​Yesterday, Jake, Boh, and I made a quick trip to my parents' house to see my family. While I was talking to my dad, he told me that a recent visit to the doctor revealed that his cholesterol levels are uncomfortably high again.

Sidenote: Heart disease runs in my family. My grandfather had a stroke when I was born and then died from a heart attack when I was eleven years old. My dad had a 95% blockage, had a stent put in, and suffered from a heart attack when I was a junior in high school.

Anyways, I'm worried about him. Exercise isn't a problem with him. He does at least 30 minutes of cardio daily, despite being over 60 years old and having a hip replacement. He loves it and because of him, I love it too because of him. What I am worried about is his diet and his naturally slower metabolism. So since I'm home with the flu, I've been reading up about what he should focus on eating, what food he should avoid, etc.

My goal is to make a little meal plan guide for him by the end of the week. What I can email him today is a great guide on lowering your cholesterol by making therapeutic life changes. You should check it out too!

Oh, holidays. How you make us all crazy and stressed out. Thankfully my birthday falls in December and since I like coffee so much, I receive lots of Starbucks gift cards. It's been about a month since all the hoopla arose when Starbucks introduced their holiday cup. Since the controversy has died down, we can go back to focusing on the cup's contents.

But seriously, thank goodness for my gracious friends that give me Starbucks gift cards. My nine-month-old puppy, Boh, loves to wake me up at 5 am - sometimes even 4 am! I don't know about you, but I love getting 5 hours of sleep...I'm kidding, of course. When this happens, I reward myself with my go-to Starbucks drink: a caffe latte. It doesn't sound as exciting as, let's say, the Chestnut Praline Latte, which has the following description: "Quintessentially festive flavors like caramelized chestnuts and subtle holiday spices mingle with our signature espresso and rich steamed milk. Topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of spiced praline crumbs." But what the description leaves out is that a grande contains a whopping 39 grams of sugar. 

Notice I didn't point out that the drink is 370 calories first. Calories aren't your enemy necessarily. It's the high content of added sugar that you want to steer clear of. A healthier choice would be a caffe latte. If you like your coffee sweet, add some stevia or honey. Mayo Clinic has an excellent article that sums up the issues with added sugar. I highly recommend reading it!