Eat Mor Fruit

Oooh, I wish I had a cute cow to put on the blog title to make it more appealing. I just love those Chik Fil A billboards urging us to Eat Mor Chicken.

I am here today to do another public service. Just like I did (and got feedback from plenty who used my tip) to tell you how to get free stuff on Amazon and use credit card points to get an iPad. (at least one person took this offer up that I know)

My name is Arlene Nisson Lassin and I am a recovering Sugar-a-holic.  I was born with not just a sweet tooth but an entire set of sweet teeth! I’ve had a long addiction to sugar, starting when I was a small child and even penny candy was affordable to our somewhat poor family. Unfortunately penny candy was sugared bubble-gum, pixie stix – which were colored sugar in a straw, and things like Mary Janes, that caused me to have a mouthful of very expensive dental work in my adult life.

I can’t say that I ever stopped being candy and sugar crazy either, despite my many, many dentist visits and expensive procedures. I have a thing for Twizzlers, caramels, and horrific (teeth ruining) Boston Baked Beans. I loved sugar coated cashews that they sell by the bag in my supermarket with other nuts. And of course I love chocolate, and ice cream. (only the real stuff!)

Aside from the teeth issue, the sugar has definitely caused weight gain. And then came all of these alarming reports that Sugar is Toxic (on 60 Minutes) and other such stories. Other stories cite that it is poison. Pretty heavy-duty scary words.

I am blessed with vibrant health (other than the teeth thing) so I really don’t want to mess around with it.  I do have diabetes history on one side of my family and that gives me pause to think about what I put in my body too.

In my reading and research, I discovered that sugar is a toxin that stays in your system and can have bad effects on organs causing all sorts of disease.

In doing research for a story, I  also read that doing a kidney and pancreas cleanse is a way to detoxify, so I gave that a whirl. It also said the cleanse was good for a kick-start to weight loss and I wanted to lose my winter pounds for the summer. (this is NOT the diet cleanses they sell – these is a real cleanse from a doctor)

I have to say the cleanse was beyond disgusting, but the results are some weight-loss and a loss of my occasional sluggishness.  I have boundless energy and feel much better.

So of course I want to keep it up. Yet I have never lost my sweet tooth. I just crave sweet stuff. And this is where I come into my public service for today.

I have learned to eat FRUIT when I am craving sweets. Sure I still have occasional ice-cream (loaded with sugar) and of course occasional chocolate, but for the most part when I need a sweet I grab a fruit.

Fortunately it is summertime when fruit is at it’s absolute best. But let me give you some valuable tips on the eating of fruit:

1. Cherries – yes they are expensive, but they are a fruit that has a very LOW glycemic index.  (which is how doctor’s measure the healthy or unhealthy sugars in natural things) In other words, they satisfy any sweet craving, but the net result is not a lot of sugar in your system.

2. Fruit Smoothies – the low cal variety, which are just as yummy by the way. This is what I have for lunch or even dinner sometimes. Ice, Frozen peaches, a banana, almond milk (unsweetened), one splenda, and one scoop of protein (whey) powder. Sometimes I add blueberries. It is about 250 calories but is a sweet, thick, almost milkshake kind of smoothie that fills my sweet need, for not a lot of calories and no refined sugar.

3. Fruit Chips – when I need a snack on the go, and would usually grab for chips or a candy bar, now I rely on these Brothers all natural fruit crisps. Read the ingredients. It is pure fruit, made crunchy and into a chip! Brilliant. I order them by the case online and they last a long time.

Between all the fruit I am eating, I am sure that I am still putting in more sugar than desired, but I am not gaining weight from it, and I don’t feel the need to eat or buy the “Poisonous” type of sugar I had always wanted. No Twizzlers in six months!

So that’s my tip for today. Eat Mor Fruit!

One comment

  • Fruits are my favorite foods, but they do cause weight gain if you over indulge in them. I guess it’s relative though: they are much better for you than processed sugar!

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