Saint Valentine Never Had it So Good

There are several theories on the origins of Valentine's Day. Some believe it originated on February 14, 269 A.D., when Saint Valentine was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. Others subscribe to the story of Saint Valentine, a priest imprisoned for defying the Emperor Claudius. And some of us don't really care how it started (have you heard of Romance Grinches?).

Early records report that in 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius honored St. Valentine by declaring February 14 in his name. Whatever the true story, the fact remains that at some point St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. Valentine's Day has since evolved into a day to celebrate love and romance, to shower one's object of affection with rich, lavish, luxurious gifts, glittery trinkets, shiny baubles, precious gee-gaws and love's liquor? chocolate.

It may not be a coincidence that the icon of the modern Valentine's Day is a chubby little cherub slinging golden arrows hither and yon. The arrows aptly symbolize the dollars we send flying at our heart's desire- often unwisely or too extravagantly. And the chubby little guy? You've probably guessed the connection there--sugar-laden chocolate!

What would Valentine's Day be like if it had been started by low carbers? For one thing, that cute little cherub would be a svelte little fellow with abundant energy, probably with his own Web site, message boards, chat rooms and LC Cupid franchises, spreading the good word of sugar-free chocolate and low-carb delights world-wide. Instead of shooting arrows, he might toss bouquets of water bottles and flavored pork rinds. His slogan could be, "Share your healthy heart with the one you love." Greeting cards would have a pro-health focus: "Be my low- carb valentine"; "Splenda sweets for my sweet"; "I crave your love instead of pasta."

With every new love affair there would be two low carbers living the life together, listening to love songs with titles like, Low-Carb Cupid, and The One I Love Belongs to the Atkin's Center. Restaurants would serve "high-carb" meals by special request only. White flour and refined sugar would be difficult to find and only available on a few Web sites and occasionally on eBay.

Bread would only be two net carbs per slice and the national lunch snack would be sugar-free chocolate and natural peanut butter. Presidential candidates would run on a platform of "the low glycemic school lunch." Political slogans would shout, "no more sugar, no more flour!" Rallies would chant, "Carb Low or We Won't Go!" The tabloids would cover stories such as, "Gwyneth Zellwager feeds protein bars and Atkins Crunchers to the homeless," and "Somersize this Summer with Suzanne and all of Southern California." Dan Rather would interview high-carb traffickers and low-fat diet gurus from their jail cells. Romance would mean revived health, renewed energy?and weight loss.

A low-carb Valentine's Day just might be good enough to turn Romance Grinches into LC Lovers. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some low- carb shopping to do?

Cherie' Davidson is a freelance writer and Web content developer who lives in the Pacific Northwest with her toy poodle, Auggie Dog, her "energy muse." She has her own freelance writing business, Suitable Words Publications (http://www.suitablewords.com), where she writes and promotes Website content, designs and develops e-books, hires out as a copywriter and writes a wide variety of articles, reviews and essays. She has started a blog at http://www.suitablewords.com and a free article site at http://www.suitablewords.com

scheduled cleaning services Winnetka ..
In The News:

GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.
New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.
Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.
New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.
Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.
Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.
New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.
The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.
San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.
FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.
Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.
Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.
Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.
Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.
The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.
Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.
Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.
Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.
Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.
The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.
OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.
Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.
LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.
Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Be Aware Of Your Reasons

You have decided that you want to lose weight and... Read More

20 Dieting Tips You Can Use Immediately To Start Losing Weight

Dieting is not easy. If it were, we would probably... Read More

How to Design the Perfect Diet

All Diets Are Based on the Same Premise: Eat Less... Read More

Cellulite: The Biggest Female Epidemic

Cellulite is probably one of the most embarrassing of all... Read More

Bodybuilding Weightloss Trouble-Shooter

"Help, none of this mainstream stuff works!"There is a specific... Read More

How To Cop An Attitude With An Overzealous Hostess

We all encounter those hosts and hostesses who feel it... Read More

The Truth About Dieting And Weight Loss

You may not like what I'm about to say, but... Read More

Weight Loss Discipline

Why is it so hard to lose weight and keep... Read More

Body Fat Distribution Factors

Most men and women put on weight differently. But on... Read More

Gastric Bypass Surgery ? What Happens Afterwards?

After patients have had gastric bypass surgery comes a very... Read More

Hydrate to Lose Weight: The Real Skinny On Water Retention and Sodium

If you've been scouring the news, devouring as much information... Read More

The Real Challenge Of Weight Loss

Weight loss is never easy. Although this is stating the... Read More

How To Avoid Gaining the Holiday 7

As the holidays approach, a frequent question from my clients... Read More

Little Weight Loss Goes A Long Way

From driving up your blood pressure and cholesterol, to increasing... Read More

Glycemic Index: A Magic Weight Loss Solution or a Soap Bubble Ready to Burst?

Glycemic index ranks different carbohydrate foods depending on their potential... Read More

Fat Burners: The Shocking Truth

Fat Burners refer to the hundreds of products on the... Read More

5 Simple Steps to Start Your Weight Loss Program

Remember there's more to you than meets the eye. You've... Read More

The Three Simple Steps to Fat Loss

More than 70% of US adults are overweight and that... Read More

A Look at Bariatric Surgery Patients

Individuals who are interested in bariatric surgery need to be... Read More

Ephedra Is Back - But Is It Safe?

It's been called the world's oldest medicine, the miracle fat... Read More

Weight Loss for Good! - The # 1 Secret!

The only way you will ever follow through on an... Read More

Serious Dieting Tips, Humorous Explanations

A few months ago, I set out to lose 22.6... Read More

Eating Healthy Diet Tips

Some (not so) Silly Diet Tips and Why They're NotAt... Read More

Spare Muscle Mass and Power, Lose the Fat

The goal of many athletes and exercisers is to "get... Read More

What Cows Know About Weight Loss That We Have Forgotten

I want to talk to you about cows and what... Read More

reliable maid service Lincolnshire ..