Going Meat-free With a Vegetarian Diabetic Diet

Vegetables provide a great deal of nutritional value without adding a lot of calories.

The American Diabetes Association recommends that those managing diabetes follow a pyramid approach to selecting foods.

This pyramid is similar to the one designed by the United States Department of Agriculture, but contains a little tweaking.

This daily pyramid suggests:

• Six to eleven servings of beans, grains and other starches a day
• Three to five servings of vegetables
• Two to four servings of fruit
• Four to six ounces of meat or meat substitutes
• Two to three servings of dairy, fats, oils and sweets only as a special treat.

This pyramid should be reflected in your vegetarian diabetic diet, ensuring that you choose a meat substitute as opposed to a meat.

One thing that is necessary when following a vegetarian diabetic diet, or any vegetarian diet, is to be sure that you get enough protein.

Depending on which type of vegetarian you are, you have different options.

If you choose to continue to eat dairy products, such as drinking milk, you can get protein through that.

You can also find protein in:

• Legumes
• Soy products and
• Meat substitutes.

If you are not including dairy in your vegetarian diabetic diet you will want to be sure you eat enough dark green vegetables to ensure you are getting enough calcium.

Because vitamin B-12 is found almost exclusively in animal products, if you are not drinking milk or eating eggs and cheese you will want to be sure you are getting it through:

• Enriched cereals
• Supplements or
• Fortified soy products.

Another consideration on a vegetarian diabetic diet is getting enough iron and zinc.

Iron can be found in many vegetarian products, but sometimes you need to team them with other foods to ensure your body is absorbing the iron properly.

Iron is in:

• Dried beans
• Lentils
• Peas
• Leafy green vegetables and
• Dried fruit.

Good foods to eat with these items are such as:

• Strawberries
• Cabbage
• Broccoli or
• Citrus fruits.

Getting enough zinc while following a vegetarian diabetic diet is easy if you eat enough:

• Soy products
• Whole grains
• Wheat germ and
• Nuts.

A benefit to a vegetarian diabetic diet is that you will likely lose weight.

Another way to lose weight is to follow these scientifically proven steps.

• Incorporate a proven, complete nutritional program into your daily life.
• Enhance your nutritional program with a complete mutivitamin supplement because no nutritional program is perfect.
• Use a behavior modification and motivational program that will help you stay on track with your nutritional plan.
• Exercise at home with your own:
  Treadmill

  Stairstepper

  Exercise bike

  Elliptical trainer

  Hand weights or

  An aerobic video.

• See what kinds of weight loss aids your health insurance covers such as:
  Hypnotism

  Gym membership discounts

  Nutritional counseling.

If you are managing Type 2 diabetes, this will help you control your diabetes better.

In addition, losing weight will lessen your risk for heart disease.

Before you chose to follow a vegetarian diabetic diet you should first check with your physician or a nutritional consultant.

You will want to be sure that you are eating enough of the right foods so that you are managing your diabetes well.

They will also have suggestions on how you should plan your meals to best fit them around insulin or oral medications.

With the right diet plan, you will be able to improve your health!

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