#milk in general sucks but rice milk and cereal is good

[sorrowfulwill]

wait how much joy have I been deprived of from eating oat bread, rice milk (with cereal), and some random ass healthy butter my whole life wheat bread cant taste that good..right?

[zukoromantic]

Dietry aspects that help you if you suffer from thyroid issues, specifically hashimoto's disease:

Avoid gluten. It sucks, yeah, but every source i found so far agrees on this. People with thyroid issues are more likely to be straight up gluten intolerant! If that isn't the case, you absolutely don't need to cut gluten out of your life. However, you should try to reduce the intake regardless. But not to worry! You can find brands that have pasta, bread mixes, pizza dough, even little snacks as gluten free! Alternatives are also always rice or corn for a lot of things. If you like to snack on crunchy things like cookies i can really recommend rice waffles. They even come with chocolate and other flavors a lot of the time. And as for the bread mixes don't worry, at least the german brand i get has the lowest effort kinda stuff. As in, put water, stirr, form on tray, oven, done (and i found one that is SO delicious to me even!)

Avoid pork. Also got this one from multiple sources. Like with gluten, it can be a problem if you're out a lot, BUT there is usually plenty of other meat. My go to is chicken or turkey. Beef is great too, but naturally it's more expensive than chicken etc. You don't need to cut out stuff like salami either because these days there's a lot of alternatives to pork in those regards

Veggies, veggies, veggies! I mean, who doesn't this apply to?! Vegetables are great and have so many vitamins. I try to eat a salad a day and have some veggies in my lunch. There is so many different vegetables, there's sure to be SOMETHING for you! In my salad for example i put grated carrots even though i don't like them apart from that. I also put apple to make it more sweet and delicious! (Note: for salad you should put some oil, otherwise your body can't absorb the nutrients that well. I love pumpkin sees oil bc i'm picky and don't like olive oil. But there's more you might like too!) Potatoes count as well for your vitamins. Put anything with some meat or in a stew or with rice, it doesn't really matter how you make them

Fruit is less helpful than veggies, but it's still great! Especially berries, apples, oranges, peaches, plums and more are helpful. That's because they have less sugar that for example pineapple, banana, grapes, or mango

Seeds and nuts. They can help you as well. I usually put sunflower seeds in my salad, but you can also put something in cereal or yoghurt or your lunch! They're nice and crunchy and can be great additions to some food

Less (cow) milk. Milk is fineee, but you shouldn't overdo it. Especialy with things with a lot of fat, like cream

Most fish. Most fish is great, salmon and tuna for example. In general, fish is really healthy. I don't like it but i know many do! So definitely keep eating it! :)

Eggs. Eggs are always good, get your protein! Many lovely ways to make eggs. Just make sure you don't always eat them with too much fat, so be careful with your fried or scrambled egg

Those are things i was told by a doctor or things i found from different sources on the internet. Some is obvious like you should just so in general get protein and vegebtables!

But for example, i've had hashimoto's disease for over six years now and only THIS YEAR i was told by a doctor that i should avoid gluten

So i wanted to make a little post for me and for others to have a quick check list regarding one's diet with thyroid issues! If you know/think of anything else, please share! It'll be much appreciated!

[hyunverse]

ik it’s so embarrassing 💔💔 i remember that week being not the best so maybe i was just emotional in general ?? idek 😭. i also cry over fluff more than angst. i read angst when i’m like at a rly low point bc it’s almost kinda comforting ……. idk dw bae i sound insane rn too ! we pretty much have the same favorite cereal bc if i had to choose i’d get the chocolate rice crispy ones (or honey nut cheerios) and i LOVEEEE milo. my nana from australia always sends it over and it’s delishhhh. so nostalgic. YES spanakopita is life, it is so so so so good. lmk what you and your mom end up getting ^_^ that sounds so fun i love eating w ppl

ITS THE HYUNE BODY ROLLING SO TRUE. i like when he dances with short sleeves or sleeveless tops bc the arm muscles just make me 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃 insane !!! i’ve been wanting to watch a new movie so maybe i’ll watch howl now ^_^ i’ve heard a TON about it and i think you just fully convinced me hehe. do you have any other movie or show recs ?? i’m not a big movie or show person but im tryingggg to watch more stuff so tell me any of your faves

oh yea i could slander america as a professional job. like don’t get me wrong i’m extremely grateful to live somewhere where i can get a good education and just like survive but at the same time … i’m barely surviving ?? all our money goes to stuff that doesn’t even benefit us ??? idk man i’ll keep going if i don’t stop myself BUT YES PLS all the mcflurries 🙏🏼. possible unpopular opinion but oreo mcflurry dipped in fries = chefs kiss. it’s an underrated combo fr

i would pay MONEYYYY to experience one skz dance practice but hyunjins alone oh my oh my oh myyyyy. i don’t think i’d survive, his clinging would be ineffective bc i’d just be 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠. smth about the way he dances just GAHHH. YES CONFIDENT MISCHIEVOUS LITTLE YONGBOK he’s so cute 😭😭😭😭 i love his korean name it’s adorable

i watched the live when i woke up this am and it was the cutest thing ever <///3. felix looked so bf and i swear the There music video made it WORSEE. the parasocial vibes rly smacked me in the face and said grace u need to wake up and accept you can’t have these men 😔

spamming once again gahhhh can u tell i’m bored <///3. im stuck inside for another day bc nyc is having a rly bad snow storm rn and it’s torturous lol. as much as i love being in my bed all day, it gives me a raging headache every timeeeee

- 🐈‍⬛ kisses 4 uuuuu i hope ur sleeping well ^_^

i've never tried honey nut cheerios but now i kinda want to?? lets see lets see. going back to my campus this saturday so i gotta stock up on my food stock 🫡 i'm gonna try honey nut cheerios hehe. milo is good but i can't drink it that much bcs its best mixed with milk and im lactose intolerant </3 i mean i do consume dairy anyway but milo and milk is a deadly combination. one sip and you're gonna end up with diarrhea. even worse when u have lactose intolerance. god lactose intolerance sucks so bad, especially when i love dairy </3 life is a war game and the toilet is my battle field. </3 aaa me and mumsies ended up not getting breakfast bcs we didnt wake up on time LOLL love that 4 us 🤞

sleeveless tops on hyune always look so good. his arms are so nice, the type that isn't frail nor too muscular, he's just nice. dont get me started on his hands yo his hands are pretty big too and his fingers?? majestic. slender and pretty. makes me dizzy just watching it 😵‍💫howl is incredibly good, u reaaaaaally need to watch it <3!! mmm for tv shows, i really like gilmore girls and jujutsu kaisen. or if you like romance, u shud try out horimiya!!

