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Month: February 2016

EAT SPIRITUALLY NOT MATERIALISTICALLY

EAT SPIRITUALLY NOT MATERIALISTICALLY.  Some of you may ask where I am going with this post but I found if I feed my spirit more than I feed my mouth; I have the ability to resist temptations both in life and health. Let us think about how we refer to comfort food and we can see how we relate food to comfort. When we feed our spirit instead of our mouth, we can achieve the same comfort without calories or added pounds. Hmmm??? Maybe we are on to something with this idea.

Here is an interesting article for reference on how spirituality affects our physical health. (Source listed below article)

What is spirituality?

Spirituality is the way you find meaning, hope, comfort and inner peace in your life. Many people find spirituality through religion. Some find it through music, art or a connection with nature. Others find it in their values and principles.

How is spirituality related to health?

No one really knows for sure how spirituality is related to health. However, it seems the body, mind and spirit are connected. The health of any one of these elements seems to affect the health of the others.
Some research shows that things such as positive beliefs, comfort and strength gained from religion, meditation and prayer can contribute to healing and a sense of well being. Improving your spiritual health may not cure an illness, but it may help you feel better, prevent some health problems and help you cope with illness, stress or death.

How can I improve my spiritual health?

If you want to improve your spiritual health, you may want to try the following ideas. However, remember that everyone is different, so what works for others may not work for you. Do what is comfortable for you.

  • Identify the things in your life that give you a sense of inner peace, comfort, strength, love and connection.
  • Set aside time every day to do the things that help you spiritually. These may include doing community service or volunteer work, praying, meditating, singing devotional songs, reading inspirational books, taking nature walks, having quiet time for thinking, doing yoga, playing a sport or attending religious services.

Why does my doctor need to know about my spiritual beliefs?

If you are being treated for an illness, it’s important for your doctor to know how your spirituality might affect your feelings and thoughts about your medical situation. If you think your spiritual beliefs are affecting your health care decisions or your ability to follow your doctor’s recommendations, tell your doctor.
If you have spiritual beliefs, worries or concerns that are causing you stress, talk with your doctor. Your doctor would like to help. If your doctor can’t help you with these issues, he or she may be able to suggest someone who can.

Source

Note from Arline Miller, Author of Sipping Cups of Inspiration and A Mistress, A Wife:
I find when I am spiritually satisfied, I am prone to be less likely to give in to tempting food which I know is not good for my physical health. I also realize the more healthier I become; the more peace and comfort I feel in my life. It seems they can work hand in hand. I think back in times in my life when I was not as contented spiritually and I found myself not thinking about what I ate and it caused havoc on my health. 
I really believe we are what we eat; both materially and spiritually.

(C) COPYRIGHT 2012-2016 Arline Miller, author of Sipping Cups of Inspiration with all rights reserved. Use with permission. Third party material sourced for credit and original source.

LIFE IS TO BE LIVED and NOT TO EAT OUR LIFE AWAY!



LIFE IS TO BE LIVED and NOT TO EAT OUR LIFE AWAY!  This morning I was pleased when I saw 124 on my glucose monitor. No, it is not where I want it to be but it is moving down closer each week. This result is from my conscious effort to avoid the foods (which I love by the way) that cause the negative effects to my body. I don’t sit and worry about what I am missing; I concentrate on the better health I am gaining while I am losing weight.



USE THE NUTRITION FACTS LABEL TO EAT HEALTHIER
Check the serving size and number of servings.
  • The Nutrition Facts Label information is based on ONE serving, but many packages contain more. Look at the serving size and how many servings you are actually consuming. If you double the servings you eat, you double the calories and nutrients, including the % DVs.
  • When you compare calories and nutrients between brands, check to see if the serving size is the same.
Calories count, so pay attention to the amount.

