[Klara]

Dear Zulejka,

Your post makes me smile. On a different macro discussion group, we talked about following rules or figuring things out for ourselves. A lot of longtime mb people truly believe each person needs to get to that place where their bodies tell them what they need to eat or not eat. I said that may happen to them, but not to alot of us who need structured rules, especially at the beginning, and alot of us have looooooooooong beginnings (me!!!). So I smile at your question, "is it OK?????"

and so hard to answer, and so easy to go to the first answer and say everything is ok, you just have to realize it's effects. But of course, I see and know for myself also, that specific guidelines help, and then one day, yes, you can figure some more out by how you feel. I think the guidelines help us get to a more centered place - tho guidelines from an experienced counselor for your specific condition/constitution is even better than books and strangers like me.

You say cookies are nice to take along - does that mean you're out alot? you work? a student?

For myself, I find it much harder to eat balanced if I'm out and about - if I know I'll be out, I try to bring a good meal, tho that's another subject matter and yes, difficult, but not impossible.

Vegetarian cooking can indeed be very far from mb, and even mb eating can be very unbalanced. So I'm sorry, but can you see if you feel unbalanced from all the desserts? Are you flying? quick to emotional reactions? cry alot? talk alot? (now one needs to ask what's a lot? that's why having a good counselor is to a great advantage).

I have a feeling if you're asking these questions (how much desserts? how much fruit?) your intuition might be suggesting you're eating more than you need to.

Again, I suggest going to sweet vegetables. Trying making desserts from carrots or sweet squash as an intermediate step. And again, do go for more vegetables in your every day meals - and the sweet vegetable drink (1/4 cup each of onions
carrots
sweet winter squash
cabbage

simmered a half hour in 4 cups of water, then drained - just drink the liquid, not blend and eat. do not add salt. (if at the begining, you really don't like it, use less water so the taste is stronger - when your taste buds start changing, then go back to original recipe)

Try it, it may be what you need instead of desserts.

Klara