One Of My Biggest Parenting Regrets…

1-54pm

There is a saying that goes “if you knew better, you would have done better.” It’s true. If I had known better, I would have done better, but 20 years ago, the idea of sugar being highly destructive, toxic even, was a ‘misnomer’. When I was a child, I was told that I mustn’t have too much sugar because it could cause diabetes. When I went into nursing, no one ever said that. It just seemed that diabetics had to watch their sugar levels, but too much sugar had not caused it. If I knew 20 years ago, what I know now, I would have raised my children on far less sugar. The best thing I have done in recent years is cut out sugar. None in coffee, none in tea. But trust me, I’m not a ‘stick in the mud’,  boring,  never splurging, straight laced, sugar hater! LOL. Far from it. I think the thing that makes sense to me is the idea of the 80/20 rule. Eating fairly strictly low carb 80% of the time is great. 20% of the time be flexible and sometimes, for hormonal  women especially, be downright outrageously over the top gluttonous! So let’s work out 20%! 7 days a week,  3 meals a day = 21 meals. That’s 4 meals that can stray from severity. Today I had one of them! My favourite carb of all time – a croissant. I really enjoyed it!

Maybe one of those 4 ‘flexible’  meals could be a bit of a splurge of carbs. But whatever happens put a lid on it. Carbs are addictive, so when you start, it’s hard to stop.

Today in the Cape Times Health Supplement, this was the front page….

The story, written by Charlie Cooper starts off by saying that ‘completely unnecessary added sugar in food is contributing to obesity and severe health problems.”  It goes onto say that “respected scientists” are beginning to suggest that sugar is the new tobacco! Doesn’t that cast a different hue on the hundred of sugar laden treats that line the shelves of the aisles taking you to the till? When you are next standing in a queue, imagine, not chocolates, but tobacco products. If we had to treat the so called ‘treats’ as cigarettes, we would leave the store without them… well, the none smokers of us. The article adds that the World Health Organisation appeared to be on the brink of reducing (by half) their recommended  daily sugar intake. The truth be told, you don’t need ANY added sugar. I have noticed that by stopping having added sugar, my taste has adjusted accordingly. Now if I do have a ‘treat’, I can only tolerate a far smaller amount because it is so sweet. The one thing you can do today that will lengthen your life is to have less sugar! Excess sugar will increase your risk of weight gain, diabetes, heart disease and this article also says cancer. If there is epilepsy in your family, google epilepsy and sugar for some startling information. Read the labels of all you buy for sugar content…it will surprise you. The answers are on the labels but you have to read them to know the contents. And in fact, so it is with the Bible! You have to read the Bible to know its contents!

In the last day or two, I have started reading the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy. There have been many answers to prayer during the course of my life. When I came to know Christ, THAT was an answer to prayer. The number of instances where I have seen the hand of God guiding, directing and intervening in my life are too many to recount here. I am sure there are many times God has answered your prayers and guided you as well. Always remember them. Embrace them in your mind and heart. They are gifts to be treasured and appreciated. Deuteronomy 4 vs 35 says

“You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides Him there is no other.”

While you can look back on your life and see God’s blessing and mercy and grace and love threaded through your ups and downs, you can NEVER lose your faith. God has proven Himself over and over again. The LORD IS GOD! Besides Him there is NO OTHER! The best is yet to come!

God bless you richly today.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

Happiness/Gratitude Pic. What is it about cats and keyboards? 😀