I UNDERSTAND ABT THE MONEY THING... malaysian road taxes r no joke. youngsters going broke frm paying taxes is CRAAAZY. fries dipped in vanilla ice cream is so good so i get u!!!!! it's the mixture of sweet and salty 🤌

when hyunjin does a lil smirk while dancing... im frothing drooling melting. like bae stop i will get through this phone screen and kiss u 😭 so pretty. YONGBOK IS SO CUTE AND YES HIS NAME!! I LOVE WRITING HIM AS YONGBOK BCS I LOVE HIS NAME SM... i also love jeongin's name. it's cute and suiting for him.

the live c hdbhs i was fixated on seungmin the whole time... was just staring at him dreamily like... 💭 he made a mess but i's ok bcs it's seungmo!!

THE THERE MV OH MY GOD GRACEEEEEE. I'LL NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT IT. HYUNJIN AND SEUNGMIN'S PART GOT ME GIGGLING!!1 also can i just say that the settings suit them so much? it feels like it's actually their ideal date. jeongin with the shopping for clothes, hyunjin with the camera and channie in the studio... it makes so much sense. omg what if it IS their ideal date? bye im gonna combust. why are they parasocializing with us!! its making the delusions worse!!!

talking abt parasocializing, felix needs to calm down. bro was wiping at his mouth and stuff r u indicating that we just made out?!?! not very pg13 of him. i heard he spams om bubble too 😭 he needs to find a gf his bitchless behavior is getting worse 😟

ur spam is always entertaining so dw!! i take my time with it always cs i wanna put thought in my words hehe. sorry to hear abt the storm :(( i hope ure staying warm <3

[delphictrip]

Vegan cooking resources that have helped me out a lot

Budget Bytes is amazing. If you have $12 to throw at a printable online cookbook I would recommend it, the cookbook is basically meal planning with weekly grocery lists. If that's not your jam, above is the link for her vegan recipes.

Bad Manners is a vegan chef outfit. I have a few of their cookbooks and I love them, although they can be a little hard to follow. I've linked their recipe list and it looks like you can apply filters for different types of meals and ingredients.

Tofu is very versatile. Here's a cool list of marinades that kicks ass. I recommend pressing the water out of firm tofu if you're cooking it. You don't have to marinate but it can help. The flavor of plain tofu has actually grown on me as long as it's not all I can taste in the dish.

To press I typically wrap it in paper towels and then an absorbent dish towel. Then place it between two plates and I put maybe 2-4 cans of beans or whatever on top. Let that baby sit for as long as you want, 30 minutes is generally the recommended time but you can let it go longer or a little shorter if you're super crunched on time.

Freezing tofu is a decent method of preservation if you have too much to eat or it's going to go bad (almost never a problem for us, and it keeps pretty well in the fridge). Do note that freezing tofu completely changes the texture and essentially turns it into a sponge. You can squeeze water out of it with your hands and it soaks up marinades like crazy but it doesn't hold together too well for frying and you can turn it into a giant mess if you try to press it with too much weight (it will fall apart).

A favorite method of cooking tofu is frying it with a cornstarch crust. I don't bother making it fancy, usually just salt and cornstarch is my jam. I wouldn't recommend marinating it first because if it's too soggy the crust doesn't stick well to the tofu. Also do not recommend making this in advance because the crust turns gummy if you leave it sit too long. Super tasty for dinner over rice and stir fried veggies though!!!

This is a pretty decent guide. Also, a lot of the "vegan diets aren't good for you/a good way to get your nutrients" that you hear about people who quit veganism are people who either didn't plan it very well/did not get supplements or did something bananas like a raw food vegan diet and it didn't work out for them. I tend to not plan my food too well aside from "protein, vegetable, grain" and I get my fats and sugars from the oils I use to cook and the sugars that come with the other categories or the junk food part of my diet. Pure junk food vegan isn't very sustainable and neither is raw vegan. If you're going to go vegan you will likely have to do a lot of cooking for yourself. I keep chickn nuggets around for lazy nights but if I have the energy I'm making something with chickpeas and rice or beans and rice or tofu or seitan as the protein of the dish.

Contrary to popular belief you do not have to subsist off of quinoa and avocados. I barely eat either because a) don't really like quinoa and b) avocados suck because I live in Alaska and it's nearly impossible to get good avocados.

Another point is to not beat yourself up if you accidentally use/consume an animal product. It happens to the best of us, best thing to do is to move on with the knowledge of what to avoid in the future.

The more you learn on this journey will likely lead you to conclusions you never saw coming. You may be in less denial about what happens to farmed animals. You will be upset about the little non-vegan parts of foods that could easily be vegan (see: gelatin in cereal for some reason. milk powder in chips.). You will find yourself avoiding leathers and furs. You will find yourself absolutely horrified with standard practices in animal agriculture the more you open your mind to learning about it. You will also find yourself more open to seeing animals in a different way. I was a carnist a little over two years ago. I'm still a rather new vegan, but it's amazing what a paradigm shift I've experienced.

Going vegan helped me in ways I never expected. It helped me emotionally with the trauma around the hobby farm I grew up on. Actually uncovered some memories I had blocked out. It also feels good to know that I'm not contributing to the suffering of industrialized animal agriculture.

Anyways, go vegan! The vegan society defines veganism as "as far as practicable" and for most people that is a lifestyle and diet completely without animal products. Sometimes there are barriers for people and reducing animal consumption as much as you can is still helpful.

[spaceyantique]

five’s a crowd [beatles x reader] part eight

chapter summary: You’re just trying to get through this whole Tinder girl business because it’s NOT affecting you in the slightest. John nurses a particularly cranky hangover, and Paul is the kind of person that drinks milk straight from a glass, apparently. George’s pajamas don’t make this business any easier and Ringo’s heading out for mystery reasons early this Sunday morning.

word count: like 2.1k of i don’t even know what

warnings: sexual implications. drinking, a hangover, general bad language

asterisks correspond to footnotes!

masterlist 

parts one | two | three | four | five | six | seven (oh my!)

“Care for a drink? You’re sulking.” Paul’s standing over you with a shot glass in his hand. As always, he has a talent for seeing straight through people.

“Course. And I’m not sulking,” you say, taking the glass from him. Paul scoffs. 

“Sure, Jan. If looks could kill, that poor girl would be dead.”

God, if only they could. Paul would definitely be right. 

