Dieting websites make me crazy. Today I looked at a ton of websites advising me to give up sugar, which would be the answer to all my troubles. Giving up sugar is an intimidating, anxiety inducing monster of a task. So what did I do after subjecting myself to the torture of scrutinizing my lifestyle? I ate three huge majool dates and a few teaspoons of a honey hazelnut butter mix. I'm pretty sure that websites about sugar addiction should not be this apt to promote anxiety, and so the goal of this blog is to have the opposite effect.

Anyway, if you've never experienced sugar cravings then there's little hope of me making you understand how persuasive they can be. On the other hand, if you are familiar with sugar cravings then there's no need to explain, you know how hard it can be to resist them. Since I am not currently in the throes of craving, I can see clearly that almost immediately after I eat something sweet I feel terrible. On many levels. First I start to feel tired and then my mind becomes very cloudy and I find it difficult to focus. A few days after incorporating sugary foods into my diet, I notice that my clothes fit a bit tighter than usual, and I don't have enough energy to exercise. Eventually I begin to feel so ashamed of myself that I decide to swear off sugar forever. For the next few weeks I usually make good on my promise. It seems that when things are going great, and my clean running body has lots of energy, that I start to slip. I tell myself that I can handle a bit of sugar, and a little soon turns into a lot. That pretty much sums up the cycle of cravings I associate with sugar.

The purpose of this blog is to document my journey with food and provide some healthy satisfying recipes that won't take you on the sugar roller coaster. These recipes will follow. Also, though, I will have a look at some Zen and other teachings that help motivate me along the way. I practice Zazen, seated meditation, which helps me focus my mind and creates space between my thoughts and actions. A few seconds of insightful reflection before acting on an impulse can give a person the space to transform their lives. So I will explore how meditation helps me slowly achieve balance in my nutritional and emotional life.

My goal is not to swear off sweets forever; it is to achieve a healthy balance that minimizes intake of sugary foods to a point that allows me to achieve physical and emotional balance.