Naturopath recommends blood type diet. Energy levels low, sugar cravings high. Savvy veg recommends b12 deficiency testing and studying vegetarian nutrition.
Question for Savvy Vegetarian:
Hi – I have been a vegetarian all my life. Recently I have been to my naturopath who has put me on my blood type diet. Thankfully this wasn’t a huge change in my diet as I’m type A, however I’m not doing so well as I’m constantly craving sugar and finding I need more energy.
About a year ago my blood test results indicated that I’m B12 deficient so i have been taking supplements and increasing fish and green veg in my diet I was having shots but haven’t had one for quite some time.
I find myself having coffee every morning and ready for a sleep at midday then at around 2pm I’m reaching for sugar and chocolate. For brekky I’m having a bowl of muesli with nuts etc and soy milk and I’m not finding that I’m hungry until 1pm but because I’m so tired at midday i eat my lunch tuna and salad or left over dinner.
My Naturopath has advised that I should eat more protein and include snacking on nuts. However I did this for a while and it appeared to work but now I cant stand to eat any nuts.
Can you suggest anything that I can do to stop the sugar cravings and increase my energy levels?
Kind regards, C. B.
Savvy Vegetarian Advice:
I’m far from expert on blood type diets, but from everything I’ve read, I get the impression that they aren’t really meant for vegetarians. I wondered if that’s why you’re eating fish, when you’ve been vegetarian all your life.
I’m not a nutritionist or dietitian, and I don’t want to contradict your doctor. But I’m happy to share a few thoughts on vegetarian nutrition -to follow up or not - as you think best.
It could be a good idea to have your B12 levels re-tested, along with iron, folate, Vit D & blood sugar levels. It can take quite a while – a year or more – to recover from a B12 deficiency, and it needs to be monitored regularly. And you could have some other undiagnosed deficiency or condition. So get yourself thoroughly checked out.
It’s not normal for your energy levels to be so low, and I know from personal experience, sugar and chocolate don’t help. You get a temporary boost, but then you crash, weakening your immune system & digestion, messing up your blood sugar levels, getting headaches, digestive upsets etc.
Maybe you need a wider range of foods to satisfy your nutritional needs. I recommend reading the excellent book, Becoming Vegetarian by Melina & Davis, for sound information on vegetarian nutrition.
It could be that you need more calories in your diet to maintain your body and your daily activities. I’m not saying you need 2000 calories a day, as recommended in the standard nutrition guidelines. But you could keep a calorie count for a week or two to see if you’re getting a reasonable amount. If it seems low, eat more and see if that helps your energy.
I understand getting tired of eating one kind of food a lot. BUT – nuts are packed with nutrition – good fats, protein, vitamins and minerals, and a little goes a long way. Eat a variety of nuts in small amounts: almonds, walnuts, cashews, pine nuts, hazelnuts etc - and seeds: sunflower, pumpkin, chia, sesame. Try creative ways to eat them: ground up in sauces, puddings, or smoothies, in salads and stir fries, spreads, on or in cereal or breakfast cookies.
According to Ayurveda, digestion is at it’s peak at mid-day, and lunch should be your main large meal for maximum nutritional benefits. Include lots of veg, whole grains and legumes and other foods (like nuts) to give you all 6 tastes - sweet (grains), salty, pungent (e.g. ginger, pepper), sour, (e.g. lemon or yogurt), bitter (greens) and astringent (legumes).
Eat lunch or any meal when you’re hungry, but before your energy level is down around your ankles, maybe have your meals a bit closer together, to help keep your energy up.
If you need a snack, whole grain + protein is a good bet. Fresh fruit and a handful of nuts will give you energy, plus vital nutrients, without the blood sugar crash. If you’re sick of nuts, try sprouted grain bread or crackers with pesto or hummus.
Carbs from whole grains are important energy sources, because they digest slowly, maintaining even blood sugar levels over a number of hours. That’s why your breakfast sustains you so well. Give lunch & supper the same opportunity.
I don’t know if legumes are an option on your diet, but for vegetarians, they are a major source of protein, vitamins & minerals, such as iron, and should be eaten every day, with whole grains.
More information on vegetarian nutrition:
Healthy Vegetarian Protein Foods
Savvy Vegetarian Nutrition Report
All the best, Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian
