Veganism Hasn't Helped My Diabetes Yet

by Darlene B.
(Colorado)

Veganism Hasn't Helped My Diabetes Yet

I am a 62 year old woman who has had diabetes type 2 for almost ten years. I can't control my blood sugar and have high cholesterol and triglycerides. I had blood work in July and decided, after bad results, to go vegan.

I was very careful about the diet and ate healthy, whole, vegan foods. Two weeks ago, I got results from new blood work and everything got worse. My cholesterol, triglycerides and my A1C. (was 9.3) The protein in my kidneys improved slightly and my good cholesterol went up on point. (Still not great) Now I am very upset and confused about what to eat. EVERYTHING I've read and heard about a vegan diet made me believe it would help my diabetes. Does anyone know why this happened and should I continue trying to eat vegan or give it up?

Answer:
I'm sorry you're going through such a hard situation. Since I'm not a doctor, I cannot really explain what might be going on with your blood results. It's also hard to say for sure without knowing exactly what food you have been eating since you moved to veganism, and about the rest of your lifestyle (exercise, stress, smoking, etc). That's why a doctor would be able to help you much better.

Have you read Tackling Diabetes with Dr. Neal Barnard or Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Diabetes? Dr. Barnard has tons of data and helpful hints on how to go about making that change. I also just saw another book that I haven't read, Vegan Menu for People With Diabetes, that seems like it would be helpful in figuring out exactly which foods are best for you.

Other than that, my hunch is that it might take some time. Some of your numbers did move in a positive direction, so maybe they will make a larger jump the next time you get results. Sometimes the body can be stubborn and needs more than a few months to readjust to a new lifestyle. If anyone has experience with this on the forum, we'd love to hear your thoughts. Please keep us updated on your progress.