Did a plant base diet ever work for metabolic syndromes?

[lucylocket61]

My current approach is to completely cut out meat products and heavily restrict dairy consumption (Just the coffee with some cream and some dessert once a week)

what are you having for protein and calcium?

restricting their portions to under 80g of carb per meal. This adds up to 160g per day.

plus the carbs in drinks. This would be far too much for most of us who are diet controlled only. Low carb is 130g a day or less Maximum total. I couldnt even eat half that amount of carbs safely.

 

[target6point4]

what are you having for protein and calcium?

plus the carbs in drinks. This would be far too much for most of us who are diet controlled only. Low carb is 130g a day or less Maximum total. I couldnt even eat half that amount of carbs safely.

I guess I am getting some protein from the lentils and chickpeas which I eat frequently (every other day). If that is enough, I cannot yet tell. As for calcium, I am hoping that the salad greens cover some of my requirements. I have to add here that I also avoid Tofu and other soya based or similar products.

 

[bulkbiker]

I am an on and off member here and thought I should add my two cents worth to this discussion.

I have been diagnosed with T2 in 2013 and have tried almost everything since then to achieve a good balance between sugar numbers and quality of life. My current approach is to completely cut out meat products and heavily restrict dairy consumption (Just the coffee with some cream and some dessert once a week) I have noticed that since taking this approach, my diabetic medications have been having a more pronounced effect to the point that I have reduced my Insulin dosage to a bare minimum and still see fasting numbers under 8. (These used to be 11+ at one point despite more meds)

After everything, I would say that it all boils down to just one word, "discipline". There are a few things that you have to be a bit of a fanatic about but they can be really worth it. My personal tips would be:

1) Restrict yourself to two hearty meals a day with maybe a tea/coffee somewhere in between.
2) No meat substitutes. No matter how fancy they sound. Vegetable products stuffed with chemicals to make them look/smell/taste like meat are an absolute no no.
3) White breads/pasta/rice should be replaced by brown counterparts while restricting their portions to under 80g of carb per meal. This adds up to 160g per day.
4) No processed sauces etc. The less food you consume out of plastic/glass packaging, the better.
5) Hydrate regularly
6) If possible, fast occassionally. Fasting has traditionally been part of all cultures and for goood reason. I have noticed that doing IF for just a week can improve fasting numbers.
7) Some moderate exercise to top it off. Walking vigourously for even 30 mins can have a wonderful effect.

To answer the OP's question, plant based diets can be helpful but it is also very easy to get them wrong.

You are doing a number of things that will help to bring down your blood sugar figures

1. intermittent fasting will be great
2. avoiding processed foods will always be better.. fresh cooked single ingredient products always.
3. many of us have found that brown carbs are just as bad as white for blood glucose rises so this may be why you are still seeing 8's
4. again processed foods are definitely bad so yes.
5. drink when thirsty agreed
6. fasting along with carb reduction ( or total elimination) is one of the strongest therapies I have found.
7. walking yes but I don't do more than that.. having a dog helps.

I seriously doubt that avoiding meat and dairy has had any significant benefit for you in reducing your blood sugars though it has been the other things you have tried.
If you cut out brown carbs and re-introduced meats I'd guess your glucose numbers would drop further.

 

[target6point4]

I think I still see 8s because I don't stick to my own tips as religiously as I should. I find it difficult to cut down on snacking now and then and what I snack on has these effects. I have noticed though that since my insulin dosage has gone down, my urge to snack has also gone down a lot. Also, I have taken a liking for fruits over processed snacks., Berries, melons, bananas....bring it on!

It is a no brainer that not eating carbs will bring down my sugar numbers. What I have noticed though is improved insulin response, thus lower sugar levels post meals and hypos happening a bit more often than in my omnivore days.

 

[lucylocket61]

I think I still see 8s because I don't stick to my own tips as religiously as I should. I find it difficult to cut down on snacking now and then and what I snack on has these effects. I have noticed though that since my insulin dosage has gone down, my urge to snack has also gone down a lot. Also, I have taken a liking for fruits over processed snacks., Berries, melons, bananas....bring it on!

