Gnocchi Guilt

I confess: I fell off the Brentwood-Diet wagon last week. The gnocchis at Spumoni, a Santa Monica restaurant, cried out to me. Gnocchis are Italian dumplings made with white potatoes and white flour--both forbidden foods on the Brentwood Diet.

Now, the gnocchis in question were no ordinary gnocchis. They were Spumoni gnocchis, which mere gnocchis can only aspire to--chewy, tasty nuggets of yumminess that embrace sauce. Sure, there were more Brentwood-Diet-friendly options on the menu, but to pass on the gnocchis seemed almost sacrilegious. Especially since, the pesto sauce that accompanied them was inspired, as well.

Of course, when in Phase Two of the Brentwood Diet, slips are factored in to the 90%-on / 10%-off formula of maintenance. And in the case of the Spumoni gnocchis, I only ate half the bowl. Nevertheless, the sense of guilt was way out of proportion with the cheat. Somehow, a well-marbled steak grilled to perfection or a snack of goat cheese slathered on a fresh fig seemed like lesser crimes. Yet, such detours from the Brentwood Diet come with hefty helpings of saturated fat.

So, why did those low-cholesterol gnocchis create such guilt? For some reason foods high on the glycemic index felt like greater evils than those high in saturated fat. Certainly, followers of the Atkins Diet would agree.

But in my case, such thinking was flawed. In fact, after over indulging during the holidays, I went back to a modified Phase One of the Brentwood Diet: all carbs were out, but fatty red meats were in. Big mistake. I the lost the extra five pounds, but a blood test a few days later showed high LDL-cholesterol levels for the first time ever. Worse, my husband's bad-cholesterol readings spiked, too. Since he's the patient with the health concerns, I really felt guilty.

Definitely, guilt comes into play in the Brentwood Diet. Whether induced by gnocchis, cheese cake or high-cholesterol levels, guilt serves to keeps you on course. Yet, some guilt is misplaced. The 10% license to eat whatever you want in Phase Two isn't about going off the Brentwood Diet--it's about sticking with it for the rest of your life. Because after all, the Brentwood Diet really is a lifestyle change. The occasional indulgence actually helps you manage your weight and your health in the long run. So, the verdict isn't in on my gnocchi guilt.