How do you indulge?

I’ll be honest — I love a good drink; a jalapeño margarita, a glass of red wine, a vodka soda. I understand the appeal of enjoying a drink. I understand the need to take a sip and relax. I get the treat at the end of a long week. I get it.

I also understand the indulgence of salty snacks. Popcorn at the movies, pretzels rods, chip and dips. Salty snacks pair wonderfully with beer. I understand that sometimes it is essential to dive into a dip or snack on a bag of popcorn.

I am a huge proponent of a sweet treat. Graham crackers with cold milk, Oreos dunked in milk, chocolate chip cookie s’mores, cake, cupcakes and ice cream. Yep, I believe in eating dessert first and indulging in dessert often. It is who I am and it is what I love.

Now that I am more focused on living a balanced lifestyle. The good ol’ 80/20 rule, sure maybe some day I’ll get to 90/10 someday, carries so much more meaning. When eating whole nutritious food more often than not, I find that I ebb and flow through cravings right now and I find that my indulgences have changed. Most yummy, indulgent food doesn’t taste nearly as good as it used to. Most sweet treats taste different, most salty snacks pack too much punch and alcohol in general makes me feel fluffy…

However, there is one treat I will forever enjoy, guilt free, big yummy bites and happily — cookie dough. I don’t crave it often, but when I do, I forgive myself. I don’t need much, but if I eat the whole tube, oh well.

I am finally realizing that I am so much better off now that I eat well. Since I am in control of what I put into my body and I focus on preventing over indulgence, my body can handle the treat.

So how do you indulge? What’s the treat you are unapologetically forever going to enjoy?