Vegetarian Diet  – Great for Diabetes

There are several types of Vegetarian diets, including strict Vegan diets (no animal products may be consumed) and lacto-ovo diets, in which vegetarians may consume cheese, eggs, and other dairy products. It is essential that vegetarians carefully balance their nutrition so that they are able to obtain the proper amount of protein to stay healthy

Vegetarianism and Veganism

According to the Mayo Clinic, Diabetics may benefit greatly from adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet. While vegetarian and vegan diets differ greatly in terms of what sorts of foods can be eaten, the major characteristic of both is that vegetarians and vegans do not eat meat. A vegetarian is generally a person that does not consume meat, but may consume animal products, such as:

• milk and eggs (lacto-ovo vegetarian).
• fish (pesco vegetarian)

A vegan, however, does not consume any animal products at all:  No meat, eggs, cheese or milk. Also vegans do not use products made from or with animal products like wool, leather, cosmetics, etc.

Vegan diets tend to be healthy, when they are closely monitored and balanced with foods from every food group but meat and dairy. In fact, a vegan diet is cholesterol-free and low in saturated fats. Both vegan and vegetarian diets are low in calories and include large amounts of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. As such, the vegan and vegetarian diet tends to include healthy foods that are low in fat and sugar.

Naturally, when a person consumes very little sugar and has a predominantly natural diet, he or she can usually lose weight and maintain that weight loss. Because Diabetes is a disease that is made better by limited sugar in take and by staying at a healthy weight, the vegan and vegetarian diets tend to be very suitable.

Additionally, while the vegan and vegetarian diets cannot cure diabetes, they can reduce the risk of common complications, such as heart and kidney disease. Heart disease is generally called by high blood pressure and cholesterol, which are both practically eliminated through a vegetarian diet. Kidney disease, which can be made worse by consuming protein, can be delayed by eliminating meat proteins and adopting the healthier vegan and vegetarian nutritional standards.

Before beginning a vegan or vegetarian diet, be sure to consult with your doctor or dietician. Vegan and vegetarian diets remove the most common sources of important proteins and vitamins. Therefore, it is important to understand what supplements you will need to take in order to make up for those losses.

Even Vegetarians Need to Exercise!