The Low-Carb Vegetarian

Dear Cleo,

I appreciate your comments very much. You made some excellent points for all readers and I will pass them on directly to my friend Barry. Yesterday we were talking about seitan, in particular that the many people who are gluten-intollerant would not be able to eat it. I would like to know more, however, about your sources that indicate to you that gluten is bad for everyone. Clearly, wheat flour is bad for all of us (because it is so high glycemic and high carb) so it is important to differentiate between them.

Your suggestion about making faux meat from nuts is a most interesting one. But nuts are, of course, moderately higher in carbs than the leafy plants I recommended in my recent article here on "Good Veggies," so a low-carber would need to eat them in moderation.

Your suggestion about purslane for omega-3 is a great one. I was able to find it regularly at the farmer's market when I lived in Santa Cruz, California. It is, of course, a common wild plant. But where are you able to get it? 

I have read from more than one source that gluten intolerance is an under diagnosed problem, and that many people are sensitive to it but aren't aware.

One doctor who writes about the difficulity in digesting gluten protein is Susan Lark who has a website and a health newsletter.   

I grow my own purslane in the summertime, and can also buy it at the farmer's market here in Madison (Wi.). 

Dear Cleo,

What you write -- that gluten intolerance is under-diagnosed -- corresponds exactly what the founder of the BalancePoint Health program (http://www.balancepointhealth.com/) told me at lunch today. He said that officially 1 out of every 130 of us is gluten intolerant, but that actually more of us are. Certainly, however, most of us aren't. What he didn't tell me -- and I wish I knew how to determine -- is how any of us can know for ourselves.

Best regards,

David 

Dear Mark,

Thank you for your contribution. It is precisely the heavy ecological footprint of eating food passed through the stomachs of livestock is moving me too in the direction of a vegetarian diet. I'm not there yet, but certainly when any of us eat less meat we are doing a bit to help prevent the further worsening of the health of our planet. Besides, it's clear that like so many people, I was getting too much protein anyway.

Your mention of Brazil nuts was an eye-opener for me. I have always loved them. They are also far higher in healthy selenium than any other food (although, as a recent issue of the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter notes, the therapeutic dose of Brazil nuts becomes a toxic dose when you eat more than 5 a day). But that's as far as I had thought about them. I knew -- but had not considered -- that they all are harvested from virgin rainforest, making their carbon footprint somewhat equivalent to that of a cow.

Last year I read "The 100-mile Diet" (titled "Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally" in the U.S. edition) and had the opportunity to go to a talk here by the authors. Interesting, but even more persuasive was Bill McKibben, who wrote "The Deep Economy" and who I also heard speak (and corresponded with) here. Among my articles that developed out of that interest was one at http://www.mendosa.com/blog/?p=158 

I think that it is fitting that some of us with diabetes are taking the lead not only in reversing our own illness but also that of our environment! 

barry, 

I'm the 'Barry' David mentioned in the article.  I looked at Barnard's book also. They say I'm type 1, but am not yet in need of insulin. I'd like to keep it that way! In 2 month's time, my A1C went from 11, to 10.5 to 7. I looking forward to more declining numbers next month.  I remain a strict vegetarian and mostly vegan. Like you, I also believe eating low glycemic is important but I prefer for now to eat low carbs and only good fats (for example, mono saturates like olive oil). I've lost 20 lbs. I feel better than I've felt in many years now. As I continue to learn more each day, I recognize now that two diabetics eating exactly the same food will have differing blood sugar response. We need not have to promote rules and diets for everyone, but to share and compare our experiences. Thanks for your comments. I'd also enjoy exchanging ideas with other veg head diabetics (1&2) who have discovered low carb protein options, what you look for (or look out for) when you go out to eat, and how your life has changed and been challenged by remaining vegetarian and eating to reduce systemic inflammation. I believe all of us vegetarian diabetics can benefit from networking together. Best health to you too! Sincerely, David's friend -Barry (feel free to contact me at: be at slsware dot com)

Dear Joan,

As you suggested, I Googled this cookbook. What a great help you are!

