Clearer and Cleare-rer: Ian and his diet to die for.

Yesterday was a wonderful day. I postponed my 64th birthday party by a week and spent it at Cassie's sister Gina and her husband's place high in the hills above Tumbulgum on the Tweed river. The day was awful so the usual views across the canefields to the sea were non-existent, but that only made the company all that better. Everyone attending was in some stage of low carb dieting, and the food reflected this, including Cassie's blueberry cheesecake made from fresh cream from the local dairy and Stevia for the small amount of sweetening it seemed to need. Salads were abundant as were grass fed steaks, but it was the 'vibe' of the day that was different. It was the first celebration we had been to where there was no rush to indulge. We drank a little Prosecco - but no-one was drunk.

Looking back at it today I realise that when you take the addiction out of eating there's a whole new experience that awaits you. It's a leisurely feast with more focus on friends and fun, laughter and conversation. There were not the highs that I associated with past celebrations - but none of the post-repast let-down either.

I'm slowly changing my whole attitude to food, and it's all happening because I've changed what I eat. It's obvious to me that food does indeed maketh the man - in the way one thinks, even in the way one views the world.

I am very, very grateful that I live with a woman so committed to finding the truth about health. 

Which reminds me... Cassie constantly reminds me that fruit juice is as bad for you in terms of sugar as some of the worst soft drinks. A few examples demonstrate this:

                      Coke     Orange Juice    Apple Cherry     Grape

Total carbs       40            39               42        49.5         60

Sugar carbs      40            33               39        37.5         58.5

Sugar tsps        10              8               10         9            15

WHAT DOES THE CHART TELL US?
It tells us that no matter which juice you choose, they all have more calories than the same amount of Coke. It tells us that juice — 100 percent juice, no sugar added — contains about the same amount of sugar (or even more — 50 percent more for grape juice) as the same volume of Coke.

 Given that we are talking about acid here (in the form of sugar) I wonder how many kids would put their hand up for 10 teaspoons of sugar?