You’re holed up in a booth at the back of the Cavern Club Bar, gripping an empty glass a little too tightly for comfort. George and Maureen are both standing around a table just across the room, his arm loosely draped over her shoulders. Ringo’s on her other side and they all look like they’re having too much fun. You think of how it felt when he put his arm over your shoulders and try to ignore how they practically feel frostbitten now in comparison. She’s not even mean, you think. Hating on some girl you don’t know because of a boy is not good feminism.

“Can I sit?” Paul asks, and you’re forced to tear your eyes away from the happy couple.

“What?” You ask, but he’s already shoving you aside. 

“Lovely place, isn’t it? Much nicer than most of the nightclubs ‘round here. Always thought it would be a treat to perform up there.” Paul nods to the bar. You follow his gaze with a confused look, and he sighs with a smile, then props his head up on his interlaced hands to look at you expectantly.

“What?” You repeat stupidly.

“Drink up,” Paul says, and you do, shuddering at the burn. Tequila.

“What do you think you’re doing?” You say. “You’re usually giggling over John by now.”

“I’m being the best friend in a rom-com. The gay best friend, nonetheless. And I think you should go talk to that guy at the bar.” Paul gestures to a man standing near the stage. He’s tall, but not unnaturally so. He’s wearing a jean jacket and sporting a mess of dark hair to rival John’s untidy mop. 

He’s no George, your brain sneers immediately, and you almost want to scold yourself out loud. 

“Look, dahling.” Paul affects a flamboyant upper-class drawl, and you crack a smile. “There’s no reason you can’t have fun too.”

“You sound like Freddie from upstairs.”

“‘S true,” Paul replies, back to his normal self. “I know how you feel about George--”

“I don’t know what you mean--” you start to say, but Paul holds up his hand to stop you.

“Please let me finish my cliche speech! I know how you feel about George, but you haven’t had anyone to spend the night away with in a while, if you catch my drift.” Paul raises his eyebrows at you and the Pout transforms into a smirk. “So get over there. Don’t make me get John to force you to.”

“God, no. I’ll talk to him,” you say, and Pauls grins, before heaving himself up and disappearing behind a clump of people, probably to suck John’s face off.

As you make your way across the room, George can’t help but notice. He tells himself it’s because the bar is relatively uncrowded, but it’s more than a passing glance. He feels his cheeks heat up as his stomach erupts into butterflies, but Maureen’s laugh from beside him draws him back to reality with a shockingly sobering effect. Still, that cold feeling in the pit of his stomach only gets stronger when he notices where you’re headed.

The man at the bar flashes you a smile as you get close, and you put on your best one in return. 

“Hey,” is all he says.

“Hey,” you say, immediately cringing at the general awkwardness. Okay, so you’re out of practice.

“What’s your name, dolly?” Dolly, really? Still you give him your name and ask for his.

“I’m Eric Clapton. Are you a student around here?” 

All in all, Eric’s sweet, and despite seeming a little like an overgrown fuckboy at first glance, he seems to drink his respecting women juice now. He laughs at your (terrible) jokes and teases you in that flirtatious way, but each time he speaks you find yourself slightly disappointed at the lack of Scouse accent in his words.

Sure, Eric’s sweet, but you don’t take him home that night.

***

The following morning begins much like plenty of others. You’re munching on a bowl of cereal in the kitchen with one of your new textbooks open on the table in front of you and a safe distance from the coffee machine. Ringo shuffles around making his breakfast, his mightily messy hair floating in a cloud around his head. John’s also at the table, severely hungover, his knees to his chest, wrapped in a blanket like a gremlin. He’s wearing dark sunglasses and bitching about the noise anytime anyone speaks.

“Fucking bullshit,” Ringo declares out of nowhere. John hisses at the noise while you turn to see him attempting to mount the countertop. “George keeps putting the fucking sugar in the top cabinet. How ‘m I supposed to get up there?”

“Grow longer bones,” John mumbles helpfully*. Ringo shoots him with a glare and continues trying to climb onto the counter.

“Spent all me growin’ power on my brain, thanks.” 

“And what a big brain it is.” John cracks a grin at his own joke and you roll your eyes.

“Where is George, anyway?” You say, trying your hardest to seem nonchalant. John wiggles his eyebrows at you anyway, grinning like a chimpanzee. You slam your textbook shut and he winces at the sound. For a few seconds, you’re engaged in an intense war of making rude faces back and forth.

“Oh, maybe writing in his diary?” Paul’s entered the kitchen now too, looking overall far too bright-eyed and rosy-cheeked for the volume of alcohol he consumed last night.

“Does he really have a diary?” You ask, and John and Paul share a meaningful glance that you don’t have time to decipher. Ringo’s breakfast sandwich (toast, tomato, and cheese) is done, and when he places it on the table, John lurches forward with a hand over his mouth.

“Oh fuck,” is all he says before he disappears towards the bathroom. Paul, cheerily pouring a glass of milk, makes a sympathetic face at John’s retreating form.

“I should make sure he’s alright,” he says, before going to the cabinet to pick out a cereal. 

“Are you going to?” 

“Well, y’know, I don’t really want to.”

You’re about to repeat Paul’s y’know back to him to tease him before you see which cereal he’s picked out.

“Do NOT touch my goddamn Rice Krispies, you fuck!” 

“Just one fuck,” Ringo says, mostly to himself. 

“But I want them! I’m hungry!” Paul pleads, using the Pout and his droopy eyes to their full potential.

“But I paid for them! And there’s plenty of other cereal!”

“Yeah, well, I don’t see your name on them!” 

“Look again, bitch!” You demand, and he does. Sure enough, you’ve Sharpied your name onto the top flap.

“Fucking ridiculous,” Paul mutters, placing the Krispies in their rightful place.

“John’s fine,” Ringo announces. “He’s just sent me a TikTok. And he also told me he’s changed my contact to “Mango Bongo,” so I suppose he’s alright.”*

You and Paul both scramble for your phones to change his name to something equally ridiculous. You settle on “Dingo Presto: Magician Extraordinaire.” Not your best, but it’ll do.

Paul settles at the table where John was sitting before, grouchily eating Cap’n Crunch.

“Paul,” you say. “Why the hell are you eating cereal with milk and drinking a glass of milk at the same time?”

“Strong bones?” Paul shrugs.

“You’re a heathen,” Ringo says, straightening up and brushing the crumbs from his lap. “I’m going out, so I’ve got to get ready.”

“Where the hell are you going on a Sunday?” You ask.

“I’ve-- I’m-- I’ve started dog walking on Sundays,” Ringo stutters out.