Not only did I find it, but also found links to these other low-carb vegetarian cookbooks on Amazon:

Low Carb Vegetarian by Margo Demello

Low-Carb Vegetarian by Celia Brooks Brown

The Protein-Powered Vegetarian: From Meat... by Bo Sebastian

Carb Conscious Vegetarian: 150 Delicious R... by Robin Robertson

The Vegetarian Low-Carb Diet: The Fast, No... by Rose Elliot

Low-Carb Vegetarian Cooking: 150 Entrees to Make Low-Carb Vegetarian Cooking Easy and Fun [BARGAIN PRICE] (Paperback)
by Sue Spitler (Author), Linda R. Yoakam (Author) 

I am telling Barry about these books so that he can buy them -- and loan them to me.

Best regards,

David 

David

Why doesn't Barry check  his local library for cookbooks on Low Carb Vegetarian Meals instead of buying them.   He could even suggest to the librarian to buy some for the library if they don't have any .  Don't forget, he can always check  out  the library catalogue through the web.  

Joan

Dear Joan,

Good idea. I will pass that on to Barry right now. It is what I always do first. Here in Colorado we have a wonderful inter-library loan system where all the book resources in the state (and in Wyoming) are available for ordering with a click on the website.

Best regards,

David 

  David, you mentioned in your article that beans are high-carb.

  However, if you take a look at Romano beans and White kidney beans

  you will notice that these high-fiber but quite low carb as well as

  high-protein.

                      Joe G.

Dear Joe,

You're right. Not all beans are high in net carbs. My friend Barry just discovered black soybeans from Eden that are quite low in net carbs.

I wasn't familiar with romano beans either. But http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/item/108404.html does show that they are low in net carbs. Thanks for pointing this out! 

But white kidney beans, at least according to http://nutrican.fshn.uiuc.edu/tables/Whitekidneys.html are pretty high in carbs. The USDA site hasn't evaluated them. What's your source? 

Best regards,

David 

  Here are samples from the same site:

    white kidney beans: total net carbs are:  12g/130g about 9%

    http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/item/105856.html

   mung beans: net carbs are: 23.3g/202g  about 11%

   http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/item/16081.html

   black beans : net carbs:  11g/127g  about 9%

   http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/item/104573.html  

Dear Joe,

Thank you. But those are not low net carb numbers. Each of these beans has 11-12 grams of net carbs per 1/2 cup, according to your references.

Best regards,

David 

   I suggest that more research is required before we can

   have definitive numbers on true carbs for some beans.

   Eg. I found the following listing for kidney beans

          http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20bV.html

    which gives only 5g carbs per 100g weight

                                Joe G.

  In case you are interested, there is another bean

with lots of fiber but almost no carbs, it is the

"Lupini" bean. It tastes like peas and should be available

at your supermarked canned.

                            Regards,

                            Joe

Dear Joe,

Thank you. This dialog is interesting. But what's your source? According to http://www.calorieking.com/foods/calories-in-vegetables-packaged-italian-specialties-lupini-beans-bottled_f-Y2lkPTM0MzUyJmJpZD0xNjAyJmZpZD05NzkzMCZwYXI9.html lupini beans, like most beans, are high in carbs.

David 

 I tend to believe labels. The one I have in front of me is

 on a can of UNICO Lupini Beans, which says that it contains

 16 g of carbs and 16g of fiber which means no net carbs

 per 1/2 cup (126 ml).

                     Regards,

                     Joe

Dear Joe,

That's the difference between us then. I have learned from bitter experience not to believe labels. The FDA allows wide latitude and seldom enforces mistatements. My favorite Greek-style yogurt, for example, has widely different carb counts on its label and its website. The company tells me that the website is correct, but I really don't know which one to accept.

In the case of lupini beans -- which in the U.S. we generally know as lupin beans -- the U.S. Department of Agriculture differs significantly from the UNICO can that you cite. The National Nutrient Database at http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/cgi-bin/nut_search_new.pl says that 1 cup of "lupins, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt" has 16.4 grams of carbohydrate, of which 4.6 grams is fiber. That's the scientific authority in this country. I don't believe all of its policies but I do accept the facts.