  • This is where you’ll find the number of calories per serving and the calories from fat in each serving.
  • Fat-free doesn’t mean calorie-free. Lower fat items may have as many calories as full-fat versions.
  • If the label lists that 1 serving equals 3 cookies and 100 calories, and you eat 6 cookies, you’ve eaten 2 servings, or twice the number of calories and fat.
Look for foods that are rich in these nutrients.
  • Use the label not only to limit fat and sodium, but also to increase nutrients that promote good health and may protect you from disease.
  • Some Americans don’t get enough vitamins A and C, potassium, calcium, and iron, so choose the brand with the higher % DV for these nutrients.
  • Get the most nutrition for your calories—compare the calories to the nutrients you would be getting to make a healthier food choice.
Know your fats and reduce sodium for your health.
  • To help reduce your risk of heart disease, use the label to select foods that are lowest in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol.
  • Trans fat doesn’t have a % DV, but consume as little as possible because it increases your risk of heart disease.
  • The % DV for total fat includes all different kinds of fats.
  • To help lower blood cholesterol, replace saturated and trans fats with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in fish, nuts, and liquid vegetable oils.
  • Limit sodium to help reduce your risk of high blood pressure.
Reach for healthy, wholesome carbohydrates.
  • Fiber and sugars are types of carbohydrates. Healthy sources, like fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains, can reduce the risk of heart disease and improve digestive functioning.
  • Whole grain foods can’t always be identified by color or name, such as multi-grain or wheat. Look for the “whole” grain listed first in the ingredient list, such as whole wheat, brown rice, or whole oats.
  • There isn’t a % DV for sugar, but you can compare the sugar content in grams among products.
  • Limit foods with added sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose, corn or maple syrup), which add calories but not other nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. Make sure that added sugars are not one of the first few items in the ingredients list.
For protein, choose foods that are lower in fat.
  • Most Americans get plenty of protein, but not always from the healthiest sources.
  • When choosing a food for its protein content, such as meat, poultry, dry beans, milk and milk products, make choices that are lean, low-fat, or fat free.
The % Daily Value is a key to a balanced diet.
The % DV is a general guide to help you link nutrients in a serving of food to their contribution to your total daily diet. It can help you determine if a food is high or low in a nutrient—5% or less is low, 20% or more is high. You can use the % DV to make dietary trade-offs with other foods throughout the day. The * is a reminder that the % DV is based on a 2,000-calorie diet. You may need more or less, but the % DV is still a helpful gauge.
HERE’S WHERE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION ON HEALTHY LIVING:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Let’s look at my thoughts I wrote down about life early this morning and then I will relate it to healthy eating:

Life is a result of our actions: 
1) If you haven’t loved, you haven’t lived.
2) If you haven’t lost; you haven’t found the power of recovery.
3) If you haven’t listened; you haven’t learned.
4) If you haven’t cried; you haven’t learned to love laughter. 
5) If you haven’t risked; you haven’t learned to win.
6) If you haven’t trusted; you haven’t learned to share.

Life hands us challenges to see if we can handle the rewards which come from the battles we have won. Live life as fully as you can. You only have this life to win eternal life in the Heavens.
Until we read again……..Arline Miller, Author

(C) Copyright 2012-2016 Arline Miller, Sipping Cups of Inspiration with all rights reserved. Third party material sourced with original source listed.

HAVE WE MOVED INTO A VIDEO RECIPE WORLD?

HAVE WE MOVED INTO A VIDEO RECIPE WORLD? We have been seeing a flood of recipe videos appearing on all forms of social media, Facebook has them abundantly; Twitter is tweeting them constantly; and blogs are showing one after another. Even Chris, who is one of my husband’s sons and I claim him too did a recipe video which is featured on Becky’s Best Bites blog. Wow, what a turn around from the old boxes of recipes cut from newspapers and handwritten on index cards. We got tech savvy with Pinterest and just when I thought we had reached a great pedestal of recipes; here comes the recipe videos.
I am going to take us back to the days of the old recipe boxes and some of you may remember this as well. My Grandmother and my Mother always had a special box where she stored handwritten or newspaper clippings. Yes, they used to post recipes in the paper. I have my Mother’s recipe box and it was a beautiful moment when I sat down and opened it. There were little sheets from a small notebook with recipes in her handwriting. I found it amusing there were duplicates in different spots in the box as if she had forgotten she had it and wrote it down again. There were cute little clippings and I wondered if she would sit and go through all the folded pieces of paper. I can tell you I felt special stepping into her world seeing what kind of foods she loved and then I would notice several of the dishes I made for her were in my handwriting where I shared them with her.
This is my recipe box from over 40 years ago.
Next, I have a recipe box along with a massive collection of cookbooks from family collections, church cookbooks and some from schools. I also have the Betty Crocker cookbook we see here and it was a wedding present in 1967. I couldn’t tell you how many meals I have made from these cookbooks. I wondered if I were a dying breed and soon we will live in a video recipe lifestyle. I am not knocking it as I have made several meals from a video. I post to Pinterest and go to my boards frequently.
Easy is good; easy can be tasty. However, I want to hang on to my recipe box filled with index cards where my daughter when she was a toddler but wanted to be in the kitchen while Mommy cooked and baked scribbled her first works of art on my recipe cards. Precious memories and you better believe they are still there and they bring a smile every time I see one.
I watched a couple of recipe videos last night and they looked tempting. What this thought has brought my mind is we change; we adapt; but once in a while let us take time to step back from the computer and find the old recipe box and pull out those heartwarming recipes for life. Life is a large cup of kindness, mixed with a lot of love, using spices to spark up our lives, adding the liquid of tears of joy and pain as they are both part of life, and then while life is baking don’t forget what is going on or it will burn up.

