One Man Compares Ketogenic And Vegan Diets For Type 1 Diabetes
Diets that require less insulin are popular among people with type 1 diabetes because less insulin required means a higher likelihood of more easily managed blood sugar levels. To put that more clearly: Each time you give insulin, a certain amount isn’t properly absorbed. This happens to a varying degree each time, whether you inject or use an insulin pump. Each time you give insulin you are also dealing with a different set of variables that may impact the way the insulin works for you. We all deal with these ever-changing variables like stress, digestion, fluctuating hormones, and different levels of activity. The more insulin we give, the more outside our target range we risk being. This is the “law of small numbers” which Dr. Richard Bernstein coined to help explain why low-carb eating equals tighter blood sugar management. A ketogenic diet is a low-carb diet like the one Bernstein follows except it includes a larger amount of fat and a bit less protein. Another popular diet right now is the vegan diet. Those who eat this way while omitting refined or processed foods and grains say doing so leads to high levels of insulin sensitivity which help lower insulin needs and better blood sugar levels. Comparing Ketogenic and Vegan Diets for Type 1 Diabetes Steve Richert is a documentary adventure photographer who also has type 1 diabetes and eats a ketogenic diet. You can visit his website, LivingVertical.org to learn more and read about his latest project–a documentary about insulin access. In a recent post, Steve compares his experience and continuous glucose monitor (CGM) data while eating vegan and ketogenic diets. Two very different ways of eating, both of which appear to work out better than the standard American diet (SAD). There is a clear winner for Steve Continue reading >>
From Meat-based Diet To Plant-based Diet: Lindsay's Diabetes Journey
Lindsay Garcia was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2014. Motivated by the desire to control her blood glucose and improve her long-term health, she began eating a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet. For the first few months, Lindsay saw excellent results. Her A1c dropped from 10.0% to below 6.0% and she was able to control her blood glucose with precision. Although Lindsay's numbers looked good, she felt terrible. Because she was maintaining a low-carbohydrate diet, she did not eat fresh fruits. Most likely as the result of low fiber intake (due to the lack of plant foods in her diet), she experienced constipation that became so serious that she resorted to taking laxatives every few days. After a few months, she noticed that it became more difficult to control her blood glucose. Her blood glucose often spiked into the 300s for no apparent reason. As an athlete, she wanted more energy to participate in the sports she loved, and felt that her diet was not contributing to her overall health. Feeling frustrated and unable to control her blood glucose values, she decided to look into alternative approaches to managing her blood glucose. It was during this time that she saw her physician and found out that she was actually living with type 1 diabetes. She enrolled in the Mastering Diabetes Program in December of 2016, and immediately learned how to reduce her total fat intake, how to adjust her insulin timing strategy, how to manage her blood glucose before, during, and after exercise, and how to increase her intake of low-fat, plant-based, whole foods. After just a few weeks of transitioning to a plant-based diet low in fat, her carbohydrate-to-insulin ratio increased from 9:1 to between 25-35:1. She increased her carbohydrate intake from approximately 175 grams per day Continue reading >>
Diet And Diabetes: Recipes For Success
Diabetes Basics In the past few years, much of what we thought we knew about diabetes has been turned on its head. New understanding of the nutritional causes of diabetes gives us the power to keep it from occurring or to turn it around. Here is what is supposed to happen: Our bodies turn starchy and sweet foods into glucose for our muscle cells to use for fuel. Insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas, ushers glucose into the cells. People with type 2 diabetes, the most common type, generally have enough insulin. However, their cells become resistant to it, leaving too much glucose in the bloodstream, where it can cause problems. Over the short run, people with uncontrolled diabetes may feel tired, thirsty, urinate frequently, and notice blurred vision. In the long run, they are at risk for heart disease, kidney problems, vision loss, nerve damage, and other difficulties. Dietary Approaches to Diabetes Diabetes diets typically call for portion control, carbohydrate limits, and, for those who are overweight, calorie restrictions. Fortunately, there is another way. Low-fat, plant-based diets are ideal for diabetes and the conditions associated with it, such as heart disease, weight gain, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. And they offer the advantage of not requiring any weighing or measuring of portions. Going hungry is not necessary! The old approach recommended cutting down on carbohydrates. It’s true that overly processed carbohydrates—those made with sugar or white flour, for example—are poor choices. However, delicious unprocessed or minimally processed foods, such as potatoes, rice, oats, beans, pasta, fruit, and vegetables, were the main part of the diet in countries where people were traditionally fit and trim and where diabetes was rare. Unfortunat Continue reading >>