David 

You are right on this one David. Just the other day, I  picked up three different brands of Turtle Beans and each of the cans contained different amount of fibre for 1 cup of beans.

Joan M.

   Thanks David, for setting me streight on those labels.

    So, where are we suppose to get reliable info on a product?

   Because I am crazy about beans, I did a search at the USDA site for

   "bean" under the "Vegetables & Veg Products",

    I got the following info:

     (some?)Kidney beans-  NDB No: 11030       net carbs 4.7g /100 g weight

                pinto beans -   NDB No: 11654       net carbs 4.1g/ 100 g weight

        Shellie beans canned-NDB No: 11050       net carbs 2.8g/ 100g weight

                mung beans      NDB No: 11044       net carbs 3.4g/ 100 g weight

        Regards,

        Joe

Dear Mark,

One of the very few givens in this developing field of nutrition is that green leafy vegetables are healthy. Almost all of us would benefit by eating more of them. It also seems that eating more fiber is good for us, although earlier studies that indicated it would help prevent colon cancer have not been verified.

However, much of nutrition is in the midst of the greatest uproar in history right now. Beliefs for the last half century that fat -- and particularly saturated fat -- would lead us to high cholesterol levels and eventually death by heart attack -- are being challenged like never before.

Therefore, I can't stress strongly enough the impact that the 2007 book by Gary Taubes, Good Calories, Bad Calories, has had on me. I can't recommend it enough to you.

Best regards,

David 

I’ll second your recommendation of Taubes’ book, David. It’s been hard to read even though I have at least some background in biology and biochemistry and physiology.

Taubes has radically re-shaped not only my way of thinking about my diabetes but has also provided a rationale and explanation for changing my way of eating.

(I should have added to my earlier post about fruit not leading to a reduction in Type 2 diabetes by drawing a potential/likely connection between the relatively high levels of fructose in fruits and the different way fructose is metabolized by the liver and their resultant effect on fat deposition in the body. A much more plausible explanation than anti-oxidants, perhaps?) 

Dear Mark,

Good article! Thanks for posting a summary of it. While it's hard to define "significant," I think that all four factors have some evidence for them. Fiber, antioxidants, and magnesium are all factors that I have written separate articles here in support of them in our diet. Of course, I have also written a lot about the glycemic index. It sure is interesting that fruit doesn't rate as highly. Personally, I eat a LOT of veggies and very little fruit except those "honorary vegetables," tomatoes and avocados.

Best regards,

David 

Dear Myrna,

Thank you for your comment and please do keep us updated. Congratulations too on your success. Please let us know how many grams of carbohydrates you eat each day. I hope it's less than Dr. Bernard recommends!

Best regards,

David 

Hi Again David,

I don't count my carbs by the day, but rather by what I know my body can handle at one time depending upon my starting sugars and my intended upcoming activity.  The greatest quantity of carbs I would typically consume at any one time is 28 net, and that is only if I know that I will be engaged in active movement after eating.  If I won't be doing something active, I might eat a tofurky

"sausage" with 2 pcs of kavli 5-grain crispbread for a total of 17 carb grams (6 of that being fiber).  I do eat frequently.  Just out of curiosity I did figure out that I ate 115 carb grams today (39 of which was fiber) but I also walked 6 miles today.

My favorite place at which to eat out is our local Mongolian Grill.  They stock tofu!  So my meat loving husband and son and I can all eat happily at one place.  They eat the meat and noodles and I eat the tofu and veggies. 

I also forgot to mention that I do sometimes use chia seed, which I assume you are already familiar with.  While it definitely has a positive impact on my blood sugar control, I have food sensitivities and it gives me a skin rash if I consume more than about 1/4 t. every other day.

Wishing you well,

Sincerely,

Myrna 

Dear Myrna,

You are so right to be talking about your exercise together with your diet. They do go together.

