#or potatoes to break up the possible monotony of it...

[musicrunsthroughmysoul]

One good thing about being alive for twenty-something years is that I can pull shit out of the freezer and make incredibly simple and fairly quick vegetable fried rice without having to measure anything. And it still tastes great, too!

[silverskull]

Heeey, another Chenford fic! Alma very gently goaded me into this here, and now look. I have fic all over me.

I would suuuuper appreciate a Kudos or Comment on AO3, but it is also below the cut in its entirety to make your life easier. <3

They’d been sent in on a 10-66. At worst, a 459.

Suspicious Persons and Burglaries were the meat and potatoes of the job, and Tim wasn’t necessarily a fan of anything so bland, but after the extreme highs and lows of their days on UC (and in Vegas at that), he figured a little middle-of-the-road monotony would help them settle back in.

Things between them were still… tingly.

The smothering heat of wildfire season had entirely permeated the city, and he’d long since given in to blasting the AC on high in the shop. It dried off their sweat between calls, but it did nothing to reduce the fizz in the air when she caught his eye; the sharp burn when her arm brushed against his over the centre console; the warmth that beat through his veins when his mind wandered back, back to the op, back to her apartment…

So he’d taken the burglary call.

The house looked nice from the outside, and the neighbourhood was relatively upscale. There were no cars parked in the drive, and a suspicious person breaking into a home like this would certainly catch the attention of any keen-eyed neighbours.

They’d swept the perimeter and called out, but no one had responded. The side door had opened easily when Lucy tried the handle, and he’d given her a quick nod before following her inside.

She’d announced their presence as they separated to clear the rooms, and he felt his brain split into its situational personas: Gun Tim was on high alert, sweeping every corner and crevice in the room for anything out of the ordinary; Cop Tim was planning ahead, compiling all the information he was seeing and presenting possible scenarios in rapid succession; and Tim Tim was, as usual, listening out for Lucy, catching her shadow as she she crept through the rooms, begging one of the other Tims to stay ahead of her, to send her back outside, to get the two of them out of any potential danger and back into the shop. To take her to the food trucks and grab dinner and some drinks, where the biggest threat to either of them was a burned mouth from the fiery chilli tacos and a mildly bruised ego.

He hated that part of himself.

He completely trusted Lucy.

He knew she was an excellent cop.

He would never compromise her integrity - or his own - by backing either of them out of a situation without very justifiable reasons.

And yet. 

No matter what he did, what he knew or how he berated himself, that little voice never fully went away. He’d always had it with his rookies - the worry of sending them off into the world underprepared. In one way, having a rookie wash out before promotion was a better feeling: at least then he wasn’t responsible, however indirectly, for anything that happened to them in the future.

But, of course, with Lucy it was always different.

There was no particular moment he could pinpoint as the start of it all, though there were many he remembered in vivid and horrifying detail - slamming the door in her face in the quarantine house; yelling at her in fear at the scene of Officer Rios’ murder; chasing down every pointless dead end while she suffocated slowly in that barrel…

And he’d never even been able to shake her.

He’d made a lame attempt to avoid assigning her as his aide, desperately avoiding reading too much into either Grey’s suggestion or his own reluctance, and breaking down under her persistence nonetheless. And to be honest, he was glad.

He’d never really had a partner, working his way up from rookie to P3 in patrol with a varied assortment of TOs and boots, and thinking he’d been so much better off than the detectives - tied to one other person and their desk, and attached to their cases until the bitter end. Patrol was so much more freeing and straightforward: take the call, catch the bad guys, clock out at end of shift.

And then in waltzed Lucy Chen, and suddenly he was studying for the Sergeants exam, ranking eighth in the state, promoting his last rookie and leaving the FTO programme. And she should have been gone, but she was still there, still beside him every day, and he could argue technicalities until he was blue in the face, but in every way that mattered, she was his partner.

She’d fit into a space in his life that he hadn’t even realised was there, and the few times she’d been missing, her absence had felt like a hole in the very fabric of his existence.

None of these thoughts were particularly new to Tim, floating through his consciousness in pieces at irregular intervals over the last few years. But in light of recent events they’d coalesced into sharper focus, weighing heavily on his mind and in the pit of his stomach, and thumping through his veins with the beating of his heart.

You…Love...Her…

You…Love…Her…

A floorboard squeaked and her elbow brushed against him.

“You okay?” Her foot was on the bottom step of the stairs, but her eyes were on him, concern in the furrow of her brows. 

“Yep. Got your six.” He turned to scan the room behind them, following her up the stairs in reverse, burying his thoughts back underneath the priorities of the current moment. She had his back, and he had hers. Just like always.

Dispatch radioed while they climbed the steps - the house belonged to a wannabe app developer that had hit the big time in crypto, pumping and dumping his assets, and leaving his investors in the hole for hundreds of thousands dollars. He was suspected to be in the Caribbean, living it up on his riches, and only returned to this neighbourhood when he needed to deal with the physical profits of his business.

At the top of the stairs, Lucy signalled left, leaving Tim to take the right. He had only two rooms to clear - a box room and small bedroom - and he was soon tailing Lucy again, quickly scanning a large and cluttered office, and meeting her at the entrance to the master bedroom.

The door was partially open, and a small breeze blew through, stirring the loose strands of hair along her cheekbones. She glanced over at him and he nodded, readying his stance and his gun. It had occurred to him before that some might find their silent communication unusual - at this stage they barely even needed hand signals. But surely that was just the sign of a good working partnership? Someday he’d remember to ask Lopez if that’s how it was with her and Harper. Maybe.

Lucy shoved the door open and he ploughed in, quickly sweeping the whole room, then moving towards the en-suite as Lucy followed behind him. An open window beside the bed was the source of the breeze, and she checked outside, measuring the drop with her eyes as he emerged from the bathroom.

“There’s nothing,” he said, re-holstering his gun as Lucy did the same.

“Dispatch, show us Code 4 at our 459. House was open but nothing appears to be tampered with. No residents present.” Lucy clicked her walkie back into place, leaning over the window sill again. “That’s gotta be at least a twelve foot drop.”

She straightened back up and shook her head, frowning at the open window frame.

“Why break into someone’s house, go all the way upstairs and open a window… then leave without taking anything of value? I mean, we’ve passed computers, TVs, at least three VR sets-”

“Who cares.” He cut her off, gesturing towards the door. “Homeowner’s gotta request an investigation, and it’s up to detectives and forensics after that. Let’s go.”

She rolled her eyes at him, turning and skimming her fingers along the fabric of the bedcovers. He had almost smiled, knowing how it frustrated her when cases weren’t clear cut, and already envisioning a lunch break consisting entirely of wild theories concocted between her and Nolan.

But then he heard the click.

Clearly, so did she, and she froze - thank god she froze - where she stood on the fluffy rug beside the bed.

His entire body had gone rigid, his knees locking in place and his hands extended towards her. His jaw was so tight that his teeth actually hurt, and as his eyes travelled up from her boots on the rug to her outspread hands, mirroring his own, he had to consciously remind himself to breathe.

“...Tim?”

Her voice wavered, and he knew she was forcing herself to stay professional, to stay focused, but it was his name and it was in her mouth and it was asking for everything she wanted him to tell her, and he couldn’t - he couldn’t…

…

He couldn’t give in.

He wouldn’t.

With tremendous effort, he unlocked his seized joints, reaching for his radio and holding her eyes steady with his.

“Dispatch, change our status to Code 6. Suspected 10-79. 7-Adam-100-B is 11-99.”

His brain was working on autopilot, the buzz of acknowledgment from dispatch fading into the background as the codes flashed through his mind. 

Stay Out of Area. Bomb Threat. Officer Chen Needs Help.

He pulled the knife from his duty belt and flicked it open, dropping to his knees at Lucy’s feet.

“Tim. You need to stay back.” Her voice was sharp, her hands towards him, fingers spread as if to keep him back. He ignored them and started slicing through the edge of the rug.

“I need to see what’s under this.”

“Tim-”

“It didn’t go off as soon as you stepped on it. Either it’s broken or it’s more sophisticated than it should be. I need to see it to know.”

He was sweating heavily as he sawed at the rug, trails of salt stinging his eyes, the air from the open window making the room hotter rather than cooler around them.

She was maintaining her composure well, but up this close he could see the tremor in her knees, at the tips of her fingers, and he threw the torn-up material of the rug angrily behind him as he bent low to see beneath her foot.

A flat yellow disc, faded Cyrillic scrawled along the edge that disappeared into the shadow below her. He had encountered these before in Afghanistan. Anti-Personnel Mines. Russian or Eastern European. Now sold on the dark web with poorly translated instructions, and available to anyone with a wallet full of crypto.

Only it wasn’t the crypto-thieves that were going to suffer.

It was Lucy.

He swallowed and knelt up, pulling out his radio and calling in the details to dispatch. Sirens shrieked in the distance, the sound getting louder as they neared. No one else could come in until the bomb squad arrived, and there was no knowing how long that would take.

He was supposed to leave.

“You have to get out.”

She was reading his mind again, and he glared up at her, requesting an immediate ETA on the bomb squad over the radio.

“Tim.”

“10-23.”

That’s all they could say to him. 10-23. ‘Stand by.’

“Tim.”

“I know,” he growled, shoving himself to his feet and glaring down at her instead.

“7-Adam-100-A, Bomb Squad ETA is 30 minutes. Advise you to leave the property if safe to do so. Confirm?”

“7-Adam-100-A, safety of property is unknown. I’m staying put for now.”

“Tim!” Lucy’s eyes were angry, and she almost leaned forward, stopping just as he reached out to halt her, their fingers linking inadvertently in mid-air.

He felt the fury drain from him immediately, replaced by the cold weight of fear, squeezing heavily against the warmth he always, always, felt now when he looked at her.

He knew her well enough to recognise the same reaction in her; her scowl disappearing as her face dropped and her eyes widened. Her fingers curled around his, latching on to him, and he tightened his grip in response.

“You have to go.” Her voice was breathy, her words at odds with the way her fingers clutched his hand.

“You know that’s not going to happen.”

Her eyes grew bright, tears shimmering along her lashes, and for a second he thought she might suck it all up and yell at him. Instead, she dropped her head, the tears sliding down her cheeks and dripping heavily to the floor.

“Please. Please, Tim.” She was whispering to the ground, and he had to move closer to even hear her. “Please don’t make me be responsible for this… for you-”

She didn’t want to finish the sentence, and he wasn’t going to let her.

“Shhh.” 

He skimmed his fingers along her jaw, barely touching her skin, but she raised her face to him, and there was no shock or surprise there. Only sadness.

Her face was so familiar to him - the smooth lines of her jaw, the bright rise of her cheekbones, the gentle arch of her eyebrows. Her warm, perceptive eyes. Her full, smiling lips. 

Without realising it, he was brushing his thumb along her lower lip, and she closed her eyes, leaning into his palm. It could have been a kiss, what she pressed into his hand, but it was light, so light; as light as his fingers against her cheek, and he wasn’t going to ask any more of her.

The sound of sirens had finally ceased, but now there was the burble of voices outside the house, squad cars pulling up along the street as the area was cordoned off. No one was likely to come in yet, and with a lurch he remembered that their bodycams were probably accessible now to anyone in the area with clearance. Fortunately, they were standing close enough that all that should be visible would be the other camera, but he still tipped a finger against her chin, inclining his head towards the device on her uniform. She nodded, closing her eyes and slowly lifting her head away from his hand.

Their joined hands would be out of frame, and neither of them made a move to let go of the other, even as Tim took a half-step back from her, his eyes never leaving her face.

“Bradford, this is Grey.” The walkie on his hip crackled loudly, and he reached for it with his free hand. “Troops are outside your location. Are you still inside with Chen?”

“Affirmative, sir.” His eyes held Lucy’s, and she set her jaw stubbornly as she watched him. “The house seemed clear on our first sweep, but I’m not taking any more chances.”

“Understood. Keep our girl calm, help is on the way.”

Tim almost felt smug as he tucked his radio back into his belt, and there was a hint of humour under the sour look Lucy was shooting at him. He shrugged mildly at her.

“What? Grey agrees with me.”

“Yeah, well, Grey doesn’t know the whole story.”

She went rigid at her own words, her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide and locked on him. He was a little surprised himself, but she wasn’t wrong. She wasn’t wrong.

He squeezed her fingers gently.

“Grey’s been doing this job a long time. He knows enough.”

It was true. Tim wasn’t an idiot, and Grey certainly wasn’t either. There was no way the Sergeant hadn’t picked up on Tim’s uncharacteristic attachment to his last rookie, or hers to him. They were always professional, especially in public, but there had been more occasions than Tim cared to remember when Grey had thrown him a deeply inquisitive side-eye after catching them in yet another provocative verbal sparring match.

“Why didn’t it go off?”

Lucy’s quiet question pulled him from his reverie, and he followed her gaze down to the ragged remains of the rug below her feet.

It was a good question. Mines were supposed to explode on contact, not give you an opportunity to escape. He knew from torturous experience that their very purpose was to maim and injure as many people as quickly as possible, so the fact that both he and Lucy were still here and still whole lead to more questions than he could even begin to think of right now.

“If we’re optimistic, it means it’s a dud.” He squeezed her fingers again, and she lifted her head to look at him. He felt her grip tighten around his hand.

“And if we’re not? If we’re pessimistic?” She had pulled herself together after the initial shock and tears, but he could still see the fear swimming in the depths of her eyes.

“C’mon. Lucy Chen is never pessimistic. She doesn’t even know how.”

That warranted a resigned smile, a breath that might have been a chuckle. He had her knuckles raised to his lips before he even realised what he was doing.

Her eyes fluttered closed and her grip relaxed in his. He decided he didn’t care anymore if anyone was watching their cams, and he pulled her hand into his chest, close over his heart.

“Tim…” Her voice was just a breath, and he closed the small space between them again quickly. She shook her head once, eyes still downcast, words barely a whisper.

“You have to get out of here.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“Tim.”

“It’s not happening, forget it.”

“Tim, stop-”

“Lucy-”

“No!”

Their voices had raised gradually in volume, and she shouted her last words at him, startling him with her frustration. There was a flush creeping up her cheeks, and she was glaring at him angrily.

“I’m not going to be responsible for you getting blown up. Just get out of here, now!”

He squinted at her in confusion, shaking his head irritably.

“What do you… I’m responsible for you. I’m not going to just leave you here.” 

It didn’t escape his notice that despite both of their words, neither of them had let go - or even loosened - the fingers in their joined hands.

Lucy blew out a long breath, her unfocused gaze directed somewhere at their feet.

“Tim…”

“7-Adam-100, be advised, Bomb Squad is less than 10 minutes out.”

He yanked out his radio and quickly acknowledged the message, struggling for a second to shove the device back into his belt without breaking eye contact with Lucy. She followed his movements, her mouth set in a stoic, flat line.

“Tim.”

The way she was looking at him was worrying. He was the one with her hand on his chest, but the way she said his name, the look in her eyes… It was too much.

“Can we not do this now?” he asked, half in resignation, half in fear of what she was actually going to say.

Her face didn’t change, but something flickered behind her eyes.

“Tim…”

He moved as close as he dared, leaving nothing but a sliver of air between them.

“I know.” He took in her upturned face, her bright eyes, the small breath that escaped her lips. “Me too.”

***

The Bomb Squad arrived exactly when they were supposed to, but sending in first a recon drone, followed by a heavily suited research technician took almost another hour. No-one suggested that Tim leave, or even that he release Lucy’s hand, which surprised him more than anything. Back in the Middle East, his job would have been to immediately reduce the amount of potential casualties in the vicinity. He didn’t know if it had something to do with Grey, or if it was just new protocol, but if they weren’t going to ask him, then he certainly wasn’t going to offer.

He stayed holding her hand as a second technician arrived, the two of them rooting around under the rug and snipping off as much of the material around her foot as they could.

A series of unsophisticated metal bars and sandbags were brought in, slowly replacing the weight of Lucy’s body on the pins of the device until, with a communal intake of breath, she removed her foot entirely from the rug.

For a moment, all was still and silent.

Then, the first technician: “Officer clear.”

He hadn’t intended to, but Tim found himself leaning over, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her bodily over the device and the heads of the heads of the two technicians. Her arms clasped easily around his neck, and when he turned to set her down, he felt her weight drop heavily against him as her knees gave out. He swung her up into his arms, hoisting her above the clumsy bulk of his duty belt, and all but ran with her out of the room, crossing the upstairs landing in a few quick strides and dropping the two of them onto the bed of the small guest room on the opposite side of the house. He leaned up on his elbow, kicking out with his foot at the door and slamming it closed against any potential explosion, before collapsing back onto the bed beside her, his breath short and his heart hammering in his chest.

She was safe.

She was alive.

She was here.

…You…Love…Her…

Without thinking, he reached up and unscrewed the bodycam from the centre of his chest, tossing it carelessly to the ground beside the bed. For one moment, their eyes met, held, the air still and heavy between them.

Then she did the same, throwing the camera across him and swinging her leg over his hips.

He didn’t have time to lift his head before her mouth was colliding with his, her lips and teeth insistent against him. He didn’t resist, opening up to her and pulling her face even closer with the hand that had somehow wound its way in through the tight bun of her hair. He could feel tears somewhere, the salt sharp against their tongues, and they might have been hers, or they might have been his, but he didn’t care. She was alive and breathing and whole and she was here, in his arms, and she was his.

When the immediate heat of the kiss wore off, she tucked her face silently into his neck, wisps of hair tickling his jaw, and he held her tight against him, one arm wrapped under and around her, the other stroking the soft skin of her cheek. Her leg was still curled over his hip where they lay on the bed, and as the stress of the afternoon bled out of his body and exhaustion crept in, he felt as if he could lie there with her forever.

Eventually the call came in. 

All clear.

The bomb had been a dud.

She sat up first, slowly disentangling herself from him and smoothing back loose strands of hair behind her ears. He followed suit, staying close to where she was curled on the bed, her feet tucked under her. He watched her for a moment, then turned to reach down for their bodycams, but her hand on his shoulder stopped him.

Her lips wavered, for once no words coming out, and he reached up his thumb to rub a small smudge of mascara from under her eye.

“I know.” He said, leaning over to press one last, soft kiss against her lips.

Then he stood, and so did she, and they left the room to a flurry of uniformed activity, their friends and colleagues grappling them into bear hugs and firing questions at them from all directions.

They’d understand that he was tired. That she was shaken.

They’d give them space. They’d give them time.

And besides, the only thing he could clearly hear was the thumping of his heart in his veins:

…You…Love…Her…

…You…Love…Her…

[slightlyrebelliouswriter23]

hey so i'm hoping to get some writing advice about creative burnout? like i seem to write in fits and spurts. some months i can churn out a oneshot or chapter everyday and some months i can do one (1) creative thing only. so i'm wondering how to prevent creative burnout and how to just create more smoothly <3 thank you!

Creative Burnout & How To Ward Against It

First, I’d like to preface this all by saying you’re definitely not alone. You probably already know this, but sometimes it’s nice to be reminded.

I know from personal experience that creative burnout can leave you feeling hopeless, detached from yourself—the kind of identity crisis no one needs in 2020. 

So buckle in, folks. It’s a dosy.

I. The Symptoms

Not to be the local WebMD page here, but signs of burnout can include:

Procrastination (more than usual)

Dreading writing and feeling stuck or overly perfectionistic when you try

Physical tiredness and/or irritability

Feeling like everything is monotonous

It’s more than just writer’s block. It’s a physical and emotional exhaustion response to something that goes deeper than a simple lack of inspiration. In my experience, and from a bit of research, I’ve found that what your brain is really looking for is dopamine.

Dopamine is essentially your brain’s chemical reward system for doing something interesting or exciting to you. As someone who is diagnosed with ADHD, I have chronically low levels of dopamine, so this is a constant struggle for me—but it is absolutely made worse by creative burnout.

II. The Problem

Studies have shown that the more we do A Thing the less that thing will give us dopamine (unless a component of the activity changes regularly). This is because eventually our brains desensitise to the stimuli provided by the activity, and subsequently, we become disengaged.

But it’s not necessarily The Thing (i.e. writing) that becomes boring. Actually, more than a few factors could be at play here, and the first step to finding a solution is to identify the problem.

1. ENVIRONMENT LACKS EXCITEMENT/CHANGE—

Sometimes, the monotony of everyday life can feed creative burnout. This becomes especially applicable in quarantine when you’re not leaving your house.

What we don’t realise is that even something as small as the variables of driving to and from work, or interacting with passing coworkers, gives us dopamine. So if you have the same routine every day that does not involve any added variables, your brain will begin staunching that dopamine supply.

2. EITHER TOO EASY OR TOO CHALLENGING—

In 1975, Hungarian-American psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, coined the term “flow”, which refers to a heightened state of creativity and concentration on an activity. Csikszentmihalyi posited that if your skill level is equal to the level of challenge in any given activity, you will experience this state of flow.

The chart below is taken from Csikszentmihalyi’s own study on the subject of flow and motivation. It examines “your skill level” on the x axis in relation to the “challenge level” on the y axis.

Essentially:

Too much challenge + not enough skill = anxiety, worry (which might lead to procrastination and perfectionism)

Too much skill + not enough challenge = boredom, apathy (which might lead to monotony, irritability, and other depression-like symptoms)

Skill level = Challenge level = Flow

3. NOT ENOUGH “ACTIVE” STIMULATION—

When it comes to dopamine seeking, there is a distinct difference between active and passive stimulation in the brain.

Active stimulation is any form of activity that you have to actively engage in. For instance; exercising, doing a crossword puzzle, or reading a book. These kinds of activities not only give you dopamine, they also facilitate critical thinking and problem solving thought processes, which act as catalysts for creativity.

Passive stimulation, on the other hand, comes in the form of television, social media, and YouTube. It’s anything you can consume without having to actively engage. Passive stimulation will indeed give your brain dopamine, however, it won’t activate your creativity.

The problem also lies in the speed at which you receive the dopamine from passive activities. Passive stimulation is so easy to access that the more you consume, the harder it becomes to pick up active stimulation. Your brain expects a hit of dopamine just by picking up a phone or turning on the TV—it becomes addicted to the quick fix of a Netflix binge.

III. The Solutions

Based on the problems mentioned above, I am going to list a few solutions. Keeping in mind that not every solution will work for everyone, these can act as both preventative measures and remedies for someone who is currently burned out.

