I’ve been a customer of woodpellets.com since 2008. Wow! Seventeen years as of this writing. I had never thought about how long it had been until now. I’ve always been happy with both woodpellets.com’s products and customer service. Call them to place your first order, and tell them: “Lynn McGovern wants to give me $25 off my first WoodPellets.com order!” I deviated one year to a different pellet, which was a mix of hard and soft and didn’t stop sneezing all winter. Apparently, there was too much dust blowing out from not only when I filled the pellet stove, but also from the bag itself.

If you have a wood pellet stove, you likely already understand the difference in soft and hardwood pellets. Cleanfire Superior® Softwood pellets give us more BTUs (8800 BTU and .37% ash) than the hardwood pellets (8400 BTU and .51% ash) and Cleanfire® Ultra Douglas Fir gives us 9200 BTU and “Virtually Zero Ash” at .22%. I was surprised to learn what “Virtually Zero Ash” actually meant, “virtually zero ash.” We need to clean out our fireplace insert after about 6 to 8 softwood bags. We burned 15 bags of Douglas Fir and could have gone even longer before cleaning because there was so little ash. My guess is that less ash means it burns more efficiently.

Why is Douglas Fir the Best Wood Pellet Option?

I was impressed at two things this past winter:

1. I only used one and a half bags per day of Douglas Fir compared to at least 2 bags of the softwood per day when it is even warmer. This was during the coldest month we’ve had in many years. Days were typically in the teens or low 20s and nights were down to single digits most nights. I don’t believe the softwood would have kept us as warm as the Douglas Fir.
2.  I have a fireplace insert, so I have to shut down my stove, and let it cool down before cleaning it. Using softwood, I’m lucky if I can burn 6 – 8 bags before it needs cleaning. With the Douglas Fir – I used 15 bags and could have gone even longer.

Both of these points are a huge plus for us and would you believe there’s another good point here?

3. The Douglas Fir actually works out, at full price, to about the same cost as the softwood, based on using 1.5 bags per day instead of 2 bags per day. As of this writing, it’s on sale for $499 per pallet, which makes it $2 per day less expensive for me! I don’t think I’ll ever deviate from Douglas Fir!

Douglas Fir

Why Have Companies Removed Important Information From Their Bags?

Many companies are now removing important information from their bags –  whether their product is hard or soft wood, and how many BTUs. Because of this, we can no longer compare products. I would NOT buy from a company that does not tell us BTUs and what type of wood their product is. Why are they hiding it?

Softwood

Receive $25 off Your First Woodpellets.com Order

No matter which one you choose, if you purchase via woodpellets.com, tell them Lynn McGovern sent you and they’ll give you $25 off your first order. I, too, will get a $25 credit, which means that if you become a customer, you can then refer friends to receive a $25 credit. There’s no limit to how many people you can refer. And the price of pellets includes free delivery.

WoodPellets.com

Is Sugar Really the Enemy?

When you hear the word “sugar,” what comes to mind? For many, it’s a red flag—something to avoid at all costs. But is sugar truly the villain it’s made out to be? Let’s take a closer look.

Not All Sugars Are the Same

The word “sugar” is used broadly, but it actually includes many different types:

• Sucrose (table sugar)
• Fructose (fruit sugar)
• Lactose (milk sugar)

Each type has different effects on the body. Can we really label all of them as “bad” with one sweeping statement? Probably not.

Natural vs. Processed: What Matters More?

Nature gave us sugarcane—but modern agriculture complicates the picture. Most conventional sugarcane is treated with glyphosate (RoundUp) before harvesting. If the label says, “sugar,” it’s likely from sugar beets. Beet sugar in the U.S. comes from genetically modified (GMO) sugar beets, which raises additional concerns. And then there’s high fructose corn syrup, widely linked to health issues like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, even in young people. So is it sugar itself, how we process and use it, or the quantity eaten that poses the real risk?

But What About Sugar in Fruit and Milk?

Fruits contain fructose, yes—but they also provide fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Many cancer recovery protocols even include fruit. Lactose, the sugar in breast milk, is essential for infant development. Can it really be harmful if it’s nature’s first food?

Sugar and Disease: What We’re Told vs. What We Know

You may have heard: “Sugar feeds cancer, Lyme, and parasites.” While this idea is repeated often, actual studies showing sugar directly “feeds” Lyme, for example, are scarce.

There’s another side to the story. Insulin Potentiation Therapy (IPT) is a medical treatment where sugar (glucose) helps deliver chemotherapy directly to cancer cells—sparing healthy cells in the process. Patients on IPT often avoid hair loss and harsh side effects.

Even natural remedies, like crystallized ginger, have been credited anecdotally with helping support healing. So, is sugar always harmful—or can it sometimes help?

Natural vs. Artificial Sweeteners

The real danger might lie in artificial substitutes. For example:

• Erythritol, often recommended for Lyme patients, has been linked in some studies to increased cancer risks.

This raises an important question: Are we replacing real, naturally occurring sugars with synthetic options that might be worse?

Kombucha and the Sugar Confusion

I often get asked: “Is the sugar in kombucha bad for us?” My kombucha  is made using organic cane sugar, but it’s not for you—it’s to feed the SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). During fermentation, most of that sugar gets consumed. What’s left is minimal. And using organic sugar means avoiding glyphosate residues. After all, fermenting toxic chemicals into your drink probably isn’t ideal.

Sugar and Lyme Disease

In Lyme communities, many warn against eating sugar. But the science isn’t clear. I’ve searched extensively and haven’t found reliable studies proving that sugar feeds Lyme. If this is true, wouldn’t it make sense to use sugar with a medicine that eradicates Lyme Disease? In fact, natural sugars played an important role in my own healing from chronic Lyme, a condition I battled for over a decade. That personal experience challenges the idea that all sugar is harmful—at least for everyone.

Could it be we’ve been misinformed about sugar to keep us sick?

Final Thoughts: Balance Is Key

Let’s be clear:
This is NOT a recommendation to eat more sugar—especially not for diabetics or those on sugar-restricted diets. Nor is it a recommendation to eat cookies and cakes, especially those made with processed ingredients! Anything in excess—even water—can be harmful. But perhaps the more important question is this:

Are we asking the right questions about sugar? Or have we been misled by a one-size-fits-all narrative?

Don’t take my word for it—do your own research, listen to your body, and decide what’s right for you.

Summary: What to Remember

• Not all sugars are the same—context and source matter.
• Natural sugars from fruit, milk, and even organic cane sugar have roles in health and healing.
• Highly processed ( (like HFCS ) and artificial sugars (like some sugar alcohols) are more concerning.
• Balance and quality are key—blanket statements about “all sugar” being bad may oversimplify the truth.

Have we been demonizing sugar unfairly? You decide.

This information is presented as entertainment, and should not be misconstrued as medical advice. Check with your health practitioner before making any dietary changes.