In reply to a blog comment...........Since you ask.......

Hastobeme called ME a Fitness Freak. Can you believe it? I AM SO PROUD I COULD SHOUT FROM THE ROOF TOPS! All my hard work is paying off. Thank you Hastobeme! And thanks too for asking for my advice.

Our resident that moved in with us last November, has diabetes. I thought I knew a lot about food, (Now that I think about it, mostly what I knew had to do with taste!)but keeping his sugar levels under control has been an extreamly educational adventure. The first thing I learned, is that there is much more to controling sugar levels than simply not giving him sugar. It is much more important to have a good balance of carbs and proteins at each meal, not letting too much time go between meals, and not consuming a really large number of calories in general. Just this last week I have been relying on the addition of a little protein powder when he has oatmeal and rice (These are the two biggest culprits that send his numbers soaring) and this seems to be working well. NOTE: The suggestion to try this came from his visiting nurse, and I ran it by the doctor before trying it. Please, don't take this as medical advice. I am just trying to make the point that we can be really helpful to our bodies, by the food choices we make. By making postive food choices most of the time, we won't do harm with an occasional "killer" treat.

I have also decided, at least for me, wanting un-healthy food is really a mind thing. Last week, they had Keeble cookies on sale, so I bought them for my family, because they count them among their favorites. I don't particularly care for them, but the last three night, those ____ cookies have been taunting me something terrible. Logically I know that if I did eat one, it would never taste as good as my longing and imagination has made it sound. Silly brain just feels compelled to complain because I have changed the routine on her. You should have heard her last night when I went to the store to pick up a container of dried cranberries, and my eyes came to rest on the chocolate covered dried cherries. It was embarrasing the things brain was able to get out of mouth before I could quiet her. I tried to explain to brain that if it was not a forbidden fruit (get it?) then she wouldn't even want it. Lucky for me, brain has a short attention span, and I was able to quickly distract her with the "eye candy" that was walking down lane eight.

About young kids and junk food....... When I had my first baby (Oh! Has it really been twenty-seven years ago?) I was pretty heavy into diet pepsi. She used to toddle around and help herself to my soda if I left it sitting around on the end tables. I thought it was so darn cute that I even sorta encouraged it. Probably not a great thing, but what did I know?

Ten years later, I thought I knew lots more. My last baby was born at home so her siblings could participate, (Along with nine other adults. What a party that was!)and it would be more "natural." I breast fed her until she was eighteen months old, she had NO meat or sugar until she was two. She used to throw her mac-n-cheese on the floor and beg me for my spinach. Yesterday, I was checking on her bank account (to make sure she had recorded all of her debits, in her check register) and noticed that she had a debit for the day. (Made after school, on the way to track practice.) She had bought skittles (at least she purchased enough to share.) So, inspite of my early efforts, she is not a non-sugar vegan. At least I got her off to a healthy start, and for the most part she does make good food choices. Growing up, my kids were pretty good about listening to my beliefs that there were better times to consume junk food. For the most part they saved the soda and sweets for the weekends rather than school days. As much as I like chocolate, is it really a surprise that they also list it up high on their favorite foods list. Kids learn from our example; good, bad, or otherwise.

My suggestion re: your three year old and coke........ First I think you should determine why he likes it? Is it because mommy likes it/is having it. (Please refer to last sentence of previous paragraph.) Maybe his brain is like mine, he wants it because he's not suppose to have it? My guess is it is all about the fizz. Three year olds are all about fun, and what is more fun than fizzy pop? Maybe you could try some sparkling water laced with fruit juice. (Put into the coke can for added effect.)

The big thing to remember (I try to tell myself this on a daily basis.) is ALL THINGS IN MODERATION, whether we are talking food or activity. (This out of the mouth of someone that is heading off soon to run thirteen miles in one stretch. Go figure.) If your son's diet is made up of healthy real foods for the most part, his little body should be able to handle a little sugar now and then. (Maybe he would eat a cheese stick or peanut butter cracker along with his coke? The protein would help balance the sugar.) I think doctors get concerned when kids eat SO much junk that they don't consume enough good carbs and lean protein. Their little tummies can't hold very much at one time, making it important that a large portion of what they do eat be high quality goods.

Each child is an individual. This is what makes parenting so challenging and so scary. No matter how many books one reads on the subject, we are still pretty much wandering through unknown territory, trying to do the best job we can do. Our best is all that we have to work with. Lucky for us, children are very resilient, very loving, and very forgiving.