A Diabetic Vegan: An Interview With Adrian Kiger
Adrian Kiger is a writer who grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia. She’s had type 1 diabetes since she was eleven. After years of struggling with weight issues and blood sugar levels, she found a diet that works for her – vegan. Adrian, who has written a children’s book “Veronica, the Vegetarian Diabetic,” talked to ASweetLife about her path to veganism and how it’s helped her improve her health. You’ve been a type 1 diabetic for 25 years. Did you (or your parents) change your diet when you were diagnosed? My mom had always been a gourmet cook and paid a lot of attention to the quality of food in our house, even I before my diabetes came along. We, my dad and two younger brothers, ate only whole wheat bread, wholesome foods, and a big salad that accompanied supper, which we ate together as a family almost every night. Absolutely no sugary cereals or sodas were around. My mom prepared most things from scratch and always had a garden. When I came home from the hospital after being diagnosed, there was Crystal Light drink mix in the house. It was new on the market at the time. There were a lot of sugar-free products too. Other than that, there wasn’t much of a need for a big, dramatic change. My mom also began making some sugar-free desserts. The biggest change was the fact that suddenly someone in the house had diabetes, and the intensity around food was heightened. What led you to become a diabetic vegan? Were you a vegetarian first? I was not a vegetarian first. Although I have never eaten a lot of meat, I did love a good cheeseburger and a tasty piece of salmon. But I never really liked the smell of cooked meat, so I rarely made it for myself at home. My best friend from childhood was raised completely vegetarian, so I was exposed at a young age to the Continue reading >>
The “vegabetic”: Successful Veganism As A Type 1 Diabetic
For fifteen years, what I put in my body has been all-important. Hyperawareness of my intake and output continues as a daily priority. My choice to go vegan occurred just over two years ago in April of 2010, but my diagnosis with type 1 diabetes mellitus, commonly known as juvenile diabetes, happened in August of 1997. While I used to administer upwards of five shots of insulin via syringe each day, in 2007 I transitioned to the insulin pump. Instead of time-dependent injections, I now deliver rapid-acting insulin continuously through a catheter to manage my blood glucose level. Need to clear up the medical jargon? Find explanations and definitions of diabetic terminology on the American Diabetes Association or Medline Plus websites. So – what is diabetes? Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism— the way the body uses digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food people eat is broken down into glucose…the main source of fuel for the body. After digestion, glucose passes into the bloodstream, where it is used by cells for growth and energy. For glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach. (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases). When I eat, unlike non-diabetics, my pancreas cannot give proper insulin doses. Glucose does not move to cells from my blood as my pancreas sends out too little insulin. The result? I need to self-administer different amounts of insulin depending on my personal food intake, activity level and current blood glucose level. Considering that people with diabetes have trouble using food for growth and energy, the omnivore-vegan transition might initially intimidate. Personally, the journey towards veganism brought both challeng Continue reading >>
Vegan Diet
Tweet Many people instantly recoil at the idea of a vegan diet, but this attitude is gradually changing, particularly amongst people with diabetes. Can people with diabetes use a vegan diet to improve blood glucose control? Absolutely. By eating a healthy vegan diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat, but balanced enough to include fibre and protein, blood glucose levels can be made easier to control. This type of diet, particularly when combined with exercise, can help to lower blood glucose levels and better manage diabetes. What is a vegan diet for diabetes? A vegan diet effectively means cutting out meat, dairy and animal products whether you have diabetes or not. So what do you eat? Vegan diets, whether for people with diabetes or not, are usually based around plants. Particular foods eaten include vegetables, fruit, grains, legumes. Animal products such as meat and dairy are avoided, as are added fat and sugar. People on vegan diets often take vitamin B12 deficiency supplements. Isn’t a vegan diet for diabetics hard to stick to? Eating a vegan diet does require some compromise, but getting the right diabetes recipes and planning your diet well will make following a vegan diet for diabetes easy. When planning your vegan diet, you need to make sure that protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals are balanced. Vegan diets do not usually demand that portions be stuck to or calories counted, making them easier to follow than some diabetes diets. Can I lose weight using a vegan diet? Many people with diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes, have a firm goal to lose weight. Weight loss is well understood as one of the best ways of achieving diabetes control. Vegan diets with a lower glycaemic index and a higher level of fibre are an excellent way of losing wei Continue reading >>
