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Would you give up meat

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Pinkorchid

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,927
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
The more I see in the media the more I realise just what a small group of people among the population there are who actually do low carb high fat and certainly few diabetics except here. Even when occasionally we see something that says lowering the starchy carbs is good still low fat is promoted as the healthy way to eat not just here but in other countries around the world so even when we see sometimes that fat is not bad anymore it hasn't really taken off Vegetarian and vegan is becoming far more popular now as so many people have decided they do not want to eat animal products. I must admit I do not eat much meat or dairy these days simply because I have lost the taste for it and so I do buy quite a lot of meat free stuff like Quorn these days and enjoy it better
Just wondered how others here feel about it and would you ever give up meat​
 
The question is low carb in comparison to what? Its not to say the current guidelines of ~200g a day is correct anyway. It makes sense something that stresses your pancreas, is better to have in moderation.

Although low carb is a good idea for type 2 diabetics, I think extreme low levels of carbs is not great for a type 1 diabetic, especially if high fat as it can prolong the release of carbs over a longer period of time, making glucose levels less predictable and requiring splitting of fast acting insulin to prevent hypos. This is especially hard if eating nearer bed time.

Would I give up meat? Probably not, but I would eat in moderation as with everything else.
 
As mentioned on a different thread, I'm trying to cut back for ethical reasons. Won't ever give it up though, as I love meat, but will save it for nice meals rather than having it every day
 
I think if this house went meatless, I'd have a revolt on my hands. I rather like mine, my husband LOVES his. (He'd be all for a carnivourous diet if I would ever clue him in on it, haha) But we usually do take care in what kind of meat we buy... Whether it's from a happy cow, pig or chicken which has had a good life. In the Netherlands there's a star system on packaging that makes making choices like that easy. It's more expensive, but worth it, in my opinion.
 
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I love my meat, whether it be bacon, the odd high meat content sausage, lamb chops, stewing steak, kidneys, liver, chicken, or best of all a good steak. Apart from bacon and sausage, I don't eat pork (I have never really liked it). As I have an aversion to most fatty meat and cut off any that is visible except on bacon, I eat a lot of dairy products and use butter, lard, dripping, or duck/goose fat for cooking. It's meat or fish twice a day for me, every day. It keeps me healthy and supplement free.
 
I eat a lot less meat than I used to. 2-3 years ago I would have felt that a meal was incomplete unless it included a substantial portion of meat. Now I have meatless days at least 2 or 3 days a week. It's not that I have decided to cut down, or like it less, more that I find it more expensive these days, especially my favourite, lamb, which I rarely buy now.
I don't miss it much.
I have found that when I have been on holiday in India I can quite easily eat just vegetarian as they have thousands of years of vegetarianism and can produce tasty meals without meat. That seems to be more difficult here where 'vegetarian' food is usually quite bland.
 
I'm trying to - at the moment I'm only eating fish, and should probably stop that too, mostly for ethical/environmental reasons. Also, living by myself there isn't much point buying meat. It's a very personal decision, though. Can't imagine going vegan - need cheese, and milk for my tea!

I do wonder if some people are put off, particularly veganism, by the 'proselytizing' (sp?) of some adherents. For instance, in Glasgow at the moment there are posters and adverts on buses about how cruel dairy is, taking calves from their mothers, and it just winds me up. If people are going to get to that point, they will make the decision themselves. Ramming it down their throats seems unlikely to acheive very much.
 
I tried vegetarianism a good few years ago, for well over a year.
It was mainly vegan, because I have whey and soya intolerances (back in those days I hadn't yet worked out that the whey is largely removed from butter, cream and hard cheese, and I can eat them fine)

And I have to say it was an unmitigated disaster.
I felt so ill.
Did all the research, got my micro and macro nutrients. Ensured I was getting enough protein, B12, yada yada, but felt so rough. Blood glucose all over the place.
Inflammation.
Indigestion.
Fatigue.
Aching...

But then started to feel better from the day I started to eat animal protein again.

