Almost over —

–the holidays, that is.

Made it through the Valentine torture — you know what I mean! EVERYWHERE you go those damn red hearts follow. Filled with those delicious candies. Ugh.

I tried to convince myself that the boxes are heart-shaped for a reason, and that reason is to remind me to take good care of my heart! For the most part, I was pretty successful. For instance, if I have to pick up a prescription, I go through the drive-up window. It’s the only sane thing to do. The minute I walk into Walgreens, the chocolate attacks me — it’s everywhere! So, I don’t go in.

 

Now, here we are again — chocolate bunnies wherever I look.  Torture to this Type 2 diabetic. Just one won’t kill you, I tell myself. HA! When did I ever eat one of anything? It’s over tomorrow. Then there will be no more chocolate bunnies stalking me.

I can do it!

Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all!  Good luck.

 

Valentine’s Day Massacre?

NOPE! Not this year. I haven’t gone near a store that sells those Satan-colored, red, heart boxes filled with poison!

I made it through the day with ease, actually. Busy schedule and didn’t have time to make any extra stops. I’d love to say it was my self-control, but that would be a lie.

TOMORROW, now that’s a day that will require self-control. I love a sale, and you know they’ll practically be giving away those chocolaty delights. Deep breaths! Use your HEAD!

Luckily, tomorrow’s another day that’s pretty full, so I’ll have to just stay out of the stores and pray that they run out FAST!  🙂

Healthy choices, Kathy. Healthy choices!  Keep those numbers under control.

 

*Check out last year’s Valentine’s Day post, folks.

 

 

VALENTINE’S DAY! :) OR :( ..?

February 14, 2016

So, how did it go?  Take your blood sugar lately?  🙂

If you feel you’re making all the right decisions — BRAVO! Good for you.  If perhaps that’s not the way your day is moving along, remember — you can always start over. We are only human, so just do your best.

Hey! Maybe you’re not a sugarholic or chocoholic — count your blessings! But, if you are,  you’ll relate to this post, and this time period may be rough for you.  It’s interesting, I’ve found that many of my friends don’t crave sweets. Their “drug of choice” is carbs! Is their a difference?   😦  [Too many links to post.]  If you’re in this category, Google carboholic.  You may be in for a surprise…

For those of us who crave sweets, please — BE ON GUARD against the sales next week.  All those bright, shimmering, pink and red heart-shaped containers, beautifully decorated square and rectangular boxes, that are left over and filled with shiny pieces of chocolate, will likely be 70% off!  I LOVE a good sale, AND, I am a “chocolate addict,” so I know those boxes will be calling me.

Here’s this Dedicated Diabetic’s PLAN  to avoid temptation — I’m simply NOT going into the stores tomorrow.  I just can’t.  I know my limitations. That chocolatey odor will seep from the containers and I’ll hear my name being called — “Kathy, I’m over here.  Buy me — 70% OFF — how can you resist?” UGH! Torture. I seem to be most vulnerable around Halloween and Valentine’s Day, for obvious reasons. My plan is to take my “vulnerable” self as far away from those stores/displays, as is humanly possible.  I have my trusty Grapefruit Oil, always at the ready,  (IMPORTANT:  Check with your doctor; this oil really should not be smelled directly from the bottle — could cause irritation in your nose.  Instead, a drop or two on the palms of your hands, held away from your nose, is the more appropriate method. Check it out before using!).  For the past week or so, I’ve been sniffing away when I even think chocolate, dessert, any tempting delight.  I’ve mentioned it before — I think the odor of the grapefruit oil simply “detours your brain” away from craving the sweets.

My “HEARTfelt” (get it?) suggestion to you, my fellow Type 2 Diabetics:   Make the healthy choices — for yourself.  Begin TODAY, right now. Do it for YOU — the effect will trickle down to those you love. you’ll see.

The good news is the stores will be sold out in two or three days, and “Satan’s Attack” will be over. Ended. Kaput!    🙂

Whew!                              

Glucose-free Valentine “Alternatives”

February 9, 2016      5 more days until VALENTINE’S DAY  (just sayin’)

At the end of my last post, I promised to discuss alternatives to those sugary, sweet, delectable, delicious, chocolate delights.  You know the ones — that fill a box the size of New Jersey and are the shape of a beautifully wrapped red heart! Marketing gurus would have us believe that this product symbolizes LOVE, and is obligatory. You’re too smart for that.

 

LOVE is defined, in the Mirriam-Webster Dictionary, as “a feeling of constant affection for a person.”  Dictionary.com refers to LOVE as “a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.” Lastly, and MY all time favorite definition of LOVE is from the Urban Dictionary — “Love is nature’s way of tricking people into reproducing.” (Anonymous, April 7, 2003)   🙂   Now THAT’S funny!  🙂

So, I’ve given you a few of the ways love is defined and NOWHERE is a heart-shaped box of candy mentioned.     NOWHERE!