1. CHANGE UP YOUR ENVIRONMENT/ROUTINE—

Aim to do at least one thing per day that will add “variables” to the monotony. This can be as simple as going on a long walk, dressing up in that bold outfit you always wanted to wear to the office but never did, or sitting at a different workspace in your home.

Anything you can do that’s simple, but might provide an extra variable to your day to spice things up. Note: this shouldn’t be the same thing every day.

2. CHALLENGE YOURSELF MORE—

If you find yourself bored by your work, try challenging yourself more. This could mean setting goals for yourself that go a bit beyond what you’ve been doing. 

For example, if you’ve been writing 500 words per day, see if you can beat your own word count every day for the next week. If you’ve been writing mainly fluff pieces, switch it up and do an angst piece. See if you can write a book in a month, or start a blog where you don’t write fiction at all!

Anything you can do to add a little kick to your workload. Note: Beware of challenging yourself too much! This can lead straight back into burnout.

3. CHALLENGE YOURSELF LESS—

If you’re on the flip side of that coin, and find that you are anxious, procrastinating, and perfectionistic when it comes to writing, fret not. Just because you’re experiencing any of these things, doesn’t mean you’re incapable of doing the job with your skillset.

It just means your perception of the job needs to be shifted.

Procrastination, at its heart, is a fear of failure, which results in actively avoiding the negative emotions associated with the task that causes this fear. Perfectionism is a type of procrastination that is a combination of a fear of failure and a fear of success (or, more accurately, other’s critiques of your success) all at once.

Neither have anything to do with your actual skillset, but they have everything to do with your perception of your skillset. Obviously, this is a harder thing to fix, as it has to do with deeply ingrained levels of self-esteem.

What I can offer you is a tactic to trick your mind into thinking you’re capable.

If you have a task, big or small, and you are feeling overwhelmed by it (like you might go curl up in bed and scroll Tumblr), immediately break that task up into smaller tasks. Keep breaking up the smaller tasks until you have the smallest possible part of the bigger task without doing nothing.

Then do that smallest possible thing.

If your goal is to write a 2000 word one shot, a small part of that task is writing half of it. An even smaller part of that task is breaking the one shot up into “scenes” and writing one scene. For instance:

Jude wakes up to a sore throat, a runny nose, and a fever.

She tries to go to work, but Cardan, being the mother hen that he is, threatens to never make her another grilled cheese sandwich (her favourite food) ever again if she doesn’t stay home.

Jude agrees begrudgingly, and Cardan sits her down in front of the TV with a bottle of Gatorade. He leaves to go get medicine from the store.

When Cardan comes back, Jude is worse than before. He makes her soup and saltine crackers and spoon feeds her.

She complains the whole time and, in her feverish state, threatens to never buy him another bottle of wine (his favourite food) ever again if he doesn’t let her feed herself.

Each bullet point represents one “scene” of about 200-400 words each. Obviously, there will be more details that you work out as you write. But with these five smaller scenes, your goal is no longer writing the 2000 word one shot. Your goal is writing the first of the five scenes.

If you complete the smallest possible task, you can stop, and you’ll still feel like you’ve accomplished something because you can cross off that task from your list. But chances are, by the time you cross off one task, you may have inspiration enough to keep going.

4. ENGAGE IN ACTIVE STIMULATION—

Since active stimulation has been proven to turn on the creative “tap”, try incorporating more of these activities into your daily routine:

Exercise: As the resident couch potato, I hate to say that exercising is good for creativity, but it is. Even if it’s just going on a short walk, so long as you’re moving.

Reading: Sometimes you have plenty of ideas, but no words to fit those ideas. Fill your well of words by carving out an hour or two each day for reading a good book.

The Creative Process: In the writing world, the creative process is a process of about 20-30 minutes that the writer partakes in every day before they start writing. This process should be creative, but also have nothing to do with writing. You can try colouring in a colouring book, painting, organising a page in your bullet journal. Anything that is creative but does not make you think about everything you have to do that day. Think of it as creative meditation.

Listen to music: Having APD, I personally can’t listen to music while I write. However, studies have shown that if you listen to at least ten songs per day, it will significantly benefit your dopamine levels and overall mood. If you’re like me and prefer to work in silence, maybe stick on a couple songs during your creative process. If you can manage music and writing together, get out those headphones!

5. KEEP A REGULAR SCHEDULE—

I know this is the most cliche point in the book, but it’s valid. This doesn’t mean do the same thing at the same time every day over and over, because ultimately we’re looking to avoid monotony. 

But having pillars of structure to bolster the excitement can definitely work to keep you from slipping into burnout. Going to sleep, waking up, and having your meals at relatively the same time every day are good examples of this. 

Feel free to change up the things you do between breakfast and lunch, but make sure you have those pillars of consistency so your brain knows that a break is on the horizon and doesn’t get tired.

6. PACE YOURSELF—

This is particularly difficult for those of us who are coming out of a creative burnout, but I urge you to pay special attention to this one. If we are suddenly hit by inspiration and the writing is flowing and flowing and flowing, eventually we will hit the point of highest dopamine capacity for writing.

Not putting a check on the flood of inspiration coming out of a creative burnout, I’d argue, is actually a guarantee that many of us will experience burnout all over again. It becomes this vicious cycle in which we are trapped.

While it feels great to write non-stop and receive immediate validation for that work, try to limit yourself to how much you’re writing and how immediately you post your writing (if you plan on posting it).

Whenever I finish a one shot or a chapter of something, I like to allow at least one day for editing before I post. This timeframe is important, because it acts as a buffer of rest between writing marathons. 

