A Southern Girl...Can?...Survive?

Oh goodness, where to begin?

I come from a place where Sweet Tea is a staple.  It's the water of the south.

I live in a place where a half gallon of store brand (or Farmers!) Sweet Tea is a necessary accessory.  Just don't forget to write your name on the bottle in permanent marker!

So since my decision to start eating clean, I have glanced over several articles from various trustworthy names in healthcare.  I am proud to say that today, I have finally decided on the sweetener that is right for me.  This is my end all be all, bang the gavel, this is it!


Nothing.

No sweeteners if I can help it.

Every single type of sweetener has its own benefits and risks.  Risks.  The one thing that drove me to this decision.

This quest for the healthiest way to consume several glasses of tea a day has led me to the conclusion that I can't have my cake and eat it too.  If I'm going to do this, I need to do it right.  (I realize that I posted a recipe for sweet tea earlier, and by all means, use it if you want it!)

The recipe I posted a while ago is a great explanation of my previous tea consumption.  Black & orange pekoe tea bags, boiling water and processed sugar.  I make 2-quarts at a time and can easily finish off a whole pitcher in 2 days or less.

So I decided to switch to a healthier green tea.  I sweetened my first pitcher with honey, my second pitcher with agave nectar...and neither has really given me what I got with a full cup of processed sugar in 2 quarts of black tea.

And here comes my Aha! Moment:  I can't drink that much tea!  I shouldn't drink that much tea!

Ideally...I should be substituting most of my beverages with water.  (yes, yes, Roxanne, you told me so!)

This isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle change.  And I needed to see that my tea consumption was out of control.

My new rule is:  100% fruit juice for breakfast, unsweetened green tea for lunch and dinner, all other times water, water, water!

To make this new rule more palatable...I'm going to try making Fairy Water.  This is basically water flavored naturally with fresh fruits, veggies and edible flowers.  Will report back on how that goes.

And for the record...for the rare occasion that I must sweeten something...I choose honey.


*Of course none of this is an "all the time" scenario, splurge days happen, everything in moderation blah blah blah, this is just a generalized "rule of thumb" type post