Have I mentioned how much I love sweets and baked goods?? I love carbs. I can eat them all day, everyday and never get tired of them. Top of the list: chocolate. Brownies, cookies, cakes, confections… you name it, I love it. As a clinician who has helped many struggling with addiction I can officially say my drug of choice is sugar. Just the thought of reducing my intake makes me defensive and anxious.
Conversely, I also love health and fitness. It has been a passion of mine since my dad drug me to the gym in high school in an effort to help put some meat on my bones and instill the value of fitness and self care. It worked! Not only was I the only person who used our rusty, run-down dorm weight room, as soon as construction for the Student Recreation Center was completed I was there all the time. No really, I was there every day… as a weight room instructor, personal trainer and fitness enthusiast. I continued to be a gym rat for years… until I became a parent. Children are a game changer to say the least! From then forward I just moved the party to my house with myriad equipment, fitness dvd’s and an unwavering commitment to take care of myself. For the most part, I’ve done well. My only breaks in working out have been in conjunction with childbirth and I’m pretty quick to get back into the saddle again. For me, waking up each morning to get my blood pumping has become a vital routine for my sanity. It’s my time. No one is asking anything of me but myself. I’m in total control of my body, my mind and my endurance.
The dissonance between my love of sweets and fitness weighed heavily on me when contemplating launching The Blakery. As a mental health professional who has worked for decades coaching people on how to take better care of themselves I tend to fall into the “everything in moderation” camp. Deprivation only serves to make me want something more (no sweets quickly turns into me fantasizing about every decadent, delicious treat I’ve ever eaten and contemplating how much time it would take to reproduce immediately). Enter “harm reduction.” One of the least invasive or scary ways of modifying behavior. Harm Reduction simply takes a negative behavior and slowly starts chipping away it towards change. Instead of eating two dozen cookies in one sitting, just eat one dozen. Only eat one sleeve of Oreos, not the whole package. Instead of filling your cabinets with gobs of junk food just pick a few things that are truly rewarding. Baby steps that don’t feel overwhelming or impossible that you can build on over time.
“If you want a luxury car, you have to use premium fuel.” While car analogies are typically lost on me, this one sticks. Our food is what fuels us. It lays the foundation for how efficiently our body functions and recovers from injury and stress. Plant-based diets high in whole grains and low in fats and sugar have long-been demonstrated as a best practice. So where does this leave The Blakery’s delicious fare? Kicking it with your happy-time dopamine receptors. Eating something delicious triggers the same feel-good dopamine response as sex and heroine… so let’s make sure we use our powers for good. This is why is was so important to me to make the very best, most delicious version of everything we offer (the calories have to be worth it!!), to provide some moderately healthier options (enter Breakfast and Wonder/Lactation Cookies), and perhaps most importantly, to provide a path away from binge eating. Freezer worthy food is my answer. All of our products (with the possible exception of Scotcharoos and Millionaire’s Shortbread Bars and they keep forever airtight) freeze like a boss. Providing a heavy duty zip-top bag with your order is my way of creating a harm reduction opportunity. Enjoy a cookie or two and toss the rest in the freezer as a reward for all of your hard work in the days and weeks ahead. Create time for a mindful reward, not just an impulse cookie on the run.
I know all of this can be filed under “easier said than done,” but that’s a helluva lot better than impossible. I talk a lot about giving ourselves grace, and this time is no exception. Every day is a new day to get up and fight the good fight. Some days are great and some days I get my ass handed to me by a bittersweet chocolate studded brownie. Regardless, the next day I get up, sweat my butt off, and gear up for another day on the front-line surrounded by some of the most delicious baked goods around. If I can do it, you can too. And if you need some extra support, I’m here with heavy-gauge plastic bags and words of kindness and inspiration. Or complete mockery and humiliation… whatever gets the job done :)