Image courtesy Rev Dan Catt via Flickr
"When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile."
AMEN. I was born with a sweet tooth. I blame this on my mother. When she was pregnant with me she walked to work past a Krispy Kreme donut shop each day and would stop in and give herself, and me, a delicious melty sweet treat to start the day. This would explain why I weighed 9 pounds when I was born. But it also is what I consider to be the origin of my love of dessert.
I enjoy candy, ice cream, cookies, tarts, cupcakes, pies and anything else pastry chefs can whip up. But I especially love chocolate. Fudge, mousse, cake, brownies, bars, chips - pretty much chocolate covered anything will do. I even wrote an ode here before to my favorite sweet snack ever created. My father and I could make entire meals out of chocolate goodies. Much to my mother's chagrin. Her sweet tooth was just a preggo craving phase it seems.
Because I care very much about my health, diet and weight I do not have chocolate meals. I eat vegetables and whole grains. I go to the gym each weeknight. I try to live well. But when I come home each evening, I grab myself a handful of those mini foil wrapped treasures that I hold so dearly and savor every last morsel. It is my daily treat. My reward. For all of my hard work. My diet doesn't suffer. I have factored this chocolate and peanut butter piece of heaven into my lifestyle.
It makes me sad when I come home and the bag is empty of chocolate. No reward. No fun. Instant bummer. I firmly believe that people should work hard and live well to be healthy for themselves and their loved ones. But I also believe that to deprive oneself of the good stuff that makes them smile is wrong. Keep chocolate in your daily menu. Just make sure the routine around it makes the trade off minimal. What is the point of looking good and being healthy if you aren't enjoying yourself? And how can you enjoy yourself without a chocolate smile?
I enjoy candy, ice cream, cookies, tarts, cupcakes, pies and anything else pastry chefs can whip up. But I especially love chocolate. Fudge, mousse, cake, brownies, bars, chips - pretty much chocolate covered anything will do. I even wrote an ode here before to my favorite sweet snack ever created. My father and I could make entire meals out of chocolate goodies. Much to my mother's chagrin. Her sweet tooth was just a preggo craving phase it seems.
Because I care very much about my health, diet and weight I do not have chocolate meals. I eat vegetables and whole grains. I go to the gym each weeknight. I try to live well. But when I come home each evening, I grab myself a handful of those mini foil wrapped treasures that I hold so dearly and savor every last morsel. It is my daily treat. My reward. For all of my hard work. My diet doesn't suffer. I have factored this chocolate and peanut butter piece of heaven into my lifestyle.
It makes me sad when I come home and the bag is empty of chocolate. No reward. No fun. Instant bummer. I firmly believe that people should work hard and live well to be healthy for themselves and their loved ones. But I also believe that to deprive oneself of the good stuff that makes them smile is wrong. Keep chocolate in your daily menu. Just make sure the routine around it makes the trade off minimal. What is the point of looking good and being healthy if you aren't enjoying yourself? And how can you enjoy yourself without a chocolate smile?
8 comments:
Mmm, sugar. I am all about the tasty sweets. I love ice cream, cupcakes, cookies, candy. nom nom nom.
your post left me incoherent. haha :)
I'm a cookie fan--nuts and big chunks of chocolate.
Chocolate is guilt free due to the antioxidants (polyphenols) in them. Helps your heart. Yay, and yum I say.
Yessss on the chocolate smile :D I have decided that at some point in life I will do what my great-Aunt Mary started doing when she was in her late 80s -- ice cream for breakfast.
Ah, chocolate. You know of my post delivery chocolate diet that lasted 2 months. And then I was good for a month. And then Gage went into the hospital and I've been eating badly (but with yummy chocolate) ever since. I know it's time to put on the big girl pants and limit my chocolate intake. Sigh.
Ah yes, I've been known to polish off an entire multi-serving bag of dark chocolate M&M's by myself, in a couple of days, especially if they're in a candy bowl.
We're in birthday cake hell here this month with 3 birthdays, one right after another. Last week it was chocolate fudge cupcakes with white frosting, decorated with green, yellow and purple sugar stripes for Mardi Gras and toy dinosaurs on top of that. Tomorrow it will be berry yellow cake with pink and white frosting decorated with kitten princesses...for one of the little princesses in my life. Then next week lord knows what kind of cake my SIL will request. I usually make him one of those big chocolate chip cookies and decorate it. My teeth are hurting.
I always keep a bag of chocolate chips handy, just in case I run out of any other chocolate. I'm resourceful, I am.
So true Molly! People that stay thin and are healthy are not afraid to treat themselves now and then.
I thoroughly enjoyed this blog, thanks for sharing.
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