You can take however long you need for the editing process, but definitely make sure you have a set amount of time in place. Otherwise, your brain might not have enough time to come down from what is essentially a writing high, and you will always need to reach greater heights in order to achieve that same level of dopamine.

~~~~

Overall, the most important things to take away from all of this are: 

Change up your environment

Keep your brain actively stimulated 

Have pillars of structure between which you can run about chaotically to your heart’s content

PACE YOURSELF!

Hope this helped. Happy writing!

-Em 🖤🗡

Writing Tip Masterlist

Fic Masterlist

Celebrate 2K with me!

[xillveart]

Frigid

Main Pairing: Katsuki Bakugou x Fem!Reader

Story Rating: Explicit

Genre: Fluff / Hurt / Comfort / Romance 

Story Warnings: Topics of Depression / Body Image, Relationship Drama (implied / suspected cheating), Arguments, Cursing, Sex (rough: choking, dirty talk), Foreplay 

Words: 8,070

Summary: Hiking with your long-term boyfriend had always been an enjoyable, if not a bit challenging, experience. In the dead of winter, he talks you into trudging up the mountain side, but there’s more than just the frigid cold that needs to be conquered. Guilt, regret, and the loss of a connection that you once had with him all put out in the open, it is up to you both to fix what had been broken and reignite your frozen hearts. 

a/n: I know, this is a long one! But I didn’t want to split it up and ruin the pace, so I hope you enjoy the read! ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡ Sorry for all the negativity that came through on this one, but I promise I pull it around with cute fluff, hot make up sex, and super sweet Bakugou that’ll make your heart melt. (⺣◡⺣)♡*

Please blacklist the tag cutesuki-lemons if you do not want to see this content from my blog. I will no longer be tagging with specific keywords for this type of content.Thank you~

Due to the nature of this post, the characters are 18+

You had always greatly enjoyed the winter season, that much you could admit. The cool weather, softly falling snow, and cheerful atmosphere made it perfect for gathering with loved ones and celebrating the holidays. Bundling up in warm clothes and scarves with fabric so soft it felt like the gentle kisses from your lover, tender and warming you to the core. Warmth is what you loved most about the winter, in the form of a cozy fireplace, your lover's arms around you, or enjoying a hot cup of tea beneath a wool blanket and fuzzy socks. It was a time to cuddle, to rest, to love, and to give. 

Yes, you loved winter and all the pleasant things that came with it. 

But not right now. No, in fact, you despised the ice-cold wind blowing against your face as you trudged up the side of a mountain, the current angle of the snow-covered ground barely ascendable without tools. Your legs ached with each push and pull you had to make to heave your body up, and though you figured it would have gotten easier by now, the struggle only continued to grow heavier on your body. Nearly six hours, now, you had been following your lover up this mountain path, and with only two breaks in between, you were near your limit. But, even if you begged to stop now, that wasn’t possible. 

You had gone climbing and hiking with your hotheaded lover enough times to know his routine. This path in particular was one you had gone up a couple of times while dating, but never in the winter. Sure, he had gone in the colder months, but you had never felt up to it all the years before. Somehow, he had talked you into it this time, dragging you excitedly out into the wilderness. He loved this sport, and even if you had always supported him in the past, that encouragement was nonexistent. Right now, you wished that he liked something a little easier, safer, warmer, or just straight up boring. 

Chess, maybe? Or perhaps an indoor sport like volleyball or badminton, you could get into one of those easily. You even preferred his intense workout regimen over this hell! Yet, here you were, clutching your cold gloved hands around a tree root to pull yourself up onto a rock ledge. As you came to rest on your knees, you felt all your breath leave you, the weight of your backpack and other luggage suddenly feeling like it weighed a ton. 

“K-Katsuki, wait a second!” 

Having heard your plea, Bakugou stopped, looking back at you. You couldn’t see his face, as it was covered with goggles around his eyes and a face mask to protect his nose, mouth and neck. Hood of his jacket pulled up as well, all you could see was a small tuft of his blonde hair sticking out around his forehead, which bounced about in the wind. You were pretty much the same as far as being protected from the cold and wind, though it was still enough to make your cheeks and tip of your nose tingle and burn. 

After a quick glance around him to check your surroundings, Bakugou jumped and slid back down, kneeling beside you once he could. “Are you hurt?” 

Even though it crossed your mind to lie that you had in hopes he would take it easier on you, the truth prevailed, and you gave a small shake of your head. Pulling down your mouth and nose cover so you could talk better, you wiped your nose with the back of your glove. “No, no. I just got winded suddenly… This path is a lot harder in the winter.” 

Bakugou sighed, pulling down his own mask before pushing up his goggles, glancing over you with that brilliant crimson glare that nearly made you flush with embarrassment. “Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be this shitty today. It’s worse than what I read online. But you’re doing good! Don’t tap out already.” 

His encouragement was inspiring, but only for a moment, as you were both suddenly assaulted with a new rush of wind. Whining in detest, you put your mask back on, vigorously rubbing your cheeks. “L-Let’s just keep going so we can find a place to camp!” 

“The spot is about another half mile away. Get your ass up, babe, you got this!” Standing, Bakugou took hold of your arms, helping you to your feet. Even through the layers of clothes, you could feel how warm his hands were, and you wished so desperately for him to just hug and hold you. You knew that it would come eventually, but not until you got your aching body up the mountain, got the tent set up, and were cuddled in your sleeping bags. Just knowing that was what awaited you at the end of this was enough to spur you forward, and so, you followed him up the hill. 

Eventually, you came to a spot in the path that became level, winding around the side of the mountain until the wind was no longer beating down on you. It was still strong enough to be bothersome, but you could tolerate it, especially since the path was now quite pleasant to walk on. You were still too out of breath for conversation, and though Bakugou seemed perfectly fine, he didn’t bother to speak either. The company you shared was comfortable enough to not require constant talking, and it helped that you and your lover were of the quiet type, anyway. 

It was a time to be at peace, in nature with the only responsibility is keeping yourselves alive and safe. That, and it was a way to expel all that extra energy that had built up over the previous months. At least, it was for Bakugou, and not so much for yourself. The blonde beside you, now in his late twenties, had quickly become a prominent and famous pro hero after graduating high school. He loved the action, the testing of his skills, continued growth, and challenges that the position gave him. But, with all that enjoyment came the stresses of owning an agency. Politics, media, sidekicks, reputation, rumors, and all that bad stuff weighed heavily on him. He needed to get away, where no one could find him and no one would need him, except you. 

Out here in the wilderness is where he found that peace, high up and away from the chaos, - or monotony, depending on the day - that was his life. Why he wouldn’t prefer to take a vacation to a warm tropical island instead of this freezing mountainside, you weren’t sure, and though it was difficult for you to power through, you were glad you came with him. 

The sight of your typical camping ground was heavenly, feeling a rush of relief when you finally laid eyes upon it. With the thick cover of still thriving pine trees above it, the ground was only lightly dusted with snow, giving you some hope that camping here for the night wouldn’t be quite so uncomfortable. Bakugou seemed to think the same as he gave a heavy sigh, one that you recognized to be of relief, before he pulled his water canister off his pack to take a swig. Once done, he handed it towards you, and you took a healthy gulp of the cold water. 

“This is good,” Bakugou started, taking the canister back from you once you were done. “We won’t have to clear out much.” 

“Thank goodness…” You couldn’t contain your tired groan, lifting your goggles for a moment to rub your eyes. “This has all but killed me!” 

“And look, you’re still standing, like the badass woman you are,” slipping his hands beneath your hood to caress your neck, Bakugou stroked both of your cheeks with his thumbs while he leaned in for a kiss. You welcomed the affection, heat rushing to your cheeks from his encouragement and warmth of his lips against yours. “Soon we can rest.” Two more soft kisses were shared before he pulled away from you, heading towards the clearing as he shifted his luggage off his back. “I’m ready for some fucking food!” 

Smiling, you followed his example, removing your pack and placing it down to dig for your compact snow shovel. “I call dibs on the mashed potatoes!”

“Like hell you do! I’ve had dibs on that since I packed it!” 

The next three hours were spent shoveling away snow and ice, setting up the tent, and prepping the entire area to make a comfortable campsite. Since you planned on being here for two nights, you and your lover made extra sure that it was as perfect as it could be to enjoy the solitude. Sure, there was some playing around in between, with a snowball thrown or a slap to the behind as you were bent over your work, but it didn’t hinder your process at all. That was one thing that you loved about Bakugou, how he was so diligent in getting things done, but he left enough room to make the task enjoyable for you both.  

Nothing was as satisfying as setting the fire ablaze, watching the sticks and kindling begin to burn with orange embers. That was the final step to begin your time of relaxation in the chilly winter air, to settle around the fire and begin boiling water for your food. It felt like heaven when you could finally sit, the log you had dragged over earlier the equivalent to a luxury leather couch to your sore body. Bag of climbers freeze dried mashed potatoes on your lap, you ate them with eager fervor once properly prepared, feeling like your stomach had been empty for years. Your boyfriend was the same, scarfing down his noodles before they could even have time to cool down. 

“Ah, ow, fuck that’s hot-!” Bakugou spoke as he shoved the noodles into his waiting mouth, not bothering to at least blow on them or let the dusk winter air cool them off first. Giggling as you waited for the bite on your spoon to cool, you gave a shake of your head, knowing that anything you say wouldn’t stop him. There was nothing that could get between him and his food, though you figured that you could at least attempt, so that if he disagreed, you could still argue later that you had tried. 

“Katsuki, give it a minute! You don’t have to eat it while it’s still hot, let it cool a little. You can always reheat it if it gets too cold.” 

“No!” As expected, he glowered at you, protectively holding the bag of noodles closer to his chest, his cheeks stuffed to the brim. “I want them while they’re hot! Shut up and eat your potatoes, since you just had to have them.” 

“Hey, I won fair and square. It’s not my fault you suck at rock-paper-scissors, don’t be all grumpy at me.” 

Grumbling in his typical grumpy fashion, Bakugou focused on eating his noodles, avoiding looking at you in his defeat. You knew that he wasn’t actually upset with you, and you weren’t with him, so the silence that fell was just as comfortable as it always was. The crackling fire was calming, as was the heat that rolled off the wood in soft waves, and paired with the hot food, it helped to warm you from the belly out. Eventually, you finished all you could stomach to eat, and you happily rested against your lover's side with a heavy yawn. 

“So,” You began, watching him scrape every little bit of food out of the noodle pack. “What was the reason for your decision to come out here this time, hm?” 

“I just needed a weekend away… Before the parties and shit for the holidays begin. I can’t stand all that fucking nonsense… Especially with what happened last year.” 

Your stomach churned at the mere mention of last year's horrible events, and though the two of you had gotten past that by now, those horrible feelings still crept up on you like a million spiders against your skin. Almost a year ago, you had almost lost him, but not to injury or some other tragic event. No, it was another woman, someone who he had been ‘seeing’ before you ever got his attention. Emphases on ‘seeing’, as he had never committed himself to her relationship wise, nor did she ever to him. 

No, she decided that she wanted him back all these years later, after he had gotten rich, famous, and successful. So, what does she do? Barges into his agency’s Christmas party, of course, dressed to impress and showing enough skin to make any man blush, no matter if they were taken or not. And Bakugou, at this time, had been with you for just over three years, so he was very securely in the ‘taken’ category. 

Did this woman know that? Yes, of course she did. Did that stop her from nearly ruining your relationship? Absolutely not. 

With a small sigh, you nuzzled your nose into the warmth of his jacket against his shoulder, keeping yourself squished beside him as close as you could get. “I wish I could have been there… That would have at least made things a little easier to deal with. Maybe I could have even stopped her…” 

“That woman was insane. I don’t think anything would have stopped her. I barely could.” Bakugou finished with his noodles, placing his trash and yours in a trash bag he had beside his feet. “I already told you not to beat yourself up about that, none of it was your fault.” 

Although you tried to believe him, there was still a sense of guilt that rested on your shoulders when it came to how everything played out. Sick with a cold, you had been stuck at home, resting. You had recently moved into Bakugou’s apartment with him, so being without him that night had been lonely, especially since you knew he was out probably very much enjoying himself. So, you lay in bed and spent your hours moping, sleeping, and fiddling around on your phone as you awaited his return. 

It was around midnight when you noticed something trending on social media, and the familiar hashtag that represented Bakugou’s brand immediately made you feel sick to your stomach. Usually, it wouldn’t have, if not for the words ‘scandal’, ‘womanizer’, and ‘cheater’ being so ominously paired with it. As you began to look at the tag, you immediately felt sick to your stomach as you were bombarded with pictures of Bakugou quite passionately kissing this other woman. Of course, at that moment, you couldn’t think rationally. All you could think of was that this was how it all ended, all the passion and love between the two of you being nothing but hot air. 

You confronted him the instant he got home, after waiting until nearly three in the morning, sobbing and near hysterical. It was impossible, all his reasonings and proof that it wasn’t as it seemed incomprehensible to your broken heart. In the end, you left his apartment to instead go stay in a hotel, as you had moved far from your family and friends to be with him. Delirious with fever and emotion, you didn’t even let him know where you were staying for three days, and you figured that this would be the end of your relationship. 

That is, until you saw the new trending reports of the event, including the woman filing a harassment and assault charge against Bakugou. With it, you saw the video of Bakugou throwing the woman to the floor after she quite literally pounced on him, kissing him feverishly. What had looked like passion in the pictures you had seen was now made obvious to you that it was Bakugou fighting back, only successful in pushing the woman off him once he regained his footing. 

At first, you weren’t sure if you could return to him now. You had said such awful things to him, called him horrible names and treated him like he had been the bad guy in this entire endeavor. Would he even want you back after you lost your faith in him so quickly? 

To your surprise, there was not an inch of hesitation in him welcoming you back home. Much unlike his usually stern and rough personality, he held and caressed you tightly to him as you cried, soaking in each other's presence and love. All apologies were accepted and forgiveness given, all that was left was for him to fully explain what happened, and he did in explicit detail. This was paired with conversations he had with the police, with other videos that you hadn’t seen before, and all the proof that you would need to see and understand that what happened was nothing but a malicious plot put into place by this other woman. 

“She hasn’t admitted this,” he had told you, having not let you out of his arms for a good two hours at this point. “But I know what that bitch was up to. She either wanted to see if I would go back to her, and if I didn’t, then she was going to use my reaction to get money out of me in court. She knew that I would throw her off me, and she could claim I injured her, which is exactly what she’s done with these new bullshit charges.” 

You believed him, of course, and did everything you could to support him through the entire grueling process. But there was that unconscious twinge of pain in your chest and the heavy weight of doubt every time the woman claimed that they had been communicating secretly for months prior. With every dirty detail she would give, she would stare at you if you were present, the crocodile tears hiding the malicious intent. It weighed heavily on your confidence, and the more the lies got to you, the more damage it dealt to your relationship. 

It had all ended just about two months ago, when the woman finally gave up and all charges were dropped. In the end, she didn’t get a single penny from Bakugou, but his reputation had already been damaged from the bad publicity. His ratings dropped, his stress load doubled, and as a result, he was nearly always grumpy. You could barely get a word out of him, let alone enjoy each other’s company as you always had. 

Up until this trip, when you agreed to go with him, you hadn’t seen him smile or get excited about anything. In that smile, that excited kiss you shared, you saw hope that things would finally turn around for the better. A year on shaky ground in a relationship had been horribly taxing on you both, but being here with him and sticking through it told you that, if you were together, you could get through anything. 

Right? 

“I suppose that… Well… I guess a lot of the trouble afterwards was my fault. How I handled it… I could have been better.” You carefully let your arm hook with his. “I was just… too scared and shocked… to think that we would end like that.” 

“I hope that we won’t.” 

“Huh?” The morbid and pessimistic comment instantly made your heart sink, sitting up to peer up at him. “What do you mean…? We’re better now, aren’t we?” 

Brow furrowed deeply, Bakugou’s gaze was locked on the still crackling fire. That look of intense and blank focus is what you had seen for weeks now, as if he were contemplating something he wanted to say but was worried about the consequences. If he wanted to break up with you, to end it all, why would he drag you out here like this? Was it a last-ditch effort to see if being alone out here in the wilderness could save you? 

“Katsuki…?” You couldn’t control the slight waiver in your voice as your worry grew, watching his expression falter for just a moment at the sound. As you waited for his response, you kept your grip tight on the fabric of his jacket sleeve, worried that he would suddenly up and leave you there. Instead, he only sighed, reaching up and rubbing the left side of his face before pushing the hood of his jacket off. 

“Be honest with me,” Bakugou finally spoke, clasping his hands together between his knees, elbows resting on his thighs. “You still don’t trust me, do you?” 

“What? Of course I trust you; I don’t understand where this is coming from.” 

“I’ve seen it… That moment of hesitation when I tell you I’m going anywhere. For a business trip, with my friends, anywhere that you can’t go with me. That fear that something like this will happen again… You still feel that way.” 

You turned a bit more to face him, placing your hand gently on his forearm. “Katsuki, that has nothing to do with my trust for you. I trust you completely, I know that what happened wasn’t your fault and you weren’t… You weren’t talking to that girl behind my back.” 

Right? 

“You say that, [Name], but I can still hear and see it on your face that you doubt me.” 

“No, that isn’t true. I don’t doubt you at all, it’s other women out there that I don’t trust.” 

I doubt myself. Am I good enough for you? Am I really worth all this trouble after what I put you through? I’m… I’m still putting him through it. I’m still hurting him. 

“What type of relationship is that, if you’re going to fret and worry about everything that I go and do, even if it’s not your distrust in me? How can you be happy like that?” Bakugou let out a heavy sigh, reaching up to rub his temple. “How can we be happy like that? Constantly worried that this will happen again, and we won’t make it next time.” 

“But we would. If we can stay together through this, then we should be able to tackle anything. Unless…” 

Unless you really don’t think I’m strong enough… 

Bakugou fell silent, chin resting in his hand, elbow on his thigh, and eyes still watching the fire. There was something new there, a sadness that you hadn’t seen in a very long time. “I wanted to come out here to see if we could find it again… That comfort and that peace that I’ve always felt with you. I figured that out here, where we had our first kiss during the middle of summer, where we were sweating like mad and you made me feel so… good. I had hoped it would come back. While we were distracted, hiking, setting up camp… sure, it felt normal, but now? Fuck, I want it back… I want us back.” 

Swallowing the hard lump that had grown in your throat, you clutched onto his arm tightly, hiding your face into the fabric to try and control the urge to cry. “I-I do, too… But I don’t know what to do. I’ve tried to be normal, but… We haven’t healed yet…” 

“Then how can we…?” 

The silence that fell was deafening, not even the crackling of fire registering in your panicked mind. Was this really going to be the end? Your years of happiness, of love and passion with this man… was it really all for nothing? That first kiss, the tearful moment he first said ‘I love you’, the feeling of being so complete just by holding his hand, the warmth of waking up every morning in his arms. It would all be gone if you both didn’t find a way to recover those things, to remember how you used to be before all this madness, drama, doubts, and insecurities. 

To remember how to love each other. To not just say the words without meaning, to bring each other the joy that had been lost, the trust, and the respect. And, out here in the bitter cold, with no distractions, was where he had wanted to find it. But, just like the fire that began to dwindle down to embers before you, what little spark there had been was already dying. 

Before you could even think of what to say, Bakugou gave a heavy sigh and stood. He was somehow easily about to get out of what you thought had been a death grip on his clothing, but in reality, your fingers had grown quite numb and you let him slip away. How was this happening? How could you possibly be letting him go so easily? You loved him. He was your everything, and yet, you couldn’t hold onto him. The doubt, in the world and in yourself, and your insecurities were pulling you so far away from him. And he was being pulled the other way, by his stresses, defeat, and internal struggles that you had barely even noticed. 

How selfish of you, to be so swallowed up in yourself that you couldn’t see how much he needed you. No, how much you needed to be there for each other. That silence that had started with a simple ‘I’m okay, everything is fine’ was now a massive wall between you, and no matter how loudly you both tried to scream the truth across it, the other just couldn’t hear. How could you climb it, to reach each other and truly be one again? Was it possible, or would it only grow stronger the more you tried? 

“Wh… Where are you going?” Was all you could say, watching as he pulled his hood back up over his head. With only a single glance back at you, Bakugou began to leave the campground, the snow crunching beneath his boots. 

“It’s getting dark and we didn’t gather firewood for the morning. And I have to take a piss… You should get ready to sleep. If you wait too long to get into the bags, you’ll be too cold.”

After a moment of sitting in silence, you stood, shuffling your way over to the tent. The two of you already had the little heater machine running, as well as battery powered heating pads to warm up your bedding, and yet, sitting alone inside the small tent was lonely and cold. There wasn’t even enough space in there for the two of you to move easily, and you couldn’t help but remember all the goofy moments and accidental rough nudges that led to playful fights and heated sessions. 

Craving more warmth, you changed into your fuzzy and comfortable sleeping clothes, before shuffling down into your shared sleeping bag and blankets. The space behind you was so empty, completely void of the warm body that you had grown used to being pressed against your back. You wanted him there, but not just in that moment. No, you wanted him there, always, for as long as fate would allow you to have him. You couldn’t bear the thought of it all ending like this, over a lost connection that you knew could be found again. 

But now, as you lay there in the hot comfort, your exhausted body began to take hold of your even more lethargic mind. Without any willingness on your part, you were pulled into the realm of the unconscious, with only the burning feeling of tears sliding down the side of your nose keeping you tethered to reality. 

When you woke, you found yourself surrounded by darkness, telling you that it was very late in the night. There wasn’t a single source of light outside of the tent, so there was no equipment, fire, or moonlight to illuminate the camp. Still, there was nothing to be frightened of, as you could hear the deep and heavy breathing behind you, a sound that you were incredibly familiar with. You couldn’t feel him touching you, except for the heel of his foot, which had come to rest in the arch of yours.

Blinking away the tears that had welled up in your eyes, you took a moment to feel around in front of you for your phone, finding it down near your hips inside of the sleeping bag. After checking the time, you found yourself staring longingly at your background picture, which was your favorite out of all the photos and videos you had ever taken with Bakugou. Sleepy and disheveled, he had his lips pressed tenderly against your cheek, holding you close within the cozy plushness of his bed. 

Becoming a bit lost in the thoughts of happy memories, you scrolled through your pictures and videos, smiling in one moment and blushing fiercely in another. While scrolling, your thumb accidentally lingered just a bit too long on a video from last summer, and the sound of roaring waves filled the tint. With quick reflexes, you were able to hit the down button on your volume to mute it, falling completely still as you waited to see if Bakugou had woken up from the sound. But, in typical deep sleeper fashion, the blonde was out like a light, still snoring and breathing heavily. 

At first, you considered backing out of the video, but the warm tropical beach view had you interested. Making sure the volume was down to just barely audible, you pressed play, snuggling into your blankets as you settled down to watch. 

“Katsuki, my love, don’t go too far out! It’s too deep!” 

“It’s not too deep, babe, it’s only to my stomach. Oh fuck, something touched me!” 

The video jerked as you jumped, a small gasp escaping your lips as Bakugou was suddenly smacked with not only a wave, but quite a few decent sized jumping fish. As one hit him square in the face, you could be heard laughing, filming around your hips for a moment to see if there were any fish in the water around you. 

“They aren’t coming up this far. See, you are in too deep!” 

“Ugh, fuck them! Ow! Little bitches are biting my toes. Stop laughing at me, [Name]!”  

As more fish leapt up out of the water around him, Bakugou made the split decision to forgo protecting himself in favor of trying to snatch one out of the air. A bit too overzealous in his attempts, he lost his footing with another large wave, and he was swept underneath with a loud string of curses--

Right at that moment, you had to pause the video, as Bakugou began to move about behind you. You had the video so quiet that you could barely hear it, so you would be very surprised if you woke him. Though, what was more surprising was how you were suddenly in his embrace, his arm around your torso and legs squeezing in to intertwine with yours. With a heavy, tired sigh, he settled with his head resting against yours, his cheek against your ear. Feeling your face flush, you could only stay completely still, unable to tell if he was even still asleep, as he tended to snatch on to you like this while deep in sleep if he hadn’t been already. 

At first, you decided to just soak in his embrace, even if it did make your heart feel unbelievably heavy. The tears that had been resting in your eyes finally escaped, forcing you to sniffle and shift your body back just a bit to press tighter against him. Bakugou only held you tighter, though you nearly jumped out of your skin as he reached up and pressed the play button still showing on your phone screen. 

“K-Katsuki--!” 

“Shh…” Bakugou hushed you softly, tucking his hand back into place against your chest. Trembling now from a mix of shock, embarrassment, and longing, you fell silent as he requested, watching the video as it continued to play. 

After a moment of being gone, Bakugou suddenly popped up out of the water beside you, making you jump and squeal in shock. “Katsuki, don’t scare me! You know the ocean makes me nervous!” 

