In my quest to eat and live a healthy and delicious life, desserts have always been part of my path. A fun part of the equation that although I know is not always the best choice, I have to indulge in regardless. I figure that it's all in keeping the balance. By walking to and from work, practicing yoga asanas six days a week, eating a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as lots of whole grains and pastured meats, I am setting my body up for success. Therefore, if I want to satisfy my genetically and culturally predisposed sweet tooth, I should! And so should you...
Often, when people are trying to lead a healthier lifestyle or dieting, they will try and lay off sugar completely. I find that when I try to do this, it backfires on me because I end up craving it more. It seems that if I just go ahead and mindfully indulge in one piece of cake, or two scoops of ice cream, the craving wears off and I am less likely to eat the whole cake in the middle of the night because I just can't take it anymore.
One reason for this is that the sweets that I eat are full of nutrients, even though they are also full of Sugar. They contain protein from the Eggs and or Milk, they contain fat from the Butter, and antioxidants from the fruits and or Chocolate among others. So for example, one cupcake, has enough goodness in it to make me feel satisfied, and enough Sugar to make me realize that I should probably not eat two.
The key is to not just eat anything loaded with sugar. Choose your desserts wisely. Either home made or artisanal ones, made with love, and with Butter, not Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil! With real Eggs, real Chocolate, real Sugar and no Food Colorings. Choose sweets that will go bad in a few days, which means they have no artificial preservatives. Also, if you make the desserts yourself, you will put in time, energy and creativity into them, which will not only make you appreciate them more, and eat them more mindfully, it will also serve as a project that you can use to take your mind off things, or to do with your kids.
This past weekend, my indulgence was from my little friend E's birthday party. As her present, I made cupcakes for her and twenty one of her 5 and 6 year old friends. The theme of the party was Magic, as a Magician was coming to entertain them for an hour -and give the adults in the house a little time to breathe-.
She asked for the flavor to be Chocolate, and I decided the frosting would be Meringue. Back home in the Dominican, Meringue is the frosting of choice for pretty much all cakes. It is also my frosting of choice for pretty much anything. I used a wonderful recipe from the Barefoot Contessa which you can look at by clicking on this link http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chocolate-cupcakes-and-peanut-butter-icing-recipe/index.html.
I found it to be almost perfect, but if you eat the cupcakes without the frosting they are just a little too bitter, so if you plan on enjoying them on their own maybe you should modify the sugar amount. However when eaten together with the meringue, they were just divine.
If you are committing to a healthier, more nutritious lifestyle, then you will be eating less sweets than you used to. So, think of dessert as giving yourself a break, cutting yourself some slack, and taking the opportunity of transforming an ordinary activity into an extraordinary moment. Plate your dessert, like if you were serving it to a queen. If you really want to go crazy, maybe even set the table. Take the time to make it look beautiful. Then sit down, and admire it. Say grace, thank yourself - or whomever - for preparing it. Thank the universe, for the luxury and the opportunity of having this dessert. Take the time to rejoice in this moment. Then with all this in mind, go ahead and take a bite. As you savour it, repeat the previous steps, and indulge not only in the dessert, but in everything that it represents.
Enjoy!
