Yesterday while at Barnes and Noble buying a pocket-sized French-English dictionary this book caught my eye in the 20% off section.
I know several other bloggers have mentioned reading it, and because it’s been awhile since I’ve read a non-school-related book, I decided to give it a go.
Though I’m not too far into the book, it’s already fascinating. The author asserts that the mass-production and constant presence of unhealthy foods has made much of society addicted to added sugars, saturated fat and high levels of sodium. As a result, our desire for these foods goes far beyond hunger or satisfaction- we’re hardwired to crave them.
While reading, I questioned my love for sweets. Sugar in moderation is fine, but I have trouble defining moderation. Though I don’t always act on my desire for sweets, once I start, it’s hard for me to stop- like when I can’t leave the last few bites of dessert on my plate, despite feeling sick, or when I'm at a party and just can't stop eating M&Ms. Any friends or family reading know what I'm talking about :)
For the next few weeks, I’d like to make an effort to be more mindful of my sugar consumption in general. I'm not making any "rules"- I just want to be more aware! I’d never try to eliminate sweets from my diet because I never could or want to sustain that in the long run, but I do want to feel more in control when I choose to have a treat. I'll always choose sweet over savory and prefer those foods, but there's a way to do that mindfully. This goes hand-in-hand with intuitive eating: I want to be able to listen to my body when it’s satisfied, with both everyday meals and sweets.
* * *
I was planning on going for a run this morning, but when I woke up the sky was gray and the forecast predicted rain. Hence, I had a bowl of Trader Joe’s Fiber O’s with a banana and almond milk before heading to the gym for a cross-training workout instead.
I replaced my 5 mile run with 5 miles of hills on the elliptical, all while reading my new book. It sure made time fly!
For lunch, I used up a bag of browning lettuce and made a salad beast with carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, TJ’s meatless meatballs and tomato basil hummus.
I’m in a salad rut. I’ll admit it.
“Dessert” was an apple with almond butter and a pumpkin scuffin. The scuffins actually make the perfect not-too-sweet end to a meal- they’re a good balance of whole-grain carbs and spicy flavor.
I have a midterm this afternoon- wish me luck!
Do you have a sweet tooth? If so, do you have any tips for taming it with moderation?
What are your favorite super-easy meal options? I often turn to salads and sandwiches for convenience, but I’d like to add more to my repertoire!
34 comments:
I've read that book and found it pretty fascinating. It made me stop and think about how I eat and how I do need to cut back on sugar and all the nasty junk I eat. It made me think about how that food makes you go back and back because your body just wants more!
ah I need this book! Ill check it out asap :)
Chocolate and nuts are my weakness. Especially when combined. I go through phases where I need to eat chocolate covered almonds every day or I'm never satisfied!! This is okay when I keep it to a small bag, but I've been known to overdo it :) I find the best tactic for me is to buy a small portion from a bulk section- all the satisfaction without the belly ache from overdoing it!
I have a sweet mouth! 95% of the time I get sugar from healthy sources and/or so I don't feel too bad, but I definitely prefer sweet to savory or salty. I say as long as you maintain a balanced diet (which you do!) you're fine.
You'll love that book! I think the author really wants his reader to just be aware of what they are eating and how they can overcome the "tricks" society, the media, and in turn, our bodies, can play on us when it comes to food. He'll definitely help you put your sweets consumption in perspective! Plus, it's not a boring scientific read but very well-written.
Happy Reading!
I hear ya - I have a constant sweet tooth! In the past I've tried to control it, but now I just roll with it. Maybe that's not the healthiest decision, but it does leave me the happiest :) And right now, to me happy > healthy :D
can a sugar addiction come from things no necessarily thought of as being very sugary? i was just wondering cause i really dont eat much sugary foods like cookies etc but the cereal i love and my yogurt have about 12g per serving....
I'm the same way-- forget fats or salt, sweet stuff is my TOTAL weakness. I'll be interested to hear how you end up liking that book! I've been wanting to pick it up myself!
Hmm right after reading about your undersweeting...I went and grabbed an adora disk. At least that's calcium right? :) :)
I have a sweet problem for sure but never considered limiting it. I usually just think of it as my preference. Sweet over salty.
I've been reading that book too. Interesting stuff.
hey girlie!!
I am in a salad rut too...but ENJOYING it at the moment! the mix of summer and fall veggies has me in LOVE with huge salads for din din and lunch!
I think a sweet-tooth is definitely something you develop by eating more and more sweets...I never crave sweets and i think that is mainly because I never eat them. I'm much more of a salt person!
I hope you are having a great day! and that the GREY goes away! hehe! :)
xoxo!
oh! good luck on your midterm girlie :)
i'm so in a salad rut too! i've been eating huge kale salads with balsamic and feta like it's my jobbb lately! feta makes everything beta hahaha
i've got a seriouuuuuus addicting to all things sweet haha. the sweeeter the better :)
Interesting post. My sweet-tooth tamer tip is to calm cravings with fruit. Berries, especially strawberries and cherries, taste great and feel indulgent without added sugar. My boyfriend is a blueberry fan and always keeps a giant bag of frozen berries in the freezer to add to his cereal or oatmeal.
