Vegan & Vegetarian

[bsr2002]

Anyone on any of these diets? I'm a meat eater but seriously thinking about switching. How is this diet working for you?

[Keezheekoni]

I was vegan in high school and college. It wasn't a diet really, since you're limited on what you can have for protein, so you end up eating beans... Excessive beans make you fat, then there's the pasta and such. So it didn't really work well as a diet for me...though I was in to the whole "crunchy" lifestyle at that point. (Some of that's still with me, cloth diapers, natural family planning, etc.)

[WordJames]

Anyone on any of these diets? I'm a meat eater but seriously thinking about switching. How is this diet working for you?

Vegetarians, particularly vegans, have a shorter life span than omnivores. I've heard that you lose about seven years from your life.

I knew a woman who had been a vegan for fourteen years before her doctor told her she would have to eat four ounces of meat twice a week ... or die. The change was traumatic for her, so she came to our creativity group for support. She eventually was able to overcome her repugnance and inhibitions and incorporate meat, in small amounts, into her diet.

A friend of mine in Panama, at the time the chief surgeon for Gorgas hospital, once told me he hated vegetarians because their flesh would tear no matter how delicate the stitches he was able to use. Once cut, they fell apart. They also took longer to heal than non-vegetarians.

[Chris Graham]

I was a very healthy vegetarian for more than 15 years. I didn't get sick and my cuts healed easily. I sincerely doubt vegetarians have a shorter life span...that makes no sense. It can be a carb heavy diet. That is why I've been including lean meats and fish into my diet since my dx with D. I still avoid red meat...not good for the heart. I can't speak to veganism...I could never give up cheese! Vegetariamism can be a healthy and yummy way to live...you should give it a try and see if it is right for you.

[poodlebone]

I was vegan in high school and college. It wasn't a diet really, since you're limited on what you can have for protein, so you end up eating beans... Excessive beans make you fat, then there's the pasta and such. So it didn't really work well as a diet for me...though I was in to the whole "crunchy" lifestyle at that point. (Some of that's still with me, cloth diapers, natural family planning, etc.)

Protein: tofu and other soy products like TVP and tempeh. Seitan (made form gluten), and if you're not vegan there's always eggs and dairy. Nuts. Not just beans.

I am not vegetarian but I have been cutting back on meat. I'm down to lean chicken or turkey a couple of times a week at most.


I have never heard that vegetarians/vegans have shorter life spans.

[BobbyT]

I used to love meat and eat it just about every day. Since my diagnosis last month I've been eating mostly vegetables, soy based veggie burgers, veggie cheese, lean chicken once a week and a portion of fish once a week. I feel just great, the weight is coming off, and I have plenty of energy so far.

[jen_slc]

I wouldn't say it's a diet either, it's a lifestyle and I think either one can be perfectly healthy if you do it right. Yes, you could gain a lot of weight if you ate carb- or fat-heavy, so of course you have to be sensible about it. It's not ALL beans. You really don't need THAT much daily protein to maintain a healthy body. I have been vegetarian for 10 years and I have never been healthier. Not for animal rights reasons, just purely because eating meat became a gross concept to me. But, I have recently begun to start eating a tiny bit of white meat every once in a while when I'm out at a restaurant or something. I could never cook it myself, I have no clue how!! But after one little slab of something, I am good for about a month. :smile: I believe I fall under the category of "flexitarian" but who really cares about labels? Eat what you want, avoid what you want and make it fit your life, just be healthy about it.

Like others have mentioned, if you're vegetarian, you still get milk, cheese, eggs, etc, plus for your lack of meat you get tofu, TVP, tempeh, nuts, couscous and quinoa (though they are more carbs too). And who's to say you couldn't eat meat, maybe just cut back on the red meat and do the white meat every once in a while. Plus lentils, legumes, tons of vegetables, and of course, plenty of beans. :D

[bsr2002]

I'm guessing that if you eat lots of greens your blood sugar should come down a bit? No?

