Vegan ???

[Numan]

Hi, I’ve just been diagnosed with gallstones and will have to have my gall bladder removed. I’m currently type 2 (HBA1C is 46 up from 40 a year ago) which I got down by changing diet to reduce carbs (<100 a day). Since lockdown I put on 2 stone and got slack on my diet due to depression. Apparently I’ve had gallstones for a long time as my gall bladder walls are thick. My consultant has suggested I try a vegan diet using unprocessed foods. Has anyone any experience in controlling diabetes with a vegan type diet (I’m sure I can’t stick to a full vegan diet, but I would be willing to give it a try) Maybe a vegetarian diet would be easier. Currently I’m 51, 115 kilos and reasonably active, thanks for any advice you can give me

 

[Resurgam]

As far as I can work out the vegan diet is the most difficult one to use for any sort of control as it is carbs, carbs and carbs - and the fats 'allowed' are from plants, obviously, so margarine and oils instead of lard tallow and butter - I can't see much benefit for a diabetic.
Gallstones are thought to be formed when the gall bladder is not prompted to empty by there being fat in the diet. Once they do form they cause pain when fat is eaten as the gall bladder tries to contract, and the bile duct can be blocked. The vegan diet is not low fat of itself nor is a vegetarian one.
In your situation I'd be eating something more normal for controlling the diabetes, but perhaps going back to three meals a day in order to spread the intake of fat throughout the day and making the need for bile (for digestion) smaller doses at any one time. That way you can - hopefully get away with gentle responses rather than gripping pains.
I have read that lying down on one side, so that when the gall bladder does want to contract, the stones are away from the exit so there is less danger of the duct being blocked - but I don't know if it works, or if it is possible to time the right moment after eating for the food to be passing the gall bladder's exit.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi, I’ve just been diagnosed with gallstones and will have to have my gall bladder removed. I’m currently type 2 (HBA1C is 46 up from 40 a year ago) which I got down by changing diet to reduce carbs (<100 a day). Since lockdown I put on 2 stone and got slack on my diet due to depression. Apparently I’ve had gallstones for a long time as my gall bladder walls are thick. My consultant has suggested I try a vegan diet using unprocessed foods. Has anyone any experience in controlling diabetes with a vegan type diet (I’m sure I can’t stick to a full vegan diet, but I would be willing to give it a try) Maybe a vegetarian diet would be easier. Currently I’m 51, 115 kilos and reasonably active, thanks for any advice you can give me

Maybe this'll help a little? : https://www.dietdoctor.com/gallstones-and-low-carb

 

[Resurgam]

Just as an afterthought - I knew someone who was diagnosed with gallstones and got dropped off the list for some reason. By the time it was noticed, the original scan was out of date, or maybe lost, so another one was done - no gall stones. Their life had changed completely in the intervening time - married and moved house, so it could have been anything which made the difference, but it obviously did.

 

[Numan]

Thanks to COVID there’s going to be a very long wait for any operation so I’m going to be doing lots of research into diet. I self test daily so can monitor any diet change in how it effects my levels. My consultant also referred to the film Fork or Knives and told me to watch it, I’m keen to look into this and see if perhaps a vegetarian diet would be beneficial

 

[bulkbiker]

Thanks to COVID there’s going to be a very long wait for any operation so I’m going to be doing lots of research into diet. I self test daily so can monitor any diet change in how it effects my levels. My consultant also referred to the film Fork or Knives and told me to watch it, I’m keen to look into this and see if perhaps a vegetarian diet would be beneficial

Did your consultant give you any concrete reason why they think a vegan diet would be in any way helpful?
I'm guessing they are likley to be vegan themselves as studies have shown that it's not great for blood sugar control.

 

[Numan]

He didn’t say if he was but I got the feeling if he wasn’t he was a big fan

 

[Diabetic Vegan]

Hi, I’ve just been diagnosed with gallstones and will have to have my gall bladder removed. I’m currently type 2 (HBA1C is 46 up from 40 a year ago) which I got down by changing diet to reduce carbs (<100 a day). Since lockdown I put on 2 stone and got slack on my diet due to depression. Apparently I’ve had gallstones for a long time as my gall bladder walls are thick. My consultant has suggested I try a vegan diet using unprocessed foods. Has anyone any experience in controlling diabetes with a vegan type diet (I’m sure I can’t stick to a full vegan diet, but I would be willing to give it a try) Maybe a vegetarian diet would be easier. Currently I’m 51, 115 kilos and reasonably active, thanks for any advice you can give me

Hi! I can't attest to how a vegan diet helps with or affects gallstones but in terms of diabetes and veganism, that's me! I was mostly vegan before I was diagnosed (fully vegetarian but I still ate some dairy products and eggs occasionally) and I'm now full vegan and I honestly don't find it to make a big difference to BG levels. You can eat healthy and low carb on a meat diet or a vegan or vegetarian one. I guess the difference is that meat is low carb, but so is tofu and tempeh is pretty low carb too! I'd probably suggest avoiding those "fake meats" if you can, or at least just look at nutritional info as some are lower carb. Happy to answer any specific questions you have!

 

[Numan]

Thank you DV, at the moment I’m negotiating with my wife as to how far I can go and also have my annual review so will be asking what my D nurse what she thinks. She was very supportive on the low carbs even though it’s not the nhs line