Ash got this book for Christmas (by her request) and after reading it, i was sold. there was something about the fact that it's a kids book and it was published in 1985 (five years after the national obesity rate skyrocketed and 15 years after the industrialization of food really exploded) that provided that extra push toward real change. and the time is now.
so, here we go. it's been two weeks since we've begun and i'll be honest - at first it was pretty rough. withdrawal headaches and frequent "visions of sugar plums" tormented us for about three days. Ash, and Tom especially, expressed their frustration much more vocally than English and i but we were all feeling it. however, by the end of that week, we were already feeling much better.
indeed, we still think about days (and treats) gone by, but the longing for coconut cake or chocolate chip cookies, etc., etc., etc. is gone. one thing that is helping the overall will and keeping morale high is that it's not a complete sugar fast. we will enjoy the occasional french toast breakfast with real maple syrup. we're looking forward to chocolate cupcakes for Tom's birthday and T.R. & Ari's wedding cake next month. we're re-training ourselves to enjoy these things on a limited basis - for special occasions. and the best part is that it makes perfect sense this time.
5 comments:
What a fabulous idea! I'm reminded of past days when a slice of french bread slathered with chocolate pudding, and a maraschino cherry on top was even appetizing just because we only had dessert on Sundays and that is what was offered (wasn't it supposed to be the "poor man's" version of another dessert?). I didn't even know people had desserts on other days until I went to college and there was dessert served meal-round.
Hats off to you and your family! And make sure there is room in the fast for some Chococones :)
I am a fan of this idea. I read the other day (in a magazine that could have been from the library) that one way to keep eating healthy is to always eat dessert (in small quantities). The idea behind it being that you won't feel like you are depriving yourself of sweets. After your post, I realized that maybe this isn't the best idea, eh? I like that you enjoy a sweet treat every once and a while (french toast, wedding cake, and maybe the occasional french bread with chocolate pudding), but you are so full with other good healthy foods that you really don't feel like eating dessert. Over here we are trying out some new superfoods, like quinoa. Got any good recipes?
Woah...Woah slow down...does this mean no MMMM Yogurt? Say it aint so!
go team brooks! and YES to oaxaca! I actually said that to caleb while we were there . . . "next time we should go to oaxaca with english and kelly". and I have also sworn off refined white sugar as well! I've been getting by on dried fruit and clementine's for my sweet fix, and am letting myself make treats every now and again with natural sugars (agave, maple syrup, etc.). google 'nourishing gourmet' it's an awesome website based on the Nourishing Traditions book I showed you a few years ago and has tons of yummy recipes . . .including deserts that use natural sugars. Tonight i'm making an agave flan as a special treat for dinner guests. man this is a long winded comment . . i miss you guys so much and am so excited to see you next month!
I admire your courage.
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