“Interesting,” Paul comments before loudly slurping on his milk.

“That’s a job from a damn sitcom! That’s like one of Spencer’s jobs on iCarly!” You call after Ringo, but he’s already disappeared into his and George’s shared room. You almost catch yourself trying to peek inside to see if George is asleep there. Ringo wouldn’t go in if Geo had company, would he?

“That’s odd,” Paul says, and you’re a bit surprised to see he’s as confused as you are. “Wonder if he’s going to see someone.”

“Maybe,” you agree. “The university doesn’t have any classes on Sundays, too.”

As you contemplate Ringo’s departure, John shambles back in with even messier hair. He’s still wearing the sunglasses, but looking less pale and overall gargoyle-ish.

“So, how was that guy last night?” Paul asks, and the look he gives you is indecipherable.

“We left separately, if that’s what you’re asking,” you reply, before adding,  “John, you’d better still those fucking eyebrows before I tear them off your face.”

“Aggression! You wound me, birdie.”

“Why didn’t you go off with him? You looked like you were having a good time,” Paul asks, taking another gratuitous sip of his fucking milk.

“Who are you, my mother? I just didn’t want to,” you say, perhaps a bit too harshly. You open your textbook again to a random page and start reading, more to make a point than anything else. 

“George left alone too, in case you were wondering.” John’s comment affects you more than you’d like to admit, zapping through the early morning fog in your brain and making you feel electric.

“Why would I wonder about that?” You ask, but John just smiles that rat-bastard smile. Paul’s sly grin matches John’s, and you slam your textbook closed a second time, again for emphasis.

“You two fuckers are up to something. And you’re not good at hiding it,” you huff.

“Up to no good, my pretty?” John cackles in a spot-on impression of the Wicked Witch of the West. 

“Yes, you’re up to no good! I don’t like it.” You place your cereal bowl in the sink and hoist your stack of textbooks into your arms. As you leave the kitchen, you catch snippets of their conversation.

“You’ve butchered it--” Paul’s hushed whisper.

“Well, now we’ve got them both--” John’s pointed drawl. “So don’t worry--”

Fucking assholes, the both of them. You pass the tiny living room to head to your bedroom and nearly run straight into George.

He looks like he’s just rolled out of bed. His eyes are still a bit swollen from sleep, and you can see the imprint of the creases on his pillow on his right cheek. His curls are smashed on that side too, while the hair on the other side of his head sticks out like half a halo, glowing in the morning sunlight that streams through the living room window. You also notice almost immediately that he’s shirtless, and the pajama bottoms he’s wearing are untied and loose around the waist. They sit low on his hips, exposing a trail of hair on his abs and the top of a v-line that leads--

You exercise every bit of willpower you have to reset your gaze to eye level.

“Good morning,” you force out, trying to sound casual.

“Morning,” he says, and you feel a fluttering somewhere underneath your collarbones at his deep, gravelly, morning voice. Neither of you speaks for a moment, and you’re suddenly thankful to be holding your books over your chest because they provide a shield between George’s gaze and the deafening thumping of your heart.

“Ringo’s just gone out,” you blurt, if only to break the awkwardness.

“On a Sunday?” You shrug and nod at the same time in reply. What the hell is wrong with you? Speak! He’s your friend!

“John and Paul are in the kitchen, so I’m going to do my work in my room.”

George nods, glancing towards the two bastards. You nod again (idiot) and start to make for your room.

“Did you--” You turn back at the sound of George’s voice, already feeling breathless. “Were you here all night?”

“Yeah,” you say. “You?”

“Yeah.” He gives you a little smile and nod before you continue to your room. Once inside, you close your door and lean back against it, feeling almost dizzy with relief. 

Little do you know, George is still standing exactly where you left him. The strange cold feeling that settled deep in his stomach as he watched you talking with Eric is starting to thaw now in the bright morning sunlight. Still, if you could see his face, you’d agree that the smile on his face is a thousand times brighter.

***

footnotes:

*from this post

*This joke is partially from Finding Nemo. Nemo is called several different names throughout the movie by Dory, including Fabio, Pedro, Harpo, and Elmo. I shall not be accused of joke stealing!

five’s a crowd tag list: @1-2beeble​ @beatlevmania​ @theclassicsl​ @withthebeables​ @thasbooooooi​ @geostarr​ @report-abuse​ 

[stillheresanctuary]

Concerning The Coronavirus

Not the update I wanted to share, but something I feel a great need to speak up about, especially considering the fact that I’ve noticed a lot of the people who follow this blog are of the younger generation.

First things first; It’s okay to be scared.

Probably not what you thought I was going to say, but I also know that there’s a lot of people trying to down play things and giving off the vibe of “don’t worry, it’ll all blow over”. To a certain extent, they’re not wrong. In the latest reports, the virus still has not been properly contained and while there has been progress on a vaccine, there is no confirmed aide in properly finishing off this beastly disease. There is very, VERY little that the common person can really do to help out in that aspect of things, and that’s okay. It’s not your job to make a vaccine or perform medical assistance, don’t let yourself get dragged into that mess.

Yes, do practice safe habits, use your common sense. Cover your face when you cough or sneeze, preferably into your elbow or shoulder. Wash your hands for a minimum of 20 seconds to rid your hands of germs. If you are immunocompromised, such as chronic illnesses like asthma, do make an attempt at finding a mask or facial covering to minimize exposure. At this point, the virus is still a contact/fluid spread, so minimizing physical contact and exposure is paramount. No handshakes, no hugs, no kisses, none of that.

The coronavirus is being touted at being five times more deadly than the common cold and flu, which is terrifying to hear right up until you get the proper numbers on things. The flu that we all get vaccinated for every year has a 0.1% fatality rate. That’s 1/10th of a percent. Coronavirus has a fatality rate of 0.5%, and that was data from a study being done on the quarantined cruise ship, which is an enclosed environment with lots of close contact and high transference, thus making the data skewed by the environment. More to the point, what fatalities have occurred have majoritively been the elderly, with most being over 70. This is due to age causing increased immune system compromise, and having less ability to bounce back from the respiratory effects and high fevers.

At this point, I reiterate: It’s okay to be scared.

There’s nothing wrong with worrying, there’s nothing wrong with taking a moment to scream into a pillow and cry in the shower and otherwise let yourself have a freak out. I know I had mine, it developed into a three day depression slump where I didn’t shower, slept poorly and barely ate. I’m getting better, but it sucked and I know I feel bad about having gotten to that point, but it happened and that’s okay.

Here’s the MORE important point: Do not let your fear CONTROL you.

