Choose Chocolate

Hi, my name is Nancy and I'm a sugaraholic.  Oh, sorry, I was confused for a second there.  I thought I was at my meeting...  So I am a recovering sugaraholic.  Sugar. Sugar. Sugar.  LOVE it!  And completely hate it too.  It's the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I think of when I go to sleep.   Well, okay maybe not the first thing, but when something sweet is in the house it's really hard for me to not plot out when I'm going to get it.  I'm always on the hunt for sugar.  Drives me crazy.

I love sugar.  But sugar hates me.  I feel so good while I'm eating it.  Really good.  Blissfully happy.   In fact, when I was visiting my brother in Maine, we stopped in at the Lindt chocolate factory in Freeport.  Well, he was the one who actually went in and bought some of the white chocolate truffles/balls.  It was a rainy, gloomy day.  We were soaked from walking around all day and getting poured on while eating lunch outside.  My husband and kids were great about it, but I wasn't so happy.  I was downright grumpy.  And because I'm not good at suppressing my feelings or pretending life is wonderful when it's not (it was raining on my parade), my super-brother surprises me with this bag of white chocolates.

Now I'm not supposed to eat these things.  They have milk in them.  Milk hurts me.  Again, love-hate relationship.  I used to be addicted to milk B.C. (Before Children), but that's another story for another day.  Back to the white chocolate delivery.  So my brother shows me this bag that he bought (sounds like a drug deal), and it was if my hands had a mind of their own.  Next thing you know I am reaching into the bag, grabbing a "couple" of pieces,  hiding them in my purse, walking to a corner of a store while my brother and husband keep the kids occupied, and stuffing my face full of white chocolate heaven!  Yes, I have a problem!  But oh, those white chocolate truffles were so good in so many ways!  Instant happiness.  What a mood lifter.  They hit the spot.  I was soooooooooo happy.  Well, what's the problem then?  The after-effects.  Sugar hates me.

Soon after eating anything containing refined sugar, the good mood turns ugly.  I hit a wall.  I get extremely irritable and moody. I am just not a pleasure to be around.   My oldest son will warn me before I eat a sweet that I'm going to regret it and that I'll be grouchy....  It's like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  It's like the Incredible Hulk.  It's like Popeye when he eats spinach.  And I need more of it to get back to that place of  'sugar happiness.'  Can you relate?

So what do I do?  I'm human after all.  I'm going to make mistakes.  I'm going to lose a couple of battles in the war against sugar.  So I try to think before I take that sweet.  I remind myself that the bad mood will be more intense and longer-lasting than the good taste and short-lived good feeling of that sweet that is calling my name.   I remind myself how much I love my family and that they deserve a sane Mommy.  I play through the scenes of previous sugar disasters and how long it took me to feel better.  I list all the ways sugar harms me.  And then.... I choose chocolate....

What?  Choose chocolate?!  I thought you just said that chocolate or anything containing refined sugar more or less makes you crazy.  And if mama's crazy, well then everyone is crazy.  So choose chocolate?

Yes,  I choose chocolate.  Actually it's 1 T. of cacao (unprocessed cocoa), 1/2 C. of dates, 1/2 C. of walnuts, and a splash of vanilla that I choose.  All mixed together.  Pulverized in my Vitamix.  You can use a food processor for the same outcome- yumminess.  No refined sugar.  Just sweetness.  I roll mine into "fudge balls."  Everyone loves them.  This is enough chocolatey sweetness to satisfy my sweet tooth without the harmful side effects of refined sugar.

Your body will thank you for the vitamins and minerals in the dates.  You will also reap the benefits of the protein, vitamins, nutrients, phyto-chemicals, anti-oxidants, essential fatty acids, and minerals in the walnuts.  Cacao?  Well, it's considered a super-food, containing anti-oxidants, essential fatty acids, protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin C, iron, zinc, copper, calcium, sulphur and magnesium.  Health benefits of this mixture far outweigh any refined sweet.  You will feel energized and happy knowing you are doing your body good!

So it is all about choices.  Some you can make on your own.  Some your mind and body "make" for you.   Food vs. Mood.  In my case, Food = Mood.  Tune into your body.  Tune into your food.  Tune into your moods.  Your body is always telling you something.   I'm not saying it's going to be easy.  But I am saying it's going to be worth it.  Choose chocolate and no one gets hurt.....

What's For Breakfast?

We all know or have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  There's a lot of pressure to make it count.  Nutritional experts say that if you skip breakfast you will have problems with concentration, metabolism, energy, mood and weight loss/gain.  Now I have your undivided attention!  Unless of course, you skipped breakfast this morning which caused you to have problems concentrating on reading this.  Because of your difficulty concentrating, you probably don't even give breakfast a second thought.  But you will once that muffin top turns into a full blown pound cake!  So I suggest that for the health of you and your purse or wallet  (cost of new wardrobe, visits to doctor, etc.) that you eat breakfast daily. 

So, what's for breakfast? 

For a quick, nutritious breakfast I reach for a smoothie.  My favorite smoothie recipe consists of 1 1/2 C. of vanilla rice milk (or coconut milk or almond milk), 1 C of strawberries, 1/2 C. blueberries, 1 banana, 1 C. kale, 1 C. spinach, a pinch of stevia.  Sometimes, I add cacao.  Yum.  Put it all in the Vitamix, and there you have it.  Of course, if the kids are around to witness this, I make up a huge story about the Hulk and how this is a Hulk smoothie, and it will make you SOOOOOO strong, not angry, just strong!  And they gobble it up,  the story and the smoothie!

Another favorite breakfast of mine is a kale omelet.  Back in August we bought 9 egg-laying hens.  So each day we typically get 8-9 fresh eggs.  And believe me it is no problem at all to put them to good use!  So I saute one small onion, chopped,  in oil.  Add 2 C. shredded kale.  Saute until wilted.   Take about 3-4 egg whites and mix them with one whole egg.  Add to skillet.  Cook, flipping eggs when set.  Yum!  Now that's a nutrient dense omelet.  I have substituted other nutrient dense greens for the kale.  Sometimes I add salsa.  Mmmm-mmmm.  Now I'm ready to take on the day!

What about  those mornings when you are running out of time or aren't that hungry?  I know, it's hard to believe that a human being may not be hungry.  That never happens to me.  In fact, there are many moments in time that I wish I were taller so that I could eat more without worrying about whether or not I'm going to have to unbutton that top button of my pants or change into sweats altogether...  Tall people = more food.  In any case, a simple breakfast would be to grab about a quarter cup of nuts and a piece of fruit.  The nuts contain unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, protein and other nutrients.  They help to lower LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increase HDL or "good cholesterol."  If you are allergic to nuts or simply can't tolerate them, try pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for a healthy choice.  And fruit?  Who doesn't enjoy a good piece of fruit?  Fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals, micro-nutrients, and anti-oxidants which remove free radicals from the body, and are believed to offer protection against cancers.  Fruit also boosts immunity which is extremely important this time of year.

So when you are waking up from your dream land and considering sleeping in for a few more hits of that snooze button, consider the good you could do that temple of yours by simply eating breakfast.  That body will thank you and so will the people around you when they notice your newly found focus and energy!  Not to mention the boosted mood you will bless those around you with.  Most importantly you will be making a healthy choice in your journey to wellness.

All this talk about food has made me hungry.....

What's your favorite, healthy breakfast?