
I just mentioned this to Patrycja, but I notice when I eat raw vegetarian food, ala Gabriel Cousens, I definitely need less insulin. When I eat cooked foods, there is little vegetarian benefit (insulinwise). Sweet fruits are a problem raw or otherwise. But I think the enzymes in raw food prevent some of the wear and tear on organ systems which benefit the pancreas as well.
Cleo, what about the raw foods do you think causes the difference? If you ate a similar amount of cooked food with the same carb/protein/fat/fiber ratio, would you get the same result? I don’t eat raw foods often because my bloodsugars are unpredictable after I eat them. Though that could just be lack of practice.
I think cooking vegetables converts them to a starchier state, therefore, sweeter. Also the natural fiber in raw vegetables lowers the carb content somewhat. The fiber is softened by cooking and so
is less effective. It’s also easier to eat larger quantities of cooked vegetables than raw. Have you checked the website, welikeitraw.com? Lots of info there. I’m a wanna be raw, and I eat more raw than I ever have, but it’s still a goal.
OK. So it sounds like the raw diet just encourages us to do all the good stuff: eat fewer calories/carbs and more fiber. I don’t think I’ll ever want to go 100% raw, but I do have a bad habit of thinking “how can I cook this vegetable” rather than “how can I prepare it”. Eating more of my vegetables raw would be a good habit. Thanks for answering all my questions.
hmm
i really can say that some diffrence appeared
i lost my weight easilier, because i the same time i exercise regulary
my A1c went down diametrary, so only positives:D
edit - juuuuuuuust realized this post is from 6 years ago. fun
when i started fasting, incorporating sprouts, having fermentd foods and drinks with every meal, making lots of tonic mineral broths, and eating a lot of good zero carb foods (stir fries, curries, almond butter smoothies, salads, vegeteable juices and green powders, baked vegetables, nuts and seeds as food sources, good fats like red palm and coconut oils, toooons of coconut meat, coconut milk out of the can as base for soups and things, and so on).. my insulin needs plummeted. no carbs was the truck though. down ffrom up to 30 units a day to 3-9 or so.
hehe and im on n and r
I've had type 1 diabetes for more than 32 years. When I changed how I was eating from the standard meat centered diet to a low fat (<10% of total calories), whole foods, vegan diet, high in carbohydrates, my insulin needs dropped from about 35-40 units a day to 15-20 units. My A1c went down too. I am still constantly adjusting my insulin doses in the downward direction. It turned out for me that the excessive fat and protein was negatively affecting my insulin sensitivity. I eat around 300g of carbohydrate each day and most of it is cooked; potatoes, corn, rice, etc.
I been reducing mine slowly. I am currently injecting around 18 units a day, sometimes 15 units and there are rare times where I inject about 10. My last A1C was in 5.8. In regards to my weight the first time I went vegetarian I drop 30 lbs then went back to my old diet for 2 years and gained back 15 backs, switch again this year and dropped those 15 quick. I have remain steady for a month a half. As for difference I feel better now, my blood pressure is rarely high, jaja. But I have an issue for my hemoglobin which is always a struggle from many years. :/
Glad to hear you're doing better, LadyNononoke! I'm sorry to hear about the hemoglobin though. What's the problem? How are you working on it?