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8 Red Flags I Know To Watch Out For After Being A Victim Of Financial Abuse

I’m in my thirties, and the first time I heard the term “financial abuse” was a little less than two years ago. After being divorced for a few years and working my way back up from financial rock bottom, it dawned on me that I’d never even considered what had happened to me as abuse — but it really was. I was familiar with the other forms of abuse that are often talked about, and I was taken advantage of and emotionally abused in my former relationship, for sure. But losing control of my money, my financial decisions, and my credit affected my life with long-lasting effects.

As this article from Bustle claims:

Women are far more likely to experience financial abuse than physical abuse by their partners. The organization Purple Purse explains that 99 percent of domestic abuse situations (which can happen in all kinds of relationships, including family relationships or friendships) are believed to involve financial control and coercion.

Looking back, I wish I had been more aware of the little red flags that started showing up in alarming displays — and I wish I’d known of others who had come forward with their stories so I would have known better.

I was only 22 years old when I started dating my ex-husband, Rob*. I knew him for a year or so before I began dating him, and while I had heard things through our group of friends, I was sure none of it was true once we began dating. Rob had a good job, a nice apartment, and was “adulting” much better than any of the rest of my friends at that time. He seemed caring and attentive, and I got caught up in our new relationship. I moved in with him within three months, which was my first big mistake.

Moving in with someone so fast (and so young) really opens your eyes quickly. I started to see little red flags — Rob was very good at getting what he wanted by bullshitting (it truly is an art) and wasn’t above lying to others or even stealing, though his definition of that was pretty loose. He would make friends with people, and I’d see them giving him “gifts” — either money or actual gifts (that he would then sell for cash). One such person was an older lady who lived in our apartment building. Despite all the ways my body was screaming at me that something seemed off, he laughed and insisted she just saw him as the grandson she never had and that she had no other family. I found out years later that she was handing him upwards of $400 a week, and he was addicted to pain pills. Rob knew how to target vulnerable people, but I didn’t realize yet that I was one of his victims.

At this point, we were a year in, and our relationship had started to lose that patina of newness. Our fights started to include insults, which quickly turned venomous — it was so unhealthy, yet had somehow become our norm. After every fight, Rob would apologize profusely; I moved out once, but he convinced me to come back by saying how much he loved me and was invested in our relationship. Around this time, he got injured at work and was on worker’s comp for nearly a year. This started a pattern in which he would get a job, then get injured again and go on disability. Rob also took control of our finances and started to nitpick how I spent money. I didn’t realize I was changing my behavior to avoid fights, but he was grooming me. Within two years, Rob proposed to me, and I found out I was pregnant a quick four months later. So much was happening that I couldn’t think straight.

I’ll admit I wasn’t sure that I should marry Rob — he had proposed somewhat unexpectedly, and I had lots of doubts. However, once I found out I was pregnant, I really committed to him and to our family. I felt stuck, like I had no other choice because he would be in my (and my son’s) life no matter what. Plus, my sister had gotten divorced and it seemed like such a dirty word at the time; she was struggling on her own. I know now that there are always other options (and being divorced is certainly not the worst of them).

Once I was pregnant, everything started to dissolve and roll downhill. It was at this time that he admitted he was addicted to pain medication; he only admitted it to me because he had stolen my insurance card from my wallet and had gotten caught by the DEA, who was investigating the doctor he was seeing. I was terrified because I thought I was going to go to jail for something I knew nothing about. The spiral of fear, shame, and embarrassment was indescribable. He convinced me to put a retainer for an attorney on my credit card so that no one would find out. The DEA were really only interested in the doctor, so the “problem” went away. Rob cried about his addiction and how much he needed my help. I vowed to stand by his side and help him through it as a team. A few months after my son was born, we married. He knew he had me now.

Rob started spending money as he wished despite many conversations where I explained there wasn’t enough. I wasn’t sure if it was on drugs or other things, but it started not to matter; my feelings fell on deaf ears. I was the only one working, the only one bringing in an income, and I was drowning trying to keep us afloat. When I had enough of it all, I would ask him to leave; Rob refused. He claimed renter’s rights and started to recite them when we would argue — I had included him on the lease, so whether he was actually paying for the apartment or not was a moot point. I wasn’t even sure if he was right, but I was too scared to push. I couldn’t do it with him, how would I do it without him, and with a new baby?

The biggest advantage he held over me was my shame and embarrassment — for being with him, his addiction, and not wanting to let on to my family what was really going on (or how unhappy I was). He had successfully isolated me from both my friends and my family, and I felt like telling them the truth was out of the question. When we would fight, he would grab my wallet and my credit cards and threaten to go “spend my money” — and what could I do then? When I would try to grab them back, he’d wave his arm up in the air and scream for me to “stop hitting him” in hopes our neighbors would hear. He had no limits — he excelled at pushing buttons, and in turn, perfected reacting calmly to make me even more irate (and question if I was the problem, like he would say I was, as he gaslighted me). He simply used my fear of admitting failure to keep ruining my life because he knew I was too afraid to leave. We were evicted from our apartment for failure to pay, and on my first Mother’s Day, I was busy unpacking boxes in my new home — my in-laws’ house. I watched as everything I had go to ruin — my savings, my credit score, and most of all, my pride.

My son was 4 months old when Rob announced he was going to rehab — he left a day later, and I was left figuring out how to pay for his needs there (my insurance paid for his stay, but I was responsible otherwise), rearranging my work schedule without letting on what was really happening at home (again, the shame), and most of all, taking care of my 4-month-old and simultaneously taking care of myself. At this time, piles of bills began to come in the mail — bills I didn’t recognize. It was then that I realized he had opened accounts in my name — even my engagement ring was bought in my name. I fell into a deep depression.

I felt betrayed, but mostly very stupid. Even recalling this, I’m not sure how I managed to look the other way so many times; sometimes it is more difficult to admit there’s something wrong than to pretend there isn’t a problem and brush it off. Denial is a powerful force. I also felt very hopeless — in fact, I wasn’t able to leave him. I was still too embarrassed to admit the truth to my family, and not sure how I would afford childcare on my own. People say “just leave,” but it’s not that simple with a young child. We were now living in an apartment I rented from a family member, so he again had it over my head — he refused to leave “his” apartment. He used me for a little bit longer until he met another woman; it wasn’t until he decided to leave me two years later that I was able to start rebuilding my life. I had to file bankruptcy and work slowly to get back to where I was, but there is hope — I have a better life today than I did then, and I am solely providing for my son.

From enduring all of this, here are the signs of financial abuse I now know to watch out for:

1. Your partner acts in ways that sabotage your career or your job. 2. Money is missing from your account(s). 3. Your partner pressures you to make certain financial choices, or sign documents you don’t want to sign. 4. Your partner scrutinizes and criticizes your spending, even while they spend freely (and carelessly). 5. Your partner expects you to bail them out of sticky situations. 6. They convince you to put everything in your name (apartment, house, car, etc.) because you have better credit (until they ruin it). 7. Your partner handles the mail and you never see what is coming in. 8. Your partner refuses to work; or alternately, refuses to let you work, holding control over you/the money.

I now know that I should have confided in my friends and family the minute something was off; keeping up a facade didn’t help anyone, and people that love you know when you’re unhappy anyway. I could have saved myself years of struggling if I had recognized the signs and spoken up. Keep an eye out for these signs of financial abuse to protect yourself — and your bank account.

*name has been changed

Karen works in the beauty industry by day and is a freelance writer by night. She loves goofing off with her son, good music, and a full glass of rosé.

