I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, one of the most satisfying jobs I ever had was working as a chef in a private recovery center. It was magic watching color come back to the faces of our clients, to watch life rise back into their eyes. The kitchen was a common area in the center of the house so I got to know everyone who came through pretty well. I saw them at their highs and lows, met their families and.. I got to see what they ate through out the day. This is where sugar became my nemesis on a whole new level. When people would come in hunting for something sweet or to grab that 5th cup of coffee and spoon a weeks worth of sugar into it they would usually give me a pretty cutting side eye. Expecting ridicule for their choices. I tried to head them off at the pass by putting out elaborate fruit trays to distract them from the endless supply of candle like coffee beverages and cookies the kitchen manager ordered. I also started saying things that I never imagined I would say, such as “you don’t need all that sugar, you’re sweet enough.” And they would look at me with disgust before their eyes rolled dangerously around to the back of their head. I was annoying and it was on purpose. It was retaliation. Those people didn’t realize it but as each hour of the day passed, with every additional cookie consumed their behavior got a little closer to intolerable. I say this with all the care in the world. I wasn’t there for the money, I wanted to care for and help these people but, they were often very annoying and then, we ere annoying together. You get what you give as they say. So here are some things I started doing to keep things chill around the rehab.

1. Fruit.. at breakfast, lunch and dinner I made sure fruit was easily accessible and visually enticing. You don’t have to deprive yourself of something sweet, just give yourself better options.
   

2. Flavored water. I kept a big carafe of water with a selection of fruit and herbs on the counter at all times. Pears, blueberries and rosemary, cucumbers and mint, peaches, ginger and lemon. It was different every day depending on what we had. People loved it and I noticed the community drank more water.
   

3. Natural Vitality CALM: Now, this stuff is magic. It is powdered magnesium citrate and it lives up to its name. It regulates glucose, insulin and everyone’s favorite neurotransmitter - dopamine. Guess what manifests as mega intense sugar cravings… a magnesium deficiency!
   If you are a chocoholic- this stuff is for you. Take it twice a day with water (I’d recommend taking it before bed) and watch your cravings dwindle over time. I brought this stuff into the kitchen on my own dime and we would go through a bottle in a day.. that wasn’t financailly sustainable for me but it was highly effective while it lasted and it is something I always have in my personal pantry. Give it a shot, it comes in many flavors. You’re going to dig it.
   

Day 251: Sautéed kale, spinach and chard with roasted cauliflower scallions and lemon, topped with sunflower sprouts and a soft boiled egg.