Pushing his wet hair out of his face, Bakugou scoffed, taking a second to adjust his shorts around his hips that had fallen a bit loose during his scuffle with nature. “There isn’t anything out here that’s gonna get you, babe. Except me, maybe.” Snatching onto you, Bakugou pulled you in close, so you held the phone out away from you to catch the two of you sharing a sweet kiss. Bakugou shot a quick glance up at it just before the kiss ended, as if he were making sure that you were both in the shot, which was much more malicious than it seemed at the moment. 

As you pulled away, you smiled up at him, completely distracted by managing the phone and his affection. “That’s not true. There’s obviously evil fish.” 

“Hm, true.” The sly smirk that crept across his lips was paired with an unseen movement of his arm as he pulled something from his swim shorts pocket, the item hidden under the water and out of your view. “Those fish are little bastards. But one is about to be pretty lucky.” 

“Huh?” 

What happened next was so quick that it almost made you dizzy, as Bakugou reached behind you, fish in hand. In seconds, the wiggling thing was dropped into the back side of your bikini bottoms, forcing an ungodly scream from your lips--

As the two of you watched the video flip about, Bakugou’s laughter and your squealing filling the tent, you felt the deep rumble of a chuckle against your back. You could feel his lips smirk against your cheek as well, and against your volition, you couldn’t stop your own smile and soft airy giggle. 

“That was gold.” Bakugou spoke quietly, his hand moving around to rest against your stomach. 

“It was mean. But funny, anyway.” 

“I had to get you out of that bikini somehow.” 

In the video, you had thrown the phone to land, where it stuck in the sand just perfectly so you could still see the scene without much obstruction. Sure enough, you ripped your bikini bottoms from your body as quick as lightning, struggling to wipe the gross, slimy feeling of fish off your skin. 

“Yuck, Katsuki!! Oww, I think its fins scratched me! Gross!” 

“Oh, did it? Guess I’ll have to inspect.” 

Another squeal left your lips as Bakugou scooped you up, carrying you bridal style back towards land. “You’re not ‘inspecting’ anything after that! You’re lucky we’re on a private beach, I’ve lost my bottoms!” 

“You won’t need them.” 

“There are better ways to get some booty, Katsuki.” Wrapping your arms around his neck, you leaned up and kissed his cheek roughly, not paying any attention to the phone as you both walked on past it. 

“Where’s the fun in that? Besides, it made you smile, and that’s what we came out here for.” 

Knowing the rest of the video was nothing but playful banter and about ten, or more, minutes of moaning, you tapped the screen to pause it. The longing for those fun, playful, and comfortable times was incredibly heavy, settling in your chest like your heart had turned to stone. You wanted to be like that again so badly, back to when there wasn’t a single thing between you. At a loss, there was only one thing that you could think of to say, and it slipped from your lips in a trembling quiver. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Hearing the exact same words come from him in that moment made you turn your head in shock, looking up at him in confusion. Propping himself up on his elbow, Bakugou caressed your cheek softly, stroking your skin with his thumb. “[Name]... I’m sorry.” Even in the nearly nonexistent light, you could see the sincerity in his expression. “I’m sorry that we got to this point… I never wanted us to lose what we had.” 

“N-no, Katsuki.” You placed your hand over his, struggling against the burning in your eyes. “I’m sorry. I… I kept trying to ignore it all… All the bad things and feelings, just hoping that it would go away. And because of that, I ended up not seeing how much you were hurting, too… I’m so selfish--” You immediately lost your composure, hiccupping as you struggled to speak. “I-I should have been there more for you… Not doubting you… or myself. Now, I… I feel like at any moment, you’ll slip through my fingers. I don’t want to lose you...!” 

Hushing you softly, Bakugou rested his forehead against yours, still stroking your cheek even as it grew wet with tears. “It’s okay… I’m not going anywhere…” 

“Y-You mean it?” 

“I did a lot of thinking while you were asleep and… just watching you, I came to realize that letting what we have go would be the stupidest fucking thing I would ever do. There is no way in hell that I’m going to let that dumb bitch ruin one of the best things in my life. I love you too fucking much to let that happen.” As he leaned in and caught your lips with his in a soft yet passionate kiss, there was an intense and hot tingling that spread across your skin and all the way down to your toes. Immediately, you found yourself pressing back against him, your free hand coming up to tangle your fingers into his hair. That spark that had been missing, that fire that was so warm with forgiveness and acceptance, was burning beneath your skin and screaming with an absolute need for him. 

To kiss you, to hold you, to touch you, and love you as fiercely as he always had before. The heat was already pooling and pulsing between your legs, and before you knew it, the passion had exploded into something unrestrainable. It had been so long since you had this deep and passionate connection with him that you just couldn’t resist, and so you opened yourself to him completely. Your mouth, your body, your soul. Anything that he wanted to touch, you would give it all to him. 

Although there were many layers of warm clothing separating your skin, the feeling of his fingers trailing down your neck and across the curve of your chest was already enough to make you shiver. All these layers couldn’t hide the feeling of his cock pressing against your ass, so hard and eager. You were so distracted by the feeling that you barely noticed his hand slip under the hem of your bottom layers, reaching beneath the sweatpants, leggings, and underwear until he was between your legs. 

Even against the chill of the tent outside of your sleeping bag, Bakugou’s touch was like fire, the warmth of his touch spreading across your skin with the pleasure of him stroking your clit. His movements were slow and deliberate, rolling and stroking the fleshy button against the rough texture of his fingertips. His hands, so large and rugged, could immediately make you melt, no matter where he decided to touch you, and you couldn’t resist moaning and sighing against the kiss. 

“Look at you,” He growled against your lips, that familiar lustful fire burning in his glare. “So wet for me already.” 

“You should have expected that, Katsuki-” Your voice hitched as his touch became rougher. “I want you so badly…! Even though we’ve spent every night together… I just miss you so much- ah!” Moaning softly at the feeling of his fingers entering your sex, you placed your hand over his outside of your clothing, pressing with a gentle yet firm touch in a silent plea for more. 

Pressing his lips against your cheek, you couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed as he watched your expression, working his fingers within you even deeper. “I’ve missed you…” He smirked against your skin, his low voice sending shivers down your spine. “I’ve missed your expressions… That sexy voice and the way you clench around my fingers and my cock. You’re so fucking perfect.” With a slight change in technique, the palm of his hand began to stroke across your clit with each movement of his fingers within you, and the sudden increase in pleasure made your hips begin to move with him. “That’s it… You want to cum on my fingers, baby?” 

“I-I want to cum on your dick,” Although you did in fact want to cum already, you wanted to feel him, to be connected to him in a way that no one else could feel. “I want you inside of me, Katsuki! Please fill me up!” 

“Is that so?” He nibbled and bit playfully at your neck, the slight sparks of pain only increasing the pleasure, along with his ever-increasing roughness of his fingers inside you. “Beg a little harder.” 

Now trying to hold your body back so you wouldn’t cum, you moved your hand to instead clutch onto his arm, breathing and panting heavily. “P-please! I want your dick inside me! Please give it to me, Katsuki! Please give me what I’ve been missing!” 

“What have you been missing?” 

“You-! Everything about you! I-I, I can’t- oh fuck!” Your voice squeaked with a moan as his fingers reached even deeper within you. “I can’t hold it, Katsuki-- please!” 

Right before you lost control, Bakugou removed his fingers from you, leaving your body aching and trembling. “Fine,” He growled into your ear, pushing your bottoms down with little help from your numb fingers. “Just don’t moan too loudly. You’ll cause an avalanche.” After you pulled one leg completely free from your clothing, you allowed him to hold it up and out of the way. His cock having already been set free, you could feel it pressing against your sex, hot and pulsing with anticipation. 

You knew that he had been missing you just as much, that the meaningless little quickies here and there meant as little to him as they did to you. No, this was different, a raging need to be one, to pleasure each other and bring that lost connection. How good it felt as he entered you was something you didn’t expect, however, and the instant he was buried as deep as he could within you, you came. 

Twitching and constricting against him, Bakugou gave a pleasured groan into your shoulder, lightly bucking his hips to stir your walls and only prolong the pleasure for you. “Ah fucking damn it! You’re so fucking horny, cumming on my dick already. I should punish you for cumming so quickly.” 

“Punish me, Katsuki,” Rolling your hips back against him, Bakugou couldn’t resist another hiss into your shoulder, gripping onto your hip tightly. “Fuck me until I can’t stop cumming.” You could already feel the pleasure starting to grow just from your own movements, arching your back to allow him in even deeper. “I’m yours! Please do whatever you want with me!” 

“That’s right, [Name],” Bakugou began to rock his hips, thrusting in and out of you at a quick, rough pace. “You’re mine.” As he set his pace, you turned your head more into your pillow, gasping and moaning uncontrollably into the fabric. His cock was heaven as it slid in and out of you, reaching into your depths and not leaving a single inch of you untouched. Over the years, he had learned exactly what you liked to make sure you always had the best experience, cumming over and over again without control. 

That’s exactly what he did to you now, melting you into a putty of moaning flesh in his hands. He caressed and squeezed every inch of your skin that he could reach, from your thighs to your hips, your stomach and your breasts, exploring your body and your skin like he had never experienced it before. His grunts and moans into your ear only made it more irresistible, loving the thought that he was so turned on by you that he couldn’t help himself. 

By the time his hand came up to wrap around your throat, you were both nearly dripping with sweat, having completely shed all clothing and bedding before switching positions. Now on your back, the slight constricting against your throat made you feel breathless, the pleasure spiking as he only fucked you harder. You knew your eyes were rolled back and the pleasured smile on your face would probably have any bystander think you’re insane, but you didn’t care. It felt so good to be ravaged by him, his strong and muscular frame enough to drive you mad just looking at him. But to be able to touch him, to hold him and have him as yours was a complete and absolute dream, and as you came again, you felt suddenly overwhelmed with all the regret and struggles you had gone through. 

Not quite noticing the change in emotion, Bakugou released your neck to rest more against you, digging his fingers into your hair as he kissed you fiercely. It was difficult to restrain the urge to moan against the kiss, but his tongue invading your open mouth was enough to keep you distracted. Wrapping your arms and legs around him tightly, you dug your nails into his skin, gifting him with red marks that matched the rest. The feeling made him growl against your lips, only fucking you harder. “Damn it, you drive me fucking crazy--” 

The hitching of his voice told you that he was getting close, and although you had been completely drowned in pleasure at this point, there was still another ball growing tighter in your core. As it grew, so did the emotion, and the tears welling up in your eyes were immediately noticed by the passionate man holding you. Before you could say anything, Bakugou kissed you again, though it was different. It wasn’t filled with a lustful craze like a moment ago. Instead, it was passionate, a soft and loving brushing of lips. The emotion, passion, and love that filled you was too much to bear, and just as your orgasm hit you hard, the tears spilled down along your burning cheeks. Your constricting walls instantly put Bakugou over the edge, his last few thrusts erratic as he filled you to the brim with his cum. It was so incredibly hot against the forgotten chill of the air around you that you couldn’t stop from shivering, holding onto him tighter to try and retain the heat as much as you could. 

Even as you both panted, the kiss refused to end, not parting until the need to breathe was impossible to ignore. “Katsuki,” You sighed against his lips, looking up into that fierce crimson gaze that you adored. “I love you. I love you so damn much, I don’t even know how to say it.” 

Wiping your tears away gently with his thumbs, Bakugou kissed your sore lips softly. “I don’t know how to say it, either. But I fucking love you, too, you beautiful damn brat. My dumbass,” another soft kiss. “My idiot,” and another. “My baby,” and once more. “My perfect woman.” 

Your cheeks somehow grew hotter with each gentle kiss, unable to resist a smile after he finished showering you with affection. “You’re so sweet. I’m the luckiest girl in the world.” 

“Nah. I think I’m the luckiest guy. And don’t argue with me about that! It's a fact!” He interrupted you with a rough kiss to your cheek before you could even say anything, making you burst out into giggles and hug him tightly. 

“Okay, okay! Don’t attack me.” 

“I’ll attack you all I want to. You’re so fucking cute all sweaty and messy, makes me want to just mess you up more.” 

“You can mess me up plenty in a little bit. But uhm… I really need to pee.” 

“Me too. I bet you can’t even make it to the trees before you run back in here.” 

“I’ll do you one better. If I don’t make it, I’ll give you a massage. But if I do, then you have to rub me down. I’m sore!” 

“We have to go out naked.” 

“Butt ass naked.” 

“You’re on, baby. I look forward to that massage.” 

[claimingtheflame]

Lincoln Trail Mental Health Facility Part 1

Once again I want to reiterate that a lot of these posts are diaries I wrote never finished. Some of them jump around in my life. The story is about something that took place several years after D left

I remember the moment I turned in the paper. It was nothing. The last question asked my thoughts on the final death of Juliet. I sympathize. To this day I do. Many people probably do. She ended her life because she was in the grip of a mythic tragedy. Who could walk away from such a fate?

Except. Even though this is exactly how I felt, my teenage brain did not yet have the skills to articulate this. I ended up writing something like "I feel what juliet did was right. The world is ugly and filthy and who wants to live in it without someone you love." Because I was an edgy goth kid.

This would send me into the clutches of my own sort of tragedy. A brutal, destructive storm began churning that friday that would completely knock me out of my stupid unlaced combat boots on monday.

It happened like this. I walked into first period, Biology. I sat next to Adam, my closest friend. A knock came shortly after the period started and it turned out to be a senior girl who wanted me to be escorted to Mrs Mudds office. I did not know who that was. It turned out she was a counselor. She had coppery hair and a long, perky, somewhat simian face.

In this story, there is a long list of incompetant people who should not have had their jobs, and possibly should have been in prison. Mrs Mudd is not one of them. As much as I dislike her to this day. Maybe she did really mean well. Maybe she was just swept away by the drama of the whole situation. This is Elizabethtown KY after all.

We talked for a few hours. Looking back, I really don't think I said anything to her that should have been construed that I was depressed or suicidal. We talked about a secret place I visited in the woods behind my neighborhood. We talked about various religious beliefs and about music I listened to. Either way, my mom picked me up from school and I was somewhat excited for the break-in monotony.

We have drove to Lincoln Trail Behavioral Health Center , and I really didn't know what was happening. I had friends who had gone, but I didn't really believe that's why we were there until I saw the look on my mom's face as we walked in. There was a serious feeling of betrayal then. Like God woman haven't you put me through enough. This was an unfair thought. My mother is the second person blameless in the story. I would find out later that basically everybody from my school was telling her I was planning on killing myself quite literally. Mrs. Mudd had apparently told them that the place in the woods was my planned spot to die. I had self-harmed in the past. It was all pleasure related though and I thought it had nothing to do with my mental health. Either way it had been months prior to this, but it added to the Snowball Effect.

I'll admit that I didn't really understand my own mental health at this age. I had just been released from D's clutches only a few precious years earlier. I had no clue what was going on. I was going through a suspended childhood in many ways. All that said, Lincoln Trail Behavioral Health System did not help or address any my mental health issues. Let me reiterate. Aside from some experimental self harm 6 months prior(I received counseling, was evauted, etc), at age 15 I was pretty well behaved. I rarely got in trouble. I certainly never acted disturbed. Lincoln helped nobody who actually went there. In fact I barely escaped with my life and sanity. This is not a dramatic statement. This was a terrible place, as you will learn.

I was obviously scared the moment I walked into this place, all the stories I heard. We were buzzed through a security door after a few accusatory last looks at my mother when I went in quietly. I heard if you resisted or yelled that they gave you a shot in your ass of some kind of sedative. I did not want to give anybody the satisfaction roughing up the goth kid and shooting them in the ass. This was a short-lived Triumph. I would learn quickly that this place was not for me and that there was some horrible mistake pretty early on . I was led to a room and told to take off my clothes down to my underwear. I was told to turn around in front of this guy, who nodded with approval after watching and told me to put back on my clothes. I was wearing really baggy SpongeBob boxers. I guess I could have gotten away with hiding something into the facility. That's the thing. I wasn't a f****** delinquent. Not yet or not anymore depending on how you look at the chronology of things I did as a teenager. Anyway I do remember a kind moment here. The guard escorted me down a hallway and a girl smiled at me brightly. "It's really not that bad here." She said. I smiled and shrugged. This was more of a kind gesture than I realized, I would find this out later.

I was then led to the office of the first real fuckup in this story. This would be my counselor. I don't remember her name. She was somewhat nice to begin with. I'll call her mrs. Wannabe because later she would read a bunch of poems about her Native American ancestry. This extremely blond, blue-eyed woman with a square German face and freckles. Me and Wannabe would talk for about 30 minutes and she would send me on to my actual psychiatrist. I do remember this man's name. I will never forget it. His name was dr. Kodali. We can call him King fuckup. Fuckup prime.

He was a small man, with a small mustache, and skin the color between a beet and a russet potato. He spoke in broken English. He asked me why I thought I was there. I told him about the paper I wrote. He smiled and said " yes we all say things we don't mean. " he asked me if I follow the rules at home. I said yes as long as they are within reason. He laughed at me and said " my own daughter thinks several of my rules are not within reason. Children come to learn to obey. " we did not talk about depression, and this statement would turn out to be significant in many ways. It would come to outline the failure of this institution to children who actually suffered depression. Which I will admit that back then I might have been suffering from. Certainly anxiety. But who doesnt, to some degree?

Let us frame our Shit Pit King with what I didnt know about him before I explain my own experiences. He received kickbacks for pushing certain medicines. This is an important detail. He had been accused on several occasions of over-prescribing meds. He was widely hated as a doctor, and I can't believe he still has a job.

During my first visit, he was mostly dismissive. Interrupted me and laughed at me often. He was mostly interested in my behavior. If I acted up. If I respected authority. Literally nothing about suicide was discussed. So why did this guy prescribe meds at the end of our conversation? He picked up the phone, called my mother, and gave her the dosage information. I narrowly escaped this medicine, whatever it was, due to a surprising hero figure in the story who we will discuss later.

He dismissed me and I was sent to "group" for the first time. This is nothing like "support groups" you see in Lifetime movies. It was a huge room, an obnoxious amount of desk chairs crammed in a circle. Boys on one side. Girls on the other.

I immediately dislike this. It feels tense, and I feel scrutinized. I try to ask a girl near me if I can use one of her pencils. She folds her arms and rolls her eyes. " I can't talk to him." She says to the ceiling. This gets the attention of the counselor of the group, who is actually just an early 20-somethings aide of some kind, there are a few of these. This one I call Nick neckbeard. He says " we are here to work on our problems, not to date. " I am immediately embarrassed. I definitely wasn't trying to date anybody. I let it go but it does set the tone.

Since I am the new kid, a round of introductions is done. Not a lot of these people are notable other than the fact that a lot of them are in here for drugs. Some are in here as an in-between stage between Juvenile Detention and Society. I get the distinct feeling that most of the boys are here for drugs and violent crime. I reflect bitterly that I am in here for writing a stupid paper.

There are several thug wannabe types, maybe two or three other white guys that aren't like that. One obvious skinhead as well. It's split in half racially. Five white Boys & 5 black. There was a round of introductions. Most were there for, as mentioned, substance abuse and violent behavior. The skinhead boasted of being in because he stuck foreign objects in his body. He stabbed himself with pens and various utensils. Another boy was in for desecrating graves. The girls were almost exclusively substance abuse. There was one Arab girl that was in there, and though she talked much I never quite understood why except that I knew she definitely needed to be in there. She either talked incessantly of sex or repeatedly told this story about a "bad doll" that lived in her house- all in broken english.

So this was the introduction to the place. Honestly yes, I would have problems with the other patients. That's really out of the scope of the story though. They are mental patients. What do you expect?

The true problem with Lincoln trail was its staff and overall structure. Such a problem was this structure that it would break me down to that kernel of a child you see on all the other stories on this blog. Such that Lincoln trail would reduce me again to that boy child whispering a question to the darkness: "Why am I being punished?" It would make me know, through recognition and reinforcement of abusive themes I was already familiar with, that I was not in a safe place.

The first night I felt this first blow through humiliation and guilt. It was a simple thing really. We were sent to bed. A corridor with a small basket on the outside of each door. A female counselor was pointing each of us down the hall to our rooms. When my time came, she pointed vaguely down the hall to the right side. I tried to ask for clarification and she shouted "Right there!" And my immediate reaction to being chastised like this was to go to one of the rooms with my belongings. She did not stop me.

I noticed one of the wooden bed frames(they were double rooms with single bathrooms) had no mattress. My roommate was a boy my age. He had close-buzzed haircut. He seemed politely surprised. I shrugged and got in the shower. When I turned the water off, I heard yelling on the other side of the door.

The boy was yelling angrily that he did not know who I was and that he had nothing to do with me. He was explaining that I came into his room unbidden and to no fault of his own. I dressed quickly and came out of the bathroom as soon as possible. A middle-aged blond woman grabs me by the arm and began leading me out of the room. When I asked her where we were going she did not say anything but tightened her grip and sat me down in a chair. This woman becomes important later. Five minutes later Dr kodali came into the office with my other counselor, both looking at me sternly.

I apologize for not knowing the exact words of the conversation. Basically the boy was supposed to have his room to his self. He was gay and had been known to have had sexual contact with other patients. They grilled me hard about whether or not I was gay and deciding whether I should be disciplined. Dr kodali somehow remembers that that my girlfriend had given testimony(positively) over my mental health and he seemed to leave it at that. The blonde lady didnt seem convinced.

When she led me back to my(actual) room, she took the liberty of going through my clothes and belongings. She confiscated basically all of my clothing, saying that it would distract patients(black jeans and tees...none of my flashier stuff). She confiscated my copy of Cannery Row, all my homework, and my shampoo. She really let off on me while doing this. Talking about how sneaky I was and if I was planning anything with Chester(the gay guy) that she would know.

This was Day 1. I would kneel beside the bed that night and pray(I just prayed to 'the goddess' back then), just to feel peace inside. I was so put-upon about the stupid clothes. They were my armor, in a way.

The next day would be a lot worse. I'd learn a lot.

[eliteprepsat]

If you’re a high school student, I’m sure your brain has been working overtime on finals, AP exams, SAT/ACT preparation, or any number of other study-related activities, so let’s switch gears for a bit and discuss something fun: study breaks! If you want to stay sharp throughout your study sessions, it’s crucial to occasionally step away from your studies.

According to Robert Pozen, senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, “Working for 75 to 90 minutes takes advantage of the brain’s two modes: learning or focusing and consolidation. When people do a task and then take a break for 15 minutes, they help their brain consolidate information and retain it better.” Of course, some study break activities are more beneficial than others, so let’s take a look at six fun and productive study break ideas!

1. Activate your body

When you study, you are probably in a seated position for an extended period of time. Study mode is a period of intense focus and concentration, so one of the simplest study break ideas is to get up and move your body. You could take a brief walk, put on some music and dance, or even do some light stretching. Anything that shakes off the stillness and gets your blood flowing is recommended. Ideally, you can turn off your mind temporarily and return to your studies reinvigorated to tackle the next round.

2. Meditate

Speaking of turning off your mind, meditation is an excellent way to spend your study break. Studying requires intense concentration; whereas meditation invites your mind to completely relax. Meditating can clear your head in a way that few other activities can. Once you return to your studies, you will be equipped with a newfound focus that will allow you to continue working with a sense of relaxation and ease. If you are uncertain about where to begin, there are plenty of guided meditations on YouTube. You can also find a number of apps on your phone, such as Headspace and Insight Timer.

3. Have a healthy snack or cook a quick meal

I briefly mentioned the importance of stocking up on healthy snacks in my article Creating A Great Study Space, and a great time to partake in those snacks is during your study breaks. Healthy snacks provide clean energy to keep you fueled and focused throughout your study sessions. Some of your options include fresh or dried fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, yogurt, string cheese, popcorn, and more! Alternatively, you could spend your study break whipping up a quick meal. Cooking is a fantastic way to take your mind off of your studies for a bit. Consider nutritious foods high in protein, including eggs, chicken, fish, oats and sweet potatoes. All of these foods can give you that extra boost to keep studying effectively and efficiently.

4. Laugh

Humor and laughter can add a much needed boost to the monotony of studying. In fact, by activating the brain’s dopamine reward system, humor can stimulate long-term memory. We all have a different sense of humor, so find whatever it may be that tickles your fancy. Perhaps you follow social media accounts that always make you laugh; feel free to pull one or two up for a few minutes. Watch a couple of clips of your favorite comedian or funny tv show. You could even call a friend who always manages to put a smile on your face. No matter how you decide to engage in humor or laughter, limit yourself to about 15 minutes so you can be sure to resume studying in time.

5. Tidy Up

When you’re studying, it is easy to neglect other tasks that need your attention. You just want to get your work done and decide you’ll figure everything else out afterwards. Tidiness is often one of the sacrifices students make in these situations. However, using your study break time to clean up your space can give your brain a rest while still maintaining your productivity. We all know how easily a study space can get cluttered, so why not spruce things up for a few minutes? When you return to your studies, you will have peace of mind knowing that the space around you is neat and won’t require any additional work later when you’re more likely to be tired.

