Isn't it funny how we still want to consume what we love minus the things that make them considered 'bad', thus rendering them unlovable... and yet we go ahead and order them anyway.Skinny soy decaf latte with sweetener translates into something like 'I love coffee, but know I shouldn't have caffeine, dairy, fat or sugar... so I'll render it to something of it's former self in an attempt to satisfy my palate whilst playing by the rules'.
Why do we do this?
It's NOTHING like what we love, and yet we're prepared to settle for it.
Why not opt for moderation and have a small amount of what we love with all its deliciousness and naughtiness?
Perhaps it's the moderation part that stumps me... maybe I don't know what moderation is with 'illicit' foods. Perhaps saying I can have a little is like a 'get out of jail free card' and I treat is as an 'all you can eat' allowance because tomorrow I'm going back to being 'good'.
Why oh why oh why do we torture ourselves?
I'm hoping my upcoming sojourn to France will reveal how they manage to balance cheese, patisseries, coffee and wine into their svelte stylish selves.
Until tomorrow, may you enjoy cream with your coffee minus the guilt.
Grace xx
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France will be the challenge, but lucky you are not flying to America. Interestingly, the french in general are not particularly overweight and have a decent life-expectancy (5th in the world). France!! The home of foie gras, croissants, camembert, and pastries, not to mention its obsession with booze. Their national culinary offerings do not appear on ANY heart foundation recommendation menus!! A full-fat latte sitting next to a plate of cheese and croissants on the breakfast table pales into calorie-counting insignificance, and their morning coffee is so large they have to drink it from a bowl! Yet you go to Paris and they are mostly average in build.
ReplyDeleteUSA, Mexico and UK are the top three for obesity, while Australia is in 6th, and france, 23rd (Italy 25th!). Sixty percent of the US population is deemed overweight while a staggering 30% is considered obese.
You have been to America, and you know what it is like. Everything is bigger! You also know the mantra is quantity over quality. Consume, consume, consume. Their big steaks (from corn fed cows) are accompanied by side servings the size of main dishes. They guzzle cola (soda) like their truck-o-sauruses (cars) guzzle gasoline.
Enough ranting. It must be moderation, so allow yourself that "normal" latte, with a teaspoon of brown sugar which is going to do less harm to you in the long run than that carcinogenic artificial sweetener crap.
P.S. Just out of interest. Coffeine may reduce risk of diabetes, heart disease, and brain diseases!! (http://nutrition.suite101.com/article.cfm/is_caffine_good_for_you)
In 2005, 19,000 tonnes of foie gras was consumed by the french domestic market! Moderation? ;-)
Hey Gaz... be rest assured, I actually don't take fake sugar - I was demonstrating a point. Thank you for your input - now that's what I call food for thought! -Gx
ReplyDeleteOh I know that! You cross examine all the contents of your products like no one else I know! It was just for the readers! x
ReplyDeleteTo paraphrase a guy at my work, "Skinny milk? I reckon I'd have much bigger problems to worry about if I have to start worrying about what kind of milk I have in my coffee."
ReplyDeleteI loves me some illicit foods.