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People are always asking why I don’t eat chocolate. They treat me like I’m Un-American. I don’t have any food allergy or mental disorder (that’s debatable).
Well let me tell you a story…
I grew up loving sports and played everything fairly well. Unfortunately I tore ligaments in both my ankles so many times I was told I could no longer play organized basketball. My roommate in college (there’s another story in there… some other time) was a phenomenal basketball player himself. He led the Kansas City area in scoring his senior year averaging over 29 points per game. He was 6′4″ 220 pounds and not an ounce of fat on him. He could touch the rim with his elbow as a sophomore in high school! Unfortunately for him he blew out his knees and he couldn’t play organized basketball either. Let’s just say we had an unbeatable intramural basketball / volleyball / football / anyotherball college team.
We were in the “jock” dorm with many other athletes. I was working out daily so that 6′1″ 170 pound weakling me could fit in (I weigh a bit more than that now!). When I didn’t see much improvement several of the guys told me it’s because I wasn’t eating right. They challenged me to stop eating sweets for 2 weeks and then analyze my energy level and overall mental awareness and then decide whether or not I would continue.
For a guy that couldn’t gain weight even if I ate 20 pieces of pizza (yes, I have done that) to go without my sweet sugary cereal with chocolate milk for breakfast and drink Sprite with every other meal or the mid-meal Snickers / M&M / Three Musketeers was unthinkable! I loved my sugary rush of energy. But these guys were doing it. Since it was only for 2 weeks I decided to try.
I struggled, but managed to do it. Surprising to me, they were right! Sugar does give you a spike in energy followed by a significant low energy period. Overall I felt much better once I flushed the sugars out of my system. I could stay up most of the night cramming for tests and finals (what else would anyone do at night while in college?) and still function effectively the next day on very little sleep. Besides, there is plenty of sugar in our diets by way of carbs. I decided to continue and make this a permanent choice. That was in the fall of 1987.
For the next 2 years I still craved sweets but managed to go without. Eventually the craving was replaced with a nauseating reaction. I have not had chocolate since 1987… 21 YEARS!
Today I will eat a dessert or some sugars on occasion, but not very often. My favorite snack is graham crackers & peanut butter. My favorite desserts are carrot cake (although I scoop off over half the cream-cheese frosting) or Royal Caribbean Cruise’s Key Lime Pie!
A couple years ago my wife and I had identical coffee mugs mine full of coffee and hers full of hot chocolate. I picked hers up and took a big swig. I jumped up in the air with a look of horror on my face. For the next 10 minutes I thought I was going to get sick. My wife was laughing (at me, not with me) hysterically.
So is that Un-American?
June 30, 2008 |
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ourcrookedtree, Moms June 30, 2008 10:08 pm
If you had said you did not like chocolate I would call you a communist but this makes sense (you don’t “tolerate” it☺! I am not sure I am ready to fast from sweets myself but I commend you for doing so!
tenakim, Moms June 30, 2008 11:13 pm
I know what you’re saying… when I ween off of the sweets, I feel better and know that body is working better and you can just feel your body cleanse… BUT, chocolate is just too good to stay away for me- good for you, though!
Bonnie, Sales/Marketing July 1, 2008 7:44 am
Next thing you’ll tell us is that you’ve given up Coffee! I bet your wife loves the that you don’t eat chocolate. More for her! My husband also avoids chocolate. Unfortunately I’m too far gone to ever completely give up my sweets….
Birdie July 1, 2008 7:54 pm
great to see ya up on the Hill even if you don’t like chocolate…