6. Quick Shower or Power Nap

Let’s face it, studying isn’t the most exciting activity in the world. At some point while studying, you’ve probably wanted to fall asleep or maybe you have fallen asleep—it’s not uncommon. However, sleeping when you should be studying can hinder your progress, and isn’t it much easier to get a good night’s sleep once you’ve completed all of your assignments? To combat sleep, you could take a shower to wake you up and make you feel refreshed and energized. I suggest alternating between hot and cold water, ending with 30 seconds of the coldest water you can withstand. Cold showers jumpstart your circulation and get the blood flowing, so they are an excellent way to give you that extra energy to complete your studies. Sometimes though you just need to listen to your body and rest. A 10-20 minute power nap can do wonders for your productivity, but be sure to set an alarm so you don’t fall asleep for hours.

There are a variety of ways to spend your study breaks, and I highly recommend trying as many of these ideas as possible until you find what works best for you. Avoid the common pitfalls of falling down a rabbit hole on your phone, computer or television screen. Start incorporating the information included here as well as any other productive study break ideas you may have to develop healthy learning habits. Before long, you will find yourself at peak performance throughout your study sessions!

[jamiepicon]

Cooking in the Middle Ages

People ate a wide variety of foods during the Middle Ages. They ate chickens, geese, ducks, cattle, pigs, and bread ground at the Lord's mills.

The elite ate foods more affected by foreign cuisine than peasants since they had access to exotic spices and costly imports. However, decrees prohibited particular meals from being consumed by certain social strata, and sumptuary rules restricted conspicuous consumption among the newly wealthy.

Bread was the most important staple food during the Middle Ages, accounting for around half of the people's daily calorie intake. It was mainly prepared from wheat but contained barley and rye.

Grain varieties were influenced by local climate and soil quality, and they were frequently combined with other foods such as rice, peas, lentils, or chestnuts. These grain mixtures were known as meslin or horse bread, and they might be considerably different in shape, size, and texture from the white, floured wheat bread we consume today.

Bread was a critical commercial activity in medieval England, and bakers founded self-regulating guilds. These guilds regulated the prices of their products and protected bakers who paid for them.

Food was an essential component of living during the Middle Ages. People ate fish, poultry, meat, and cereals.

Cooks throughout the Middle Ages were noted for their skill and ingenuity. They cooked dishes in various ways, including boiling, roasting, and baking.

They also utilized a lot of salt and spices like ginger, garlic, cinnamon, and cloves. These techniques assisted them in keeping their food fresher and healthier over extended periods.

Meals were usually divided into four courses. The first two dishes included meats like beef and venison and birds like duck and chicken.

Vegetables were prepared in a variety of ways, from boiled or mashed to stewed in broths. They were served with a variety of sauces, gravies, and glazes.

Vegetables were essential to the medieval diet, particularly for typically poor peasants. They were well-fed during times of plenty but may have suffered during times of famine.

Because medieval people did not have access to modern goods like potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers, they had to supplement their diets with vegetables. Food residue discovered within 500-year-old earthenware at the medieval town of West Cotton in Northamptonshire revealed that ordinary people ate a variety of meat stews and green vegetables like cabbage and leeks.

The fruit was an integral ingredient of many sweet recipes in medieval times. It was available fresh, dried, or preserved. Mediterranean fruits were prominent, but apples, pears, plums, and figs were popular throughout Central and Northern Europe.

To season their meal, medieval cooks frequently employed a range of spices, sugar, and honey. They made a great effort to ensure their meals were as nutritious as possible.

They ate with their hands rather than a knife and fork. Soups and stews were typically served in bowls, whereas solid dishes were presented on plates.

The wine was a popular beverage during the Middle Ages. It was an excellent energy source and essential to a healthy diet.

A glass of wine could be a method to break up the monotony of a dinner, as well as a social lubricant. Physicians and healers frequently utilized wine to treat ailments during the Middle Ages.

The components used to make wine in medieval times varied depending on the locale. However, most of the time, it was prepared from grapes, a famous cuisine back then.

[alghawy7blog]

GM Diet Guide||How Lose Weight ||Best Diet To Lose Weight

Welcome to the 21st century, where modern man has perfected the art of "Fast Food". It may not be completely true, but thanks to the era of the "Global Village", there is hardly any cuisine left in the work, which has not been the victim of this trend. It certainly is the need of the hour in the fast paced world, where so many people no longer have the time or patience to cook healthy food at home. It is ironic how the very population on whose shoulders the world economies are being built, are on the unhealthiest diets in the world.

Thanks to these realities, a considerable portion of this population is suffering from diseases like high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure etc. These are nothing but the direct results of these unhealthy food habits and lazy lifestyles. The youthful population is willing to work itself to death in today's day and age of competition, not realizing that they can do more with a healthy body. High Cholesterol is just the beginning. It can lead to severe heart-related ailments resulting in a shorter lifespan.

It is about time, that people should pay attention to this horror and address it by changing their lifestyle. In order to combat these modern evils, there are two major steps that should be taken. Firstly, change your diet. If you are what you eat, then you should only eat the good stuff. As a youngster, you should look to be ripped and always be ready for swimsuit season. To achieve this goal, you need to plan a step by step plan to measure your progress. Try to eat more raw foods like fruits and salads. You may even want to consider looking into the GM diet. You can try out this week-long plan once every month. It is excellent for detoxifying your body helps to lose up to 5-7 kilograms or 12-14 pounds in a week. Keeping weight in check is a great to fight high cholesterol.

Secondly, start dragging your rear end to the gym. It is unacceptable that a girl or a guy in their twenty's or thirty's being out of shape. There is no simply no excuse. Exercising should be part of your daily routine. Regular exercise boosts your metabolism and overall wellness. High Cholesterol levels are no match for a healthy lifestyle. Carve out at least an hour of light workout every day, and rest on Sunday.

Remember, the future of the human race depends on the youth of the world. So always keep this in mind, that when you do make it big, you better look like a million bucks as well.

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You may love it or you may hate it, but I am very sure, if you are seeking for weight-loss methods, you can never ignore it. General Motors Diet or popularly known GM Diet, ranks highest in the most-sought diet charts. Surprisingly, I have yet not found any information about GM Diet on any of the official sites of General Motors (update me if I have missed any).

Various sites, blogs and forums have discussed about GM diet, but in a scattered manner. My primary intention behind this post is to represent various facets of this diet plan and to give a comprehensive overview, based on the experiences of my own as well as of my friends.

BACKGROUND:

This diet plan was introduced at a general meeting of General Motors Corp. on 15th August 1985, initially intended for the use of the employees of General Motors company, to facilitate wellness and fitness. It was granted by the United States Agricultural Department and the FDA, further tested by the Johns Hopkins Research Centre.

It was designed as a 'De-toxification diet program', to improve ones metabolism through its cleansing systemic effects, reflected by an improved disposition and a feeling of well being. As an end-result, a weight loss of 4-6 kgs was expected within the program-week.

THE PLAN:

Here is the day-wise diet plan and its dietary significance. I have added few things from my experience and experiments, which worked.

Day 1:

Fruits of any kind (except bananas) in any quantity. The most preferred fruits are the melons and cantaloupes, due to their high water content. In addition, you should drink at least 10 glasses of water.

By eating fruits, you are preparing your system for the upcoming program. Fresh fruits are nature's perfect food, providing all essential elements needed to sustain life. Fruits are also a good source of antioxidants and are fiber-rich. Fruits are also considered as a negative-calorie food, thus burning more calories for its digestion than those provided.

Believe me, I have done GM diet twice and have found this day the most difficult one. Firstly because of the sweetish taste of all fruits, and further due to an intense craving for bread or spices, that one develops towards the end of the day. The solution for this is the Soup to break the monotony of the fruity taste.

Day 2:

The day can start with a large baked potato with one pat of butter for breakfast. It definitely fills you with complex carbohydrates to start your day after the first sweety-fruity day.

For the rest of the day, you should eat all sorts of vegetables of your choice, raw or cooked. Vegetables have very less calories, high in nutrients and fiber. There is no limit on the amount. This should be added with drinking at least 10 glasses of water.

One can also mash a baked potato, add some onion & curd, and spice it up with chaat masala & red chilli powder and pinch of salt.

Day 3:

This day consists of a combination of fruits and vegetables of your choice, except banana & potato. In addition, you should drink at least 10 glasses of water. Potato is avoided on this day since the carbohydrates are available from the fruits that you eat.

One can do varieties of salads mixed with fruit slices. If you take more cucumber and melons, it's more likely to lose weight than any other vegetables or fruits. Adding a curd to vegetable salad, in a 'raita' form will make it more palatable towards the evening, when it gets monotonous.

Day 4:

A day when you can eat nothing but eight bananas coupled with three glasses of milk. It is not mandatory to eat 8 bananas; you can have less as well. In fact, you might feel satisfied within 4-5 bananas within the whole day. This is the day when you can clearly feel your food-craving diminishing significantly. It feels divine, to get over your 'desires'. Do not forget to drink at least 10 glasses of water, as always.

Bananas will act as a provider of carbohydrates that is easy to digest, coupled with sodium and potassium reserve.

Day 5:

This is considered as a 'Feast day', where you should eat up to two portions of lean beef (10 oz.) combined with six whole tomatoes - as a source of fiber. On this day, you should increase your daily water intake to at least 14 glasses. This is to cleanse your system of the uric acid getting produced. You will experience colorless urine on this day.

Beef is a source of proteins & iron, and thus an alternative can be paneer (tofu - soya paneer for better results) coupled with mushrooms for the vegetarians. Many people have recommended rice as a replacement to beef, but if one considers the nutritive contents, rice can not be the right surrogate.

Day 6:

Another day with beef and vegetables. Today you can eat any amount of beef combined with cooked or raw vegetables. Keep your daily water intake to 14 glasses. You can add the Soup to add some spice to your day.

Iron and proteins from the beef or paneer-mushroom combination, while fiber and nutrients from the vegetables. Till this time, you must have experienced an energetic feeling and an awareness of the power of natural food items.

Day 7:

The food intake on this day should consist of a bowl of brown rice with fruit juices and any vegetables you want to eat. Drink 14 glasses of water.

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The juices will break the fast (?) providing the essential nutrients along with the vegetable stuffing. The brown rice provides the carbohydrates.

Now you must be at least 4 kgs lighter than day one, yet more energetic and free from the cravings for high-calorie stuff.

The Soup:

The following soup is a modified version of the GM Wonder Soup since it is not possible to get the Lipton Onion soup mix everywhere, as suggested in GM Soup. The modified soup goes parallel to the 'rassam' or 'saaram', served in south India. This soup is allowed to be consumed in large quantities throughout the program. It is intended as a supplement to your diet.

Boil few large-cut onions, tomatoes, cabbage, and celery in water. Add the sambhar masala for the taste. You may also add tomato-puree (but with the skin) instead of tomatoes to make it thicker. One can season it with herbs and flavorings. You may also add: asparagus, peas, corn, cauliflower, green beans or finely chopped mushroom.

General instructions for all days:

You may squeeze a lemon to flavor the water that you drink every day.

No alcohol of any kind since it adds empty calories.

Salt should be used as less as possible.

Use artificial sweetener, in case you can't stay away from the sweet taste.

No fruit juices till day seven.

Black coffee or tea is allowed.

You may repeat the schedule, if you want further weight loss, but it is suggested that you should take a gap of at least two weeks in between two schedules.

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Now the most important part: the doubts, accusations and myths.

"It works just by losing the water content of the body and not actually a fat loss."

a.    Firstly, there is no mention of restricting the water intake on any day. How can one lose only water if we are consuming at least 10-14 glasses of water every day, added with the unlimited quantity of soup and the water contained in the melons, fruits and vegetables?

b.    It basically acts on the principle of 'negative calorie foods' where you are consuming certain foods that demand more calories to burn themselves than what they provide themselves. High-fiber food stuffs you but doesn't provide the required calories, instead demands more calories to burn themselves, which is derived from the stored energy-deposits.

"Skin gets dry and you may lose your hair during and after the GM diet."

a.    At least I have not met anyone in my acquaintance complaining of this, but found this on few blog-posts. The reason can be insufficient amount of water intake and not supplying enough protein sources on specific days.

"It is a temporary loss and you regain all lost weight in couple of weeks."

a.    Obviously, if you resume your high-calorie food once again. It is not difficult to lose weight, but to maintain it. Malvika, my wife who is a dietician, always recommends a maintenance diet program after the GM diet schedule as follows:

i.    Only liquids in the form of soups, buttermilk or fruit juices for dinner on three consecutive days in a week. This should be followed endlessly, until you want your weight to bounce back.

ii.    Drink plenty of water as if you are on GM diet.

iii.    Exercise regularly.

"It's just a Crash-diet and a Fad, nothing else!!"

a.    First of all, it is not promoted as a weight-loss diet, but a Detox diet that cleanses your system from within. Weight loss is just a by-product of it.

b.    Even if one looks at it as a 'crash-diet', it surely will not harm you, but will 'move' your weight in the least period, thus motivating many who tend to leave their regular diet and exercise regimens within first month, for not getting desired results. Once you can 'see' your weight dropping, it boosts your will to try further.

c.    As said above, it is futile unless you back it up with a maintenance program. You can not be on GM diet for lifetime, nor you can or should do it every month. Instead use is as an initial-motivator and switch to a liquid-dinner course later.

MY OWN EXPERIENCE:

I myself have done GM diet twice. The first time I was very sincere in following it. Thanks to my wife and my mother, who made all arrangements for the foods on each day. I lost 4 kgs towards the fifth day. I could not lose any further on the last two days and I presume that to the rice I ate, as a substitute to the beef. The lost weight remained there for a month, in spite of not maintaining it actively. I could have lost at least half a kilo more, if I would have stayed away from the rice, which in any case I do not like to eat.

The next time I started it, but had to leave it in between due to some unavoidable circumstances. But had seen significant change in my weight and the energy level for the four days that I followed it.

The most significant gain has been with my lipids coming down to normal. I have had really bad lipid levels for two years and after following GM diet twice, being on statins and taking self-prescribed homeopathic medicines for the same, the latest levels of lipids were perfectly within normal limits. The credit goes to the high-fiber rich GM diet as well.

THE CONCLUSION:

If followed sincerely, GM diet has a definite positive effect of its own on our metabolism. I agree that it is not an end in itself, and one needs to maintain the metabolism by appropriate food habits and exercise regimen. GM diet can not be a 'quick & easy' substitute to 'efforts', but surely can be a booster for those who have never seen their weight going downhill, providing a 'kick-start'.

As Malvika says, 'one should take a diet that s/he can follow for the lifetime...' and that's true! You can never have GM diet for everyday, since there are so many delicacies around to enjoy, but for that we need to have a balanced metabolism, so that we can give them their due justice.

Realistically, about half the population will admit that they are unhappy with their physique. However, losing weight is not as difficult as many would believe. All it takes is willingness to commit and a little bit of effort on your behalf. Okay, honestly, it takes a great deal of effort and dedication, but it is definitely worth it in the end.

We have a special new diet plan to help you lose weight and slim down in just 7 days! This diet plan is the top vegetarian diet to lose weight safely and effectively!

GM Vegetarian Diet 

This vegetarian version of the GM Diet Plan consists of vegetables, legumes, fruits and limited starches. In order to prep your body for this diet, you should eliminate alcohol during the diet, as well as few days prior to starting the plan. This is important as alcohol retains water as it increase the uric acid level, which then prevents the body from detoxifying naturally.

Another key factor of The GM Vegetarian Diet is to drink up to eight to 10 glasses of water per day. As you will be greatly cutting back on the number of carbohydrates you would normally consume, water will act as your main source of energy during this time. Not only will it speed up your metabolism, but it will help naturally remove those extra, unwanted pounds.

For those who have tried this plan previously, or who plan to continue beyond the initial seven day period, it is recommended that you give your body a break for two to three days prior to resuming the diet. This will give your body time to adjust to the new level of nutritional consumption and help reduce any stress on your system as well.

Day 1:

Warning: the first day is always the hardest so try to resist any temptations! Today you will be partaking of fruits only. With the exception of bananas, litchi, mango and grapes; you can eat any fruits in any quantity you wish. However, the most beneficial fruits include melons, strawberries, lime, pomegranate, apples and oranges. You can have up to 20 servings of fruit only today.

Day 2:

Instead of all fruits, today you are only able to consume solely vegetables. However, you can eat as much as you want. Boiled, steamed, roasted, and raw... anything but fried or battered! You should begin your second day with a baked or boiled potato with a just a teaspoon of butter. This will provide your body with the proper amount of carbohydrates and energy required for the day. However, after this, you can only consume veggies.

Limit yourself to only one potato today. If you want to add some zest to your meals, simply add a pinch of basil or oregano. Day 2 is basically a calorie-free day, however, it is chock full of essential vitamins, nutrients and plenty of fiber! If you can survive Day 2, you definitely have what it takes to stick to this diet!

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[karanpond]

The Art of Lunch

Working at a suburban arts center sounds fun.

The one where I had a desk job had many creative components. It had a professional theatre program (think Neil Simon plays and musicals), it also had two galleries and an arts education program. It was a place where the patrons, suburban locals, did not really want to be challenged. However, it was also on the groundbreaking side of accessibility. It was one of the first area theatres to offer assisted listening devices for those with visual challenges, and had special shows where the actors were “shadowed” by sign language interpreters. They even built the area’s first multisensory playground which incorporated sound, tactile elements and misting water. There were even “talking trash cans” which were colorfully decorated trash cans which had a flap you pushed to drop your trash in. They would thank you for your trash, say that the trash was yummy, and make animal sounds. They were very popular with the young set.

Even though the people who lived in the area and came to the center were on the conventional side, there were quite a few who worked there who were creative spirits. I tarried in the marketing department, and marketing is dull. So in many ways it was another office job. But my co-workers were, for the most part, a hoot. And we had lunch together when we could—either in the office lunch room, or out. Lunch together broke up the monotony of budgets and marketing plans. There were lots of laughs.

Eating in the lunch room was problematic. People could come and ask you questions about work, when you were clearly ON YOUR LUNCH BREAK. The nerve. There were clay-spattered pottery department staff coming through to sort through the out-of-date yogurts people had left in the fridge. There were crabby theatre tech people who never smiled. Never. And then were people like Pam, an actress and director who worked frequently at the center in a variety of capacities. She was a woman who lived way out there—said and did pretty much what came into her head. One day, as we lunched in the break room at the square dark blue laminate tables she came in and said "oh god, do you ever have days where your crotch just itches? And nothing helps, not even a hairbrush?” She then mounted the corner of the table and went to town. We all looked at her slack jawed until she was satisfied and left.

We avoided that table for months.

Occasionally we would head out to eat. There were not really a lot of options in the suburbs, interesting ones any way. The Bagel Nook did make a fine bagel, really good pie and potato salad; there was that German deli where the teutonic woman who worked behind the counter said “you vould not like it” to all questions about the wares in the deli case.

The arts center had a ballet studio, and scores of young and old would either be dancing or waiting to dance, lounging around the space between the studio and the upper art gallery. None of us liked to use the bathroom off the gallery there, because if dancers weren’t dressing or primping they were pooping. And I’m here to tell you that those dainty dames, while possibly light on their feet, really could produce human waste.

On a lovely spring day we decided sandwiches from Vito’s were a good idea. Vito was an ancient, scrawny Italian guy and all he did was sandwiches in his little shoppette store. He had the square paper hat and everything.

My first child was a little nugget in my belly at that time, and I was at a point in my pregnancy, well, most of the pregnancy was like this, where I was queasy all the time, and could spew at the blink of an eye. I once barfed when I saw a hamburger commercial on TV. I was walking a digestive tight wire. On this sunny day as we drove to Vito’s someone in the back seat said “oh man, did you see the size of that turd in the ballet bathroom?” Oh no, I thought. I looked out the window and thought about fresh air.

Concentrating on breathing in…and out.

“I know!” someone else said. “It was massive.”

I looked out the window and thought of fresh air, and flowers in a meadow, sort of like the one Maria is twirling in at the beginning of The Sound of Music…

“I mean,” chimed in Lisa, “It wasn’t the length of the thing so much as the girth. I can’t imagine it would ever go down” I started to gag. I begged them to stop between gagging

gasps.

“yeah,” said Linda. “Wonder who had to don the blue rubber gloves and break it up so it would flush…” That was it. I had to roll down the window and hang my head out.

Meadows, flowers, fresh air, breathe in and out… My eyes watered as I struggled to think of happy things, pretty things, clean things. The wave subsided and we pulled up outside of Vito’s.

It cannot be explained why I ordered a meatball sandwich. I had never ordered one previously. Was it the turd tale? Even today, 25 years later, I am stumped. Vito often had one young assistant. It was best when you got the assistant to make your sandwich because Vito was, well, very slow. VERY slow. Like completing one sandwich to every five the assistant made.

I did not win that lottery on this day. Vito took my order for a meatball sandwich. I glanced over at one point as Vito was slicing open the roll that would later cradle several meatballs I would not be able to eat. I did a double take…the man had a long, clear string of something hanging down about half of an inch off of the tip of his nose. 

I had to turn around as the gag hit me like a roundhouse to the gut. I looked out the window and practiced breathing. In…and out. Oh God. In…and out. Turning to Chuck I stage whispered “Vito…nose” and felt the gag coming. He looked over at the sandwich maker and laughed.

Surely he would realize, turn around and wipe his snoot with a paper towel from the dispenser on the wall, then wash his hands, and continue to make my sandwich. But he didn’t. And that string of viscous fluid just quivered there at the end of his nose, like a clear worm getting longer, threatening to drop on my food at any minute.

At this point I was actually making occasional “ulp” sounds between breaths. My stomach doing involuntary crunches. Look out the window. Fresh air and fields of flowers. Maria and the hills. Clean things. By the time the wave subsided my sandwich was done. And you know what I did? Paid for it. Averting my eyes from his face. Desperate to leave the little shop and be out in the fresh clean air.

We went to a park to eat. As soon as we got to the picnic table I offered up my tainted sandwich. Chuck, who witnessed the quivering snot himself, snatched it up and ate it alongside the sandwich he himself had ordered. I took out my backup snack of raspberry yogurt from my bag and took small bites while trying to get past the vision of a hand with a blue rubber glove pinching apart a huge turd alternating with the Old Italian Snot Man. It was not easy.

The drive up the side road to the center had a couple of little bends in it. Nothing a normal person would even notice really. But as Chuck drove us back to work and rolled back and forth up the road I could feel the yogurt beginning to protest. I begged to be let out before he parked and hot footed it along the sidewalk, where school children on field trips sat eating their sack lunches. Our administrative offices had large windows overlooking the sidewalk and playground. We could look out at the kids playing and be filled with warm feelings about making a difference in their lives by exposing them to the Arts.

But on this day any staff member looking out the windows would see me weave around groups of lunching munchkins towards the doors that led into the center—the ones right next to the ballerina bathroom. Bluegloves girthturd nosewormsnot. They would watch me swerve over to one of the “talking trashcans” and anyone within earshot would have heard, as I swung open the flap on the trashcan “Aww, thanks for caring about the environment!”

[rawcatlawnchair]

CHAPTER 10 - TRIXI

The great plains were a welcome change of scenery, or so Trixi had thought at first. Gone were the trees, the humid air and the critters that refused to go silent, but in its place had come endless miles of farmland and far too many rolling hills for his liking. As it evidently turned out, too much of any one thing was always a bad thing.

As they had exited the forests, the paths had become wider, so now the four of them walked roughly abreast, no longer limited to the single files of the dirt paths behind them. Out here, roads were indicated by real fences rather than the treelines, and they looked far more well-worn than the highway that they had abandoned.

“These marks are fresh.” Trixi knelt down to touch the road, observing two long indents in the road, indicative of a caravan train passing through. Small portions of dirt had been kicked up, possibly from horses pulling carts. “Maybe half a day old, or even newer.”

“How can you tell?” Jirei knelt down next to him, staring at the soil. ”What do you see?”

“It’s his smell, not his sight,” came Ruzuli from the side, leaning against a fence and drinking out of her flask. She stood on one leg, propping the other up on the fence, looking as casual as possible. She pointed to the side of the road, and Trixi watched Jirei’s face turn from curiosity to disgust, as her gaze met a steaming pile of dung, complete with straw sticking out of it and the unmistakable smell of fetid waste. She hastily turned away, much to the amusement of the dragonling. Trixi almost felt bad. Finding out what happened required an analysis of all factors, and sometimes those factors were unsightly.

