Comment by Claire on February 9, 2011 at 4:26am

I think it would. It would just make the food selection even narrower for you, because excluding carbs from your diet, you're left with protein and fat. and the major source of protein is meat and dairy product. however, I think if you find foods that are suitable for you and are in accordance with both vegetarian and Bernstein's diet, you're fine. With Bernstein, all you have to do is strictly limit your carbs. I don't know much about the vegetarian diet but I assume your diet would be then based on vegetables, nuts, soy products and such things :)

Comment by BadMoonT2 on February 9, 2011 at 5:14am

I think it would be difficult to follow a strict 6-12-12 (carbs/meal) program. Most vegetarians eat a lot of grains and legumes, which are carb dense. Having said that his section an using insulin would probably help any insulin user. His principle of small numbers which says less carbs = less insulin = smaller errors = better control would apply even if you choose not to adopt his strict carb limits. The Bernstein Group here on TuD has both insulin users who follow a strict 6-12-12 as well a those eating more carbs who feel Dr. B's principals have helped them achieve better control. You might go through the old threads or even join and ask specific questions.

Comment by Gerri on February 9, 2011 at 5:49am

Though it would be difficult to follow Dr. B's carb plan & get sufficient protein from vegetarian sources, there's a lot of great info in his book you could benefit from. I was vegetarian for decades before being diagnosed. I couldn't do this & have decent control, but some people can.

Comment by Brian (bsc) on February 9, 2011 at 6:02am

I'm going to be harsh here. Dr. B has a lot to offer. He after all pioneered home blood sugar testing, he invented the basal-bolus regime and he has tirelessly advocated that low carb diets are the best for glycemic control and that they are safe. You can follow his teachings, but you are unlikely to be successful with his 6-12-12 diet as a vegetarian. If you are what they call a lacto-ovo vegetarian (no fish, no eggs, no dairy), then you will fail. If you are an ovo vegetarian, you may be able to do it, but you better love those eggs. If you are a pescatarian (eat fish) then it may also be reasonable.

But the plain fact is it is virtually impossible to find adequate sources of protein and fat in the veggie world that don't come with too many accumulated carbs. And if you ask Dr. B himself, he will call you silly for wanting to be a vegetarian, I mean who would choose to be a vegetarian when your health is in question?

But your diet is a personal choice, and while you are unlikely to achieve 6-12-12, you can do a low carb vegetarian diet and you can understand and utilize Dr. B's "law of small numbers." And nobody will criticize you for being a vegetarian in the Dr. B group, many of us follow the ideas but don't reach 6-12-12 levels. I am generally between 50-100g /day which is quite reasonable to achieve on a vegetarian diet.

Comment by s6954118 on February 9, 2011 at 6:15am

www.diabetes-book.com is his free book that you can read on-line. I followed for a long time and did well but was always tired. When I was getting ready for knee replacement I went back to carbs and felt better immediately. I am now trying to get back and it is very difficult to find that fine line that I can keep my energy. I got to were I could not stand the smell of an egg :)

Comment by Brian (bsc) on February 9, 2011 at 10:04am

The new Atkins book "New Atkins for You" has a chapter on being a vegetarian.

Comment by Kelly on February 9, 2011 at 5:12pm

Thank you all for the wonderful info. Seems like a mix of opinions which is very understandable if this book is somewhat extreme & it sort of sounds that way.
BSC - I will look into the new Atkins that you referenced.
I don't eat eggs or fish but I do eat some dairy products like cheese. I have Juve. Type 1 for 30 yrs. And Sunny is absolutely accurate about how poorly the disease was managed way back in the day. They didn't have me check my blood sugar as a child, I urinated on a stick and looked to see which color I was closest to in a range (ketone strips?). There were other crazy things....
I had a heart attack at the age of 31, as a vegetarian, low BP, good cholest, and a boxer. Crazy, huh? I think it is due to lack of care many years back. I had an angioplasty w/ 2 stents. I worry about increasing my fat/proteins (meat=fat though I realize there are lean meats) because I worry about my arteries. Also, I can't help but wonder if the reason that I've had no kidney problems/microalbumin is due to my diet.
Because so many people here talk about the Bernstein book, I plan to go to the book store to at least look thru the book.
Thank you all for being so very helpful! :)

Comment by Kelly on February 9, 2011 at 5:15pm

Oh also, s6954118...I plan to look into the web site you spoke of as well. Thanks!

Comment