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Permalink Reply by Zoe on June 9, 2009 at 10:05am

I am a vegetarian and I wholeheartedly support vegetarian eating for many reasons. However, I don't think it is particularly noted for lowering glucose levels. In fact, for me, I've had to make major adjustments in my diet since my diagnosis because as a vegetarian I naturally ate things like pasta which are very high carb. It is a lot easier for a omnivore to devise a low carb diet based on meat or fish with vegetables or salad. For me, I will have to be more creative.

So my answer would be if you prefer to eat vegetarian anyway, you can tweak your diet to make it diabetes friendly. But it is not easy.

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Permalink Reply by Ziggy on June 9, 2009 at 12:10pm

Like Zoe, I am a vegetarian - lacto ova - milk and eggs, butter etc. I am trying to incorporate the low GI/ low GL into my diet. Potatoes, white bread (staples of the vegetarian diet) are no nos. Pasta sometimes (medium GL), basmati rice instead of other types.

I also agree that I think that an omnivore has more options open to them if they low carb and eat meats and fish. That is why I am opting (so far) to try the low GI low GL diet as it is a little less constraining as the low carb vegetarian diet. I have also read vegetarian diabetics saying that they find low carbing easy - I have yet to make myself some cauliflower mash!

I do know from personal experience that if I have (for example) a salad with brown basmati, cheese, and may some burgen soy and linseed bread that my blood sugar level stays relatively low. So yes, by low carbing or low GI-ing you can keep spikes to a minimum.

I am still maintaining on diet and exercise, touch wood.

Ziggy

I guess it

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Permalink Reply by Jeannie Wagner on June 9, 2009 at 1:51pm

I eat vegetarian about half the time. I use to eat a lot of pasta and brown rice with veggies. Now I 've cut back on those. I like things like quinoa and couscous. There are some books out there that promote a vegetarian diet to promote health. I think you just have to experiment and test often. Sometimes something may spike you right away but in the long run lower your overall fasting numbers. I have limited my fruit consumption to just berries. I do eat eggs and get good numbers from them. Have you tried that Dreamfields Pasta. Supposedly the carbs are locked in and don't spike you. I have had good 2 hour results with this especially when I add lots of veggies.

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Permalink Reply by N.B. on June 9, 2009 at 11:56pm

Hi Zoe, Ziggy and Jeannie,
Thanks a lot for answering my query you were all very helpful. Have a nice day.

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Permalink Reply by Jeannie Wagner on June 18, 2009 at 12:32pm

As I progress with this disease I keep trying new things. I've started eating spaghetti squash and use it as noodle with sauce or pesto. I found a recipe that juliennes squah and zucchini and stir fries them. I've been eating lots of avocados lately. They keep me full. I do eat a little chicken and a burger once in awhile. I do eat veggie burgers and a lot of portobella mushrooms, grilled

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