Low carb vegan diet..

[silva]

LowCarb Vegan - Recipes for a vegan low carb diet

 

[silva]

Ironically I just bought one lol. It may be that you just don’t like it. I get what you mean about wanting to.
I cut mine in half...not an easy task...and cook it in the microwave. I like it a little firm and not mushy, the way I like my pasta. It’s not going to taste like pasta though. It does have a squash flavor to it. But I like it with tomato sauce and vegan parmesan best. Sometimes I will have it with vegan butter and the parmesan.

So, this part is meant to be funny, so please no one take offense...it’s kind of like trying to pass off spiral zucchini noodles as pasta or frozen blended banana as ice cream. It’s not! Lol. Each is good in its own right but frozen banana is not ice cream and spaghetti squash or spiral vegetables are not spaghetti. I need the real thing when I’m craving the real thing. Haha.

Oh, back to the spaghetti squash...sometimes I mix it with real spaghetti. It helps me eat less of the carby spaghetti but at least I can have a little of it if I’m craving it but trying to not eat so much of it. I think I can easily eat half a pound of spaghetti. It’s my favorite pasta.

100% agree on everything! I get twisted because people actually talk as if it IS a direct replacement! Like that carrot and potato 'cheese' sauce their family didn't know wasn't real cheese .

Ironically, the lo-carbvegan site I posted has it as it's first recipe!

 

[KLS52]

100% agree on everything! I get twisted because people actually talk as if it IS a direct replacement! Like that carrot and potato 'cheese' sauce their family didn't know wasn't real cheese .

Ironically, the lo-carbvegan site I posted has it as it's first recipe!

Haha that’s another good one, the carrot and potato cheese.
I’m not criticizing people who find these replacements really good. I think the issue is I’m jealous. I’m not one who finds a vegan diet easy. I’m jealous of those people too. There are too many things I don’t like and sometimes my taste is too particular. I’m often left feeling deprived. After 15 years of struggling and succeeding 99% of the time, I’m getting tired and cranky. But that’s a subject for another thread, lol.

I will check out that low carb vegan link...

 

[silva]

I've always loved vegan processed foods- soy based, gluten based.
I definitely struggle with healthy wfpb eating!
My biggest cravings are white carbs-white bread, pasta, potatoes, rice....
I just browsed through the site I linked and gagged.....

 

[KLS52]

I've always loved vegan processed foods- soy based, gluten based.
I definitely struggle with healthy wfpb eating!
My biggest cravings are white carbs-white bread, pasta, potatoes, rice....
I just browsed through the site I linked and gagged.....

I’m lucky that I can do potatoes and rice as long as I stick to portion sizes and don’t go over.
I could seriously live on hard rolls or any kind of Italian bread, ciabatta, slathered with Miyoko’s butter. I think it’s my favorite food in the entire world. And dipping in a really good marinara sauce...HEAVEN.

 

[KLS52]

And that last post is so off topic, hahahahaha.

 

[silva]

And that last post is so off topic, hahahahaha.

I was going to say much the same--which is why I know a low carb diet is out of my reach--if I could do it I there wouldn't be any problem

 

[KLS52]

I was going to say much the same--which is why I know a low carb diet is out of my reach--if I could do it I there wouldn't be any problem

I’m doing “lower carb” with weight watchers. I don’t really know how low it is but anything I cut out is good in my book. There is such a thing as carb overload. And of course, sugar is a big problem for me but aside from fruit and a teaspoon of sugar in my morning coffee, I’m doing really well. At some point I’m sure I’ll crack and eat an entire cake, like something from the food porn or Halloween thread, lol, but for now I’m good.

 

[Freesia]

For me i can cut out bread etc just fine, the problem is sweet things... if i could just kick them...

 

[Raven]

I'm trying to kick bread, definitely. I just found a half loaf of bread in the freezer, dammit. I have ordered my husband bread products in the shopping today that I don't particularly like that much like bagels. I won't be tempted to eat that type of stuff.

I thought I was gluten intolerant for a while (a couple of years ago) and I gave up bread and I lost weight even though I was eating lots of crisps (chips) and potatoes.

I am thinking about mainly eating raw vegan with lower carb, like what I said earlier about having spiralized raw veggies with pesto sauce or a salad with vegan cheese and avocado.

I will see how it goes... I will probably still eat crisps.

 

[shyvas]

It makes me think about starting a thread about Buddhism (for example) and then getting Christians posting how you are wrong and quoting scripture to prove it. Lol.

This thread reminds me of posts on another forum where a member from NZ was requesting some helpful advise on a future trip to California which also included Disneyland.

A member started to post multiple links of Florida and Disney World saying that she should change her mind and not visit California. The only reason being is that she had made her mind up for the OP as she herself really disliked California.

Anyway, the member didn't follow the advise and had a most enjoyable stay in CA.

 

[Bob Who]

For me i can cut out bread etc just fine, the problem is sweet things... if i could just kick them...

I have a tremendous sweet tooth. Fruit now is my main source of a sugar fix, and I eat a LOT of fruit. In fact, I eat a lot. In case anyone is curious, my A1C last April was 4.9, but I'm not a diabetic. Just a little history.

When my wife & I first began changing how we ate we were following a medically recommended diet for diabetics. The approach my wife took was to limit carbs, which I believe was 45 g / day. We did eliminate bread, added sugar, refined grain products in general for whole grain substitutes . The calculations we used were total carbs and our reference was the label information or the USDA nutrient data base. We also limited our meat consumption to the recommended 3 oz serving, but most importantly ( I think ) was that at least half our plate was vegetables. By eating a lot more vegetables which are low in calories vs volume, I'm pretty sure our results were from calorie restriction. Not a vegetarian or even a vegan diet. Our results-- Sept of '14 my wife first diagnosed with an A1C of 9.1 to around 5.5 ( with the aid of diabetes medication )in Sept '15 and she says she lost about 50lbs. I don't know her lipid numbers or blood pressure off hand. I can get exact figures if you'd like.

My results: I went from 275 to 158 pounds. My blood pressure was down from 140's/ 80's to 120's/ 60's. I can provide a fair bit of detail as I do have all my lab work results from Sept of '14 to my last check up this past spring and I'd be happy to do so if anyone is interested. I'll have an update this week as I have my semi annual check up scheduled.

I lost about 10bs more after going totally to a vegan diet, my wife though had some remarkable results. Because we actually kept records she was taken off all her medications by the fall of 2016 her avg glucose reading now runs in the '80's down from an initial low 200's her A1C was 4.8 and it's been running 4.8 -4.9 since. In fact our primary care doctor literally has said she doesn't have diabetes.

Some points to bear in mind about our situation. In our case lifestyle really does seem to be the root cause of our illnesses. My wife a sister to type 2 diabetes and its complications. She has another sister with medication managed type 2, but her numbers are nowhere close to what my wife achieved. Her other surviving sister has always been slim and active, never had diabetes, but does have high blood pressure which does run in her family. My wife does not have high blood pressure since our lifestyle modifications.

In my case I was a poster child for HOW TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK. So no surpirse in my case that I did, more just the timing. I'm also the type of person that if I eat less and am more active, I do lose weight. In my family the only people with cardiovascular problems all were smokers. This is why I'm pretty sure our lifestyle was a major contributor.

Other factors that helped us were that we both like a lot of different food, and are willing to try new foods or ways of preparation. We both cook and not only have skills that make it easier for us to produce food we like, but by necessity of what's available to us have to make pretty much everything we eat from scratch. We mostly did before because it tasted better. I have the time to put in and the inclination to work out how to make something we both really enjoy eating. If we enjoy something we have no problem eating it everyday. We've had the same breakfast more or less at least the last 3 years, and actually have had the same lunch 6 out of 7 days/ week because we like it.

It wasn't really that hard to lose the weight, but working as team really made all the difference. Would I have changed my ways if I was single? I don't know for sure, but I doubt it. Then again, I literally am amazed at who I am now, really.

