Everyday Systems

Everyone feel free to laugh at me. I talk about Vanilla No-S all the time and how if you do that first, it gives you a better platform from which to re-assess, blah, blah, blah.

Did I DO that, myself?

I'd been mentally classifying bread as a "no-no" then eating far, far too much of it on S days. (It's easier for me to overeat on bread than chocolate. Don't ask me why).

My kids beg me for homemade bread often. I'm an okay baker, they like it better than the store bought stuff and God knows it's cheaper to bake it yourself.

Well, I had a lightbulb moment last evening when I had given in to my son's pleas to make some rosemary focaccia. Bread isn't an S! Then I got to thinking even more. If I made a sandwich that will fit in the upper container of my bento (about 6"x2") it's not even overeating on the bread, either. That's a fine-sized serving!

Oh yeah, moderation. DUH!

That's a great realization! No S is not low-carb or no-carb... bread is okay. My only dangers is a bread basket at a restaurant (the delicious hot bread is almost irresistable), but then you start eating one, two, three pieces, and then your meal comes... and all of a sudden it all doesn't fit on one plate!

I love that No S does not limit any type of food.

Right. My problem with bread was not that Bread=Evil. It was that I was being immoderate with it.

Now, because yes, it's pretty calorically dense, I prefer not to eat large portions of bread, but I don't eat large portions of ice cream, either. If I can use a custard cup or small crystal dish for my ice cream, I can enjoy bread in equally appropriate sizes.

If we harken back to the so-called French paradox... A baguette is what, 2" around in diameter or something? If someone eats a piece of bread with their delicious, well-cooked French dinner, they're eating a piece of bread that's smaller than my fist.

Bread is also my "treat-of-choice"!!! My discovery was that I could eat a slice of "good" bread and be very satisfied. So I make the effort (well not as much effort as YOU!!) to go to the local bakery and buy a nice crusty loaf instead of buying grocery store bread. I don't keep flour or sugar here in sunnyland but will probably go back to baking the "5 min. a day" loaves when I return home. Isn't if crazy..the "rules" we make for ourselves!!

Good golly, I don't think I could have done this if I had had to cut sweets AND bread. Costco (you got that back East?) sells a whole wheat bread the thought of which at dinner has kept me from pigging out on chocolate more than once.

Good for you! I'm finding more and more that moderation is the way to go when it comes to eating. Like someone else said, I love how No S doesn't limit any food.

It's quite liberating...I haven't quite wrapped my brain around it yet...but I believe I'll get there...being able to eat in moderation any type of food.

I've foresaken fat, calories and most of all carbs...being able to eat those guilt free is ...something!

I think the only reason to limit any food is because it's not available, not affordable, you don't like it or are allergic to it.

I've mentioned this before, but it was a shock to my system when I realized that those healthy Greeks didn't eat low-fat or no-fat yogurt or cheese. It was also a surprise of sorts to realize that with just a few exceptions, none of those healthy populations ate foods from outside their regions. The exceptions tend to be sugar, coffee/tea, rice and spices. Nothing is imported because some other healthy population eats it.