https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT6n1HcJOio
I usually choose to have a cheat/treat after my weigh-in on Thursdays. I do this as a way to reward myself, regardless of whether I have lost or gained weight. It's just a way of saying "Ahhhh, I made it through the week. I was learning more about myself and trying to learn to eat healthier."
Why do we see sweets or chips or high calorie "empty" foods as a treat? Why don't we think that we are really treating ourselves when we are eating nutrient dense, wholesome foods? Part of it is what we learned while growing up. How many of us heard "if you clean your plate, you can have dessert" ?
Desserts are the sweet stuff of which memories are made, particularly in a holiday season, a time typically so rich with recollections. For while tastes, trends and technology come and go, the country’s sweet tooth has remained ever keen. Why? Michael Krondl, a New York City food historian and author of “Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert,” says our continuing hunger for dessert is based on two things: childhood and celebrations. “Sweetness is one of the first tastes we love,” he says, referring to childhood. As for celebrations, “it used to be anything sweet was expensive because of the sugar” so sugar was saved for important things, like wedding cakes, birthday cakes and Christmas cookies.
We can change traditions and our tastes. My grandchildren feel that cantaloupe cubes or cucumber slices are a treat also. How cool is that? Instead of dessert being a daily or twice daily tradition, can we change it to once a week or once a month? Can fresh fruit be our go to treat?
Questions to ask ourselves:
- Do we really feel better after having a treat?
- When you survey a table at a potluck, are there more sweets than healthy things?
- What can we do to change the family or community traditions to healthier things?
- After a treat/cheat is it harder to get back on track?
- This day, are there some non-food treats that we can use to reward ourselves?
There is great information on sugar addiction at http://growinghumankindness.com/sugar-support/
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