Image via Unsplash

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Source: https://thefinancialdiet.com/8-red-flags-i-know-to-watch-out-for-after-being-a-victim-of-financial-abuse/

[chimeperson23-blog]

El azúcar, esa dulce pesadilla

Source: https://dieta-paleolitica.blogspot.com/2018/08/el-azucar-esa-dulce-pesadilla.html

[chimeperson23-blog]

3 Ways Your Diet Impacts Work Performance - Forbes

A major deadline is about to hit, you have been working all day and now into the night. With all this craziness you have only stopped to grab the next cup of coffee or a muffin from your local cafe before you get right back to the grind.

This may feel exhilarating at first, but it isn’t going to create peak performance and help you stay productive.  

Consider this, your mind is a muscle, it is a professional athlete in the creative and business world. Like all pros, you need to take care of yourself, recover, and yes, be fueled properly.

Yep, you heard me put that candy bar down right now.  

The next time you are tempted to neglect your nutrition consider these three ways it will impact your performance and how to combat it during times of stress.

1. Productivity will take a hit.

A typical breakfast consists of cereal, toast, muffins and fruit. But is all that early morning carbohydrate loading going to help you all day?

Research shows that high carbohydrate breakfasts similar to those of a standard America diet cause substantial impact to brain tryptophan levels and serotonin synthesis. What this means is, when you eat a lot of carbohydrates in one sitting your productivity takes a major hit. Your mood and cognition are greatly impacted and lead to fluctuations and reduction in your ability to focus and complete tasks.

That sounds like a recipe for disaster. But it can be fixed by having breakfast with varied nutrients if you spend a little time at the beginning of the week preparing. The more you can do upfront, the less you have to worry as the week rolls on.  

Hard boil some eggs and grab a few beneficial fruits from the store. Eggs contain choline a nutrient that improves memory and reaction time while providing protein to your diet. Have these on hand along with a banana. Did you know your brain functions best with 25 mg of glucose circulating, this is about the same amount of what is in a banana.

When you have easy to grab food on hand you are better equipped to make the right choices and stay productive.  

2. Self-control goes out of the window.

Don’t make a big work or life decision when you are hungry! 

Consuming foods with a high glycemic index value cause blood sugar levels to spike. These spikes send your energy through the roof for a short period of time only to plummet into a deep decline. Not only will you lose energy, but you will quickly be hungry again.

When you are hungry your stomach releases the hormone ghrelin. Research has found that this hormone impacts impulsivity and decision-making capabilities. When you are hungry or consume a food that causes your blood sugar to drop drastically your ability to delay gratification and make the conscious best decision becomes seemingly impossible.

Fill your lunch with rolled oats, sweet potatoes and dark leafy greens to get the most nutrients with the lowest glycemic index. This will lead you into the remainder of the day able to make smart decisions with long term gratification and goals in mind.

3. Exhaustion kicks into your daily life.

Dietary patterns impact not only your ability to function productively during the day but also make a major influence on nighttime sleep and recovery. The more you can align your diet with your natural clock and circadian rhythms the better rest and recovery you will receive.  

When a late night at the office hits, resist the urge to consume that final cup of coffee, the caffeine half-life will lead long into the hours (five to six) after you drink it putting a damper on your sleep quality. And don’t eat that big meal when you get home before hopping into bed. This is like telling your body it’s time to fuel up and keep going, not wind down to rest.

Research recommends eating the largest meal of the day in the morning to fuel you for the day and to consume milk products, fish and vegetables in the evening to promote higher sleep quality.  

It might be tempting to not worry about what you eat when working long hours, but if you can spend a little time each week in preparation and planning your diet will take a major boost, and so will your work performance.

Remember, you are what you eat, and you work how you eat. So do it right!  

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2019/08/06/3-ways-your-diet-impacts-work-performance/

[chimeperson23-blog]

FIRST MARKET OF 2019

Once again I'm thinking, what the hell am I doing these markets for? I hate getting up so early. And then setting up is a right fag... and waiting for customers to even stop and look! I hate all of it.  So... once again... why am I doing it? I suppose two reasons. 1. It gives me a reason to keep sewing stuff. 2. It pays for my hobby and a bit on the top. *sigh*   ... let's see how today goes eh?  If it sucks then I will once again be seriously re-considering doing markets! Stew is taking me down at 6.50 am, then I shall set up in time for 'opening' at 8.  Griffin is going to come down and keep me company a bit later on in the morning... unless he pikes out and stays in bed.  I would if I was a teenager! Today will be the first time I have my 'House Runners' out in public.  I wonder if they get any interest?  Hmmmm... I hope so cos they were fun to make. Today is Stew's last day on holiday.  He's NOT looking forward to tomorrow... for sure. Griffin has three more weeks before school starts. Brylee is done with school, which feels weird. But, hopefully in the next few months she will have an almost full time job and will be financially independent, if still living at home. Right, enough yabber... I  have to get moving.  *sigh* Catch ya later on, after market... so around 2 pm. ONWARD... 1.30 pm:  Sorry folks... it was a complete waste of time today! I should have stayed in bed.  Seriously, I'm pretty sure I'm done with the Cambridge Market. I will keep doing the Bi-annual Church market, and the market at the Tamahere School 3 times a year, but that is all. I'm done doing all that work, getting up early, standing around for hours on end and  freezing my buns off in winter for nothing. And I'm SICK TO DEATH of people saying "Oh isn't it lovely, what beautiful work"... then friggin well walking off, having bought nothing.   And now... I'm gunna have something to eat then take a bloody NANA NAP! I'm off to the movies tonight with some FBG friends, we are going to see Bohemian Rhapsody.... I'm expecting it to be FANTASTIC, as it won all those Golden Globe awards. Home from the movie... Griffin joined me and 7 other FGB girls.  It was an awesome movie, I now see why it won so many Golden Globe awards.  I loved it, so did Griffin and me girlfriends. Super tired now, signing off for the day.

Source: https://diet-coke-rocks.blogspot.com/2019/01/first-market-of-2019.html

[chimeperson23-blog]

Artikel: 80 Jahre Gauhaus in Innsbruck

80 Jahre Gauhaus in Innsbruck

Am 15. Oktober 1938 wurde mit den Arbeiten an jenem „gewaltigen Bau“ begonnen, „der künftighin als Sitz der Gauleitung ein neues Wahrzeichen des nationalsozialistischen Aufbauwillens in unserem Gau darstellen wird“. Dieses größte öffentliche Bauvorhaben in der Gauhauptstadt Innsbruck während der NS-Zeit, das in der Folge auch als lokale Reichskanzlei (Reichsstatthalterei) dienen sollte, nennt sich heute Neues Landhaus und ist Sitz der Tiroler Landesregierung.

Beim Gauhaus/Landhaus handelt es sich um den bedeutendsten Nazi-Repräsentationsbau Tirols. Errichtet wurde es nach Plänen der beiden im Sudetenland geborenen Brüder Walther und Ewald Guth, die aus einem nach dem „Anschluss“ eilig abgehaltenen Wettbewerb als Sieger hervorgegangen waren. Es handelt sich um systemloyale Staatskunst für die neuen Machthaber, die vor allem im vorspringenden blockhaften Eingangsbereich stark an die neue Reichskanzlei in Berlin von Albert Speer erinnert. Die monumentalen Säulen sollen die Stabilität des neuen Regimes symbolisieren, und die wuchtige Symmetrie der mit über 85 Metern Länge breit dastehenden Südfront soll der tausendjährigen Dauer des angebrochenen Dritten Reiches Ausdruck verleihen.

