IN the last 10 years, there have been a couple of drastic changes in my diet. The first adjustment wasn?t my choice; I was diagnosed a Type II diabetic in 2001, and had to cut down on my intake of sugar. The second was a voluntary change; I gave up meat ? beef, pork and chicken ? in 2005, purely as a matter of belief. Yes, the changes were difficult at first, but no, I am certainly not dying of starvation. In fact, with regard to giving up meat, my only regret is that I didn?t do it earlier.
Fortunately for me, I have generally been able to control my diabetes through medication and exercise, sugar is not absolutely taboo. In fact, my internist suggests I eat a bit of cake once a week just to give in to the craving. Some weeks, it?s easy to be a good girl; others, I have to really sweat blood to ignore that cake (especially this time of the year, when there?s always a lot of cake on the table). And if you have a sweet tooth like me ? I was the kind of person who would skip the main course to eat a quarter of the aforementioned cake ? that?s a huge sacrifice.
Like I have always said, though, I thank God everyday for artificial sweeteners like Splenda, Stevia, and Halo, because they make a sweet-toothed diabetic?s life a lot more normal. I clap with glee when enlightened restaurants offer sugar-free options, and there are lots of them now (paging Starbucks: what happened to your fabulous Banana Chocolate Chip muffins with Splenda that could make my day?!). I do believe natural is better, and I?m lucky I can still opt for some muscovado or honey in my drink without going into a coma, but the fact is, for now, it would still be healthier for me to glug a diet soda.
Which is a moot point, by the way, because after a couple of years of averaging six cans of diet soda a day, I also gave that up five years ago. Now that was also tough, but it got to the point when I was flirting with ulcers as I gulped down the stuff even on an empty stomach. So you?ll forgive me today for smiling in both sympathy and smugness when I hear friends say they ?just can?t give it up.? Oh yes, you can.
The second diet revolution was my choice, and came about after a few years of yoga practice, and the realization that I no longer felt too good about killing an animal to eat when there are tons of options. I don?t call myself a vegetarian because I still eat fish; I just don?t eat meat anymore.
Now, you have to have the right motivation for this. I had given up meat for six months when I was 23 just to lose weight, and of course I soon lost my determination ? and gained the weight right back. This time, my reason was more fundamental and personal, though it didn?t make the change much easier. I had to leave the room when someone was eating a hamburger (aaarrrggh!), and I still sigh in nostalgia when I see my Mother?s callos or pochero. But I?m beyond being tempted anymore, and my family and friends have realized that. Now, ?What can Alya eat?? has become an essential criterion during menu planning when they know I?m going to be there.
Now, a point on whether it?s practical for a diabetic to give up meat: in my experience, it?s not. You tend to veer towards carbohydrates ? not always a good idea when you?re watching your glucose intake. I once took a plane ride where the airline?s idea of a vegetarian meal was a plate of rice, mashed potatoes, and pasta! I still gain weight when I don?t watch what I eat or don?t move enough. I really had to learn to eat more vegetables ? French fries don?t count ? and I?ve discovered how delicious they can be when cooked in different ways. And if and when I do crave for a version of that meaty taste, there?s vegemeat, tofu, and other yummy alternatives. Try Goodburgers ? they?ve got branches in Greenhills, Libis, Teachers Village and Kapitolyo ? and you?ll see what I mean.
All that being said, please understand that part of successfully incorporating a diet change in your lifestyle means respecting the eating choices of the people around you. How many times have you wanted to push your seatmate?s face in his or her soup when he or she got started on what you?re eating? It works both ways; people can yak when you?re eating too unhealthy (?Do you know how many calories are in that cake??) or too healthy (?How can you survive on grass? I really need my meat, or I get dizzy.?)
Simply do unto others what you hope they do unto you, and be patient. Meals at my house and with my close friends still involve all kinds of meat, but they?ve stopped asking me questions.
Restaurant choices are tweaked so I know there?s something on the menu for me. And when all else fails, yes, I am lenient; I?m not going to slap a waitress for failing to mention that there are some bits of pork in my lumpia, although I have taken one to task for trying to pass off a pork dumpling with bits of spinach as ?vegetarian? ? ?May spinach naman, ma?am, eh.? People in the food business have no business being there if they cannot respect the diet needs of a wide range of clients.
Recently, a friend took me to meet her close family friends in New Jersey, and the head of the family, Joe, a proud, flamboyant Italian-American, had whipped up the family specialty in my honor: spaghetti with meatballs on the side. My friend had failed to inform them that I didn?t eat meat anymore. Joe looked at me with a hurt expression on his face, and asked. ?So what?s going to happen if you eat one?? ?Nothing, actually,? I said, and proceeded to eat half a meatball. Joe smiled and said, ?See? But I won?t force you to eat more, because you don?t look happy.? It was my first bite of beef in four years; I honestly felt very uncomfortable, and could taste the gamey smell in my mouth for hours afterwards. Still, the meal was much more memorable because of the mutual respect. ?
