#and even though I don't eat meat outside of seafood

[sweetbabymantykes]

urgent wuestion: mom bought me a sharpedo ive never trained pokemon before what do i do

Wait wait wait, time out. She...bought you a Sharpedo? As your first pokemon??? Has- has SHE ever had a pokemon before? Have you ever expressed interest in raising a Sharpedo? Where the hell did she go where they were just SELLING SHARPEDO???? I have so. So many questions. Anon, if she didn't get this pokemon from a certified breeder or a shelter, PLEASE look into the legality of wherever she got it from, there are VERY FEW places that will just sell fully-grown pokemon to someone, much less one as care-intensive as a Sharpedo.

That being said, it sounds like you want to make sure this pokemon is happy and healthy regardless, which is a good thing to want! There's a few basic standards of care to establish first- food, habitat, and trust.

Luckily, food is by far the easiest part of caring for a Sharpedo. Sharpedo, unlike their juvenile pre-evos, are obligate carnivores- which means they NEED to eat a diet of primarily meat in order to live. Outside of this requirement, though, they're some of the least picky eaters I know. You should keep them primarily on a seafood diet, and you can feed them any fish you want. There's standard water-type carnivore food they sell at the Pokemart, if you're able to get them fresh fish you can feed them almost anything, but in my experience their favorites are Lanturn, Veluza, Lumineon, Squirtle, and Wishiwashi fry- you don't even need to get stuff from an aquarist, you can just buy some fish at the store. Any seafood that's safe for a human is more than safe for a Pokemon. You can also feed them land meat, but most kinds tends to have much higher fat content than their natural diet of fish. Keep burgers and fried Combusken for occasional treats, rather than their main diet. Try not to let them eat wild pokemon, either. It may be tempting to let them just act on their instincts, but you cannot possibly know if that wild Lanturn it just ate had parasites or a communicable disease. If it eats one anyway, get it to a pokemon center asap to be screened.

For their habitat, you'll ideally want access to the ocean. If you're worried about them swimming off- don't be, they can go really fast, but only in short bursts. You should be able to keep up with them on foot. If that's not an option and they don't have a ball, consider getting them one, it'll make it a lot easier to train them. If you don't have access to the ocean, you will at LEAST need access to a clean body of water large enough for them to go full speed for a while- a quarter to a half mile long in either direction. They can zoom around on land too, but vastly prefer the water. That's just for enrichment, you won't be keeping them there while you're at home. If you have them in a ball there's a lot of habitat building you can gloss over, but as a matter of good husbandry you'll still need a saltwater tank for them to rest in. If they only swim in freshwater, they can swell up and get sick, if you keep them on land for more than 8 hours a day they'll shrivel up and get sick from dehydration. You'll need, minimally, a 500 gallon saltwater tank. Remember, this is a pokemon roughly the size of a grown adult, even if a lot of the height and width is just fins. You could maaaaaybe get away with 400 gallons, but it's gonna be tight. At the very least you won't need to worry about tank decoration. Aside from substrate/sand/gravel, you at least won't need to worry about decorating the tank. Sharpedo isn't that concerned with having hides or rock, they're more content to just swim around aimlessly. If you don't have the room or access to a tank like this, a lot of aquarists and aquariums have spaces for people to let their friends recharge in the water- but this is usually for people who are travelling and are away from their usual tank, not for people who live in the area and don't have a tank.

The hardest part, more difficult than finding the space for your Sharpedo, is building trust. The most common way trainers will build trust with their Sharpedo is by raising them from a Carvanha, but you unfortunately don't have that kind of luxury. And depending on where your mom got this pokemon, you could be at an even worse disadvantage, potentially having received a pokemon that has already learned to be wary of people. The first thing you'll need is a lot of patience. It takes a lot of time for even a wild Sharpedo to trust a human, but once you have that bond they're fiercely loyal. Despite their reputation as fearsome violent killers, they're generally a lot more curious or energetic than they are malicious. At the very least, their 'bloodlust' tends to be pretty well sated after a filling meal. I don't know how your Sharpedo will react to you, but here's my advice for getting it to trust you. Firstly: Don't touch it. I mean it, do not touch this pokemon unless you ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO, and if you DO have to, wear gloves, and do it fast. Sharpedo skin will absolutely tear your palms to shreds if you aren't wearing any protective gear, and getting your hands in biting range of an already-stressed predator is a very good way to lose your fingers. Actually building that trust is going to depend a lot on what your Sharpedo's personality is. More energetic and aggressive natures will want to spend a lot of time doing things- battle training, agility courses, learning tricks, whatever. The more quiet and contemplative ones will just need time, there's not much you can do there except calmly spend time in their vicinity, feed them, and regularly bring them places where they can zoom around in the water to their heart's content. My own Sharpedo didn't really see me as someone worth trusting until after I had already won two badges with them- not all Sharpedo will be like that, but most of the stories I've heard from other trainers have had that similar thread of taking a looooot of time and effort until they truly trust you enough to exhibit that loyalty and comfort.

I just dumped like eight paragraphs worth of advice here, but I'm barely scratching the surface. For sure take this Sharpedo to the pokemon center to make sure they're up to date on their innoculations and see if there's any medical issues to be aware of, bring your new friend to a local aquarist to get a one-on-one professional opinion, spend time with your Sharpedo as an individual and pay attention to their likes and dislikes. They're far from mindless killing machines, they're complex, intelligent creatures with a discerning eye and sharply honed instincts. If you find yourself unable to care for your Sharpedo and are unable to find a friend or trainer able and willing to care for it in your stead, make sure whatever shelter you bring it to IS prepared to care for it- though I do still encourage you to try caring for it, anywhere that will just...sell pokemon FOR MONEY without any real vetting process will probably not leave their pokemon with strong senses of trust or very good mental health. Please care for this Sharpedo as best you can, and see what in arceus' name your mom was THINKING when she picked this up, holy hell.

[pynkhues]

Hey Sophie, I'm going to be in Melbourne soon! Do you have any tips for what to do, see, or eat?

Hey! Ah! How exciting! Melbourne's a really fun city to visit, and I feel really does have something for everyone.

Hmmm, tip wise, I think I'd say:

grab a Myki card for public transport. You can buy these at any news agent, train station or petrol station. Melbourne has a free inner-city tramzone, which is great for getting around the CBD, but you should also take advantage of Melbourne's incredibly good train network which'll open up the broader city to you. A Myki card works on all forms of public transport - buses, trams (for trams outside of the free tram zone) and trains - so they're pretty straight forward.