Das siegreiche Modell der Architektenbrüder Walther und Ewald Guth, hier ausgestellt im Sitzungssaal des Tiroler Landtages

Es ist NS-Herrschaftsarchitektur, nichts anderes. Der Grundriss des Gauhauses/Landhauses soll einem auffliegenden Adler nachempfunden sein, vielleicht auch dem Reichsadler, ein Zugriff auf einen tiefsitzenden völkischen Mythos jedenfalls.

Sprechende Architektur

„Weil wir an die Ewigkeit dieses Reiches glauben, sollen auch diese Werke ewige sein, (…) sollen diese Bauwerke nicht gedacht sein für das Jahr 1940, auch nicht für das Jahr 2000, sondern sie sollen hineinragen gleich den Domen unserer Vergangenheit in die Jahrtausende der Zukunft.“

Adolf Hitler am Reichsparteitag in Nürnberg, 1937

Wie eine Befestigungsanlage steht dieser Nazi-Bau da, wie ein Schutzwall gegen das eigene Volk, ein Sperrriegel, monoton, kantig, klotzig, als Bollwerk des NS-Systems. Hier wurden ungeheure Verbrechen geplant und deren Ausführung angeordnet. Das Gauhaus ist gebaute, zu Stein gewordene Ideologie. So sehr es den Intentionen der Hitlerdiktatur entsprochen hat, so wenig entspricht es denen der parlamentarischen Demokratie, denen einer halbwegs offenen Gesellschaft.

Ein guter Zufall hat uns eine Bilderserie von der Entstehung des Neuen Landhauses in die Hände gespielt, die hier erstmals veröffentlicht wird.

Architekt Ewald Guth und Gauleiter Franz Hofer bei der Besichtigung das Modells (vergrößern)

Gipsmodell mit Prospekt der Nordkette (vergrößern) – Vergleich mit der Reichskanzlei in Berlin (hier)

Der Eingangsbereich im Gipsmodell

Neueste Zeitung (Innsbruck), 6. Mai 1939

Firstfeier, 6. Mai 1939 (vergrößern)

Die Neueste Zeitung, das Abendblatt der Innsbrucker Nachrichten, berichtet darüber am 6. Mai 1939:

„Unser Gauhaus steht im Rohbau fertig. Der Dachstuhl ist bereits aufgesetzt, und so konnte heute mittags in Anwesenheit unseres Gauleiters Hofer als Bauherrn, der Mitglieder der Landesregierung, des Kreisleiters Dr. Primbs, Oberbürgermeisters Dr. Denz und zahlreicher anderer Vertreter von Partei und Staat sowie der Gauhauptstadt Innsbruck das Richtfest des gewaltigen Baues stattfinden, der künftighin als Sitz der Gauleitung ein neues Wahrzeichen des nationalsozialistischen Aufbauwillens in unserem Gau darstellen wird. (…) Das neue Gauhaus stellt tatsächlich in jeder Beziehung ein Vorbild neuer deutscher Architektur dar, einfach, zweckmäßig und doch überaus eindrucksvoll. (…) Als Gauleiter Hofer mit seiner Begleitung den Balkon betrat, wurde er von den Arbeitskameraden stürmisch begrüßt. Die Wiltener Musik setzte mit einem flotten Marsch ein. Nach altem Brauch hielt dann ein Zimmermann in launigen Versen, die den Werdegang des Baues schilderten, den Richtspruch und leerte die Gläser auf den Führer, auf Gauleiter Hofer, als Bauherrn des Gauhauses, das Land, auf den Baumeister und alle am Bau beteiligten Stellen, zuletzt auf die Arbeitskameraden selbst. (…) Der Dank des Gauleiters galt insbesondere dem Bauunternehmer Baumeister Hinteregger und den Arbeitskameraden, die unermüdlich am Werk waren. Mit der Aufforderung, im Geiste Adolf Hitlers, des ersten Arbeiters der Nation, weiterzuschaffen, einem dreifachen, brausend aufgenommenen Sieg Heil! auf den Führer und den Liedern der Nation schloß die eindrucksvolle Feier.“

Das fertige Gebäude, so, wie es heute dasteht (vergrößern)

Abreißen? Nein.

Der Bombentreffer von 1944 hat wenig ausgerichtet (siehe Ostportal/Wilhelm-Greil-Straße) . Bei Kriegsende wurde das Gauhaus rasch von der provisorischen Landesregierung übernommen. Manche sagen heute, man hätte es sprengen müssen. Die Architektur und die Entstehungsgeschichte bedrückten zu sehr. Andere sagen, man hätte den faschistischen Riegel zumindest optisch aufbrechen, durch eingebrachte architektonische Akzente Distanz zur Vergangenheit herstellen sollen, etwa mit einem Teil der sieben Millionen, die am Vorplatz verbetoniert wurden. Es gibt auch den Standpunkt, dass es richtig war, den Nazibau genau so, wie ihn die Nazis hingestellt haben, in Besitz zu nehmen und mit der Einnahme des NSDAP-Hauptquartiers zu demonstrieren, dass die Demokratie über die Diktatur gesiegt hat. 1945 gab es aber auch gar keine andere Wahl, als in die vorhandene, fast neue und fast unversehrte Hütte hineinzugehen und von dort aus den Wiederaufbau zu organisieren.

Was fehlt?

Bald 75 Jahre nach dem Hinauswurf der Hitlerfaschisten gibt es am Neuen Landhaus immer noch keine Mahntafel oder Gedenktafel oder Erinnerungstafel, was auch immer, die auf die Geschichte und die Baugeschichte des Hauses hinweisen, die NS-Architektur erklären würde, um somit den Nazi-Repräsentationsbau („größter Neubau eines Gauhauses in der gesamten Ostmark“) vielleicht sogar zu einem Ort des Lernens zu machen.

Der gerade jetzt vor 80 Jahren vollzogene Spatenstich zum Neuen Landhaus sollte ein Anlass sein, die Dinge zu klären und zumindest eine Informationstafel am Haus oder im Eingangsbereich anzubringen.

5.10.2018

Mail an den Verfasser (Ergänzungen, Informationen, Anregungen)

Source: http://www.dietiwag.org/index.php?id=5450

[chimeperson23-blog]

WHAT STINK?

I am going to take NO CREDIT for last night's walk photo! Our walk leader chose the backdrop, and insisted we all 'pose' somehow.  So ... well... this is our photo:

ABOVE:  Yep, a bloody horrible backdrop!   And I wasn't going to grab my nose, so I grabbed my .....!  And hopefully that backdrop is never used again. Today I need to make the last trestle table cover... it won't take too long.  Then I will be ready for market.  Thank goodness. I've worked really hard to get my stock up again. I just hope it was worth it... cos I am really knackered! ONWARD... 2.25 pm:  And we have had a busy morning. I slept in a bit.  Then I felt guilty so got up and got some washing on... made the bed, bla bla bla. Then Stew said he was dropping Brylee off at work and then going to Mitre 10.  So I went too... and we ended up having lunch together.  Just the two of us. It's getting more often peeps!  So nice, just the two of us spending some nice time together. We went to an eatery in town that we'd not been to before, it had been recommended to Stew.

ABOVE:  Paddock.  Very nice food, an excellent selection ... and super fast service!   After lunch we came home and I've been getting my table arrangement sorted out for market tomorrow. There is always some re-arranging to do!