People are panicking all over the place, and the herd mentality of mankind says that you should be panicking too. Here’s the thing- Panic doesn’t help. Proper preparation DOES.

I went to my local WinCo yesterday to do my normal bi-weekly shopping and pick up a few extras to share with my household. I walked in and had to take a moment to just STARE at the people frantically buying as much paper products as they could get their hands on, as well as other so-called ‘essentials’. I walked down the aisles and found almost all the pasta and ramen bought up, but barely anyone bothering with the canned veggies and fruit. White flour was GONE, as well as all the bulk salt and a lot of the white sugar, but no one was bothering with any of the boxed mixes or chocolate or anything to add to any baked goods. Eggs and milk were fine, but bottled juice was annihilated, and yet no one bothered with the cans of Kerns or JuicyJuice. Cereal was normal right up until the instant oatmeal section. Plenty of deli meat and lots of loaves of bread as well as various condiments, frozen meals were demolished and no one even bothered with the frozen juices.

Everyone’s priorities have gone completely bonkers, and it feels like the end of the world, and you feel scared and helpless, and that’s okay. But don’t let it make you go bonkers and follow in the footsteps of these panic shoppers that have no idea what they’re doing. From someone who grew up with a grandmother that survived WW2 and a mother who grew up on wellfare, this is my advice on what your priorities should be while out shopping:

Shop like normal, just do about half again or double your normal shopping. Places are still being restocked right now, it’s okay to take your time and build up your stocks over time. Canned goods, especially veggies and fruits, are always nice to have even when there’s not a pandemic going on, so adding a couple of those plus some frozen goods is never a bad idea. Buy fresh as long as it’s available, bananas, apples, carrots and most peppers have a very good shelf life. Bread can be frozen, buy an extra loaf to set aside for later. Bulk rice is never a bad idea, but lentils are better if you can stomach them (some people have allergies). Nut butters are wonderful, same with jams, and PB’n’J sandwiches are a great fallback when all else fails. Saltines, crackers and chips have really good shelf stability, as do most packaged cookie brands, but I know I like to make cookies, so go ahead and get some boxed mix. It’s also fun to just cook and make things, and most things you can make at home you can freeze for later use.

It’s going to be Okay. Take a deep breath, and know that you’re doing what you can to stay safe and healthy, and that it’s not your fault that everyone is going nutty. It’s going to be Okay.

[bylillian]

So you think you’re in a pandemic? You are. And as someone who grew up learning how to plan for things like  this, the Cool Mom Eats team asked me to put together a helpful guide to keeping the family fed (and possibly entertained) during a potential quarantine.

So let’s jump right in.

To panic-shop or not panic-shop. That is the question.

You don’t need to fill your entire garage with toilet paper, although I truly commend you on preparation, should you be on an extreme high-fiber diet.

There are some items you should keep stocked though — but not just for times of home quarantine. As a recovering prepper, I found my “apocalypse pantry” a life saver after a tumultuous divorce, for example. And hey, who doesn’t want bragging rights at being able to fashion an Apple Brown Betty or chocolate chip cookie bars while the world freaks out? Just me?

(It’s just me, isn’t it.)

In seriousness though, I want to focus on the items you really need. But first, let’s get the pantry you already have, organized and ready for stocking.

While this is not a comprehensive list of absolutely everything you’ll need in your pantry/kitchen to feed your family, I assure you it’s a very workable list for you to get started. And if this all blows over faster than we thought, hey, you just saved yourself trips to the market in April and May.

Related: Beyond toilet paper: A helpful list of unexpected items to stock up on in case of a quarantine

Pantry prep: Start with a thorough purge

Before you load up the minivan with instant soup mix, there are a few things you’ll want to do first.

– First, know that this is not about Pinterest. If you are stacking items on top of each other, or making the use of every crevice of a small pantry, do it! Your food does not have to be arranged by color to make a beautiful ombre rainbow.

You are feeding your family, not entering a Instagram competition.

–Clean your shelves. If it’s been a while, can’t hurt to take everything out, give those shelves a good wipe down, and start fresh.

–Search for expired jars of food. Botulism can be a real problem here, and that twist-off can of pickled beets from 2016 isn’t sparking joy. Toss. (Of course keep in mind expiration and use-by dates aren’t always 100% accurate. As for those almost-expired pickles or that box of healthy cereal you hopped your kids would eat but they never did…that’s up to you. First, read this helpful article on food and expiration dates from Consumer Reports.

I’m not a gambler, so my instinct is generally to toss, but CR reminds us that “Nonperishable items like grains and dried and canned goods can still be used well past their label dates.”

–Organize items with the oldest in front. New items go behind existing food. Rotation is the key to a successful apocalypse pantry! Note: I’m currently living in a small apartment and by following the precepts below and being diligent with keeping track of and using my storage, have a four-month supply for me and my teenage son and our pets. It’s doable, it just requires a little forethought and organization

And hey, face those labels out. Not for Pinterest — for you.

– Group food in a sensical way. If you’re used to just shoving the microwave popcorn in front of the soup cans, in front of the flour container, maybe reconsider that. Grouping your foods by category (baking, breakfast, snacks, and so on) makes it easier to know whaat you have and what you need.

Now let’s go shopping!

Related: How to organize spices: 6 easy ideas that let you find what you need, when you need it.

The staples you want to stock

Here are my recos:

–Rice, dried beans, cereals, sugar, all-purpose flour and pasta last forever and are top of my list. Cereals are not just breakfast food. Same goes for dried oats and/or grits. Pasta is the real workhorse here, because of one simple reason: calories. If you need to stretch pantry items for multiple meals, you want foods that can get you to your calorie requirements with as little volume as possible, and here pasta is the waist-thickener you want. If you end up with sick people in your house, they’ll need calories to fight their way back to health.

–Biscuit/pancake mix is terrific for all meals, and don’t believe the old wive’s tale of it turning deadly after expiration, unless you have a highly rare mold allergy. Just keep it tightly sealed.

–As far as protein, it’s good to have frozen meats, poultry, fish… more on that below.

– I’d also grab those big jars of peanut butter if you can have nut butters in your home. (I’ll leave it between your family members to come down on the chunky/creamy side.) Protein sources are needed, and not everyone can tolerate (or want) beans, beans, the magical fruit multiple meals a week.

A good selection of protein-packed snacks

– More protein ideas: Don’t overlook options like canned tuna, sardines, jerky, and if all else fails, protein powder.