On that note, the PTV app is pretty useless for public transport (you're better off using Google maps tbh), but it does let you top up your Myki instantly via your phone, which makes it useful. The TramTracker app is very good for trams though, especially because you can type in the number of the tram you're on and know exactly which stops you're heading towards. The logos look like this: (trust the doggo)

Don't drive in the city - it's a layer of hell.

Have a little bit of cash on you. Most places take cards or smart watches, but you'll need gold coins for certain things too, particularly accessing certain gardens or markets.

Pack for all weather. Melbourne's known for having four seasons in a day, and having lived here for almost five years now, it's not an exaggeration. Layering is your friend, and always have an umbrella!

Hook turns are a real thing here, and whether you're driving or just crossing the road, they're worth being aware of.

Places to visit

Melbourne's famous for its street art, and while you can just wander around and observe yourself, doing a tour is particularly fun (and makes sure you see the best stuff!)

Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) is one of my favourite places to show out-of-towners (although that's probably partly just because it's me, haha). It's a museum of film, tv and games, and explores the moving image as both a form of commercial entertainment and as a form of art. Their cinema is often playing really interesting films too.

National Gallery Victoria is always worth checking out.

Chapel Street is known for it's little galleries, restaurants and indie shops, and makes for a fun day out.

Queen Vic Market and South Melbourne Market are both iconic and for good reason. They've been operational since the mid-1800s, and you can often feel that when you're in them. They can get packed though, so just a heads up.

I love love love heritage buildings and exploring history through place, so will always recommend checking out the National Trust's historic sites in Melbourne. Rippon Lea Estate is a personal fave and only about 20 minutes out of the CBD on the train. They shot parts of Miss Fisher there, and even if you don't get to tour the house (although I recommend you do!) even just exploring the gardens are beautiful.

Abbotsford Convent & Collingwood Children's Farm are right next door to each other and a pretty amazing day out.

If you fancy seeing a movie, my all time fave cinemas are The Classic and The Lido, which are owned by the same family. Either spot is worth checking out.

If you're looking to see a show or performance, you can look for the big ones at any of the big theatres, but for smaller, exciting indie stuff, I'd check out the programs at Malthouse, La Mama, Art House, Meat Market, and Footscray Community Arts Centre,

What to eat

Wellllll, this ultimately depends on your budget, haha, since Melbourne restaurants can run the gamut. Some of my favourite restaurants that are a bit more on the expensive side but great for a special occasion:

Maha's probably my favourite restaurant in Melbourne? It's modern Middle Eastern cuisine and their seafood in particular is divine. It's a set menu, and like I said, a little exy, haha.

Mabu Mabu is modern Australian First Nations (Torres Strait Islander) cuisine and is very good! They sell some of their own sauces too, and I highly recommend snagging their pineapple hot sauce! It's also very easy to get to, as it's located in Fed Square right next to the Koori Heritage Trust which often has Indigenous exhibitions on (and a great gift store if you're looking for anything to take home)

Chin Chin's - delicious South East Asian fusion cuisine. Again, a little exy.

Transformer - incredible vegetarian restaurant. They do both ala carte and a fixed menu. Highly recommend their fixed menu! They're also very good with dietary requirements, particularly if you're gluten free or if you have annoying allergies for a vegetarian restaurant like me, haha (tomato and eggplant).

Cheaper eats that are also delicious:

A little out in the South Side 'burbs, but Saigon Mamma is my favourite Vietnamese restaurant in Melbourne.

Rice Paper Scissors is good too, as is Chocolate Buddha, Green Man's Arms, and oh! Studley Park Boathouse is a fave. It's beautiful location-wise with pretty standard (but good) pub eats, and they've got a lot of water birds you can feed and boats you can hire pretty cheap ($30 for a kayak, $40 for a row boat) to row along the Yarra River. It's also really close to the Convent + Children's Farm if you fancy making a day of it.

If you're willing to travel a little further out of inner Melbourne, I'd also suggest:

Healesville Sanctuary - the bird show is i n c r e d i b l e. I took my nephews last year and the older one still talks about it, haha.

Mornington Penninsula Hot Springs - Mornington Penninsula is a great day trip from Melbourne. It's only just over an hour drive, and it's pretty stunning. Full of wineries and beachy walks. The hot springs are so relaxing though, and really centring if you need it.

Mount Macedon - home of the Hanging Rock of Picnic at Hanging Rock fame! Plus it's just a beautiful area.

Cranborne Gardens - the Royal Botanical Gardens in the city are beautiful too, but I'm particularly partial to these ones.

Hope this gets you started, and just let me know if you have any other questions!

[felinemotif]

i am also nosy <3333

4, 21, 24, 33, 34, 41 (or other hot drink), 43, & 46

two nosy gals <3333

4. which cryptid being do you believe in?

listen i LOVE cryptozoology my dream is to one day go to the annual mothman festival in west virginia and spend an entire weekend. i don't necessarily believe-believe but if at least one were real???? like say....the yeti... i would not be shocked. honestly it makes me pretty happy to think that there are all sorts of interesting creatures out there. so maybe not true belief but wanting to believe?

21. something you’ve kept since childhood?

my childhood dog passed on when i was a teen. her name was jackie, and she had a white collar with a diamond bejeweled bone. the leather got worn down over the years but i still have the jeweled bone!! eventually i would like to get a copy of it tattooed + have the pendant remade into a bracelet or hair clip.

it's actually one of the only things i still have from my childhood! some things are just worth saving.

24. if we were together on a rooftop, what would we be doing?

definitely eating for one. i don't know how you feel about fast food but it's not something i eat bc i worry about cross contamination (no meat outside of seafood for me) so it'd have to be either a picnic or convenience store snacks. totally painting each other's nails and talking about childhood comforts and fiction.

33. the last adventure you’ve been on?

i did a roadtrip with an old coworker of mine. he moved out to idaho about a year and a half ago now, but we were good friends fast so we try to stay in contact. he had to drive back my way on his way to go see his parents so he stopped, picked me up, and then we went all the way up to NH together. it was a lot of fun. i really appreciate his calm way of going through life; he lived out of his van by choice for a few years straight out of hs and then saved up to buy a plot of land so he could start building his own place. he's like a strange cousin to me.

34. is there a song you know every word to by heart?

so many!!! memorizing lyrics is easy for me. i've been singing un puño de tierra by becky g (my girllllll) in the shower though lately. and while washing dishes. and driving. basically all the time. i rarely even play the song anymore since it's already so stuck in my head.