(C) Copyright 2012-2016 Property of Arline Miller with all rights and privileges reserved. Permission required and third party resources are disclosed.


WE SHOULD EAT WITH OUR MINDS and NOT OUR MOUTHS.


WE SHOULD EAT WITH OUR MINDS and NOT OUR MOUTHS. I will throw out a personal opinion on why our minds and not our mouths should determine what and when we should eat. Let’s think about this theory. In our lifetime, we will go on several diets or eating plans. They will be varied and when we go on most of these, if not all; we lose weight, right? My thoughts are what causes the initial weight loss and what changes over time in which the loss begins to dwindle or even disappear? I think I have discovered what is the culprit…..Our minds. When our mind becomes disgusted when our eyes show the extra weight in the mirror, it can either decide to avoid thoughts of obesity or decide to do something about it.
Let me share this: It is not the diet or eating plan; it is the mind who decides if we are full or because of emotions it decides to allow us to overeat.

A personal note: About a month ago, my husband Greg and I decided (look at the action of the mind) to not play around with eating healthy but get serious. Since we “decided” and not allowed our mouths to do the talking; we have both lost weight, our emotions are calmer, our motivation is higher and the results are a better attitude as well as feeling better. I had expressed it is not only what we eat; quantity is a big factor. Large amounts of salads or fruit or going the protein maximus will not allow us to lose what we need to eat but add portion control to these great foods aids in the satisfaction of eating without starving. Greg has dropped about 10 pounds during this time and he is now “thinking” about what he eats and how much. Even though I had already decided my health was more important, it has helped me eliminate some items and add some healthier foods. I wanted to share with everyone as too many times, we are guilty of talking the health talk but fail to walk the health walk. Just saying our intentions but not involving some serious mind changing methods; it would only be another diet tried and failed. The real reason any diet fails is the mind is not engaged; only the mouth.

Try to think about this post and see if you find yourself retracing your “diet” history. When you wanted to lose; I mean when you really wanted to lose; you lost. When you only played with dieting; you might have lost a few pounds and without thinking; you stuck a cookie or candy or even pizza. Instant sabotage, but I can guarantee you; you didn’t think before you stuffed your mouth with those diet killers.

I am not preaching; I am reminiscing about my diet history. When I think about what I eat, I lose. When I impulsively eat; it doesn’t work and off another great, sensational, guaranteed to lose, return to my high school figure, lose all fat non fail plan one more time

Does this ring a bell with you or at least start you thinking? I hope so as we are thinking our food through!


On a light, positive note I want to post a writing from this morning to all.


This morning I rose with gratitude in my heart, humility in my soul, and joy in my entire body. God grants us the opportunity to be diligent in our faith and today is a great day to serve Him with love, forgiveness, charity, and kindness.

“When we willingly love,
We receive from above.
Life is a wonderful gift.
We are given such a lift.
Beauty is joy bestowed.
Immense love has flowed.
From the stem of a rose.
To the child’s turned up nose.
When we willingly love,
God smiles from above.”
(Arline Miller 02/17/2016)

Sipping Cups of Inspiration has 80 Countries viewing the blog!

Saturday, February 20, 2016
SIPPING CUPS OF INSPIRATION ANNOUNCES 80 COUNTRIES VIEWING BLOG
Georgia,  newest country to join Sipping Cups of Inspiration!
Sipping Cups of Inspiration is happy to announce viewing in 80 Countries as of today.
80 Countries 02/20/2016
Georgia, Malta, Anguilla, Latvia, Brunei, joins Zimbabwe, Fiji, Marshall Islands, 
Laos, Slovakia, Guyana, United Arab Emirates, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, 
Denmark, Algeria, Papua New Guinea.  Belarus, Belgium, Paraguay, 
Lebanon, Bahamas, Croatia, Finland, Lithuania, Nigeria, Moldova, 
Sri Lanka, Iceland, Austria, Iraq, Egypt, South Africa, Kuwait, Colombia,
 Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Chile, Serbia, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, 
Czech Republic, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Hungary, Australia, 
Morocco, Thailand, Japan, France and Bulgaria, Malaysia, Israel, 
Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Sweden, Netherlands, Brazil, Indonesia, Poland, 
Vietnam, Romania, USA, India, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Germany, Spain, 
Ukraine, China, Philippines, United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, 
South Korea and Saudi Arabia! 
Arline Miller, blog author for Sipping Cups of Inspiration 
extends a huge gratitude for all readers.
Thanks World!

