Public Service Announcement: Yogurt

I would like to bring to everyone’s attention that yogurt with fat in it is not evil. Please eat some. In fact, eat a lot.

Evil, evil, evil. No fat/low fat is evil. Evil, evil, evil. Repeat after me: evil, evil, evil…

Why on earth is Jean going on about yogurt with fat in it, you may wonder. Well, let me tell you a funny story. Over here in rich cottager land (I’m not rich–although sometimes I visit. I am actually rich in that I have everything I want and life is wonderful) the grocery store has NO yogurt in the big tubs that has fat in it. Let me say this again, no yogurt with FAT. What the hell?

I actually pulled aside the dairy guy who looked about my age, maybe a few years older, and asked, “Do you have any big tubs of yogurt that has fat in it?” It felt so weird asking for that. He says, “No.” I think my jaw might have dropped, even though I had already come to the conclusion that they were ‘fatless’. He explains that there just isn’t a Demand For It. Holy crap. What dimension have I entered that NOBODY wants yogurt with fat in it? Doesn’t anybody eat fat anymore? What about their little kids that need yogurt with fat in it? Anyway, I asked him if everyone had gone crazy and he gave me a look that implied that I was the crazy one and should be sad that I had been left out of the latest culinary craze and went back to his stocking his skim milk.

So, I managed to find one small individual sized tub thingy of yogurt (which is more packaging than the big tubs, plus is not recycleable unlike the big containers) with fat in it. (Already consumed along with a Revello in order to righten my own little world again.) Ahhhh…dairy fat. Yum.

So now that you have the back-story, here is the public service announcement part: Yogurt with fat in is actually okay for you. Now, having said this, I know there are people on fat reduced diets because of cholesterol issues and whatnot and may choose no fat yogurt because they have to. I’m talking to the rest of the ‘no fat’ lovers. The ones by choice because they think it automatically the right choice.

Here’s where I get technical (sorta). Yogurt with fat tends to have less sugar, making it a lower glycemic choice. (That means less sugar is being consumed and released into your body giving you a sugar high, followed by a crash which will make you more hungry. As well, the extra sugar is converted to fat.) The small amount of fat in ‘fat’ yogurt slows down the digestion of the yogurt, making you feel full for longer. (General rule: not hungry = eat less = gain less body fat.) Plus, the fat in the yogurt will assist in slowing down the release/conversion of the yogurt’s sugars making it lower glycemic. So, in moderation, fat is your friend. Plus, it tastes better and you don’t have to put aspartame chemicals in your body like with the ‘diet’ no fat crap.

So go demand some fat yogurt. It will make your hair healthier, which will save you money on hair products. Plus, it tastes better. And it is lower glycemic.

Bonus service announcement: Oh yeah, and don’t fall for all that probiotic crap. If you were buying ‘real’ yogurt in the first place, it would still have natural probiotics in it. And as for that fibre yogurt. Give me a break. If you have a ‘movement’ problem, try putting some bran in your yogurt. Keep your food real and it’ll take care of you.

Plus, it tastes better, so go and buy some damn yogurt with fat in it–if not for you, do it for me.

Internet Land

I’m back in the land of Internet again. I’ve got lots of ideas to blog about but right now I’ve got a canoe to go paddle…

Reasons for Love

Like I need anymore reasons to love my husband, but here’s another:

We think the same things are humourous.

Happy Summer Holidays Everyone!

Ally’s 101 Writing Tips

Ally Carter over on her blog, wrote out 101 writing tips. Whew! That must have been a lot of work. It was worth it though as the tips are excellent.

My top 5 favourites:

#68. Every chapter should change the story.
#53. All writers have a tendency to overuse certain phrases or words. (Always been a problem. I seem to like the word ‘look’. Go figure.)
#55. “Throw away lines” are lines of the book—especially of dialogue—that don’t really have a purpose except to round out your characters and scenes. (Honestly, I don’t really get this one.)
#44. Type 2 writer’s block is far more problematic. In these instances, you’re working hard, but for some reason the book is…wrong. The scenes feel forced. Just getting 100 words down is a struggle. (An interesting idea. Makes perfect sense.)
#37. Every character should contribute to the plot in some way, large or small, positive or negative.

If you are a writer, be sure to check them out, they are gold! Gold nuggets everywhere!

Refilling the Creative Juices

I think it is time to ease up and take a nice deep breath of summer air. I feel like I have this rigid time-line looming before me. I have to be a published, money earning author by X. It isn’t working very well. I mean, having a goal and a career plan is good. Very good.

But I need to ease up on myself a bit. I have time. I am learning. I haven’t stagnated. It’s just the fact that I have learned that I am, once again, further from my long-term goal than I originally thought I was, is killing me. And that is silly. This is supposed to be fun.

Of course there is a ton to learn. How many people actually sit down, write a first novel and have it published within two years? Not that many. They have piles of ‘learning’ manuscripts tucked in the rafters. They had to work at this and so do I. And I can do it.

But right now, I need a break. So, I’m going to pack up the car and my family and leave the in-laws behind and drive. And then I’m going to drive some more. And then some more. And I will learn. This CAN be part of my growth as a writer. It can. And it will. I will ruthlessly eavesdrop on farmers, miners, gas jockeys, campers from all over, executives, rich, poor, Easterners, Westerners and my family. I will come out a better understanding of characters. And then I will come home and I will write.