One of the happiest days of my life was when, after divorcing my constant but deadly companion, sugar, I met an attractive young sweetener called
agave nectar. It has the sweetening power and consistency of honey, but is a little thinner and easier to pour, with a clean, pure sweetness. Oh joy! Its glycemic index is 27!
The sugar in agave nectar is fructose (not the chemically altered and messed-up "high fructose corn syrup" kind of fructose, but the kind that makes apples sweet). There is a lot of disinformation about agave on the 'net and each of us has the responsibility to read it all and decide the truth for ourselves. I read it, didn't believe the hysteria, dug deeper and found an old scandal (a company no longer in business substituted corn syrup for agave in its products back in the 90's, giving all agave producers a bad name forevermore, as nothing on the 'net ever goes away). People also linked the word "fructose" to "high fructose corn syrup," which certainly does nasty things to rodents when they eat a lot of it. However, fructose, the naturally occurring sugar in apples and other fruits, is not the same as HFCS, and it's bad science to say that what goes for laboratory-created HFCS goes for all fructose in nature.
I decided that no one was dying of eating too many apples, and chose a reputable product from a reputable company to try. I discovered to my amusement that the other major product of the agave plant is tequila. I don't drink alcohol (which is probably a very good thing, given my genetic inheritance), but I figured that consuming agave nectar in moderation would be about the same for me as another person having their nightly tipple. We all need some kind of treat that adds pleasure to our day and eases the stress of constant self-discipline. A little indulgence is worth the risk.
Another food I decided to add was green tea. It has detoxifying qualities that could help my organs clear the effects of almost five decades of glycemic abuse, and I particularly like green tea with jasmine. It is also a mild diuretic (lower than black tea or coffee), and I was having problems with water retention.
So my day begins with green tea, doctored with milk and agave, several cups a day, in fact. It's the only thing I drink, because it seems to deliver a tiny but steady stream of carbs, enough to keep me from hyperglycemia (blood sugar dropping, the symptoms of which are anxiety, shakiness, and increased urinary output, among others). I carry my thermos cup everywhere and sip, sip, sip constantly. Once in a while I substitute decaf for caf, when my kidneys kick into high gear and decide to skinny me down so I can fit in my "thin" jeans. This happens about once a month. I'll let you figure the timing of that one out. :)
I am also convinced, through the observations of 20 years of feeding a family, that it's highly important to start the day with protein in your belly. We're less hungry throughout the day, and are more alert and capable of exertion than when we've breakfasted only on cereal, toast, or pancakes.
Therefore, my breakfast begins with milky agave-sweetened jasmine green tea and three pieces of crisp turkey bacon. Thirty to sixty minutes later, I might have some scrambled eggs topped with cheese, sour cream, salsa (or all three!). I put an apple and some peanuts in my purse to eat on the go. If I'm going to be away from home for a while, I'll pack a day's worth of eats, all in small containers so I remember not to eat too much at one sitting.
Because it turns out that even if I eat the right foods without a single carb in sight, eating too much or too fast triggers my pancreas to kick out some insulin to deal with incoming crowds. If I want my pancreas to keep sleeping (so that I don't!), I have to sneak the food in quietly, a little at a time.
Tune in next for The List.
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