I did it again…I snarfed down an apple while watching Jay Leno last night. So what if I am not loyal to any late night TV show. By my count…I can have an apple a day for the rest of the challenge (4 days) with one to grow on. My mind is racing how I will splurge with the remaining lone apple. Will I use it as a special treat dipping slices into PB (provided I have any left) or just take big bites out of it and savor its tangy juices? I have to say I have never eaten apples so completely of late, gnawing the very last bit from their cores knowing that it might be 24 hours until I have the ‘delicacy’ again.
When I look at the remaining food, I notice that more that half of the protein is gone with still a lot of carbs. Haven’t had any pasta and tomato sauce yet—meat flavored…I really should read labels more carefully. That is too special for a week night. Plus that would mean that I would have to boil water again.
It is a good thing that I don’t have diabetes like many of our clients who are on a particular HIV drug class, protease inhibitors. You see… just by taking these life-saving drugs, you can get diabetes. A heavy carb diet certainly costs less ‘dough’ and is more readily available. So who wouldn’t fill their belly with this food group if that was all there was. But my sugars would be totally out of whack if I also had diabetes to worry about.
I do have to say, there has been several people when they learn of the challenge say, “What only 7 days? I could do that.” But when you are used to eating three balanced meals a day—OK, somewhat balanced, and now taking in half the daily calories, this is stuff. I am not going to sugar coat it. Would be the same for someone whose life was clicking along, and now 'down-sized' and given less hours at their hourly-wage job...compound that with having to struggle with either HIV disease or cancer. I say talk is cheap.
An apple a day to keep the doctor away? It wouldn’t hurt. But for our clients, a better way is healthy meals, education and a concerted effort to stick to their drugs—drugs that require certain foods to be effective. Food that we provide which also helps clients tolerate severe GI side effects. It's all about quality of life, too.
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