Ilogical Eating

Part of my job is listening to the intimate details of what my clients are eating or not eating.  One of the common threads I hear is something like “I made sure to eat my protein since I had a few slices of bread and dessert at the restaurant.”

While protein is important and does even out the blood sugar while increasing satiation, it can’t make up for overeating starchy foods.

Vice and Virtue   

A recent study reported by Jeannine Stein in the Los Angeles Times showed this exact concept.  Researchers asked participants questions regarding caloric content of “vice” foods like cheese burgers and cheesecake and paired them with other “vice” foods or “virtue” foods such as salads and vegetables.

When the participants paired the vice foods with the virtue foods they lowered the estimated caloric content of the foods.  They believed that adding the virtuous food someone lowered or made up for the over consumption of the vice food.

What was more interesting is that the participants who were dieters knocked off twice as many calories as the non-dieters.  It was almost as if the “virtue” foods cancelled out the calories of the “vice” foods.

Sorry but no Cigar

Unfortunately the body does not respond in this manner.  If you consume 3 slices of bread the body will still secrete insulin to cover that amount of carbohydrate.  If you are insulin resistant, you will gain weight over time even you pair an overabundance of carbs with protein.

If you eat a large Danish pastry for breakfast, combining it with 2 eggs will not cancel out the calories or somehow make the pastry healthier.

The Way Out

The only way to somehow make up for “vice” foods is this – if you have a day of eating more vice foods, follow it up with a few virtuous or clean eating days.  If you know you are going to eat off your regular eating regime or go to a party, plan for it and sandwich it in between clean “virtue” days.

It’s just like having money in the bank – you can’t withdraw unless you have credit.  Eating virtuously for the most part gives you credit and occasional withdrawals.  Keeping a positive balance helps with longevity and health.

Reasonable lifestyle eating includes vice foods within reason and understanding they are the exception and not the rule in fueling one’s body.