I definitely have a sweet tooth and the best way for me to keep it at bay is to not have sweets in teh house. Which is difficult because I am always baking, lol. I basically let myself have one a day. If I want it-great. If I don't-even better. In the long run, one cookie or a small pumpkin square isn't going to kill me. I haven't read that book of yours, though, so maybe I'm wrong..haha
Oh- and good luck on your midterm!! As a girl who just finished hers (whoo!) I I know how awful they can be. I am sending you lots and lots of good vibes!! :D
I'm reading The End of Overeating too! I keep thinking about the proportions of sugar, fat, and salt in everything I eat. Also, I think about the fact that I might be setting myself up to crave more of the foods I indulge in farther down the road through conditioning.
One thing I haven't come across in the book yet - I asked my boyfriend if he had to choose two of the three flavor enhancers (sugar, salt, fat) which ones he would choose. Of course, as I thought he would, he chose salt and fat. For me, and I imagine most of my female relatives and friends, it's sugar and salt. Interesting.
Thanks for bringing that book to my attention - I had never heard of it, sounds interesting!
Do you have a sweet tooth? If so, do you have any tips for taming it with moderation? YES. I try gum. I try drinking lots of water. If it gets super bad and out of control I have to go work out - it's BAD! LOL
What are your favorite super-easy meal options? Salads or 6-serving slowcooker meals - easy peasy!
I tame it with froen fruits. A frozen mango chunk is basically like eating candy to me (granted it does contain quite a bit of sugar).
Good luck on your midterm! I'm sure you'll do great. :)
As for me, I'm currently obsessing over pita pizzas, so give those a try for a quick lunch sometime!
I have a HUGE sweet tooth, mainly for baked goods. It's a struggle of "being good" because then you end up overindulging just from the sheer restriction of it! Please keep us posted on how this book works out for you - I'm definitely thinking about picking it up!
I have the sweetest teeth EVER.
I ordered that book and have been meaning to read it. I skimmed through and all of it is so interesting!
I have a major sweet tooth and can't not eat dessert. Still, I learned a trick by accident: I eat a later dinner (because of my work schedule) and I'm not hungry enough for dessert before I go to bed. Not eating dessert is helping me cut down my sugar intake during the day, too.
I just tried that cereal for the first time and it's SO GOOD! I also bought some of the meatless balls (sounds so naughty ha) that i'm excited to try.
I FEEL you on the sweets!
I have a huge sweet tooth. Sometimes I just need to distract myself by drinking water or tea or chewing gum. I know exactly what you mean when you keep eating sweets even though you don't really want them anymore.
My go to meals that involve no cooking are carrots/celery with hummus/salsa, a pita with hummus/bean spread and fresh veggies (tomatoes are the best!), or a kale and hummus salad. (I just realized these all contain hummus, haha)
My go to cooking meals are usually potatoes mashed with balsamic or a baked sweet potato with some sort of veggies on the side (brussel sprouts or broccoli).
aw im asking for that book for christmas! let me know how it is!
-Nicole
i have that book!!! i just havent gotten around to reading it...I hear its great :)
good luck on the midterm!!
def interested in more about that book.... please keep us posted. god knows i cant quit the sweets.
Sounds like a great book!! I am glad you are liking it. It is very true how most things these days are fully loaded with excess sugar, etc. I think you have a great attitude towards becoming more aware of sugar intake. It is hard believe me, I have a huge sweet tooth. But I have found things now that really satisfy me that I do not need as much sugar any more ;) xoxo
I (obviously from my blog name!) have a HUGE sweet tooth. Part of 'controlling' it is simply just accepting you have one! In the past, I've tried totally cutting out sugar, but that just made me so miserable, so I admire what you're trying to do.
I TOTALLY understand what you mean when you talk about still eating even when you feel sick etc and it IS all about intuitive eating, as you said :)
For me, moderation is simply about trying to listen to when your body is full and doesn't want any more. But I think the most important part of all is forgiving yourself when you DO slip up, and not feeling guilty for ages!
Good luck again! :D
I actually don't have a sweet tooth... More of a burger tooth ;)
omg sweet tooth should be my middle name. I saw that book at the store the other day and thought about picking it up but figured it was just like all the others. guess i should think again about it eh? and i'm with you on the m&m's...once you start you can't stop!
hugs honey! I think you're doing totally fine and will understand the meaning of moderation even if you think you don't!
Ahh I have such a ridiculous sweet tooth... should look into this book.
@Anonymous: It's just my opinion, but I think that we've been conditioned to like sweet foods in general, whether it be yogurt or dessert. Of course in the scheme of things, 12g of sugar is nothing compared to how much is in a restaurant dessert!
I know what you mean about eating sweets and not being able to stop! Sometimes I'll do that, but then on the other hand in the past I would get TOO controlling and force myself to not eat any, even though I wanted some. It's hard to find a happy medium!
That book sounds like a great read though. I wish I had time for non-school related reading right now. :P
I love that book!
First of all: you will never eat at Chillis or any chain restaurant again, probably...lol.
But it really makes sense. Fat, sugar and salt tast good and make us CRAZY! So that's what sells. Thats what we buy. That's when we crave more. VISCIOUS CYCLE.
When we start eating clean I think it is super easy to pass by the "cinnamon sugar wheat thins" and I swear I saw some sort of oreo-encrusted pretzel" one day....
It's like "of course thats delicious because it sugar fat and salt on steroids" but that's all it is. Sugar.Fat.Salt.
Much more appealing? Something like roasted squash or sweet potatoe in olive oil with cinnamon and maybe a sweet mustard dip.
Same flavor explosion but...REAL.
You know what I mean?
~Missy
Post a Comment