[Keezheekoni]

Protein: tofu and other soy products like TVP and tempeh. Seitan (made form gluten), and if you're not vegan there's always eggs and dairy. Nuts. Not just beans.
Except there are those of us who happen to be allergic to soy and nuts... So, like I said, it didn't work as a *diet* for me, but rather as a lifestyle. :)

[diaconfused]

Anyone on any of these diets? I'm a meat eater but seriously thinking about switching. How is this diet working for you?
Not really vegan, but I've certainly ended up vegetarian.

Between the doctor, nutritionist, trainer and myself, we've managed to eliminate the following from my diet:

Rice, wheat, corn, potatoes, meat, fish, eggs, fruit, milk, yoghurt. And sugar, of course.

Most of these of course were because of the big D. Some to get in shape. And others (like fish & eggs) because I can't stand them!

I do eat a lot of butter and cheese though - need to bring the cholesterol up, surprisingly!

All in all, giving up the meat has not been hard at all. The most difficult food to give up, for me, had been bread. :(

[pauloft]

I wonder if when more people adopt a vegetarian diet the food and drug industries see this as being bad for the economy. Or else, why do the scientific studies say one thing and the silence of the food and drug manufacturers say another?

I read article after article that touts the virtues of a plant-based diet, and how it's better for health and longevity. Still the misconception seems to prevail that you cannot be adequately nourished on a vegetarian diet.

The November 2005 issue of National Geographic Magazine and ABC Television carried reports about three people groups found to be the healthiest in the world. Their diets are largely vegetarian. These people don't know what it is to "retire" - they live longer, healthier lives more than the rest of the world. Why isn't this news promoted more? Because the fast food industry, the meat industry, the pharmaceutical industry would all suffer economically. That's why I am thinking that vegetarianism may be considered "bad for the economy. (http://www.anti-diabetes-diet-supplements.com/vegetarian-diets.html)"

[seacomp]

A vegetarian diet is mostly carbs unless it is a rather restricted diet. If someone can maintain good BG control on such a diet, who could complain from a diabetic treatment standpoint? From what I've seen and heard of the results, people do not get good BG control on these diets.
I do not see how a vegetarian diet for diabetics can be reccommended on medical grounds. Were someone to say "I still rather eat vegetarian", well that's their choice.

[JasonSmithMT]

From the current edition of Diabetes Care: A Low-Fat Vegan Diet Improves Glycemic Control and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Randomized Clinical Trial in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes (http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/full/29/8/1777)

Jason

[pauloft]

The only solid undeniable evidence that I care to defend is me. I am very vegan. My doctor stopped my diabetes medication. My cholesterol profile is "excellent". I can go play tennis after work and go to bed without eating and wake up with fasting glucose of 76 mg/dl, feeling fine for my morning one-hour exercise routine. I know people who go in to a lifestyle center such as Wildwood LC in Georgia and change their diet, go on a regular exercise routine, and come back not needing their medication again! Type 2 diabetes can at least be managed by a lifestyle change. It requires discipline but the result is very sweet.

The idea that we have to eat meat to live has been forwarded by agencies such as the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and others. Most medical doctors will not recommend going "cold turkey" on diet and exercise for blood sugar control because it requires a lot of work - which most patients are not committed to doing. It also takes a longer time - months. But more people could wean themselves from medications or decrease their dosages if they resolve that their prescriptions are just temporary measures. It takes years to develop type 2 diabetes. It requires patience and dedication to restore control.

[spank_love]

ok.. My doctor's nurse just called me and told me that my bg level is 9.3 and she said that would be in the 200s... very high.. anyways, she told me to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and stay away from meat and sugar... I'm newly diagnosed and so far, the only advice from a professional I've gotten was that... They've given 3 months 'til my next appointment. I've been reading the threads here and most say to stay away from carbs. what is the right way to diet? how long does it take for your bloodsugar to go down?