It is a no brainer that not eating carbs will bring down my sugar numbers. What I have noticed though is improved insulin response, thus lower sugar levels post meals and hypos happening a bit more often than in my omnivore days.

Including snacking and drinks, approx how many carbs do you eat a day?

 

[target6point4]

Including snacking and drinks, approx how many carbs do you eat a day?

The only drinks on the agenda are water, a cup of coffee and some red wine once a week, for the anti oxidants
Those and the snacks (Cookies, crisps) give me a daily total of around 200g of Carbs.

 

[bulkbiker]

Berries, melons, bananas....bring it on!

Melon and banana would cause me to spike.. berries less so.
Meat never.

 

[lucylocket61]

The only drinks on the agenda are water, a cup of coffee and some red wine once a week, for the anti oxidants
Those and the snacks (Cookies, crisps) give me a daily total of around 200g of Carbs.

right. So at around those levels of daily carbs you are controlling your type 2 diabetes with insulin rather than low carbing?

 

[lucylocket61]

right. So at around those levels of daily carbs you are controlling your type 2 diabetes with insulin rather than low carbing?

This indicates to me that your plant based diet is not doing anything of itself to control your diabetes.

 

[LaoDan]

Absolutely nothing wrong with a plant based diet. Just like with any other diet, or lifestyle plan, it’s up to you to manage the macros and micros.

 

[Hotpepper20000]

Absolutely nothing wrong with a plant based diet. Just like with any other diet, or lifestyle plan, it’s up to you to manage the macros and micros.

I agree but it is a problem when people claim it to be a cure for diabetes. Or that eating meat is the cause for diabetes.

 

[LaoDan]

I agree but it is a problem when people claim it to be a cure for diabetes. Or that eating meat is the cause for diabetes.

Yeah, all the diet “claims” tend to be a distraction

 

[target6point4]

This indicates to me that your plant based diet is not doing anything of itself to control your diabetes.

It depends on how you define the problem. Around 9 months ago, I was on a vegetarian diet (eggs and dairy alongside carbs). I was struggling to maintain sugar levels despite taking heavier doses of Insulin. Now, I can still have the same amount of carbs and have better sugar numbers despite needing lower doses of insulin.
I have had peptide tests done on two occassions now and both times it was clear taht my body was producing enough insulin. In that case I clearly suffer from some form of resistance to the very insulin my own body produces. I hope that carrying on like this can improve my insulin response further.

 

[target6point4]

I agree but it is a problem when people claim it to be a cure for diabetes. Or that eating meat is the cause for diabetes.

It depends on how exactly do you define diabetes. If you think that having a high A1C number means being diabetic then your idea of curing diabetes will be different from that of someone who diagnoses diabetes based on an OGTT. An extremely low A1C does not guarantee a low value after an OGTT but the other way around is true.

 

[target6point4]

Melon and banana would cause me to spike.. berries less so.
Meat never.

How do you define a spike exactly? Do you use a CGM? Or do you measure at intervals over a longer period say 6 or 8 hours?

 

[bulkbiker]

How do you define a spike exactly? Do you use a CGM? Or do you measure at intervals over a longer period say 6 or 8 hours?

I have done multiple finger prick tests over time to look at the impact of foods on my blood sugar. Now I simply avoid what caused me problems historically. Never used a CGM. I try to stay under 6 mmol/l at all times these days so a "spike" for me would be anything over that however most use a 2 mmol/l rise 2 hours after their pre meal reading.

 

[LaoDan]

It depends on how exactly do you define diabetes. If you think that having a high A1C number means being diabetic then your idea of curing diabetes will be different from that of someone who diagnoses diabetes based on an OGTT. An extremely low A1C does not guarantee a low value after an OGTT but the other way around is true.

Definitely A1c, this will tell you how long your body parts have been stewing in the sugar soup. Isn’t this what does the damage?

 

[target6point4]

Definitely A1c, this will tell you how long your body parts have been stewing in the sugar soup. Isn’t this what does the damage?

Agreed about the purpose that the A1C serves. It is also correct that keeping it low is a good way of preventing diabetic complications. It should be acknowledged though that a low A1C does not mean that the underlying condition of glucose intolerance has been cured.