KEEP AWAY

Some foods have a way to turn us into munching monsters... yes, a little like that furry blue Cookie Monster who just can't keep to ONE cookie.  For my husband, it's chocolate-covered almonds; for me, it's Dulce de Leche.  

What kind of foods trigger our pleasure nerve endings? Fatty foods are more satisfying than sugar to our pleasure centers.  This is why cookies, chips, milk chocolate, and other fat-based confections are so damaging to our diets, waistline and overall health. 

How to resist?  The best way is not to let these foods get into your home.  Here are some strategies.

- Shopping:  shop AROUND the aisles of your supermarket.  Avoid the center aisles, aisle end-racks, and cashier rack.  Just don't buy the stuff, neither for you, nor for your friends or kids.

- Cupboard cleaning: go around your house, and get rid of any of these trigger foods.

- Gifts from friends: thank your friend politely and offer them to eat one and see if they dare: amazing how many people gift to their friends foods they would never eat themselves (puzzling, isn't it?)... and toss the thing in the trash, burn it, crush it, whatever you have to do to get this nasty bugger out of your life. 

- Nights out: movies, parties, buffets are full of those gremlin-munchies.  Call them by name"Hello, Nasty Bugger!" and don't even touch them!

- Find alternative munchies: plain almonds instead of chocolate-covered ones, plain nonfat yogurt instead of dulce de leche, dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate confections, crunchy apple slices instead of potato chips, trail mix instead of cookies... all in moderation

Know YOUR trigger foods and avoid them so that you'll never have to say: "I can't beleive I ate the whole pack" ever again.

Keep the gremlin-munchies away: it's a healthy thing.

domino marie