ABOVE:  So this is the new arrangement.  I hope it works tomorrow.  The table runners will hang on the rack to the side, beside the path into Van Dykes shop... so hopefully it catches people's eye. I'm really happy with my new trestle covers, I think the colours look nice together. I have to admit, I'm so, so tired I am finding it hard to function!  All I want to do is sleep. Maybe next week I will catch up on some sleep? Lacy came out just now, I asked her to.  I was grooming Marley's ears and the bending over was just too much for my back.  So I have got her to come out and finish off the dogs ears and tails for me. Well... a nice dinner cooked by Stew tonight.  Marinated pork steaks and veges.  Lacy went home after dinner.  It was good to see her. Stew and I are now watching a movie on NETFLIX.... it's a bit shoot 'em up-ish, but quite good. Law Abiding Citizen... a fairly good story line! After it finishes I will be off to bed... market tomorrow!

Source: https://diet-coke-rocks.blogspot.com/2018/11/what-stink.html

[chimeperson23-blog]

WHERE AM I?

So...yesterday I decided to go somewhere... a  road trip in fact...

 ABOVE: Turangi

 ABOVE: The desert road... the windy bit.

ABOVE: The Desert road... the barren bit.  *smiles*

 ABOVE: Taihape... looks like a nice shop.

ABOVE: So where did I end up??? PALMERSTON NORTH!  I decided, totally spur of the moment, to go and visit Mike and Joyce... and spend a couple of days with the girlfriends.  So I packed a bag real fast and we left before lunch.    Hee hee...  I posted photos of the trailer work once Steve sent me the photos.  SNEAKY ME ... *SMILES* So... here I am. Today Sandra and I are heading over to Featherston on family matters... so another little road trip! Sure beats staying home doing housework! Onward... Well.. we are now in Featherston at Sandra's daughter's home. And so far the visit has been very interesting.  There's a bloke here felling some huge old pine trees.  I got some cool photos of him felling a twin trunked pine:

ABOVE: It came down beautifully.... one half fell straight  and the other went off to the side.  We ain't going anywhere right now cos it came down  across the driveway.  Lol

ABOVE: This is Sandra's little granddaughter Harper. We just picked her up from kindy.  I said to her: "Wow you look like your Dad"...to which Harper said "No". So I said  "ok...so do you look like your Mum?" And Harper said "No" again. I asked her who did she look like then? And Miss Harper said..."I look like HARPER!" Derrrr.... silly me! Ok... it was just a bit funny.

Source: https://diet-coke-rocks.blogspot.com/2019/03/where-am-i.html

[chimeperson23-blog]

Scott Disick touts this eye-color changing product — an expert weighs in

© Provided by TIME Inc. It’s no secret celebrities get paid to talk up certain products, but some of the products they promote are, well, questionable. Take, for example, the supposed eye color-changing balm Scott Disick recently posted on his Instagram. Really? Eye color-changing balm? We’re not so sure.

In the caption, Disick urges his followers to buy the product on Amazon, where a one-month supply sells for $55. Uh, that’s a lot of money if you ask us. He also indicates that he was indeed paid to post the photo.

In the product description, the brand, iColour, explains the balm (which comes in 16 shades, from sapphire to gray to honey) is supposed to be applied to the skin underneath the eyes, not directly in the eyes. It claims it will be absorbed through the skin, and “by inhibiting melanin production,” change the color of your eyes over time.

The product description reads: "Our eye balm is the safest way to change your eye color because the product never comes in direct contact with your eyes. The active ingredient is absorbed through the skin and reaches your eyes without any risk of contamination or allergic reaction.”

RELATED: 9 Worst Eye Care Mistakes You’re Making

So could this really change the color of your eyes? “Simply put, not a chance,” Damon Pettinelli, MD, a New Jersey–based ophthalmologist, tells Health. The active ingredient in the balm is N-Acetyl-Glucosamine (GlcaNAc), which is a type of sugar, Pettinelli explains.

When used correctly, GlcaNAc has been proven to have some health benefits, but changing the color of your eyes isn’t one of them. It can prevent joint damage, protect the lining of the gut, and even reduce hyperpigmentation, or dark spots, that form on the face with age, he says.

GlcaNAc does lessen the appearance of dark spots on the face by reducing the production of melanin, the pigment that determines your skin color, but that doesn’t mean it has the same effect on the eyes. There are no studies analyzing its effect on the eyes, Dr. Pettinelli says, and even if a large amount of GlcaNAc were to be absorbed in the blood, it’s highly unlikely it would penetrate the blood-ocular barrier, which protects the eyes.

RELATED: 7 Eye Symptoms and What They Could Mean

So no, this balm probably isn’t going to change the color of your eyes. But if applied properly, it likely won’t do too much harm either. “As long as the product is applied directly to the skin and not foolishly placed directly into the eye, the only damage that it will cause is to your wallet,” he says. (Think of all of the other things you could buy with $55 per month....)

Still, the balm could have some unwanted aesthetic effects. “If its use does eventually result in a reduction in periocular skin [the skin around the eyes] pigmentation, then, I suspect it could cause hypo-pigmentation [lightening] of the periocular dermis, resulting in a reverse ‘raccoon-eyes’ effect. Not a pretty look,” Dr. Pettinelli says.

Bottom line: Eye color is genetically determined. It’s not something that can be easily or safely changed. Some glaucoma medications are known to darken lighter eye colors over time, he says, but that's something you should only take if you have a serious medical need.

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Source: http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/scott-disick-says-you-should-use-this-eye-color-changing-product—here’s-what-an-expert-thinks/ar-BBQLGcm?srcref=rss

[chimeperson23-blog]

Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper

A popular adage suggests we should “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper”.  [1] [2] [3]  [4] [5] [6]

We interrogated more than half a million days of food diaries to see whether it is actually helpful.

The chart below shows the proportion daily calories consumed at breakfast versus the proportion of a person’s daily target calories consumed based on their food diaries.  A score of 100% would mean that they achieved their calorie goal.  A score of less than 100% indicates the individual was able to consume less than their goal intake for the day.

The data from people eating three or more times a day indicates that, on average:

people who ate the least for breakfast tended to eat more across the day, while

people who consumed more of their daily calories at breakfast tended to eat less during the day.

People who front-loaded their calories at breakfast tended to eat around 20% less across the day!

Looking at the data for lunch, we see a similar trend.

If you can fit it into your lifestyle, a larger lunch seems to be better.

Where this data gets interesting is when we look at dinner.

People seem to do OK if their dinner is similar in size to breakfast and lunch.  However, we tend to overeat if we consume the majority of our calories at night.

When we overlay all three meals, we see that prioritising breakfast is a good idea if you want to get or stay lean.

To prevent overeating, try to start your day with a hearty breakfast with a solid dose of protein and you’ll be less likely to overeat later in the day.

If you are already lean and need to recover from a hard day of activity, then eating at night will help you consume more energy and store it more effectively.

But is this result due to behaviour or biology?  Or perhaps a bit of both?

It’s possible to explain why we overeat at night from a purely behavioural perspective.

It can be hard to eat a lot at breakfast when you need to get off to work or at lunch when we might be at work or school and have to prepare a lunch and bring it from home.

But then at night, we have the fridge.

We have our friends and family.

We have Netflix.

We have the perfect storm of comfort food, social eating and self-soothing combined with being surrounded by less than optimal food choices that we tend to fill our patry and fridge with.

Food eaten later also has to be stored, at least until the next day to be used when we are more active.

