Sweet Tooth

So, I have a confession to make. I have a huge sweet tooth. I love desserts and candy, so having lots of fresh fruits and healthy sweet alternatives in the house is a life saver for me. Now, don't get me wrong, we do occasionally buy candy as a splurge for like... movie night, but I definitely don't keep any in the house because I have zero will power when it comes to that stuff.

The same is true for chips and crackers. If they are in the house, it is so easy to snack on them instead of eating something better for me. Even the so called "healthy" crackers are still processed foods. I feel so proud of myself when I grab some fruit, or almonds, or some celery with some nut butter as a snack instead of processed crackers. I keep a container of prepared carrots and celery in the fridge so they are easy to grab. Here's a tip: I put cold water in the bottom of the container and then include just a touch of carbonated flavored water (the zero sugar kind at WalMart). It keeps the carrots and celery crisp longer. I will replace the water and do it again halfway through the week if the water is getting murky or slimey from being in the fridge too long. My veggies stay fresh & crispy all week long.

Anyway, once you get use to not having the excess sugar in your diet, your taste buds change. At least ours have changed. When I first started cooking and eating clean, I was worried that my son wouldn't like the things I cooked, but slowly and surely as he tried each new recipe, even he came around. The first time I made a bean soup recipe, he didn't like it, but the next time I made the same recipe... he liked it - go figure! He even likes the Quinoa dessert (which his friends didn't), but oh well! It's yummy! I don't care what they say.

A happy by-product of cleaning up our diet has been that my son has just naturally slimmed down without even knowing that it was happening - by only having healthy snacks and eliminating the processed foods, refined sugars and flours and replacing them with yummy healthier alternatives, he has slimmed down and he's noticed the change.

Hopefully, we are modeling a behavior and lifestyle that he will continue throughout his life. It would be nice if he would never have to struggle with weight issues again.