Vegan Cure Diabetes?
Channel: beatingdiabetes
Date: 2018-07-17

How to Follow a Vegan Diet if You Have Type 2 Diabetes

Talk to a certified diabetes educator. A dietitian certified in diabetes education can help you plan a healthy diet and better understand how foods may affect your blood sugar, as well as make sure you’re taking the right supplements if you need them.

Count carbohydrates. Watch your portion sizes and your carbohydrate intake, and always read labels.

Choose high-fiber grains. If you’re going to include grains in your vegan diabetes diet, make sure they’re high in fiber, like brown rice or bulgur. Fiber can be a powerful nutrient for blood sugar regulation.

Eat vegetables at every meal. Fill up half of your plate at every meal with vegetables, preferably nonstarchy types. Not sure how to incorporate veggies into your breakfast? Schuler says she packs her morning smoothies with green leafy veggies.

Use the right type of oil. You’ll want to avoid oils that contain saturated fats, but those with monounsaturated fats, like olive, canola, or avocado oil, and polyunsaturated fats, like sunflower, safflower, or sesame, are an important source of healthy fats in your diet. “These are the ones that are going to give you more bang for your buck,” Chaparro says.

The Bottom Line
Schuler says she is excited to share her story in hopes of helping other people with type 2 diabetes. When she returned to her doctor after changing her eating habits, she says he was shocked. “He said, ‘If you didn’t do the blood test in here, I would say these [results] are [from] two different people,’” she recalls.

Despite Schuler’s success, Chaparro cautions against the idea that a vegan diet may help cure diabetes. “Following a vegetarian or vegan diet is not going to magically improve your diabetes — [but] if done right, you’re going to see some benefits for sure,” she explains.

To sum it up, a vegan diet may be healthy and safe if you have diabetes, but it’s important to focus on nutrient-dense foods, continue to monitor your blood sugar levels, and consult a certified diabetes educator to help guide you.