Sweet teeth
February 27, 2007
I keep on reading that almonds are good for you so I keep on buying them.
I do not enjoy eating almonds–the little bits of husk(?) get stuck on my teeth, the inner nut part gets stuck on my molars, and the taste is quite bland. I love roasted Virginia peanuts, without salt, so maybe I should try roasting the almonds. Also, peanuts are oilier which definitely adds to my enjoyment of their taste, so maybe I should roast them in copious amounts of oil!
Other good for me foods that I eat, but don’t enjoy are baby carrots (I tolerate them far easier than almonds), celery, and bananas. I don’t mind these foods but I certainly would never make them my first choice if I was faced with a cornucopia of options.
And bad for me foods that I eat daily regularly and enjoy? Sugar (and its first cousins sucrose and fructose).
My addiction to sugar is a longstanding one, one that predates my love affair with blogging or chasing boys who have no interest in me. It predates any and all acquaintance of me with my mother’s womb because that’s the only explanation for why the bond is this strong, and why I continue to consume candy like I do.
And by candy, I don’t mean chocolate. If you give me chocolate, I’ll accept it and take it home to my sister who will descend upon it like a starving wild animal. I can have chocolate in my room for ages without being tempted to nibble; put me in a room with a bag of skittles just inches away for three seconds and disable the use of my arms and I assure you: I will use whatever body part(s) needed to get that bag open and the sugary goodness coursing down my throat. It’s that bad.
Sugary items that get my me salivating include:
Mike and Ikes
Skittles
scotch mints
Starburst
jelly beans
Needless to say, with the exception of the skittles gum, the picture below now best represents a fraction of the candy that I have consumed since Christmas (I’d rather not think of how much of a fraction it represents):
Clearly I’m in the need of professional help. And quite honestly, how much of a chance does my bag of almonds stand against the colourful sugary sweetness? Do they make candied almonds?
Instead of making this a jeremiad against the sugar makers of the world, blaming them much like some blame the tobacco companies for glamourizing smoking [although: I can't say many commercials glamourize sugar consumption], and wailing about how I’m not liable in this addiction, I need to de-addict myself. Why are the substitions for sugar so lame? an orange instead of a bag of jelly beans? Do people actually make this change cheerfully? Come on now.
The substitutions people recommend for quitting smoking are the same. Havea glass of water! Take a walk! Knit something! Wwhhheeee!
Sorry, but crocheting and smoking are not one and the same and if my addiction to smoking became as strong as my addiction to crocheting? Man, that would be something else.
I'm always tempted to offer to make you a deal: We go day for day on ciggies and candies together. We kick this addiction's ass like it's a thug trying to take our purses in an alleyway. We just don't let it get away with this crap.
But then I think of a life without ciggies, and quite frankly, it makes me sad. I can go a day, a week, a month without my ciggies, but as soon as I know it will be a lifetime? I just can't do it any more, and I feel sad and lonesome as though I've lost a good friend.
They have candy-coated sunflower seeds and I'm sure others…
What's so bad about almonds?? I thought that all nuts were bad for you and full of fat? Maybe I'll chow down on a bag of almonds soon.
What are your feelings on fruit? Somewhat sweeter than veggies but not even close to Skittles. OR: Orange Skittles ;)
I've seen sugared almonds and yogurt-covered almonds at Loblaws in the health food aisles. And now a message for Rich from the almond council: almonds contan antioxidants, they lower cholesterol, and they can contribute to weight loss as they are a nutrient-dense food that promote feelings of satiety.
How about sugarless candy?
WG: jeremiad (would be a much cooler word if the one Jeremy I know wasn't such a jerk)
i am mightily addicted to chocolate/sugar/etc. I try to give it up, but it never lasts for more than a few weeks at best…
wordy gurdy gurdy word: jeremiad. I had to look it up….
Hey…quick note about roasting the almonds..they loose I believe about 50% of thier nutritional value when roasted! Almonds are better to eat in thier natural state and Jooms how can you not love ALMONDS! YUMMY…but to much can also be a bad thing so moderation! I read this SELF magazine while at the DR office LOL
Hahaha, roasting Almonds in oil?! Wouldn't that be just like frying them? You should patent that Jumoke, hmmm fried almonds. Actually, they do have candied almonds! =) You'll be happy to know that you can even eat some in the wedding favors in 108 days. You have to shop around though, there are some that are WAY to hard, but the last ones I got at the mid east food store, were fantastic, and colorful! =)
Wordy Gurdy: cornucopia (I was going to say jeremiad though.)
WG: jeremiad
Wow…I wrote a whole long comment and got distracted and my browser shut down on me and I lost it. Oh well. As I was saying…yes, they do have candied almonds which are very yummy and honey roasted almonds and such. I'll rewrite the rest of the babble that I had written another time!
Thanks for the reminder! I was just sitting here thinking I was hungry and was craving chips. But you made me grab a handful of almonds from my drawer. They ARE fatty but they contain the good fat as someone mentioned. And they have protein so if you have a hungry feeling, eat a handful and within ~10 minutes, your body feels full. If you don't like them on their own, mix with yogurt or on a salad.
My new years resolution was to not buy candy/chocolate. So far, I have not bought ANY. And it's now March. I did it last year for 7 months then broke!
If you want to, you can do it. Just like any addiction.
And….nothing tastes better than being thin feels.