41. how do you take your coffee? (or other hot drink)

if i'm very tired i'll just drink regular old black coffee to wake up, no milk. for hot drinks i really prefer to have matcha or a bay leaf and cinnamon stick tea.

43. what’s your take on spicy foods?

i'm latina; if it's not spicy, i don't want it lol. i have been really into indian food recently actually and have been learning tons of new recipes bc they have such a large amount of vegan and vegetarian dishes that all have a kick to them. it's great.

46. favorite holiday film?

i'm a the nightmare before christmas girl all the way. one of my favorite films in general, even outside of the holiday category. i also like to watch the low budget horror films they come out with for holidays (mostly the halloween ones but the christmas ones are always pretty funny too).

[agythi]

I like eating fish. Raw fish, specifically. My cooking isn't phenomenal unfortunately but fish is my favorite ingredient to eat. Especially the oily ones with a fishy taste like salmon and yellowtail and mackerel. Mackerel is great broiled or grilled but it gives off a really strong odor and oily residue that lingers around for millennias so you have to do it outside.

I like seafood in general and, excluding fish, my favorites (raw) are oysters and red clams. I like shellfish too. I do have a mild allergy but that doesn't stop me from eating a full platter of shrimp every once in a while even though I have to take antihistamine an hour beforehand and even then it still upsets my stomach. Crabs are really good but I feel like it's hard and expensive to get a hold of in the US? It's much cheaper in Vietnam but I guess that's what you get for being a fishing country. Oh you can't eat these raw (I forgot to specify) and I meant boiled or steamed shrimps and/or crabs (sometimes you do it together).

I'm not a big fan of lobster. When I do have lobster I don't want it to be cooked in a complicated dish. I want to taste the lobster meat like I do with crabs and shrimps. I think I like seafood because they all have such a nice taste even without any seasoning at all and I prefer simple dishes in general. I like spaghetti because when you take it apart it's really just pasta, sauce, and parmesan cheese (I like shaved pieces) which now comes full circle because I think that's why I like raw fish. It's fish and it's raw. With nothing on it. Maybe sushi rice. Possibly a little soy sauce and wasabi. Spices and such are nice but sometimes it muddles the taste. Idk. I would kill for a good stew but it will never beat a full sashimi platter (my yet-to-be-fulfilled endgame dream).

[quanonthecob]

Hải Phòng Food Tour Personal Review

Needed some place to archive this hell of an essay, and I remember Tumblr is a thing so here we are, reviving my Tumblr account.

Tried to bold the word "Personal" in the title but it doesn't stand out as much on mobile. So just in case, these are just my personal reviews/opinions (though I do include a few others' opinions as well) and consult these at your own risk ig.

1. Bánh mỳ Khánh Nạp @ 192 Hàng Kênh

Visited this place first. Apparently, Cột Đèn is a better-known brand, but this one has been around for longer and their breadsticks are supposedly better. My mom has always bought breadsticks here and brought it home whenever she visits HP.

Anyway, same thing, we only visited and bought the breadsticks to go. Didn't get to have a proper look at the shop but it seems pretty small, doesn't seem like there's any place to sit (though I guess you can stand outside, but still, not much space). The place is near a T-junction so if you go by car (like I did today), you can freely wiggle around without much problem.

I suppose it's also worth mentioning that we went there in the morning (around 9? 10? am), so it's not as crowded, because I heard the shop can get really busy at times and you'll probably have to wait for a bit, especially if you're buying a large amount.

2. Chè dừa dầm - Cà phê cốt dừa cô Hằng @ 124a Lam Sơn

Went to this place next. The street is quite narrow, and it's also a market, so it's a bit hard to move around here, even with motorcycles. Still, you can ask for help with parking and the owners will help you out if you're going by car.

Only tried out 2 drinks (desserts more like?) at this café: Chè dừa dầm and Cà phê cốt dừa (I'm too lazy to find the proper translation for these but one is a sweet soup and one is coffee, both have coconut). To be fair, they are the most recommended ones, and they are indeed really good. Chè dừa dầm is pretty sweet. Some people may dislike the sweetness but I kinda have a sweet tooth, so I love it. I like cà phê cốt dừa. The coffee taste is not too strong (again, some people, like my mom, may not like it as much), so it's quite perfect for me. The amount of jelly and boba is a tad bit unnecessary but eh, I don't mind it that much.

3. Bánh đa cua Bà Cụ @ 51 Lạch Tray

Stopped here for lunch. There was another place nearby that was also recommended, but we didn't try it out because it's a bit more miserable than the one I went to (sounds kinda elitist honestly now that I think of it, but well, it's my mom's decision). So yeah, just for references, you (or I) can try out the place at 48 Lạch Tray next time.

Wide street, plenty of space for parking. The place can be easily recognised as the sign uses pretty vibrant colours (during the daytime at least, not sure if there are lights for nighttime but looks like there are?).