Plant-based Diets For Diabetes
The three diabetes videos I mentioned are: For those seeking a deeper understanding of what diabetes really is and what causes it, check out How Not to Die from Diabetes, and this series of videos: Thankfully, not only can diabetes be reversed, but so can some of its complications. See Can Diabetic Retinopathy Be Reversed? and, for diabetic neuropathy, my live annual review From Table to Able: Combating Disabling Diseases with Food. Of course, preventing it is better: There are some foods that may increase the risk: And others that may help: If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to my videos for free by clicking here. Continue reading >>
Ken's Engineered Type 1 Diabetes Whole Food Plant Based Low Fat Lifestyle
Previous experiences with my doctors were extremely difficult because they wanted to control my Type 1 diabetes by prescribing specific medication doses and defining what I should eat. But, none of that was working. I felt extremely diseased and disabled. I was kind of terrified from all that and so decided to apply the techniques of my profession: fault analysis and electronic design. In addition to studying cellular level biology at the Midwestern State University library, I began an elimination diet to find out what foods did what. All the foods my doctors were telling me to eat were not working. In fact, those foods made things far worse. That was how I discovered that plant based foods, very low fat and low protein with no animal products were the best foods. I found starches and fruits made diabetic control and my life extremely easy. Every time I would go to my doctor, however, I would end up in an argument. He would review my blood work and tell me that my blood work was the best he had ever seen. My A1c was 5.1 my total cholesterol was 100. Then his next sentence was that he wanted to put me on Lipitor. I asked him why and he told me it was because "All diabetics should be on Lipitor." He then proceeded to explain that my diet was all wrong because it was not a proper diabetic diet. He explained that my A1c was too low and should be in the diabetic range - since I am a diabetic. This went on until June of 2012. 2012 was the year I discovered Dr. McDougall during some casual Google surfing. I did not know before that time that there was such a thing as a plant based doctor. I found a list of plant-based doctors on his web site and found Dr. Carney in Buda, Texas. I thought this is awesome, now I can go to a doctor without having to be told that my diet is all wr Continue reading >>
Robby Barbaro Takes On Diabetes
When I first met Robby Barbaro I was impressed. Here was a young guy who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, but instead of just surrendering to that, he made the effort to switch to a low-fat raw vegan diet, decrease his insulin use through good food choices, and start living a healthy life. Watching him measure all his food, I realized just how different his chosen path was from one followed by the average type 1 diabetic. What’s more impressive is that he’s doing it without a clear idea of where that path will lead him. Type 2 diabetics bring the disease on themselves through diet and lifestyle choices and can usually reverse it with a low-fat diet, as studies have demonstrated many times. Type 1 diabetes, however, is a different creature. Some researchers point to a possible connection with animal milk consumption or other reasons, but there's no definitive anwer for why type 1 diabetes occurs. Although there appear to be rare cases of people reversing type 1 diabetes through dietary changes, and Robby was inspired by those, there has never been a method proven to be regularly successful. Content with getting healthier, an improved carb-to-insulin ratio, and generally feeling great, Robby has set out to inspire type 2 diabetics to get rid of their disease forever, even if he still has to deal with his own. His nonprofit organization, Robby Barbaro, Inc., seeks to educate diabetics about their options. I decided that Robby would be a great addition to the raw food success stories on this site, and I’m pleased he agreed to an interview. For those looking for more information on a low-fat raw vegan diet (which involves lots of fruit, lots of vegetables, and not much overt fat), and some of the other concepts discussed in this interview, please see the bottom of t Continue reading >>
For 26 Years, I’ve Managed Type 1 Diabetes With A Plant-based Diet
