Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Vegetarian and diabetes diets

Q: Dear Ginny,

Kindly tell me any website where I could get access to diet planning of diabetes patients. In the meantime, kindly send a menu for 1400 caloric vegetarian menu with 40% CHO, 40 Fat and 20 Protein.

A: There are several on line sites that you can direct patients to learn about vegetarian diets. Try www.MayoClinic.com, www.Veggie123.com and for a free diet www.SparkPeople.com. A book can be ordered from the American Dietetic Association "Becoming Vegetarian" for $5.00. It is difficult to just send a diet plan without knowing what type of vegetarian diet your patient is looking for.

  • Are they Lacto-ovo Vegetarian: eating mostly plant foods but also eating eggs and dairy?
  • Are they Lactovegetarian: eating no meat, no eggs but eating dairy?
  • Are they Vegan: eating no animal proteins or animal by products?
  • Are they just avoiding red meat?

I would direct your patient to a registered dietitian to be sure they obtain the diet they prefer and obtain a well rounded diet so the nutrients that are at times missing in a vegetarian diet are present: calcium, Vitamin B12, Iron and Zinc.

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Who Is Ginny?

Ginny Burns is a local nurse who has worked with people who have diabetes for the last 20 years. She is credited with years of dedication to the American Diabetes Association and Utah Association of Diabetes Educators. She also brings the invaluable experience of having Type 1 diabetes for 39 years which makes her a unique resource to answer your questions.