The KInd Life Community Forum

I am a type 1 diabetic, I was wondering if any other diabetic is a vegan, I am a heavy meat eater at every meal. I follow more of a low carb approach,but am interested in the vegan life style. I am very overweight, low thyroid and also have acne, which is so embarrassing because I am 31. I have talked to my husband about being a vegan, but he does not believe it will work for me to lose weight. I have done every diet out there but have the hardest time sticking to anything. I think I am going to try Jenny Craig for a simplier approach to losing weight. Any suggestions?

I highly recommend at least tring the vegan diet. I have been on it (and a no white flour or sugar) diet for two weeks now and already notice a huge change. My goal hasn't been to loose weight (I'm only seventeen) but I have noticed a positive change in my skin and my body feels AMAZING! I love this approach to eating because it gets you to use food for what it is intended to do.... nourish your body, which creates a loving relationship between your emotional, spiritual, and physical self. This is what will be the key to health and in the long term a desirable weight. If you haven't already, I recommend you read Alicia's book. It is very inspiring and gave me the needed extra nudge to become a "superhero". Good luck!

I really hope you are willing to try a vegan diet! A low carb diet is not necessarily the best for your body, if you're still eating high fat, unhealthy foods..you might eat more carbs being a vegan, but if you do it right, the weight will come off. I found I lost a lot of weight once I gave up dairy. I thought it would be a lot more difficult than it actually was too, I didn't know how I would live without cheese, but once I realized how awesome I felt and how much better I felt about my body...I would never eat dairy again, and am not even almost tempted to go back. I am 28, and have also suffered from acne all of my life. These days, my skin has never looked better. I'm not even using the medication that my dermatologist gave me for my acne, because my diet has seemed to clear it up. I really hope that you will give the vegan lifestyle a chance because I think you will see amazing results. Perhaps you could start with just some vegetarian meals, since you said you eat meat for every meal. Although using soy meat products like fake ground beef and chicken aren't necessarily that healthy since they're still very processed, i think it's a good step away from depending on actual meat...you could also get some vegetarian or vegan cookbooks from a bookstore or the library or even online, and start trying out some new recipes and see what happens. I think you will find a lot of support on this site too, and helpful suggestions if you need it. Good luck, i really hope you succeed!

There are several differences as well as similarities between the way type 1 and type 2 diabetics respond to a plant-based diet. The first thing I advise is regular testing. Experimenting with different meals and testing your blood sugar postprandial is the best way to understand how you specifically react to any particular food. Foods that spike sugar should be avoided regardless of how healthy you are told they are. Not all foods that don't spike sugar are good choices. It is a bit complicated but the essence of the plan is to choose plant foods with a low glycemic index. These are dark green leafy vegetable. one well-crafted plan written by a physician advises the patient consumed one whole head of romaine and one whole head of some other darkly the green vegetable like kale or collards per day. We advocate for the avoidance or a minimization of grain-based foods. The consumption of legumes can vary from patient to patient. Tofu is an excellent source of protein and can be consumed on a daily basis. We advocate for the patient to eat two meals a day, breakfast and lunch skipping or minimizing dinner. We advocate that the patient go for a walk after each meal. it is common that insulin requirements are drastically reduced when this type of plan is enacted so consistent testing is essential to prevent a blood sugar crash. You can check out the several books written by physicians that described vegan diet plans for the treatment of diabetes. They work quite well and are safe.

Ditch the meat!
Type 1 diabetes is "officially" an "auto-immune" condition where the cells of the pancreas are attacked by the body (rolls eyes). Anyways, to make a long story short this is basically brought about by two main factors:

VACCINESandGLUREN + DAIRY products
How do clear this condition? Raw fruits and veggies, clean water, plenty of rest, increased exercise (very slowly initially, with gradual buildup), LOTS of sunlight, and a positive attitude.
:-)