Hi.

Thankfully Alan quit smoking over 35 years ago. What was his reason? He was an insurance investigator and he was reviewing death claims and they all had one thing in common. People were dying of smoking. His brain had a light bulb moment and he quit.

I believe the stuff they put in cigarettes now is much stronger than what people smoked back in the day.

But isn't eating the wrong stuff also an addiction? I used to be really big back in the day. Never saw myself as such. I just continued to eat.

But when I got my light bulb moment was when I LEARNED what food does to the body. What sugar does, what saturated fat does.

I got into eating healthfully and never looked back. Honestly it took me to be in my 50's but after that I had no problem.

I sit with people at Dunkin and watch them eat Ice Cream Sundaes and all those donuts and the first thing that pops into my mind is 'OMG, All that sugar, all that fat, it clogs the arteries" I don't know why I didn't think like that years ago but I didn't.

I view food as fuel, not as feeding my heart. Maybe that's why I lost the weight and continue to sprout and eat my greens and eat protein.

I happen to enjoy this. Haven't met too many people who think of food in that fashion. I guess I got really lucky.

And I haven't drunk ( is that a word? lol) any kind of soda in over 10 years. Probably more than that.

I buy an item called True Lemonade and I get their True Raspberry Lemonade and that's what we have been drinking in this house for years.

It's just crystalized lemons or oranges, sweetened with Stevia.

I actually dilute it so one packet makes 4 quarts. Saves a lot of soda money, believe me.

I don't think I could drink anything carbonated if I tried.

Add some ice and you have the most delicious drink.

Anyway, I guess we are what our genetics make us. Thankfully I was able to stop the sugar and cold cuts and ice cream. Now I go nuts for kale, bok choy and my sprout salads.

rofl.

Melody