The food itself is... meh. Had Nem cua bể and Miến cua thập cẩm. Nem cua bể is like grinded crab meat with bean sprouts, wrapped in batter then fried. It was alright. It's big, it has a nice smell and taste, tho a bit bland, and also rather expensive. About miến cua thập cẩm (vermicelli noodles with crab meat and also a gazillion extra things), we had it with some absurdly big Quẩy (fried dough). The noodles weren't as soft as I would've expected, and that's a huge minus. The broth and meat were decent. All in all, I'm not very fond of what had for lunch.

~~~

So uh, yeah, that's really it. Really should have visited more place to eat, like at least a seafood restaurant or sth, but we had plans to go elsewhere, so we just went there instead.

Kinda made this so that if I have the chance to go again, I know what to look for and to avoid. Also used some others' advice while on the trip, I'm gonna put them here, especially when I have not tried them all.

also this

and here's a list of addresses of reputable/recommended place to eat

Not gonna add too many tags bc I don't feel like publicising this shitty mess of a post. After all, I just want sth to look back on if I get to visit this city again.

[wolfygraveyard]

Early Grey Tea, Italian Soda, and..Caramel Macchiato.

Gonna answer these slightly out of order since the first one alone is going to turn this into a long post.

Italian Soda: Describe your dream date

-Slams fists on table- HALLOWEEN DATE. HALLOWEEN DATE. HALLOWEEN DATE.

djdkekdj ok but in all seriousness, I'm perfectly content with something super casual. Could just be as simple as chillin' on the bed watching Netflix or smth. Or straight up napping together hfjgkgk

If we were to be going out, then probably visiting the game stores at the mall or smth idk.

Caramel Macchiato: You’re travelling the entire world but you can only take one person with you. Who do you take?

My mom. Been living with her for almost 25 years, we’re basically BFF’s on top of being business partners at farmers markets & craft shows, she’s a lot of fun to go on adventurous trips with, and overall deserves all the best things in life.

Early Grey Tea: The inevitable Zombie Apocalypse is upon us! What’s your plan of action?

So you see... I'm pretty damn sure I have a decent chance of surviving a zombie apocalypse. Gonna go ahead and put this under read more because my answer is loooong.

TL;DR for those who are curious but don’t wanna read it all: in between my location, the tools we have, the resources we have, and all of our combined skills, my plan of action would be to hunker down and tough it out with the people I live with.

I live way out in the middle of nowhere where there's very few people, and we've got a well established "you scratch my back I scratch yours" type of mentality in this small rural community.

We have a huge metal garage, a couple of campers, a barn, several vehicles, and another property a bit further down the road. We absolutely have multiple places where we can stash food. We're accustomed to stocking up big time so we don't have to go into town very often (ESPECIALLY since this pandemic started. Frank is immunocompromised, so we want to go to town as infrequently as possible). We have a well on both the main property and the other property I mentioned; the other property's well NEVER runs out, even during droughts, so we won't have to worry about water. Also I have enough melee weapons w/ reach for everyone in this house (an axe, a sword, and a flail). Also we have a lot of guns fjdjdjdj

Frank is the resident handyman in this household who knows everyone and their mother. As long as he doesn't have to deal with modern computerized shit, he can fix whatever goddamn vehicle or appliance you throw at him. He's built this house, the garage, the barn, has dug up wells, etc etc. He owns pretty much all the tools he needs to do all this stuff, and could totally barter his skills in exchange for any materials or food we might need. Also most of the guns belong to him so you can bet your ass he's going hunting to bring back food for us.

My mom? She is a super woman. She's been watching a lot of shows on prepping and survivalism for years now and probably has a pretty good grasp on what we would need in a situation like this. You can bet your ass that she's the most likely to know exactly which wild plants are edible and which are not, and she knows how to build a sustainable garden where you literally just plant and walk away. No watering necessary, the plants take care of themselves. She's super knowledgeable on natural remedies, is hella crafty and is always experimenting with different projects, and has the sleep schedule of being some weird mix of day and night watch to make up for whenever Frank and I are asleep. Can I just say... Resident medic who so happens to also be able to make clothes and weave baskets and provide us with plant based foods?

As for me? Well... I'm a fast learner who is often going back and forth with who I'm helping out. I enjoy helping Frank with his building projects, and I enjoy gardening and picking wild leaves & flowers with mom. I'll lend a helping hand wherever the fuck I'm needed because I can. I'm a pretty good shot with a gun, too, and have exceptional balance; I could totally see myself being the night watch perched up on the roof looking out for intruders. Tbh I'd probably be the jack of all trades here or smth.

Also, Frank and I would absolutely be the main zombie killers of the group. I think the two of us would be capable of doing it even if we didn’t want to simply out of necessity. Mom probably wouldn’t be able to handle it at all if the zombie was somebody she knows jdgljgs

[azurekisaragi]

I decided to dedicate a food long post to @alstroemeriaxamare / @couldyouspeakmyname and Free. I did definitely take some shots in the dark, so hopefully it sounds at least decent?

♤ A multi-course dinner with Free ♤

- Appetizers: Cheese fondue. I think you mentioned liking grilled cheese, so maybe little toast pieces chopped into kind of fry shapes? Anyways, Free gives me finger food, let me eat already kinda vibes and while he can restrain himself, I think a cheese fondue can kinda hit a nice in-between where you pace yourself. Fairly flexible with what you want to dip too.

- Entree: I don't recall if you ever said you would eat meat in Beastars, so in an attempt to sidestep that, I came up with a few ideas. Fried chicken can be pretty versatile as a concept and maybe it could be considered a main even when looking at typical western wings with some sides? Spaghetti with a meat/tomato sauce and potentially meatballs could work. Something a little simpler would probably be a grilled meat of choice and/or seafood. Simple sides like a baked potato, maybe a sauce. I don't think Free is the head chef of the Shishigumi so if he's cooking, it'd probably be something easier. While the gang has money, I also don't think he's regularly visiting all sorts of high end restaurants that try and make things wildly fancy and abstract or pretentious. Nor do I think he's going around learning anything and everything about many different types of cuisines outside of what'd be around. That's not to judge you, of course! If you want a classic French dish he'd definitely be able to figure something out, these are just a couple ideas I thought might land with Free and potentially yourself.

- Dessert: I had a little more fun coming up with theoretical stuff here even though I don't know of any allergies/too many preferences. I thought of a trifle/sundae with layered chocolate coated cookies in the shape of bats, vanilla ice cream, pumpkin spiced pumpkin shaped cookies, as well as various flambéd fruit including pineapple and banana, and some maraschino cherries on top. Maybe some chocolate sauce on top as well?

I had a bit of a difficult time trying to tie goth aesthetic in to the meal as a whole and hope this didn't end up too stereotypical/generically Halloween. Rum soaked fruit plus flambé is a touch of Free and danger. Also y'know pineapples and bananas serve multiple purposes there.

