capersmama
05-30-2007, 05:45 AM
As I sit here pondering how to even begin this post, I am seething with anger.
I have been vegetarian for over 30 years (vegan the last 7) and my family has been began for the last 7 also.
Recently my mom realized that her diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure were out of control (omnivore) so decided to go vegan, at my urging, to help get them under control. We (I went with her to her dr) asked her dr if he had any problem with it. After explaining to the dr that a VEGAN is a person who doesnt consume any animal products (sheesh! he didnt even know ) he said he had no issues with it and she could go for it.
Well, she is new to this new lifestyle and was affraid of "doing it wrong" for her diabetes exchanges. So she set up an appointment through her dr. office, to speak with a dietician. HERE IS WHERE I START TO LOSE IT!
I go with her. We sit down and explain to the dietician my moms desire to go vegan , per her dr's allowance, to control HB, cholesterol and D. Immediatly the dietician explained to my mom that "at the age of 73, our bodies would have to work too hard to process proteins from other than meat sources and that she would begin to lose muscle mass." I quickly made it clear that my mom knew to snack on nuts to ensure enough protein as well as what else to eat to get her protein. We were told ..and I quote " Nuts are a very bad source of protein as they are mainly fat and that she needs to avoid fat in order to help with the cholesterol."... Oh just wait , it gets better!
Then my mom was advised to avoid milk and dairy as they will shoot her glucose up really high but that she advised eating a lot of cheese to assure enough protein. I explained to the dietician, that cheese is nothing but flavored fat and that she had just said to avoid fat (hoping she would see that she was double speaking). She said that we could get low fat cheese and went on to show my mom the lable of the low fat cheese and how it had 4 grams of protein. I explained that the vegan version of cashew cheese had far more protein and was filled with the good fats that my mom would need. I was dismissed.
The "event" ended with the dietician explaining to my mom that she needed to consume small portions of meat in order to keep healthy. And again tried to emply that "at my moms age of 73, switching to such a restrictive diet would not be advised as it would get very boring and thus make my mom not stick with it so its more important to keep the borders open so she wouldnt feel so restricted." I was seething!!!
HELP!
My mom caught the errors as she has really done her research on this. What she really wanted was to learn the proper "exchanges and portions"to make for her glucose control.
On a side note... my mom has been, more than not, (with only 2 slip ups and consuming small amount of meat) following the vegan diet for 2 weeks and has lost 4 1/2 pounds and her glucose readings have come down on average almost 50 points. He blood pressure has never been as good as it is now. She tried to explain to the dietician of the great numbers and it was dismissed.
Suggestions? Can you lead us in a direction to get more info on this for diabetes? My mom was not swayed and continues to plan to follow the vegan diet but wants to do it "right" and healthily. She is terrified of the prospect of having to take insullin (as its been threatened my her dr on occasion)
I have been vegetarian for over 30 years (vegan the last 7) and my family has been began for the last 7 also.
Recently my mom realized that her diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure were out of control (omnivore) so decided to go vegan, at my urging, to help get them under control. We (I went with her to her dr) asked her dr if he had any problem with it. After explaining to the dr that a VEGAN is a person who doesnt consume any animal products (sheesh! he didnt even know ) he said he had no issues with it and she could go for it.
Well, she is new to this new lifestyle and was affraid of "doing it wrong" for her diabetes exchanges. So she set up an appointment through her dr. office, to speak with a dietician. HERE IS WHERE I START TO LOSE IT!
I go with her. We sit down and explain to the dietician my moms desire to go vegan , per her dr's allowance, to control HB, cholesterol and D. Immediatly the dietician explained to my mom that "at the age of 73, our bodies would have to work too hard to process proteins from other than meat sources and that she would begin to lose muscle mass." I quickly made it clear that my mom knew to snack on nuts to ensure enough protein as well as what else to eat to get her protein. We were told ..and I quote " Nuts are a very bad source of protein as they are mainly fat and that she needs to avoid fat in order to help with the cholesterol."... Oh just wait , it gets better!
Then my mom was advised to avoid milk and dairy as they will shoot her glucose up really high but that she advised eating a lot of cheese to assure enough protein. I explained to the dietician, that cheese is nothing but flavored fat and that she had just said to avoid fat (hoping she would see that she was double speaking). She said that we could get low fat cheese and went on to show my mom the lable of the low fat cheese and how it had 4 grams of protein. I explained that the vegan version of cashew cheese had far more protein and was filled with the good fats that my mom would need. I was dismissed.
The "event" ended with the dietician explaining to my mom that she needed to consume small portions of meat in order to keep healthy. And again tried to emply that "at my moms age of 73, switching to such a restrictive diet would not be advised as it would get very boring and thus make my mom not stick with it so its more important to keep the borders open so she wouldnt feel so restricted." I was seething!!!
HELP!
My mom caught the errors as she has really done her research on this. What she really wanted was to learn the proper "exchanges and portions"to make for her glucose control.
On a side note... my mom has been, more than not, (with only 2 slip ups and consuming small amount of meat) following the vegan diet for 2 weeks and has lost 4 1/2 pounds and her glucose readings have come down on average almost 50 points. He blood pressure has never been as good as it is now. She tried to explain to the dietician of the great numbers and it was dismissed.
Suggestions? Can you lead us in a direction to get more info on this for diabetes? My mom was not swayed and continues to plan to follow the vegan diet but wants to do it "right" and healthily. She is terrified of the prospect of having to take insullin (as its been threatened my her dr on occasion)