Has anyone ever considered switching to a plant based diet? I have switched to Almond milk and like it. I don’t think I could do a full switch as I love my chicken and turkey. For those of you who have tried switching to plant blasted, what do you eat? Have you noticed a difference in your numbers?
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I tried a plant based diet for 4 years as a type 2 and the results were good for 3 years and then it went south. Beans are major part of that diet and they contain a lot of carbs. Without them it becomes very hard to maintain proper nutrition and so I went to the Keto diet which has its own issues.
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I do have several good friends who have gone vegan and been successful for many years—They are T1s. I think it might be harder for T2s—especially if one is trying to control with diet and exercise only, as I am…Jeff is right on the difficulty of protein needs—as one also trying to manage fibromyalgia–that’s a toughie for me…
I am very close to vegetarian, with just a little fish and chicken each week. But the big hurdle for me on vegan is my love of cheese… already do Almond milk–it’s cheese.
Now, these friends have been giving me yummy recipes to try that use cheeses made of various nuts—cashew or walnut cheese…
There are many reasons I would like to adopt vegan. I think you have to experiment, ease into it and test a LOT!..Keep us posted!..Judith in Portland…
I like the idea of being vegan, or even just moving towards a more plant-based diet. I eat a low-carb diet, though, and I must say, I do eat a lot of chicken and eggs that I would have to find replacements fore. The only other animal products I eat on an occasional basis are salmon and bacon. I’ve been allergic to dairy for the past six years or so, so that wouldn’t be an adjustment at all. I already prepare most of my own foods due to multiple food allergies and eating low-carb, so it wouldn’t be that hard to do if I could find low-carb replacements for the above. Where I would find it exceedingly challenging would be when eating out.
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Daiya make a few pure vegan cheeses that contain no casein as most non dairy cheeses do. It is quite good and melts. They can be had at a lot of places. I used to get mine at Kroger.
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I can’t eat any commercially-available vegan cheese so can’t reccomend anything from experience, but Follow Your Heart and Caio are also brands of vegan cheese I’ve heard people recommend and seen in stores.
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Hi. I’ve been considering starting HCLF diet lately for me and my family (I’m pre-diabetic, they are T1s). I’ve read many books and studies that say you can even be totally cured. Anyway, I’m a little afraid, especially suggesting such a diet to someone ill. Does anyone here have any experience with this?
Hi,
Some people do very well on HCLF diet, others don’t and do better on LCMP (low carb moderate protein, with fat to appetite and provide calories), others do LCHF. Common theme for all of these though is cutting sugar and processed foods.
You won’t know until you try. Suggest that you dive in and try, along with close monitoring of blood sugars to see how your body responds.
For me, the best approach is “Eat to your meter”. Using this approach one eats a meal and sees the effect of that meal on blood sugars. The results are the feedback for further adjustment.
Hope this helps.
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I just came across this blog while looking for a recipe for low-carb crispbread (it’s in the oven now, we’ll see how it turns out!). I thought some who are interested in being vegan and who still want to eat a low-carb diet might find interesting.
I have been a vegan for over 30 years. Once I knew I was type 1 I varied with an A1C between 6.8 and 7.2… The difference with me of course because I was type one, good control came with insulin use . A plant based diet has not caused any issues other than I hardly ever eat at restaurants but that is because I am a strict vegan.
The trick is always test and adjust and learn!
I have been moving away from animal food slowly.
I still eat dairy and some meat, but I’m limit it more and more.
I find animal fat especially makes me need more insulin.
I wish I liked vegan cheeses. I just don’t.
But I find that I don’t really need cheese too much.
Hi @ Timothy Vegan cheese has improved a lot the last few years. There is constantly new ones coming out and they all vary. Some are okay, some good, some not. Plus we all have different tastes. But these are all top sellers (and ones I like). You might try
Chao Slices by Field Roast- The Best!!!
Follow Your Heart American, Provolone, Mozarella slices or pretty much all
Daiya Provolone Slices or or pretty much all
Miyoko’s Cheddar Slices
Daiya Block Cheddar, Gouda or most
Follow Your Heart Block American, Provolone, Mozarella or most
First Follow your Heart Shreds
Second Daiya Shreds
Follow Your Heart Feta Crumbles
Tofutti Cream Cheese (and Sour Cream)
Daiya Herb and Chive Cream Cheese
Daiya Strawberry Cream Cheese
Kate Hill Ricotta
Follow Your Heart Parmesan
GoVeggie Parmesan has a stronger flavor to add to a dish but Follow Your Heart is better if you are just sprinkling it on something
@Marie20 What part of the regular grocery store do you find vegan cheeses. I didn’t know brand names so thanks for those. But are they in the specialty or regular cheese sections? I guess I must ask! I’m trying the whole foods plant based deal and am at about 80% now. I like cheddar cheese but none for 2+ months now. ugh! I’m even using water for oatmeal & blueberries. Ugh again but really not bad. Type 1.
