When I was a child, my mother always criticized those who chewed gum: “Like cows chewing their cuds,” she would say. So I grew up taking a dim view of “gum people,” especially those crass bubble blowers and gum smackers. Gross!
Sigh – if my mother could see me now. These days, I chew gum with the best of them.
Okay – I’ll back up and explain why a woman of my venerable years would take up gum chewing: It’s a way for me to deal with food grazing. Simply stated: It’s a lot more difficult to scoff up a broken cookie if you have to take gum out of your mouth to eat it.
I realized the value of gum several years ago when I was preparing food for an event and was about to slip into “Two for the guests and one for me” thinking. How often have you cut up a tray of brownies and theorized that the brownies crumbs have no calories? Something as simple as preparing a fruit tray runs the risk of more fruit being eaten during prep than ending up on the serving plate (and, yes, those dozen or so grapes that fall from the vine into the bottom on the colander do have calories).
Maybe, just maybe, a piece of gum in your mouth is one less “bite of this and bite of that” being eaten.
Onward to my beloved Tootsie Pops. Were I but a poet I would do an ode to this wonderful candy confection, which is only 60 calories and has a piece of yummy Tootsie roll inside. Absolute ambrosia.
It may be hard to believe that I’ve lost 110 as I sing the praises of a lollipop. I will caveat immediately that Tootsies (or any candy) are NOT a diet food that I recommend one eats by the bag full all day. In fact, one pop a day – at the most two – is the absolute limit.
Like the aforementioned chewing gum, a lollipop puts something tasty in your mouth that conceivably prevents you from putting something bad in your mouth. It’s that simple.
I’m not telling everyone to go out and buy gum and lollipops (yes, sugarless is good, too). This is simply an observation that, for me, those two treats have made a difference. They’ve allowed me to have something tasty in my mouth – as well as something to chew on – that prevented me from sampling the chips and dip.
As far as my mother is concerned, she would be pleased to know that I am quite ladylike when I chew gum and do not smack and pop it. (Although, just between us, I have been know to blow some awesome bubbles – when alone).
New Hope Soap – Unique gift ideas for Wedding Favors, Wedding Gifts, Bridesmaids Gifts. Great gift ideas for the women in your life – gifts for Mom for Mother’s day, for anniversaries, birthdays or just because! Personalized gift ideas for your Wife, Girlfriend, Mom, Sisters, and so much more. Let New Hope Soap help you find that perfect personalized gift for that special someone, with the touch of the luxury lifestyle.
