Tired

[izzzi]

I have gone onto a diet vegan and also not taking fats or sugar but including B12 vitamins.
however I think I am kind of tired, still enjoy walks and part time work. ( b g has also gone down )
Its just that I seem to have gone a bit grumpy and that I cant be bothered type of effortless thing when it comes to help cooking and gardening etc;
I must say that the meals and snacks are really enjoyable and healthy.

Is there anything I should take to get me back to my old self ? :?:

 

[dawnmc]

Why have you cut out fats? Olive oil, coconut oil and avocados are excellent oils particularly for vegans. Your body needs fats.

 

[izzzi]

Coconut oil, in terms of cholestoral, is as harmful as butter (though coconut water is FANTASTIC for you), though some research is decidedly sketchy due to bias. Olive Oil also contains 13% saturated fat. My goal is reverse the condition, and to do that I need to get my sat fat content right down. It still has more saturated fat that the body can take care of. You do need fats, but as a diabetic we need to cut them right down if we are to reverse the condition. Especially saturated fats. (I don't just want to deal with it I want it gone ). normal people can deal with it, but we can't.

My B G has responded very well to my new regime so I am happy with that. My readings are normal right now even for a non-diabetic. But I can feel a tired. However, I do consume quite a large amount of coffee and it has occurred to me I might be 'crashing' from the caffeine. I guess if I am feeling tired because of my diet as well it might be something I just have to do deal with.

I'll keep you updated with how I get on.

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Hi roydove, there is nothing wrong with a vegetarian diet and probably nothing wrong with a vegan diet either providing you are getting all the nutrients and vitamins vital for life from your diet, I would ask your diabetes team/doctor for a referral to a dietician who will ask you to bring with you to your appointment a food diary listing everything you eat over a certain period of time,one or two weeks probably, so they can tell what you may be lacking in if anything :thumbup:

Good luck.

Note: the reason I said "probably nothing wrong with a vegan diet either" is because I dont know much about vegan diets, not because I wanted to be controversial

 

[izzzi]

hi Sid Bonkers,
I shall take on your advice, I must admit being on this so called diet vegan including not taking fat and sugar does sound rather harsh.
I hope nutrients etc; are getting into my system. (I do take B12 tablets)
This is my self motivated 3 month trial of which there is one month to go. then I go to my Doctor for the necessary blood checks to reveal actual results and if there is good from this diet.
I shall let know if there is improvement.

Thanks :thumbup:

 

[viviennem]

Hi Roydove

I'm interested to know more about your second post - re saturated fats. It gives the impression that you think that Type 2 diabetes is a condition where the body can't metabolise saturated fat. Is this true? because if it is, I think you're been given some wrong information. Cholesterol is important, we do need to keep it under control, but only about 20% of our cholesterol comes from diet; most of it is produced by the liver.

Type 2 diabetes is a condition where the body has problems metabolising all carbohydrates, including sugar. I have to cut my carbohydrate intake right down, or my blood glucose goes too high. Most of us have to control our carbohydrate intake in one way or another, whether it be lower-carb diet or portion control.

I agree with Sid; see a dietitian. On a vegan diet it is too easy to miss out on some essential nutrients, eg Vit B12 and iron, and you may need to consider taking supplements.

Viv 8)

 

[izzzi]

Hi Viv

I shall take on board your thoughts and Sids advise. Don't worry, I do take B12, that's a must. They almost force feed me dark leafy greens!!! My family inform me more omnivores suffer from vitamin deficiencies as anyone, so everyone needs to be careful.

I am currently using the Neal Barnard Reverse Diabetes Diet. He explains his theory here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxFai4iVOtk . It's rather hard for me to summarise. My BG level has stabilised very well. Postprandial I am around 6.9/7.2 at the moment consistently. I am led to believe that's ok. We'll have to wait and see what my hospital results are before I make any real judgement on the effectiveness of my current regime. I'll let you guys know how I get on. My son tells me coffee can cause tiredness from caffeine crash, he had a very similar issue! I suspect going onto this diet as well has been a little shock to the system.

I am new to all this diabetes type 2 and therefore so pleased with your interest which gives me even more information to look into.

Thanks Roy