What’s your birthday cake?
Birthdays are like little milestones in our journey, aren't they? Personally, I see them as a great occasion to do some proper self-audit, to review my values and evaluate if and how my actions reflect them.
I recently came across the Raptitude’s article “How to Inherit a Fortune”, where the author claims that
“[...]a good life is one in which you’re frequently grateful for what your past self has left for you.
[...]
The catch is that achieving these personal wins, and leaving a rich inheritance for yourself all the way through life, depends on your ability and willingness to do things.”
Many say that philosophy is just daydreaming, and it has little real-life impact. I dissent.
That sentence had an immediate, very practical implication on my birthday celebration: what should be my birthday cake? Put in other words: how will the cake I choose impact the fortune my future self will inherit?
As soon as I reframed the cake problem in those terms, the choice became crystal clear and inevitable: this year, as a plant-based type 1 diabetic, there would be no cake with mountains of sugar and fat for me. Nope! Instead, I went all in with a colourful bowl of juicy fruits that not only made my taste buds dance but also gave a big high-five to my insulin sensitivity and the stability of my blood glucose.
Speaking in philosophical terms, I decided to align my actions to my values, to practise what I praise, to reinforce my commitment to health and well-being.
Fruit Power: The Secret Sauce to Maximum Insulin Sensitivity
The power of fruits in optimising insulin sensitivity cannot be overstated.
The Mastering Diabetes Method advocates for "green light" foods—those that are low in fat and rich in fiber—to achieve optimal health. Fruits embody this philosophy perfectly, offering a delectable blend of natural sugars, vitamins, and minerals that work harmoniously to enhance insulin responsiveness.
In truth, this week I had a few episodes of indulgence in "yellow light" foods (dates and bread, in particular). While dried fruit and bread are not the worst evil per se, as processed foods they surely impact your blood glucose levels in the hours following your meal. The fact that dates and breads trigger an uncontrollable appetite in me does not help at all.
With that in mind, I was faced with the choice of a cake, continuing down the dangerous path of processed foods, and dissipating the Fortune, or fruit, stacking up extra gold to my future metabolic well-being.
A very philosophical birthday cake.
Every Bite's a Step Towards a Better "Me"
You know, life's too short not to celebrate, but here's the thing: we don't need to go off the health wagon every time a special occasion comes around.
As James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, puts it: “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.
For me this translated into “Every bite I take is a vote for the kind of person I want to be.”
So, on my birthday, as I dug into my fruity feast, I wasn't just munching away—I was making a statement. I was saying, "Hey, I'm the kind of person who chooses health, who celebrates with vibrant choices, and who knows that real, wholesome food is the best kind of party!"
Crushing Cravings the Fruity Way
Let's be real, those cake cravings can be fierce. But guess what? Fruits can be like the ultimate craving-crushers! Trading in a sugar-loaded cake for a bowl of nature's candy might sound like a plot twist, but it's one that's oh-so-delicious. My birthday fruit bowl didn't just satisfy my sweet tooth; it showed me that when you pick whole, nourishing foods, you're not missing out on a thing. You're gaining flavor, satisfaction, and a newfound love for what's on your plate.
Needless to say that the colourful and juicy fruits in my bowl was all I needed to make my birthday a special day.
Bouncing Back, Fruit Style
We've all had our share of "oops" moments, and I am no exception.
But the best part is that we can always bounce back. After enjoying a bit more than my fair share of those "yellow light" foods (who can resist, right?), I knew just what to do. I defaulted to the easiest action to get back on track. By embracing fruits as a solution after consuming "yellow light" foods, I demonstrated a profound understanding of my body's needs: the fibre-packed goodness of fruits helped me make a smooth return to that sweet spot of balanced blood sugar levels, perfect time in range and mental and physical energy.
How? In a nutshell the fibers contained in fruit, which on its own slows down the absorption of sugars, is particularly effective because the typical sugar found in fruit is fructose, which has a lower glycemic index compared to glucose and sucrose.
Additionally, fruit’s soluble fibers hydrate and swell in the stomach, occupying space. This means that you’ll feel satiated more quickly, and that you'll be less likely to indulge and eat unnecessarily large portions (something that regularly occurs with cakes and sweets!).
From a mental performance perspective, we need simple sugars because our brain functions exclusively on glucose, our blood operates solely on glucose as well, and our muscle cells, for performing anaerobic activities, exclusively require sugars. Therefore, sugars are necessary, and fruit is the absolute best place to find them. If you seek your simple sugars in white sugar or hyper-processed sweets, you’re doing your organism the greatest disservice.
Charging Up My Runs with Fruity Fuel
As a plant-based type 1 diabetic runner, the carbohydrate-rich nature of fruits is one of my best allies in optimising energy levels for my runs. With fruits as my pre- and post-run companions, I harnessed the clean, sustained energy they provide—energy that propelled me through runs and expedited my recovery, all without the sugar crashes that accompany processed sugars. I can say that fruits are the magic ingredient that keeps me running (pun intended)!
Insulin sensitivity and time in range: your Fortune
So there you have it, folks!
My birthday wasn't just about the cake or the presents; it was a celebration of a lifestyle that's all about making choices that resonate with the kind of person I want to become. Fruits became my birthday candles, my confetti, and my cheers to a healthier, more vibrant future.
Fruits made my birthday a meaningful day. Every second presents an opportunity to increase the Fortune we will inherit. For a diabetic, this is especially true when it comes to choosing the food we consume. Health is the ultimate wealth, they say: pave your path with fruit, and you’ll have grown an immense Fortune!
Cheers to the fruit-fueled journey ahead! 🎉🍉
