I want to thank Stacey Clayton for posting this article, a listing of “12 of the Most Disgusting Delicacies” … it reminded me to do this post.
Growing up, my brother and I had to eat at least one bite of everything on our plates. If I heard my dad say this once … I heard him say it a thousand times…
“I’m not running a “K & W”, you eat what we fix… or you don’t eat.”
BTW, “K & W” is a cafeteria style restaurant. :)
Yes I held my nose and ate all manner of “yucky” green vegetables including spinach, collards, brussel sprouts etc. Over time I learned to love them … or at least like them. As in many areas of my life, I would come to appreciate my dad’s efforts. He laid the “groundwork” for my ability and willingness to eat a diverse meal plan. It’s not just the vegetables either, I’ve eaten many kinds of meats/animals. I won’t go through the list here but I have eaten alligator, rattlesnake, venison, squid and rabbit to name a few.
All of my previous eating training has paid off when it comes to eating a “proper” diabetes diet. How so? There are not many foods that I can not eat… in fact, there are none that I know of…. key phrase being “that I know of”. :)
In my efforts to help teach people the advantages of eating a low inflammatory meal plan I often hear comments such as :
“I don’t eat chicken” , “I can’t eat ____” or ” I don’t like fish “
… if you have ever said that to me, my typical response is …
“Look, I am NOT asking you to eat grub worms, snails or monkey brains….things that other people in other cultures MUST eat to survive.
I am asking you to eat meat and vegetables. Unless you have a legitimate intolerance or allergic reaction to a food… DO NOT SAY ‘I can’t eat’ ANTHING. “
Of course… I use caps here for emphasis… I always talk in a sweet endearing fashion…. :)
Note: When I say “meat”, I use that term very loosely. For me, that basically means anything that comes from an animal including poultry, beef, venison, fish, pork and seafood.
You don’t have to eat all the things I eat … but you do have to eat enough of them to provide you with enough diversity to not become bored with my diabetic nutrition chart.
Honestly… some people tell me that they would rather take harmful drugs and insulin shots EVERY DAY …. than to eat fish, or eggs or even hamburger or steak. We are humans… we can adapt to MANY different environments. We as a species eat a WIDE array of foods… DO NOT TELL YOURSELF… that you can not eat fish, beef or poultry… nor low carb veggies because I KNOW YOU CAN.
Don’t act as if I’m asking you to eat… I don’t know…. this.
Trust me…. eating fish, eggs or steak … is nothing like “Fruit Bat Soup” … or even this next picture. :))
My diabetes diet or more specifically… the meal plan I use to fight and win the battle with diabetes is based on “The Primal Blueprint“.
If you too would like to be a Diabetes Warrior, let me help you FIGHT and win the battle with diabetes….without eating bats and caterpillars…. CLICK HERE! :)
Nice post! I was diagnosed as a T2 diabetic 8 weeks ago and since then have followed a paleo diet and have been able to discontinue my meds. I control it entirely through diet/exercise. My blood sugar is still higher than I’d like (110-120s) but I’m fully confident I’ll be able to bring it down further. I used to be a vegan and I did have pangs of guilt when I realized that that way of life was killing me. I’m an animal lover and was helped by reading “The Vegetarian Myth” – so you’re right: you can eat anything.
Thanks Amy for the comment, I love HEARING success stories!!! CONGRATS to your success in battling diabetes!!! :)
I too am an animal lover… I even tried to go vegetarian for ethical reasons a couple of years ago… could not do it. Let me know if I can help. :) cooksey.steve@gmail.com
I don’t know, that fungus dish looks sort of interesting! Bring on the Klingon Gahg! As far as “I can’t eat _______.” I would only relegate that statement to food allergies. It’s not a good idea for me to eat rock lobster tails. Good for the ER bill, not good for me! LOL! Excellent post, as always, Cuz!