–As for canned fruits and veggies, 20 cans each of canned fruits and vegetables are a great starting point for your apocalypse pantry. They can liven up meals in a big way.  Fruit and veggie juices are also great additions, and coconut milk will make that 40-pound bag of rice way more enticing, come mealtime.

–Dried milk comes in handy, for cereal eaters and coffee drinkers alike. Also, get a couple of bulk containers of powdered drink mix like lemonade or fruit punch. The kids can get bored of plain water pretty fast.

–Jarred sauce isn’t a bad idea; get a variety of flavors. If you’re coming down with something and have people depending on you for meals who can’t cook themselves, you don’t want to spend all day at the stove stirring homemade sauce. While you’re at it, check your spice rack and make sure you have all the dried herbs you need to make that sauce more like homemade. (More below)

These are nerve-wracking times demanding thoughtful caution, but that doesn’t mean we have to eat like animals.

Stocking the freezer

Let’s turn some attention to the freezer.

I know we don’t all have massive storage in the kitchen; for what it’s worth, I have a small, apartment-sized fridge and have managed to stock 20 days worth of meat and veggies for myself and my son.

–Fresh berries and veggies like peas can be broken into smaller freezer bags and laid flat to freeze, and they stack wonderfully.

–If you’re a meat eater, load up on things that freeze well like chicken thighs and hearty cuts of beef and pork. Buy in bulk and break into portions to go in freezer bags. Plus, it’s easier to store and stack.

–Lord, be a ghost pepper on that raw chicken! I advise you season your raw meat with a marinade now and save time later. Plus, spices like jerk seasoning and other pepper-based spices are a preservative and inhibit microbial growth! You season your food not to replace proper cooking methodology, but also to enhance the flavor.

(And for the love of your gut, chicken sushi is not a thing, and y’all need to stop it.)

Don’t forget pets!

Should we face weeks or a full month of disruption in stores (remember, I’m an apocalypse planner), you don’t want your pets to suffer. How much do they eat in a day?

Multiply that by 30, and that’s what you need to have on hand. Don’t forget treats, supplements, litter, whatever else they need on a monthly basis.

Next-level pantry prep

These are the things that will make pantry food suck less, so take good notes.

–Stock up on dried spices. Garlic salt is everyone’s friend. Ditto to curry powder, ginger, cinnamon. Tarragon will liven up thawed chicken.

–Coconut milk with rice is another way to perk up bored taste buds.

–Bouillon for soup or as seasoning is always a great idea, and don’t overlook options like mushroom and onion bouillon as an alternative to chicken or beef.

–Items that will enable you to impress your family (or at least keep things interesting) include a variety of cooking oils, shortening for pie crusts, baking items for treats.

-Don’t forget fancy snack ingredients like chocolate chips, shredded coconut, condensed milk, graham crackers and the like.

When the kids are bored on day ten of self-quarantine, making a fresh batch of oatmeal-raisin cookies will eat up a lot of their time, and then while they’re recovering from sugar shock, you can grab the leftovers for yourself.

–Fresh herbs are a huge boon. Liz wrote about that here, including tips for apartment-dweller who may want to start a windowsill herb garden.

–Are you a coffee drinker? Do you like cream in it? You may have to resort to powdered creamer in a pinch, so be sure you have that on hand. Same for tea.

–As for water, please! There’s no need to hoard bottled water. Plus we all should be taking steps to reduce our single-use plastic. If that’s not top-of-mind right now, think about it economically — for the price you’d pay for a month’s worth of bottled water, you could easily buy a 2-gallon water filtration pitcher ($45 from our affiliate Amazon) for your fridge or a faucet-mounted filter.

We don’t have to hasten environmental collapse while coronavirus is going on, after all.

In summary:

Don’t Panic Rotation Spices and Seasonings Teach the kids to play gin rummy

We’ll get through this, and we’ll do it without resorting to MREs and Red Dawn-level terror.

Also, wash your hands!

Laura Stone, a descendant of pioneer polygamists from the early days of the Mormon Church, keeps busy as a Master Gardener, author coach and novelist. While the majority of her family still lives in Utah, she resides in her home state of Texas because it’s where the good tamales are.

[shock]

Hey jack so it turns out the reason my body physically rejects everything I eat is the fact I apparently also have an awful gluten sensitivity. Do you know any good recipes and/or have advice on not scarfing down an entire loaf of bread for dinner despite knowing it'll end in my untimely demise

i’m glad you were able to find out what it was! my life changed a lot for the better once i found out about my allergy.

in my case, i’ve wanted bread less and less the longer i’ve gone without gluten - the thing about bread is it’s super filling, so i’ve found a lot that sits in my stomach the same way without Killing me. i’m also lucky enough to live in a place with a trader joe’s, i haven’t seen any grocery stores like it that have so many good gluten free options (their everything bagels & their gf bread are all so good).

provided you can eat these things, this is what i eat pretty much. i don’t eat pork or beef, but i’m sure if you do you could think of stuff for it! i don’t do a lot of recipes but i’ll link some things i used to jump off from when i first started after:

1. i can usually turn eggs into a bread substitute if i really want a burrito or a sandwich, just turn it into an omelette. i can usually keep most of the ingredients the same, or it gives me inspiration to get creative. you can also put eggs in/on a lot of stuff. eggs in hell. put it on chili. put it in stir fry. put it on rice in general. make them however you want. i’ve made a lot of breakfast sandwiches by just layering the ingredients between two eggs. 

2. potatoes! i eat so many potatoes. i either do them roasted or my specific mashed potato recipe that’s less of a recipe and more just ‘do what you want, it’s done when you like it’. i cut up all the potatoes, don’t peel the skin, shove that shit in a pot, chop up a few cloves of garlic, drain that shit when it’s ready, then put a bunch of milk and sour cream and butter in there, finish with pepper and salt, boom. super hearty and i usually have a ton of leftovers. i just made that and fed 4 people and still had enough leftovers for 2 of us to have breakfast with them. and you can put whatever meat or anything else you want in there. you can make hashbrowns, fries, you can do so much with potatoes so they don’t get old. also you can make sweet potatoes! they’re just as fun! 

3. RICE. what can you do with rice? everything. make stir fry (i make vegetable stir fry for me and my vegan/vegetarian friends and everyone wins). you can do stir fry like five billion different ways and make it in bulk so you have tons of leftovers too. a lot of time i’ll just make some rice, some chicken, and combine it and get a lot of meals out of it that i can make different depending on if i want to put anything in it later. i make tikka masala, teriyaki chicken, i make a lot of my own sauces… you can combine sooo much with rice. i always have at least 3 kinds of rice at home. pretty much every meat can work with rice. lots of vegetables do too!

