These came along… Sometimes, you’ve got to focus on the body. Here’s a roundup of some ways to make it fun. Wanna get Swealthy? Allulose has been around for decades and RxSugar wants to get clients swealthy – sweet and healthy – with its line of 0-calorie, 0-net carbs, 0 glycemic line. Look for pancake syrup, liquid sugar, organic chocolate syrup and what looks and acts just like white sugar for your coffee. The very week someone I care for was avoiding sugar, these were welcomed into my life. Sure the syrup for daily French toast cravings tastes a little different (than the high fructose poison that I label the bottle). Adjustment is worth it when you’re trying to get better. These did accomplish their reason and I’m excited about recipes at www.rxsugar.com, including one for carbonated drinks. The chocolate sauce is thin, so watch out as you drizzle, because it is actually so good you wouldn’t want to waste a drop.

Rose petals and strawberries Do you pair your syrups with coconut rice pudding, maple cake with champaign buttercream and cocktails delightfully named “Love That Hat?” Get with the times by going old school with infused barrel-aged smoked maple syrups. Vermont-based Runamok Maple has brought back Strawberry Rose Infused Maple Syrup that does more than impress your tea party guests. This flavor is both delicate and bold and instantly drops you into the past. Make it modern with your own twist. This is in the focus on health roundup because it is high-quality and a little goes a long way. It’s good for your soul. Royal Leaf Achieve more is the message on the bottle. Royal Leaf Caffeinated Guayusa Tea in original and lemon & honey are pledging to bring sustained energy, enhanced focus and enriched health to your game. Amino acid L-Theanine gives this elegantly-packaged blend a sustained, relaxed and uplifted crash-free energy. www.royalleafetea.com offers a bit the science behind your strong, cool drink. Amazonians have enjoyed this tea throughout their history and it’s becoming my own-personal buzz word. Gianluca Mech This is a whole line that keto folk may already be into. Beautiful glass bottles with a vintage apothecary look offer Slim-Kombu to support gentle cleansing; Dolce Respiro to support a healthy immune system; Lino Rabarbaro, a regulating tonic and there’s much more in the line including a mushroom soup . There’s even a Keto Lemon Vanilla Mini Cake. There’s fiber and protein and this notice on the box: “Not a low calorie food.” The Cocoa & Hazelnut Spread includes plants like pineapple, papaya and fennel. Powders become creamy warm and cold beverages that deserve your best drinkware. Zuppa al gusto di Asparagi powder, heated in water, became an intriguing soup course. www.gianlucamech.com A BOOK NOTE The Scarlet Kingfisher I met a birder who asked me if I like to read. He handed my “The Scarlet Kingfisher.” There will always be birders that are new to me, but I began to “get it.” Robert Henry Benson, the man standing beside me, was the author of this novel about discovering a new species. Our hero, Dr. Beach O’Neill, is a Texas A&M researcher who finds himself in the path of nefarious characters who want this bird that isn’t supposed to exist. The search will shut down business and take down lives. The love of birds knows no bounds for good and evil characters. Readers get a taste of campus politics, coastal locales and both the mundane and thrill of bird counting and study. I love that the author I met became something of an expert in ornithology, drama highlighted by low-battery cell phones and snakes. That’s the novel life, and that’s Texas. In real life, Benson grows native plants at his Normana-area farm, and loves birding (surprise!), photography and falconry. Darragh Castillo is a Port Arthur area foodie ready to try something new. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com