Mom loved to cook, and feed folks. It’s the way she was raised where family set the table and had dinner together every night. As kids (growing up before technology), we loved to play outside, and hated to stop playing to go home for dinner, but that was the rule!
“Set the table… make some Kool-Aid…,“ were the usual commands and as was customary, meat, starch, and vegetables were the menu. Because my mom developed diabetes in her adulthood, she was not used to having to monitor so closely what she ate. She was always a small, size 6 person, at least up until her fifth child, which is the time that she developed the condition.
Looking back, it seemed like she was even more confused about diabetes after visiting her doctors. She had a general practitioner, and other specialists who all prescribed medicines, but no one was coordinating her medications. The side effects she experienced from these medications became issues.
Meanwhile, Mom tried to learn what was healthy and what she shouldn’t eat, but old habits die hard. I don’t remember folks focusing on ‘carbs’ back in the ‘70s like we do now… knowing that they break down into sugar. Surely, dried fruits had to be OK, after all, they last longer than fresh fruit and can be carried around as snacks.
The problem is, the drying process will make the same cup of raisins have 4 times as many calories as a cup of grapes, for example. Some dried fruits have sugar added or sugary juices in the drying process because they’re too tart on their own…like cranberries.
Soooooo BEWARE! If you have a choice, go for fresh!
By Cyndie Webster-Beacham
Rev. Cynthia Jackson is the administrator of the Rhema4U Blog and Innovations Ministries Director. Rev. Jackson is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was licensed and ordained under the tutelage of Bishop David G. Evans. She is an associate minister at Bethany Baptist Church located in Lindenwold, New Jersey. Rev. Jackson founded Innovations Ministries in 2001. Innovations Ministries provides dynamic and innovative programs and services for individuals and families dealing with various health-related issues. She is a gifted teacher, preacher, conference speaker and writer. God has anointed Rev. Jackson to be a spiritual midwife with a passion to empower others to birth God's vision for their lives. Rev. Jackson holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Organizational Management from Eastern University, a Master of Science Degree in Health Administration from Saint Joseph's University and a Master of Science Degree in Christian Counseling from Cairn University.
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