Cocoa Raspberry Dream
Pudding: This makes a large amount, so you
could probably serve this as a dessert for a group of 4-6 people. Simply half the recipe to make a smaller portion. The texture of this
pudding comes from the avocado. It's so rich and creamy; just really hits the spot when I'm craving chocolate and raspberries.
2 Lg Avocados, Peeled, & Pitted
¼ Cup Cocoa Powder
3 Cups Frozen Raspberries
1 Cup Frozen Pears
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 2/3 Cups Almond Milk
3-4 Packets "Sweetleaf" Stevia Powder to Taste
A Message from Yourself ~
I live a pretty clean diet. I eat my fruits and veggies, I have my food groups each day the best I can. I don't drink alcohol, coffee, or energy drinks, soda and I only drink herbal tea, juice, or water. I've really developed a healthy relationship with food--but that really addictive sweet stuff? Now that's a hard habit to kick. It's called sugar. How do you manage those cravings??? For me, it's not a one time event. I know some people who have somehow managed to never eat the white stuff ever again, but that's just too impractical for me. I did go an entire year once without any refined sugar. Yes, I felt physically better, but it affected me socially, and psychologically in a way that really is not what I consider healthy--or balanced. I admire my husband, who seems to really be able to have a little something sweet once in a while without really ever getting addicted. So I've followed his example, and we are all happier at our house because of it.
A craving is a signal your body is missing something it needs. It's a message from yourself. The key is to start fine tuning your intuition as to what those needs are, so as to fill the gap. At the end of the day, or in the afternoon, sometimes I feel physically full, but for some odd reason I still want something...can't quite put my finger on it...so I eat more carbs, sugar or fat. Then I keep feeling both full and unsatisfied. So this is what I do. I simply think about how many servings throughout the day I've had of veggies, fruits, protein, whole grains (or starchy veggies like potatoes or corn), and high quality dairy products. Then it's easy to see what's missing. (I've blogged about this tally system before.) Almost every time I do this, I've usually overdone it on the grains, and I'm lacking good fruits, veggies, or plant based protein. So I have a simple snack to fill the need, without getting even more stuffed. I love apples and almond butter for instance. Then I put a stop on whatever it is that is making me feel too full and too unsatisfied.
Sometimes, the cravings are very specific. If you crave chocolate, you may need more magnesium. If you crave peanuts or peanut butter, you may need beta-sitosterol, a stress busting cortisol balancing plant sterol, much like cholesterol. If you crave limes, you may need more iron or vitamin C. Salty Foods? You may need more trace minerals. The list goes on...so find out why you want the food you crave, and fill the need. You can train yourself to crave healthy food. Set yourself or your kids free in the produce section at the grocery store and just see what you really crave.
If the unhealthy cravings have started becoming more frequent, and they are something that you give into again and again because you've lost your will power completely--now that's called an addiction. It's time to remind your body who is in control. You're in charge!
So here is your plan of attack. It takes 10 days to kick a bad habit. The hardest part is the first three. Then, you're on a roll and you don't want to give up what you started. After 10 days, it's just so easy to say "no" to tempting trifles because it just feels so good to take care of yourself, you're Satisfied--or in another word, you're Content.
The first few days I always start making lots of healthy treats, or grab and go type snacks that will trick my body into thinking it's getting something sweet. Well actually it is getting something sweet, but it's not refined sugar. Fresh fruit and plain yogurt, honey on whole grain toast, homemade protien bars, dried fruit, salted nuts, smoothies, or frozen yogurt made with stevia are some of my favorites. The recipe above is one of those types of sweet snacks. My favorite natural sweeteners are raw honey, real pure maple syrup, black strap mollasses, sucanat, stevia, and raw agave. The less processed it is, the better. You can get highly processed or genetically modified honey, stevia, or agave--so make sure you get the raw.
Be careful with this however, don't go haywire even on natural sweeteners. It's still sweet, and it still sends a signal to the brain to tell the pancreas to produce more insulin. You need to have a variety of the types of tastes there are to be had. Salty, sweet, sour, and bitter flavors are all important. So often we think that just because we are getting our spinach in a green smoothie, or hiding it in brownies for the kids that they are getting all they need--don't be fooled by this. The body needs to taste bitters. You need to eat a salad as a first course, (not doused with ranch dressing), so that the liver and gall bladder start producing bile, and the digestive process is greatly facilitated by this. Blood Sugar balance is greatly improved by eating your bitters. Actually tasting raw lemon juice for example activates the digestive process as you start producing more saliva. Taste matters.
Finally, you've got to go a little deeper. Is there an emotional or psychological need that is not being filled for you? Are you thinking your hungry when in actuality you're bored, lonely, tired, or gloomy? Time to indulge in ways that don't involve food at all, because "life is sweeter than sugar," remember? Call a friend. Take a warm bath. Go for a walk. Get some sunshine. Dig your hands in the dirt. Play with your kids. Decorate something. Build something. Nourish a plant or pet. Sing. Dance. Play a musical instrument. Get some exercise. Take a short nap. Work on a long ignored project. Read something uplifting. Write in your journal. Find someone to serve. Attend a live performance. Listen to Music. Do some YOGA!
Whatever you choose, you're dishing out the love you long to feel, and you deserve it. Practicing yoga has actually been proven to help people with self control, personal awareness, and the ability to mentally move through life with less attachment, or addiction to things. Practice this both on and off the mat. More power to you. May you find that you're truly at peace with those cravings as they teach you awareness. Just listen to them, and relax--you'll be fine.