Octavia clapped her hands and cleared her throat loudly, bringing their attention over to her. She pointed out the sun, still hanging high in the air. “We’re approaching the solstice, so the days are getting longer. We should use the light while we still can.” A chorus of nods confirmed she was making the right choice, and before long, Trixi joined his team, walking side by side as they progressed through the endless grassy plains.

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The setting sun coated the fields with a warm orange light, illuminating the wheat stalks and wild grasses alike, with a lone hill breaking up the monotony of the flat sprawling lands. And at the peak of the hill sat four individuals, lying prone in the tall grass, staring at a circle of caravans parked in a grass patch by the road. They lacked a spyglass, so to scout out the men below they would have to rely on their natural senses. With their naked eyes, they could make out some horses grazing, and a campfire already made, but could make out little else. As small grey wisps floated above the makeshift camp, they deliberated their next moves.

“Caravans painted red, white and green. Council colours. Probably official business,” Jirei reported from her spot in the grass.

Trixi stood up and brushed off some spiky seeds that had jabbed themselves into his jacket. “Should we approach them?”

“I say we do,” said Octavia. “They might know something about the happenings around the country that we don't. We're going into Shuyong blind, and I'm not a huge fan of that.”

“I say we don't,” countered Ruzuli. “You know the goblin bandits are coming from the east, don't you? For all you know it could be a trap!”

“Or it could prove immensely useful.”

The two briefly debated before Jirei broke them up. Trixi was honestly amazed at how fast she got them both to settle down and plan a tactical middle ground.

They decided to approach them, but with a fair amount of caution, and before the sun went down. They wouldn't brandish their weapons, or blatantly prepare for a fight, but they would keep on edge as they walked down the dirt road, eyes peeled for any dangers. They were just metres away from the ring of caravans when someone stepped out from behind one of them.

“Halt!” The word both relieved and surprised them, as they slowed to a standstill to meet the elvish guard that stood before them. Dressed in reds and greens, his chain mail almost glowed against the setting sun. He held his pike firmly planted in the ground, but Trixi knew from the way he wielded it that he could strike with it in a heartbeat. “State your purpose!”

Jirei stepped forward to act as their representative. “We are just travelers, and we mean you no harm.” She removed her hood, revealing her Elf features. “Headed to Shuyong, just like the rest of you.”

The guard removed his helmet, setting his short black hair free. He bowed once and began to speak, although it seemed like he only wished to address his kin. “My name is Feng, and I'm in charge of guarding this caravan train. It's brave of you to be travelling so far in these treacherous times,” pausing to flash a wary stare at the other three, before continuing, “Especially with foreigners.”

“Mercenary?” Ruzuli butted in, clearly displeased.

“I prefer the term ‘security expert’.” His response was bland and flat, a far cry from the amicable expression he had given Jirei.

Trixi didn't like his gruff expression, nor his arrogance. He had known elves were a proud people, but never to the extent of blatantly looking down on others. He much preferred the elves back in the Chalice, where forced interaction between the numerous races of the continent quickly knocked down elves like him down a couple of pegs.

Feng turned back to the circle of caravans, pointing at a large pot in the center. “Help yourself, we've got plenty of food. You're welcome to stay, and it's safer in numbers anyway.”

“Thank you for your hospitality.” Jirei was clearly uncomfortable too, fidgeting about, unhappy about her teammates treatment. But she remained composed, bowing in respect. Ever the diplomat, he thought, remaining silent for the time being. “We will not forget this gesture.”

“Just watch yourselves around here,” he warned. “I might not mind outsiders too much, but there are some with far more...radical views on what to do with your kind. The passengers might be merchants, but they’ll end you in a heartbeat if you so much as look at them the wrong way. We’re far from the cities; out here no one cares if one or two people go missing.”

As Feng boldly strode away, Jirei immediately hung her head in shame. “I apologise,” she mumbled. “Not all of us are like him. They spend so long within the walls of the Alliance, they forget the rest of the world exists.”

“Do not hang your head in shame, Jirei.” Ruzuli had placed a hand on her shoulder. “Raise it in pride instead. Be proud that you are not like him.”

“I, u-uh,” Jirei stammered, not quite sure how to respond, taking a few moments to think. “Thanks?”

“We should be the ones thanking you. You're ten times the elf he'll ever be.”

Trixi watched as the red flushed in in an instant, standing out against her light brown skin, and she looked down once more, this time in embarrassment rather than shame. But even as she looked down, the smallest of smiles seeped across her face.

As they walked over to the large pot, they were greeted by a lone dwarf, sitting on a wooden stool. Trixi was secretly glad to have met someone shorter than he was, and greeted him back.

“Rare to see this many foreigners this deep into the Alliance.” The dwarf cradled a small wooden bowl, filled with a savoury stew, complete with chunks of carrots and potatoes.

“Rarer still to see one traveling with elves, no?” Trixi sat down next to him and retrieved his own bowl. Apart from him, everyone else had already begun to scoop their own portions.

“Ah, but they need me. Special talents mean I get special treatment.”

“And what would that talent be?”

He motioned for Trixi to lean in, and whispered, “Guns.”

Trixi didn't know what that word meant, but he was sure it sounded mysterious. “What’s a gun?”

He shook his head and muttered something about how he knew they should have changed the name. “Handcannons,” he explained. “Imagine half the explosive power of a cannon, fitting in your hand, with a fraction of the weight and cost. I'll be bringing the very first shipment of these new weapons all the way to Shuyong. I'd show you one, but its secret and confidential.”

“And you are?”

“Harlin,” he said. “Master Inventor and head of the Dwarven Armoury.” Master Kris might have discovered the formula for creating whitepowder many years ago, but it had been the dwarves who had pushed it to its maximum potential. Their penchant for mass production had lead to widespread usage of their various inventions. While two decades ago cannons were only seen aboard dwarven vessels, now they were a staple of defensive strategies, mounted on ships and castle walls alike all over the continent. Only the Chalice held out, refusing to install the revolutionary weaponry.

“I'm Trixi, and my team's headed to Shuyong to do some adventuring. Some artifact to be retrieved.” Trixi had scooped some soup for himself and had hastily slurped it down. After eating cold dry rations for a week, the hot food was a welcome change.

They traded tales of their homelands, of the contraptions they had once made, eating together as the sun set behind the hills, exchanging places with the moon.

“So, how long has your party been on the road?” Trixi managed to get the words out while finishing off his third bowl of soup.

Harlin’s eyes skirted to the left and right, before dropping to a whisper. “Truth be told, we've been traveling two weeks, but we haven't moved from here in three days.”

“Oh?”

“You can say that again. The one that’s in charge? He don't want to cross the Citrasa. Something about goblins.”

“Goblins?” Trixi knew that there were goblins to the east, but nothing too threatening. They could barely rob a couple of travelers, let alone a large caravan train with a good number armed guards.

“Goblins indeed. Personally, I think he’s just paranoid. Whatever the case, we've got to make it to Shuyong by the solstice, or we'll miss out on the Festival of Ava. So goblins or not, we'll be leaving in the morning. You and your mage party are welcome to join us.”

In response to Trixi’s shocked look, he let out a hearty laugh. “What, you think just because I'm short means I'm stupid? Your elf friend’s staff gave it away, not to mention the human’s essence constantly being activated. Tell her to knock it off, it's scaring the horses.” As Trixi walked away to inform Octavia that her magic had been detected, he heard more laughing from behind him.

When Trixi returned, visibly shaken, he received a friendly punch from Harlin. “Relax, I won't tell a soul.”

“Promise?” After Octavia had been exposed, her essence had been deactivated, but she nevertheless shot death stares over at the two men talking. “They barely like us, imagine what they'll do when they find out we're magic users.”

“Nothing, I imagine.”

“Nothing?” Trixi tilted his head to his side, idly twirling hair with his index finger.

“Council colours don't mean council rules, boy.” He shook a small stick he had strapped to his belt and it extended into a cane, using it to help himself up off the stool. It was only then that Trixi noticed Harlin’s oddly bent right ankle. He hobbled up, and used his free hand to point at the caravans around him.

“Paperwork says we're carrying weapons and armour. Resupply mission for Shuyong’s defence force.” He rapped his knuckles against the wood, giving it a satisfying thwack. He chuckled to himself before sitting back down.

“But you look in those caravans, and you'll find a whole slew of other goods too. Oranges. Pork cuts from the western mountains. Tea leaves from the south.”

“They’re smuggling tea leaves?”

The dwarf collapsed his cane and snapped it back onto his belt. “You’d be surprised how much they tax these premium goods. The council doesn't pay much to move their stuff around, so we make do.” He stared at the fire, seemingly transfixed by the dancing flames. “Get some rest, kid. If you want to follow us, we leave at dawn. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some stargazing to do.” Without moving from his spot, he flipped himself onto his back, and began to watch the skies. Trixi silently excused himself and ran over to join the rest, already sitting in a circle on their bedrolls.

The moment he sat down, Ruzuli and Octavia began to vent. Octavia was still uneasy that he had so easily unearthed their true identities, and made no effort to hide it. She glared at the dwarf the same way a warrior glared at his mortal nemesis, intense and full of rage. Not for the first time, Trixi was glad he was on her side.

“I don't like him.”

“Well, I don't like anyone here.”

“You don't like anyone, ever.”

“Rude.”

“Enough.” Jirei's lone word was gentle but firm, quickly silencing the squabbling duo. “Trixi, you were the only one to speak to him. Can we trust him?”

He gulped. Harlin wasn't completely honest, but didn't seem like he was out to harm anyone. “Y-yeah, we can.”

“Good. Did they mention when they'll be crossing the river?”

“Tomorrow, we'll make it there by midday. Harlin told me so.”

“Harlin?”

“The dwarf,” Trixi explained. “He said the leader of the caravan think there are goblins nearby. They've been delaying the crossing due to it.”

“Bad choice.” Ruzuli propped up her arm with an upright knee, with her other leg flat on the ground. “If the goblins really are here, then the best tactical choice should be to just rush through. Every day they spend here is more time for the enemy to gather their forces, to scout out our defences.”

“Indeed, and I suspect the same.” Jirei pressed her palms together, and when she pulled them apart, a lattice of green vines hung in the air, loosely connected to her fingertips. “Using these vines, I sensed a large collective of lifeforms to the northeast of us.”

“Really? I didn't sense a thing.” Octavia had crossed her arms and folded her legs, bending herself halfway to a human pretzel. “Or is my understanding of druidic powers flawed?”

“Well, about that...” Trixi watched the druid grind to an awkward halt. She tapped her index fingers against each other a few times, before speaking again. “It's a new technique that my teacher taught me. It's not very precise about location, but if it senses something, it's there.”

“So...we should be prepared for a battle on the bridge?” Trixi said, trying to break up any tension within the group. “It’s a clear bottleneck, and once we're on the bridge it's hard to get off it quickly.”

They would spend some more time discussing possibilities and general strategies about how to defend the large caravan train, before agreeing to retire for the night.

As Trixi lay in his bedroll, staring at the few stars that dotted the sky, only one thought consumed his mind. When his master had discovered the explosive powder, she had been reluctant to publish her findings. She argued that many would find a way to abuse its destructive power, but was ultimately convinced by her peers. It would be better to inform the world of it than keep it a secret and wait for another party with far more malicious intents to wreak havoc. Now that the havoc wreaking weaponry could fit in one's hands, as Harlin claimed, that danger had grown tenfold. Too many stray thoughts cluttered his already busy mind, and it drained his energy away. Within the minute, his eyelids would shut for the evening.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trixi did not need to rely on any rooster to rouse him from his sleep, or even his internal alarm. Instead, Feng, the elf guard from the previous day, roamed about the camp at the crack of dawn, ringing a large bell repeatedly, waking every single traveler up. “Thirty minutes!” Feng hollered in the air. “Thirty minutes and we leave!” Evidently, the rest of the travellers were already used to this routine, as they roamed over to a large barrel of water to begin to freshen up.

“Good morning,” he groaned, but no one responded. He sat upright, and realized his teammates had not only already awoken, but were already ready to leave, sitting around the fire.

“How nice of you to join us.” Ruzuli said, failing to stifle her own smile.

“No one woke me up?” He ruffled his hair, allowing it to settle into its natural mess.

“No one dared interrupt your sleep, lest they incurred your wrath.”

“Very funny.”

“She’s not wrong,” Jirei said, holding a bowl of oatmeal. “You snore like a horn.”

Trixi groaned and fell back into his bedroll. It was going to be a long day ahead. Eventually, he had to leave the warmth of his bedroll behind and get up, preparing for the travels ahead.

After precisely thirty minutes, Feng indeed gave the command to move off, ringing a series of bells mounted on the front car to convey it. The caravans were arranged in a particular order to improve security. At both ends were the cars containing the food and other assorted essentials for traveling. They were crucial, but in the event of an attack they would be the first to be abandoned. Next were the cars containing the armaments, stuffed with the premium goods to sell when they arrived in the city. And at the very heart of the train, sandwiched between eight other cars, was the one carrying Harlin’s deadly cargo. Feng and his other guards knew that if it came down to it, they would have to defend that car with their lives. Under no circumstance could the revolutionary weapons fall into anyone else’s hands.

Trixi observed the uniquely Elven manner of pulling their cars. Instead of a horsemaster and whips, like others might use, they instead employed rangers, users of green essence who were more attuned to animals in nature. They could quickly create a bond to the horses, and give them the commands needed, with only a simple pair of reins to communicate. He noted that all the rangers that sat at the front of the wooden carts were also dressed in the colours of the Elven Council. They clearly took their transportation very seriously.

Most of the passengers would be walking alongside the caravans, with only a select privileged few being able to sit in them, Harlin being part of that group. He waved goodbye to Trixi as he awkwardly went up the steps, disappearing into a cabin. As for Trixi, he had been placed at the rear, alongside Ruzuli, Jirei and Octavia. Feng reasoned that if they had travelled all this way without any help, then they should be able to handle themselves.

Most of their fellow travelers steered clear of the strange new companions, so they walked alone, right beside the very last car. Trixi watched as a horse began to neigh loudly, walking erratically, and the ranger instinctively calmed it down, sending green essence flowing into his reins. The horse quickly fell silent, and continued its march. 

As the cars set off from their encampment, with two horses pulling each one along, Trixi stared at the map. The Citrasa was nearly half a day's walk away from them, and would be the final major checkpoint before they reached Shuyong. Unfortunately for Trixi, the view remained unchanging, barring the occasional lone tree sitting by the roadside, leaving him nothing to focus his mind on. Instead, he thought of their ultimate goal that day, to cross the Citrasa.

Unarguably the most famous river in all of Sagure, Trixi had seen the Citrasa depicted in countless texts and paintings. Spanning the entire length of the continent, from all the way in the northern Fang Plateau, before flowing south. It rested briefly to form Lake Kaerin, and split to form two separate rivers further down its length. Beyond the fork, they were simply referred to as the Southern and Eastern Citrasa, described simply with its direction.

As he walked in silence, he tuned into the conversation going on ahead of him.

“Ruzuli, would you stop touching your hilt?”

“It makes me feel safe.”

“You know what's safe? Any scenario where you don't have to use your sword.”

“Hmpf. Fine.” Ruzuli awkwardly jammed right hand into one of the numerous pockets that lined her shirt, while Octavia beamed on, with a mocking smile specially reserved for her.

“You know, this exact conversation has happened before.” Jirei waggled a finger in the air, waving it playfully as Ruzuli continued to sulk.

“Not a surprise,” Octavia said. “She doesn't strike me as the type to change that easily.”

“I am literally right here.” Ruzuli pursed her lips, angrily glaring at the two girls mocking her. Trixi swore he could see invisible puffs of smoke floating from her nostrils, like the flame-breathing dragons of yore.

A sudden flash filled the sky, followed moments later by a low rumble. “Not me,” Ruzuli whispered, as grey clouds rolled in, the sudden storm approaching from ahead. Before anyone could respond, three high-pitched bells rang out. The command for haste.

All along the caravan train, nine sets of reins began to glow as the rangers compelled their steeds to accelerate. Brisk walks were discarded for jogs as they picked up speed, racing towards the bridge, now ever nearing. A fierce wind had picked up, buffeting them as they struggled to keep pace with the train. Further away, a sea of fog had seemed to form, riding on the winds. Within minutes, it would reach them, robbing them of the sense of sight. Nevertheless, the train pressed on. If Feng was to be deterred by the surprise storm, he was not showing it.

Trixi’s footsteps went from making short, muted sounds to loud rickety clacks, as he set foot on the wooden bridge. By this point, the fog had all but consumed them, with only the occasional lightning strike lighting up the sky. This should have been the time to appreciate the way they had constructed the flat wood bridge, to admire the Elven carvings on the side, or the olden style of architecture, but the urgency of their pace robbed Trixi of this chance.

Two low pitched bells brought the command this time, slowing the entire train down to a halt. For a moment, all was still in the misty silence.

“What the-”

“Why are we stopped?”

Trixi heard the murmurs float over from other passengers, and began to think. Feng was a tactical man, and surely had his reasons. Still, he would like to know what was going on. Most of the people travelling were not strong fighters, and already they were looking around nervously, waiting for an answer. Trixi had to admit, it was making him antsy too.

“Can you do anything about the mist?” Trixi said, asking Ruzuli for aid. “Surely you know some kind of trick to beat it back.”

“The mist is as intangible as it gets,” she responded. “I’m not very good at using light-based spells. Octavia?”

“Something’s not right.” She murmured.

“What?”

“I said something’s not right. There’s a lot of essence being used somewhere. North? North-east?” Her eyes began to glow white. “I’m going to try to get a better read on that.”

Trixi felt a faint rumble in the earth. He had spent many years studying the ways of geomancy, but this was no earth tremor. This was something large, and it was coming for them.  The rumbling grew stronger, and in an instant, a large wooden cart burst out from behind them, making all sorts of unearthly noises as it trundled towards them. A small team of goblins ran alongside it, pushing it barrelling towards the rear train, just over twenty metres away. Trixi saw the whitepowder that filled it to the brim, and with a look of horror, realized their plan.

But before he could shout a warning, Ruzuli shot forth a wide cone of flame, trading accuracy for raw power. The moment it so much as touched the cart, it instantly ignited, exploding with such force that it ripped the bridge apart, leaving a gaping hole where it had once been. The shockwave knocked Ruzuli back, surprised by the aftermath of her own power, while Trixi was forced onto one knee, bending down to endure the blast. When the wreckage had settled, the white smoke of the explosive powder mixing with the fog.

“Was that it?” Jirei whispered in a quiet voice.

As if responding to her question, another explosion rocked the bridge, this time far louder, and far more violent than the one they had just witnessed. They turned to see that a similar attack had been carried out on the front of the train, reducing one car to splinters and setting another ablaze.

To add insult to injury, the fog that had plagued them suddenly fell away, as if it had served its purpose and now bade goodbye. That in itself should have been shocking, but more shocking still were the two large ships, sailing full speed at the bridge, having cleverly used the fog to set up an ambush. Aboard the ships, goblins hung off every rope and every sail, brandishing weapons and itching for a bloodbath. So their suspicions were right. Damn it all. Right on cue, the high pitched bell broke into a frenzy, ringing over and over and over again, rousing the guards to their stations.

No path ahead, no path behind, and no escape for the besieged caravan. The battle on the bridge was about to begin.

Next Chapter ｜Start from the beginning

[healthfoodbeauty]

Lose 10-18 Pounds In 28 Days, Eggs Diet Plan

Lose 10-18kg for 28 days with eggs perfect diet plan.Unfortunately, there is no simple magic recipe for losing weight. But there is one thing we know for sure: you cannot lose weight without limiting the number of calories you consume. This is certainly the main and most difficult rule of any diet. But don't despair! There is a diet that has already helped many people lose tens of pounds. Only in the first week of dieting did they manage to lose 5 kg. Eggs are the main ingredient in this diet! Do not forget! This low-calorie diet is designed for rapid weight loss. Only absolutely healthy people can use it. Too long consumption is not permitted, so long use is not recommended. If you have cholesterol problems, never start a diet without consulting a doctor. Eggs have many advantages. They contain a lot of protein, are very nutritious, easily digestible, provide a feeling of satiety, and do not have much fat and calories. Because of all these benefits, such an egg diet is ideal for a diet. The egg diet became very popular when several celebrities managed to successfully lose many pounds with this diet. It has been claimed that individuals have also lost a staggering 30kg in three months. And actor Adrian Brody has managed to lose a staggering 15kg in preparation for his role in the phenomenal film Pianist. He explains that while using this diet, there was a certain variation in this diet where eggs are eaten for breakfast, a smaller piece of grilled chicken for lunch, and a piece of steamed fish for dinner. Dozens of different versions of this egg diet plan can be found online. However, here we decided on the most popular, which is not only boring eating the same food or eggs, but also several other foods. Practically speaking, this is one variation of Dr. Atkinoson's diet where the whole focus is on significantly reduced carbohydrate intake. In this version of the diet two or more eggs are eaten for breakfast, with vegetables with low carbohydrates or lean meats like grapefruit. Lunch and dinner include either another serving of eggs or small portions of chicken and fish. Low carbohydrate salads and vegetables are allowed while the fruit is limited to one to two slices per day. Other carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, and potatoes are strictly forbidden. The next version under the name "Eggs and Grapefruit Diet" includes eating half a grapefruit with each meal.

The rest of the diet plan is very similar to the above variant. The most extreme variant of this diet involves consuming only hard-boiled eggs and drinking water (which is, of course, a version of the slightly more durable people, or those who will try to support it, but could have consequences for their health and their bodies)… Eggs diet plan - a recommended diet for today's diet. Eggs, lean meats, low carbohydrate vegetables, herbal teas (sugar-free) and water. Example plan Breakfast - 2 boiled eggs - 1/2 grapefruit Lunch - roast chicken without skin - green salad Dinner - Omelet of 2 eggs with spinach and tomatoes Practice recommendations There are no recommendations for exercise in this diet Egg Diet - Why Practice It, What Are the Main Reasons! - High-protein, low-carbohydrate diets help reduce appetite. - High-protein diets accelerate calorie burning. Eggs are a good source of protein and vitamins. - Studies have shown that eating eggs for breakfast increases weight loss.

Egg Diet - Why NOT Practice It!

- this diet is not a healthy and balanced approach to nutrition. Whole groups of groceries, as well as many vegetables, are excluded from the diet. - Lack of carbohydrates can impair physical activity. - Many people experience fatigue during the first days of this diet until the body has become accustomed to reduced carbohydrate intake. - Eating a large number of eggs can cause confinement, gases and bad breath. - The monotony of the diet can significantly reduce the enthusiasm for keeping it and can make you quit. - not adequate for a healthy lifestyle. - There is a high chance that the weight will be reversed when switching to a normal and regular diet. Conclusion The egg diet is actually a fast diet, especially the version that does not allow for nutritional diversity. Although the pounds are likely to be rapidly lost, they are likely to return quickly after returning to their old diet. Obviously, eating only eggs is not a healthy way to lose weight and an extreme version of this diet can be dangerous! It is not only about the intake of nutrients but the overall health of those who have opted for such a diet. Practice this diet only when you need to lose weight very quickly. Why eggs diet plan? They are rich in all the nutrients we need for the body to function: vitamins: B12, B2, B5, A, E;

minerals: iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, potassium; monounsaturated fat - 25%; polyunsaturated fats - 9.4%; saturated fat - 18.1%. Do not forget! Eggs have little vitamin C, so the diet should include as many vegetables and fruits that are high in ascorbic acid. Many fear that overeating will lead to an increase in blood cholesterol levels. In fact, cholesterol levels are very little dependent on the consumption of eggs. Much more dangerous to the body are saturated fats and transmissions.

A diet of boiled eggs that will lose 10 pounds in 14 days

If you want to lose weight quickly, this boiled egg diet can be a great meal. Although consisting of a small number of foods, research has shown that they are sufficient to speed up your metabolism and burn off excess fat in the body. It is important to drink as much water as possible during your diet, as it will rid your body of toxins. Also, during your diet, you should avoid fast foods as well as unhealthy foods, sodas, and alcohol, as well as excessively mild and very salty foods. The egg diet is based on low carbohydrate foods without an increase in saturated fat. Eggs are an excellent source of important protein and other nutrients. They contain essential amino acids and are also an important source of vitamins B2, B12, D, E, folate, as well as iron. The digestive system is able to produce enough sugars for your body and burn fat when consuming foods high in protein and low in carbohydrates. The body has no choice but to convert body fat into glucose. The main idea is that it is not the amount of food that is ingested, but the number of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates need to be practically reduced to zero, but it is not necessary to reduce the amount of fat and calories consumed. Eggs are a great choice for this diet because they contain protein and are quickly saturated so you won't feel hungry for a long time. There are several variants of the egg diet.

The variant we propose here today lasts four weeks during which they can lose a great 10 to 18 kg.

This diet is also known as a diet of eggs, citrus, hot dogs and bananas or an egg, cucumber, oranges, and yogurt diet because all these foods are consumed during the diet.

