Last summer, after discovering Bam Bam Bakery – a gluten-free
store in Portland, Maine – I gained ten pounds. They have pizza, sticky yeast
buns, Whoopie-pies, and the most decadent, delicious dessert squares, including
my favorite -- a truly unique one that is made with blueberries and rosemary. Everything
in this bakery is gluten-free.
It took me 6 months to lose the extra pounds, since I tend
to gain weight whenever I even think about dieting. I chose instead to focus on
feeling better, eating smaller portions, and not feeling deprived when I had to
forgo dessert.
With so many daily food opportunities distracting us almost
everywhere we go, it can be difficult to avoid foods we should only eat in
moderation. We have to pass pastry and coffee shops on our way to work, pizza
and sandwich stops, fast food restaurants, home-made food in slow restaurants,
and ice-cream stands.
In a grocery store,
on the way to the fish department, we are distracted by pies, cakes, and
muffins. On the way to Dairy one can find new goodies on the end caps of the
aisles. When we look for a bag of frozen peas, low and behold, there are all
kinds of interesting hors d’oeuvres just a few glass doors away. Near the
checkout are candies and chips, and if one turns around to avoid looking at
them, specialty ice-cream cakes in the end of aisle freezer beckon. Even the
magazines sport covers with great big honkin’ chocolate cakes. Some
publications show a Photo-shopped skinny model with headlines that we can look
like her, then the sub-headings mention easy-to-make wonderful desserts on the
inside pages.
How to deal with this? Wear blinders in the grocery store,
take a deep breath, and relax. We’ll all be okay without the extras.
Of course a Maine Warmer will relax tense muscles. Curl up
with a back warmer and good book as an alternative to baking a cake or eating
dessert. Maine Warmers' Cozy Critters offer comfort without the calories.
PS
I still go to Bam Bam Bakery to buy bread and an occasional dessert.
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