A couple of summers ago, I had bought a refractometer to determine the percent sugar content for my trial figs. My intent was to develop such data for comparisons to other fig varieties and for observation during different fruiting periods. I bought one on eBay and is similar to the one listed in the link below. It only takes a couple of drops of fig juice to make the test. Well sometime back one of my young grandsons was very interested in what I was looking at thru the refractometer and he wanted to look into it too. Like a good pa pa who wants to encourage his grandson's fig interest, I gave it to him. Shortly after he raised it to his eye, he dropped it.....and it fell right on a brick that I had under the fig tree and broke the glass. So I didn't get much data. I've since replaced it and will be using it this summer. What's neat about it......one can test other fruit too for sugar content. I want some analytical data to confirm what my taste buds tell me...........my Saijo persimmon is my sweetest, my Cajun Honey is the sweetest fig, my Owari Satsumas are sweeter than Brown Selects, that certain late season figs are still very sweet, etc. When the sugar content is measured for various cultivars growing under the exact same climate and conditions ......one can definitely determine which one is sweeter and that COMPARATIVE data becomes helpful for others in choosing cultivars. Unfortunately there is no instrument that determines the overall TASTE sensation of a fig. I'm sure we have chemist somewhere working with their ion and gas chromatographs to make the determinations for optimum wine blending for taste. Too bad there is no money in fig research. However, just being able to easily determine sugar content is more fun for me in an already fun hobby. Jose, My "outgoing" email is not working properly. So, I'm having problems with replying to yours and most of the emails that I have recently received. Dan Here is a link that might be useful: Percent Sugar Tester.

I've always noticed when I decided to blow my diet and binged on something sweet, I felt a temporary increase in energy, and felt much happier, and just assumed it was because of the increase in calories. But finally I noticed that I was feeling this after I decided to binge, but before I actually ate anything. I've been suspicious that binging on simple carbohydrates is "addictive" in more than the pleasure of eating a special treat, or even because of up and down blood sugar and insulin levels. A couple of months ago, an article was published that indicates that binge eating in rats causes release of dopamine, the chemical that causes that "feel good" rush that causes addiction. Why am I not surprised. This sure explains what's happening every time I give in and go for something sweet. What a drag, alcoholics and drug addicts can at least avoid their triggers, but we still have to eat, which means constant exposure to biologically enhanced temptation. Sigh. Here is a link that might be useful: food addiction- for real

I'm female, 5' 7", 125 lbs, my cholesterol levels are great, I eat healthy and work out at a gym daily. My BP was around 105/65 since I was in my twenties. Two years ago (at 52) I got a sore throat with swollen glands so I went to the doctor. My BP had gone up to 175/95 overnight! I know this because I check my heart rate and BP at the gym every day and it was my normal 105/65 the day before I got the sore throat. My throat culture came back positive for strep throat (which my doc said isn't too common among middle age folks) and I was put on antibiotics. The doctor wanted to wait until I'd finished the medication and the strep had cleared to see if my BP went back to normal. Unfortunately, it never did, and I had to be put on BP medication. My doctor thinks the strep throat somehow shocked my system and caused my BP to be permanently altered. On medication (the lowest dose possible) it hovers around my previous 105/65, but if she takes me off that low dose, it shoots right back up again. So I guess I'm on meds for life now. Just wanted to share that it's possible for BP to go haywire with a virus or bacterial infection and be unable to regulate itself back to normal afterwards.

one of my all-time fav recipes is Pasta w/ Vodka Cream Sauce because from start to clean up it takes 35-45 minutes, makes few dirty dishes and for me it's o.k. to reheat for lunch. this is my go to meal when i have to cook just for myself, which is 2-3 nights and honestly i could eat it atleast 2x a week for dinners plus lunches lol. it's from cookinglight... http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1654684 Hoisin glazed beef kabobs is another fav and thou it has a few different ingredients, it is very very easy and to help clean up i do the marinade in a ziploc bag. i serve it w/ rice noodles which just soak in warm water while i'm grilling the kabobs. i use tomatoes, mushrooms, green onions/sweet onions, zucchini, green/red peppers and yellow squash on cheap wood skewers (disposable) to add more bulk to the meal. i like my grilled meat on the red side and the veggies still crisp which enables me to reheat this for lunch and it not be overcooked. http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1816367 two wonderful deserts from cookinglight i make are: Roasted Banana Bars w/ Brown Butter Frosting (has several steps and makes some dirty dishes but worth it) & Chocolate-Mint Bars (i keep these in the fridge or freezer). i like cookinglight recipes alot because they have a user rating system so before i waste time and $$ making something i can find out if it's worth it and tips on changes also. i have also found Shape & Self Magazines to often have very tasty healthy recipes. ~ liz