[pauloft]

It can seem really confusing "out there." So many opinions and persuasions. First thing, carbs don't cause diabetes, fat does. Research has shown that. However, because diabetes is the inability to metabolize carbs properly, that may be why carbs have gotten a bad rap.

Your approach at regaining good blood sugar levels needs to be multifaceted. That is, try to take care of all the contributing factors: lack of physical exercise, overweight, diet, rest, etc. Start by eating the right types of carbs. Stay away from refined or processed foods. What does this mean?

Whole wheat bread instead of white, eat fruits instead of drinking juices. Since some carbs turn to glucose more quickly/easily than others, try to chose those that have better glycemic values. (Read Mendosa's article on the glycemic list (http://www.mendosa.com/gilistold.htm).)

Your doctor's advice "to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and stay away from meat and sugar..." is quite good. But many new diabetics are still at a loss as to what this truly should be. The fast food restaurants will not help diabetes. Fat, salt, and sugar taste good and those are what keep people going back.

You must work with your doctor, and be patient. Everyone's response time to medication or natural interventions is different.

"what is the right way to diet? how long does it take for your bloodsugar to go down?" For me, I have no reservations in recommending a vegetarian diet. It's the best, and the multiple benefits make it worthwhile. I am evidence of the power of a high fiber complex carbohydrate plant-based diet, and I love it.

Here is a very nice article (http://www.leavesoflife.org/ucheepines-counseling-sheets/diabetes-treatment.htm) I came across recently. Scientific proof of what kind of diet really benefits the diabetes condition.

[bsr2002]

ok.. My doctor's nurse just called me and told me that my bg level is 9.3 and she said that would be in the 200s... very high.. anyways, she told me to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and stay away from meat and sugar... I'm newly diagnosed and so far, the only advice from a professional I've gotten was that... They've given 3 months 'til my next appointment. I've been reading the threads here and most say to stay away from carbs. what is the right way to diet? how long does it take for your bloodsugar to go down?

It's not staying away from carbs, but eating the right ones that come from fruits and vegetables that the body can motabilize and breakdown faster than breads, crackers, flour tortillas, etc...When eating the right carbs I factor in how many I can eat per meal. This will take practice and trial and error. Ex: A carb is 15g which would be a medium size apple or a full cook spoon of carrots, or one slice of multigrain bread. After trial and error I figured I could have 45g for breakfast and 30g/ea for lunch and supper. Yours could be more it just depends. I've been doing this diet for 4 yrs now and doing well. I do cheat every once in awhile :eek: No one's perfect. :)

Cheers,
Ben

[HelenM]

JasonSmithMT. Thankyou for that link
I found it very interesting particularly that although the vegan diet had better results, both the Vegan and the ADA cohorts had significant reductions in BG levels but that the people on the ADA diet had more difficulty in complying with their diets because of the need to regulate portions.
Personally I enjoy food and find it very unsatisfying to eat a 1 inch portion of cheese or very tiny piece of lamb or steak, similarly with butter I'd rather not use it than scrape it on so I normally don't eat them (it makes these foods special if I do)
I'm in no way a vegetarian but by frequently eating vegetarian meals and otherwise sticking to chicken, turkey or fish I eat very little saturated fat. I also eat huge portions of veg/salads and relatively high portions of fruit and starches.
The low fat/high carb diet was stressed by the hospital here 'le premier ennemi du diabetique est le gras' but sometimes recently I've found it difficult to reconcile what I do (and seems to work for me) with many peoples emphasis on low carb diets. Perhaps, I thought its, its just the ability to cover carbs with insulin and its not fair to suggest such a diet to those who can't.
That article suggests that a vegan diet can work well for diabetics and I have certainly never read any claims that such a diet is a cause of premature death or other such problems but sometimes it can be lacking in vitamins B12, D and calcium so if you became vegan rather than vegetarian you might have to supplement them.

[trish]

if i eat lots of fruit my sugar would go through the roof

[vegan4health]

3.5 weeks ago I became vegan with the following exceptions: milk in my coffee, complete disregard of the non-vegan ingredients in my "just add water" pancake mix.

