Yes, you will. There is this great chocolate tiger cake or something like that at a restaurant here called The Pastry Pub. (Not to mention their sandwiches on croissants- man!) But, when I eat it, as soon as I get home, my body will shut down and go to sleep for a couple of hours, and I will hurt for two days. Once in a while, that may be worth it to me... I guess it's like people who go out and party and get drunk, knowing they will pay for that. The funny thing about that is, I've never understood why anyone would put themselves through those kinds of hangovers. Now, I kind of get it, because that's exactly what I've done at times with sugar. And, I still think it's kind of a dumb thing to do!
Anyway, I have found some things that are pretty good "legal" substitutes. No, they're not as good as the real thing, but I have found that the longer I stay on "the straight and narrow", the more my palate has adjusted to it, and I enjoy the legal foods more. Case in point, the first time I had diet soda, it was the grossest thing in the world. Now, regular soda is, besides the fact that that is the quickest way to a sugar coma and inevitable hangover I can think of.
One thing I should make clear is that not only do I have hypoglycemia (also called hyperinsulinism), and good percentage of those of us with fibro do have it, but there is diabetes in my family. So, I really don't want to overwork my pancreas that often, besides not wanting to feel awful. If you are really touchy with sugars and carbs, that may be a big part of it, so you might want to read up on it. Maybe I should add a link on symptoms. Remind me to do that.
If you aren't sure, start a food journal. Write down everything you eat and when and also write down when you feel sick, edgy, foggy, etc. Do this for a few days; you will be amazed at how clear the correlation is when it is written down. Until I did this, I couldn't see that food was affecting me.
Here are some legal treats I've found:
-Diet A&W root beer (other brands are gross, as far as I'm concerned)
-Sugar-free ice cream (technically not on the strict list, but I've never had an issue with it affecting my weight loss as long as I don't eat a gallon at a time).
-Sugar-free candy (same as the ice cream as far as affecting weight loss; Weight Watcher's mint patties and coconut candies are amazing. Werther's Originals has a sugar-free version, as does Jolly Ranchers, both of which taste identical to the sugared kind to me. Sugar-free gum is abundant. By the way, Doublemint is not sugar-free- found that out half-way through a pack. O.o Also, be aware that many sugar-free chocolates have sorbitol in them, which is a natural laxative, so take it easy. You don't really want to know how I learned that fact.)
-Egg creams (Ok, I'm a New Yorker at heart, though I haven't lived there since I was a toddler, so I know what these are and love them. There is no egg in it, for the record. I'm assuming it's called this because the foam looks like egg whites).
*seltzer water- about 8 oz. (make sure to leave quite a bit of room in the glass, or it will overflow and you will have a mess.)
*cream- about 1/8 to 1/4 cup
*sugar-free chocolate syrup to taste (in my town, I buy Eat Right; Be Fit brand at Smith's; it's in the diabetic section there)
Mix and enjoy. Don't use fizzless seltzer. There are these great little tops I found with a "ball" on top. Once I open the seltzer, I put this on and pump it up, and it lasts for weeks longer this way.
So, one issue I guess I should mention now- I don't measure; I'm Italian. I'm sorry. We genetically don't need to measure. We just eye-ball everything and it turns out well. If you're not Italian, I'm sorry you don't have this talent. It does make it hard when I'm trying to tell someone else a recipe- that's why all my measurements say "about".
-Sugar-free custard or mousse (I just find pre-made packs for this)
-Italian sodas
*seltzer water-about 8 oz.
*sugar-free syrup (like Torani, which, by the way, you can buy online when your store only carries SF vanilla; I recommend almond or amaretto flavor, which really should be the same thing, shouldn't it?....mmmm, almond.... sorry, Homer moment.)
*cream- about 1/8 to 1/4 cup (optional, though in my opinion, it's not)
-Ricotta cheese recipe from the last post.
-Strawberries and Cream (with a little Splenda mixed in)
If you use frozen strawberries, it kind of freezes the cream and makes instant ice cream. I've also microwaved it to make it warm and mushy.
Again, there are more things that I can't think of, but this is a good start. I have to say that never having to avoid cream makes me happy. People who can eat regular food but want to lose weigh can't say this. That seems at least a little more fair to me.
Hi Joy! Ronni referred me to your blog. :) It's nice to see someone writing about food in relation to fibro. I have fibro, hypermobility, anxiety, and epilepsy. I'm not hypoglycemic, but my big weakness with maintaining a healthy fibro diet is sweets!
ReplyDeleteI don't tolerate sodas well, and I don't tolerate artificial sweeteners. So, I tend to stay away from "sugar free," and go for "no sugar added" or natural products. I use a little agave nectar or honey when I want to sweeten something, and try to substitute fruits for baked goods.
Truthfully, you only miss your treats (in a craving kind of way) for a few weeks if you don't completely deprive your body of natural sugars. Of course, being hypoglycemic, you have to watch out for fruits that are high on the glycemic index, like bananas, but for other people, eating a normal serving of fruits can cut the cravings. After a while, the fruit will taste much better, much like your regular vs. diet soda situation.
I don't want to completely cut sweets out of my diet. I want to have a couple of coookies or some ice cream every once in a while! I've fallen off the no sweets wagon lots, but I don't guilt myself about it. I just try to remember how crappy it makes me feel, and make healthier choices.
Now, not being Italian is a different story. ;)
Oh, and I wanted to recommend a book - The Great Physician's series author has a Fibro/Chronic Fatigue book with some diet suggestions. I've found it really helpful and interesting!
I will keep that in mind about the sweeteners when I'm looking at recipes. For me, natural sweeteners do the same thing sugar does, yes. I wish they didn't. I have gone off sweeteners before: no diet soda, no splenda, etc., and I do think it is a better way to go. But, I found myself cheating more often just from boredom, so I let them back in. It's kind of my last hurdle, and I'm not ready yet, I suppose! I was using Stevia for a while, but considering it is just a plant, it has the worst aftertaste ever! And it would clump a lot, even when I was careful about mixing, and I'd end up with a clump of it in my mouth and want to throw up.
ReplyDeleteWhen I cheat, it is deliberate, knowing I'll be mad later, but I would suggest that anyone who is just starting this NOT do that for a while, not until his/her body is "cleaned out" first. It doesn't work well for pain to do it halfway in the beginning (I may have tried that initially). For one thing, the cravings don't go away if you are not doing it 100% to start, and that makes it seem impossible to continue if you haven't experienced life without them- I didn't know that was possible for a lot of years!
I will look for that book. Thanks!