Bread and all kinds of white pastries are strictly forbidden. This diet is suitable for all ages and there is no need to take extra vitamins. You must strictly adhere to the grocery schedule and the stated amounts when using the diet to have the right effect and lose weight. The first week of the eggs diet plan Breakfast is the same every day: 1/2 orange or citron and 1-2 boiled eggs Monday: Snack: a glass of low-fat yogurt Lunch: fruits as you like (oranges, apples, pears, melon, etc.) Dinner: fried or boiled meat Tuesday: Snack: a glass of low-fat yogurt Lunch: boiled or roasted chicken without skin Dinner: 2 boiled eggs, fresh or jar salad with cucumber, orange or citron Wednesday: Snacks: one orange or half a citron Lunch: Eat cheese you can eat as much as you like, 1 slice of black bread, cucumbers Dinner: fried or boiled meat Thursday: Snack: a glass of low-fat yogurt Lunch: fruits as much as you like (apples, pears, melon, watermelon, etc.) Dinner: fried or boiled meat, along with cucumber salad Friday: Snack: a glass of low-fat yogurt Lunch: 2 boiled eggs, cooked vegetables (vegetable or green bean mixture or carrot or peas) Dinner: boiled or roasted fish, cucumber salad, 1 orange or citron Saturday: Snack: a glass of low-fat yogurt Lunch: fruits as you like (oranges, apples, pears, apricots, melon, watermelon, etc.) Dinner: fried or boiled meat, salad with cucumbers, can be easily added and tomato Sunday: Snack: a glass of low-fat yogurt Lunch: boiled or roasted chicken without skin, tomato, cucumber, 1 orange or citron Dinner: cooked vegetables Second, third and fourth week Breakfast every day: 1/2 orange or citron and 1-2 boiled eggs Monday: Lunch: fried or boiled meat, salad Dinner: 2 boiled eggs, salad, 1 orange or citron Tuesday: Lunch: fried or boiled meat, salad Dinner: 2 boiled eggs, 1 orange or citron Wednesday: Lunch: fried or boiled meat, cucumbers Dinner: 2 boiled eggs, 1 orange or citron Thursday: Lunch: 2 boiled eggs, fried cheese as much as you want, cooked vegetables Dinner: 2 boiled eggs Friday: Lunch: boiled or fried fish Dinner: 2 eggs Saturday: Lunch: fried or boiled meat, tomato, 1 orange or citron Dinner: a mix of fresh fruit (orange, tangerine, melon, peach, apple) Sunday: Lunch: boiled or roasted chicken without skin, cucumbers, cooked vegetables, 1 orange or citron Dinner: boiled or roasted chicken without skin, salad, cooked vegetables, 1 orange or citron The egg diet can be discontinued after two weeks if you are already satisfied with the results. Most people lose an average of more than 5 pounds in 2 weeks.

If you break your diet, continue to eat the breakfast prescribed in the diet for another two weeks to one month to avoid increase your weight. It is not recommended to keep the diet for more than 4 weeks although no bad experiences have been reported. Fast-track egg diet This is another variant of the stricter egg diet that only requires eating hard-boiled eggs and drinking water. This diet is much harder to maintain. You can eat eggs as much as you like. It is also recommended to drink only water. You do not have to exercise while keeping a diet, but walks will certainly help. During this egg diet, the kilos are rapidly melted and the experiences of those holding it are very positive, but since the body is devoid of many nutrients, it should not be kept for more than 7 days.

The good and bad sides of the diet

Diet starvation is not the best way to lose weight because it can have detrimental effects on your health and body. Nutritionists and experts recommend losing 1-2 pounds a week as the healthiest way to lose weight. The disadvantage of an egg diet is primarily that it causes jail and gases. A high protein diet can be bad for the kidneys. Removing carbohydrates from your diet and consuming high protein foods causes dehydration and prevents your body from completely burning fat. This leads to the creation of ketones in the body and causes ketosis. Because of ketosis, dieting is easier because it reduces appetite but can cause nausea, which is not very pleasant. The healthiest way to lose weight is to eat less, exercise, move and eat foods that contain all the necessary nutrients but have as few calories as possible. It is advisable to consume eggs in moderation, and eating only eggs is not the best solution for weight loss, as in any diet. Final conclusion In today's article, we have dedicated ourselves to a very popular egg diet. This diet is available in several versions. Whichever option you choose, the results are guaranteed, that is, you will surely lose weight. The egg diet has its good and bad sides. Although it is very effective, very often after the end of the diet, the pounds are returned again. Before using this diet you need to consult a doctor. Share today's diet with your friends who need to lose weight, feel free to try today's egg diet. Read the full article

[excerptsfromunfinishednovels]

Excerpts From Unfinished Novels #25: One Thousand Years Of Dreams, And The Lives In Between

Genre: science-fiction/fantasy, romance

Warnings: mild sexual scene, completely smitten character, description of a character throwing up (not too detailed I swear)

Word Count: 5,091

Excerpt is from the last chapter of the novel

Henry trudged across the icy landscape, his breath hot against his tight buff scarf, the layers of material bunched up against the top flap of his coat, trapping the moist air and adding to his discomfort. The muscles in his arms and legs were screaming from exertion, and even as he forced himself to keep moving a part of his mind was wondering what the hell he was doing, wandering the north of Greenland on a whim?

A whim that he’d somehow managed to sell to his board members as a personal retreat/professional research trip into new less expensive places to host their storage facility. He didn’t think any of them believed him, but the point was that they accepted it; perks of being an eccentric billionaire he supposed.

Henry reached the crest of the hill he’d been climbing and paused to catch his breath as he surveyed the land before him. More ice and bare rock stretched out endlessly before him in all directions with nothing to break the monotony of white and shades of grey. He sighed and wondered again what the hell he was doing. What did he think he was going to find in the middle of a frozen wasteland? He readjusted his goggles and was about to turn and head back to his cabin when a sudden twinkling caught his eye. His head whipped up and he focused intently on the landscape in front of him until the twinkle appeared again, coming from a patch of grey in the distance. Henry quickly checked his watch; it never truly got dark at this time of year, but he didn’t like the idea of being outside and exposed for too long. He looked up again at the point where the twinkling had originated, did a rough mental calculation on the distance and decided that he could make it there and back in good time. He wrapped his hands around his hiking poles and set off, his pace much faster now that he had something to aim for.

It was probably nothing, probably just the sunlight reflecting off an icicle, or a piece of quartz. But it was the first interesting thing he’d seen since he’d arrived here two weeks ago, and he had to know what it was. As he approached the grey patch, a strange sense of excitement and urgency bloomed within him, increasing with every step. The image of the grey patch became sharper and more distinct revealing itself as the opening to a cavern. Sweat broke out over Henry’s forehead that had nothing to do with how quickly he was hiking, and his hands started trembling. There was something in that cavern, something he was meant to find…

Before he knew it, he had reached the cavern, and had to pause inside the entrance to try and calm his breathing before he started hyperventilating. He stuck his poles in the ground and reached up to turn on the headtorch wrapped around his forehead. Light poured into the cavern, illuminating only icicles and stone walls, but Henry continued to walk further into the cavern, convinced that there was something more to be found. He walked through the cavern, examining every nook and cranny as he passed by, looking for anything that might have caught the sunlight. He turned a corner, knowing that nothing at this end of the cavern could possibly be the source of the twinkling he’d seen, and froze on the spot.

Standing in front of him was a large metal and glass pod, it’s outside slightly frosted over. Henry’s heart started beating erratically at the sight, and he felt overcome with…grief? Which was extremely strange. Henry quickly shook it off and approached the pod, grief, excitement and curiosity increasing as the distance between himself and the pod shortened. He stood in front of the mysterious object, steeled himself, and then quickly wiped the frost away from the glass. His breath hitched, his eyes widened, and his knees buckled, causing him to brace himself against the side.

On the other side of the glass lay a creature that was so strange and beautiful it made Henry’s heart ache. It wasn’t human or fae, that much was clearly obvious; it had no lips to speak of, a wide, flat nose, high, sharp cheekbones, a hairless scalp covered in dark, intricate designs, and its skin was the most mesmerising mixture of sea-blues and greens. Henry continued to stare at the other-worldly creature in awe, and was wholly unprepared when its eyes opened and it looked directly at him.

Henry jumped, staring into its huge pitch-black eyes, and then smiled and said, “Hello.”

The creature stared up at him, their eyes huge and unfathomable, before they suddenly frowned and replied, “Hello. Who are you?”

Henry’s smile widened at the sound of their deep and slightly rumbling voice, and he felt his heart melt a little, though he couldn’t quite understand why. “My name is Henry. What is yours?”

The creature’s frown deepened and they stiffened slightly before replying, “Laiksa,” their voice tight and sad.

“Laiksa,” Henry murmured, his mouth forming the sound of their name reverently.

He suddenly realised he was still leaning against the pod and quickly sprang back. “I’m so sorry, I’ve not even tried to open this pod to let you out. Is there a button or…”

“That might not be a good idea,” Laiksa said.

“Why not? Oh…are you able to survive on Earth? Is the atmosphere toxic? I didn’t even think to ask,” Henry babbled, only stopping when Laiksa laughed softly and said, “No I am perfectly capable of surviving on this planet.”

“Then why don’t you want to come out? I have a cabin not too far from here, you can stay with me if you’d like; I can teach you about Earth and I have so many questions for you…”

“I do not know if it would be a good idea,” Laiksa murmured. “I could be dangerous.”

“That doesn’t sound like something a dangerous person…alien would say,” Henry said, as he ran his gloved hands along the sides of the pod until he found a small protrusion which he immediately pushed.

The glass door of the pod sprang open, and Henry smiled triumphantly at Laiksa who frowned back at him.

“I didn’t ask you to open that,” they said.

“You didn’t need to.”

Laiksa continued to frown at him, and eventually Henry sighed and said, “Look, I can’t force you to do anything you don’t want to. I’ll go wait at the entrance; if you’re not with me in five minutes I will go and never come back.”

He turned and walked away before Laiksa could reply, and spent the next five minute pacing agitatedly in front of the cavern entrance. If Laiksa decided to stay in their pod, he would respect their decision, he really would…but the thought of never seeing them again, or never talking to them again, broke his heart just a little. The five minutes was nearly up when Henry heard a noise and turned to see Laiksa walking towards him, uncertainty written all over their face. They were a little bit taller than him, and their sleek and well-built body was clad in a strange sort of hybrid between a spacesuit and a military flight suit, complete with boots. It looked sturdy and well-worn, but not very warm.

“Will you be okay outside dressed like that?” Henry asked doubtfully. “It’s about a four-hour hike back to the cabin…I can go and get you something warmer and bring it back for you.”

“It’s fine; I have survived worse,” Laiksa said, shrugging their shoulders.

Laiksa may have survived worse, but it didn’t mean they were immune to the cold; by the time they stepped inside Henry’s cabin they were shivering quite badly, their arms wrapped tightly around themself. Henry quickly took his coat off and placed it over Laiksa’s shoulders before zipping it up. He did the same with his ski pants and then manhandled Laiksa to the couch to sit in front of the fire which he’d started right before he’d left and which was blazing away merrily. Laiksa sighed happily and sank further into the couch, clearly revelling in the warmth.

“Thank you,” they said softly, and Henry smiled at the sight of them, looking so small and cosy on his couch, and replied, “You’re welcome. I’m going to go get you some warm clothes to change in to, and then we can discuss what kind of food you like to eat.”

“Not chicken,” Laiksa said quickly in a disgusted voice, and Henry laughed in surprise.

“Really?”

“I have tried it. It is not pleasant. Earth meat in general is…not what I would choose.”

“Well that’s okay because I’m a pescatarian so fish is the only meat I would choose.”

“I do not mind fish so much,” Laiksa admitted softly. “I do like your vegetables; potatoes especially.”

“That’s something we can agree on then. Right, we’ll discuss this further when I get back.”

Henry ran to his room, pulled clean socks, underwear, sweatpants, a t-shirt and a thick woollen jumper from his drawers and then returned to the living room where Laiksa was already starting to remove the ski pants and coat.

“Here you go,” he said shyly, holding the bundle of clothing out. “I hope you don’t mind the underwear, it’s all I have and I don’t know what you normally wear or if you even wear underwear or what…uh…what is your gender by the way?”

Laiksa laughed outright as they took the proffered clothing, sending Henry’s heart rate through the ceiling, and said, “Oh, even after all this time I do not understand the concept of this ‘gender construct’ that you humans are so obsessed with.”

“What do you mean?”

“On my planet we have no concept of gender; we are all simply members of the same community.”

“But what about when it comes to reproduction?”

“Some of us provide the eggs and some of us provide the fertilising jelly – why should such a trivial thing define any of us? If I did not have one I would have the other, what difference would it make?”

“That is…certainly a different way of looking at things,” Henry admitted.

Laiksa grinned and then held up the clothing. “Where should I change?”

“Oh! Um, the bathroom’s through there,” Henry said, pointing at the nearest door to them in the hallway.

Laiksa smiled and made their way to the bathroom, Henry staring after them. When the door of the bathroom clicked shut, he shook his head, muttered, “Get a grip, what is going on with you?” to himself, and turned to tend to the fire and hang his ski clothing up. He was about to go start putting dinner together when Laiksa stepped out of the bathroom, looking unbelievably gorgeous.

“These are very comfortable; thank you,” they said, running a hand over the front of the jumper. “Where can I put these?” they asked, holding up their old clothes.

“I can wash them and store them for you.”

“Thank you.”

Henry took the clothing and put them in the laundry basket in the bathroom.

“Would you like something to eat?”

“Yes please.”

Henry walked into the kitchen, Laiksa following.

“Is there anything you can’t or should not eat or drink?” he asked as he filled the kettle and put it on to boil.

“No; as I said I’m fond of vegetables. I also am fond of tea, though not coffee. Oh, I think I’m slightly allergic to sugar, or else just highly sensitive.”

Henry hummed in acknowledgement of what they said, his mind already churning over the new information he’d been given. He took the pot of leftover vegetable and chickpea dumpling stew out of the fridge, and put it on top of the stove to cook. He turned to face Laiksa, who had taken a seat at the table, leaning back against the countertop.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you end up in that pod?”

“It was part of my ship. I was in it when I crashed on Earth.”

“But the way you speak about your food and drink preferences…clearly you’ve spent time alive on earth.”

“I have.”

“Have you spent time with other humans before?”

Laiksa hesitated before slowly nodded.

“What happened? How did you end up back in your pod?”

A look of pure desperate grief crossed Laiksa’s face before they ducked their head and stared down at their lap as they softly replied, “I don’t remember.”

There was something about their tone of voice, about the look Henry had seen in their eyes before they’d hidden their face that told him that they were lying. As much as he wanted to push and prod at them to tell him the truth, if felt invasive and inappropriate when the two of them didn’t know each other all that well.

“I’m sorry that you don’t.” The kettle started whistling cheerfully and Henry busied himself making tea for both of them. It wasn’t until he was placing the mug in front of Laiksa that he realised he’d not even asked them how they liked their tea and had just made it the same as his. “I’m sorry, I usually ask my guests how they like their tea,” he apologised as he turned the handle towards Laiksa. “I can make you another cup if you’d like.”

Laiksa picked up the cup and smelled the tea delicately. “Black with a squeeze of lemon?”

“Uh, yes.”

“Then it’s just how I like it.” They smiled and took a sip, humming in appreciation.

Henry beamed and took a sip of his tea as well, before turning back to tend to the stew. The two ate in a comfortable silence and when they were finished, moved back to the living room to curl up in front of the fire.

“Where are you from?” Henry asked, turning to face Laiksa, who was curled into a ball, resting their cheek on top of their folded arms.

“A planet outside of this galaxy.”

“What’s it called?”

Laiksa made a strange noise and then laughed and said, “It has no human translation.”

“So I take it Laiksa isn’t your real name.”

“No; it was given to me by the first human I met on Earth.”

“What was their name.”

“Najwa; she was very dear to me.”

“What happened to her.”

“She died,” Laiksa said softly, turning their head towards the fire.

“I’m sorry.”

Laiksa hummed, their face full of grief, and Henry racked his mind for something else to talk about.

“So…how do you feel about music?”

Laiksa snorted and gave a dry chuckle before saying, “It is odd, but beautiful…a lot like its creators,” they said shyly, their eyes flicking towards Henry.

Henry felt his breath catch as their eyes met, and struggled to formulate a sentence before eventually managing to blurt out, “Do you have any favourites?”

“Hmm…I always liked the pieces with lots of different clashing sounds – no words, just instruments having a conversation.”

“I think you mean classical music,” Henry said with a smile, already loading some music on his laptop.

The sounds of Rachmaninov filled the room and Laiksa immediately smiled and hummed along while Henry rested his head in his arms and watched them affectionately. The music hadn’t been on long though when Laiksa started yawning loudly, their gaping mouth revealing several rows of tiny white nubs and a small blue tongue that Henry could help but stare at in fascination.

“I’m sorry, I never rest properly when I’m in stasis,” they apologised, blinking tiredly.

“No need to apologise. Let me show you to the spare room.”

Henry lead Laiksa to the spare room, and gave them some pyjamas before bidding them goodnight.

“Good night,” Laiksa replied with a soft smile as they closed the bedroom door.

Despite how his heart had been racing from being close to Laiksa, Henry suddenly felt exhausted. He sluggishly made sure that the house was locked up and that the fire was drying down and then made his way to his bedroom and collapsed in bed. He dreamed all night of being with Laiksa, except in the dreams he wasn’t himself; first he was a man called Julian, then a woman called Isabella, and then another person, and another, and another, all of the different people blending together into one large messy life, Laiksa looking happy, sad, and in love with every person, until suddenly he was Najwa. He was Najwa and she was with Laiksa who looked only happy, their eyes shining with love and they and Henry/Najwa embraced.

“Darling,” Laiksa crooned into his/her ear. “Light of my life; I would travel for a thousand lightyears more if it meant finding you.”

Henry/Najwa laughed and kissed them affectionately. “I have no idea what a lightyear is, but what you said sounds very romantic.”

Laiksa cradled his/her face in their hands and stared deeply into his/her eyes. “I love you.”

“And I love you,” Henry/Najwa replied earnestly before pulling them into a bruising kiss, that only grew in intensity as they pressed themselves against each other.

Henry/Najwa felt as though his/her head was swimming with desire; the slide of Laiksa’s mouth against his/hers, the feel of their tongue caressing his/hers, the way their hands ran possessively over his/her body, it was thrilling and addictive. Henry/Najwa was quickly coming undone from the passion and fervour of their embrace and all he/she could feel, all his/her body screamed for was to be closer, to have more contact, to expose him/herself completely and utterly to Laiksa and abandon him/herself to whatever they desired. Henry/Najwa frantically started pulling Laiksa’s clothes and Laiksa groaned and copied them, pulling his/her tunic aside, reaching out to caress his/her skin –

Henry awoke with a gasp, sitting upright in bed. His heart was pounding, his body shaking, and his mind was whirling from the intensity of the dream. It had felt so real, more like a memory than a dream. Henry shook his head and then rubbed his face tiredly as he tried to get his emotions and breathing under control. When that failed to work, he turned on his bedside lamp, picked up the book off the drawer and read until sleep claimed him again.

*

“I have to say, I’m a little…surprised at how well you’re taking this whole ‘finding a traveller from another planet’ thing,” Laiksa said conversationally the next morning as they were sat in the kitchen for breakfast. “You’re very calm. Unless I’m not the first alien you’ve met?”

“No you are. I don’t know, I feel like I already know you, or that I was meant to get to know you or something,” Henry said, frowning at how badly he was explaining himself. “I’ve always felt like there was something I was missing; I never thought it would be an alien,” he chuckled, “but when I met you it was like something…clicked into place.”

Laiksa regarded him closely, their expression unreadable. Eventually they smiled sadly and said, “I understand. I…I feel the same way,” the admitted, their expression twisting as though it pained them to.

“I’m glad,” Henry said softly. “I would really like to get to know you Laiksa. I have no real need to leave this place, so we have as long as we need.”

“And then?”

“And then we can decide what we want; personally I would like to take you home to England where I live, but it’s your decision what you do with your life.”

“How about we make that decision when the time comes,” Laiksa said gently, reaching across the table to take his hand.

Henry intertwined their fingers together and stared down at his dark brown fingers wrapped around their blue-green ones. It made him think about how other parts of their bodies would look intertwined and he shivered imperceptibly and quickly squeeze Laiksa’s hand before pulling away to finish eating.

For the next month Henry and Laiksa spent all their time together, sometimes in silence listening to music or reading side-by-side on the couch, sometimes hiking and exploring the area around themselves, Laiksa taking an extraordinary liking to using Henry’s digital camera to photograph everything around them, including multiple shots of Henry himself, or themself and Henry together. Mainly though, they spent their time together talking, about themselves, about growing up, about their families, about their thoughts and hopes and dreams. Henry loved to listen to Laiksa speak their language, and Laiksa loved to laugh at Henry’s attempts to reproduce the sounds they made. Since their first morning together when they had held hands, affectionate and playful contact became a normal and daily occurrence; they would hold hands and bump shoulders when walking, tangle their legs together while reading, lean against each other when talking or listening to music, or simply reach out to each other when sitting in silence or just passing each other in the house. The emotions which had burned so intensely within Henry when he had first met Laiksa had settled into a comfortable warm glow within him, a deep happiness and contentment he’d never thought he’d ever find. Their relationship unfurled and grew so naturally that by the time Laiksa leaned into his space and kissed him, it didn’t feel like the nervous excitement of a first kiss, it felt comfortable and warm; it felt like coming home and Henry let himself fall completely in to it as they clutched at each other and stumbled their way to the nearest bed. The next morning when Henry woke up and saw Laiksa lying beside him, their arms curled towards their body and their chest rising and falling with every breath, it was as though every emotion he had ever experienced around them had coalesced and then suddenly come into focus.

“I love you,” he said, a delighted smile spreading across his face.

He reached out and stroked Laiksa’s check, his smile so wide it hurt his jaw. “I love you Laiksa.”

Laiksa smiled back, pure happiness evident in their eyes, but still a hint of hurt and sadness underneath.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” they said quickly. They took his hand in theirs and kissed it several times. “I didn’t think I could feel this way again. I love you too Henry.”

They pulled Henry to them and he willingly went, rolling half way on top of them and leaning down to kiss their laughing mouth over and over again until they were both dizzy from it.

*

Henry barely made it to the toilet when bile rose up in his throat, forcing its way out of his mouth. He heaved and retched, his stomach muscles continuing to convulse even when there was nothing left to throw up. When it finally subsided he slumped against the toilet, legs sprawled underneath him as he rested his cheek against the seat. He drew a shaky breath, blinking back tears and waiting for the shaking to subside.

A cool hand touched the back of his neck and he leaned against it with a grateful moan as he turned his head to look at Laiksa who had crouched beside him, a glass of water in their other hand.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I must have eaten something dodgy or picked up a stomach bug; it’ll clear in a day or two.”

*

A week later, he was still throwing up every morning, and was starting to have trouble keeping fluids down. Laiksa did their best to keep him comfortable, feeding him plenty of soups and stomach medication, but nothing was helping.

“You need to go to a doctor,” Laiksa said firmly one morning while he was slumped over the toilet.

“It’s fine,” Henry said in a weak, dismissive voice.

“This is not fine Henry,” Laiksa snapped, waving a hand at him. “You’re sick, you need help, you need to go away from here, away from me.”

“What?” Henry asked, looking up dumbfounded at Laiksa’s sudden teary face. “If I go Laiksa you’re coming with me.”

“No I can’t.”

“I have a private jet; no one ever has to see you if you don’t want them to. It wouldn’t matter if they did; people would probably just think you’re some new kind of fae.”

“That’s not it Henry. I can’t go with you, you can’t be near me. You should never have been near me in the first place.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m the reason you’re sick,” Laiksa suddenly snapped, tears flowing down their cheeks. “I’m the reason you’re sick,” they said softly, as Henry continued to stare at them in confusion. “I’m the reason you’re going to die if you don’t leave here.”

Henry stared at them for a few moments more before he shook his head. “Okay, I’m confused. How are you the reason I’m sick? Also I’m not dying?”

Laiksa sighed and slowly wiped away their tears despite the fact that fresh ones continued to take their place. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

They picked Henry up and took him to the sitting room, bundling him under a mound of blankets before sitting beside him.

And then they started to talk.

They told him everything, starting with Najwa, her death, how they had sealed themself away in stasis afterwards, their heart broken, and how Najwa had found them again in her next lifetime as Giselle. How with every lifetime Laiksa had been found over and over again, and how every life time she had to watch her love die within months of them finding each other.

“It was the fifth life when I finally figured it out,” they told Henry sadly. “I told Victor that I couldn’t be out of my pod, that I was allergic to the atmosphere. I thought he would have gone away, but he simply stayed by my side. Months passed and he stayed healthy and well, and I thought that maybe everything would be okay so I left my pod…and he died just like the rest three months later. There is a pheromone that my species release when they are around their life mate; I can only assume that it is toxic to humans. I have spent time with other humans and they have never become ill; it’s only ever you Henry. You find me in every lifetime, and every single time I try to tell myself to push you away, to let you live a full life without me…but I’m weak and selfish and I want to be in love with you and I want you to fall in love with me. I tried hiding my pod in the middle of this wasteland, I thought you surely wouldn’t find me here and yet you did. You found me and I couldn’t say no to you and now you’re sick.” At these words Laiksa burst into tears, sobbing loudly.

Henry immediately wrapped his arms around them, rubbing their back soothingly.

“Shhh my love, it’s okay.”

“No it’s not; you’re dying and it’s because of me Henry, don’t you understand? If I wasn’t so selfish-”

Henry kissed Laiksa, pouring every ounce of love into it that he could. Laiksa whimpered and kissed him back with equal love and passion.

“I would rather live a thousand short lifetimes with you than one long one without,” he whispered in between their kisses.

Laiksa cried, and kissed him over and over again, murmuring, “I love you,” in every language they knew, both human and non-human, and Henry clung to them and let them, greedy for the words, greedy for their touches and kisses and everything else.

When they finally parted they lay together on the couch, Laiksa slumped over Henry’s lap.

“You still need to go,�� Laiksa said. “Being around me is only making the illness worse.”

“I can’t do that. But I do have an idea. You said it’s your pheromones that are toxic?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, then all we have to do is analyse the toxins and come up with an antibody – that way I can be cured. Eventually we could work on a neutraliser for it, so that I can be permanently immune to it.”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

“With advances in modern medicine I definitely do. At the very least, we can start the work here in this lifetime,” he said, taking Laiksa’s hand, stroking their knuckled gently. “If I die before we find anything, you take all our work with you into stasis and give it to the next me to find you. I don’t know how long it will take, but eventually you will have a cure. What do you think?”