5 years ago, after spending 3months in bed, I was finally diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Despite treatment, my energy levels never recovered to what they were before. Then because of the lack of energy and the resulting weight gain I was diagnosed with diabetes. Since my hypothyroidism diagnosis I've not lost weight. I belonged to weight watchers and lost 3lbs in 8 weeks. Since being diagnosed with diabetes there has been no weight loss (other than the tell-tale weight loss that signaled the disease onset).

I stuck religiously to the diet given to me by the dieticians - the "regular" diabetic diet. My blood sugars continued to be out of control and the meds just kept increasing. With the last med increase my doctor advised me that if this didn't work the next step was insulin. Fortunately that increase worked and my blood sugars stabilized - and I put on 8lbs in a month.

Since becoming vegan just over 3 weeks ago, I've lost 6lbs (as of last Friday). My energy level has soared. I can actually stay up beyond 9pm without having to have a nap!!!! My blood sugars have been very well controlled - always between 4 & 7 unless I have excess "ice cream" (quotation marks mean imitation/substitute such as tofu, hemp or rice). I've been able to drop one of my meds. I feel better than I have in the last 5years.

Most importantly my appetite has decreased. That incessant hunger has ceased. 3 - 4" diameter pancakes (made with 1/2 mix, 1/2 bran and 2tbsp of ground flax seed, topped with banana and a drizzle of no sugar syrup) fill me up and sometimes I can't even finish them. I've started eating my veggies first because I found that 3/4 cup of mixed brown rice&lentils didn't leave room for much else.

And I've educated myself. There are an abundance of protein, iron and calcium sources in "nature". Sufficient amounts of B12 come from fortified "milk" (for me that's soy milk; for others they prefer rice milk).

Just as there are many omnivores who don't eat a balanced diet, there are also vegans/vegetarians who don't eat a balanced diet. I think that these unbalanced individuals are the source of all the "sickly" veg*n stories that keep people from trying this very healthy alternative way of life.

It's amusing; I also belong to a vegan forum and it's interesting to hear the reverse of the anti-veg prejudices that I read about here over there ....

[lilituc]

I have been a vegetarian for 13 years and right now I have excellent control. I eat about 30-40% of calories from carbs, but I try to stay on the lower side. I think it depends on people's commitment - it seems to me like it's easier to not have to think about what you're eating when you eat meat. I make sure I get enough protein and vegetables. I don't eat much fruit (maybe .5 to 1 serving a day). I guess your mileage may vary, but I just wanted to say that control is not impossible for everyone.

[vegan4health]

Oh, and I don't seem to need to limit fruit - not that I have much fruit after breakie. Fruit doesn't affect my blood sugars as much now; when I ate meat it did. Fruit is also a really healthy way to add sweetness to something... like pancakes...with a much lower glycemic index level than other ideas I can think of.

A (vegan) friend of mine has a philosophy as to why my appetite decreased since not eating meat. Livestock is pumped full of things to "fatten them up". No doubt some kind of appetite enhancers are in there. Because I'm not eating meat, I'm not being affected by these enhancers etc and so my appetite is becoming "my own".

:ciao: Sorry, I'm screaming vegan praises from the rooftops again, aren't I? :ciao:

I just can't get over the change... and immediate change! Oh, and it's 8:53pm. I'm thinking of going out! IMAGINE!!!! I used to be counting down the minutes to go to bed (at 9pm so it didn't look too bad) 4 weeks ago at this time of night.

If a person tries this kind of lifestyle and it doesn't provide any enhancement, nothing is lost, you can still go back to eating livestock....

[WordJames]

I'm guessing that if you eat lots of greens your blood sugar should come down a bit? No?

It would depend on what else you eat. Eating "lots of greens" shouldn't cause your blood sugar to rise ... nor to fall. Other foods you add or remove from your diet should have more of an effect on your blood sugar then the greens.

Shoot for balance. Don't overdo anything, including greens. Have a good mix of a variety of foods of different kinds.

