My aunt works in a hospital. A drug rep or vendor of some kind brought a box of truffles and left them at the nurses station and a doctor threw them away announcing: "Candy is poison."
I was trying to keep that story in mind as I meandered the 4 aisles of Easter candy at the mega-drugstore chain the other day. Easter candy is, of all the seasonal candies, my favorite. There is something about chocolate shaped into eggs and bunnies and wrapped in pastel foil that makes it even more appealing to me than normal.
But, is the doctor's denunciation of candy over-the-top? There are studies that show dark chocolate has health benefits, but I'm talking Reese's Peanut Butter Cups here. Is it so bad for us that we should equate it to poison?
I think it is more in line with alcohol. Some people can handle candy in a responsible manner. These lucky people can have 1 piece and walk away from the bag. Others will binge until sick.
I don't think I can realistically imagine a life without candy at all. I am trying desperately to cut back. With Easter so late in April this year the temptations of tiny festive marshmallow treats will haunt me for weeks yet to come.
I saw your headline and my heart skipped a beat - is it true? I wish we still had penny candy stores where you could buy 1 piece of your favorite candy - I think I might do better if I could walk to the corner and get just one or two mini candies instead of having to buy a full size candy bar or a bag of the minis to satisfy a craving. If I buy a bag of pastel Hershey kisses, it won't see the dawn.
ReplyDeleteOne of my happiest realizations, with respect to working out, comes from the old adage, "Calories in vs. Calories Out." When I realized that it was okay to eat whatever I wanted (within reason) as long as I made a commitment of self-love and respect to myself to burn it off later in the week, fun foods no longer posed a threat.
ReplyDeleteHow many calories are in a Cadbury Creme Egg? 150? 200? With my exercise of choice being running, I burn the entire egg off with a 2-mile run, which takes 20 minutes of my time, and since I love running, I typcially run a base distance of roughly 5 miles in one shot, which is still only one-hour of my time.
The benefits of regular exercise are ongoing. I feel better, I'm more alert, I'm in better physical shape, I'm proud of my accomplishment, and because I work out regularly, I no longer have to count calories regularly -- and I get to eat a Cadbury egg whenever the mood strikes me.
Life is good.
Yes, I just have to learn to eat 1 Cadbury Egg at a time as a treat and not a carton of them between snacks :)
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