The insulin resistance diet for vegetarians is actually rich in proteins and it eliminates simple carbohydrates completely. The diet regimen provided in this article would prove useful for vegetarians.
It’s important to know what is insulin resistance and what are the consequences of insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that helps maintaining low blood glucose level. A person develops resistance to insulin when his body stops responding to this hormone, making him susceptible to a wide range of diseases associated with high blood sugar. Hyperglycemia, type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart problems are some diseases that a person is prone to suffer from due to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance diet plan is formulated for people suffering from such health complications.
Vegetarians have been classified into 3 categories, viz, lacto-ovo-vegetarians, lacto-vegetarians and vegans. Insulin resistance diet for lacto-ovo-vegetarians comprises eggs and dairy products while eggs are excluded from the insulin diet regimen of lacto vegetarians. Vegans depend only on vegetables and fruits. Understanding the insulin resistance diet would impose a natural control on your blood glucose level.
Diet
An insulin resistance diet mainly excludes carbohydrates as it is one of the main reasons behind blood sugar spike. A major portion of the meal comprises proteins that control weight gain and associated problems. Fats are consumed in unsaturated form which is considered to be safe. Since, it’s a vegetarian diet, animal foods, known to contain maximum proteins get completely excluded and you limit yourself to vegetables, fruits and dairy products. We shall find out some useful insulin resistance foods for vegetarians from the next content. You can use these foods for cooking simple menus with minimum use of oil.
Breakfast
Foods that have a low glycemic index value are suggested by doctors since they contain the least amount of carbohydrates, sugar and starch. During breakfast you must include healthy foods that would not add on to your blood sugar value. Have scrambled eggs and a glass of skimmed milk at breakfast. There’s a strict restriction on consumption of refined sugar. If your glucose level is not so high, then you can have ½ teaspoon of brown sugar.
Apples, pineapples, berries, cantaloupe, melon should be consumed in the morning hours. Sugary fruits like cherries, mangoes, raspberries, strawberries, etc., should be curtailed unless blood sugar level is normalized. You can also have two slices of whole wheat fresh garlic bread toasted with margarine for breakfast.
Lunch
Choosing fats is an important criterion of an insulin resistance diet plan for vegetarians. Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats are some useful fatty acids that are necessary for your body. Presence of these healthy fats is essential during your lunch. You should cook your food with extra virgin olive oil, almond oil, flax seed oil or peanut oils. Apart from giving you a culinary delight, they would also prove beneficial for your health.
Prepare vegetable soups and eat plenty of salads during this time. Spinach, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, beans, yam, beet, lettuce, broccoli, etc., are some useful vegetables that help in sustaining insulin resistance. Vegetarians should depend more on vegetables and fruits to control consumption of carbohydrates.
Dinner
You must try to ameliorate impact of carbohydrates and starch as much as possible while deciding the menu for dinner. People suffering from obesity and high blood pressure due to insulin resistance must have a very light dinner, containing citrus fruits and salads on their plate. Drink fresh fruit juices made from oranges, lime, watermelon, berries and grapes.
Doctors often suggest consumption of raw broccoli, bitter gourd and carrot juice to people suffering from heart ailments and diabetes. These are excellent substances that naturally bring down blood glucose levels. Include soups made from pulses (different types of beans, peas, etc) and grains for dinner. This way you would derive maximum proteins from these sources.
Apart from knowing the foods that help combat insulin resistance, you should also have a sound knowledge of the foods to avoid. A few such foods include, white bread, white sugar, white rice, sweets, sugar, aerated drinks, canned juices, fried foods, caffeine, etc. A proper diet combined with right medications is capable of controlling blood glucose by restoring the body’s response to insulin.