There have also been a number of interesting studies looking at the relationship between food timing and how it affects our body.

Compressing your feeding window to give your body a chance to spend time in a fasted state is useful.  However, it seems shifting your eating window earlier in the day is also beneficial.  This is commonly known as Early Time-Restricted Feeding (or eTRF).

Just like it’s beneficial to get sunlight in the morning and not gaze at blue light from our screens all night, it seems it’s also important to lock in our circadian rhythm with food in the morning and not overdo it at night.[8]

Being a shift worker is not good for your health.  Neither is eating like one.  [9] [10]

While keeping body fat levels low is important for diabetes management, eating earlier seems to improve our insulin sensitivity independent of weight loss.

We have greater insulin sensitivity in the morning.   Our body is primed to use food.  Food eaten later in the day is more likely to be stored for longer.

eTRF is not always the most convenient thing.

Lots of people are not hungry in the morning, particularly if they tend to eat a large evening meal.

Left to our own devices, we tend to optimise for maximum storage to prepare for the coming winter.

Most people find it takes a week or two to get into the new groove of eating earlier.

Eating your main meal with the family at night is more social and eating in front of the TV when you’re relaxing can be fun.  But if you need that extra edge to manage your weight or diabetes then moving some of your dinner calories to breakfast might just be worth the effort.

[1] http://theconversation.com/should-we-eat-breakfast-like-a-king-lunch-like-a-prince-and-dinner-like-a-pauper-86840

[2] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/07/21/breakfast-like-king-lunch-like-prince-dine-like-pauper-lose/

[3] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-12/should-we-eat-breakfast-like-king-dinner-like-pauper/9250960

[4] https://www.livestrong.com/article/13429520-how-eating-breakfast-like-a-king-can-help-you-lose-weight/

[5] https://www.institutefornaturalhealing.com/2017/09/heres-why-you-should-eat-breakfast-like-a-king-dinner-like-a-pauper/

[6] https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/08/21/well/eat/the-case-for-a-breakfast-feast.html

[7] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305709786_Online_Food_Diary_Dataset

[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/11161204/

[9] http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/05/15/1714813115

[10] https://m.medicalxpress.com/news/2018-05-night-day-swiftly-key-blood.html

Source: https://optimisingnutrition.com/2018/07/21/breakfast-like-a-king-lunch-like-a-prince-and-dinner-like-a-pauper/

[chimeperson23-blog]

School Milk Nutrition Act expands milk options - Feedstuffs

Congressman Joe Courtney (D., Conn.) and Congressman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R., Penn.) introduced the School Milk Nutrition Act of 2019—bipartisan legislation to expand milk options for students and reverse the decline of milk consumption in schools.

In November 2017, the U.S. Department of agriculture announced regulatory changes for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, including a provision that provides schools with the option to serve low-fat, 1-percent flavored milk. The School Milk Nutrition Act of 2019 will codify this milk provision and will maintain the option for schools to offer low-fat, 1-percent flavored milk if it is consistent with the mist recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Related: House members introduce Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act

From 2014-2016, schools served 213 million fewer half pints of milk, even though school enrollment was growing. Children over four years-old are not meeting the recommended daily servings of dairy based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Declining milk consumption in schools not only affects students, but negatively affects dairy farms and farm families across the country. Providing students the option to consume low-fat milk with flavor, has the potential to positively affect milk consumption trends while supporting local dairy farmers.

A survey of over 300 schools that offered low-fat flavored milk during the 2017-18 school year found that 58% of schools saw an increase in milk sold and 82% of schools found it easy or very easy to include low-fat flavored milk within their overall calorie maximums, dairy industry groups noted.

According to the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, American children and adolescents over four years old are not consuming enough dairy to meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations. As the American Academy of Pediatrics states, “Dairy products play an important role in the diet of children… In fact, milk is the leading food source of three of the four nutrients of public health concern (calcium, vitamin D, and potassium) in the diet of American children 2-18 years.” Milk also provides numerous additional health benefits, including stronger and healthier bones, lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

“Milk provides the cornerstone of a healthy meal for our nation’s children,” Courtney said. “It packs valuable nutrients including protein, potassium, and calcium—a solid foundation for building a healthy menu in America’s schools. Unfortunately, we’ve seen a ten percent decline in school milk consumption in recent years as a result of removing low-fat flavored milk from school menus. Our bill will positively impact the quality of children’s diets while supporting our local family dairies.”

“Milk is the No. 1 source of nine essential nutrients in many young American’s diets and provides many significant health benefits,” said Thompson. “I am proud to join with Rep. Courtney in an effort to reverse the decline of milk consumption in schools throughout Pennsylvania and across the country. By codifying what USDA is already allowing, it is my hope that we will witness consumption return to their historic levels with kids enjoying nutritious milk at school.”

This legislation is strongly supported by the National Milk Producers Federation, International Dairy Foods Assn., National Farmers Union, and National Farm Bureau Federation.

“Milk has been an integral part of school meals since their beginning, and greater milk consumption equals better nutrition for America’s kids,” said NMPF President and chief executive officer Jim Mulhern. “USDA’s action last year to return low-fat flavored milk to school menus has been good for schools, students and American dairy farmers. This legislation would further that progress by letting school districts know they can continue to offer low-fat flavored milk in years to come.”

“One of the best ways to help our growing children and teens get the nutrients they need is by providing healthy dairy options at school that they will actually drink,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and chief executive officer of IDFA. “We are grateful to Representatives Thompson and Courtney for introducing this bill that will maintain the option for schools to offer low-fat 1% flavored milk to students. Most students prefer these options at school because many enjoy them at home. The School Milk Nutrition Act of 2019 is a good first step toward providing expanded milk options that will help ensure students get the nine essential nutrients that milk uniquely provides, including powerful protein, calcium, vitamin D and potassium.”

Source: https://www.feedstuffs.com/news/school-milk-nutrition-act-expands-milk-options

[chimeperson23-blog]

Very high LDL and no cardiovascular disease – at all!

12th May 2018

[A classic black swan]

If your hypothesis is that all swans are white, the discovery of one black swan refutes your hypothesis. That is how science works. Or at least that is how science should work. In the real world, scientists are highly adept at explaining away contradictions to their favoured hypotheses. They will use phrases such as, it’s a paradox. Or, inform you that you didn’t measure the correct things, or there are many other confounding factors – and suchlike.

Anyway, accepting that the finding of someone with a very high LDL level, and no detectable atherosclerosis, will always be dismissed – in one way or another – I am still going to introduce you to a ‘case history’ of a seventy-two-year-old man with familial hypercholesterolaemia, who has been studied for many, many, years. Try as they might, the researchers have been unable to discover any evidence for cardiovascular disease (CVD) – of any sort.

In the past, I have spoken to many people with very high LDL and/or total cholesterol levels who are CVD free, even in very old age. The mother of a friend of mine has a total cholesterol of level of 12.5mmol/l (483mg/dl). She is eighty-five, continues to play golf and has not suffered from any cardiovascular problems.

However, none of these people had been studied in any detail. Which means that they can, and are, dismissed as irrelevant ‘anecdotes’. Yes, the widely used and highly exasperating phrase that I often encounter is that ‘the plural of anecdote is not data’. This, of course, is completely untrue, or at least it is untrue if you start dismissing detailed individual cases as anecdote.