[cyncerity]

I don't know if this has been said before, but do any of the borrowers have favorite snacks or movies? Is there anything in particular that Schlatt and Tubbo do together as like father and son?

Oh this gives me so much freedom to rant about absolutely nothing, thank you.

Also I only did the Bench Trio here for the sake of it being somewhat short but if anyones interested I will do other borrowers as well.

Ok, so, all of the borrowers in general really like hot foods and drinks. This is because it’s really hard to properly heat food when you live in the walls, and the quality of food isn’t really a main concern as much as having enough to eat is.

Tubbo just really likes sugar, but isn’t a huge fan of chocolate, and doesn’t like food that’s really hard for him to bite into, like skittles, jolly ranchers, gobstoppers, etc, or sticky things like starburts or taffy. So things like Pixi stixs, jello, and fruit roll-ups are really good, even if they make him really really hyperactive. He also just really likes sugary soda (though his favorite drink is hot chocolate) and junk food, which there’s never really any shortage of in Schlatt’s apartment. He also really hates scary movies, but besides that doesn’t really have a favorite genre of movie, but he likes things that make him laugh.

Tommy likes most food. He’s never been very picky, he can’t afford to be when whatever he can catch/gather is his next meal, so he’ll eat pretty much whatever. However he does like to try more interesting food, things that borrowers can’t get, like fried food, seafood, and occasionally slightly spicy food (he’s a wimp and he can’t handle anything too spicy). Also similar to Tubbo he’s gained a soda and junk food addiction. Tommy also really likes watching action movies, specifically the Spider-Man movies, which Ranboo will curse till he dies because they’ve given Tommy some…strange new ideas of how to use his rope to get around the apartment.

Ranboo really likes fruit. Of course he’s had things like blueberries, grapes, and strawberries before, since those are easy to get to outside, but he’d never had a chance to try bigger, harder to get to fruits before, and especially not fruits that grew out of America. So things like apples, pineapples, kiwis, bananas, watermelons, mangos, peaches, etc, are all things that he absolutely loves. He was also absolutely ecstatic to learn that you could dry fruit to make it last longer, similar to the jerky he would sometimes make with any excess meat he and Tommy had. He doesn’t like things overly and unnaturally sweet, but he has learned to really like tea. Ranboo also likes watching weirdly specific nature documentaries. He doesn’t like watching things about animals that lived in his area and could hurt him, but he really likes watching documentaries about animals and places he’s never seen before, like jaguars and otters, or rainforests and jungles.

Tommy and Tubbo like the documentaries, too, but they like watching them for the animal interactions. Tommy’s favorite animal becomes spiders, Tubbo’s will always be bees but moths were now second (Jambo specifically tying in second with moths), and Ranboo’s favorite animal was now also spiders, with ferrets as a close second.

And for Tubbo and Schlatt:

The two of them spend a lot of time together, since Schlatt primarily works from home to be with Tubbo. A lot of the time they act more like each other’s annoying roommates than father and son, but Schlatt still manages to be stupid while being a good dad. Like, he’ll protect his son with absolutely no hesitation, but he’ll also just throw him across a room onto his couch for shits and giggles. Y’know that meme where it’s a dad and his kid on the beach, and in one photo he’s sitting down holding his kid in a blanket and in in the other he’s walking and swinging his kid in the air by the ankle? Yeah Schlatt is both of those simultaneously. But also, Schlatt was still pretty young when he found Tubbo. He was just learning to live on his own, had only been in one serious relationship (which ended a few months later), and didn’t even really have a father figure himself. So him and Tubbo kinda grew up together, and, even though Tubbo loves Quackity just as much as Schlatt, there’s no denying that Tubbo is closer with the man who saved him all those years ago.

[subtract-me-from-your-heart]

Hey and welcome to another episode of Sin Eats! Tonight is a recipe that Jay pulled straight out of his... brain.

Tuna Steaks with Roasted Purple Potatoes and Onions

Roasted veggies are a staple in our house. I'll eat pretty much any vegetable if Jay roasts it, with the exception of squash. Fuck that noise. But broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, carrots, onions, turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, asparagus (which I normally HATE)... that's the STUFF my guy.

Tuna steaks are an easy protein, full of the omega-3 fatty acids that us olds need to stop dying so quickly. Tuna also happen to be the only fish I'll eat. Fish are disgusting. Unless it's tuna or fish and chips. I can do fish and chips.

We buy frozen yellowfin tuna because that's what you get when the ocean is just a distant dream. If you're some kinda smartass who can get fresh or ahi or something, be my guest. Treat yourself. I'll just be out here turning green with envy.

Make sure if you're using frozen to move it to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. That's the safest way to thaw any meat, but especially seafood.

As always, listen to your heart when the seasonings are calling to you. Listen to your heart. There's nothing else you can do.

Ingredients

Tuna Steak

Tuna steak (one each for everyone eating... or just the people you like)

Salt

Lemon pepper

Splash lemon juice

Roasted Veggies

1 large sweet onion

1 lb purple potatoes (or whatever potato you like... unless you like russets. If that's your favorite potato, who hurt you? Why do you wanna eat dirt?)

60g (1/2 cup) feta cheese (parmesan is good too)

Extra virgin olive oil cooking spray (or just the bottle for drizzlin')

Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).

Slice potatoes into rounds. Cut onion into long strips (or as Jay says, stree-ips).

Place on a baking sheet with foil, realize your pan might be too small, but carry on anyway because you're fucking committed now. Either drizzle with extra virgin olive oil or spray with olive oil cooking spray. Jay likes the cooking spray because you get nice, even coverage. Don't go crazy, though, unless you like drinking oil or something.

Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, a little sage, oregano, and mix with your hands like a real man. Remember the rule: season til it smells good enough to make you drool.

Place pan in preheated oven and roast for 15 minutes.

While the veggies are roasting, ask your partner for a little bowl very politely so they don't say you were bossing them around in their Tumblr post.

Time to prep the tuna! Season your tuna steaks with salt, lemon pepper, and lemon juice on both sides. Make sure to wash your hands before touching the lemon juice bottle unless you wanna grow some bacteria in your fridge. Get real cute for a second and tell your partner that you're not marinating them because the last time you made them this way they said it was their favorite tuna steak you've ever made. Awww.

Take the dog outside while your partner makes sure the house doesn't catch on fire, and complain at him because the timer is about to go off.

After 15 minutes, stir the veggies around. Mix 'em up, flip 'em over, whatever. We just want those suckers to cook evenly. Then put them back in the oven to roast for another 15 minutes.

Oil a frying pan and warm on medium high heat. Like always, when you toss a few drops of water in and it sizzles, it's ready.

