I love grapefruit. Recently I have been treating myself to a half of a red grapefruit with liquid stevia for breakfast as well as dessert.  

Grapefruit is good just like is comes from the tree, but it's also delicious with powdered stevia and cinnamon sprinkled on top and broiled in the oven until nice and brown. And warmed grapefruit makes a great dessert. 

Remember, eat fruit with a full serving of protein to keep your blood sugar levels in check, especially if you are prone to hypoglycemia. 

1/2 grapefruit has 53 calories, 0.2 g fat, 13.4 g carbs, l.8 g fiber, 11.6 g sugar, and 1 g protein. 

Yes, you can. You have many more miles to go!

During the last few days, my kitchen has been under renovation and I've had to revert to eating out. In the process of trying to find restaurants that offered selections that meet my specific criteria, I have discovered that they sometimes inject or marinate chicken with oil so that it taste better. Since I've been made aware of that fact, I also have been asking more about food preparation and added oils before cooking.

So, with my kitchen out of order, I decided to have lunch at a great little restaurant near our house. I found a little table outside. It was so delightful, the weather was pleasant and overcast and the food was simple and delicious. No cooking—no clean up. Fast, easy—and "clean." Perfect! 

With my kitchen continuing to be under renovation, and the fact that the restaurant had a just what I needed, I decided to eat there twice this week. I ordered the same thing both days. Grilled chicken, spinach, sliced cucumbers, salsa and lemon. I specifically asked them to make sure that they didn't cook the chicken with any oil and they assured me they would.

On the second day, after I had eaten, the waiter politely came to collect my bowl. So I asked him again about the chicken. "The chicken is really good. So you didn't use any oil for cooking?" I reiterated."No". he said. "No oil." Being a little suspicious, I inquired about pre-cooking? "Do you marinate the chicken in anything before you cook it?" "Yes," he said, "a brine with honey." HONEY ... Eeeeecccckkkk! I never thought there would be sugar in my chicken. The menu only said "organic chicken".

I had forgotten to ask about the salsa. It didn't taste like it had any added sugar. But just to be on the safe side, I asked if there was added sugar in the salsa. No sugar. Thank goodness!

So, the moral of the story...Be aware that there could be ingredients in your food that you're not aware of, especially if you don't make it yourself. Don't be shy. Take charge of your health. Always ask about how your food is prepared, and if there are any added garnishes, sauces, fats and sugars—even before it's cooked. 

If you're needing something to curb hunger or even that crunchy snack attack this simple recipe is a great solution. 

From the very beginning of my weight loss journey, I relied on pickles to fill me up and give me something to chew. I love pickles—dills and koshers.

You will want to make sure that your selection has no sugar added, you can make your own sweet pickles by adding Stevia liquid drops to dills or koshers. About 20 drops per (small) jar. Although pickles are a good health snack, you might want to limit the amount you eat—pickles contain a lot of sodium and too much sodium may cause water retention. 

Another snack that seems to satisfy the need to "crunch and munch" is tomatoes and cucumbers. I like to cut them up with a little salt, pepper, and vinegar. You can add a little Stevia, as well. Feel free to add onions or basil. Serve on a couple of melba toast for even more crunchy, munchy satisfaction.

Yes, you can. You have many more miles to go!