I know why it’s so dark at only 4:30.  We’ve lost our snow cover!  Well, yeah, that and it’s December. And it’s been cloudy since last week. And it was raining for a great part of the day today.

But was it raining enough to keep my wipers engaged? No.  They had to do that slow squeeeeek across the windshield that is almost as annoying as the rain.  Even on the lowest wiper setting!

But am I complaining?  Sure I am!!! You aren’t a Minnesotan unless you’re complaining about the weather somehow.  Yah, sure!

Oh yeah, and here’s something else. I’m wearing my winter coat as I’m running errands in and out of the rain. Winter coat. As in fur trimmed hood.  Now I don’t know what animal this fur came from and goodness knows it’s only a strip of the stuff, but now I smell like a wet dog as I jump back into the car.

And who designs these hoods anyway? This one comes so far past my face that I feel like one of the chanting monks in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Okay, now I’m starting to laugh thinking about that scene…

I am thinking very carefully about what I eat today.  Even more than usual since I started seeing the dietician and gave away my sugars and flour.  Tomorrow I am having a PET scan.  No, it’s not some kind of test on Buffy to see if she’s ADHD.  It’s a test to see if there’s any cancer lurking in my body after all the chemo and surgery.  To ensure a good result, I have to eat only proteins today and drink milk or water.  The test is basically done by injecting me with radioactive sugar water, which explains the no carbs today rule.

I am claustrophobic so will be taking advantage of the ativan and will bring a washcloth to put over my eyes. I have to check in at 7:30 in the morning and should be leaving after 9:15.  And am guessing that I will come home and sleep.  ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz……….

I do have some interesting food news, though. There’s a new system of comparing food products to see which is better nutritionally.  It’s called NuVal and in the Metro area is in the Lund’s and Byerly’s stores so far.  The numbers are determined by independent sources—not the food giants—- and are on the labels on the edge of the shelf under the product, similar to the cost per ounce stickers that you can use to determine if the 64 ounce bottle is really a better deal than the 32 ounce bottle.

The scores go from 1 to 100 and are on enough of the products to give you an idea how it works.  We looked at breads, chips and cookies, tomato sauces, canned tomatoes, peanut butter, milk and fruit juices, and rice and grains, among others. It is eye opening.  And it’ll take more than one trip to take it all in.

Interesting note: the foods with the lowest numbers are those that are most heavily advertised.

We found out about this from a talk the hubster listened to on 91.1FM.   Dr. David Katz from Yale was speaking at the Mayo Clinic about how we need to eat better and be more active. Try Googling Dr. Katz and NuVal.  You’ll see what I’m talking about.

The more I learn from my dietician and this guy, the more I think we can turn around this obesity epidemic.  I have hope.

I also have a dirty kitchen and need to clean it up. So, I’ll say goodbye for now.

Good to talk with you,

Janet