Until age 35, my health was very typical for an American. Then in November of 1988, all that changed: my immune system suddenly decided that my insulin-producing pancreas beta cells were foreign and attacked and annihilated them, leaving me with type 1 diabetes. In less than 30 days, I lost 45 pounds and grew deathly weak. Eventually, I was found barely conscious at my work desk and rushed to the hospital, where I immediately received my first shot of insulin. My doctor’s grim prognosis hit like a ton of bricks: even with the best possible diabetic control, I would still suffer many debilitating, chronic complications of the disease. I envisioned myself disabled, blind, amputated, and living in a wheelchair. More on that later… A few days into my hospital stay, a fill-in doctor literally saved my life with a very simple short statement. He said, “No doctor can manage your diabetes.” He explained that the insulin doses are dependent on metabolism which changes from minute to minute, and so are too variable to be predetermined or managed by any other person. He recommended that I keep a log and learn the effects of everything I ate and did, and adjust my diabetes control and lifestyle accordingly. The geek in me took that advice to heart. Back home, I immediately bought a glucometer, a kitchen scale, a nutrition facts book, and a notebook in which to begin logging my new life. I began to learn how to match up the food I ate, my activity levels, and my insulin intake to keep everything in sync. My Doctors Prescribed a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet All of the nutritional information from my doctor, diabetes magazines and books, and even diabetes management classes strongly promoted a low-carb, high-fat diet. Confusion started to set in, however, as all my test-and-measure Continue reading >>
How To Live A Healthy Life With Type 1 Diabetes
Among innumerable, debilitating health conditions Type 1 Diabetes is one of the worst. Why? Because it is an autoimmune disease and cannot be cured. At all. Ever! Side effects of these viscous disease include, but not limited to: Thirst and dry mouth Frequent urination Fatigue Dry warm skin Nausea and vomiting and stomach pain Deep and rapid breathing sometimes with frequent sighing Confusion and decreased consciousness And can culminate to neuropathy, heart attacks, strokes, hypo- and hyperglycemia, kidney damage, infertility, blindness and even amputations and early, painful death. For decades doctors have believed and told their patients that there is NOTHING, outside of insulin injections and minor dietary modification, that can be done to control T1D symptoms and progression of the disease. Good thing that they are wrong! Because it is possible to live a healthy, fulfilling life with Type 1 Diabetes, if you do certain things. Today I have a guest, who is also my dear friend, who has lived with T1D for 35 years successfully. You will LOVE hearing her success story–how she is able to live a full life, without usual T1D symptoms, because she decided not to fall victim to diabetes, and took charge of her well-being through diet and lifestyle modifications. Enjoy her interview! Darlene (aka Simply Darlene) leads a simple life as a wife, momma, homemaker, teacher, country girl, and a Type1Diabetic advocate. In these tangled inter-webs she is a storyteller, photographer, poet, and wordsmith at www.SimplyDarlene.com She is on Twitter and Instagram under the handle SimplyDarWrites. How to Live a Healthy Life with Type 1 Diabetes You can listen to the Vegalicious Podcast by using the player below or subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play Music. Transcript I’m Continue reading >>
How To Manage Your Diabetes As A Vegetarian
In this article, we will take a look at the benefits of following a vegetarian diet if you have diabetes. Though we cannot recommend a drastic change in one’s diet, we will enumerate the benefits of following a vegetarian diet. Prior to making any major changes in your diet if you have diabetes, it is imperative that you check with your primary care provider, and registered dietician or Certified Diabetes Educator for their input and expertise. Types of vegetarians Vegan A vegan is the strictest type of vegetarian. The vegan diet is referred to as a “total,” or “pure” vegetarian diet. People who are vegans do not eat any meat or animal products, including eggs and dairy products. This also includes fish and seafood. They are on a plant-based diet. To get the protein needed daily on a vegan diet, a person with diabetes could eat soy based products such as tofu or soy milk, all sorts of vegetables, and a variety of beans and whole grains. This is important because proteins are the “building blocks,” and have important functions related to cell structure and function, and even to make the hormone insulin. Because a vegan diet is low in vitamin B12, a multivitamin or supplement is usually recommended for a vegan diet. Ask your doctor before going on a vegan diet plan, and inquire about your vitamin B-12 needs while on a vegan diet. Lacto-vegetarian The lacto-vegetarian doesn’t eat meat or eggs. However, they don’t mind including milk products in their diet. Lacto-ovo vegetarian This group does not eat any meat, but they do enjoy animal products such as eggs and all varieties of milk products, such as eggs or cheese. Other Variations There are some variations on the theme, such as “pescetarian,” who will eat fish. There is also a version called, “raw Continue reading >>
Vegan Diet For Type 1 Diabetes
