Doctor wants me to try low fat plant based diet. Very difficult, need resources.

gothchiq
gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
I'm type 2 diabetic. Used to be prediabetic, but it got worse. The metformin stopped working so I went back to the doctor and she wants me to try 30 days of a vegan low fat diet. I thought it wouldn't be hard to find resources online but boy was I wrong! There are too many criteria to meet at once. Low fat and vegan and diabetic friendly and not hideously expensive, all at the same time. Ugh! She recommends this program: https://www.forksoverknives.com/ Well.... I looked at it, and I find all their stuff to be very expensive and impractical. I live on a tight budget and can't get esoteric ingredients or do fancy recipes.

I figured I can't be the only person to be going through this, and maybe people who have been doing plant based for a while could point me to some resources that are practical for daily cooking and living in this situation. Sites, books, general principles, any advice for making this diet work would be welcome. After 30 days, we check my glucose tolerance again and see if this works like she thinks it will. I would rather do low carb, but she thinks that won't work for the long term. I am skeptical... but I have to try this vegan diet out and put it to the test.
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Replies

  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    gothchiq wrote: »
    I should have noted that I've already lost the excess weight, but my blood sugar has not been helped by it. I weigh 118 pounds, but the moment I eat a carb (such as 1/3 cup old fashioned oats) my sugar skyrockets. I have a test scheduled to see if I still produce enough insulin, which is a requirement for going forward with this vegan diet.

    Fair enough. So, do you "lift"?
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    Yes, I lift. But it's light weight high reps because I'm arthritic. Also body weight exercises and low impact cardio.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    One of my favorite vegan cookbooks happens to be low fat - it's called "Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. While not explicitly WFPB, she happens to stick pretty close to common definitions of WFs. There is limited oil in some of the recipes, but I think you could easily omit it in many cases (for example, by "sauteing" vegetables in some vegetable stock). I'm not even on a low fat diet, but I cook out of the book all the time because the recipes are good and fit easily into my calorie goals. There also isn't a lot of dried fruit or "weird" ingredients (by my standard anyway).

    Another cookbook I've used in the past is the Moosewood Low Fat cookbook. It isn't PB (it's pescatarian), but there are a lot of recipes in it that are PB or can be adapted to be so. That cookbook sometimes calls for some "ethnic" ingredients like wonton wrappers and stuff like that, but it's pretty normal. It was a big help for me when I began cooking with plants because it helped me figure out how to extract tons of flavors without adding tons of fat to recipes. (Note: all the other Moosewood cookbooks I've seen have been pretty high fat, so I would only recommend this particular one in your case).

    I personally haven't been impressed by any of the Forks over Knives recipes that I've tried -- everything is a bit bland to me.

    Good luck!
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited July 2020
    @janejellyroll - I found the same thing about FoK. But I do love that Maple Tahini Salad in the book. That's the one recipe I did love.

    OP - It's a chopped salad with (I think) Kale, Chickpeas, Red Cabbage, Carrots and Red Pepper -- but you can do it with really anything. And from what I've read, Maple Syrup is one of the safest sweeteners for diabetics. It's just Tahini, Water, Maple Syrup and fresh lemon juice. So basic but delicious. I assume you could use Stevia instead of Maple Syrup if that's a concern.

    This is a similar recipe. Minimalist Baker also is a great source. She cooks very simple ingredients that are cheap.

    https://minimalistbaker.com/make-tahini-dressing/
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,906 Member
    Have other reasons than being overweight be ruled out for your diabetes? A pancreas condition maybe?
  • melaniedscott
    melaniedscott Posts: 1,442 Member
    edited July 2020
    One of my favorite vegan cookbooks happens to be low fat - it's called "Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. While not explicitly WFPB, she happens to stick pretty close to common definitions of WFs. There is limited oil in some of the recipes, but I think you could easily omit it in many cases (for example, by "sauteing" vegetables in some vegetable stock). I'm not even on a low fat diet, but I cook out of the book all the time because the recipes are good and fit easily into my calorie goals. There also isn't a lot of dried fruit or "weird" ingredients (by my standard anyway).

    Another cookbook I've used in the past is the Moosewood Low Fat cookbook. It isn't PB (it's pescatarian), but there are a lot of recipes in it that are PB or can be adapted to be so. That cookbook sometimes calls for some "ethnic" ingredients like wonton wrappers and stuff like that, but it's pretty normal. It was a big help for me when I began cooking with plants because it helped me figure out how to extract tons of flavors without adding tons of fat to recipes. (Note: all the other Moosewood cookbooks I've seen have been pretty high fat, so I would only recommend this particular one in your case).

    I personally haven't been impressed by any of the Forks over Knives recipes that I've tried -- everything is a bit bland to me.

    Good luck!

    The first author also wrote Veganomicon (I think), don't know about low fat...but plant based.

    Moosewood books are pretty good...and there are always ways to cut fat. Low Fat Favorites is one of my favorites. A lot of times, I just cut the fat in half. Some of the recipes are a bit complicated but most are really good. Sweet potato and black bean burritos are awesome...low fat and it says 6-8 servings but I end up with 12 servings...freezes well.

    A previous post referenced Ornish's recommendation to sub broth for fat in sauteeing works. The only thing I don't like about Ornish is how much work his recipes take...I don't have that kind of time...

    My recommendation every time is to check out your local library. You can check out cookbooks and see what you like, what works for you. And if you can't find one you like, you can inter-library loan (in the sataes, anyway).
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited July 2020
    @melaniedscott - I found Vegan Richa to be the same way. Love her recipes but they are a LOT of work. To me, not worth that much effort. Though, it seems her blogs and Facebook recipes are easier than the cookbooks ones, so maybe she's realizing people just don't have that much time to cook vegan.

