Cozy Foods

Barbara, the monster snow storm is hitting Connecticut today and my wife and I are pretty much in a welcome lock down at home.   As the author of The Brown Fat Diet , I intuitively know what to eat to stay in shape;  however, this morning,  I found my mind acting differently.  I was thinking about baking a cake/brownies or having pancakes for breakfast!   The power of the brain and memory!   Hmmm how to handle this conflict of food choice that I am sure so many of us feel on days like today?

The brain (specifically, the amygdala) has this incredible ability to connect to past experiences and create cravings for things associated with good times.  In this case, probably,  those  unexpected and welcome days off from school, when my mom would cook all the comfort foods.

Those of you who follow me or have read my book, The Brown Fat Revolution, know that I strongly believe that occasional side steps when you are on a diet are OK and actually work to keep you comfortable with food and not feel deprived.  So, I will have a brownie today and whole wheat pancakes with low sugar syrup/no butter and not feel at all guilty.

Life is about the experience and not to embrace the connections that we have garnered from the past in a positive way and enjoy is nonsense.  After 20 years of eating according to the principles of The Brown Fat Diet, I can firmly testify that this one day of  relaxation combined with visual beauty (the snow) and gustatory coziness will not affect the shape of my body!