Category Archives: eating out

Losing the Taste for Sweet

Posted on February 1, 2014 | Leave a comment

I would have said at one time that it was impossible I would lose my taste for sweets, but to my surprise, after the last few years of very low carb eating, my taste for sweet has vastly diminished. Last night I was out to dinner with friends, I didn’t give the bread basket a second thought, then a dessert sampler was ordered for the table by one of my friends. I would have declined dessert if we had ordered individually. But, my friends are not on my low sugar-starch diet, and I don’t make a big deal when out with others.

So this big dessert platter with four desserts was put in the middle of the table. At one time I would have dived in and had my fair share, but instead I nabbed the strawberry settled on some whipped cream, had one tiny bite each of two of the desserts, an apple tart and a sticky pudding, and had no desire for more, indeed it was a ‘ho-hum’ experience. I just had no desire for any more. At the time I was not thinking much about it, but when I got home I realized what a different experience I just had from the years when I had to have my very own dessert in order to enjoy the meal.

So, take heart if you are still struggling with avoiding sweets. By maintaining good habits at home–no sweets live here–and avoiding most situations that are personal triggers, like convenience stores were for me, then given enough time, months to a couple years, we do gradually lose our super-sweetened palates and find pleasure in much healthier options. I make pumpkin custards, almond flour cup cakes, mousses, etc.,  sweetened only with a little bit of liquid stevia, and enjoy such treats as much or more than the old heavy sugar desserts.

All the negative issues with weight, inflammation in the cells, brain fog, and other such bad reactions to sugars-starches-artificial sweeteners, are enough to keep me on the path of good health which for me is anti-sugar.

Even when you fall off the wagon, and we all have, in the early days especially, take heart–it will get easier.

When you no longer feel deprived, you no longer want what is bad for you. To get to that point requires both habit changes and a change of mindset, but the good news is that it can be done.

Yours in learning,

Nan aka Sugarbaby

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Posted in behaviors, cravings, determination, eating out, sugar, sugar addiction, sweets, will power

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Traveling and Other Sugar Pitfalls

Posted on October 7, 2013 | Leave a comment

Traveling and Avoiding Sugar Pitfalls

Sometimes I could travel and do fine, but other times I would cave and then slide into a binge. Struggling to stay free of binges I examined what places I was most vulnerable, and in those places, what foods tended to be the the ones that started the ball rolling.

Here is an interesting fact about human behavior: we are creatures of habit. We tend to repeat the same behaviors which is why it can be hard to break bad or negatives patterns. But the good thing about this slavish trait is that we can use that knowledge about ourselves to break through the negative.

A couple years ago I read a book on habits by Charles Duhigg, called The Power of Habit, in which he layouts out the powerful nature of habits, why that is good, and why it is a challenge for us to change habits. The short version is there are three basic parts to a habit: 1) a stimulus or cue, 2) to which we respond, 3)to produce the reward or goal. The key to changing a habit is not denial or will power, but taking advantage of the first and third elements, changing only the response. So, if every evening you have an alcoholic drink (response) while watching television (the stimulus), which is relaxing( the reward);  you replace the alcoholic drink with another rewarding drink, perhaps a cup of herbal tea you enjoy. Soon the idea for the drink is for the tea, not the booze.

I realized that when I visited a family member’s house where I tended to give in to sweets, the most usual or initial food I was tripped up on was chocolate. Next time I visited I stopped at a market before going to the house and bought some of my favorite cheese and cold cuts. Now I had something to respond to the cue.

I further realized that chocolate was almost always what tripped me up because I can do some chocolate at home, very dark 85% chocolate to which I add some sliced almonds or coconut, and don’t over eat. Away from home the chocolate had a lot of sugar, and that I cannot or will ever be equipped to handle.

Now it will probably take more than one time to make the shift, but if you are determined, you can do it.

Yours in changing unhealthy habits,

Nan aka Sugarbaby

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Posted in binges, cravings, determination, eating out, sugar, sugar addiction, sweets, Travel

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Food & the New York City Wedding

Posted on May 29, 2013 | Leave a comment

We spent four days in NYC for a family wedding. Our combined families meant a lot of big meals to go with sightseeing, rehearsal, get togethers, the wedding reception, etc; plus too much drinking. I had to make this my 10% when my eating is less strict, but worked to keep the fat high to offset any sugars.

The main thing that happens to me now is indigestion, and a great sense of relief to be home and back to my good eating.

