If you are as concerned about Americans' sugar consumption as I am, Halloween is one of those holidays that makes you just cringe. Store aisles are lined with confection after confection. Parents are racing past hoping their children won't notice, so they may avoid the begging, pleading and whining that candy seems to induce. If you have children, you dread all the sweets that will soon be piled on the kitchen table while your children count up their loot. You also know that you'll have to hide most of it, or that ceiling-high stack will be devoured within a couple of days.

This month's source of inspiration comes from a sweet lady named Debbie Cusick. Debbie, retired from IBM, resides in Florida with her dog Flo, and three cats who graciously allow Debbie and Flo to bask in their presence. She's a birdwatcher, avid reader of mysteries, involved in choral singing and working with Flo, whom she hopes to eventually enter into obedience and/or agility competitions with in the near future. Another hobby of Debbie's is pastel painting. And let me tell you, this lady has some talent. She also has the talent of inspiring others. Today, you'll see why.

Ten years. It's been ten crazy, fantastic, sometimes frustrating years that I've tried to live the low-carb lifestyle. What is has not been, is perfect. Or rather, I haven't been perfect, and I'm okay with that.

I sat down today at my dining table to make a list of the reviews I have yet to finish. I've still got a lot to share, so it's quite a list. Sitting there I realized a couple of things.

Losing weight is a complex project. There are so many variables to consider when pursuing a thinner you. Age, metabolism, environment, current health status - all these things play a role in our venture to obtain better health and a sleek, athletic form.

As many of you already know, I'm a huge fan of the Quest Protein Bars. I love pretty much everything about them. They are convenient, tasty and chock full of non-scary ingredients. In my last review, I talked about the peanut butter and vanilla almond flavors. Today I want to tell you about three new flavors that will leave your taste buds tap dancing on your tongue.

I've always loved ketchup. As a child it was my go-to condiment. Judging from the way my children use ketchup, I'd hazard a guess that it's as popular as ever. The largest problem with this tasty tomato treat is that most brands are loaded with sugar - corn syrup to be exact. This is by far one of my least favorite ingredients. I've searched high and low for a brand of ketchup that I would be comfortable offering to my family. I've managed to find one nationally popular brand that fit the bill, but my kids tell me it "tastes funny". (I have no idea what they are talking about; it tastes fine to me.) So my search has continued for ketchup that tastes "right" to them and yet doesn't contain sugar.

Diabetes Health recently published an article by diabetes expert Hope Warshaw that has stirred up quite a hornet's nest in the low carb community. In her piece titled Type 2 Diabetes: From Old Dogma to New Realities, Warshaw discusses what she believes are basically old wives' tales about diabetes care, while recommending a fantastic new treatment. The problem here? Her ideas are not new, fantastic or even scientific. And that old wives' tale, or "old dogma" as she likes to phrase it, happens to be what science has proven to work for those wishing to sustain healthy blood sugar levels. What is the old dogma you ask? A low carbohydrate diet.

If you like coconut, you probably have a soft spot for coconut macaroons. If you are also living the low-carb lifestyle, you probably miss coconut macaroons as well. I wasn't so much a coconutty kind of person before starting a low-carb diet, so macaroons weren't something I ate often, if at all. In fact, I can't remember the last time I had the full-sugar version. I'm telling you this so you'll know that I can't really compare this product to it's high-carb counterpart, since I can't recall what they were like. What I can do is tell you what I think of Jennie's Coconut Macaroons.

One of the biggest lamentations I hear about low-carb living is the lack of convenience foods. If you have a job or schedule that requires you to constantly be on the go, it can be a challenge. You can pre-cook a lot of food and keep it in a cooler near by, but that doesn't always work out either. For those that don't mind a little "frankenfood" now and then, you do have the options of products like Atkins Day Break Cherry Pecan Bars.

Review of New Hope Mills Pancake & Waffle Mix by Amy Dungan. Pancakes were a breakfast staple at our house for many years. Who doesn't love a warm, fluffy pancake? They are especially great when dealing with kids, or large groups, since pancakes are simple to fix and relatively inexpensive. Add in all the different topping choices and you have what seems to be a perfect meal. The downside is pancakes are really high in carbohydrates, not to mention that nutritionally they deserve to sit in the corner with a dunce hat on. For the last several years we've mostly shunned pancakes. We quit inviting them to breakfast and refused to acknowledge them on menus in public. While my children have occasionally whispered that they missed pancakes, I reminded them that pancakes have never done us any favors. In fact, they've always been wolf in sheep's clothing, disguised as a healthy low-fat breakfast.

An article caught my eye today and I had to do a double take. The gist of the piece was that if you are enjoying exercise, you aren't doing it right. If you want to get technical, I supposed that may be true. I'm a fan of the Slow Burn method for building strength, but let me tell ya, It's not fun. I don't get up of a morning and think "I can't wait to work my muscles until they hurt and my body feels like a blob of jelly!" So maybe we are only really working our muscles if we are doing something that is uncomfortable. I'll concede it's possible.