This is a question that a lot of people might ask about the Atkins line of treats and bars. Are they actually Heathy? 

Well, look, I'm going to give you the Poor Mans Atkins answer. I am not a dietition or Doctor so take it as you like.

As I understand it, the healthiest foods and things out there are those items with very few ingrediants in them. The more natural the better. I mean, if it grew in the dirt, it probaly better that something a machine made in a tube. Our bodies are designed to handle the fresh and wholesome ingrediants. That being said, if you look at an atkins bars ingrediants you will find the following:

Taken from Atkins Peanut Butter Bar

While the nutritional info does state that they are low carb and that they do have a lot of vitamins in them, they are still packed with ingredients that sound more like chemicals than food. 

Now I eat Atkins bars. I think they work great as a substitute and do wonderful at getting me out of tempting situations, but I can't say they are as wholesome as an apple or a carrot. For some of us, it may be better to eat the natural foods so we stay away from these processed items all together. For others, these bars may be the lesser of a far greater evil which comes from other junk food on the market. It's really your personal call. 

I can;t say that Atkins bars are very healthy, but personally I can say that in a way they helped me get control of my weight and save my life. 

I want to say thank you for all the support I recieved over my last post. It was very nice to read and I am very appreciative.

My father passed away this last week. As a family we are grieving and processing it all as best we can. The truth is though we are sad more for us. Sad for our loss. We all understand he is celebrating in heaven now and feeling great and that's all he ever wanted. We are the one losing out here, not him.

In related news, grieving makes you fat. People bring a ton of food over and a lot of it is not low carb. And my family is emotional eaters so it's a recipe for disaster. All that to say, I need to get back on the wagon this week. Clean out my gutty works and start new. Probably better for my spirit anyway.

The last week of my life has been extremely interesting and one I will never forget. God has blessed my wife and I with the most amazing gift.

Our baby girl is doing very well and we are so filled with joy that after these past nine months that we finally got to meet her. She is such a good baby and fills our house with such love. I am so happy she is mine.

Unfortunately this week hasn't been filled with only joy but also some sadness. My dad has been sick. His liver and kidneys are failing. He lays in a hospital bed and we await him leaving us. The hospital room has a sticker on it to let the staff know that he will be passing soon. He sleeps and looks just as peaceful as my baby girl.

I don't know that I have ever had to have such conflicting emotions at the same time. My heart is exhausted from the contrast of being at home and visiting my dad's room. I feel sad, happy, disappointed, thrilled, cheated, and more.

A few weeks before Abby showed up and my dad got to his most current state my wife wanted to read a story to baby girl in her tummy. She pulled off the shelf "I love you forever". I had always seen this book on shelves but never actually read it. Lying in bed my wife read th e story of a mother holding her new baby and saying a phrase,

"I love you forever,

Forever and always,

As long as you're living,

My baby you'll be."

The story goes through stages of life as the little baby grows to a boy, teenager, college student each time getting cradled by his mother as she says the same phrase "I love you forever...". Eventually the story ends when the boy who is now a man getting a phone call that his mother is sick and goes to her, holds her in his arms and says,

"I love you forever,

Forever and always.

As long as your living,

My mommy you'll be."

After the mothers death the man returns home to his newborn daughter. He cradles her in his arms and repeats the phrase with the cycle continuing.

I couldn't help but feel this hit home for me. I lay there thinking about Abby and her grandpa and how much I love them both and how I wish they could know each other. I am broken hearted about the hugs and kisses they will miss from each other, the bible stories from grandpa she won't hear, and all the tea times grandpa will miss. I have to stop and take a breath. I realize these feelings are more what I want for them and that they both will be surrounded by love soon regardless of knowing each other.

I want them to know my heart and the love I have for them both and how they both will always be mine. Words do so little justice.

I love you forever Dad,

Forever and always, Abby.

As long as you're living,

My baby, and my daddy you'll be.

Ok, its time for me to vent a little. 

Listen up America, I love bacon. I think it is a delicious salty treat. It's low carb, and its got all sorts of great uses. But I think our love for bacon has gotten a little out of control. Lately i see websites dedicated to the stuff, t-shirts of people that are sharing their love for bacon, and recipes that are utilizing it in all the wrong ways. The biggest thing that rubs me the wrong way is the products that are now available and are trying to capitalize on our love for it, all sorts of weird useless items things that have shown up that are trying to get our money. Bacon salt, Bacon bandages, and bacon neckties. Stop it. It's all too much. 

Look, I get that we love it and that it's yummy, but it's kind of a joke gone too far. We all know that its good to eat but not that great for our bodies to eat a lot of. And maybe at first it was funny, but i fear bacon runs a risk of being over popularized. Even by the food industry. Too much of a good thing can make people grow tired of it. I am not saying that bacon will ever go away, It's a breakfast staple, but people may lose their desire to utilize it correctly in new ways. Its innovation could halt all together. We have to pace our bacon use.

So to help out I made a quick list of some do's and do nots with bacon. Feel free to add your own in the comments.

Some Proper uses for bacon:
-By itself As a breakfast side.
-Crumbled to bits for use in a salad, omellete, or pizza
-Carmalized with some brown sugar to make a sweet and savory appitizer
-Wrapped around a hotdog to help take it to the next level.
-On a burger
-On a double burger
-On a triple burger. 
-In a noodle dish i.e. Bacon Mac and Cheese. 
-In a breakfast cassarole, quiche, or egg bake.
-added to vegtables to make them less vegtables. 
-With peanutbutter, bananas, honey, between two pieces of bread.

Some improper uses for bacon:
-woven together to creat a taco shell.
-used to flavor chapstick.
-As a coffee flavoring.
-To top an Ice cream sundae.
-As a candel sent. 
-As a bandage for a wound.
-as a subsititue for a bread in sandwich
-In a pie.
- as a necktie.

There are many other examples out there I could give, and we could talk on this forever. I just want us to be responsible with our bacon. If it becomes to cool and hip for its own good, it's going to go the way of Members-only Jackets and i can't let that happen. Let be smart people. 

"With great bacon, comes great responsibility" -Uncle Ben (Spiderman)