Vegan is a vegetarian diet, where you don’t eat animal products. This includes no fish, eggs, meat, poultry, milk, cheese, or other dairy products. A vegan diet can entail a lot of health benefits if it is followed in the right manner and you keep the portion size in control.
Let’s learn about vegan diets for diabetics to make it easier for you to control your blood glucose levels.
Understanding Vegan Diet for Diabetics to Control Diabetes
A vegan diet for diabetes essentially involves cutting down on dairy products, meat, and animal products irrespective of being diabetic. Based on plants and leafy vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, etc., this type of diabetic diet takes care of your overall fitness.
All animal products like meat and dairy must be avoided while following a vegan diet. One may be required to take a supplement for vitamin B12 deficiency.
Pros and Cons of Following a Vegan Diet Plan for Diabetics
Merits
A vegan diet as a preferred diabetic diet plan, or in other words, a diet for diabetes type 2, plays a great role in detoxifying the body. Hence, promoting healthy blood sugar levels and reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It also results in better lipid and glycemic control. A vegan diet can also prevent blood sugar spikes and glucose absorption from other sources like fruits, etc.
A vegan diet is the most appropriate diet to controldiabetes. It also helps manage a healthy weight and hence prevents the development of diabetes type 2. Low glycemic foods included in the vegan diet also help prevent insulin resistance.
In addition, it also combats fat storage. Since the proteins derived from vegan diets are all plant-based, it helps reduce saturated fat intake and simultaneously lower cholesterol levels. Hence, ultimately promoting heart health, which gets directly affected among diabetics.
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Demerits
Before opting for a vegan diet, it is important to plan it properly as there may be different versions of vegan food items. But one must ensure that the diet is well-planned, well-balanced, and nutritious. It is important to get your required quantities of protein and healthy fats to promote a balanced weight and overall fitness.
An athletic person who follows a vegan diabetic diet may need added protein quantities. People with an inability to absorb iron would be required to include alternatives to it. Such as lentils, chickpeas, tofu, chia seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, kale, and quinoa. You can also eatdried apricots, dried figs, raisins, and fortified breakfast cereals.
Before incorporating vegan foods into your diabetic diet, it is advisable to consult a diabetes educator to know what best suits you. Every diabetic must ensure they check their blood sugar levels using a glucometer before and after a vegan diet to assess the maximum benefits derived from it.
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