Arline Miller, Blogger

IF I AM WHAT I EAT; I HAVE TO BE TURNING GREEN


IF I AM WHAT I EAT; I HAVE TO BE TURNING GREEN.  I thought I would add a little humor with a lot of truth thrown in for good measure. Collectively, as we are a composite of all of the people, good or bad, we have had relationships with during our lives; so are we a composite of what we eat. I saw a picture of colorful healthy foods and its caption was “Eat a Rainbow” and it resonated with me how we desire to gaze at a beautiful rainbow and maybe, if we continue to practice eating colorful foods someone appreciate our “rainbows”.

To add to this thought, I am including a collection of quotes which some well known people have said the same thing but in different words.  
An interesting article in Goodreads Daily Quotes offered a great buffet of relative quotes.

Quotes About You Are What You Eat
Quotes tagged as “you-are-what-you-eat” (showing 1-8 of 8)
“I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.” 
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
tags: books, reading, we-are-what-we-eat, we-are-what-we-read, you-are-what-you-eat, you-are-what-you-read
2472 likes
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“If you are what you eat, you are what you see and hear.” 
― E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly
tags: environment, experiences, gadfly, influence, influences, observations, proverb, proverbial-wisdom, senses, senses-of-the-the-soul, wisdom, wise-sayings, you-are-what-you-eat
24 likes
Like
“Oi’m always noble, sir; it’s in my blood. ’As been ever since Oi ate that knight a few years back. Why?” 
― Elizabeth Haydon, Rhapsody: Child of Blood
tags: noble, you-are-what-you-eat
15 likes
Like
“you know what the best kind of organic certification would be? make an unannounced visit to a farm and take a good long look at the farmer’s bookshelf. Because what you’re feeding your emotions and thoughts is what this is really all about. the way I produce a chicken is an extension of my worldview. You can learn more about that by seeing what is sitting on my bookshelf than having me fill out a whole bunch of forms.” Joel Salatin” 
― Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
tags: you-are-what-you-eat
4 likes
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“The brain is not nourished on beans and truffles but rather the food manages to reconstitute the molecules of the brain once it has been turned into homogeneous and assimilable substances, which potentially have the “same nature”, as the molecules of the brain” 
― Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks
tags: brain, diet, thought, you-are-what-you-eat
2 likes

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Didn’t you enjoy these quotes? Maybe not as much as some of the foods we have eaten, hopefully in the past. As my husband and I move toward a healthier lifestyle, selecting a healthier choice in our grocery shopping, preparation, and presentation has allowed us to accept this is not a prison sentence but a door to better living. I found it amazing when society talks about saving the environment and not producing waste; they chose “Going Green” as their theme. I consider my husband and I as the Green Team adding more good greens and natural foods as the main players in our eating regime.
I find it more colorful and losing weight and getting healthier leads to a more colorful life.

(C) Copyright 2012-2016 Arline Miller with all written rights reserved and used only with permission. All Third Party material sourced with origination disclosed.

FOOD REHAB? DO WE NEED TO CHECK IN?

