Sweet and Sour Notes

Last week, I wrote about changes in my taste for different foods as well as my craving for sweets. The subject of craving sweets came up again this week in a discussion on one of the online support groups. Many of us with FTD have an intense craving for sweets and carbohydrates. This, fortunately, often comes and goes at different intensities but lately, for me, has been really intense. I say an intense craving and that is what it is, intense. It's not like "Gee, that sounds good. I'd better not though." It is strong enough that I become extremely anxious if I do not give it to it.

I do try to resist as often as I can. When I cannot resist, I try to only eat sweets that have at least some nutritional value. This can come through whole grains, nuts, peanut butter or raisins. There are more, but you get the idea. If I am going to eat too many calories, I want it to be a tiny bit good for me.

I eat granola bars in the late afternoon so that I don't start eating everything in the house while I wait for dinner. I am not here to endorse products, but one I love is Quaker Dipps. They are covered in dark chocolate and contain some whole grain. Different flavors contain nuts or peanut butter or raisins. To me, they taste like a candy bar and they trick my mind into thinking that I have eaten something really indulgent. Yes, I do know that the nutritional value is quite small, but since I am going to eat something sweet and starchy anyway, any value is better than totally empty calories. With the whole grains, it gives me a bit of a full feeling. My husband keeps several candy dishes here at home with different chocolate candies. By eating my sweets in the way I choose, I am actually able to resist all the candy dishes. I probably haven't opened one of them in 3 months.

I have a couple favorite recipes that I use to make homemade treats. I got this recipe 30 years ago when my daughter was taking a children's cooking class at the YMCA. They are so easy, yummy and have the nutritional value of the all natural peanut butter and the milk powder. Some even believe that dark chocolate provides some value. Surely all that offsets all the sugar? Just a little?
   
     Quick Energy Pick-Ups

1 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
1 cup all natural peanut butter
1/2 cup instant powdered milk
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 Tablespoons of water

3 or 4 graham crackers, crushed

Reserve the graham crumbs and mix all other ingredients together. Roll into balls and roll in the crumbs.  Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. That's it... easy, peasy.

I have others as well, but you can find your own favorites. I choose ones that are easy enough to make for someone with FTD and with the fewest artificial ingredients.

Don't let me kid you though. I still get cravings. Yesterday, my husband bought me a bag of an Easter candy that I love, marshmallow chicks and rabbits. I don't know why I like them, they taste like those circus peanut candies that are clearly bad for you. It is 24 hours later and the entire bag is gone. I didn't eat them all though, he ate three or four of them. There's probably only 30 or 40 in the bag. He had actually bought three bags and I begged him to hide the other two. I sure hope he hid them well!

On a more sour note, this past week I heard of a few instances of individuals with FTD being disrespected. It hurts when it happens to me and infuriates me when I hear of it happening to others. I swear we should wear a badge around our necks that says "Yes, I do have dementia, I am not stupid and I CAN hear you!" I know I will be experiencing this next week when I attend a luncheon with a group of women from church.  My friend who talked me into going keeps telling me to just don't let it get to me, it's their problem, not mine. Yep, that's true, but extremely difficult to do. There will be some who ignore me, some who cast sideways glances and those who mean well, but will say things like "You look great, just like you always did, are you sure you have dementia?"

I have actually offered to do a short presentation, at one of our meetings, about the differences between Alzheimer's and other dementias. That offer was never even acknowledged much less accepted. It is difficult to spread the word about FTD when people refuse to listen or to learn that it exists. That doesn't stop me though. I will continue to spread the word wherever, whenever and as often as possible. I have a bully pulpit I carry along with me!