4. soups! i do roasted red pepper soup and put some chicken sausage in there. or i use miso broth to make a vegetable soup, usually with broccoli or green beans. usually a lot of ‘thick’ soups are good. 

5. my go-to snack is hummus and corn chips. a lot of snacks got cut out of my diet when i switched over and i didn’t realize just HOW MANY snacks were entirely gluten. i’ll also have a chocolate bar on me sometimes. 

6. oatmeal (make sure it doesn’t have gluten), i’ll make some oatmeal and chop up a banana, put some peanut butter in it, you can make it really filling with just a few ingredients. this helped me when i realized eating cereal was like impossible now but still wanted a sweet breakfast.

7. when i crave pastries, i can make them myself. gluten free flour can be expensive but i’ve noticed i eat a lot less sweets now that i’m not able to eat gluten, but i’ve definitely made my own brownies/cookies/sweetbread from home. i also make gluten free pancakes sometimes. 

8. i’ll also make chicken chili and dip chips into it. chili is super good and you can add things to it, like avocado/an egg/corn/other veggies + spices. it’s also really heavy.

9. …pizza balls… where when i’m craving a pizza and don’t want to make dough because that sucks to do for me and i cook up some turkey meatballs in pizza sauce/tomato sauce, cover them in whatever cheese and spices i want, bam. tricks my brain into thinking i ate pizza. 

10. yogurt and cream cheese. i’ll put something chocolate in the yogurt i get to satisfy my sweet tooth. and cream cheese is really filling, i eat it on all the gf bread/bagels i get. you can also put it in a lot of stuff to make it super heavy. 

here’s some info on gluten-free pastas, i thought i had more links but i can’t find them right now! 

[poormommamay]

I’ve Started Getting More Picky About Food

Mostly at least. I was always kinda picky when I cooked, but also used to just not cook a lot. We ate out all the time. Which now, looking back, what a waste of money. But lately I’m more picky than I used to be, because now my son is getting into semi-solids. I knew before I was even pregnant that I would be making his baby purees. So now, I’m trying to come up with meals to make that we can both eat (to an extent).

We started with the basics, rice cereal and ground up oats. He’s worked his way up to banana and apple and avocado. We had planned to start on the veggies, like carrot and sweet potato, but our son was far more ready to start eating semi-solids than we were. There is no actual evidence that suggests babies will reject less flavorful veggies over fruit if that’s what you introduce first. He took to grabbing the spoon out of my hand to attempt to feed himself far faster than I thought he would.

A quick aside here, your baby will let you know they’re ready to eat when they hold their head up well while seated, when they start grabbing for your utensils when they see you eating, and when they can move their tongue side to side and back and forth. Start super small and ease into it because your baby will be exploring more than eating. Choking versus gagging is terrifying but you can tell pretty quick the difference between the two. If they’re gagging, they will cough, they will spit, they will look confused but be generally still excited about mealtime experience. If they are choking, they won’t be able to breathe and they won’t be making noise. They will be terrified. 

It should also be noted that for your baby, solid mealtime is akin to play time at first. Breastmilk or formula is still their main source of nutrients. It’s easier to try the solid stuff after they’ve had their real meal. Solid foods are an exploration and you need to go into it expecting that. My son was very ready to start and very into tasting everything but also kind of just wanted to smear the oat paste into his hair and ears. He was constantly taking the spoon from me and once he worked out that after five minutes of sucking and chewing on it there was nothing left, it made a great noise maker when smacked on the tray. And while we’ve had a solid dinner for a month and started on solid snacks the past couple weeks, he still treats it more like play than meals. This is good, this just makes for an enthusiastic taste tester who will eventually truly enjoy food. I am super excited about that thought because I love cooking and I want to instill that love of cooking and food in my children. 

So let’s talk meals you can make for yourself and baby early on. I love oatmeal. Babies love oatmeal. I make overnight oats with yogurt and berries for myself and my husband most of the time but since my son has started solids, we have changed it up a bit. Our oats are whole, have slices of banana and yogurt and if I have fresh strawberries or blueberries those are in there too. Baby gets ground down oats made into a paste with breastmilk or formula, with mashed banana right now. Same basic meal that we can do for us and him.

Another one we enjoy is probably my favorite, avocado toast. I love avocado. My husband is kind of indifferent. My son  isn’t sure yet. But he does have fun having a meal with me. He hasn’t gotten the actual toast part yet, but we’re working our way up. He is still struggling with rice crackers that don’t immediately melt in his mouth so I don’t want him to end up choking on any bread. Soon enough I’ll be able to add the egg in too, tho he won’t get a proper runny yolk til he’s at least one year old.

Another breakfast/brunch we have is cream of wheat. My son’s is plain, for now, but mine has honey and cinnamon. Here’s a good time to note babies should not be given honey until they are a minimum of one year old. Talk to your baby’s doctor about cow milk or the big allergens but the AAP recommends adding allergens early these days. 

Dinners are still mostly the same as before, plain rice cereal or oat paste but I’ve started steaming veggies to puree so we’ll probably be adding those with the rice once he’s used to eating them on their own. Because rice and veggies sounds like a lovely dinner to me, even if I like a bit of pepper and butter.

We’re working our way up, slowly but surely, to him and I having basically the same meal. You don’t want to add spices or extra sugar to any of your baby’s food to start with, but you can start with herbs slowly by ten months. When you start making combo meals, make sure to keep things separate at first so that your baby can learn to enjoy something by itself. This supposedly will help cut down on picky eating as they age, but I am still fully prepared for the “mac n cheese and dino nuggies” stage.

Alright lovelies, my little one is ready for brunch now so we’re off. You have a beautiful day.