My goal in writing today’s post, is to speak to the issue of alternatives to candy, heart-shaped cakes, cookies, and the like.  I’ll give you some HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES to expressing one’s undying love for another that won’t raise anyone’s BLOOD SUGAR.

What says I LOVE YOU more deeply than showing someone that their HEALTH is more important to you than anything else? Here are a few GLUCOSE-FREE IDEAS that will fare as a much better symbol of your LOVE than a box of chocolates: (Drum roll, please) —

Starting out with some GENDER-NEUTRAL, GLUCOSE-FREE gifts:

JEWELRY always wins — a watch, cuff-links, heart-shaped locket (Get creative!)

PERFUME or COLOGNE

MASSAGE Gift Certificate  (Maybe a couple’s massage…)

HEART-SHAPED container filled with bright red, fresh STRAWBERRIES!

THEATER or CONCERT TICKETS — something you’d BOTH enjoy!

For the WRITER in your life, consider a RUBY-RED JOURNAL — maybe paired with a beautiful RED PEN!  (I see that as “gender-neutral”)

FLOWERS, of course. By the way, they don’t HAVE to be red but, for some reason, that color seems to get the message across on this “particular” day.

 

For the MAN in your life — you know exactly what his likes and dislikes are:  TICKETS TO A SPORTING EVENT, CAR/BOAT SHOW, MUSIC., etc., etc.  (I know you KNOW!  — and you can show you’re love by being sure they’re GLUCOSE FREE!

 

Some GLUCOSE FREE ideas for that special WOMAN you hold near and dear:

A beautiful, bright red, leather PURSE (or maybe GLOVES?  That will get you some Ooo’s and Ahh’s. What says LOVE better than leather???

LINGERIE — RED, of course.  (Hmmm.  Who’s that gift really for?)  🙂

A gift certificate for a MANICURE/PEDICURE — with a bottle of a beautiful shade of red nail polish (chosen by you) attached to it.

It’s easy to SAY, “I love you,” but not always as easy to SHOW it.  One important factor to consider is your budget — stay within it!  There’s nothing sexy about debt.

Oops!  I almost forgot.  If you have children (yours or someone else’s) to whom you wish to express your LOVE, there are a zillion ways to choose GLUCOSE FREE gifts for them.  Whether they’re diabetic or not, nobody needs junk food.  Cruise around any department store, there are hearts everywhere!!!  Oh, and remember, BOOKS are always a great gift for ANYONE!

For those of you who feel that Valentine’s Day is a bourgeois symbol of LOVE,  a Hallmark Holiday, or one created by the chocolate companies, you may be right! But, be careful — be sure you’re both on the same page… for   love — IS — in the air!

Get on it,  folks.  The “big” day is just around the corner.

Oh, and one more suggestion — a nice walk, with the one you love, at the end of the evening  =  sheer joy!

A Happy and Healthy Valentine’s Day, to all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Revere — Who’s Coming?

Saturday, February 6, 2016

How accurate is history?

I read an interesting article the other day about Paul Revere.  I questioned myself as to whether or not he said, “The British are coming…the British are coming,” when warning the townsfolk, or did he simply yell out, “They’re coming — they’re coming!” What was I really taught?

It was fun reading about him.  I remembered that Paul Revere was a Bostonian and a silversmith’s son who did that type of work as well.  He was quite a rebel that Paul! Around 1773 he was involved in the Boston Tea party and became a courier delivering information to the colonies in the northern sector. (You knew that.)   🙂

I learned that he probably didn’t say, “The British are coming…” because those living in the colonies were British; they wouldn’t have know who he was warning them about! My “research” revealed that it was much more likely that Revere hollered out, “The soldiers are coming…” OR “The redcoats are coming…” from atop his horse.

I vote for “The redcoats are coming…” What do you think?

BUT, I digress.  This is NOT a historical blog, although I’m sure the colonists probably had diabetes too. Now that’s something to research.

Instead, my WARNING to all of us is, “VALENTINE’S DAY IS COMING…Valentine’s Day is coming!”  This “holiday” is the worst for me — maybe even worse than Halloween.  They are everywhere, in every store, ranging from HUGE red hearts — almost life-size, down to tiny, child-sized boxes chocked full of delectable chocolate delights. TORTURE! They’re wrapped in shiny satin or glistening cellophane calling out to us.

I’m serious.  Enter any store and the display will smack you right in the face.  BAM!

RUN, like the wind — you can do it!  Avoid making that purchase, at all cost. No good will come from leaving the store with the red heart in your hand. For that matter, you know it’s not really good for your heart. We’re not talking about a square of dark chocolate (that some are claiming is actually good for us). NO WAY, I’m talking about that big red heart that’s filled with irresistible shiny, chocolate bonbons, or mouth-watering chocolates in all shapes and sizes. My blood sugar is rising, just talking about it.

 

So, my friends, this Type 2’s advice to you is RUN, RUN LIKE THE WIND.  You can do it.  I’ll be right next to you.  You’ll be proud of yourself!

Tune in tomorrow to discuss the alternatives —

For now, RUN!!!