A Word About "Cheating"

The Change That Changes Everything, Part 10

First things first, I should probably 'fess up that yes, sometimes I "cheat." 

Our general policy with this new way of eating is to eat food that is as “clean” (pure) and unprocessed as possible—in the form that it grew in, eaten either raw or cooked. This is what "whole food, plant-based eating" is.

Sometimes I do “cheat,” however—but only in certain areas... and I try to have it be rare. 

I never cheat on the vegan piece or the gluten-free piece. No animal products and no gluten, ever. 

The other pieces I do sometimes “cheat” on, in the following (rare) ways:

- Refined oils. I’m sure that when we eat out, refined oil is used, even in the vegan/GF food we select. I don’t use any refined oils at home for cooking. (No, not even organic extra-virgin olive oil. Not even organic coconut oil. Not even organic avocado oil. Especially not any “junk” oils like vegetable oil or corn oil or canola oil!) True confession: we do sometimes have popcorn with a little high-quality olive oil from the exotic local oil and vinegar tap house (and nutritional yeast!) on it.

- Refined sugar. I am very strict with this piece of the puzzle because when I cheat with refined sugar—think a GF pastry treat from the local vegan bakery, or a Chick-fil-A “sun joy” i.e. “Arnold Palmer” here—the familiar band of nerve/muscle pain across my mid back returns within 24 hours! Nevertheless, very rarely,  I do have it. Interestingly, this band of pain does not return if I have a little bit of pure maple syrup or honey or use some dates as a natural sweetener. I think processed, refined sugar (whether white sugar or brown sugar) must really cause inflammation and other problems, at least in my body! We have not consumed artificial sweeteners (those terribly unhealthy, sickeningly sweet neurotoxins in the pink and yellow and blue packets) for many years now. If you’re still doing so, cut it out! (Actually, do what you want, of course. But I would strongly suggest you stop reading right now and investigate for yourself the many dangers of artificial sweeteners until you become convinced on your own to “cut it out”! But a discussion of that topic is beyond the purview of this post.) Bottom line? For sweetness, stick to fresh fruit, pure maple syrup, local raw honey, and dates—and even then, have it be moderate and rare! Walk away from the rest of it!

- Processed foods. I do occasionally have a GF pasta or GF crackers or a GF tortilla of some sort. I choose the “cleanest” possible alternative (fewest ingredients, and all permitted). But in general I try to avoid manufactured foods with barcodes. 

Now, by way of example—here's a specific question I’ve received concerning vegan cheese. It is “cheating” in both the refined oil category and in the processed food category (if store-bought). So I avoid it. I have eaten a pizza at the local make-your-own-individual pizza) place, with a GF crust and vegan cheese. It doesn’t satisfy the “real pizza" craving for me—and it is definitely “cheating”—so I only do this if this is where someone wants to eat out and I’m joining them. It’s happened once or twice, I think, in six months. (NOTE: Now I order the GF crust, get generous amounts of every veggie and fruit they have, and skip the vegan cheese. It's way more delicious without it!) 

There’s a vegan cheese spread at Trader Joe’s I bought once—and it’s delicious!— but it’s highly processed so I avoid buying it regularly. I just make homemade hummus instead and eat that on veggies or GF crackers (which are also “cheating”).

I have saved a couple of recipes for vegan cheese that I plan to try (still “cheating” with oil but not preservatives if I make it homemade) but I haven’t yet because I’m trying to avoid the cheating as much as possible!

My friend Rachel rarely cheats, if ever. She is the one who has rheumatoid arthritis and was wheel-chair bound when she started this. After years of eating this way, she is out of a wheelchair and completely pain-free. Of course she doesn't cheat! She has to eat this way to be able to walk and function.

I have to mostly eat this way to remain pain-free, so I try not to cheat. Since I don't fully understand how and why this has taken away all of my pain (and given me more energy, and improved my sleep), I don't want to mess too much with the variables!

I do notice a return of some pain when I consume processed sugar, so I avoid that pretty strictly. 

I have never cheated on the vegan or gluten-free piece since we started, as I feel certain from all my research that these are very big pieces of the puzzle.

Basically, I guess you will have to figure out what are your pieces that you will allow for "cheating" on, and how frequently. In the words of my daughter to a mutual friend of ours, however: “Don't say it didn't work unless you do it the right way, with no cheating, to see if you get better!"

Read Part 11, What a Typical Day Looks Like

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Start the story at the beginning with Part 1.