Beating Sugar (and other) Addictions

I recently discovered a blog called Nourishing Your Sober Self written by Deborah Dunn. The thing that caught my eye was that she includes caffeine and food in her list of addictions people struggle to overcome, as well as drugs and alcohol, which I find to be an eye-opening approach.

This week's post was about sugar cravings, which have something interesting in common with caffeine, alcohol, and even drug addiction: these are all creators of yin energy, which is light and expansive. Sounds good, right? Too much, though, and you're flying high, or off the handle. A balance with yang, or contractive, grounding energy, is vital to prevent cravings.

The following are foods that offer grounding yang energy: corn, carrots, onions, beets, winter squashes, sweet potatoes and yams, turnips, parsnips and rutabagas, red radishes, daikon, green cabbage, and burdock root. These provide the "sweet" sensation without the addictive qualities of yin, and they are in season right now, so it should be easy to find them locally.

Dark, bitter greens like kale, collards, Swiss chard, spinach, arugula, etc., are also great for cleansing the palate and the blood, promoting healthy digestive flora for the maximum absorption of nutrients, and then adding nutrients such as vitamin B and calcium to the body, which reduce cravings. Vitamin and mineral deficiency can cause the body to crave strange things in the search for nutrition.

Here's one of my favorite recipes for Butternut Squash, a great grounding yang food:

Roasted Butternut Squash with Mustard Vinaigrette

• 3 small squash (about 2 lbs each) peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch thick half-moons
• 1 shallot, minced
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp whole-grain mustard
• ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Divide squash and shallots among 2 large-rimmed baking sheets. Toss with 2 Tbsp of oil and salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer and roast, turning once, until golden brown and tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, simmer cider in a small saucepan until reduced to ¼ cup, 12-15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in vinegar, mustard, parsley, 2 Tbsp oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer squash to serving dish and drizzle with vinaigrette. Leftover vinaigrette makes great salad dressing!