Treasures

Today I started my "less than 20 grams of sugar a day" journey and it was great.  I feel great.  I have to tell you that I recently uploaded the TED talks app on my phone to listen to something interesting while I'm working out.  I listened to a talk from Diana Nyad.
Diana_Nyad

She is a 64-year-old woman who swam from Cuba to Florida.  She started trying when she was 20 and finally accomplished it at 64.  Her theme for the last attempt was "Find A Way".  I LOVE that.  I have a lot of obstacles in my days with 5 small children, but I'm just going to find a way.

This morning was very cold in Virginia.  I decided it wouldn't be wise to venture to the gym.  I did a ballet workout  Element-Ballet-Conditioning in my living room.  BD claims I woke him up with the sounds of my rond de jambes (I had to look that up). I'm surprised he didn't wake up to me murmuring, "You are crazy, lady" to the TV over and over.

I had a lot of temptations today, but I just focused on all the OTHER wonderful things in the world besides sugar.  That is my biggest help, just looking for treasures all day long.  Here are the ones I found.

Well, there are the pears.  We call fruit "God candy".  It's so delicious and sometimes I think we forget that.  Not only are they delicious, but they are beautiful.  I just love the pears with rosy cheeks.  I always pick them out even though I know they don't taste better.
Besides the pears there is the beautiful poppy tile my mother gave me and the wonderful sugar and flour canisters my mother gave me that have been over the ocean twice.  There is also a wonderful cinnamony candle a friend gave me.  You see, there is beauty all around and I am loved.  

Who needs sugar?

I love it when I start preparing something healthy for myself and my kids beg me for it.  I usually act like I'm reluctant to share with them so they want it even more.  Two pears were gone in a flash! Plus, these kids make me happy.  Chalkboards make me happy and Gustav Klimit also makes me happy!

Baby #6 makes me HAPPY!!!

One of my dearest friends in the whole world, who has helped me so very much, asked me today for some tips on being a nonsugaric.  Let me just give you one major tip.  The trash can is your VERY best friend.  Okay, so my kids ate part of a pear, but right after that they finished off the last of the eggnog ice cream in the freezer.  They also got out the syrups we have in the fridge.  My husband got this Hershey's Strawberry syrup long ago and I hate it.  I think it is disgusting.  That being said, people eat a lot of disgusting things just because they are sweet.  I was discussing this with the kids and suggested we throw this syrup away.  While we were talking about it I noticed the expiration date of the syrup was 1/2014.  How lucky for us.  Now we had a really good reason to dispose of it.  

Sweets ceremoniously disposed of the syrup.

Isn't it beautiful nestled in the trash?

I always say that you can either waste it in the trash can or waste it on your waist.  I prefer the trash can!

I met my 20 gram limit before dinner.  Then for dinner I made frozen pizzas which I do every Tuesday. I looked at the box and there was added sugar in them.  I decided I'd just have a salad with grilled chicken.  However, I realized my favorite lite ranch dressing has sugar in it (not a lot, but 20 grams is my limit).  I decided I'd just go with my Albanian standard of olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt.  I actually used garlic salt and a little chipotle seasoning.  It was delicious!  

Okay, so that is tip number 2.  There are so many interesting flavors in the world, sugar gets boring!  I bought some pesto parmesan ham today.  I had no idea they made things like this.  I only learned about it because my daughter had lunch at the neighbors and was raving about their ham.  I feel like I've been living in the dark ages.  I can't wait to make sandwiches tomorrow!

I have been thinking that the last time I blogged regularly I spent a lot of time pointing out what temptations I resisted.  I've been thinking perhaps that wasn't very helpful to you our to me so I plan to focus on all the other treasures this time.

And . . . I also realized that I promised I'd reveal my super cool project to you a long time ago.  My project is mostly complete and I'm at least ready to reveal my January portion of it, which I will do tomorrow.

Lastly, my sister posted this great article from the Washington Post that was funny, true and helpful. Check it out. Read-this-if-you-want-to-be-happy-in-2014. 

I think I want to read his book How-Fail-Almost-Everything-Still-Win-Big.