Am not interested in eating quorn or any of the meat substitutes, since I consider them to be far more harmful and more processed than almost all animal proteins.

So now I just say that vegetarian/veganism doesn't suit me, and I try to buy organic, free range, grass-fed, ethically raised wherever possible.

No vegan will ever manage to guilt me into changing my mind, since they wouldn't have to live with the ongoing physical discomfort that their chosen foods would cause me.
 
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We holiday on a farm (dogs allowed). We know the Dexter beef personally. Husband went up yesterday and brought back enough beef and lamb to fill the freezer. The animals are slaughtered locally with minimal stress, and it certainly is evident on the plate.
 
@xfieldok Our local farm shop does Dexter cattle. I also get their bones to make broth. This week they had Gloucester Old Spot joints. I got some Barnsley chops from small black Shetland sheep. When our apples are ready I take my grandson to the farm so we can feed the pigs. I can see the animals grazing and they are well looked after.
 
I went vegan for a few months, and I too found it made me feel very poorly and weak. It was admittedly a macrobiotic diet which was the rage at the time. so was obviously missing essentials. This was decades before I was DXed with the D, and certainly now I would not tolerate a high carb diet.

I have no problem with vegans who choose their lifestyle, but dislike those vegans trying to force their way of life onto me, especially when they use my diabetes as a weapon. or try to use the government to pass legislation to restrict my choice.
 
My diet is still evolving, as when I was first diagnosed I found that only an Atkins style diet could stop the overwhelming hunger that I felt. Now my diet consists of low carb, moderate fat, moderate protein and very high green food. As I am older, I need less calories now that my appetite is under control. My protein element consists mainly of fish as my major source, quorn and chicken. I don't take milk as I really spike on it. I will eat cream, cheese and butter. I would like to go more veggie for ethical reasons, but how practical that choice will turn out to be reamins to be seen. As with everything else to do with diabetes, we all use a range of options according to what our BG does and of course there is also the ethical viewpoint. The laugh is really on me though, because I used to hate greens and now I eat saucepans full of the stuff.
 
No I will continue to eat meat. Though not every meal I have is meat based I often have vegetarian meals and even the odd vegan meal if they are something I particularly like. And I tend to eat fish on frydays.
 

Haha! I tried going macrobiotic and only lasted 3 days. So I take my hat off to you if you lasted for months!

On the third day I lovingly prepared my plate of brown rice, pickles, sea vegetables, etc. With a bowl of miso soup to start. All laid out in perfect proportions.
then I sat down and stared at it
then got up and scraped the whole thing into the bin.

Couldn't even give it to the cats.

And that was the end of macrobiotics, and me. It was just before my veggie/vegan year (so sometime in the late 90s).
 
I’m married to a farm girl.

I’m eating like a farmer and have health for the first time in my adult life.

I’ve also embraced farmer like weight lifting —practical stuff I might need if I was an actual farmer.
Uh yeah, a farmer might need pull ups to get into that loft!

Plus walking after eating at only a moderate pace to reduce BG.

I don’t fret over the spike that weight lifting causes. I think it will produce long term sensitivity insulin increase if I keep BG low and give insulin a rest, minimum of 12 hours per day.

Embarrassingly, I was getting measured for business suit in May.

The woman with the tape measure said, “hmm, okay. Let’s try 40 pants” (101 cm)

Today it’s 32” (83cm).

The first few months the only exercise was light walking.
 
PS

I got off track.

Re Meats, I eat a lot more meat since potatoes, pasta & bread got dropped.

On a business trip to Europe, I was taken out to eat and had the most expensive steak — it was crazy good!

Dry aged for 6 weeks.

I learned how to do this at home.

It turns even inexpensive cuts into tender & moist wonders.
 
Being a diet controlled T2 means a lot of foods are restricted: giving up meat would narrow the available range even further, so it's a hard 'no' for me on giving up meat. Likewise, I would never give up green vegetables,almonds fish or eggs. Avoiding unhealthy foods is hard enough, without removing healthy options from the menu.
 
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