The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Vegan Diet
Posted by Laura (New Plymouth, Idaho Usa) on 09/10/2012
Apparently, we are not all created the same. I did the vegan route for 20 months and had to give it up as even my vegan naturopath told me I'd have to at least eat fish to survive. A lot of bad things happened. My hormones shut down, or close to it. My hair was falling out. My high blood pressure got worse instead of better. I lost too much weight. I began to experience various fungus problems, so much that one doctor ran tests for Aids, even though I thought there was no possible way except for blood transfusions many years before. My cholesterol dropped, but the balance was all bad, and that's just a few things that went wrong. Listen to your body. I should have done that a lot sooner than I did.
Vegan Diet
Posted by Merryanne (Orange City, Florida, Usa) on 05/18/2010 113 posts
★★★★☆
Vegan Diet and Diabetes
This is an update, 4 months ago I started a vegan diet that also includes,,No white potatoes, no white rice, no white bread (I make my own yeast breads, but use whole wheat none enriched, none bromated whole flours) can use Rye or pumpernickle purchased breads. All green vegs are fresh or frozen cooked in water with sea salt (no microwave cooking) I eat dry beans cooked in water and sea salt. I eat apples, bananas, melons, berries all low sugar, and no sugar can be used, no purchsed cooked or fast food, I use brown rice. Now, this not a boring diet,,I also season with onions, garlic, herbs, peppers, salsa fresh, cilantro, NO OILS NO FATS,,I do add 1/3 cup olive oil when making bread,,That is all the oil I eat. Now THE GOOD NEWS I have lost 15 pounds,,,AND I only take insulin mabe 3 times a week, and take half the insulin I was taking. My blood is checked at least twice a day, and has never gone over 190, then fell on its own in 2 hours. I eat any time I want all I want, I am not hungrey, and I do not exersise,,,but I plan to start this week. SO,,,I am reading from THE CHINIA STUDY by T. Colin Campbell, PhD, this covers 30 years of research on food and diseases. I will update again in 3 months.
Vegan Diet
Posted by Lou (Tyler, Tx) on 10/30/2012
Laura, Did you do anything to prevent hair loss? I am having some of the same symptoms and a doctor thought I had AIDS too, but a hospital tested me and it was negative. I think I may have some candida going on (due to the pre-diabetes) because my head hurts if I eat anything sweet.
Vegan Diet
Posted by Merryanne (Orange City, Florida, Usa) on 03/23/2010 113 posts
Hell,,this is Merryanne in Central Florida,,,I have a question to ask,,Does any one have any information about the vegan diet that is to cure diabetes??? I saw a program on the PBS station on TV,,I do not remember his name,,but for an hour he talked about the vegan diet with low fat, eating low glycemic foods,,etc. If you have had any experience with this I would love to know before I start this. I have went online and read a lot of information,,but I would like to here some personal experiences. Thank you
Vegan Diet
Posted by Tamara (Fort Collins, Colorado) on 05/18/2010
Although I don't have diabetes and have eaten a fairly healthy diet before (I've posted about the benefits of green smoothies as well), I decided to try to lose weight by adhering to the vegan diet not unlike Merryanne from Florida. Only, I found my info from another book that references that same China Study, called Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Amazingly, and I know that I am probably an extreme case, I've lost 15 pounds in a week and a half! My body obviously responded, and needed, a larger amount of fruit and veggies. I, like Merryanne, cut out all processed foods, as well as grains and animal products and most oils (I still oil pull regularly with sesame and coconut oil, alternately). I do a different green smoothie everyday and then go to town on any fruit and vegetable that I feel like! I'm not hungry, my skin feels like a baby's, and none of my clothes fit (which is a good thing). I do exercise, but I've always exercised, so that hasn't changed. I might be feeling a small detox reaction in the mornings when I wake up with a slight headache, but I soon feel better after taking a few glasses of water and activated charcoal pills; an idea I got from reading EC's pages about weight loss and getting rid of the toxins that are released when one starts to lose fat.
Dr. Fuhrman is an MD that has helped many people overcome diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity among many other ailments with his high nutrient approach to diet. I have to admit, it seems a high hurdle to jump, when first considering giving up pasta and cheese! But with all the antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and healthy plant compounds, it's a virtual guarantee of a long, healthy life. I encourage anyone to check him out, or to pick up a book of his. Eat to Live is specifically jam-packed with study after study of the health-inducing effects of a high nutrient density diet like his (it's a very dense read, not like those other fluffy weight loss books out there). And even though I do not agree with every study he cites (I do see many problems with the methodology and sampling the authors of the China Study did, for instance), you can't really go wrong with vegetables. The results speak for themselves. I know, I know, it hasn't been very long, but I'm still impressed, and this is coming from a girl who just doesn't lose weight.
