Can a diabetic safely eat a vegetarian diet? Details?

I'm mildly diabetic (I'm one of the ones who should "watch it" before it becomes a bigger problem) and I wonder if it is safe for me to become a vegetarian.

I was a vegan for about 6 mos. and I lost an alarming amount of weight (I'm already small), so I don't want to be a vegan again, but I still don't want to eat meat for ethical reasons.

All of the diets for diabetics say to eat only nutritionally dense carbs and pack on the protein and good fats (like olive oil, seeds, legumes). But for a vegatarian diet, it seems almost the opposite. Is it possible for a diabetic to consume enough protein on a veggie diet to stay healthy? It seems I would have to eat large amounts of beans, legumes = starches= sugars that I'm not allowed to have.

Are you (or do you know) a vegetarian diabetic? Can you help me, please? Thanks.

I found this from eatright.org (Amer. Diatetics Assoc.): "Vegetarian diets can meet guidelines for the treatment of diabetes and some research suggests that diets that are more plant-based reduce risk for type 2 diabetes.. Among the possible explanations for a protective effect of vegetarian diet are the lower BMI of vegetarians and higher fiber intake, both of which improve insulin sensitivity."

A big misconception of a vegetatrian diet is that you are not consuming a lot of carbs and sugars. But as you probably know, as a diabetic, fruits are high in sugars and carbs. As a diebetic you should avoid certain cooked vegetables because many times the veggies turn to starches if cooked. Tofu seems to be a good source of protiens. Eat raw, fresh vegetables over cooked ones. If you have to cook your vegetable, par boil or zap it in the microwave for a short time. The micrwave prevents a lot of the nutrients from being leeched out. You can also use liquid amino acids a s a suppliment to your diet. It can be used on top of salads in addition to your dressing or just to add on most dishes. Best bet, consult your doctor.

The posters best bet is to consult a good registered dietitican who can help her with meeting all the nutritional guidelines. Report It

Respectfully the above info is way off. Diabetic veganism works great when: you do NOT eat a lot of brown rice etc, your diet is mainly green veggies, olive oil, beans, nuts NO SOY (it is pure crap), fresh fruit (limited!). Registered dieticians tend to push the crap ADA guidelines. Don't go there! Report It

Diabetics should be able to follow this diet. Instead of lean chicken protein you would eat beans. Check with your physician first.