Cook the tuna steaks for around 2 minutes on each side. Tuna steaks are supposed to be rare in the middle. Generally, try to turn them when you see the cooked part spread a little ways up the side (not too far though). Make sure to sear all sides of the steaks. Tongs work great for this, but did Jay use them? No. Did I suggest it? No, because it's funnier this way.

Take the tuna off the heat and let it rest. Pray when you cut it open that it's not over or undercooked. Or you could just cut into them before taking them out of the pan if you want to expedite your shame. They're probably not cooked right, but we have to live with our mistakes. Will we learn from them? Negative.

Holy shit I think it's actually cooked right. Show your partner and ask if they'll eat it that rare because they're a little bitch. Yes? Okay!

Remove veggies from oven and attempt not to burn your hand.

Sprinkle with lemon juice and feta cheese crumbles.

Stuff your face! You may have to fight off your cats if they, like ours, think anything remotely tuna-smelling is their food.

Yield: 6(ish) servings of veggies

Calories: 181 calories

Tuna calories will depend on the weight of the steak, but generally a 5 oz steak is 100 calories

Honestly, eat more veggies if you want. They're good for you.

The finished product!

[olibavee]

I don't know why the first thing to come to my head was food but here's some food asks. I think stew is very common in bb but I don't know what all they put in it. What do you think? How do they feel about carrots (I don't know why I'm so curious about their carrot usage)? Other than beasts I don't recall seeing any animals, do you think the people were vegetarian before they turned or that the animals all escaped? Hand pies had to be popular right?

I FEEL THIS, i’ve always wondered about yharnam food. i bet it was awful. 

i’m sure stew was common, which is my favorite food, but who knows what was in yharnam stew. ough. i don’t want to know. i really don’t. probably cooked beast and pulverized livers and limp cabbage. probably seafood before the Incident happened.

and CARROT USAGE...i’m not sure where they’d grow them but i like to think they had farms outside the borders and somehow...brought the produce in. not sure how it’d work though. i’m very ignorant of that. 

but they do eat meat! i know that much, it was in the comics (which i decided to believe in this case lmao). even when things were going to hell, they still had meat. but i do NOT want to know what kind of meat it was. and pies, that’s an adorable thought. i’d like to think pies were a thing, but i also have a hc that they don’t like...do sweet stuff much in yharnam. 

[thequeenofsheba-blog]

Newish places in Barcelona (as of August 2022)

Here are comments on the newer places in town.

Compartir Barcelona- finally it has opened! I think this restaurant really delivers on an a la carte version of Disfrutar. Almost all of the dishes were delicious, highly creative, and paired with the most excellent wines, champagnes and sherries. This is my number one recommendation in the city.

The oyster with ajoblanco and black garlic is excellent.

Of the brioche buns, the one with caviar, is the second most famous dish from Disfrutar, and everyone should try this once, but the one with tartar and egg is also amazing.

The crab salad is amazing.

And the cannelloni of tuna- excellent balance of flavors and technique.

The langoustine is delicious.

Less good were the sardines, the croquettes, and the salmon shabu shabu.

We had the hazelnut molten cake for dessert with apricot ice cream. It was heavily- perfect technique and flavor.

COME- after the entire Adria group (Tickets, Pakta, etc.) folded, COME opened up in the location that used to be Hoja Santa, with almost the same Mexican menu. The food here is excellent IF you go ahead and pick your own dishes. If you don't, and let the waiter curate your meal, I guarantee that a fair amount of the dishes will disappoint. 

Proper BCN- WOW, this please is truly exciting. A chef with an extremely modern vision, with dishes that combine ingredients you would not think to combine, in wildly successful ways. This is a place I will be coming to often. 

Sensato- this was good, probably the best omakase sushi meal you can get in the city at the moment, but really doesn't hold a candle to great sushi meals we have had elsewhere, including outside of Japan.

Molino de Pez- I liked this place a lot- really solid dishes, with a few exceptions. And their steak dish (that they call tacos but has nothing to do with tacos) was fabulous- the meat was cooked to perfection, and the sauce was rich and delicious.

Batea- excellent quality seafood in a central touristy part of town, where you don't expect to get such good quality seafood and the prices aren't crazy.

Contracorrent Bar- If you want tapas with a twist, in this case an Italian twist, this place is excellent. I really enjoyed every dish we ordered.

Sartoria Panatieri- the pizza dough here is excellent, though the toppings on the pizzas we tried all really needed to be amped up in terms of flavor.

Enigma- As above with COME, Enigma closed, but has reopened in the same space. However the concept is now different- instead of a 3 hour tasting menu where you move through the different spaces, you come for snacks and cocktails in the evening. Some of the dishes were good, none were as excellent as the amazing bites we had at Enigma in its old format, but if you want some excellent drinks and some creative snacks on the side, this is a lot of fun, and the smash burger is really, really damn good.

Fiskebar- it is in a lovely space in the port, with a stylish Nordic interior. Dishes were good, nothing outstanding though, and it definitely isn’t the best seafood in town so I sadly wouldn’t recommend it.

Tamae- this is unsuccessful as a concept. Even if you eat in the restaurant, they plate your food as if you are getting take-out. The sushi rolls are largely pre-made, and it really is nothing special.

Jaqueline- we came here during the pre-opening period so the menu was very limited and it was hard to get a sense of what the restaurant and bar will ultimately be like. The space is beautiful, but I fear that the owner has too many ideas- champagne bar upstairs, club downstairs, fine-dining restaurant, back of restaurant omakase sushi counter. I think they might be better off pairing things down a bit to center on a more cohesive concept.

Comida Codac- appalling. It was the weirdest and most disgusting meal I can remember having in years. Everydish was mush in terms of consistency, every dish was sweet, almost every dish and chocolate in it, but combined in ways that just didnt work. The atmosphere wasn’t great- it was largely empty. It was just AWFUL. I will be stunned if this place is open in 3 months’ time.

[delirious-comfort]

Oh don't worry, I've never been offended by being called a robot.

You must enjoy travelling, then. I try to avoid it at all costs when it involves a plane. I generally try to keep (most) people away from me, even before the pandemic, so the pole idea is a no-go. I wouldn't want any angry weirdos picketing outside my house.

The challenges are far from fun, but oh well. At least I don't get bored.

I probably should have checked before I got my dinner started, but we were on similar wavelengths. I decided on steak, broccoli, and rice pilaf.

Dislikes: mayo, seafood, cauliflower, ham, olives, lima beans, celery, cilantro, tomato (but I love sun-dried). Now I feel self-conscious about all my dislikes. What are yours?