“I think…that sounds amazing. Will you do me one favour though?”

“Anything.”

“Will you at least sleep in the stasis pod; it keeps your body in suspended animation so it will at least slow down the progress of the toxin.”

“Okay, I promise. I just don’t know if I’ll be able to make it to the pod from here.”

“It has a teleporter; how else do you think I managed to get it all the way out here?” Laiksa told him with a wry grin. “I’ll put it in my room.”

They left the living room; there was a swishing noise, followed by a thump, and Laiksa came back into the room announcing, “Done.” They settled down beside Henry, and the two spent the day on the couch, Laiksa alternating between feeding Henry, letting him nap, reading to him and chatting to him about his different ideas on how to isolate their pheromone and start work on an antidote. As the day ended, they carried Henry into their room and placed him in the pod.

“Goodnight Laiksa,” Henry murmured, his eyes already falling shut.

“Goodnight Henry,” Laiksa replied, kissing his forehead softly.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Laiksa closed the door of the pod and then pushed a sequence of buttons to activate the stasis state. Only when Henry was fully under did they allow the tears to fall from their eyes. They leaned their head against the glass and wailed in anguish, their chest heaving.

“I’m so sorry my love; I just cannot watch you die, not again. I will find the antidote and when I do I promise I will come back to you.” They kissed the glass softly, whispered, “I love you,” and then walked quickly out of the room, bitter tears streaming down their face.

[ramajmedia]

10 Things From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine That Haven't Aged Well

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was a monumental show for all the right reasons. The characters were well drawn out, a willingness to go against the grain of what made Star Trek special and were arguably the alternative for Star Trek fans. It also marked the first time that the lead was an African-American with a far more diverse cast than previous iterations.

RELATED: Star Trek TNG: 5 Relationships Fans Were Behind (& 5 They Rejected)

Despite the accolades the show received for its story arc, there will still some glaring things that have not stood the test of time. This might be nitpicking but it still has to be brought up in the conversation. Here are 10 things from the Star Trek: DSN that haven't aged well.

10 THE SPECIAL EFFECTS

Is this a fair call? In all honesty, it is. The effects were pretty good for the 1990s but pales in comparison to the effects of Star Trek films and even Star Trek: Discovery. Perhaps, the best effects were the character of Odo whose shapeshifting abilities were a highlight of the show. Due to their TV budgets, there was also so much that they could do. Thus, the focus was more on character and storytelling.

Were the effects better than the original TV show? By a huge margin. But like much of the special effects of the era, it was bound to not age well over time.

9 THE UNIFORM

This was another example of what limited budgets can do to a television show. Sure, it makes sense in a military outfit to have the same uniforms every day. But the distracting grey on the inside shirt, with the uniform on the outside just felt lazy. Possibly, this was done to make it seem different from Star Trek: TNG but it didn't go far enough.

RELATED: Star Trek: 10 Hidden Details About The Main Characters of DS9

By today's standards, the uniform feels like another bad example of 90's fashion trends. Towards the end of the show, the grey became the standard color for all of the whole fleet with the corresponding rank colors on the inside. If anything, this just confused viewers further.

8 CORNY FILLER STORIES

One of the issues with having a show that is 26 episodes per season is that writers run out of ideas. The show stood as a testament to other Star Trek shows due to its serious storylines and willingness to go deep into drama. But there were moments when Star Trek made poor choices with certain episodes. A big culprit of this trope was the Season seven episode, "Take Me Out to the Holosuite."

This took place after Sisko had returned to the space station dramatically and the federation was in the midst of a war. Going from that to silly comedy on the holosuite just didn't seem right in the grand scheme of things.

7 RELIGIOUS THEMES

When Gene Roddenberry envisioned Star Trek, it was meant to be an era that was devoid of religion. While religion could be used as a plot point, Star Trek DSN took it further with a willingness to explore supernatural concepts and using the Bajorans as a conduit for expressing issues with religions. They even made Sisko "an emissary" who eventually joined "the prophets" inside the wormhole.

This went against the grain of Star Trek. It's fair to say that while not all of the religious arc didn't make for good drama, it just doesn't hold up against current television shows exploring the same concepts.

6 MAKE-UP

Yes, the make-up doesn't hold up to today's standards. A character that is the best example of this is Odo. His face resembles a Mr. Potato Head, who forgot his nose in the toy rack. Some didn't have much going for it. Lt. Jadzia Dax just had spots across her temples and her neck.

RELATED: The 10 Biggest Deep Space Nine Twists and Reveals, Ranked

Sure, at the time, it was fine. But it doesn't come close to the sheer amazing work and detail viewers are treated in shows like Game of Thrones or The Umbrella Academy. It may have been praised but like everything else, they have become relics over the years.

5 THE SETTING

If anything about the show that didn't feel right, it was the setting. Most of Star Trek DSN was set on a space station and was the main plot of the show. But that made for a dreary landscape. There were episodes that the writers which forced Sisko and his crew to go on secret missions that broke the monotony of the background. But that just means that the writers knew they were handicapped by having the main setting be a space station.

Other Star Trek shows had the advantage of traveling to other worlds but this show was set on a space station. It's revealing that some of the better episodes of DSN took place off the space station.

4  A VAUDEVILLE VILLAIN

Like Batman and Robin, this show had too many villains. Who was the main baddie of the show? Gul Dukat, The Dominion, The Founders, etc. It's hard to figure out who the actual main villain of the show was. The show played fast and loose with the concept as The Founders who were Changelings became the official main villains.

Related: Star Trek: 10 DS9 Storylines That Were Never Resolved

Gul Dukat, who becomes the champion of the Pah-wraiths might as well been twirling his mustache at the end of all of it. Perhaps, the writers thought they were creating a layered three-dimensional villain but it came across as a character who would have better success in a silent film.

3 STEREOTYPICAL KLINGONS

Other than Worf, every Klingon who came on the show came across as one-note, brutish and non-existent. Granted, these were characters who were brought in for an episode but seemed to have only one mode of acting. Worf had the privilege of being a Star Trek: TNG original character and had years of writers contributing significantly to his character, allowing him to be more.

On the other hand, guest characters like Gowron seemed to be stuck in an angry and conniving mode the whole time. Even Martok seemed to suffer from not being to emote anything beyond brutish anger. Perhaps, this was the issue of writers devoting more time to central characters than the guest cast.

2 STANDALONE EPISODES IN PLACE OF STORY ARC

One of the hallmarks of Star Trek DSN was that it was telling an evolving serialized storyline over many seasons and episodes. This was very different from its sister TNG which had a static episodic format. But the problem was having an episode in the middle of an overarching story takes the viewer out.

For example, take the episode "Little Green Men." While the episode is hilarious with Ferengi being thrown back in time to clash with 1947 Roswell, it still takes away from the DSN structure that was established. It didn't move any character forward but was a sideshow. It lacks the ability to tell isolated stories within the framework of a larger storyline. A show that did this well was Breaking Bad, which moved the characters forward in a story that seemed separate from the rest of the show.

1  THE BABYLON 5 COMPARISON

This is the big elephant in the room. Science fiction fans have argued for many years that Deep Space Nine was a ripoff of Babylon 5. Both shows had the space station as the main backdrop to the story and it had a similar overarching storyline that developed over many episodes and seasons.

It's very possible that the idea for the original premise may have been taken from Babylon 5, the story structures, characters, and situations are still vastly different. But fans will never let this go. And it is this glaring fact that hasn't served the show well in subsequent years.

NEXT: 10 Things From The Original Star Trek TNG That Haven't Aged Well

source https://screenrant.com/star-trek-deep-space-nine-havent-aged-well/

[shannrussell-blog1]

So, you’ve decided to finally bite the bullet and start training and planning for a huge multi-day hike. Whether it’s Larapinta, Bibbulman, or the Overland track – one thing you need to start thinking about is the kind of food you’ll need to fuel your body for the entire journey.

How much weight should I allow for food each day?

You should allow for approximately 700g – 1kg on average of food per day, depending on how much you know your body will need. It’s also a good idea to bring extra food in case you need it – an extra meal plus snacks should do the trick, just in case you have to spend an extra night on the trail.

Where can I get lightweight hiking food?

Meal prep for hiking is as easy as jumping in the car and heading down to your local shops, so you won’t need to stray far to get mostly everything you need. You can buy all your condiments, snacks, breakfast, lunch and dinners from the supermarket, and then for more specialised items like freeze dried meals – head to your favourite online camping or hiking store.

Here’s what approximately a day’s worth of food might look like. 

How should I pack my meals?

The best way to go about it is to do a little bit of food prep and planning in the week or days leading up to your trip (the night before is not a good idea!). Remove all excess packaging that you don’t need to bring with you, as that will just weigh you down, and take up valuable space in your pack. Ziplock bags are perfect for hiking, as they form a tight seal that won’t leak, they’re super lightweight, and they’ll keep your meals fresh.

Pre-mix your meals e.g. put your muesli, powdered milk, and dried fruit together- and label each bag carefully with the day number, meal, and even what’s in it (you’d be surprised at how similar food can look in low light conditions) so you know exactly what it is, and when you’re going to eat it.

You can also separate your meals into different bags in your pack, as that might make it easier rather than sorting through lunch and dinners looking for your morning brekkie.

Ziplock bags are a lightweight, and easy way to pack your meals and keep them fresh.

Breakfast

Depending on your schedule you may want to cook something that involves the least amount of prep time as possible such as a muesli or power bar, or you might want to put something warm in your belly to start the day – especially on a chilly morning!

Instant oatmeal with some honey, fruit or nuts added is a solid choice that’s a good start to a long day of hiking. If you’re set on a cooked breakfast, you could bring instant pancake mix, so all you have to do is add water and shake and you’ll be on your way to a hot breakfast on the trail.

Don’t forget a cup of tea or coffee as well to get you going!

Food ideas for breakfast

Instant Oatmeal

Muesli

Cereals

Powdered milk

Pre-made pancake mix

Muesli, protein or

Protein and carbs are just what you need after a long day of trekking. 

Dinner

If you’re more of a gourmet eater, you might prefer preparing your own meals on the trail. If you pack staple carbs such as instant rice, pasta, couscous or noodles, and then add some protein, dried vegetables, and sauces or spices – you’ll have a pretty tasty meal that will provide you with the protein, carbohydrates and fats you need after a long day of exertion.

You do want to provide yourself with options, as the same meal 7 nights in a row will get pretty tiresome. When coming up with your hiking menu, also check how long it will take to cook certain foods as the longer the cook time – the more fuel you’ll have to bring.

For example, something like quinoa might not be the best food to take on a hike, as it takes around 15 minutes to cook – which isn’t the best use of your precious fuel.

Food ideas for hiking dinners

Fast cooking rice

Pasta

Couscous

Noodles

Tuna, salmon, or sardines in a packet (not a tin)

Jerky, salami, or other dried meat

Cheese such as gouda or cheddar

Lentils

Dried vegetables

Instant mash potato

Dinner can be as simple as adding a sauce to pasta, or you can get a little more creative. 

Freeze dried meals

If you know that you’ll be a complete zombie after an intensely long day of hiking, then you might want to consider bringing freeze dried pre-packaged meals.

Freeze dried meals are a great option as they’re lightweight, involve very little preparation, and come in an array of different options from

All you have to do is boil water, add it to the pack, let it stand for 10 minutes, and the meal is ready to eat. They do end up costing a little more than if you prepared it yourself, but for some, it’s well worth it for the convenience alone.

It can be difficult to guess how much water to add to your freeze dried foods, so a good tip is to take a drink bottle with measurements on the side, so you don’t go overboard and end up with watery food. If you’re eating straight from the packet, it’s also useful to take a longer spoon or fork to stir with – that way your hands won’t get grubby in the packet.

Serving wise, if you normally have a big appetite, then definitely go for a double size – you’ll be starving after hours of trekking and you don’t want to go to bed hungry. Freeze dried meals also come in 

Freeze dried meals are a convenient and lightweight menu choice that makes food planning a little easier. 

Dehydrate your own food

If you prefer for your ingredients to have as little preservatives and additives as possible, then dehydrating your own fruits and vegetables may be right up your alley.

Dehydrating food is cheaper than buying freeze dried meals and it’s a great option for when you want to add more texture and flavour to starchy meals, but it’ll involve a little more effort on your part.

Dehydrating reduces the volume and weight, but it requires a little extra water and time to rehydrate. Plus it has the tendency to be a little more on the chewy side once rehydrated – so that’s something to keep in mind.

Snacks

Regularly refuelling your body as you hike is very important to keep your energy levels up, and to also treat yourself when you take a break from the trek. It’s best to keep snacks in an accessible area, like the hip belt or side pockets of your pack so you don’t have to sort through your pack to find them.

Snacks to bring on the trail

Dried fruit, or fruit leather

Nuts and seeds

Chocolate

Nut butters

Muesli bars, protein bars,

Instant pudding

Powdered custard

Lollies

Grazing throughout the hike is important to make sure that you don’t deplete your energy levels. 

Condiments and spices

Whilst almost anything will taste great when you’re that tired after a long day, you’ll be patting yourself on the back later for bringing along various condiments and spices to make your evening meal as delicious as possible.

Bring along a selection of your favourites, so you don’t get too tired of the same basic meal each day. If you’re pre-packaging each meal into a ziplock bag, you can add it straight in, or carry it separately if you’d prefer to add to taste as you go.

Condiments and spices to pack

Curry powder

Tomato paste

Garlic and onion flakes

Capers

Olives

Sun-dried tomatoes

Parmesan cheese

Chili flakes

Jam

Honey, rice or malt syrup

Packet sauces

Powdered sauces

Hummus

Tahini

Sauces

Salt and pepper

Beverages

If you’re a serious caffeine fiend, then you’re probably rather attached to your coffee machine at home. If the thought of granulated coffee touching your lips sends involuntary shivers up your spine, then perhaps a lightweight espresso maker made just for hiking, may be worth an extra 200-300g in your pack.

Not everyone is fussed about taste, so if this is you – then just pack plenty of tea bags and granulated coffee for your early morning caffeine kick.

During the day, a smoothie or hydration drink is nice to break up the monotony of plain water now and again, and in the evenings a sachet of hot chocolate or Milo can go down a treat on a chilly evening before bed.

Beverages to take

Instant coffee

Powdered milk

Tea bags

Freeze dried or powdered smoothies

Hot chocolate sachets / Milo

Take along several different drinks to mix it up, as it’s important to stay motivated to drink fluids on the trail. 

Top 5 meal planning tips for multi-day hikes

Make sure you give some of the recipes you’re planning a test run before you go. This way you’ll know what meals you’re going to enjoy and get the most out of on the trail.

Variety is very important for longer trips. This helps to keep you motivated to fuel your body for the entire trek.

If you want to be super organised, use a spreadsheet to record your food (and gear). This way you can weigh and add up the total weight and also how much energy you’ll get per day.

If you’re a big eater, try to find ways to cut down on weight in other areas of your pack so that you can take more food with you.

Pack some food that doesn’t have to be cooked in your stove breaks or you run out of fuel.

Do you have any excellent tips for packing your food like a pro? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Food Planning Tips for a Multi-Day Hike appeared first on Snowys Blog.

[lowcarbnutrients]

You Can Feed Your Family Tasty Yet Nutritious Meals

Following a healthy and balanced diet plan is necessary - however individuals have different demands. This write-up will aid you to identify your nutritional demands, as well as the simplest method to include them on a daily basis.

Quinoa can help you keep healthy protein in your diet plan while cutting down on red meats. Quinoa is a vegetarian pleasure that is full of essential amino acids. In enhancement, it has lots of vitamins needed for a healthy body, as well as it's also without gluten. Because Quinoa has a light as well as nutty flavor, it also tastes excellent, so you're specific to appreciate it.

When you head out to consume, break up your meal with the individual you're eating with. Also regular entrees that aren't that big consist of too much food in some cases, and that can include a great deal of fat and calories to your diet regimen. Splitting a meal not just conserves you calories, it saves cash too. You can head out to eat without feeling too guilty!

Try consuming a range of foods like nuts, low-fat dairy products, fish, various sorts of fresh fruit and vegetables, and entire grains. This makes sure you get the necessary nutrients without purchasing supplements.

Have fun when attempting new foods by urging your children to tell you what they consider the foods they are attempting. You might interest them by describing the texture.

In order to reduced clinical depression threat normally, consume foods that have Vitamin B6. Clinical depression is typically triggered by an imbalance in serotonin, as well as vitamin B6 regulates serotonin levels. Things like asparagus and poultry bust both have enough quantities of vitamin B6. Obtaining enough B6 is actually useful in the winter season months.

Always prepare mushrooms thoroughly. Mushrooms contain carcinogens that can be broken down by appropriate preparation. If you are aware of your wellness and adhere to general standards, you ensure that you will certainly have a much easier time reducing weight and burning fat.

Having a prepared food selection to make selections from will aid you not drop the quick as well as unhealthy course for dinner. You will have a variety of dish suggestions prepared at a minute's notification, so monotony is not a problem.

Pregnant females should limit fried foods and also sweets. A basic replacement can work to please your cravings. Do not feel guilty if you indulge periodically, however selecting a nourishing option instead will certainly benefit your child in the long run.

A common staple to lots of meals is potato items, like french fries. Numerous times we believe that a meal is incomplete unless we have some type of potato meal on the table. Fresh vegetables are a terrific substitute.

Don' t include salt to boiling water. Including salt includes extra salt to what you're cooking, and also that's bad. You do not require the salt to cook it, so simply wait the added mins for your water to boil.

Fresh beetroots benefit you. Canned ones are not. Fresh beetroots are high in fiber and also minerals, but the tinned variety is frequently filled with salt. Rapidly steam beet eco-friendlies as well as add them to your salad.

Be smart when you look for whole grain foods. A brownish shade does not always suggests the food includes whole grains. For example, an item called '100% wheat', 'multi-grain', 'fractured wheat' or 'stone-ground' is not a guarantee that it is 100% entire grain. Always discuss the listing of active ingredients and the table of dietary values.

One can improve the dietary value of one's diet by utilizing healthy and balanced approaches of food prep work. You can minimize the quantity of fat needed to prepare food if you steam, vapor or bake as opposed to fry with oil. If possible, you can choose to reduce the amount of oil, oil or butter by simply utilizing much less. Preparing your meals in a healthy and balanced means enables you to eat more nutritious foods.

Foods that contain folic acid, zinc and also lean healthy proteins are helpful for the hair. A protein element called keratin is what your hair is composed of and what makes it prosper. It will need folic acid and also zinc to stay glossy and also smooth. Foods which contain these nutrients include avocados, beans, and also seafood.

Take all unhealthy foods out of your residence. Purchase things that benefit you like snacks, beans, entire grains, or veggies.

If your digestion has actually been less than excellent since late, you may want to try a purifying fruit or juice diet regimen. A fruit diet plan is not just tasty yet offers you with a lots of fiber to obtain your digestion system back on track.

It's important that you recognize just how to eat a balanced diet. When planning dishes and treats ahead of time, it's important to follow a specific proportion regarding the nutrients you will certainly eat. An excellent step would certainly be fifty percent carbs, twenty percent protein and thirty percent fat at each meal.

A juicer is a fantastic means to obtain in the vitamins, minerals, vegetables and fruits that you require daily. Adding vegetables to a fruit juice mix can offer a terrific taste sensation. Attempt including ginger to carrot apple juice for some zip. Perhaps you want something spicy? Attempt adding half a jalapeno.

Over time, slowly reduce your intake of salt as well as sugar by decreasing it little by little in your dishes. Your taste may notice at initially, but with time they will readjust and your diet will certainly end up being a lot more health-promoting. By reducing your consumption gradually, you will certainly not be as most likely to see the modifications and it will certainly make it much easier.

There are many affordable products that you can use to maintain in form while in the house. These items make it simpler for you to attain your goal of having an excellent body.

Check your urine, a dark color and also a strong smell show that you are not obtaining enough water. If your pee is a lighter color, you can be sure you are getting adequate fluids.

Creating a prepare for great nutrition begins with discovering all you can. Preserving your health via nutrition is the most effective way to manage whatever life brings to your feet each day.

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[thev2magzine-blog]

What are the healthy foods to lose weight ?

What are healthy foods to lose weight? Why it is necessary? We all live in a busy world with no time to spare on actually living life. Advancements in technology have actually made life easier for us by reducing the amount of manual labor requires the cost of manual labor and materials and the time spent in manual labor. But just because everything is easy, it does not mean that work became easier. Since tremendous amounts of information can be processed in a matter of hours, compared to days, hence the workload has been significantly increased and the amount of human labor decreased. So what do we infer from all of this information? How would increase workload be linked with weight? Why talk about technology while discussing health and diet? But it all adds up, actually. Working with technology has made man’s work more sedentary rather than active.  Hence it is good to eat healthy foods to lose weight. Since man spends the majority of his time at work, it can be clearly stated that his type of work largely influences his lifestyle; hence a sedentary lifestyle. This sedentary lifestyle leads to poor health and increased weight gain, resulting in chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cardiac diseases and hypertension, and obesity. Voila! Link established. So how do we break this cycle? By changing it, of course. But sadly, such a task is no easy feat. Related: 10 best exercises to lose weight  To change one’s lifestyle can have serious repercussions on one’s entire life. So what exactly can we do? That’s where smart work comes. Hard work is, well, hard. Not everyone is capable of hard work. Here hard work refers to extreme weight loss and exercising. It is not everyone’s cup of tea. That’s where smart work comes in; we try to elicit maximum results through minimum change. The good news is that such a change in diet is not strict and orderly, like in an extreme fitness diet. So below are ten healthy foods that will help you lose your weight

1. Oatmeal

There is nothing as wholesome as oatmeal. Oats are considered to be whole grain. They are low in caloric value and very nutritious. Oatmeal is a rich source of fiber, minerals such as calcium and iron, healthy proteins and low fat. Hence they are the healthy foods to lose weight. They are proven to reduce hypertension, aid in digestion and reduce the risk of cardiac diseases. But the only disadvantage with oatmeal is that it is difficult to follow owing to its monotony and its low caloric value. But this can be easily overcome by adding fruits and vegetable as a supplement to the original oatmeal diet, thus helping overcome monotony and providing the body with necessary energy (through the fruits and vegetables) while losing weight at the same time. Related: Top 5 tips on how to lose fat fast

2. Lean Proteins

It includes low-fat proteins such as egg, beans, skinless poultry, nuts, fish, crabs, and shrimp. Lean proteins help provide the body with necessary protein. Other than that, it helps provide some scope for controlled and healthy indulgence which aids in breaking the monotony and motivating a person to follow the diet. For meat eaters, seafood and boiled eggs are very good and healthy compared to other meats. Beans and nuts are rich sources of lean proteins if one is a vegetarian.  Include lean proteins as they are one of the best healthy foods to lose weight. Related: 30 day diet plan to lose weight safe and fast

3. Fruits

Fruits are low in calories. They are loaded with nutrients required to fight diseases and to add natural sweetness to one’s diet. They are the best and most healthy snack if you want to lose weight. Fruits which have a high water content such as watermelons, oranges, grapes, lemons, and cranberries are the best for weight loss. But all other forms of fruits are also good. Fruit juices on a daily basis are recommended.

4. Vegetables

Carrots, mushrooms, cucumbers, celery, cauliflower and all forms of green leaves are very important components in your weight loss plan. The goal should be to increase the consumption of the above-mentioned veggies and reduce or even replace starchy veggies such as potatoes and starchy grains such as rice. Veggies are the best food if you want to lose weight, with visible results in three days. No matter how much veggies you eat, there will be a distinct weight loss compared to consuming meat. So, if possible, I would even recommend you choosing veganism.  Include more green foods as they are healthy foods to lose weight. Related: Top 5 tips to lose weight in a week

5. Yogurt

Plain, unsweetened yogurt is the only yogurt that one must consume for effective weight loss. Apart from being low in sugar and high in protein, it is also a probiotic, meaning that it increases the ration of good bacteria in the stomach thus contributing to weight loss. Yogurt can be used as a snack or a substitute to cream and cheese in cooking.

6. Soup

Making your solid meals watery like a soup is very good food for weight loss. It reduces both the caloric value of the meal and your appetite. The high water content in the soup itself is a prime reason for soup to leave you feeling full.

7. Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is the healthiest kind of cheese. It is rich in proteins and low in fat. It’s high calcium content aid in weight loss. Apart from being delicious it also leaves you with a relatively full stomach. Include non-processed cheese as they are healthy foods to lose weight.  

8. Chia seeds

Chia seeds are low carb and high in fiber. They do not directly contribute to weight loss but indirectly facilitate it by reducing appetite. This is due to the chia seeds being water absorbent and turning into a gel-like substance inside the stomach, thus filling it up. They are rich in nutrients.

9. Chili

Chili is known to reduce appetite and increase fat burning, i.e. metabolism. But this is found to be ineffective in people accustomed to spicy food.

10. Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolates in small quantities are known to lower blood pressure, help control appetite, increase metabolism and reduce fat. When taken in moderation it helps reduce the risk of hypertension, diabetes and cardiac diseases.   Read the full article