Someone recently wrote me asking for information on eating a vegan diet and Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is when your body is not making any insulin and so you have to take insulin injections. The person writing me said that even though she could take more insulin to deal with the higher amount of carbohydrate in a vegan diet, “more and more research shows that type ones can build up an insulin resistance if too many carbohydrates are consumed.” I have only had a question from someone with Type 1 diabetes about two previous times and do not currently know anyone with Type 1 diabetes eating a vegan diet. I do not know of any published studies on the subject, so any advice I give is fairly theoretical. I responded by saying: “A whole foods vegan diet has been shown to be beneficial for Type 2 diabetes in three studies that have been conducted on people with Type 2. I am actually working on an article combining the results of these studies. A lot of the benefit of such a diet is due to lower caloric intake, which probably won’t help someone with Type 1. However, I could see that the higher fiber content of a whole foods vegan diet could release carbohydrates more slowly into your blood and result in lower insulin needs, even if the carbohydrates are a higher percentage of your diet.” I also enclosed an article from a 1999 Vegetarian Dietetic Practice group newsletter that addressed Type 1 diabetes in vegetarian children. I’m wondering if there is anyone out there who has been vegan for awhile and has Type 1 diabetes, who can help this person (and myself) know more about their experience. Thank you! Continue reading >>
Diabetes - Cause, Prevention, Treatment And Reversal With A Plant Based Diet
Summary This is a long article, so here's the summary: In the next 25 years 1 in every 3 Americans will have developed type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a serious progressive disease. Type 2 diabetes is largely a lifestyle-related disease and is preventable. Caused by diets high in saturated fat, not high in carbohydrates. Animal products and processed foods contain the vast majority of saturated fat in our diets. The excess fat inhibits insulin's effect so blood sugar levels remain dangerously high. By following a low-fat plant-based diet your risk of developing diabetes is very, very low. People with diabetes are at high risk for heart disease and stroke. Removing animal products from your diet helps lower your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. A low-fat plant-based diet has been proven to treat and reverse diabetes. Heart disease risk is also lowered by following a low-fat plant-based diet. A plant-based diet has been shown to work better than American Diabetes Association's guidelines in treating diabetes. Patients switching to a vegan diet didn't find it any harder to stick to than the ADA's recommended guidelines. Diabetes will affect 1 in every 3 of us Introduction Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition with the exact cause is currently unknown. It is partly inherited with multiple genes influencing the overall risk. Type 1 diabetes means the body doesn't produce insulin on it's own so insulin injections are required. There is currently no known way to prevent type 1 diabetes, but this form of diabetes only accounts for 5–10% of all cases of diabetes.[1] However type 2 diabetes is far more common. This form of diabetes accounts for 90-95% of all diabetes cases, and is characterised by insulin resistance. Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle related disea Continue reading >>
Can A Vegan Diet Cure Type 1 Diabetes?
Simply put type 1 diabetes (which used to be referred to as Juvenile Diabetes) occurs when the insulin producing beta cells are destroyed in the pancreas and the body experiences increased sugar levels in the blood and urine. If left untreated the condition can be fatal, but it is usually managed very successfully; people with type 1 diabetes go on to live normal, productive lives without significant impairment of quality of life. Type 1 diabetes cannot be ‘cured’ It may be tempting for people with the disease to buy into fads that claim to ‘cure’ their disease. However this condition cannot be cured or eradicated from the body in that sense. It can only be managed to a lesser or larger degree of success. The management protocols for managing the disease can be multipronged – while insulin supplement are typically required to be taken indefinitely throughout life, there is evidence to suggest that eating a particular type of diet can also help manage the disease. Vegan diet for type 1 diabetes A vegan diet consisting of plant derived food typically means consuming higher amounts of carbohydrates. So it can sound contradictory that a high carb diet can actually help to manage a disease. Eating only plant based foods that include a lot of fruits and veggies means consuming a lot of carbs; so how can this help in lowering blood glucose levels one may well ask. However there is a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that eating a vegan diet can help people manage their diabetes. People who shift to a vegan diet do find that they feel better, more energetic and may also experience weight loss. This could be because the release of sugar into the blood is slow and sustained because plant based foods contain complex carbs, as against the sudden spike that refined carb Continue reading >>
- A cure for diabetes: Crash diet can REVERSE Type 2 in three months... and Isobel and Tony are living proof that you CAN stop the killer disease
- A vegan diet could prevent, treat and even reverse type 2 diabetes, say leading experts this Diabetes Week (12-18 June).
- A new prescription for type 2 diabetes: A low-fat vegan diet
