Sugar Is Evil

Okay, a little update on my ongoing struggle, or more accurately, battle, with my current diet.  When our doctor/herbalist laid down the law for me regarding my diet, my heart fell.  I can’t eat chicken AT ALL, lessen the meats, and “BAWAL TAMIS”.  The words thundered in my ears.  I can handle not eating meat.  I can handle not eating chips.  I can handle depriving myself of things I desire (I’ve mastered the art through the years).  But I CANNOT say no to sweets.  My favorite things in the world are softdrinks, ice cream, and cake/pastries.  It’s like telling a bird not to fly, or a fish not to swim, or a porn star not to…be sexy.

So fine, no sweets.  So I cut down on the obvious stuff like candies and chocolates and cake and other stuff that make my wiwi so sweet even ants swarm to it.  But apparently, the doctor meant stop sugar, not just lessen it.  Next, I find out, fruits are sweet for a reason.  Although fructose (sugar found in fruit) is more natural than sucrose (table sugar), it’s still sugar.  And yes, even non-sweet fruits are still essentially sugar bombs.  Next, no artificial sweeteners.  I assumed that since most marketing for artificial sweeteners state that they’re safe for diabetics, I replaced all my sugars with fake ones.  My doctor not-so-gently informed me that aspartame, among other fake sweeteners are included in the no-no list.  So you think I finally get it right?  Far from it.

Now, my doctor’s next target is rice.  Apparently, rice is sugar too.  Although I eat mostly brown unpolished rice, I guess it’s still converted to sugar.  How can I stop rice?  Even as a kid, my then living father would constantly remind me not to engorge myself on the asian staple.  I’ve always been a big rice eater. I even coined my own tagline for unpolished rice: “keeping it brown, keeps the blood sugar down”.  Bah.  My doctor said I’m still consuming too much sugar.  I had to rein in my frustration and told him with as much restraint that I HAVE avoided all sorts of sugar already, then he assumed it must be the rice.  I couldn’t argue because I do eat brown rice generously, since I was told it had a low glycemic index.  Oh well.  What next?  Bawal kamote?  Bawal water?  Bawal air?  BAWAL LOVE?!?

Sorry…you can tell this is upsetting me.  Fine, I will try lessening  rice to maybe 3 grains a day, one grain per meal.  Let’s see what my doctor says after that.  At least I might lose some extra pounds?  Although I’m not really a fan of those low-carb diets, because I really get cranky and borderline suicidal without carbs, I guess I’m kinda headed that way.  Whatever.  I have to go.  I’m hungry.  I’ll get a snack.  Maybe a teaspoon of lukewarm water and half a lettuce leaf.