Sunday, August 28, 2011

I Love, Love, LOVE Sugar!!


It's an addiction. I'm a sugarholic. And I need to lick the habit!!




We started off doing SO good, on my recent trip to Georgia. I made healthy, green smoothies for the first three days. It was a treat for the grandbrats, because I'd bought them new tumblers to drink them out of. (Hey, whatever it takes!) This is my six year old grandson.





We shopped for organic greens and fruit, and even popped in to see my nephew, Brad Gruno and the gorgeous Jaime Cahalan, (aka Girl Friday) while they were giving out samples of his fabulous
Raw Kale Chips, etc., at Whole Foods.
They would have smacked me beside the head if they knew what was to come!
They're all about health... and most of the time, so am I. I'm a raw foodist, for crying out loud!
But sometimes it's just really, really hard. Especially if you're addicted to something!





My granddaughter passed a really difficult test and got accepted into a fabulous school!
So, to celebrate, we all went to a nice restaurant.
With the great intention of eating something healthy.
This is the first thing we saw as we walked in!! (Not the kid. He was with us.)
How can anyone resist such temptation?!!!!





He was good and ordered a turkey salad, without dressing and water.
He didn't expect the egg-salad stuff and didn't eat it.
Here he is saying grace. The kid's got a good line of chatter, so even his prayers are cute.
And then it happened...





We ALL caved!!!! One... by... one.





And the slices are huuuge there!!!!





Some of us got a piece to go.





But by the time the check came, some of us (yeah, me too!) had put a good dent in it.
We went home and life went on.





Guess what happened a couple of days later. We decided to go there again!
Oh, Oh! Remember this temptation?
What's that old saying...
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome."





He's always so good when he orders his meals - turkey and healthy greens, with water.
He even takes the yolk out of the egg. He likes being strong. He works hard at it.





He boxes.





He plays football.
And he and my eight year old granddaughter both practice Jiu Jitsu.



She also boxes and loves being a cheerleader.





I love her moves. (I can do that. I just don't want to.)





After our healthy meal... we caved again!!
We all felt such a wonderful sugar-high afterwards.





And then the sugar-low!!
If you eat sugar products, you probably know that feeling.
And so, SO many others! Speaking for myself, it's migraines, lethargy, spaciness, etc., etc.
I read that young children, supposedly don't have that yet, whatever it's called, that gets people addicted.
Thank God for that! But, according to the experts, it's not good for them, or anyone, and our family has decided to do our very best NOT to feed sugar-products to the kids, or eat them ourselves!
Easier said than done!!





In desperation, I bought this DVD!
And on the night before I left for home, my son and I sat down to watch it.
It's by the brilliant, Nancy Appleton, PhD.





Still craving sugar on a daily basis, I thought it would be fun to watch the film while stuffing our faces with chocolate donuts!
Stupid, I know. But that's what I do. Any excuse to wolf-down sweets.
I was hoping that it would be our last hoorah, so to speak!!
Eat all the donuts and then, not eat sugary stuff anymore!
But it didn't turn out that way.
About ten minutes into the film, the donuts got tossed into the trash!!
OMG!!!!!! What an eye-opener!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!





I highly recommend the video and these great books, by Dr. Nancy Appleton.
Reading them is helping me curb my cravings, because the alternative is not something I'm a fan of.
I was sugar-free for an entire year and all it took was a little bowl of chocolate pudding to get me addicted again!
Some people can eat one candy bar and be satisfied. I need four. One right after the other.
I know how to make healthy, raw desserts and plan to lick the sugar habit that way too!!
It's just so damn easy to fall back into that trap, when sugar products are everywhere you look!












My youngest grandbrat is only two and just started childcare.
The first day the kids were fed; applesauce, a corn-dog, fruit punch and a Toaster Strudel.
Sugar anyone?!!
The following day, her parents were given a note saying they should bring food in for her, because she wouldn't eat it. Ya think?!
Looks like she's the smartest one of us all!! :)





If any of this sounds like YOU, and you want to stop the sugar habit, I hope you'll check out some of these books, Dr. Appleton's blog/website and especially the DVD.
(You can purchase them there.)





When the eight year old was two, she was strapped in her car-seat and going on a drive with her dad. When he stopped at a toll-booth and dropped in the change, he heard a little voice from the back yell, "CHICKEN NUGGETS!!"
We all eat healthier now! Sorry Mc Donalds. ~


For another post about sugar addiction and food allergies, please check this out;



There are SO many things to love!
I love comments and "Followers" too!
Thank you.




Signing off for now,
gabriele




Sunday, August 14, 2011

Teaching Kids New Tricks


During a recent visit to Georgia, I bought my eight year old granddaughter a bag for her new yarn, crochet and knitting needles. I'll do anything to keep things tidy and in one place.
Hopefully, to be found again later, before the kid gets married and leaves home.



Some of her favorite colors.




It was pretty slim-pickens for boy colors, but I wanted my six year old grandbrat to give it a shot too, so I picked this blue.





Last year, I showed them how to knit, which wasn't an easy feat. I figured wielding just one weapon... er... needle, might be easier.





Here's this one, getting a feel for it.





I think she liked it!!





Oh, yeah!





Please ignore the blue painters tape. This room is always being redone.
Maybe they were hoping I'd do it. Yeah. Like that was gonna happen. I was there to play with the grandbrats. And play we did!





I love the expressions on her face.





Such a sweet smile.




I think when I'm crocheting, I have a disturbing pinched look on my face.
(That's being kind.)




She picked up speed and wouldn't stop. She was 'hooked'. Pun intended.





Finally that one was ready to give it a shot.





He was a real sport and tried.




And tried.




I'd started it off for him, so he would get an idea of how it's done and what it's supposed to look like.




It never looked like that again.





He wanted to know if instead of blue, they sold 'camouflage' yarn.




'Cause he's a tough-guy, after all!
I told him I'd never seen it anywhere.





The next time we went shopping, look what caught his eye in the yarn section!
Camouflage yarn. Who knew?




There's never a dull moment with this kid.





Same shirt, but a different day and a different location.





She even has two crocheted bracelets.





Her idea was to crochet a big ol' honkin' rope that reached all the way to her mailbox!




She thinks she's getting close!




Another day... and many, many, many more stitches!




She wanted to see how far she'd gotten.




Pretty far.




Pretty darn far!




Not quite to the mailbox yet...






But pretty darn close!! Tomorrow's another day, kid. Awesome job!!





I got the urge too, so I made these little accessories for the otherwise naked bear.
Besides, those guys were busy crocheting and I had nobody to play with!
B.O.R.I.N.G





There are SO many things to love!
I love "Followers" and comments too!
Thank you.



Signing off for now,
gabriele