Day 4 - Fat, Sugar, and Salt, Oh, My!

It's only been the fourth day.  As I cut out sweets and cut down on the junk that comes with it, I am experiencing a powerful god in three persons: fat, salt, and sugar.

I am not trying to disrespect the Trinitarians found in Christianity or the concept of Trimurti in Hinduism. However, it seems perfectly descriptive of what the makers of  fast and junk foods alike attempt to inject in everything they create.

As I attempt to avoid and cut out sweets, I find my desire to eat fatty and salty foods increases.  I'm not sure if it is any more than before or maybe I am more acutely aware of it in the absence of high sugar intake.

Think of any of your favorite, guilty pleasures related to food.  I can almost guarantee whatever your top ten foods are they probably include more than half or all high quantities of fat, salt, and/or sugar.  I'm not mad at you.  It is part of our shared biology.

I know that I'm no better than that dim witted Pavlovian dog salivating after a treat. Our brains get activated and stimulated by catchy phrases and music, bright colors, and a charismatic spokesperson for the thousands of products found in any store, restaurant, food truck and dispensing machine around every corner, found in nearly every kitchen, tucked away in our schools and colleges, and paraded across TVs and during movie previews - not to mention throughout the internet.

Even in the no carb, no fat, no trans fat, low sodium, and sugar free foods include a contrary intention to maximize the cooresponding aspect. For example, seek out the nutritional information of any of your top five healthier treats with any of the aforementioned nutritional phrases.  You may already be a savvy consumer and aware of this, but I am continually left with my mouth wide open in response to how they replace the sugar and fat with higher amounts of salt.  As they cut the fat, they instead up the sugar.  All of this food engineering is done to add flavor and respond to most consumers want to eat healthier while maintaining good taste.

Think about ten or twenty year ago and consider those foods that were part of the wave of diet foods.  They tasted pretty much like shit, cardboard, and tasteless waste. They simply did not appeal to our biological response to any one of the fat, sugar, and salt trifecta. Currently, food companies seemed to have perfected  the trifecta science to allow us to find these "diet" foods tastier and perceive them as healthier, better than other junk foods.

Today, I found myself talking and damn near dreaming of salt and fat foods during the day.  Add to the fold a weekend fraught with a bit more unplanned time.  Although I've stayed with drinking my water, I did not get started until around late morning.  Instead of having a taste for something sweet, I wanted to have water since I could feel my throat getting dry.  I ate plenty of fruit and vegetables, but it was not during typical times of eating.  Even after eating a highly nutritious dinner, I desired a bit more fat and salt.

It did not take much time to find a food that would satisfy me even though I had dinner and a full stomach.

Yes, it was Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) to the rescue.  I could have helped it, but I did not want to find a reason.

So, I drove the five minutes it took to purchase a four piece dark meat, thighs and legs, meal with sweet corn and slaw.  After the second piece of chicken, I think I found myself coming out of the food coma.  All was not clear until I finished the amazingly small pieces of non-organic chicken pieces and began feeding the bones to my two labs.

I noticed I was a bit annoyed with myself, but I slowly began to laugh about it all.  I tricked myself and allowed myself to be vulnerable during the predictably unorganized weekend.  The wonderful thing about it all is that I feel good about my plan to deal with this glorious fat, salt, and sugar dilemma.

I won't cut fat and salt.  However, I will keep watch on those foods with high fat and salt.  Generally, I do a pretty good job of managing it. Actually, no I don't. So, I will need to take care and be mindful. I also need to avoid the fast foods and junk.  I'll make certain to have a balanced amount of fat and find foods that provide the fat and salt needed along with the other nutrients.

The trifecta is quite powerful.  I also know there are plenty of other options available to manage its influence on my life.

Tomorrow is the First Day

It's the day before I start my personal mission to cut sweets from my diet, at least during the month of February, which is of course, Black History Month.  Although I feel strongly about my commitment to honor those who struggled and died for my freedom, I am cautious about moving forward.

The good thing is that I have a plan of action.  I know staying hydrated is very important for me.  Many times when I am eating sweets I am actually thirsty.  Instead of water, I find myself drinking punch or my favorite, zero calorie, Powerade or fruit flavored sparkling water.  The problem with both of these options is that they're somewhat of a set up.  While I am satisfied partially from liquid, the artificial sweetener leaves me wanting more. Meaning, I am still conditioned to have something sweet tasting when I am really, most likely, dehydrated.  So, later in the day and night, I'm still not drinking enough water to keep me hydrated.

The other real problem is the sweets and junk food from brownies to baked corn and potato chips, candies like Twizzler, Snickers, M&Ms, and Laffy Taffy.  I use to pretend eating the low sodium, baked, or multigrain chips somehow made a real difference.  It was not likely if I was eating the whole bag, by myself!  Another favorite is the no trans fat candy.

I've been a "victim" of the smart marketing ploys so many of us are persuaded by time and time again.  You have to give it to them.  Even when we know it is crap, they package it up, put on some bells and whistles, tell you how cool, fantastic, and hip you could be, and lo and behold, you are caught up.  You are not delusional.  You and I know the truth.  However, habits are hard to break.

I watched my mother die from diabetes nearly six years ago, on Christmas Eve. She could not break her "habit" of eating junk food.  She really was a victim.  She is also like millions of Black and Latino/as (disproportionately more than White Americans) across this country slowing dying from a diet that kills us softly.  The time, money, emotions, and all else lost behind our health is staggering.  I do not want to continue this legacy for my children and loved ones.  It's time to make a difference.

So, I have my water, calculated the number of cups I need for the day, track them on my smart phone, talk to friends and family announcing my journey, and go forth cautiously optimistic about what I will discover.  I hope you may find this journey a meaningful one for you. Tomorrow is the first day.

Blessings and Be well.