[WordJames]

Sufficient amounts of B12 come from fortified "milk" (for me that's soy milk; for others they prefer rice milk).

I've never really cared for soy milk or rice milk. Almond milk is slightly better.

I can't drink cow's milk because of the high levels of lactose, but I do like the taste of goat milk, which isn't so bad.

[WordJames]

A (vegan) friend of mine has a philosophy as to why my appetite decreased since not eating meat. Livestock is pumped full of things to "fatten them up". No doubt some kind of appetite enhancers are in there. Because I'm not eating meat, I'm not being affected by these enhancers etc and so my appetite is becoming "my own".

If a person tries this kind of lifestyle and it doesn't provide any enhancement, nothing is lost, you can still go back to eating livestock....

There are meats other than beef: lamb, pork, turkey, duck, goose, chicken, rabbit, venison, bison (buffalo), to name just a few. The only ones likely to be pumped up with artificial junk are beef and chicken. Bison tastes pretty much like beef except sweeter and with a superior texture. There is also a beef / bison mix called a beefalo. Game and free-range animals are probably better for you (and tastier) than pen-raised (farmed) animals of any kind.

Here in Southern California we also get a few exotics, like ostrich. Ostrich is a red meat, superficially like beef but tougher and with a poor texture.

I'm not terribly fond of beef, preferring the taste of lamb, turkey, pork or portobelo mushrooms. But beef is easy to obtain, almost reasonably priced and, especially, many restaurants can prepare it without screwing it up too badly.

[WordJames]

if i eat lots of fruit my sugar would go through the roof

Due to my diabetic gastric neuropathy, if I eat lots of fruit I get severe diarrhea.

[vegan4health]

...but I feel SO good without it!! Why would I want to go back????? I don't miss it!

This morning I prepped a bagel with peanut butter, some canned peaches (about 3/4 cup or so) and a banana. I ate half the bagel, 1/2 of the peaches and I was full.

That insideous driving hunger has left me. I feel so free without that.

One of my worst memories of my Type 2 father (he was the best!) was him sitting at the table crying because he had that hunger but he'd eaten all he was allotted for that day on that usual diabetic limited portions diet that's supposed to be the answer. He'd have plate after plate of the low calorie vegetables because that's all he could eat as much of as he wanted and it was never never never ever enough. When I was first diagnosed that was the memory that immediately came to me and I was so scared that it would come to that for me too. It did come to me although not to such an extreme. (I also don't have my drill sargeant of a mother over top of me like he did, weighing each morsel and telling him "you can only have this much".)

For me, that was the worst part of diabetes and to be free of that is SUCH a gift. I will NOT go back to eating animal products. I will not risk that hunger coming back. Combined with the amazing sugar control, no need to rigidly control my portion sizes, the weight loss, why would I want to go back????????????????

[Cyborg]

Do Vegans eat seafood?

[vegan4health]

Well I'm sure some eat kelp (aka seaweed). I could never get over the taste. I didn't eat seafood before due to food allergies. Somehow going to the hospital unable to breathe didn't appeal to me.

Do other vegans eat ___________? Basically, answer these questions. Is it a plant? Does it come from a plant? Then no. Vegans don't eat it.
"We don't eat our friends" is an expression I've come across.

One thing I've had difficulty with is the fact that a majority of vegans are so due to philosophical concerns. The principle that someone's pet kitty cat and a cow are both animals but that one isn't considered dinner (in N.America) and one is dinner and meat eaters (omnivores as they're referred to) don't make sense in how they differentiate "friend" and "food". Milk and eggs are products of reproductive slavery.... that kind of thing.

I can see their points of course, but I'm not vegan for philosophical reasons and sometimes I cringe at some of the rhetoric. I'm vegan because I've lost (now 4wks into it) 8lbs after years of not being able to lose any despite all my efforts, my energy level is "normal" in comparison to others of my age, my blood sugars are under control, I don't need to monitor every morsel of food, my appetite has decreased and .... ok I'm bragging again. :)

So the recipes and helpful "vegan essentials" lists when grocery shopping have been invaluable, but some of the other stuff I've found upsetting. Mind you I presume that's the point but I don't see it as effective advertising for this very healthy lifestyle.