I would say that you eat a lower-carb diet. The standard diet is more than 130 grams (and I don't remember seeing whether that is total or net). I understand a very low-carb diet to be less than 42 grams of total carbohydrate per day (ala Bernstein) or less than 45 grams per day (total or net unspecified) by doctors like Jeff Gerber in Denver (his Denver diet). That's what I am following.

Chia seeds? Absolutely. See my article here at: http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/17/17801/chia-seeds/

Too bad that you are sensitive to them in substantial amounts. I sure am not. But I guess that it's a good thing (although complicated) that we are all different. 

Dear Sabine,

I am strongly attracted to the idea of eating raw food. But just like eating a total vegetarian diet, I am not to that point -- at least yet.

A whole lot of my diet is raw. Salad forms a whole meal of mine every day. I love the "Go Raw" products, particularly their "Flax Snax" (www.goraw.com).

This is why I was so disturbed by the report out of Italy that cooking actually makes nutrients in some foods more available. That's why I wrote about that here, "Raw Isn't Always Better" at http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/17/20403/raw-isnt/ 

Best regards,

David 

Dear David,

thanks for your reply. I am writing from Germany and have just come back from work. My father was diagnosed with diabetes 2 recently and has to take injections by now. He doesn't want to cut down on food, because he never wants to hunger again the way he did, when he was a child in ww2nd, he will not comprehend, that eating too much actually shortens life.So all my talk is to no avail and infact, I have given up.Together we found your homepage.I found it through Italy and sent it to my father who thought I wanted to 'patronize' him again, until he found you and was happy about your info himself.I am so far free of diabetes, don't believe it, but have been a chocoholic all my life.

My ideal would be to be completely raw, but I can't follow it trough either.I find the little films on YouTube by the raw family, the Boutenko family quite interesting.You may look there for inspiration.They are a very interesting family.Their son overcame diabetes 1,I believe, with a completely raw diet.They describe it in their books.

Best regards from Frankfurt,

Sabine.

Dear Jean,

My favorite Certified Diabetes Educator also likes a protein powder drink. But I have resisted because the main thing that I have to do is to keep controlling my weight.

And it looks to me, on the basis of what I have read and reported on here that drinking calories do contribute to weight gain. Please check out my article, "Drinking Calories" at http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/17/13299/drinking-calories/

Best regards,

David 

David, I appreciate your reply and understand and agree with the view that drinking calories can contribute to weight gain. However, for me, the soy milk w/protein powder drink in the morning is the only breakfast that gets me to lunch without being ravenous and unable to focus by 11:00.

I have learned much from your columns and look forward to the next one. Have you been to Linda's low carb recipe site? Not every recipe is vegetarian, but she does have some, and she's a terrific, inventive cook:

http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/index.html

All best, Jean

Dear Jean,

Thanks. I will check out that site.

You mention that the protein powder drink is the only thing that doesn't feed your hunger. Yes, most breakfasts do actually make you want to eat more -- because most breakfasts have a lot of carbs. But I have found when I limit my carb intake at breakfast to 6 grams or less, with anything that has this small amount (e.g. even the good old standby of bacon and eggs), I don't get hungry. It it the CARBS that make you ravenous!

Best regards,

David 

Dear Pam,

Thank you for your support. And also for your recipe ideas!

Best regards,

David 

Dear Deana,

Yes, that's one of the low-carb vegetarian books that I mentioned in my comment above. But what a good idea to use Askville! I had never thought of doing that before.

Best regards,

David 

Dear Kathleen,

Thank you. Sounds good!

David 

Dear Barry,

Thanks for you comment with all your tips. You remind me that I need to get more SushiParty Soy Wrappers by Yamamotoyama (or nori seaweed sheets) .

David

Thanks for your tips!

You mention that okra is available at Indian grocery stores. I love okra and it is seldom available at Whole Foods, where I usually shop, much less regular supermarkets. But my experience confirms what you write, since my local Indian grocery carries it and I buy it there.

Best regards,

David

Dear Paula,

Great! I will forward your message and the Amazon link to my friend Barry right now. Since he is a good friend, I think that I can get him to loan me any of those books that he buys!

Best regards,

David