I don’t mind travelling, I just never do it. Have done in the past and quite liked it, but it’s also easily overwhelming and I don’t like big crowds. Airports are hellish.  Fair enough on the alien pole! Probably would be better off without an angry mob outside your house.  Dinner sounds good, though. You know, I went to the States in 2010 and the people I stayed with, on my first day were like, here’s dinner! And I was hungry cuz I had just been travelling for like 25 hours and then this woman puts a steak on my plate and I laugh and I said, “Am I supposed to carve the meat or something?” And she looks at me and says, “Nah, that’s yours.” THEN PROCEEDED TO GET 4 MORE GIANT STEAKS FOR THE OTHER PEOPLE. I swear to god I’ve never seen such a humongous steak in my entire life.  The first time I walked into a WallMart and saw all the meat packages, I was so flabbergasted. I think if Americans ever walk into a Dutch supermarket they’d be like, “But where’s the meat, what am I supposed to do with this silly strip of meat??”  I’m with you on the olives and lima beans. Disgusting things. Should never eat. Hm, food dislikes. Lets see if it all fits in a Tumblr post, it’ll make your list seem like nothing at all! Brussel sprouts, Belgian endive (I mean the yellow looking things, the green veggie I do really like but I know they’re closely related, but one is gross the other is not), mushrooms (unless they are plain white and cut by me then it’s fine, but if people cut them the wrong way, I can’t eat it, god I’m so weird.) Uhm what else. I’m not a big fan of all things nuts, like walnuts. It tastes like nothing. Do not like. I actually can’t think of anything and I know there’s plenty of food I don’t like -.- will think about this some more.  What are your favorite foods, though! Easier question :D 

[savourylife-blog]

When in Rome...

... Eat a lot of pasta, see the sights, and load up on pictures! Starting off our visit to Italy with beautiful and historical Rome.

So much to see in a city that dates back how many centuries, didn't even really think about food - at first. Then after seeing all pictures and places to eat, outside of pizza and pasta (which totally lives up to the hype, as long as you don't end up in a tourist trap which can easily happen). There's also quite a bit of seafood and of course gelato, coffee, desserts, etc. So here we go!

Arriving early afternoon we had time for one stop, the Pantheon! You can see it though the alleyways as you're walking towards it. The size is overwhelming! Then you see all the tourists, wonder how long it's going to take to get in, send the husband into the line while you take pictures and then be pleasantly surprised the queue moves super fast! I thought the inside would have been bigger, maybe because there actually weren't that many people inside compared to those waiting outside or that I was expecting more after being blown away by exterior. Regardless, very happy we made the stop.

A couple blocks away is the very famous gelato shop Giolitti. Absolutely flooded with people, can barely make out the flavours with all the bodies in the way. It was delicious and refreshing, however, I can't say it was the best we had during our trip. A must-visit because it's an icon but you'll find tastier and cheaper... My fave places that we tried out to come ;-)

I booked as many skip-the-line tickets as possible since standing in a queue is a waste of time. The best thing was booking the early access to the Vatican, skip the line and get in before the crowd does. Arriving just after 7am for check-in we were inside the Vatican Museum (above) before 7:30 and had a tour guide explain the history of the tapestries, maps, etc. We get to the entrance of the Sistine Chapel just before 8am when the doors open. I've heard from many friends that it's normally shoulder to shoulder, can't imagine trying to lean back to see the masterpiece on the ceiling in that kind of crowd. Happy to grab a seat on the back bench and take as much in as possible. The company we used was City Wonders and would recommend them.

By the time we made it to the veranda to see St. Peter's Square there was a line that snaked about 1/4 the way around square, it was only about 10am! It was a hot and sunny day so standing in that wouldn't have been pleasant. 

Jet lag isn’t so bad, you can use the time to go to the super early things like 7am tours. It’s funny, sleeping isn’t that important on vacation but is top priority back home.

Around the corner from the Vatican is a pizza place called Alice Pizza, recommended by our guide. Order by the slice, everything looked amazing and we were famished so we certainly bit off more than we can chew. Actually worked out, having done the touristy thing - look for the pie with the least slices left and order that - we essentially had a taste of each pie! The more popular local flavours did not work for us non-Italians (fish apparently is a popular flavour!) but we still were stuffed from the different types of cured meats, mushrooms, veggies toppings

Later that evening we wandered to Trastevere since there's lots of shops that open late along with restaurants and bars. We had a nice drink at a trendy place called 404 Name Not Found. Friendly staff and cheap beer and wine. The highlight though had to be the dinner we had at Da Enzo, the pasta was fabulous!

The wait was about an hour and I was totally regretting not grabbing a snack at 404 but it was worth the wait. The traditional lasagna (above) and carbonara was 5/5! Carbonara (below) seems to be the specialty and go to in Rome so it's a must try. At Da Enzo they use a pork cheek bacon that has a nice hint of smokiness and just the right amount of crisp. Who doesn't love lasagna, let's be honest. The meat sauce was perfectly seasoned with a right thickness. Watery meat sauce is a tragedy (which you'd often come across with lasagna at home), makes the pasta too soft and ruins the whole dish. The tiramisu was also delicious, not overly sweet, smooth cream and coffee with ladyfingers soaking it all in.

We joined another skip the line tour for the Colosseum and Roman Forum (Walks of Italy). The guide, Guido, was full of information but also monotone like a jaded junior high teacher. So you want to listen and learn but struggle to keep focused. Well worth it to have him lead the way since there's so much to see and loads of other tour groups but would have been more enjoyable if he had just a wee bit of enthusiasm.

When I researched how we'd explore the Colosseum I had seen so many picture of the exterior, with the one side that had crumbled because of the many earthquakes, but not many pics of the inside. Without the guide's explanation we couldn't have guessed half the things and what they were for. Like in the image above, this was where many of the animals, from all over the world, were brought into view - using man powered elevators! Well slave powered pulley systems, each animal, could be hippos, giraffes, leopards, skunks, etc, would be brought up at different times to increase the suspense for the audiences, rising from different parts of the stage. The larger animals, like elephants and lions, would come through a side entrance. All animals were kept in the dark and starved for several days to ensure they would come out enraged and attack the first thing it saw. Who would have known?

The Spanish Steps was just around the corner from our hotel. Typically packed with visitors. It was a pleasant surprise when we were leaving to go to the train station one early morning to see they it was almost completely empty. The contrast from the night before is actually kinda magical, to feel like you have the place all to yourself after seeing literally thousands of people just 10 hours before bending and reaching to try and get a selfie that doesn't have 25 people photobombing you. It was peaceful, nice way to leave Rome and head to our next destination - Florence. 

[sportspsychology]

What about us athletes? Would it be the same diet given our calorie burn is higher ? Well, the answer is no! In my experience, and trust me I’ve tried every single possible diet, I need to eat every 3 hours at least to stay on my normal weight to be able to perform. Dried fruits such as nuts, peanuts, cashews & raisins are a great snack full of calories & with high nutritional value. I stay away from sugar. Increases my muscles tiredness & soreness. I stay away from squeezed juices and go for smoothies instead.

Hydrate a lot. Helps for cramps (I suffer from them daily, even during competition though I take extra care of my diet). And my daily banana provides the potassium my muscles need.