Whilst an anecdote may simply be a story, often second hand, a case history represents a painstaking medical history, including biochemical and physiological data. In reality, the plural of case histories is data. That is how medicine began, and how most medical breakthroughs have been made. We look at what happens to real people, over time, we study them, and from this we can create our hypotheses as to how diseases may be caused and may then be cured.

So, a single case is NOT an anecdote, and cannot be lightly dismissed with a wave of the hand and a supercilious smirk.

In fact, the man who is the subject of this case history has written to me on a few occasions, to tell me his story. I have not written anything about him before, as I knew his case was going to be published, and I did not want to stand on anyone’s toes. With that in mind, here we go.

The paper was called ‘A 72-Year-Old Patient with Longstanding, Untreated Familial Hypercholesterolemia but no Coronary Artery Calcification: A Case Report.’ 1

The subject has a longstanding history of hypercholesterolemia. He was initially diagnosed while in his first or second year as a college student after presenting with corneal arcus and LDL-C levels above 300 mg/dL [7.7mmol/l]

He reports that pharmacologic therapy with statins was largely ineffective at reducing his LDL-C levels, with the majority of lab results reporting results above 300 mg/dL and a single lowest value of 260 mg/dL while on combination atorvastatin and niacin. In addition to FH-directed therapy, our subject reports occasionally using baby aspirin (81 mg) and over-the-counter Vitamin D supplements and multivitamins.

In the early 1990s, our patient underwent electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) imaging for CAC following a series of elevated lipid panels. Presence of CAC (coronary artery calcification) was assessed in the left main, left anterior descending, left circumflex, and right coronary arteries and scored using the Agatston score.

His initial score was 0.0, implying a greater than 95% chance of absence of coronary artery disease. Because of this surprising finding, he subsequently undertook four additional EBCT tests from 2006 to 2014 resulting in Agatston scores of 1.6, 2.1, 0.0, and 0.0, suggesting a nearly complete absence of any coronary artery calcification. In February of 2018, he underwent multi-slice CT which revealed a complete absence of coronary artery calcification.

So, here we have a man who has an LDL consistently three to four times above ‘average’. He had tried various LDL lowering agents over the years. None of which had done anything much to lower LDL. Therefore, his average LDL level over a twenty-year period has been 486mg/dl (12.6mmol/l.

Despite this he has absolutely no signs of atherosclerotic plaque, in any artery, no symptoms of CVD and is – to all intents and purposes – CVD free. What of his relatives? If he has FH, so will many others in his family.

‘He has one sister three years his senior who also has FH and a history of high lipid levels. She also has no history of myocardial infarction, angina, or other symptoms of coronary artery disease. His mother had FH, although she died of pancreatic cancer at age 77. She and her three siblings were never treated for, and had no history of, cardiovascular disease. The patient reports that his father had one high cholesterol score (290s), but was never diagnosed with FH, had no history of cardiovascular disease and died in his 80s during surgery for hernia repair.’

What to make of this? Well, I know that the ‘experts’ in cardiology will simply ignore this finding. They prefer to use the ‘one swallow does not a summer make’ approach to cases like this. For myself I prefer the black swan approach to science. If your hypothesis is that a raised LDL causes CVD, then finding someone with extremely high LDL, and no CVD, refutes your hypothesis.

Unfortunately, but predictably, the authors of the paper have not questioned the LDL approach. Instead, they fully accept that LDL does cause CVD. So, this this man must represent ‘a paradox’. They have phrased it thus:

‘Further efforts are underway to interrogate why our patient has escaped the damaging consequences of familial hypercholesterolemia and could inform future efforts in drug discovery and therapy development.’

To rephrase their statement. We know that high LDL causes CVD. This man has extremely high LDL, with no CVD, so something must be protecting him. I have an alternative, and much simpler explanation: LDL does not cause CVD. My explanation has the advantage that it fits the facts of this case perfectly, with no need to start looking for any alternative explanation.

And just in case you believe this is a single outlier, something never seen before or since. Let me introduce you to the Simon Broome registry, set up in the UK many years ago to study what happens to individuals diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). It is the longest, if not the largest, study on FH in the world.

It has mainly been used as one of the pillars in support of the cholesterol hypothesis. However, when you start to look closely at it – fascinating things emerge. One of the most interesting is that people with FH have a lower than expected overall mortality rate – in comparison to the ‘normal’ population. Or, to put this another way. If you have FH, you live longer than the average person.

Even if we look at death from heart disease (those with FH have never been found to have an increased rate of stroke) we find that in the older population, the rate of death from Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) was actually lower than the surrounding population in some age groups.

For instance, in the male population aged 60 – 79 (who were CHD free on entry to the study) the rate of death from heart attacks was lower than the surrounding population. Not significantly, but it certainly was not higher.

In fact, in the total male population aged 20 – 79 with FH, the rate of death from CHD was virtually identical to the surrounding population. Over a period of 13,717 years of observation, the expected number of fatal heart attacks was calculated to be 46. The actual observed number was 50.

In women, the expected number of heart attacks in the population aged 20 – 79 was 40, the actual number of observed fatal heart attacks was 40. Which means that FH was not found to be a risk factor for CHD in those enrolled in the study – who had no diagnosed heart disease prior to enrolment2.

Which represents, I suggest, another fully grown black swan. There you go. Two in one day.

1: https://www.cureus.com/articles/11752-a-72-year-old-patient-with-longstanding-untreated-familial-hypercholesterolemia-but-no-coronary-artery-calcification-a-case-report

2: https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/29/21/2625/530400

Source: https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/05/12/very-high-ldl-and-no-cardiovascular-disease-at-all/

[chimeperson23-blog]

The Whole 30 diet changed my relationship with food - The Daily Herald

It’s Day 108, and I feel great.

A few months ago, I was eating Hershey’s chocolate while making breakfast. It was two days after Halloween and I was eating as much “non-compliant food” before I began this diet called the Whole30, knowing I wouldn’t be able to have added sugar, alcohol, grains, soy, legumes and dairy for a month. I was high on pumpkin-spice lattes, festive candies and sweet breads co-workers brought into the office.

I thought I’d miss these foods — especially the cream and sugar in my morning coffee — but, five days into the diet, I was feeling great. Truly, I woke up in a fantastic mood that sustained me the entire work day and into the evening. I woke up on Day 6 and 7 with some real pep in my step. It was the first weekend of the program and I was feeling energetic and ecstatic to cook and plan for my week. I even dreamt about making food.

The idea is, after 30 days have passed, you reintroduce each food group into your diet to see how that affects you. If you don’t have a reaction, add it back in. I tried adding sugar and had horrible stomach pain and diarrhea. I tried adding bread on Day 56 and fell in love all over again. But I stuck pretty strictly to the diet throughout Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

I didn’t think I’d make it this long, but for me Whole30 has become a lifestyle change. My skin is clearer. The eczema on my hand, which I had had for seven months, went away. I’ve gotten back into cooking. I have more energy. And I’ve lost 18 pounds. What I really credit to the Whole30 is teaching me how to make healthy food delicious and giving me back control over my diet.

There was a weekend, around Day 90, that I adventured off the diet for pizza and potato burritos. Man, it felt good to binge, but the next days were not worth it. I was bloated and sluggish. And when I eat dairy, bread and beans all at once, my eczema returns. So I’ve decided to mostly eat the Whole30 way indefinitely.

I highly recommend the recipes in the book “The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom” by Melissa Urban and Dallas Hartwig.

Here are two Whole30 recipes not found in the book I also love: A non-egg breakfast I found on Pinterest — trust me, you’ll want something other than eggs for breakfast — and a curry recipe my boyfriend taught me. Both are compliant and delicious. Ultimate plus, they’re easy to make.

