Today I want to talk to you about jelly beans.
More specifically, Jelly Bellies. Bear
with me, this is a serious post. I promise.
I love Jelly Bellies. Especially the
pear flavored ones. Those are my favorite. I only get them as a treat
once in a while. Do you know how expensive the darn things are?
Upwards of $7/lb here. I never get a pound though. My store has
smaller bags and I usually only fill them a quarter of the way,
sometimes half if I'm having a really bad day.
I have to be having a really bad day
before I'll buy them though. The sugar content in those things is
really high and I already ingest enough as it is. But there's
something about a favorite treat that can make a day better.
As I said, I only get them once in a
while. Last time was months ago. I love eating them a few at a time,
savoring them and drawing out the enjoyment of the treat as long as I
can. Sometimes I binge on them, eating half of what I buy in one
sitting. They're so addicting, to me at least, that I can't always
help myself.
But with all treats, we must be
careful. I know the push is to eat healthier, and some of you are
probably horrified. I know I'm overweight and munching down half a
small bag of jelly bellies, which usually runs about half a pound if
I'm not careful, is not good for me. But neither is denying myself
the chance to have a treat.
If we go all the time with eating only
the healthy foods and renouncing all of those things we love, we're
going to slip and end up binging on those treats we've been denying
ourselves. Then we feel guilty and berate ourselves for it.
As long as you limit it, an occasional
treat is just fine. It gives us a reward for staying on our chosen
path. It grants us a little bit of sweetness/savory/etc – whatever
your idea of a treat is – as we plow along in whatever we're trying
to do.
This goes for anything in life. If you
focus too much on one thing without taking a break, you're going to
snap. Take time for yourself. Find a moment or two to just relax.
Take a little bit of pleasure. Don't feel guilty. Enjoy it and then
go back to what you were doing. It won't hurt and you'll feel better
for it.