No chinese, please! Chinese food has the highest levels of monosodium glutamates. I banned soy sauce from my list! And check for MSG in every product you purchase.

Every Day Health recommends eating whole foods and avoiding excitotoxins since they may ease fibromyalgia symptoms.

A diet high in whole, unprocessed foods may help with fibromyalgia symptom management.

1. Avoid Foods That Contain Added Glutamate

Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that occurs naturally in the body and in some foods, but it is also added to foods as a flavor enhancer.

The most common form of dietary glutamate is monosodium glutamate (MSG), which must be listed on the label when it’s included in foods.

Ingredients that include the terms "hydrolyzed,” “autolyzed,” “protein concentrate,” or “protein isolate” are also likely to contain naturally occurring monosodium glutamate.

In a study published in 2012, 37 people with fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) — which is common in people with fibromyalgia — followed a diet free of added MSG and aspartame for four weeks. Most reported that more than 30 percent of their fibromyalgia symptoms had resolved during that time. Those whose symptoms improved then consumed either MSG or a placebo for three consecutive days per week for two weeks. The group assigned to the MSG experienced a significant return of symptoms.

Foods that commonly contain MSG include Chinese foods, canned soups and vegetables, some types of chips or similar crunchy snacks, and processed meats. To avoid MSG and other sources of added glutamate, read food labels carefully, and don’t buy those that list MSG or ingredients high in glutamate.

2. Choose Whole Foods Instead of Processed Ones

Steer clear of processed foods and choose more whole foods, advises Holton.

Processed foods typically have more additives and less fiber and nutrients than unprocessed foods. Refined carbohydrates — such as white flour, white pasta, and white rice — are examples of processed foods that have been stripped of naturally occurring nutrients.

When choosing carbohydrate-containing foods for your meals, choose whole grains such as quinoa, amaranth, whole wheat berries, buckwheat groats, or brown or wild rice, or have a sweet potato or plain potato in place of bread, pasta, or rice.

"I try to eat whole, real food," says Wildman. "That means cauliflower from a fresh head, corn from an ear, and cage-free eggs."

3. Try the DASH or Mediterranean Eating Plan

Both the DASH Diet (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) and Mediterranean diet have been shown to have real health benefits, including lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

The two diets are slightly different in their specifics, but both are rich in fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and low-fat or no-fat dairy foods.

Many components of the DASH diet reduce inflammation in the body, which can be helpful in controlling many chronic conditions.

4. Avoid Cured Meats

When you buy meat, avoid processed products with added salt or preservatives or meats that have been smoked or cured. This list includes canned meat, sausage, bacon, hot dogs, ham, deli meat, corned beef, and beef jerky.

Also beware of meat products with the words "natural flavor added" on the label. An example of such a product is turkey breast infused with broth (to give it more flavor). Natural flavors are derived from natural sources such as plants, meats, and seafood and may be high in naturally occurring monosodium glutamate.

5. Eat Cold-Water Fish and Fortified Foods for Vitamin D

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, vitamin D supplementation may reduce pain in people with fibromyalgia who are deficient in this nutrient.

You can get vitamin D naturally in swordfish, tuna, sockeye salmon, and eggs, and some foods, such as orange juice and milk, are fortified with vitamin D. Vitamin D can also be taken as a supplement or in cod liver oil, which provides both vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.

Spending time outside also increases your body’s vitamin D levels, although too much sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancers and eye disease. (5)

6. Choose Dark, Leafy Greens, Nuts, and Seeds for Magnesium

Magnesium citrate supplementation may reduce symptoms of fibromyalgia, according to a 2013 study that showed it was even more effective when paired with amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant. (6)

“Magnesium is necessary for helping to prevent the excitoxicity caused by glutamate,” says Holton.

Magnesium is found in many healthy foods, including legumes (dried beans and lentils), nuts and seeds, avocado, yogurt, bananas, fatty fish, dark chocolate, and dark, leafy greens.

RELATED: 8 Foods High in Magnesium

7. Add in Fish, Flaxseed, and Chia for Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids may reduce levels of oxidative stress, as well as lower levels of inflammation and boost immunity. Oxidative stress takes place when the body has too many free radicals, or unstable molecules, that damage cells. It is implicated in the development of many medical conditions.

Omega-3s are abundant in wild-caught seafood, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds. It can also be taken as a supplement.

However, omega-3 capsules are not recommended since they contain gelatin, which contains the amino acid aspartate. Aspartate may active a glutamate receptor on nerve cells that’s implicated in fibromyalgia. Gelatin also contains glycine, a co-activator of that receptor. (7)

8. Include Good Sources of Antioxidants in Your Meals

To combat the effects of dietary excitotoxins on fibromyalgia symptoms, you may need more antioxidants in your diet, as excitotoxins also create oxidative stress.

"To keep this simple, look for foods that add color to your diet, in the fruits and vegetables category," says Holton. "Focus on increasing consumption of items with bright red, green, orange, yellow, and purple hues to give yourself an antioxidant boost."

9. Read the Labels on Packaged Foods

If the ingredients list on a food packaging label is long and complex, put the product back on the shelf, Holton advises. You won't likely see "glutamate" on that label, but you will see other additives that may hide glutamate. Labels should be short, easy to read, and should list ingredients that you could add to a dish when cooking.

Don't be fooled by the words "spices" or "flavorings," since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't dictate that manufacturers explain what those terms mean on a food label, she says.

10. Avoid Artificial Sweeteners and Limit Sugars

Holton recommends avoiding artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame-K, saccharin, and sucralose. Use regular sugar or honey sparingly to sweeten foods.

"It's much easier to wean yourself off sugar if you aren't using artificial sweeteners," she says.

"As you cut back on sugar, you'll taste sweetness in foods more easily. Even Stevia is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar — which makes you want more sweetness in your food."

For general good health, avoid high-fructose corn syrup. When you're fatigued from fibromyalgia, don't choose sugar or the corn-syrup alternative to boost energy. High sugar intake increases risk of weight gain, diabetes, and other inflammatory diseases, including heart disease and cancer.

"Sugar is my nemesis," Wildman says. "It makes me more tired, raises my insulin levels, and makes me supersensitive to things. When I've had sugar, something can startle me, and I'll jump sky high."

“Research suggests excitotoxicity requires a great deal of energy in the body," says Dr. Holton. "High sugar intake may 'fuel' this process.”

Hope all this info helps you keep up & going, crampfree, and with an extra spoon of energy to add to your day!

Source: Fibromyalgia News Today

Every Day Health