You can have your cake and eat it! (under these 5 conditions)

Throughout my years on my course I’ve learned that the vast majority of health problems currently plaguing the nation can be related to imbalanced blood sugar levels and insulin resistance, caused by a diet far too high in sugars and refined carbohydrates.  This doesn’t leave cake as a food that comes highly recommended by health professionals!  Nonetheless it is still my favourite food and I enjoy it as often as I want! & here’s how!

1. Have a healthy relationship with food. 

Remember that cake should be eaten for pleasure and celebration, not as a substitute for proper stress reduction.

Me & my friend enjoying our late
Christmas present of cocktails and cake

There is a culture in many workplaces of constantly bringing in cakes for no particular reason and when you’re having a stressful time it’s all too easy to reach for them as a source of comfort and to help you get through the day.  I am certainly no stranger to succumbing to this and this was one of my main barriers to being vegan (and healthy!).  

It is completely understandable, given that stress lowers serotonin (one of the happy feel-good brain chemicals!) levels in the brain and consuming high carbohydrate foods helps to increase its activity.  Nonetheless, constantly doing this can lead to addiction and obesity and does nothing to address the problems that have made you stressed in the first place.  If you are depressed or stressed, seek professional help and try to think of practical solutions to your problems.

See my blogs http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/5-things-to-do-when-black-dog-strikes.html and http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/depression-part-2-food-mood-and.html for more on how to get help for stress and depression. and http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/chocolate-cake-cheese-or-steak-what-do.html for more on cravings

    

2. Ensure the majority of your diet is healthy!

Make fresh, lightly cooked vegetables or low GI (low sugar, slow releasing) fruits a major part of every meal.  Potatoes don’t count! Green leafy vegetables, asparagus, courgettes, aubergines, peppers, runner beans, mushrooms (ok, they’re not vegetables if you want to be pedantic but they’re still very healthy!) onions, avocados are some of many great vegetables to include in your diet.  In terms of fruit, the lower sugar ones include blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries (yum!) apples,         plums, nectarines, pears and peaches.  Tropical fruits are higher in sugar but should not be seen as out of bounds (as you’ll see on my earlier post ‘Tropical Morning Sunrise’), it’s just better to focus on the lower sugar fruits most of the time.

Consume adequate protein with each meal to slow the release of carbohydrates into the bloodstream.  Protein requirements vary from person to person depending on gender, body weight and level of physical activity but as a general rule people should consume around 0.8g protein per kg of body weight per day.  Aside from animal products, plant-based sources of protein include a great variety of beans, lentils, nuts and seeds, tofu and tempeh, protein powders and wholegrains, particularly quinoa and amaranth. Including meat or fish substitutes occasionally is fine as long as they’re GM free and do not contain hydrogenated fats.  It’s good to eat a wide range of protein sources to ensure a good balance of amino acids and nutrients.

Also eat healthy fats!  Fats should not be consumed in excess but the correct kind and quantity of fat in the diet is essential for healthy hormone signalling, absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K, for antioxidants to be correctly utilised, brain function, protection of internal organs and skin health.  2 kinds of polyunsaturated fats are essential (omega 3 and omega 6).  Most people tend to consume too much omega 6 and insufficient omega 3 fats and this can lead to inflammation in the body.  Aside from flax and chia seeds and their oils, most polyunsaturated fat sources (sunflower oil, soya oil, corn oil) are too high in omega 6 and can lead to imbalanced levels.  To counteract this it’s good to make the bulk of your fat intake centred around sources mainly composed of monounsaturates such as olive oil, avocados, nuts (particularly macadamia and hazelnuts), high oleic (monounsaturated) sunflower oil and rapeseed oil.  Coconut oil is high in beneficial medium-chain saturated fats and low in omega 6 and therefore a good versatile fat to use.

 

3. Adopt measures to increase insulin sensitivity. 
Chromium is a mineral that has well-documented use for increasing insulin sensitivity (allowing insulin to do its job better so that insulin resistance does not develop) and supplementing it can help reduce carbohydrate cravings.  A nutritional therapist can help determine an appropriate dosage for you.

Cinnamon (yum again!) is great for increasing insulin sensitivity and has a long history of use for this purpose.  In winter I like to have it with porridge and oat-based fruit crumbles.  I love that it adds flavour as well as health benefits to baked goods! 

Omega 3 fats can help to increase insulin sensitivity.  The kind found in flax and chia seeds must undergo changes in the body in order to be utilised correctly but supplements made from algae-based omega 3 fats can also be taken.  See opti3omega.com for some supplements that, unlike fish oil capsules are environmentally sustainable and free from mercury, toxins and pollutants.

Exercise!  Exercise is wonderful for increasing insulin sensitivity.  I personally enjoy going to the gym but if that’s not your thing that’s fine.  I also enjoy walking, running, swimming, dancing around in my room, ice skating and roller-skating.  Even things that might not be considered exercise like mowing the grass and doing housework can contribute.  There are so many ways exercise can be incorporated into your life.

(Please note that any changes to the diet should be made gradually and diabetics must consult a suitably qualified health professional when adopting anything new that may increase insulin sensitivity to avoid the risk of hypoglycaemic attacks.)

  

4. Make your own (where possible)!

I can certainly appreciate that not everyone has the time to make their own cakes but if you do (or know someone who does) it’s great to make your own baked goods so that you know exactly what’s gone into them!  Shop-bought cakes tend to have horrendous amounts of sugar in them, flavour enhancers and artificial colourings.  When I make baked goods I use good quality organic ingredients but I don’t go so far with trying to make it healthy that it’s just not edible!  The website veganbaking.net is wonderful for tips on making cakes without using overly artificial (or animal-derived) ingredients.

  

5. Eat mindfully and enjoy!

Bingeing followed by guilt, not what you want!

I think this is such an important part of health advice that is often unfortunately missed.  We so often eat too quickly, eat out of boredom, eat in front of the television or whilst doing something else that we can forget to stop and fully appreciate the food we’re eating.  Try to eat slowly, chewing thoroughly and paying attention to the amazing flavours and textures of cake!  Beats mindlessly stuffing your face and the self-loathing that inevitably follows!

Once all of these conditions have been satisfied, you can have your cake and eat it! Guilt free!