Vegetarian, Diabetic-Friendly, and Good

As part of our November Blogging for a Cure project, I want to keep a promise made recently. Don't worry, this will be informative, and tasty too.I am exploring the world of vegetarianism again. Admittedly, I have doubts about it: Years ago, I went six months without meat, and it was great — until the cheeseburger craving came along and refused to be denied. That was a damned good burger...So complete abstention from all things carnivorous is unlikely for me, but the notion of a vegetarian life does have appeal, especially as a diabetic. Quite simply, a great way to improve one's diet and to help lessen the severity of diabetes — or even, perhaps, reverse it — is to cut down on eating meat. The Vegetarian Diet site offers some eyeopening information on the subject:

Vegetarians Have Much Lower Risk of Type II DiabetesStudies show that vegetarians have a substantially lower risk of type II diabetes than non-vegetarians. The link between meat consumption and incidence of diabetes remains after contributory factors such as weight, physical activity and other dietary factors are accounted for. Vegetarian Diet Reflects Diabetic Dietary GuidelinesAn average vegetarian diet closely matches dietary guidelines for diabetic patients.Vegetarian diets tend to be high in complex carbohydrates and dietary fibre, which has a beneficial effect on carbohydrate metabolism, lowering blood sugar levels.Vegetarians: Less Obesity and Lower Cholesterol - Both Affect DiabetesThe leanness of vegetarians also contributes to reduced incidence of diabetes. Diabetes is often associated with raised blood cholesterol levels and a vegetarian diet confers protection against this.Sources include:Snowdon, D. (1985) Does a vegetarian diet reduce the occurrence of diabetes? Am Jnl Public Health v.75 p.507-12. Snowdon, D. (1988) Animal product consumption and mortality because of all causes combined, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer in Seventh Day Adventist. Am Jnl Clinical Nutrition v.48 p.739-48.

Dr. Irene at HealthandAge.com addresses a question on veganism (eating no animal products at all), vegetarianism and diabetes:

So why does the research show an unrefined vegan diet helps control diabetes in many individuals? Most individuals following a vegan diet are on the thin side, which is an important factor in preventing Type II diabetes. They tend to be a lower weight because the food choices are very high in fiber, and usually fairly low in fat. The base protein source is beans, such as kidney beans, lentils, navy beans, soybeans, or tofu mixed with some type of whole grain, such as brown rice. Now, while those dishes can be delicious, they are also very filling and it is rare to find someone overeating or binge eating on them. An unrefined vegan approach also emphasizes fresh cooked or raw vegetables, prepared without sauces, so they are naturally low in calories. Fresh fruit is used but on some forms of vegan diets the use of fruit juice concentrate as a sweetening agent is discouraged, as that is technically "refining" the fruit. Thus, you don't have many dessert choices and without desserts, again, people tend not to eat too many calories. Can you imagine how much the average American would lose if they had no animal products, desserts, pretzels, crackers, cookies, sugary drinks, bagels, sub rolls, or frozen desserts like ice cream? No wonder that most individuals can control their blood sugars better when they have type II diabetes if they are on an unrefined vegetarian diet. It is not for everyone, but for people who want to put effort into their food preparation, it is an effective method.

What this all says to this diabetes sufferer is that reducing the consumption of meat and dairy products — even in part — should go a long way toward improving health and living a longer, healthier life. Sounds good to me.With Thanksgiving coming soon, I thought it would be helpful to offer holiday-themed, diabetic-friendly meatless recipes:Corn Pudding(obviously, not vegan-friendly, though there are meatless replacements for the egg, margarine, and milk)Ingredients: 16 oz Can of corn or 2 cups fresh corn kernels1 Egg or 1/4 cup Egg Substitute2 tbsps finely chopped onion 1 tbsp finely chopped red bell1 tbsp finely chopped green bell pepper1 tbsp Margarine1 tsp Sugar replacement3/4 cup Skim Milk1/4 teaspoon ground maceSalt to tasteFresh ground white pepperVegetable cooking sprayInstructions: Combine all ingredients, except vegetable cooking spray. Pour into baking dish coated with vegetable cooking spray. Bake at 325 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes, or until firm.55 calories per serving; serves sixExchanges: 1-1/2 Starch; 1/2 Milk; 1/2 Fat Source: The Complete Diabetic Cookbook by Mary Jane Finsand; I have reworked the recipe, of courseSweet Potato BiscuitsIngredients:1-1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour1/2 cup unbleached white flour 2 tsps baking powder 1/2 tsp salt3 tbsps margarine 1/3 cup apple juice 1 cup well-mashed, cooked sweet potato 3 tbsps honeyInstructions: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder & salt. Work the margarine in with a pastry blender or the tines of a fork until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the apple juice, sweet potato, honey & nuts and work them in to form a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board and knead in just enough extra flour to make the dough lose its stickiness. With floured hands, divide the dough into 16 equal parts. Shape into small balls and arrange on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, patting them down a bit to flatten. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one tests clean. Transfer the biscuits to a plate and serve hot. 116 calories, 4 grams of fat, no cholesterol per biscuitExchanges: 1 Bread; 1 Fat Makes 16 biscuitsSource: Vegetarian Celebrations by Nava Atlas and Jennifer JosephyCranberry ChutneyIngredients:12 ounces fresh cranberries1 cup peeled, diced apple1 cup orange juice1/2 cup chopped, dried apricots 1 tsp freshly grated ginger1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground cloves 3 to 4 tbsps honey, or to taste Instructions: Place first 7 ingredients in a deep, heavy saucepan & bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat with lid slightly ajar for 20-25 minutes, or until liquid is mostly absorbed . Add honey to taste & simmer uncovered for another 5-10 minutes until thick. Cool to room temperature and store in sterilized jar, tightly covered but not sealed. Refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving. Exchanges: 1 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carb Per Serving: 93 Cal; 0 g Fat; 1/2 g Protein; 24 g Carb; 0 mg Cholesterol; 2 mg Sodium Makes eight servings.Source: Vegetarian Celebrations by Nava Atlas and Jennifer JosephyIf you just can't give up your flesh-eating ways, no worries. All these great recipes go together fabulously with a wee bit of lean, skinless turkey.So if you have diabetes or are working to avoid it, consider the healthy benefits of going vegan, vegetarian, or part-vegetarian. I see no sane reason not to do so. Have a happy, healthy holiday.Get more great diabetic-friendly and vegetarian recipes at Diabetic Cooking.For information on what you can do to live a healthier life and to help spread diabetes awareness, visit the American Diabetes Association Web site. And become a Diabetes Advocate — get involved in the cause.from all facts and opinions