Friday, March 6, 2009

A Word On Dessert...

Ok ok. So I know this is a HEALTHY food blog and you are all here to learn about tasty ways to be a health nut, but... lets be honest here, I really like dessert! Yes, and (though I have tried) it doesn't look like I will be cutting sugar entirely out of my diet any time soon. *Gasp!!* Ranier! Desert?! I know I know. At least Im honest. All I can say is this: moderation is key. In my opinion it is important to never let yourself get too extreme with your diet, (lest you end up as one of those tragic dieters that snap one day and end up eating an entire gallon of ice-cream in the closet).
So! All I will say is:

If your going to sin, sin well- Mae West

Oh come on, every so often, your going to have dessert. Chances are dessert's going to be packed with fat and sugar. Excess fat and sugar is generally not in your best interest, which you know, but you're probably going to do it anyway. Am I right?

So. If your going to 'sin' (as it is considered in our puritanical dieting society) and have desert: MAKE IT WORTH IT! If you crave cheesecake, order only the best and your favorite kind. If you want chocolate, eat GOOD chocolate. Don't go eat a whole bar of Hershey's! Blugh. Try an organic truffle or an artesian dark chocolate. In my experience, if you're eating the good stuff (at least when it comes to chocolate) you don't need an ENTIRE bar. ENTIRE BAR eating is often unconscious eating and is generally the result of feeling too deprived for too long and/or not being truly present in your body. You feel me? Lets not let that happen. Which brings me to my three steps to desert success:

Step one: Take care of yourself and have enough fun in life. (eating a gallon of icecream in a dark closet should NOT be the most fun you have had in a year)
Step two: Stay present and aware of your body (CONSCIOUS eating only please!)
Step three: Actually ENJOY your desert!'

If you're going to eat the calories, by god, at least enjoy them while you do it! Otherwise- what's the point? Desert is about pleasure and fun and indulgence. Pleasure is an important part of the joy-filled life. Make sure you are having enough fun and pleasure in your every day life (outside of desert) and I bet you three cupcakes I wont ever have to find you hiding in some closet head-deep in your son's Halloween candy...


Ladies- For more insight on the subject of creating a pleasure and fun filled life read: Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts by Regina Tomaschauer. A life changing book that is a DELIGHT to read. [link to this book on Amazon: here]