[Mister Q]

Do Vegans eat seafood?

No vegans dont eat seafood, some vegetarians won't eat fish or seafood either, I have known a few vegetarians get quite upset when people assume they eat fish or seafood.

Vegans wont eat or drink anything that contains animal derived products and it is suprising what does contain animal derived products, I was suprised to learn from a vegan friend that many beers are not vegan due to the use of a substance called Isinglass (drived from fish bladders) which is used to clarify some beers.

One of the cuisines that lends itself to Vegetarian the best (in my humble) is Greek, followed by Italian.

[Mister Q]

I have just read vegan4health's replay, you must have posted while I was typing. I myself am around 80% vegetarian these days and find there are major health benefits in being so, I have not actively decided to go this way but seemed to find that by trying to eat more healthily then you seem to gravitate to a vegetarian diet.

I can understand anyone not wanting to eat meat for philosophical reasons and have this debate with the friend I mentioned above now and again (over a few vegan beers) I am personally against intensive and cruel farming methods, so go out of my way to support Organic and Free Range producers, I would rather pay 3 times the price and eat less meat. I feel that we should support methods of farming that give animals as natural a life as possible, the way I look at things many animals kill to live why should we be any different?

[Cyborg]

I never heard the term Vegan. I thought vegan was short for vegetarian. It appears vegans are vegetarians that are also animal lovers. :sheep:

So vegans are to vegetarians as non-carbers are to low-carbers? Far left vs. far right. At least we have a balanced forum. :)

What is this vegan beer? I certainly hope they aren't putting meat in my Michelob Ultra... :secruity:

[vegan4health]

Vegetarians don't eat meat or fish or any animal directly but may eat eggs and dairy products.
Vegans do not eat any animal products of any kind.

Many animal parts make their way into many things. Rennet is the enzyme that cheese is made with. Rennet comes from the lining of cow's stomachs. Cheese can be made with an enzyme that isn't an animal product - you may have seen "Vegetarian Cheese" in your grocery store. Gelatin is an animal product. Normal marshmallows aren't Kosher because they're made with some pig product. That's why a Kosher grocery section will have Kosher marshmallows that are made without that product in them. Oils that are used in the making of aluminum foil can be from animals. Fish parts go into some beer. Many rendered animal parts - what's left over after slaughter, including parts from sick animals - make their way into many things.

[Mister Q]

What is this vegan beer? I certainly hope they aren't putting meat in my Michelob Ultra... :secruity:

This link explains about Isinglass which makes some beers non vegan -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isinglass

This link I have posted on another thread tells you which beers are considered vegetarin or vegan safe -

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/geraint.bevan/Vegetarian_beers.html

[Cyborg]

I love seafood, but not in my beer...

[Mister Q]

Its basically good old fashioned greed, as Isinglass is used to clear beer, beer will clear naturally but not as quick - its also used by brewers to on occasion 'repair' bad batches of beer.

Being a vegan is getting harder and harder in the modern world as many animal derived products are used in the production of other foods.

You will be pleased to note from the list the Michelob Ultra (or any Anheuser Busch brew) contains no seafood of any kind :smile:

[vegan4health]

I love seafood, but not in my beer...

But what about that It-all-ends-up-in-the-same-place argument? I thought shrimp and beer went together?

:biggrin:

[Cyborg]

I don't put ketchup on my ice cream either...

[Mister Q]

I don't put ketchup on my ice cream either...

Of course not Cyborg, there is far too much sugar in both....:rofl:

[amccrazgrl]

So what would you eat in a typical week?
breakfast,lunch,dinner,snack wise?

It also seems like you are all type 2's.

