One of the hardest lessons of pre-diabetes has been the end of this idea: indulgences here and there don’t count. If you’re monitoring your blood glucose levels, everything counts. Your daily glucose levels and your HbA1c will tell you that.
A friend of mine once told me that her mother would eat low-carb meals and avoid sweets several days or even weeks before going to the doctor, to avoid an abnormal glucose reading. There are all kinds of ways we cheat and convince ourselves that the indulgences don’t really matter.
That’s not to say I don’t sometimes choose foods that I know will raise my blood sugar. I might have a slice of homemade bread with Manchego at our favorite Spanish restaurant, or a mini chocolate croissant alongside my plate of scrambled eggs at the French bakery. (Note: it used to be a large croissant, no eggs… so progress!) But I don’t pretend anymore that these choices don’t matter or will have no effect.
For that reason, I found this article in the Washington Post fascinating. (“This is your body on fast food,” by dietician Christy Brissette.) Her 80/20 rule gives clients the option – if they choose – to eat their favorite unhealthy meals occasionally, about 20 percent of the time, while striving for healthy meals the rest of the time. Yet, she also lays out all the short-term effects such meals – even once in a while – have on our bodies.
The article perfectly illustrates the interconnectedness of food and health and the unexpected ramifications of our decisions. I can certainly relate to her point that one high-starch meal will spike blood sugar levels, and then leave you with a “low.” But even if you’re not diabetic, indulgences take their toll. I didn’t know, for example, that a meal high in saturated fat can inflame the airways of people with asthma, making an attack more likely. We can’t possibly know all the ways in which food affects our health, but there is enough evidence to suggest it’s worth making the best choices we can every day.
You might be thinking, this sounds a little depressing – I have to watch everything I eat and never enjoy food again.
Here’s the upside: after several months of healthy eating and stable blood sugars, you won’t want to experience the blood sugar roller coaster ever again. And most of those so-called “treat” foods will lose their appeal.
Here’s how I know.
I used to adore pancakes. That was my order, anytime I ate breakfast out. My mom and I used to celebrate special occasions by going to the Ritz – the chef made sublime banana pancakes, dusted with powdered sugar. Eggs and bacon for breakfast? Are you crazy? I know now that my love of pancakes stems from a years-long habit of having sweets for breakfast… but that’s a story for another time.
A few months after my initial pre-diabetes diagnosis and subsequent efforts to reduce sugar in my diet, my birthday approached. The suggestion was made to go to the Ritz for brunch with my parents, husband, and kids to celebrate (I leave the reader to divine who made this proposal).
I agreed, reasoning that there was probably some delicious egg dish on the menu I could eat. What I didn’t fully acknowledge – until the waiter was looking at me expectantly, pen poised to take my order – was that my subconscious reasoning went something like this: it’s my birthday, I’ve been eating so healthy lately, what’s one breakfast? I used to eat pancakes all the time, I’m sure it will be fine – just this once.
And so – two sizable pancakes (with syrup) later, I felt ok. We left the restaurant, everyone happy, birthday celebrated.
But pretty soon I began to feel horrible. I was thirsty, hot, weak, sick to my stomach, shaky, and so tired I had to lay down for the rest of the afternoon – instead of spending time with my kids. It was the worst birthday ever.
That was the last time I ate a real honest-to-goodness, white-flour pancake. (There are some lovely almond-flour versions I now make at home occasionally, but I only eat one… somehow, a “stack of pancakes” for breakfast has lost its appeal.) Just like that, I realized that the trade-off – eating the “treat” meal once in a while because it would make me feel good about eating healthy the rest of the time – was a false choice. It wasn’t going to help or make me feel better at all – in fact, it was going to make me feel terrible, both in the short-term and, most likely, in the long-term, too.
So for me, the 80/20 rule doesn’t work. This is all-or-nothing, folks. There is no going back to the “way I used to eat,” even just for one meal. Everything counts.
And I’m grateful for it. Why?
- Mindfulness. Thoughtfully composing my meals means I’m more attuned to how food makes me feel. The threat of a long-term consequence, like a potential diabetes diagnosis, doesn’t always sway me in the moment. What does? How I feel immediately after eating. The omelet with vegetables, the fruit and plain Greek yogurt, or even an egg and cheese sandwich on a whole-wheat English muffin make me feel 100 times better than pancakes or any other sweet, starchy breakfast. The choice of what to eat then becomes easier, because I know what the short-term effect will be.
- Inclusion, not elimination. I can still indulge, on the margins. The bite of chocolate croissant or half a small muffin is more than enough, if I want to experience carbs, but most of the time I don’t. I’m not even tempted because I’m loving my delicious breakfast of eggs, colorful fresh fruit, etc.
- Simplicity. Breakfast buffets or other large spreads are easy to navigate now; I head for the eggs, protein and fruit, and avoid the potatoes, breads, pastries, cereals. That eliminates a lot of decision-making effort better spent on other things.
- Variety. At restaurants, I’m now an eggs-for-breakfast girl, and the combination of veggies/cheese/meat omelets are endless. At home, I’m a big fan of parfaits with fruit, yogurt or cottage cheese, and nuts or seeds. (Dusted with cinnamon instead of powdered sugar.) Again, endless possibilities and variations.
Have you tried “going back” to your old way of eating after a long period of change? How did it make you feel? Does it help or hurt your commitment to healthy eating? How will you make your choices count today?