My cardiac adventure began in Sept of '15 and I sort of fell into a mostly whole food vegan diet iby April 2016, my wife tried it for a couple of weeks which became a few months, but now she is a vegetarian because she does consume a small amount of cheese on pasta or will have some pizza with cheese on it occasionally. Incidentally, I only found plant based doctors and philosophy because I was searching for recipes. The only ones I was really familiar with prior to my dietary changes were Pritikin and Ornish. I should mention Dr. Ornish was highly regarded by the staff in my cardiac rehab program.

One thing about trying the whole food plant based and salt, sugar, oil free approach is that it helps reset one's tastebuds. I'm saying this because I'm pretty much now entirely satisfied with natural sweetness from fruits and some vegetables. I snack a lot and by keeping it to whole fruits & vegetables it hasn't presented me with weight problems, but I also have made lifestyle changes that include regular exercise.

Sorry if this is too rambling, I started early this morning, got interrupted, and wanted to cover a lot of stuff.

 

[KLS52]

@Bob Who thank you for sharing your story and congratulations on the success of your lifestyle change. That’s pretty amazing!

 

[Raven]

The approach my wife took was to limit carbs, which I believe was 45 g / day. We did eliminate bread, added sugar, refined grain products in general for whole grain substitutes.

What were the substitutes you ate instead? Oats?

You two sound like you have done very well. Impressive that your wife could reverse her diabetes.

I can't remember if I said this on this thread but the woman on the other forum said her doctor said she is back to a pre-diabetic level now, but she is following a paleo diet. She avoids refined carbs too.

 

[KLS52]

I wish my husband would change his diet, even just a little. He is on several medications...thyroid, blood pressure and cholesterol. His diet is 100% SAD. He is 72 and has an aortic aneurysm, which is closely monitored and has not grown in the last few years but his health is worrisome.

 

[shyvas]

I wish my husband would change his diet, even just a little. He is on several medications...thyroid, blood pressure and cholesterol. His diet is 100% SAD. He is 72 and has an aortic aneurysm, which is closely monitored and has not grown in the last few years but his health is worrisome.

That must be a huge worry for you. What kind of food does he eat?

 

[KLS52]

Lots of meat...beef and chicken..all dairy products. Little to no vegetables with the exception of an occasional salad but he uses quite a bit of bottled creamy dressing. Potatoes, rice and bread, which aren’t inherently bad in themselves. It’s the quantity. He is easily 50 lbs overweight.

I think the problem is the meds are keeping his numbers under control so he’s relying on them to eat what he wants.

 

[Raven]

I wish my husband would change his diet, even just a little. He is on several medications...thyroid, blood pressure and cholesterol. His diet is 100% SAD. He is 72 and has an aortic aneurysm, which is closely monitored and has not grown in the last few years but his health is worrisome.

Doesn't he like any vegan food at all?

My husband didn't used to eat fruit and veg at all before he had cancer. Now he eats fruit daily. He is still not keen on veg unless I sneak spinach into a smoothie. He used to drink coke and now he only drinks water.

 

[shyvas]

Lots of meat...beef and chicken..all dairy products. Little to no vegetables with the exception of an occasional salad but he uses quite a bit of bottled creamy dressing. Potatoes, rice and bread, which aren’t inherently bad in themselves. It’s the quantity. He is easily 50 lbs overweight.

I think the problem is the meds are keeping his numbers under control so he’s relying on them to eat what he wants.

Sounds like a typical diet that many people eat. However, he seems like he is seriously overweight.

 

[KLS52]

Doesn't he like any vegan food at all?

My husband didn't used to eat fruit and veg at all before he had cancer. Now he eats fruit daily. He is still not keen on veg unless I sneak spinach into a smoothie. He used to drink coke and now he only drinks water.

He was better when I first started but now it’s almost like he has to dig his heels in and makes faces about my food. It’s like he feels he needs to defend his choices which is odd to me.