Being Insulin Resistant in the Land of Treats: Belgium Dark Chocolate and Waffles

I’ve been here just over 24 hours and have passed at least 100 chocolate shops and 25 places to get the most amazing varieties of waffles.

At first it is beyond imaginable but now the excitement of what living in this environment does to the body sets in.  I preach the effects of the good diet in Europe and how thin people are – something not completely true in Belgium or at least Brussels. 

Many are normal weight but the insulin resistant belly is all too prominent.  And with good cause – I wonder how long the most insulin sensitive person could survive without turning insulin resistant.

Not familiar with the terms?

Insulin Sensitive – those whose metabolisms work like a charm and can eat most anything they want – when eating several waffles their body secretes insulin which happily metabolizes the waffles quickly without much effect in the body.

Insulin Resistant – those who metabolisms are sleepy, sluggish or just plain stubborn.  Upon eating a waffle their insulin laughs, with the sugar sitting outside the body’s cells waiting to get in like a child not allowed into the playroom.  The longer it sits there the carbohydrate cravings escalate and the fatigue sets in.

Fair?  Hardly.

In this particular setting what’s an insulin resistant person to do? 

Here’s my strategy to ensure you don’t have a backlash or all out carbohydrate party that continues on for more than that occurrence:

• Dark Chocolate: I walked into a chocolate store and bought a few dark chocolate truffles.  I ate one immediately and saved the rest for later.  I recommend 1-2 squares of dark chocolate daily as a treat to prevent bingeing on other carbohydrates.  Dark chocolate (and especially Belgium as I have learned) is very satisfying and has no flour and minimal sugar.

• Waffles:  Jeffrey got a waffle within a few minutes of my truffles.  I did not get one but had a few bites of his, which were more than satisfying.  Belgian waffles seem to be infused with delightful flavors of maple syrup, a bit of confectionary sugar and butter.  I can see how eating these could be pretty addictive so I limited the bites.  Careful is the key word here.  

If you want to try a new food in a different country buy a small amount or share with a friend.  And it’s always better to have after you’ve had some protein and/or you are not too hungry.

After these treats I did what I always do in another country.  I went to the nearest grocery store and bought some local food:  berries, bananas, plums, organic plain yogurt, 2 kinds of Belgian cheese, and some sliced almonds.  Having clean food gives me options and alternatives for meals and snacks.

European grocery shopping has got to be one of my favorite things to do – looking at the different interesting food choices – I do feel like a kid in a candy store – pardon the pun.

Take home message?  If you are insulin sensitive go ahead and have the chocolate and waffles –at least in moderation since large amounts of sugar destabilize the immune system and can deplete nutrients from the body. Remember even if you are on vacation insulin resistance is not so mindful and prepared for the backlash of pumping your body with treats.

Besides indulging within moderation, make sure you’re pretty active and getting your protein around the clock to help cravings, weight gain and fatigue.

I must have walked a few miles today and got myself to the small gym – so I can come home and fit in my clothes, look like my job and continue to write these blogs with integrity.  Thanks for reading!

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.

Can you Have Diabetes without Knowing It?

Diabetes can be a slow silent killer and closer than you realize.  With one in three Americans insulin resistant and in the pre-diabetes range soon these people could be diabetic.

Double the amount of people in the US getting cancer and swine flu combined have diabetes, yet many are not even aware of the risk or take it seriously.  Diabetes is a serious disease with multiple complications, yet can so easily be prevented and or controlled with simple lifestyle management.

So where do we begin?  I am going to take a few blogs to answer questions and invite those reading to ask questions they may have regarding nutritional diabetes management.

If you have a parent with diabetes you have the gene and are at a much higher risk that those without a family history and/or have a poor lifestyle.  In general it is a good idea to have your doctor monitor your fasting blood glucose level (sugar taken prior to your am meal).  This number should be less than 95.  If you find your fasting blood sugars rising over several years you are slowly becoming diabetic.  Fasting numbers in the 100-115 range are considered pre-diabetic.  What are other measures to check if you suspect you are diabetic?

Glycosylated hemoglobin A1C – a fancy name for what your blood sugar averaged over the last 3 months - can be easily measured with a regular blood test. That number should be less than 6.0.  Many times patients will come to me stating they have pre-diabetes or a few higher blood sugars when indeed they are diabetic.  Once this number is over 6.0 you are technically diabetic.  Another way to diagnosis diabetes is to test your blood sugars 2 hours after a meal.  If that number is over 126 on more than 2 occasions then you are diabetic, according to the American Diabetes Association guidelines.

If you want to get more technical then have 2 other tests done- a fasting insulin level and c-peptide.  Both these measures can become elevated before the A1C rises and measure how hard your pancreas is working to achieve a normal blood sugar level.  The fasting insulin should be less than 10 and the c-peptide should be less than 4.0.  Normal ranges for some laboratories may slightly differ from these numbers.

Have these laboratory tests measured annually with a physical exam to keep track to prevent a possible surprise diagnosis.  Taking control of your health may mean you need to monitor these levels yourself since they may be in range, and passed over by your physician who may be looking for flagged numbers.  Because a lab does not differentiate whether a “normal” glucose is fasting or non-fasting it is very possible to be diabetic and not be aware of it.  So yes, you can have diabetes and not know it sometimes for many years.

Tomorrow – Preventing Diabetes

What about that Movie Popcorn?

One of the things I hear in my office on a regular basis is “and why aren’t I supposed to be eating that movie popcorn?”  This week’s LA Times “Movie Popcorn Still a Nutritional Horror” gives the stats on the nutritionals of movie theatre popcorn.  American culture associates popcorn with movies, or eating with movies.   How bad is movie popcorn and is it really going to break your health bank?  It all depends on your goals, and how often you go to the movies.  If you are normal weight, and go to the movies sporadically this blog may not be for you.

If you need to lose weight and/or are insulin resistant here’s the scoop.  The average medium sized movie popcorn adds up to somewhere between 700-1300 calories which are coming from carbohydrate and fat. 

Let’s say you work hard all week long at your lifestyle changes– you are watching your bites closely and have averaged eating 200 calories less per day.  You’ve gone to the gym diligently and are getting your rest.  Your deficit for the week is 1400 calories and some change for the extra calories you have burned during your workouts.  For simplicity let’s say your total deficit is 1800 calories.  A weekly movie popcorn could wipe out at least half that work and one or two other blips could obliterate it.  Ask yourself – “if I work hard all week, is it worth it to change that hard work in a 2 hour movie”?

Sometimes all it takes is telling yourself you are changing the habit and re-wiring your brain to accept new scenarios – when going to the movies you can go after a meal, or bring your usual snack of nuts and fruit, or just stick to water.  Your brain and body will fight with you for a few times but will eventually give up and get used to your new routine.   In A Recipe for Life I outline how all the little extra bites DO add up.  How about starting with the movies?  Your Lifestyle bank will thank you.