Sugar High

So, earlier I told you all that I was giving up sugar for Lent.

Well, let me tell you, this has been quite the struggle.

The holidays are long over but the newsroom continues to be a mecca for all things sweet. One coworker has a glass jar on her desk filled by a bottomless pit of candy. Today my health reporter brought a variety of decadent treats from one of Cincinnati's best bakeries - Who knew milk chocolate can help you stay focused? note to self...

Anyway.


I have found myself between a rock and a hard spot.



Like this kind of rock and a hard spot.



A couple nights ago I thought about downing a couple spoonsful of sugar before going to bed, but then I realized that A) I am not, in fact, Mary Poppins and B) I had, in fact, decided to torture myself by giving up sweets for Lent.



So I guess that rules out mainlining honey in the restroom at work.



This big Lenten challenge has forced me to explore what legal sweets are out there. I was desperate for a tasty treat that came in some form other than baked good, candy or other indulgence.


And here's what I discovered.


Dried pineapple must be Mother Nature's candy.

Fresh, juicy pineapples are sliced just at the peak of ripeness, and then dried for 24 hours.

What's left behind is a sugary, chewy ring that is the perfect treat for those of us who are looking to curb our intake of processed sugar.

I can't find any definite nutritional information but one thing's for sure - these treats are awesome and they probably count as a fruit exchange for those of you who count that kind of thing.

Today I had a chance to try my second best Lenten sweet - an amazing, tiny orange straight from Florida. We sent a crew down to the Sunshine State for Reds Spring Training and a co-worker brought one of those mesh bags back, full of tiny little orbs just waiting to reveal their juicy secret.

I discovered another Florida secret - apparently the Sunshine State keeps the best stuff.

I have never had an orange as sweet as the two I ate today, and I'm kind of misty at the thought perhaps I found, and ate, the holy grail of citrus sweetness - something to never be found again.

But then it dawned on me - I only have to live like this until April 8th.

Then I can chow down on as many chocolate bunnies and Yellow peeps as I want.