On the way home as we drove out of the city, I felt so happy about the happy couple, the two families joining, getting to see many family members that we rarely see, and feeling like I handled the food pretty well with no serious  blips, and no binges. Back home now, and  glad I can avoid indigestion for another year or two.

Yours in real life and the occasional bi-carb,

Nan aka Sugarbaby

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Posted in alcohol, celebrations, eating out, parties

Sugar is the Problem

Posted on February 28, 2013 | 1 comment

Today’s New York Times has yet another article on the problems of sugar in the modern diet.

Since 1985 the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes has quintupled, which is just the most obvious effect of the similar increase in sugars in virtually every kind of food that is prepared by the industry food giants. They intended to make people addicted to their food, and succeeded wildly.

This past week I was out at meetings most of the day and on the way home passed a Kentucky Fried Chicken store, and thought about the fact that I had not eaten any KFC in years, and decided to take home some of the chicken and coleslaw, thinking we could take off the breading and it would be within my carb margin of error. The first bite was a shock, for the chicken didn’t at all taste like I remembered it, and was in fact quite cloyingly sweet; even though I peeled away almost all the outside breading, but you could still taste the sweet–and excess salt. The coleslaw was also very sweet, and I threw out the bulk of the meal.  It was not just that the food was sweeter, but it was a different sort of sweet which I take to by corn syrup. I know my palate is now used to very little sweet of any kind, but that alone does not account for the bad taste, not just sweetness.

I also paid the price later in the day with gut issues, so I doubt I will ever be entering a KFC again.

I always think about how rare it was to see anyone grossly obese in the 1950-70s, and how very common it is now. Things have most certainly changed, and the main change is sugar-starch-artifical sweets in all packaged and prepared foods.

Yours in discovery,

Nan aka Sugarbaby

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Posted in artificial sweeteners, eating out, sugar, sugar addiction, sweets

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Went to a Wedding

Posted on October 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

My beloved and I went to the wedding of one his nephews yesterday a situation that I usually worry about a little since both drink and food are plentiful and used to trip me up.  I decided to avoid Pitfall #1, or alcohol, which then made it far less likely that I would hit Pitfall#2 and eat anything I shouldn’t.  I was very happy with my club soda and lime, then the supper buffet had some lovely roasted meats, chicken, and a lots of crudite and  green salad. I did skip the cake, but didn’t mind that.

The problem with parties for most of us is apt to be the liquor, for if you are on a low carb/HFLC/Paleo type of diet   you are much more susceptible to the effects of alcohol which goes straight to the liver and then the brain. I find that just one glass of wine or spirits can make me a bit silly; as a result I try to avoid it unless I’m home when for whatever reason I seem less likely to want more than one. One-and-done is our family motto with alcohol, and for the most part it works for me. But three times I got very tipsy, in my early no sugar-starch-artificial sweetener days,  on just a couple glasses of wine, which is a feeling I particularly dislike. I want to be in control of my faculties. Most people who drink too much make themselves ridiculous, and I have witnessed those at every big wedding reception or party.

As I blogged earlier, this is the beginning of the holiday/party season and it is good to have a plan.  My plan yesterday worked well.  Besides, I have just as much fun by avoiding the things I would later regret, and don’t feel one iota deprived.  So the wedding was a win-win for me, and my spouse who had his one drink, and we came home pleased at having seen family and friends, witnessing the ritual send-off of a sweet young couple on the road to a happy life together,  and us safely back to ours .

Yours in the practice,

Nan aka Sugarbaby

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Posted in alcohol, drinking, eating out, holidays, parties, sugar addiction

How about Halloween?

Posted on October 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

Halloween has been the undoing of many a sugaraholic. Buying a lot of candy to have around the house is surely a dangerous thing to do. After my own children were grown, I always bought candy that I didn’t like, Smarties &/or DumDums lollipops were on the list.  Then the next day, any leftover candy went either to the food bank, if unopened, or in the trash.  If you can’t keep your house free of candy you don’t like, the next best thing is to buy limited amounts so that it will all get handed out.

Another option, if you have access to a catalog that has lots of party favor type gifts, is to get a bunch of little toys to give out. Of course, that doesn’t replace candy.

Lastly, I have bought fast food coupons/tickets for a dollar–I don’t know if this is still something you can get; or you could simply give out shiny new quarters. Next to candy, cash is king with kids.

The main thing is not to give ourselves any excuses for eating candy or sweets that for the sugaraholics may result in days of binge behavior.

Yours in the fight for health,

Nan aka Sugarbaby

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Posted in candy, eating out, getting back on track, holidays, sweets