Candyland

Today a few staff members and I (Jen) tried out the new Candyland ice cream shop. It may seem inappropriate for a wellness blog to talk about ice cream, but come on, dessert is part of everyone's reality. Never fear, we all got smalls and walked back to the hospital. (Can you believe not one construction worker whistled at us? Surely they didn't notice my bright pink shoes.) There was a sign on the wall warning us that what we were ingesting contained fat and calories. What does it mean for the wellness staff when we go out for ice cream? Are we doomed, have we slipped off the wagon, are we giving up the fight? Nah. Read on...

Life is all about choices and that includes what we put into our bodies. Some people find they work best with no deviation what-so-ever. There are times that one chip or one cookie turns into the whole bag and so they just don't risk it. Some, however, argue that we need those small treats to help us from completely backsliding into oblivion. They would claim that if we totally deny ourselves, we're destined to have a huge breakdown somewhere down the road. I say find what formula works for you and embrace it. Of course, we have to be honest about if our system of food choices is really working for us. That may be the hardest part. I could have thought to myself, "Well, I'm teaching powerpump tonight, so I can get a large and it's fine." But is that really true? What else did I have to eat today? If I get that large and promise myself a salad for dinner, will I really eat salad, or will I grill a bacon cheeseburger. Eater, know thyself.

Even an ice cream parlor can bring inspiration to wellness-minded individuals. There is a jukebox in the store that had some terrific songs that we all thought could be incorporated into our classes. Dori took it one step further and came up with the idea of a candyland themed spinning class set to songs such as "Sugar, Sugar," or "Candyman". She envisioned calculating a class that burns off the calories that are in a candyland sundae. I thought that was a really creative idea and sounded like a really fun ride. Stay tuned, you may be hearing some of these songs in the near future.

Our time together was actually more important than the act of eating of ice cream. We had a great time being in each other's company and bouncing around ideas. You could say we were working on our emotional wellness, which is just as important. For you emotional eaters out there, you know what I mean. Staying happy tends to help people stay on track. And if staying happy means incorporating small amounts of ice cream with friends; so be it.

Staying accountable to your health needs is a crucial part of the total wellness picture. One trip to the ice cream parlor will never mean a total failure. As long as the minority (ie: dessert) stays in the minority, we'll be in good shape. But finding what works for us and sticking with it, making those healthy choices around our occasional treats will always be an integral part of keeping ourselves healthy.

As a side note: it turns out I'm in a picture on the wall. If you ever happen to be in (getting a small, I'm sure) see if you can find me!