One of our group members wrote the following:
“I was going to post some of my feelings, but I am having a problem sorting them out, so I’ll just comment here. It’s all so confusing.
“First, there are groups on Facebook I’m in and that I credit for helping me change my eating habits and lowering my a1c to an acceptable level. But they promote eating lots of meat to get protein. I am not a big meat eater. They also say it’s okay to eat meats like bacon and wieners, which are loaded with chemicals that may cause cancer. Yet they discourage eating soy products due to something having to do with estrogen. So basically, it’s lots of meat and eggs for protein. No beans or legumes.
“Then, my partner has been given a list of dietary recommendations to help him lose weight. Among them are beans, legumes, lean meat. As little fat as possible. He hasn’t been diagnosed as diabetic. So it seems we’ll have to follow opposite diets. Except for leafy greens. Those we can both have.
“I’m confused.”
Here was my response:
“Thanks for having the courage to post what’s on your heart and mind! I’m glad you’re in groups that have helped you change your way of eating to lower your A1C. I’m also glad to know you read labels of packaged food like bacon and hot dogs. I’m sure you know that you can get UNCURED varieties of both that do not contain nitrites/nitrates.
“Soy products are a controversial topic! The major issue with soy is that most soy crops in the United States are GMO! We have a whole page on our website with a very long list of references you can check out (link below). If you want to eat soy, we strongly recommend buying a certified non-GMO product and/or buying non-GMO soybeans and cooking them in your own kitchen where you know you aren’t getting carcinogenic additives.
“You can eat low-carb without ‘lots of meat’ or no meat at all. We do recommend lots of eggs, however. According to the research (and my own experience), pasture-raised eggs are the most nearly perfect food for diabetics and there is no limit on the number of eggs you eat. You can also eat cheese in limited amounts (up to 4 oz./day).
“Beans and other legumes are mostly too high in carbohydrates for diabetics. The best beans are–you might guess–soy beans. If someone like your partner is just trying to lose weight but is not diabetic, beans/legumes would be a good source of protein. He, too, can eat an unlimited number of eggs (despite whatever he might have been told).
“Dr. Westman says it’s okay to eat any fat that comes naturally with any food (such as eggs, steak, fatty fish, etc.) and to cook with butter, but NOT to add more butter to your cooked food. You do need to choose full-fat dairy (cheeses, yogurt, etc.), though, NOT low-fat or non-fat, because food manufacturers typically add sugar when they remove the fat.
“So, you see, your ways of eating might not be so different from each other!
“The primary consideration for you, as a diabetic, is to keep the carbs as low as possible. We recommend no more than 50 grams of TOTAL carbs/day. There are essential fatty acids and essential amino acids (protein), but there are NO essential dietary carbohydrates. If/when the body needs glucose, it can make it from the sugar (glycogen) stored in the liver. But our bodies generally run better when we use fat instead of carbohydrates for fuel. (That’s why we eat low carb, so when the body runs out of carbs and any dietary fat, it can start burning body fat. Does your partner know this?)
“You do need protein, but amount needed varies according to the person.
“Finally, it’s great that you both like leafy greens! I hope you also like cruciferous veggies and other low-carb non-starchy vegetables. Nothing confusing about that!
https://adventistvegetariandiabetics.com/other-resources/recipes/food-categories/soy/
“If you and your partner were both going to see Dr. Westman, he would recommend the same diet for you both. Here’s a link to Dr. Westman’s food list, which we have modified for Adventist Vegetarian Diabetics.
https://adventistvegetariandiabetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/page4edited220315.pdf
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Adventist Vegetarian Diabetics™ Recipe Book was published in April 2023. It can be found on Amazon at (https://www.amazon.com/Adventist-Vegetarian-DiabeticsTM-Recipe-Book/dp/B0C1JJTGLW/) in both Kindle and paperback formats.
Our classic book, Adventist Vegetarian Diabetics, 2nd Edition, was published in May 2023. It can be found on Amazon at (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5KNKS8B) in both Kindle and paperback formats.
Adventist Vegetarian Diabetics 