Apple-nut hot cereal

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 large, peeled and diced apple (honey crisp or pink lady for a sweet, crisp flavor)

¼ cup raisins or chopped dates

Salt

1½ teaspoon cinnamon

Dash nutmeg

3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut, finely shredded

1 cup chopped raw nuts (walnuts, cashews, pecans or a combination)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk or canned light coconut milk

1 sliced banana, for garnish

Unsweetened almond butter or coconut butter, for garnish

Additional almond milk, for garnish

Heat a large saucepan over medium-low heat and add the coconut oil until melted.

Add the apple and nuts, sprinkle with salt, stir and cook for about 1 minute, or until the apple is soft and the nuts begin to brown.

Lower the heat and add the almond milk, shredded coconut, raisins, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Stir. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil for a minute while stirring, then lower to simmer. Cover and cook another 2-5 minutes until the apple is soft and some liquid is absorbed.

Serve hot with toppings like sliced banana, almond milk and coconut butter. Makes 2 servings.

Potato cauliflower curry (Aaloo gobhi ki sabzi)

My boyfriend is from India. Over the past year, he’s taught me how to make many curries. It’s simple. The curry base is just onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, chili powder and tomatoes. Add in a potato (aaloo), and you’ve got a potato curry. Add in some cauliflower (gobhi), and you’re got a feast. The potato cauliflower curry is my favorite, so I thought I’d share that one with you. Since this recipe is handed down by mouth, it’s not an exact science. Add more or less of the spices to taste.

Olive oil

1 onion

4-5 cloves garlic, diced finely

1-2 inches ginger, grated

Pinch turmeric

1 tablespoon chili powder (less for less spice)

3 diced tomatoes

2 peeled and diced potatoes

1 head cauliflower chopped into chunks

Water

Salt

Put enough olive oil to cover the bottom well in a medium sauce pan. Heat on medium-high until hot. Add diced onion. Cook until tender and translucent in color.

Lower heat. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and the chili powder. Stir. Add garlic and ginger and stir. Increase the heat to medium-high and add diced tomatoes. Let the tomatoes boil and simmer down into a paste. Add the cauliflower and about ¼ cup of water. Let cook for about 5 minutes. Add more water and the potatoes.

Cover and cook until the potatoes and cauliflower are soft and the water has boiled down, or about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste.

Serve hot over cauliflower rice or eat on its own. Makes 4 servings.

“The Whole 30”

By Melissa Urban and Dallas Hartwig

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 432 pages. $17.99.

Source: https://www.heraldnet.com/life/how-the-whole-30-diet-changed-her-relationship-with-food/

[chimeperson23-blog]

It is not a diet, it's a lifestyle, vegans say of SA's growing movement - TimesLIVE

McDonald's first meat-and-dairy-free Happy Meal will never match Plant's quality, but the fact that it is on the menu shows that even the fast-food industry is tapping into this shifting zeitgeist.

Plant has branched out since Lambret took over in 2016, responding to increasing demand by extending its hours for people to have cocktails, romantic dinners and vegan-friendly wines.

Hipster-ish Cape Town appears to be at the cutting edge of veganism, with about 10 plant-based restaurants, but Joburg also has a range of vegan eateries.

The online service The Happy Cow lists options in other cities and many restaurants now have vegan dishes.

VEGANISM DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ELITIST

Eating out at vegan restaurants can cost more but this type of nutrition doesn't have to be elitist. After all, fruit and vegetables are VAT zero-rated.

But vegan doctor June Fabian pointed out that fresh vegetables were scarce on a self-supported mountain biking trip from Howick to Hogsback in December.

"In many rural areas we cycled through, the spaza shops had no fresh foods, only maize popped corn full of salt, and fizzy drinks," she said.

Bende Mark, who was born in the Bloemfontein township of Rocklands and studied in Qwaqwa, said that being vegan was not that much of a transition from the vegetables and grain staples he ate while growing up.

"My mother was confused about what to prepare for me when I come home, but I told her that she already cooks vegan meals with vegetables," he said.

Mark decided to become a vegan when his son was born. "I switched almost immediately, going cold turkey," he said, citing animal brutality and health reasons.

Mark, his pregnant wife and son are thriving on a vegan diet that does not exclude treats. For Christmas Day they baked a dense chocolate cake with almond milk.

The increased demand for vegan products has made them easier to find and brought down the price of common items.

Source: https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2019-01-27-veganism-is-a-growing-movement/

[chimeperson23-blog]

Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce

Prepared with just a few simple ingredients, this Oven Roasted Asparagus is a delicious springtime side dish perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day, or any day! 

Need a vibrant vegetable side dish to go with your meal? Oven Roasted Asparagus prepared with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper is a simple and easy side dish that will perfectly complement any main course. Top with a warm, lusciously rich Hollandaise Sauce, and eating your veggies has never been more delicious.

Two minutes to prep + Twelve-ish minutes to cook = ONE DELICIOUS side dish!  It couldn’t be easier to whip up this versatile vegetable, and you’ll love the fresh and vibrant flavor. 

If I could eat this every day for forever, I’d be OK with that. It’s just hard to go wrong with roasted vegetables, especially asparagus. I LOVE Asparagus. Perfectly tender, salty, and browned to a sweet perfection, you can’t NOT enjoy them. 

But we don’t stop there. I like to plop a nice helping of Hollandaise Sauce all over these beautiful green spears, right before serving. Results? HEAVEN. 

HOW DO YOU ROAST ASPARAGUS

We start with trimming the ends of the asparagus and placing the asparagus on a baking sheet.

Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.

Sprinkle with minced garlic, salt, and pepper, and spread in a single layer.

Roast at 425F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender, but crisp. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the asparagus spears.

Remove from oven and transfer to a plate.

If you want, drizzle with Hollandaise Sauce – you won’t go wrong with that idea – and serve. 

HOW LONG IS ASPARAGUS GOOD FOR

Raw asparagus keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze fresh asparagus for up to 3 months.

Cooked asparagus keeps well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can freeze cooked asparagus for up to 6 months.

Roasted Asparagus with easy blender Hollandaise Sauce is a quick and easy Keto, low carb side dish perfect for entertaining. You’ll be amazed at how a few simple ingredients turn asparagus into a really delicious vegetable side dish.

MORE ASPARAGUS RECIPES

ENJOY!

TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Prepared with just a few simple ingredients, this Oven Roasted Asparagus is a delicious springtime side dish perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day, or any day! 

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, French

Keyword: asparagus recipe, easter side dish, gluten free, holiday side dish, hollandaise sauce, keto side dishes, low carb recipe

Servings: 4

Calories: 56 kcal

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus spears

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, and set aside.

Wash and pat dry the asparagus.

Break off the tough ends on the asparagus and discard.

Arrange the asparagus spears in a single layer on previously prepared baking sheet.

Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.

Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with minced garlic; rub over the asparagus with your hands to evenly coat.

Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender but crisp. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the spears; start checking for doneness around the 12 minute mark.

In the meantime, prepare this Blender Hollandaise Sauce. <-- click here

Remove asparagus from the oven and transfer to a serving plate.

Drizzle Hollandaise Sauce over the asparagus and serve.

Recipe Notes

WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 1

HOW TO STORE COOKED ASPARAGUS

Cooked asparagus keeps well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can freeze cooked asparagus for up to 6 months.