FOOD REHAB? DO WE NEED TO CHECK IN? I made a joke remark to my husband that we might qualify as food addicts and it brought me to this thought for the blog. In a society, geared toward commercials, commercial processed food, fitness programs which make us even hungrier, and video recipes showing us in a few seconds how to make a scrumptious dessert; how do we not become food addicts? We see super thin models and now they have embraced being fat as a sexy thing; how are we to know what to think, do or eat? 
We are being programmed with a warped sense of how to maintain a healthy weight (notice I didn’t say skinny). In an effort to be politically correct which is a phrase I wish had never come into existence. Now, if someone is satisfied with their body when they are obese; that is their right but it is not healthy. I am not hating on obese people; they are dealing with enough of their demons. I see a lot of people hiding behind a mask of if they pretend they are sexy when they are 400 pounds; they  will be. It is a game of denial and it is time to check into Food Rehab. No one has to be skinny but it stops being healthy when there are layers and layers of fat. Heart attacks and strokes as well as organ damage occurs and it is what it is…..that is not sexy.
If you would choose the one on the right, read this post.
My husband and I have been fighting a weight gain over the years and it kept creeping up year by year. Here is why I am referring to Food Rehab; pretending to eat healthy. We had “pretended” to buy healthy; cook healthy; and exercise while indulging in occasional desserts, carbs, and just junk. We offset our minds it was not a regular thing; so we ate and we gained and we gained and we went into denial. I did lose 22 pounds over a long period of time but had I not been a Food Addict; that should have been 50!
The reason I am being up front and in my own face is a little over 2 weeks ago; Greg and I checked into Miller Rehab Center for Food Addicts and here was the sign in sheet for us:
1) Clean out that pantry….If it is there; we will eat it. Like an addict, if the drug of choice is lying on the table next to the addict how much harder is it to resist it?
2) Good food shopping trip…….We find it easier to prepare, cook, or snack healthy if we have healthy in the house.
3) Prep the good food snacks…..Clean, cut and have celery, carrots, fruits, and raw nuts, seeds, etc in zip lock bags or containers when the urge to snack, these items can help distract us. It is like an AA meeting for food addicts, a reminder of the goal to stay away from the harmful things.
4) Talk and kid about your goals….One of the most encouraging parts is our “Sponsor” idea. We encourage, support, and kid about our progress or lack of (all of you out there trying know what I am talking about). It is nice to hear my husband joke and say, “One great thing, is when I lose this weight; I have a new wardrobe in the closet!” Humor makes the changes more fun while we are getting in shape for more fun as healthier and fitter people.
5) Tune in to your inner self…..It is not fitness gurus or programs; it is not changing your eating until you change your mind. One of the things I do for myself and it is not for vanity (or maybe it is more pride in how we look) is I look back at pictures and some clothes I saved from the days when I was fit. I remember those days of jogging and walking and being able to breathe while I did those healthy exercising.
6) Be real with yourself……It is not going to happen over night. There is not a magic wand to make it disappear. One of the most deceitful thoughts we can have after it has taken years to get overweight is to think it will go away if we eat right one day……Doesn’t happen that way, folks. The good news with some changes, it does start to go away…..The Millers are proof of this method. Greg has lost 7 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks. I am now officially off 25 pounds and headed for the next 25 pounds.
Here are what we had to leave at the door of the Miller Food Addict Rehab Center and these methods have been around so no secret formulas to help get us through but they are working:
1) Breads had to go. Along with the breads, they had company Pastas (except the veggie), Sugars, Flour.
2) Water took the place of tea (even with Stevia) and we have one cup of Coffee in the morning. It is amazing the more we drink water, the less hungry we are without so many cravings either. If there is magic in healthy eating, it is the water. Half your weight in ounces is how much water to consume. The skin gets better, you don’t feel sluggish, and it is the river of good health.
3) I passed over Sugar but I cannot reiterate how important this step is. The more sugar we eat; the more of everything we want. Give it up with only an occasional treat (not meaning everyday treats either). Small portions of fruit (the ones with fiber and chewing are best)
4) Healthy snacks instead of junk food. Prepare small pieces of an apple or nuts. We have celery and carrots in ziploc bags ready in the refrigerator and we get our chomp-chomp from these. Healthy crackers are the only bread with peanut butter are in a container already made (not store bought) and if we get extra hungry, one will suffice and kill that urge to go rogue!
5) And this should have been Number #1, ATTITUDE. As I said in the beginning, the mind is portion control center. Get on the weight loss train and be the good food conductor and soon, you will be concentrating on the positive side of healthy instead of the woe is me victim syndrome. I made the comment the other day “I am not upset by the things I can no longer eat; I have already eaten more than a lifetime quantity of them.” 
6) Encourage others but don’t patronize them if they haven’t made up their minds. I have been guilty thinking I was encouraging friends by expressing “That’s alright; you will do better or You can start over tomorrow.” Enabling is not encouraging. Maybe “You royally messed up and now you need to get serious” is what we need to say.
Good eating; get real; acknowledge the food addiction; prepare the intervention by changing the foods in your home; and be prepared for a free from got to have food life so you can enjoy life to the fullest.

Until we eat and read again…….Arline Miller, author of Sipping Cups of Inspiration and A MISTRESS, A WIFE, novel

(C) Copyright 2012-2016 Arline Miller. All rights and properties reserved and to be used with permission.



ARE WE SWEETER WITHOUT SUGAR?



