I wouldn't know if the chips would work, but how about those tiny water holding crystals that one can add too the soil to hold the extra moisture when potting plants? hmmmm; may have to give this a try if I ever get back to "playing in the mud again". It's been a very busy summer for me and now that those things have slowed down some-what, it's way to hot and humid,and I'm really anxious to try some new stuff, dang! Wendy

May : I just found this in Micro Soft Works, thought I deleted it, when I did the Original recipe for Fish Puffs , above ^. I'll be making them for Dinner so I'll Post Photo's there. Flounder Puffs A friend and I went fishing often, in Delaware Bay. When we returned to our homes, we cooked the fish. Then we would meet and test each others cooked fish and argue about, which was better. One day we caught a lot of Flounder. I decided to make a batter, dip the pieces ( about the size of a matchbook ) and fry them. I seasoned the batter heavy; for taste, because it dissipates a little. When my fishing buddy tasted them , he declared me the winner. Then he tried it and we are still arguing about who makes the best. Thought I'd share this simple recipe with you. All I did was beat an egg,( or as many as you need) add Garlic & Onion powder. A pinch of Old Bay, dry parsley, salt and pepper. Add enough flour to make a batter (not too thin). Dry the flounder pieces on a paper towel, Sprinkle with Cornstarch & shake. Dip them in the batter, then into a heated frying pan, with your favorite oil. They Puff up a lot. Turn them out onto a paper towel, when cooked. You can cook one piece and taste it. Add more spices if needed. A platter full will disappear in no time !!! Lou

I don't think Olean (or olestra) is available to the general public. As I understand it, there is a lot of extra steps you have to do to use it, you can't just use it like regular oil. Also, a lot of people have digestive problems with it if they consume very much of it. That is why it is only used right now in snack foods. They figure people won't eat a lot of it.

I'm type II diabetic, and luckily my insurance pays for diabetic counseling, which takes the form of a meeting with a nurse who is a diabetic specialist at a diabetic clinic on a regular basis. I usually go every 4 months but have varied that going as frequently as 3 months or as far out as 6 months. The nurses at the clinic are also available to me as needed by phone or email. It's extremely helpful as it both gives me a place to ask questions, it gets my medication and glucose levels looked at regularly, and it keeps me accountable. My guess is that the potato chips are not a specific culprit, but just happen to be a favorite item (a weakness) and that eating a few now and then wouldn't hurt you at all or cause symptoms, if factored into your diet. At the same time, you have to remember that they are empty calories. If you eat a handful of chips then you should cut out something else, and that something is probably far better for you than those greasy chips. Potato chip calories are made up way more of grease than of carbs. But, if you can't keep yourself from binging on them, then you are better off with them out of the house. I also get those weak, trembly feelings when my blood sugar is too low. When it gets a little too high, I tend to get very, very sleepy. And it doesn't have to be anywhere near the 300 range that someone mentioned for that to happen. 175 can easily put me in an area where I'd have trouble keeping my eyes open. I have never hit 300, that I'm aware of, and it would scare me if I did. I test my blood sugar usually first thing in the morning, and as someone else mentioned once or twice a day either at 2 or 4 hours after eating. The nurses at the diabetic clinic like to see readings from a variety of times. It helps them see how my meds are working. How high the numbers go after eating (2 hour mark is usually about the highest) and how quickly the meds pull the levels down (4 hour mark).