Diabetes And Vegetarian Diets

Vegetarian diets can fit into a diabetes management plan with a bit of planning…

Vegetarian diets are based on plant foods.  Plant foods include:
 
fruits
grains
vegetables
legumes (beans, lentils, peas)
nuts
seeds
Most plant foods are low in fat and calories, and have no cholesterol.  They are also high in vitamins and minerals. 

   

WHY IS EATING VEGETARIAN GOOD FOR PEOPLE WITH DIABETES?
Eating a vegetarian diet might be a sensible choice for people with diabetes.  People who eat a vegetarian diet are less likely to have high cholesterol, be overweight or have high blood pressure.  Vegetarians are also less likely to get heart attacks, blood vessel disease and osteoporosis.

If a person has Type I diabetes they may need less insulin if they eat a vegetarian diet.  If a person has Type II diabetes they may lose weight, which can help them manage their diabetes in a better way.
 
HOW WILL YOU GET ENOUGH PROTEIN?
If you decided to eat a vegetarian diet you may be wondering how you’ll get enough protein in your diet?  This is easier than you might think.  You are able to get all the protein you need by eating high-protein grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.  You can also get protein from some animal foods, such as some low-fat dairy products, fish, shellfish, nd poultry.
 
 
TYPE OF VEGETARIANS
Whether a vegetarian eats animal foods depends on the type of vegetarian that person is.  There are five kinds of vegetarians:

A Vegan eats fruits, seeds, grains, nuts, legumes and vegetables. Vegans don’t eat dairy products, eggs, fish, poultry, shellfish or meat

A Lacto-vegetarian eats dairy products, seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, legumes and fruits.
Lacto-vegetarians don’t eat eggs,poultry, shellfish, fish and meat

An Ovo-vegetarian eats grains, nuts, eggs, seeds, legumes, vegetables and fruits.  Ovo-vegetarians don’t eat daily products, poultry, shellfish, fish and meat

A Lacto-ovo-vegetarian eats dairy products, eggs, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits.  Lacto-ovo-vegetarians don’t eat poultry, shellfish, fish and meat

A Semi-vegetarian eats shellfish, poultry, fish, dairy products, nuts, eggs, seeds, grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables.  Semi-vegetarians don’t eat meat.
 
HOW DO YOU MAKE THE SWITCH?
If you want to switch over to a vegetarian diet and can’t figure out what foods to use for the foods you now eat you may want to speak to a dietician.  They might be able to help you.  You need to make sure you get all of the vitamins, proteins, minerals, fats and carbohydrates your body needs.

If you’re thinking about eating a vegetarian diet and want to make some changes now there are some small things you can do.  Get some vegetarian cookbooks so you can come up with new ways to make meals.  If a restaurant you visit has a vegetarian menu try out some of the dishes.   Try to eat less meat, poultry and fish in your meals so you can get accustomed to not having them in your diet.  Also, eat more grains, legumes and vegetables in your meals.

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