Vegan Diet Could Benefit Diabetics

It’s easier said than done but now a new study may be showing them the way. It reveals that people who choose a vegan diet are more able to control their diabetes. Vegans eschew meat, eggs and other common foods.

The study by the American Diabetes Association compared two groups of people with the illness. One was allowed to eat only a strict and traditional diabetic diet. The other was told they could eat whatever they wanted, as long as it adhered to a vegan menu.

The result: those who stuck to the vegetarian regimen not only had better control of their blood sugar and cholesterol, but they also lost excess weight.

What happened? The vegan foods contain more fibre, which helps the body to absorb sugar more slowly and control the glycemic index. That measures the effects of food on your blood sugar.

And while it used to be that people who assumed a strict vegetarian diet couldn’t always find a lot to eat, that’s not the case anymore.

“It’s been amazing the last 10 years the amount of food that’s available in your local grocery store,” concedes diabetic and converted vegan Agnes Kwasnicka. “I mean that’s where we shop.”

She insists the difference between the way she felt before changing her menu and the way she feels now is like night and day.

If you’re not prepared to give up your regular dinners, don’t despair. The study shows that even taking just a few vegan-style meals a week can make a difference.

But before you decide to embark on this brave new culinary world, talk to your doctor. You should never change what you eat without letting a medical professional know what you’re doing.

Here are few vegan recipes you can try to see if the food is for you.

Mock Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced (optional)
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 packages beef-flavor ground beef replacement
1/4 cup oatmeal, dry
2 slices white bread, crumbled
3 Tbsp. ketchup
2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. pepper

Coating:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

Directions:
Sauté the onion and green pepper in the oil over medium heat until soft. Combine in a bowl with the ground beef alternative, oatmeal, bread, ketchup, garlic salt, and pepper. Thoroughly mix with a spoon or your hands.

Press the mixture into an oiled loaf pan. Cover with foil and bake at 190 degrees C for 30 minutes.

Mix together the ingredients for the coating and set aside.

Remove the loaf from the oven and turn it out onto a baking sheet. Spread the coating over the entire loaf. Cook, uncovered, for another 15 minutes.

Tofu-Spinach Lasagne

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. lasagne noodles
2 10-oz. pkgs. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
and drained
1 lb. soft tofu
1 lb. firm tofu
1 Tbsp. sugar
1?4 cup soy milk
1?2 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 tsp. minced fresh basil
2 tsp. salt
4 cups tomato sauce

Directions:

Cook the lasagne noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 175C

Squeeze the spinach as dry as possible and set aside.

Place the tofu, sugar, soy milk, garlic powder, lemon juice, basil, and salt in a food processor or
blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the spinach.

Cover the bottom of a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with a thin layer of the tomato sauce and top with 1?3
of the noodles. Top with 1?2 of the tofu filling.

Continue in the same order, using 1?2 of the remaining tomato sauce, 1?2 of the remaining
noodles, and the remaining tofu filling. Finish with the remaining noodles and top with the remaining
tomato sauce. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Creamy “Chicken” Casserole

Ingredients:

1 container vegan sour cream
1?3 cup faux-chicken stock
1 pkg. onion soup mix
Salt and pepper, to taste

1 bag faux-chicken strips, defrosted
1 cup broccoli florets
1 can mixed carrots and peas
1 cup breadcrumbs

Directions:

In a bowl, stir together the vegan sour cream, fauxchicken stock, and onion soup mix until smooth
and runny. Add more stock if needed. Add the salt and pepper.

Pour into a small casserole dish and add the faux chicken, broccoli, and carrots and peas, mixing
well. Top with the breadcrumbs.

Bake at 200C for 20 minutes, until the centre is hot and the breadcrumbs are browned. Serve with rice.
Makes 2 to 3 servings

Recipes courtesy: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

 

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today