ARE WE SWEETER WITHOUT SUGAR? A few years ago, I was diagnosed with Diabetes II and of course I had to change a lot of my eating habits. One of the first, but not only, change was to eliminate one of the culprits…..SUGAR. Oh no, I thought “not my sugary sweets and a true southerner….sweet tea!” I went farther than sugar when CARBS were thrown into the mix. With a lot of negative postings about aspartame, I looked into Stevia as a substitute for my sweet tooth. After a couple of years, I wanted to share my research. I am not advocating Stevia as I haven’t seen all of the positive effects some of the articles (studies) but neither have I seen any negative side effects. I am inserting some information which can be helpful if you consider “Are we sweeter without sugar?“
HEALTHY EATING
Can Diabetics Use Stevia?
by Amber Olson, Demand Media

Stevia delivers lots of sweetness without the calories.
When you crave something sweet, you likely reach for sugar-filled foods. But sugar, and other natural sweeteners such as honey and molasses, can elevate blood sugar levels. Stevia, which comes from the herb Stevia rebaudiana, is widely used as a sweetener around the world and is safe for diabetics. Unlike most other sweeteners, stevia can even be grown in a home garden.
The whole leaf from stevia is about 30 times sweeter than sugar. Several sweet compounds of stevia have been isolated and named including stevioside, steviobioside, dulcoside A and rebaudiosides A, B, C, D and E. These isolated substances vary in sweetness ranging from 50 to 450 times sweeter than sugar. Pure stevia powder is so sweet that you must first dissolve it in water and then dispense the solution by drops. The sweetness of 1 teaspoon of the liquid is equivalent to a cup of sugar.
Blood Glucose
The effect of steviol glycosides, isolated from Stevia rebaudiana, in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics was evaluated in a study published in 2008 in the “Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology” journal. The results showed that post-treatment blood glucose levels were not significantly different from baseline measurements in the groups that were given stevia. Additionally, stevia was well tolerated by the subjects and had no side effects.
Insulin Sensitivity
A study published in 2005 in the “Hormone and Metabolic Research” journal evaluated the effect of stevioside, a glycoside in Stevia rebaudiana, in rats fed a diet consisting of 60 percent fructose. Stevioside was found to decrease plasma-glucose concentrations, improve insulin sensitivity and delay the development of insulin resistance in the rats. Based on these results, the authors concluded that stevia may also be helpful for diabetics.
Weight Control
Stevia has no calories. In contrast, a gram of sugar contains about 4 calories, and there are about 4 grams of sugar in a teaspoon. If you put 3 teaspoons of sugar in your coffee, that’s 48 calories for just 1 cup of coffee. Using stevia in place of sugar can help you maintain and achieve a healthy weight. That’s important because more than 80 percent of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight.

Note from Arline Miller, blog author of Sipping Cups of Inspiration. After 2 years, my glucose is not level but not ever in the extremely high areas. My cholesterol is lower but I am taking Crestor in low dosage. Whether any of these conditions are better or worse because of my use of Stevia, I don’t know. What I do know is when a person is diagnosed with Diabetes, it is time to pay attention. Our bodies are telling us we are abusing the natural functions and it is a red flag and not one to be taken lightly. See your physician who will work with you but you have to take control and decide what is most important…Pizza, Cake, Sodas, Starches or your life. Google Diabetes; Glucose Control; Stevia; Eating Healthy for great information as you have resources at your fingertips to learn what or what not to eat to maintain good health. 
Interesting, right? What I find is more important is my decision to cut out the foods and drinks which would require even Stevia. Even though studies and FDA apparently don’t see any harm with the exceptions of the rare allergies to Stevia, I have been thinking about processing as a factor in my decision. As with sugary foods, over processed foods, chemically grown, to even scary foods who don’t disintegrate after long periods of time; I feel we will be so much healthier the more natural, organic, and without adding salt to a fault we can live better and even have a sweeter disposition. Yesterday, my husband and I decided to stop drinking tea or other beverages which we have used Stevia to sweeten. Our reason is simple: We have been aiding our “sweet cravings” by fooling ourselves we need the goodies. I am not sure what the results will be so I will update as we move forward. Again, I am not making a statement for anyone else. If we do have a craving for something sweet, we will treat it as a reward and not a standard for our eating lifestyle.
I would be interested in other’s experience, good or bad with using stevia or giving up sugar entirely.
(C) Copyright Arline Miller 2012-2016 All written content is protected with rights reserved. All third party material is sourced with links for access to original article(s).


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