I've also had fun logging my food and looking up the nutritional information on each recipe I make on a really cool online site called nutritiondata.com that has some cool graphs and charts that is all free. I just love all the ideas I get from here! I really want to thank Lisa for all of her encouragement to others and for personally inspiring me to go the green and (mostly) raw route. We have such a great community here! By the way, the recipe for the Tuscan kale salad that Rob from Manhattan posted from Dr. Weil's site is amazing. It's pretty delish with any variety of kale I've found. Thanks Rob!
I'm sorry that my posts are often so long, but I just get so excited that I want to tell you (all you EC'ers out there) everything all at once. Good luck and good health to everyone!
Vegan Diet
Posted by Funlovingal (Roseville, Ca) on 10/21/2011
Well, I have recently read 4 books, or I am in the middle of my 4th book now. You would truly be amazed as I was that becoming vegan can cure diabetes. Get the book "The China Study" it will blow your socks off!!! Studies after studies on vegan diet (NO DAIRY PRODUCTS & NO MEATS PRODUCTS) It can reverse diabetes, heart disease and much much more. You can pick up the book on Amazon for like $10 or something reasonable..... I guess that expression, "you are what you eat" is true. I've been doing it for going on 7 wks and I've lost about 13 lbs so far and feel much more energized and healthier all around. Other books, Forks over Knives, Digestive Tune Up, and Veganist. I promise you you won't regret it. Just change you eating habits and you'll understand more when you read some books. If you pick any books, pick "The China Study" that has the most studies and results for cancer, diabetes, heary disease, alzheimers, arthritis, high cholesterol, high blood pressure all by changing your diet...... WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE, BUT TO GET CURED!!!
Vegan Diet
Posted by T (Houston, Usa) on 10/21/2011
Funlovingal from Roseville, Ca
Please advise how you get your protein intake on a vegan diet. I would like to move from current vegetarians (eggs and dairy) to vegan, but am concerned about getting adequate protein.
Thanks!
Vegan Diet
Posted by Gail Sims (Branson, Missouri, Usa) on 10/23/2011
There are lots of ways to get protein, I have a smoothie I love it's so easy too and tastes amazing!
Put in the blender in this order ...
1 cup of coconut milk or almond milk, 1 banana, 1 spoonful of almond butter, 1 tablespoon of Chia seeds, 4 cubes of ice and apx 2 cups spinach or to fill up the rest of the blender ... Blend till smooth amazing! DO NOT USE PEANUT BUTTER it does not taste the same and is fattening... Chia seeds are optional but add protein and lots of goodness :)
Vegan Diet
Posted by Maureen (Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada) on 10/23/2011
Hi T from Houston, Usa. Besides the usual legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu etc., add hemp hearts and chia seeds to your diet to get more protein.
Vegan Diet
Posted by Mistsmith (Texas City, Texas, Usa) on 06/10/2012
This is in response to T in Houston. You can get your protein from all plants and grains. That's the beauty of veganism. We have been brainwashed into thinking that all of our protein comes from meat sources, but that's just plain false. Quinoa, kale, swiss chard are all excellent sources of protein. In fact, quinoa and kale have more grams per ounce per serving of protein than a steak has. Blew me away when I learned of this. I'm learning a lot about the food we eat and even more about what we aren't eating! Lol Hope this helps! :)
Vegan Diet
Posted by Anonymous (Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Usa) on 05/18/2010
Excerpt: "... Jim Bolen has learned from his association with D. Batmanghelid, M.D. on how diabetics can greatly improve their health. Jim has helped many people get rid of diabetes at no cost. Jim accepts no payment for his work.
Here is the diabetes E-mail that I sent to Rajinder in India. Diabetes is mainly a lack of water, salt, magnesium (found in dark greens) and Tryptophan, an amino acid found in eggs, beans, cottage cheese 4% (cheeses) and nuts. "
The actual webpage has a lot more information, and is available at http://www.watercure2.org/diabetes.htm
Vegan Diet
Posted by Lisa (Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa) on 05/20/2010
Hi Tamara, You make me smile when I read your experiences because mine have been the same! I feel the same way as you- I want to help everyone because I see the suffering that so many people go through. I know I have seen my health restored and like you, dropped about 10 lbs. I was by no means overweight but my center would never go down! I finally gave up and figured, what did I expect after 5 kids! Well, when I changed to this lifestyle, my stomach went completely flat. Also, I crave greens, salads, sea veggies, kefir. It's amazing. And like you, my skin is baby soft now. And the sun damage on my right arm from the sun in Hawaii four years ago has completely reversed itself. When we give our body living foods, it heals itself! Makes perfect sense but in this fast-living style people have lost sight of that. Processed foods have become normal and the media just promotes it because all the profiteers are doing just that- profiting.
Did you ever check out renegadehealth.com? It's a daily show on youtube with Kevin and Annemarie Gianni that always covers interesting subjects related to alternative health with lots of great interviews, raw recipes being made, the most recent findings on various products such as agave, msg, superfoods, etc. I think you'd like it and will learn a lot there.
Anyway, I just had to comment on your post because it is exciting to hear about your progress!
Here's to our health,
Lisa
