Not All Changes Are Good

 What's going on with the Fast Food industry?

First, Tim Hortons got sold and the first thing that happened was that nothing was the same but the name.  And just like that, many people started going elsewhere for their coffee and treats.  Why the new owners killed something so iconic is beyond me.

McDonald's suddenly had McCafe, which turned out to be cheaper than going to Tim Hortons. And since my Dutchies disappeared and tea in pots got replaced with swill called Steeped Tea, we moved ourselves to McDonald's. The muffins there were great.

Then our favourite lunch spot, Wendy's in Brockville, closed down and built themselves a new, much smaller venue. The food was still good, but suddenly the ambiance was gone and, if we were able to get a seat at all, there was no privacy to discuss things. 

Most of the newly built fast food places, no matter which franchise, have opted for one or two unisex toilets instead of the usual separate rooms with multi stalls. This creates lineups and gives women a better idea why men's rooms used to have urinals. Now we have to be more wary of splattered seats and floors. 

Recently our local McDonald's closed for renovations. When it reopened it was a shock to my system the first time I walked through the door. It was totally unrecognizable. Then we discovered another McDonald's in Stittsville that was a carbon copy. The order desks are not visible from the entrance. There is nobody at the cash and it takes time before we are even noticed. (Normally it's faster to tell someone what you want at the counter than to stand at the machine and poke numerous buttons).  The new furnishings can only be described as utilitarian and I have no faith in them holding up for very long. The tables are not spaced for privacy anymore so I figure maybe five could be used at a time without practically sitting with strangers. The TV's are gone but suddenly there is loud music being piped through speakers. That makes it difficult for people with hearing problems to carry on a conversation, and I'm sure people with sensitivities to sound would just not be able to stay at all.

Ah, maybe that's what all this is about in Wendy's and McDonald's. Maybe they just want drive through and pick up orders instead of people actually meeting up for lunch or snacks inside their establishments. They won't have to clean tables or sweep floors as often, so the staff can be busy making food.

I see Tim Hortons is, at least temporarily, bringing back the Dutchies, SourCream Blueberry Fritters, Walnut  Crunch and Cinnamon Twists again this summer. I have also discovered it is now possible to get my tea in a pot if I ask for it.  I guess it's time to switch back.

Doing Battle with Sugar

I am nearing the end of my first week on the Sugar-Free September campaign for the Canadian Cancer Society. Nobody said it would be easy, but I'm finding that it's not just about skipping the treats and watching out for sugar laden condiments. There is sugar everywhere!

The week before I started this I made a cake and went out with friends a couple of times to places where I could get a nice treat to go with my tea. The day before I began my hubby wanted to know if I wanted to go to Rideau Carleton for the buffet. We had been there not long ago so I didn't think that necessary. I realized he was just trying to give me a last chance to pig out without having to totally analyze everything I ate.

I eat eggs for breakfast most days, so there's no problem there. For lunch on the first day, I thought I'd make myself a mini pizza on a pita with lots of fresh veggies. Too late I realized there was sugar in the pizza sauce. Oh well, the rules say to start slow and not beat yourself up about every little infraction. This was already proving to be a learning experience.

Before someone tries to tell me there is sugar in bread I will mention that the Cancer Society has kindly provided sample meals and recipes and they do seem to include pitas, tortillas and crackers and such, so I'm not totally eliminating that kind of thing yet. I may go totally carb free near the end but I know as much as I enjoy how that makes me feel, my body can't handle it for more than 14 days before I start to get dizzy.

On the second day, I had some leftover sloppy burgers. There's sugar in there too (besides the buns) but only one tablespoon of brown sugar in the whole pot so at least the amount that got into me was minuscule.

Then came the time when my hubby wanted to take me to McDonald's. As we walked through the door he asked what I wanted. Well, I knew they dress everything with a mayo type sauce and even the dip for the chicken nuggets would be full of sugar. Luckily I like their tea so I'm no longer forced to drink soft drinks. I just shook my head and said, "I can't do this!"  It was then that I realized that my being sugar-free is going to affect others around me.  The adventure had just begun.

I made spagetti sauce and two days later I realized there was sugar in the tomato sauce. I guess I'll have to buy some tomatoes and make my own now as we use a fair bit of that around here.  My only other failure was when I polished off a couple of spoonfuls of brown beans that were in the fridge. Once again that was more of a habit. I was cleaning out the fridge before garbage day and it was either eat them or throw them out. There was no can at hand to remind me of the probable sugar content. Beans are something else I'll be making my own of, much to the delight of my hubby, I'm sure.

Lesson number one: Step away from anything that comes in cans!

So, here I was feeling like a failure with so many infractions in less than a week. But I really have cut down on the sugar intake and the scale proves it. I'm down 4 pounds already! That's an added bonus I wasn't looking for.

At six days in I have twenty-four more days to go. I'm doing battle with sugar for those who are doing battle with cancer. Please support the cause if you can.   https://www.sugarfreeseptember.ca/users/karen-wattie