[vegan4health]

Breakie: 3 4inch diam Pancakes - they're the "just add water mix" 1/2cup, 1/2 cup bran then water, topped with 1 banana sliced and a drizzle of no sugar syrup. Hubby doesn't eat breakie.

Lunch was a mix of brown rice and lentils that I made in bulk in my rice cooker. I had leftovers of it for days! Broccoli & cauliflour mixed in - approx 2- 3 cups total mixed all together at least 1 cup was veggies. Maybe more, maybe less, I don't measure.

Supper was 1/2 can vegetarian chili (yer average canned stuff from the grocery store) with brown rice&lentils mixed in because it was runny.

In my pantry are cans of mushroom barley canned soup, canned lentil soup, bean soups, pasta sauces, brown rice, canned legumes like beans and chickpeas and lentils. There's also peak frean no sugar fruit cream cookes but those are eaten sparingly.

I don't usually snack much, the occasional 2 cookies, or I'll have a glass of soy milk. I found a brand I just can't get over it's sooooooo goooooood! Reminds me of milkshakes before I became lactose intolerant. It's funny how diabetes gave me back chocolate (the no sugar kind doesn't give me migraines like regular chocolate did - 1/2bar at a time) and becoming vegan gave me back milkshakes.

Breakie can also be a big bowl, combine blueberries, strawberries, banana, whatever other fruit needs to be eaten up, 1/4 cup almonds and shredded wheat&bran cereal with vanilla soy milk. This can also be supper when I just couldn't be bothered....

Lunch at work yesterday and today has been this just-add-water cup soup from Nile Spice with a couple small whole wheat dinner rolls, and a 6oz cup of mocha soy milk. I had split pea yesterday and couscous lentil curry today. They're fabulous!

Weeks ago I made a huge batch of soup with beans, split peas, barley, lentils - you know those bags with all those things mixed in? Then I ran every kind of veggie I could think of liking through my food processor set on "slice" and put that all in with a powdered vegetable soup base. I have oodles of that left too!!

I also took one of my holiday days and did cabbage rolls and stuffed green peppers (stuffed with cooked rice, canned lentils, extra firm tofu shredded to look like mozzarella so I could look at it and tomato sauce then rolled in cabbage and a few green peppers, piled them all in a roasting pan, drowned in 1 large can of tomato juice and baked at 350F for about an hour).

I made pasta once (or twice!) and I made my normal pasta sauce except instead of meat I took a can of chickpeas, ran them through the food processor to almost puree and added that. My sauce thickened up tremendously well, the chickpeas were approximately the same texture of ground beef in it and aside from the slightly orange colour (red+yellow=orange) it was terribly yummy. Even my hubby enjoyed it.

So... do I sound normal enough? :wink:

Oh, Friday's are weigh days. So last Saturday morning :) I've totalled 8lbs lost in 4wks. I'm out of my 2x and into my 1X clothes. I'm not down to the weight I was when I was diagnosed (you know, that telltale weight loss?) but that's only another 15lbs away. I'm almost at the weight I was when I quit smoking. Another 30lbs til I'm at the weight I was before my thyroid went. Then another 30 to go after that and I'll be happier than a pig in ....:o

[Lynne1]

a pig in ....:oblanket? j/k

[amccrazgrl]

Sounds good enough.
I was just curious thanks for the long post.
It doesn't sound like that bad ethier well minus the soy milk ew I tried that before not good. I don't even like regular milk that much.

[Mister Q]

Yup type 2 here -

Brekkie - Usually Wheatbix or Porridge
Lunch - Wholmeal or Grannary Rolls with various fillings usually some kind of cold meat or fish
Dinner - Chicken breast with veg - Fish with rice and beans - Veg Burgers or Veg Sausages and beans with either rice, Polenta or Cous Cous - Pizza, the weekends are a variety of stuff that is always homecooked, sometimes vegetarian sometimes not.

