To the Rescue of an Old Friend

I’ve been surprised by how much I don’t want to say anything bad about my dear old friend Sugar. Come to think of it, no one else has been at all 46 or my birthday parties, and then all the other milestones of life too like baby showers, graduations or anniversaries. At my wedding reception I had her elegantly adorned with fresh flowers and set up at her own table because she makes everything so much more fun. I have warm memories of other sweet times together, like eating an old fashioned donut after a miserable night in a wet sleeping bag, or the joy of a chocolate dipped ice cream cone with my kids after a long motorcycle ride. She’s earned a special place in my heart because of all the happy memories we share. So how can I find fault?

As only true affection can do, I am fairly oblivious to her spit personality. For instance, her personality Fructose comes out in full force when she is hanging out in table sugar (sucrose), honey, molasses, fruit, root vegetables, and plants like sugar cane, sugar beets and corn. Though her alter ego Glucose is still present, Fructose is the dominant one in those settings. As Fructose she goes straight to the small intestines, then takes a ride to the Liver Spa where she has a makeover into an energy source that can be used for energy (glycogen) whenever she is needed. (1) See why I love her?

Her altar personality Glucose, on the other hand, is more dominant when she is hanging out with the whole grains in bread, pasta, rice, or quinoa, vegetables, and anything made from milk. Again, Fructose might still be there but it’s not the one you’re talking to. When she is in this condition she skips the Liverspa and goes straight to the muscle tissues to be stored in a usable energy source (glycogen), or she is used right away.

Either way, you get my point that she is extremely helpful and generous with her time and energy…an all around good sport in every way. Then why is this little sweetie being blamed for the fall of the industrialized world, or at least its health, by single handedly expanding its waistline to deadly proportions? Why is what is meant for good being demonized as something evil, and is she getting to you? Personally, I am too loyal and indebted to turn my back on her completely, but I have to admit that she sometimes has more personality than you might expect behind her sugar-coated veneer. And sometimes that personality can get a little bit scary to tell you the truth.

I’ll finish next week with the accusations made against her, and how to still enjoy her delightful company without allowing things to get out hand, or turn sideways as you might say. One thing I will say is that she is always so much nicer in the presence of Fiber…they seem to balance each other out. See them do this for yourself in this weeks recipe Pineapple Parfait.

Another recipe I absolutely adore is Vegapizza. I know, it’s a little different than the usual pizza, but I promise that all of my die hard carnivores ate it at first warily, and then inhaled it very happily. The fish recipes, well they pair to save time and are such a wonderful source of healthy protein.

So tune in next week as I exonerate my dear old friend and show you that even though there are mountains of evidence stacked against her, a large portion of the blame most certainly belongs somewhere else.