Hollandaise Sauce not included in Nutritional Analysis

Nutrition Facts

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Amount Per Serving

Calories 56 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 3g 5%

Sodium 2mg 0%

Potassium 238mg 7%

Total Carbohydrates 5g 2%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 2g

Protein 2g 4%

Vitamin A 17.1%

Vitamin C 8.5%

Calcium 3.1%

Iron 13.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Source: https://diethood.com/oven-roasted-asparagus/

[chimeperson23-blog]

Mediterranean Diet Improves Brain Function in Type 2 Diabetes

I don’t know if the study at hand is valid or not. The abstract is poorly written. The study population was Boston Puerto Ricans only, so may not apply to other ethnic groups. I’m not paying $35 to get access to the full article. Diabetes Self-Management has coverage that will be more digestible than the abstract below.

OBJECTIVE To determine associations of a Mediterranean diet score (MeDS) with 2-year change in cognitive function by type 2 diabetes and glycemic control status and contrast it against other diet quality scores.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We used data from the longitudinal Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (n = 913; 42.6% with type 2 diabetes at 2 years). Glycemic control at baseline was categorized as uncontrolled (hemoglobin A1c ≥7% [53 mmol/mol]) versus controlled. Two-year change in glycemic control was defined as stable/improved versus poor/declined. We defined MeDS, Healthy Eating Index, Alternate Healthy Eating Index, and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension scores. Adjusted mixed linear models assessed 2-year change in global cognitive function z score, executive and memory function, and nine individual cognitive tests.

RESULTS Higher MeDS, but no other diet quality score, was associated with higher 2-year change in global cognitive function in adults with type 2 diabetes (β ± SE = 0.027 ± 0.011; P = 0.016) but not without (P = 0.80). Similar results were noted for Mini-Mental State Examination, word recognition, digit span, and clock drawing tests. Results remained consistent for individuals under glycemic control at baseline (0.062 ± 0.020; P = 0.004) and stable/improved over 2 years (0.053 ± 0.019; P = 0.007), but not for uncontrolled or poor/declined glycemic control. All diet quality scores were associated with higher 2-year memory function in adults without type 2 diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS Both adhering to a Mediterranean diet and effectively managing type 2 diabetes may support optimal cognitive function. Healthy diets, in general, can help improve memory function among adults without type 2 diabetes.

Source: The Mediterranean Diet and 2-Year Change in Cognitive Function by Status of Type 2 Diabetes and Glycemic Control | Diabetes Care

Steve Parker, M.D.

Click the pic to purchase at Amazon.com in the U.S.

Source: https://diabeticmediterraneandiet.com/2019/06/07/mediterranean-diet-improves-brain-function-in-type-2-diabetes/

[chimeperson23-blog]

Extremismus-Verdacht: 32-jähriger Wiener soll Verbindungen zur FPÖ haben

Harald Bischoff/CC BY-SA 3.0

Auf sozialen Medien mimt Sebastian K. gerne den perfekten Schwiegersohn. Doch neue Vorwürfe bringen dieses Bild jetzt ins Wanken. Der Tagespresse vorliegende Fotos legen den Verdacht nahe, dass der Wiener enge Kontakte zum rechtsextremen Verein „FPÖ“ pflegt. Die Behörden ermitteln.

WIEN – Über Jahre hinweg soll der Staatsbedienstete Sebastian K. nicht nur enge Beziehungen zu führenden Persönlichkeiten der FPÖ aufgebaut, sondern diese auch an strategisch wichtigen Positionen im Staatsapparat platziert haben. So soll es der FPÖ gelungen sein, den Staat zu infiltrieren, von innen zu zerstören und ihre menschenfeindliche Agenda umzusetzen.

„Absurd“

Der Beschuldigte selbst streitet die Vorwürfe ab: „Ich und Verbindungen zu dieser widerlichen Gruppierung? Das ist ja absurd“, erklärt der gebürtige Wiener Sebastian K. der Tagespresse beim Frühstück um 14 Uhr, während im Radio seiner Meidlinger Studenten-WG FM4 läuft.

Dann schaut er entsetzt auf die Uhr: „Verdammt! Jetzt hab ich schon zum 635. Mal hintereinander das Seminar ‚Österr. Geschichte 1938 bis 1945‘ verpasst, hahaha. Naja, vielleicht nächstes Semester…“

Regina Aigner/BKA, Montage

Auf das Foto angesprochen, wehrt sich Sebastian K. vehement: „Ich treffe jeden Tag sehr viele verschiedene Menschen. Ich kann ja auch nicht jeden kontrollieren, der bei meinen Pressekonferenzen mit mir gemeinsam das Podium betritt, mit mir eine Regierungskoalition bildet oder mir seit Jahren alle meine politischen Inhalte zuliefert.“

Keine Verbindungen zu Sekte

Auch mit der autoritären Sekte „JVP“ will Sebastian K. nichts zu tun haben: „Das ist der nächste konstruierte Vorwurf der Medien, das ist eine regelrechte Hetzjagd.“

K. nimmt einen Schluck Kaffee und blättert nachdenklich in einer arabischen Übersetzung der Europäischen Menschenrechtskonvention. „Ich liebe Menschen“, sagt er und setzt ein unschuldiges Lächeln auf. Sebastian K. hat zwar seine Ehre verloren, nicht aber seinen Humanismus.

Source: https://dietagespresse.com/extremismus-verdacht-32-jaehriger-wiener-soll-verbindungen-zur-fpoe-haben/

[chimeperson23-blog]

Brain growth inhibited by heavy alcohol use

Heavy use of alcohol among adolescents and young adults is not only dangerous in its own right, but new research in nonhuman primates shows that it can actually slow the rate of growth in developing brains.

The study, published today in the journal eNeuro, shows that heavy alcohol use reduced the rate of brain growth by 0.25 milliliters per year for every gram of alcohol consumed per kilogram of body weight. In human terms, that's the equivalent of four beers per day. The research involved rhesus macaque monkeys at the Oregon National Primate Research Center.

"Chronic alcohol self-intoxication reduced the growth rate of brain, cerebral white matter and subcortical thalamus," the researchers write.

Researchers measured brain growth through magnetic resonance imaging of 71 rhesus macaques that voluntarily consumed ethanol or beverage alcohol. Scientists precisely measured intake, diet, daily schedules and health care, thus ruling out other factors that tend to confound results in observational studies involving people. The findings in the study help validate previous research examining the effect of alcohol use on brain development in people.

"Human studies are based on self-reporting of underage drinkers," said co-author Christopher Kroenke, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Division of Neuroscience at the primate center. "Our measures pinpoint alcohol drinking with the impaired brain growth."

The new study is the first to characterize normal brain growth of 1 milliliter per 1.87 years in rhesus macaques in late adolescence and early adulthood. And it further reveals a decrease in the volume of distinct brain areas due to voluntary consumption of ethanol.

Lead author Tatiana Shnitko, Ph.D., a research assistant professor in the Division of Neuroscience at the primate center, said previous research has shown the brain has a capacity to recover at least in part following the cessation of alcohol intake. However, it's not clear whether there would be long-term effects on mental functions as the adolescent and young adult brain ends its growth phase. The next stage of research will explore that question.

"This is the age range when the brain is being fine-tuned to fit adult responsibilities," Shnitko said. "The question is, does alcohol exposure during this age range alter the lifetime learning ability of individuals?"

This study was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (U01 AA013510, P60 AA013510 and U24 AA025473.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Oregon Health & Science University. Original written by Erik Robinson. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190401133019.htm