As someone with Type 1 diabetes, I’m curious about the impact a vegan diet might have on blood sugar control, overall health, and how others manage it.
For those of you who are T1D and have adopted a vegan lifestyle, I’d love to hear your experiences. How do you handle things like carb counting with plant-based proteins, or finding balanced meals that won’t spike your blood sugar? What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?
Hi @Ellace . I’ve never tried vegan but a few years ago I did try Mediterranean style eating (I don’t like to call it a diet). I know it’s not the same as it does allow some animal protein and products, but just wanted to share my experience.
I didn’t change the way I counted carbs, and as I recall (mind you it’s been a while) I tried to stick with lean meats and choose healthier, fresh options for snacking rather than packaged foods that were easy to grab - so I probably had fewer spikes for that reason and I think I lost some weight as well. Don’t recall my A1cs, sorry.
Sadly I eventually fell off the wagon. I’ve heard of people who swear by Med - or in your case vegan - although they weren’t Type1s; but I stopped due to the commitment involved (for one thing I don’t like to cook). But that’s just me - you may have the willpower to make it work.
I hope you get some responses that will help you make your decision. If you make the change, keep us posted.
@Ellace Gracela, I haven’t used the Vegan style eating, although I’ve been exposed to it a few times by folks vacationing with us; I can see significant difficulty fitting it to my eating style. I’ve successfully lived with diabetes for seven decades eating “All American Country” when younger and now “Atlantic Style” for the past 30 years.
No matter which style eating one chooses, nutrition and avoiding “unhealthy foods” is most important. Last year [2023] one of the primary sessions at the EASD Annual Meeting [European Association for the Study of Diabetes] was healthy eating and food choices. I cant find the report I read of these meetings but I do remember Vegan was reviewed. As I recall, thea report concluded that to get representative nutrition when eating Vegan, a person would need to consume significantly more carbohydrate.
The big take-away that I got from the session, was a person with diabetes should not shy away from carbohydrates, UNLESS one is plagued by obesity issues. Bottom line, a mature adult, with or without diabetes, should consume daily between 230 and 250 grams of healthy and nutritious carbohydrate when eating non-Vegan. A comparable Vegan regimen would require 250 to 300 carbohydrate grams daily. Just count carbs closely and use the I:Cr [Insulin to Carbohydrate ratios] that fits your body for the time of day. One thing I’ve noticed when observing food choices made by Vegans, is that they would not be plagued by the slowly extended effect that animal fat adds to insulin delivery.
Good luck with your choice!
Do you have a registered dietitian? I think it’s a good idea when planning to lose or gain weight, or make a substantive change to eating habits. Even if they are not advocates of a particular lifestyle they should be able to help ensure you are meeting your nutritional needs.
As for foods and their effect on glucose you might check out the glycemic index - health line dot com is one resource you could try and they explain it like this (links removed)
The glycemic (GI) is a value used to measure how much specific foods increase blood sugar levels.
Foods are classified as low, medium, or high glycemic foods and ranked on a scale of 0–100.
The lower the GI of a specific food, the less it may affect your blood sugar levels ([1Trusted Source]
So foods with the same carb count may have vastly different effects on glucose based on where they fall on the index. I would suggest discussing it with a professional for guidance but you might find it helpful.
I started eating a whole food plant based diet in February of this year. My son had happened upon a podcast called “Mastering Diabetes” and was having success. Mastering Diabetes is based totally on research, research for decades showing that it is fat that causes insulin resistance. My son has been type 1 for 33 years, me for 62.
Both of us use insulin injections.
So I eat a low fat vegan diet (the opposite of the low carb, much higher fat diet I had lived on for decades). I am very careful to get enough protein and other nutrients….I did consult w a dietitian after a few weeks to make sure)
The results have been astounding. All my blood work has normalized…you would not know I even have diabetes from my lab work. My A1C went from 7.6 to 5.5 and my lipid panel is gorgeous(thereby avoiding any statin medicines which my Dr was about to insist on)
I began this as an experiment but will never go back because I feel like a kid again. I have lots of energy and my blood sugar is so stable. No more unexplained highs and lows. When I exercise vigorously ( cardio classes or biking…) I do not drop rapidly. It is a slower curve down so I do not have heart pounding lows. Some of the sensation in my feet has returned. I just feel great all over.
I eat a ton of carbs but just a tiny bit of fat, so I had to learn a whole new way of cooking. My insulin sensitivity has gone from 1 unit per 10 grams of carb to 1 unit for 30 grams of carbs( except at night where I take 1 unit for 45 grams of carbs). I eat whole grains, potatoes, lots of fruits and starchy vegetables.,beans, tofu, things I have not eaten since I became type 1 at 12. Having little fat, no animal protein and no dairy was challenging at first…but I was so happy eating such a healthy mix of all kinds of fruits and grains and I felt so good that it was motivation for me to continue. I am never hungry.
I listened to every podcast of Mastering Diabetes. I read the book, I watched you tube videos of the Mastering Diabetes Program. I did not start this without the knowledge to make it successful. ( It was devised by 2 frustrated type 1s…Cyrus went to UC Berkeley to get a PHD in nutrition, specializing in nutrition, diabetes and insulin resistance). This is not quackery. It also works for type 2 and prediabetics.
I love seeing my doctors speechless amazement at how well I am doing. I love feeling this great. I will now go eat my breakfast that contains 90 grams of carbs!
Hi, wadawabbit ! Thanks so much for sharing your experience with Mediterranean-style eating! Even though it’s not fully vegan, I appreciate hearing about how you navigated food choices and managed carb counting. I definitely relate to wanting healthier, fresh options to keep blood sugars steadier.
I’m also looking to make more mindful choices, and the glycemic index tip is super helpful! You’re right; it’s good to know how the type of carbs can impact glucose differently.
I’ll keep your advice in mind and will keep everyone updated if I go vegan. Thanks again for the thoughtful response and encouragement! 
Hi Dennis, thank you so much for sharing your insights and experience! It’s inspiring to hear from someone who’s managed diabetes successfully for so many years, especially with different dietary styles over time. I really appreciate the detailed perspective on carbohydrate needs for both non-vegan and vegan diets. It’s interesting to hear that a vegan approach might require a higher carb intake and that it could help avoid the prolonged impact animal fats can have on insulin.
Hi SallyBeeSally! Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring journey with a whole-food, plant-based diet! Your results are truly remarkable, and it’s amazing to hear how your blood work has normalized and how much better you’re feeling overall. The stability in your blood sugars, improved energy, and even the sensation returning to your feet are all such powerful testaments to the changes you’ve made. I admire how you’ve embraced a whole new way of eating and cooking, and I’m really encouraged by your success.
I’m definitely going to listen to the Mastering Diabetes podcast too—it sounds like a fantastic resource, and hearing your experience has made me even more interested in learning from it. Thanks again for sharing your story—it’s motivating to know that such positive changes are possible!
Hi back Gracela,
,
I wish you the good results I have achieved……most of the time my blood sugars are in range. Life is just more stable.
I will mention that the first podcasts, years back, of “Mastering Diabetes” where they explain what causes insulin resistance (fat and animal protein) are the most helpful at first. The cellular mechanisms causing high blood sugar is fascinating to really understand. The book and you tube videos are helpful visuals.
It also will become clear that my experience is not unique.
Best to you and anyone else who looks in to this.
Sally