Caregiver Warrior’s Guide To Chocolate

Caregiver Warrior

Ok so I have a sweet tooth. Blame it on all the ice cream I was given in front of the TV set (heaven) when I was little or all the chocolate I have seen my mom and dad eat (hello Tastycakes!) or maybe it’s because my dads dad had a soda fountain but whatever, I have a sweet tooth. I LOVE dark chocolate, candy corn (ahhhh) lemon squares, brownies oh don’t get me started! As a little girl I ended up with lots of cavities because of my love of all that sweet stuff. Luckily since I have always been “high strung” as my family would say with a high metabolism I could eat just about anything and not gain weight. I learned that I would “feel better” after eating sweets and other comfort food. I would learn later in life that the need to “feel better” had to be monitored. It could cause me to make poor eating decisions and the actions I took or the food I ate could actually be bad for me if I wasn’t careful. Sugar in general is not really good for me. The instantaneous gratification is addicting but the after effects especially when I’m already stressed and anxious are not good. It tastes great going down and then I get a rush but the crash and drop in my sugar levels leave me feeling tired and depressed. Sadly I can still give in to bad habits and eat like this even today. I was recently very upset by something and I had to be really careful because all I wanted to do was eat stuff that was sweet and basically bad for me to make myself feel better. I wanted to medicate by eating crap. When caregiving, we are always on the look out for relief. Whether it is sleep or relaxation or any way to lessen the stress or anxiety we need to find mini vacations where we can. Food and eating can be a major source of relief. Eating right can have lasting effects, eating crap can be disastrous. After much reading and lots of Dr. Oz, I know in my heart of hearts what food is good for me to eat. And it ain’t 3 brownies (or half of my moms chocolate chip and sugar pan cake that my sister makes). Whole grains (quinoa is my whole grain of choice) lean meats and lots of fresh fruit, greens and veggies are the way to go. I can always get a grilled chicken salad. I also always try and have some protein bars or veggie snacks on me because I never know when I might need re-fueling. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely treat myself to desserts and fun stuff but I try to do it in moderation and for the right reasons, not to fill a need to feel better or without eating a balance meal beforehand. We are Caregiver Warrior machines and we need the right fuel! How can we make sure our loved ones are feeling good if we don’t. It starts with the basics of good healthy, balanced eating. So reward yourself when you can but eat to nurture not numb and eat good balanced meals. Everything and everyone will be better for it.