Gosh it really varies in the different stores. Some stock it in the cheese section, some stock it in the vegetarian “meats” and products section and some do both. Safeway does both but not everything is in both sections. Vons carried it right next/in the dairy cheeses too. It blends in easily so you have to look for it.
I love Daiya’s block cheddar cheese.
You won’t find all the different kinds at a grocery store. They are more likely to carry Follow Your Heart Cheeses and Daiya Cheese shreds, block and slices. They are excellent and have the biggest distribution avenues. They will sometimes carry some of the lesser known ones but I bet that depends on the area you live.
You can find Silk milks at a regular grocery too, they are good. They did taste tests and more people picked Silk over regular dairy. Now they have soy, almond, oat milks. I generally like soy milks more as they have a tendency to have more protein and less carbs, but you have to watch the labels of the ones you buy. It can really vary. Silk and several others make unsweetened too so they are very low carb. But I prefer the regular ones Original Soy Silk and Edensoy are still my favorites. MMMM chocolate Silk is absolutely delicious, it’s just not my everyday drink. Lol, my oatmeal has to have some cinnamon and soymilk on it!
Of course if you want the biggest variety it’s at a health food or natural market. Some of your smaller ones offer a variety but again that probably depends on the area.
Thanks. Makes sense. I don’t have a Safeway. Not your big city varieties in my part. But I can drive a ways to a Trader Joe or a different brand of grocery than the regional closest to me. To me most of the ‘fake’ milks are mostly just colored water. but appreciate your expertise and wow about your long time as a vegan. At my age, I’m not so sure about the complete ‘no oil or dairy etc’ thing but am working on it. And mostly doing better than I imagined!
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Trader Joes has several options. I don’t do the no oil thing. But I am a strict vegan. When I first started I could not even get a plant based milk and used juice in my cereal. I was really excited when the first plant based (soy) milk hit. Amazing changes on a constant basis now. So if you are missing something the odds are someone is making it or trying to or trying to improve it…
One of the biggest growth categories of groceries is the substitute dairy category with plant based milks being the largest. That is one reason there are so many non dairy choices now.
I was vegetarian (NOT entirely plant based, so not vegan) for years. I was finding balancing my macros to my new carb/protein ratio difficult while maintaining my vegetarian diet and my control wasn’t what I wanted. I was seeing spikes and lows rather than steady control.
I was never pressured, but my doctor suggested incorporating lean meats into my diet IF I felt comfortable giving it a shot. I worked in fish and poultry back into my diet over a couple of months. It’s really helped.
You can have any diet you want so long as you are making sure to get all of your nutrients. You don’t really need protein supplements to be vegan, either - just make sure to include your meal plan nuts, tofu, beans and all the other forms of plant-based protein.
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I have been eating plant based for 5 yrs now and I love it. I exercise for a half an hour after breakfast and lunch to keep my levels steady. I figure an hr of exercise is great for this aging body and I would much rather do this than take more insulin. I did add Alaskan salmon once a week for heart health.
I already have heart stents which I received after being a type 1 for 50 years. That was 12 yrs ago.
I am now 70 and I want to live as long as possible, so I am doing everything I can to keep my heart as healthy as it can be. That means that I eat very little fat. My protein levels are very good, and much better than they were on the Bernstein diet. I eat a lot of legumes, and some nuts, but no tofu because of the level of fat tofu has. I use no oils. I eat a small amount of avocado and a few nuts.
So far this woe is showing very good results for me. Since I am retired it is much easier for me to exercise when I want to. All the exercise also helps keep me thin which may be better for me in the long run.
I feel like, at this point, I am doing everything I can to avoid an early heart attack or stroke.
Oh, I do take B12 because it is recommended for those who don’t eat dairy or meat.
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Just a note. B12 is necessary for a vegan to take, but not because of why most people think.
It turns out we used to get it from the soil residue found on veggies we used to eat. But our soil is depleted nowadays so it’s not as abundant. Plus we wash everything as most people don’t want soil residue because pesticides, fertilizers etc.
Animals have the same problem, most are confined so they are not getting the B12/soil source, most of the B12 manufactured goes to animals. people only get it from animals because the animals are supplemented in the first place.