A donut a day

I haven't had a Dunkin Donut in years. Perhaps not since I was a kid and didn't have any clue about good or bad foods. I pass one of those pink establishments a few times a week, and often contemplate a creme-filled pastry with chocolate frosting.

But it's always theoretical. It's not that I consider it to be a "bad food." No food is off limits, now that I've rejected the diet mentality. It's just that whenever I consider that today may be the day, I remember some things.

First, I know myself. If I eat something too sugary for breakfast, I'll get a headache or feel drowsy later on. I hate that feeling. Morevoer, my mind and body are now so finely tuned that I'll feel I missed out on my whole grains.

That's because one donut is so filling that it really would be a meal replacements. I prefer a sprouty sandwich to a creme-filled treat.

I know I can always have it tomorrow, or any other time. I think that knowing I can have it whenever I want is enough for me. So, were I to actually indulge one day, I'd probably be disappointed. Would it really taste as good as I imagine?

I'm keeping it theoretical for now, and saving the event for some momentous day in my life. Perhaps my first child's wedding? I laugh at myself every time I pass that establishment. I like those donuts, but the downside seems to outweigh any benefit to actually buying one.

Alas, I think that iif I ever take the plunge, it will probably be one of those plainer whole wheat donuts, and it will probably be only a half so that I can have something a little healthier with it. And I will probably say, "Now what was all that fuss about?"

Or maybe I really would get one of those chocolate glazed creme-filled treats. But I know what I would do. I'd pick off the chocolate frosting and eat that first. Then I'd pluck at the cakey part, tossing most of it in the garbage. I'd leave just enough doughy stuff so it holds the creme part together.

Then I'd chow down on the creme.

Is this message a little bit food-focused? You bet! I rebel against recovery groups that ban specific foods as a topic of discussion. It's okay to love food!

We can learn to love our food in small amounts, and not all at once. And it's okay to dream of a Dunkin Donut. Or even eat one.

With love, Linda Moran