Sugar Low
Before I ruminate on sugar’s effect on my life and the lives of my fellow humans, I wanted to mention a couple of new television shows involving David Chang. I watched both of their premiers, each of which came out this past week. Dinner Time Live, with David Chang premiered at 7pm this past Thursday. It is Netflix’s first live-streamed cooking show. The second show, Chrissy & Dave Dine Out, features Chang and his co-hosts Chrissy Tiegen and Joel Kim Booster, along with celebrity guests that change with each episode. The first episode’s guests were late night comedian/host Jimmy Kimmeland his wife Molly McNearny. They dined at Pizzeria Bianco. I enjoyed both shows, but am a bit more interested in how the “live” aspect of the live show on Netflix plays out over time.
Since returning home from Texas on 1/9, I’ve done a great job instilling some new eating habits. I’m cooking almost everything I consume, avoiding sugar, and limiting my intake into an 8-hour window each day. I’ve found that food journaling, counting macros, etc., drives me bonkers and I can’t stick with it. But I’ve been able to stick with this simpler approach. Its yielding some positive results - I’ve lost some weight, and have been sleeping really well.
But I do miss the sugar. If I’ve ever been addicted to anything, its probably sugar. Sugar intake spikes dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps us feel pleasure. Cocaine spikes dopamine too, to a much higher degree. I’m not sure whether neuroscientists agree about sugar’s addictiveness, but its effects on my own biochemistry seem to qualify.
I’m not alone in this love of sugar - 38.4 million Americans have diabetes, with another 97.6 million classified as “pre-diabetic.” Together, these two groups make up 41% of the U.S. population. This is an oversimplification. I know that multiple factors are driving diabetes in humans, not just sugar intake. Still, all one needs to do is walk the aisles of any retailer (not just grocers) to see that candy is for sale everywhere. This is not un-related to the diabetes epidemic.
Increasingly, walking through a grocery store reminds me of walking through a casino. The entire environment of casinos is designed to attract one’s attention toward gambling, and to entice us to spend a lot of time engaging in it. A massive portion of grocery stores is devoted to selling candy, sugar-laden beverages, cookies, pastries and frozen treats. In casinos, the house wins more often than not. I wonder what percent of grocery store visits include a processed sugar-centric item in their basket...
There was a brief moment when I considered starting a home-based dessert business. I enjoy making desserts, and am pretty good at it. I thought it might make for a good side hustle. There is plenty of market demand for such things. Upon reflection, I chose not to pursue it. Spending more time around sweet treats wouldn’t be good for me. And I wouldn’t feel great about making money selling them. It feels akin to selling cigarettes. I don’t want to profit off of others’ ill-health.
There is a quality argument to be made for my home-made hand pies, versus something highly processed liked a box of Pop Tarts. But at the end of the day, that buttery, flaky hand pie is still packed with sugar. For me at least, such treats should be a rare indulgence.
I’m not sure when I will enjoy a nice homemade dessert again. I know I won’t hold out forever. If you know me, you know that I’ll share pictures when it happens.
Sunday Supper
While home for Winter break, our youngest son requested Mexican Egg Rolls for supper. This is something I made quite often while he was growing up. I was glad to reinforce this childhood sense memory for him. The egg roll is a great vehicle for different delicious fillings, of course. So in addition to the Mexican version, here is a Reuben Egg Roll option, Buffalo Chicken, and Cuban style recipe. Perhaps something to enjoy while watching the NFL conference championship games today. Now that I think about it, this is basically the Stuffed Bread lineup that we used to offer at Maamos Kitchen! Man was that good.
Sunday Music
Its possible that I have shared this concert previously, but a friend reminded me of it recently and I feel compelled to share it today: The late, great Stevie Ray Vaughn performing with his band, Double Trouble on Austin City Limits back in 1989. We lost Stevie in a helicopter crash August 27, 1990. What an amazing talent - enjoy!
One last publishing note: I'm in the midst of rearranging some of my online subscription services - so be on the lookout for an email from me that looks a bit different than this one. I will be testing an alternative email service soon. I'm unsure whether I will ultimately take the leap, but am considering it, and will likely deploy a test soon.
Have a great week ahead! Offer support to others. Make good use of this day. And let me know how I can help.
Peace & Love,
Neal