Cookies and Commitment Issues: Don't Try to Make It Healthy

I'm asking you to do something well.

In a world where kale is king and quinoa has become as ubiquitous as rice, there's a certain irony in our relentless attempts to 'healthify' foods and sanitise indulgence.

Picture this: you're eyeing a recipe titled "Guilt-Free, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies". Spoiler alert—they're also fun-free. It's as if we've collectively decided that pleasure must come with a side of penance, that every bite of decadence must be counterbalanced with a dash of self-flagellation.

But what if we abandon this culinary puritanism for just one second? What if we embraced the hedonistic joy of a real cookie—full fat, full sugar, unapologetically decadent? After all, sometimes the healthiest choice is to drop the half-hearted measures and fully commit to what brings us joy.

Because let's face it; a cookie that's trying to be a salad ends up failing at both.

That. That is the tragedy of the modern cookie. Once a symbol of comfort and delight, it's now a battleground for our dietary anxieties. We substitute butter with applesauce, sugar with stevia, chocolate chips with carob morsels (what even is this???)—which, let's be honest (we assume), taste like petty little drops of regret. The result? A confection as confused about its identity as we are about our desires.

I recall an afternoon when I ventured into the world of ‘healthy baking.’ Armed with buckwheat flour, coconut sugar, and a flaxseed ‘egg’, I was convinced I'd cracked the code to indulgence without consequence. What emerged from the pan lacked any and all semblance of structural integrity—limp, crumbly, soft, and sad. One bite and I was left contemplating the life choices that led me to this disappointment. It was a lesson learned: sometimes, you have to honour the essence of what you're creating.

This isn't just about cookies; it's a perfectly baked metaphor for life itself. How often do we dilute our experiences, hedge our bets, and dip our toes when we should be diving in headfirst? Just as a cookie needs real ingredients to be truly satisfying, our endeavours require real commitment to be genuinely rewarding.

Consider the projects we've started with hesitation, the relationships we've entered with one foot out the door, the opportunities we've approached wrapped in a safety net of doubt. We sprinkle in half measures and wonder why the results leave us unsatisfied. We’re adding "healthy" substitutions to our lives—fears and reservations—that dilute the richness of our experiences.

There's a hedonistic thrill in diving into something new and giving it your all. It's not recklessness; it's a conscious choice to fully engage with what ignites us. When we allow ourselves to be consumed by the moment—be it a project, a relationship, or a perfectly baked cookie—we open ourselves to a depth of satisfaction that's unattainable through cautious nibbling.

When you commit wholeheartedly, you don't just taste the difference—you feel it. The flavours are more vibrant, the textures more nuanced, the overall experience more fulfilling. This applies whether you're savouring a dessert or immersing yourself in a passion project.

When you’re holding that full fat, fully indulgent cookie, and staring pensively at one of the chocolate drops engraved into its jagged surface, reflecting on what it all means to take a big, satisfying, melty bite, it should be a reminder that some things in life aren’t meant to be half-eaten or half-lived. They’re meant to be devoured with gusto, crumbs on your lips, a smile on your face, and not a shred of regret in your heart. Whether it’s a perfectly baked cookie or a well-chosen endeavour, some things are worth diving into without restraint.

Don’t let caution rob you of the chance to experience the fullness of life—embrace each opportunity wholeheartedly, and you’ll discover the true sweetness in every bite.