    I thought of two more of my favorites that are relatively easy and delicious.

    https://minimalistbaker.com/sweet-potato-chickpea-buddha-bowl/

    This Indian Frankie Recipe is to die for. LOVE IT! Now, I'm Celiac again and the wife is cow dairy free but I make it with GF Wraps and use a good quality DF Yogurt for the sauce and it's delicious.

    https://www.feastingathome.com/indian-frankie-recipe/
  • tequila5000
    tequila5000 Posts: 128 Member
    Perhaps https://drmcdougall.com/might offer some good resources and info.

    https://drmcdougall.com/health/education/health-science/common-health-problems/diabetes-adult-onset-and-juvenile/

    And here are some recipes. https://drmcdougall.com/health/education/recipes/mcdougall-recipes/
    They r mostly very simple. and if one has some odd or expensive or hard to find ingredient, you could pick a Different recipe.

    It is true that if u begin preparing food with far less fats/oils, it will taste different, and probably feel different in your mouth. But taste buds can adjust. And if your health markers improve from this change recommended by your doctor, maybe u might be interested in pursuing it.
  • melaniedscott
    melaniedscott Posts: 1,442 Member
    I take back what I said about Ornish. I went back and looked at the cookbook again. The recipies aren't THAT bad in terms of ingredients and time. The problem is that my husband wouldn't eat 75% of them...he is so picky! Doesn't like soup (many soups in Ornish). Doesn't like eggplant, zucchini, squash or okra (unless fried), which, of course, figure prominently in the Ornish recipies...

    A couple things that might be helpul: in baking, you can sub an equal amount of applesauce for fat. I usually go 50/50 but I've replaced all and it works okay. I've heard you can do the same thing with pumpkin puree and banana (no motivation to try either, hate bananas and, well, I'm lazy...pumpkin seems like work when you can buy unsweetened apples sauce in a jar and it keeps really well...and Ornish recommends purne puree (that might have unintended results!).

    You can also replace eggs with silken tofu. I think the ratio is 1/4 cup tofu to each egg. Just made a vegan cupcake recipie a couple days ago and I think the egg replacer was to mix a little apple cider vinegar with plant milk (said soy or oat? but I used almond) and 2 tbs of corn starch. The cupcakes were amazing...Veganomicon!

    I'd probably go for coconut milk in the indian rather that almond...it has more fat and calories but it is more authentic...cutting out all fat seems...unsustainable...you could try coconut oil? I tend to be of the mind that fat is fat is fat but coconut oil is touted for...well, all sorts of stuff and it does act a lot like ghee...maybe use smaller amounts. I've found I can generally get away with using a couple tablespoons instead of 1/4 cup in cooking (NOT baking) or using cooking spray.

    Or...recently bought some really high quality non-stick pans BergHOFF EC Essentials...they require none. Was less than 100% convinced I wasn't being taken for a ride when I bought them...but they are wonderful! Worth every penny...
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    I take back what I said about Ornish. I went back and looked at the cookbook again. The recipies aren't THAT bad in terms of ingredients and time. The problem is that my husband wouldn't eat 75% of them...he is so picky! Doesn't like soup (many soups in Ornish). Doesn't like eggplant, zucchini, squash or okra (unless fried), which, of course, figure prominently in the Ornish recipies...

    Yeah, I recall thinking they were okay (I agree with those who think FoK is largely bland, and I don't think they forward taste at all). I did think they were more extreme than I ended up wanting, but I also would have felt differently if trying it for health.

    I haven't tried this site, but it looks like you might want to check it out: https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/

    I also agree with the recommendation of Appetite for Reduction, even though weight loss is not your goal.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    I've messaged the insurance company about nutrition counseling for diabetics and await a reply. They used to cover 4 visits a year for any reason, but that changed.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    VegjoyP wrote: »
    Some books worth reading are Engine 9, How Not to Die, No Meat Athlete, and Eat to Live. This is a link to a book, Plant Based on a Budget

    https://salamanderfamily.store/product/plant-based-on-a-budget-delicious-vegan-recipes-for-under-30-a-cooking-diets/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwo6D4BRDgARIsAA6uN1_0UcKJ236vM6m8FlMqx8sgOu9vMV4R13yVipwvBQqPSCV0WDyOOjMaAqfnEALw_wcB

    You may want to research "Plant Based" or " Vegan" for diabetes in Google. Just be aware of author, credentials and sources to avoid fad type books. There are also communities that are very sound, and medically backed. Food Revolution Network is worth looking into.

    A wholefood plant based diet can also be low carb,moderate healthy fat. Adding things like hemp, seeds, avocado, olives( not just the oil but whole olive) and macadamia all in moderation, tempeh, nut butters in moderation. Low fat doesn't mean no fat, we need all the macronutrientss in our diet( even keto)

    If strait vegan is taking too much out of you, perhaps adding in fish, or researching a Mediterranean diet.
    I would like to find a good vegan/vegetarian cookbook, but can't have soy, chickpeas, seeds or peanuts. A lot of the recipes rely heavily on these restricted foods. Sorry OP, I'm not trying to hijack your thread. If you can find a cookbook that fits your plan, maybe that will allow you to play with the seasoning and your pallet will also adjust over a few weeks of eating better/limiting the bad fats. So, anyone have additional realistic cookbooks to start from?