If I am eating out anywhere I will often take the vegetarian option. Diabetes gave me a diff type of chocolate, the high cocoa solid (80%) variety dark chocolate, we can buy some real nice stuff over here and it is Fair Trade branded (not sure if you have that in the US or Canada) this means the Farmers are paid a fair price for their crops. Studies have shown a small amount of this kind of chocolate is proven to help lower cholestorol (tatses way nicer than my statins too!)

[poodlebone]

If I am eating out anywhere I will often take the vegetarian option. Diabetes gave me a diff type of chocolate, the high cocoa solid (80%) variety dark chocolate, we can buy some real nice stuff over here and it is Fair Trade branded (not sure if you have that in the US or Canada) this means the Farmers are paid a fair price for their crops. Studies have shown a small amount of this kind of chocolate is proven to help lower cholestorol (tatses way nicer than my statins too!)

They sell fair trade chocolate (and other items) here in the States, usually in health food stores and places like Whole Foods. I love dark chocolate and usually have some every day. There's a brand called Cocoa Via, made by the company that makes Dove chocolate, and it's marketed as a health item and says that it helps lower cholesterol. At first it was only available through mail order online but now it's in regular stores. The bars are small, 100 calories each, and cost more than $1 each. But, the chocolate is actually very good and I especially like the blueberry almond flavor. They also make snack bars which have lots of crispy rice/soy bits for about 80 calories, plus chocolate covered almonds (don't remember the calorie count per bag).

When I have milk chocolate now it tastes so odd. I definitely prefer the dark stuff.

[Lynne1]

Lunch was a mix of brown rice and lentils that I made in bulk in my rice cooker.
Any chance of getting the recipe? I have an automatic rice cooker so I can cook while I'm at work!:D

[vegan4health]

Any chance of getting the recipe? I have an automatic rice cooker so I can cook while I'm at work!:D

Lynne1, I am LAZY!!!! 1cup brown rice, 2 1/2 cups water, 1/2 of a 540ml/19fl oz can of lentils. Throw'em all in the rice cooker. Ours doesn't have an automatic shut off. It has this "warm" feature that slowly crispies the bottom of the rice.

It takes about 20-30min or so in the rice cooker. I don't keep track. I come over here to the computer and do my posting here and there, update my blog, read my regular sites.... then clue in that I set up the rice cooker and it ought to be done by now and it's 7:50pm and where did the time go.....gotta go eat now!

[bsr2002]

I don't put ketchup on my ice cream either...
Ketchup in my BEER...aaahhhh, The poor man's Bloody Mary :)

[vegan4health]

Ummm... let me think.... No, to the ketchup and beer idea :thumpdown

Here's what I'm talking about when I'm talking about blood sugar control on a vegan diet:

5.3 @ 6:50am, one 4/1000 Avandamet (avandia 4mg metformin 1000mg combined in one horsepill)
2 blueberry pancakes with a little no sugar syrup.

9am>6.5

Sometime around 11am - a cup of mocha soy milk (oh very yummy!!!)

Lunch (I don't test at lunch) I ate a big bowl of heavy grains cereal with plain soy milk, a whole wack of watermelon.

I had dinner out (so I didn't get to test before) from 6pm-7pm... and I forgot to refill my pill container (supposed to be the same dose at night). I thought OH NO!!! and then relaxed. I had Curry Pad Thai (wide flat noodles, some kind of veggies, tofu strips that tasted like ham (protein), all in a bowl), a seitan burger patty (because I'd never had it before - it's made with wheat gluten I think; lots of protein) (and it needed ketchup in the biggest way!!), a diet pepsi, and for dessert, a no sugar no gluten almond flax cookie with a scoop of yummy vanilla almond bark soy ice cream. When I got home at 9pm, I tested.... 8.1.

In order to get an after-dinner test of 8.1 on the regular diabetic diet, I would have had to take the 4/1000 Avandamet as well as a 5mg of glyburide. That's what I used to take morning and night. I would have eaten a small piece of meat, 1/2 cup potatoes/rice and the rest of my plate covered in veggies. And I would have had to sit on my hands for the rest of the evening so I didn't give in to that HUNGER>......

That's why I'll never go back.