Sweet Tea and Me

This is my first blog. So I want to write about something very important to me... Sweet Tea. Hot in the fall and winter, iced in the spring and summer. My mama got me hooked when I was just a teenager. She would bring me a cup as I was curling my hair and set it on my vanity along with a fried dunker egg and some toast. It was extra sweet because I had not really acquired the taste for it yet. It started with a few warm sips and grew steadily from there.

Now I am nearly a 1/2 a century old and sweet tea is still by my side. Oh, I had a long relationship with Mountain Dew for awhile, but I eventually came back to my first love after a trip down south. I was amazed that the fast food restaurants actually had it on their menus. Now, wonder of wonders, it is available in Indiana. You can get a giant glass of sweet tea for only a buck at Micky Dees. Hallelujah! There are 2 of those within a mile of my house!

Now I must admit I have become somewhat of a sweet tea connaisseur. A prude, if you will. I have rated the best to the worst of available brews.

Number one by a long shot is Skyline Chili. Oh so dark and almost too sweet.
Number two is Captain D's. Which is sad because Noblesville doesn't have one. But alas, Muncie does!
New in the number 3 spot is Subway. A surprise because it is very new and I think made from a powder.
All others are not great, but good enough, and McDonalds will do if you ask for "light ice".

However, this story takes a downward turn because of blood sugar levels. See, I like to sip all day long on my extra large elixir. It gave me a boost of caffeinated energy and comfort all at once. Now, in an effort to balance my blood sugar levels I can only have it with a meal or a snack. Protein or fiber to make it more low glycemic. If I have it with something already in my tummy it doesn't burst into my bloodstream so quickly. So I always have the food first. And instead of having a large to sip on all day, I have a small. A SMALL! A kid size. Sigh. And only 1/2 a cup in the morning. When I am done eating I, I, I (I can't even say it)...dump it out. Do you feel my pain?

But, lets look at this as the cup 1/2 full and not the opposite because I do generally feel better. When I balance my blood sugar it goes a long way to balancing my hormone levels and therefore my emotions, which my husband appreciates. And I keep those nasty yeast and candida surges in check, and I don't get headaches from caffeine withdrawls. I also keep my weight steady because when we have too much sugar our body begins to store it as fat and I already have plenty of that. Another trick I use is fasting for 2 hours between each meal or snack. Only water, and checking the clock. This is actually the diabetic diet that I had to go on when I was pregnant. I am not diabetic now, as far as I know, but If I am careful, I never will be.

So I have to close, and go dump my remaining 1/2 cup. Feel free to use my tricks to lower your sugar levels too. They also work with pop, candy, and desserts.

Talk at you soon.

Now what time is it?