[clovedental1]

Clove Emergency Dental Clinic Richmond Hill

https://clovedental.ca/emergency-dental-toronto/ All dental emergencies need to be treated by a dentist in the shortest possible time. Several dental emergency sufferers do not know how to handle the situation when faced with an emergency. Can a broken tooth be saved? Can you take painkillers? Should you rush to an emergency dentist? A visit to your emergency dentist is the best option. You may get the same-working day dental procedure to your emergency dental demands. In the event of the dental emergency, the quicker you seek emergency medical treatment, the less invasive your cure will be. If you need an emergency dental care in Richmond Hill, Dr. Hamid Mirlohi at Clove Dental offers you a comprehensive range of emergency dental services. When you visit our emergency dentist in Richmond Hill, you should know keeping your smile beautiful and healthy is his top priority. Our dentist provides a full range of emergency, general, and cosmetic dental treatments to help you achieve healthy, clean, and attractive teeth. Dr. Hamid Mirlohi has worked as an emergency dentist for many years in Richmond Hill, and his experience allows him to handle any dental emergency in our caring and friendly environment. Here are some cases that require emergency dental treatment, including: - A severe tooth pain - Cracked or broken tooth - Broken jaw - Loose or knocked-out permanent tooth - Uncontrolled bleeding -Object stuck in teeth - Damaged dental work such as lost dental crowns, fillings, bridges, and veneers that lead to sudden and severe pain. A severe tooth pain because of Tooth decay If you feel pain near the tooth root, you may have tooth decay, and you should refer to our Richmond Hill clinic. It is important to know that good dental care is an essential part of maintaining overall body health, and this includes preventing tooth decay. Do you know what you eat and drink is directly related to tooth decay? A healthy diet to keep your teeth healthy includes: 1. Fruits and vegetables, starchy foods such as whole-grain slices of bread, whole-grain rice, potatoes, and whole-grain pasta. 2. You should also include protein sources such as meat, fish, eggs, beans, or other non-meat sources such as cheese and milk. 3. Try to have only small amounts of sugary foods or beverages in your diet. Carbonated drinks, dairy drinks mixed with sugar, alcohol, industrial juices, fruit pies, dried fruits, breakfast cereals, jams, and more can help develop tooth decay. 4. Because sugars are naturally present in foods, such as fruits and milk, there is no need to reduce the consumption of these sugars. 5. Even sugar-free juices are sweet, so do not drink more than one glass a day. 6. Be careful when choosing snacks. Avoid chewing or sucking sugary foods, especially as a snack. 7. Smoking can cause yellow spots on teeth, bad breath, and increase the risk of gum disease. Finding the emergency dentist's advice on how to quit smoking should be in your plans. It is estimated that smokers are 38 times more likely to develop oral cancer. 8. Alcohol can erode the outer surface of your tooth and destroy the enamel. Drinking too much alcohol may also lead to oral cancer. 9. Tea and coffee are also the main factors for staining teeth. Therefore, it is recommended to brush your teeth after drinking them. Visit an emergency dentist if you need to whiten your teeth. 10. Flossing and using mouthwashes, as prescribed by your emergency dentist and fluoride, are essential.

https://clovedental.ca/emergency-dental-toronto/

[cutiecrates]

Cutie Reviews: Tokyo Treat Dec 18

Ironically, I just filled out a survey the other day about this box. Changes will probably be coming to it, but not for a handful of boxes yet considering how far behind I am. If the box does change, I just help I like it~

Meanwhile I still haven’t gotten my delivery. As of tomorrow it’ll have been two weeks since it sent.

“Everyone’s favorite time of year is finally here! The holidays have begun and cheer is flowing throughout the air. It is time to be generous to those around you, give and receive gifts, and to enjoy a good time with those dear to you. With that in mind, we curated a fun holiday Santa’s Snacks box so that you can share a relaxing time snacking on fun holiday themed Japanese snacks with friends and family. We hope you enjoy all the many snacks inspired by Japanese holiday culture and that this month’s snack box warms your heart during this holiday season. Who will you be sharing your snacks this month with? Whomever it is, we hope you have a great holiday!“

So because of pictures, I didn’t include the Lucky Treat or prize pics. The Lucky Treat is entirely Crayon Shin-chan dedicated (I’m not a big fan of that series so I don’t really mind not getting this one...) while the prizes are Vocaloid based. Those I’d have loved to get.

The book also features an article on Christmas traditions in Japan (like ordering KFC), and one on onsen.

Fanta Mango Jelly Drink & DIY

As usual I’ll be covering the DIY in a new topic- only because I do have a handful of pictures and a few choice words...

Okay, so our first item is a jellied, mango Fanta drink. It might be a little strange to have in December, but right now when it’s June it couldn’t be better timing!

Each can is 68kcal, which I think is pretty nice because with it being full of jelly it’s bound to fill you up a bit more than a normal drink would, and if you happen to be weight conscious or don’t want a big meal it could be a good addition to the meal.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

I feel like if you like mango you’ll love this, but there’s a small chance if you don’t like mango you might still like it. Whatever you do do not smell it >3< maybe it’s just me, but as much as I like mango it always stinks. It’ll taste good but the smell is very unpleasant.

Texture is another thing to take into mind because this drink has it. If you don’t like gelatinous things this might not be something you would consider trying. I love jelly textures though :P

Salty Green Pea Mini Chips & Vegetable Potato Sticks

Next up are two semi-healthy vegetable themed savory snacks! The share pack item are the bags of potato sticks by Calbee, Each bag is only 44kcal and packed with 9 vegetables! You can even see bits of them in each stick.

These I’m pretty sure I’ve had before, but I don’t really remember so i will be rating them just to make sure.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

The flavor is light but it’s there, it doesn’t really taste like one specific vegetable though. It kind of reminds me of a very light, non-breath threatening sour cream and onion. They have a medium-crisp.

Our next item are these mini chips by Bourbon, in salted pea flavor. Every 37 grams (which might be the entire bag) is 1 serving, for a total of 207kcal.

It’s hard to tell in the pic, but they kind of have a faint green coloring.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

I didn’t really like these when I first tried them, I didn’t taste anything but some salt. However, the more of them you eat the more the flavor comes through, but oddly they don’t really taste like peas to me (I hate peas so it’s not a big deal), they make me think more of pistachio.

Apple Chocobi & Bourbon Strawberry Chocolate Chips

Okay, you can probably tell by now that Bourbon is kinda featured a lot in the box. Not a big deal though cause they got a lot of variety :3

Our first item in this pic is the Apple-flavored Chocobi. I admit I’m not a huge fan of these, usually because they go stale before I can finish them and they’re too sweet in my opinion. But I do like to try new flavors, and I love apples so I decided to remain open minded about this one.

These are made from apples all the way in Nagano Japan, and this set includes some cute, Crayon Shin-chan stickers in various locations in Japan.The one I got is Kagoshima.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

I was very surprised by how tasty these are~ They are sweet but not cloyingly, and they actually taste like real apples, but they kind of remind me of cereal too.

For now, I think these might be my favorite (or at least liked) chocobi :3

Our next item I was very excited to try! I love strawberry chocolate, and chocolate-covered chips are usually-always delicious~

Each pack is 199kcal.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

They pretty much taste like their name “chips covered in strawberry chocolate“, with a hint of salt. It makes me think of eating McDonalds fries with strawberry milk or ice cream actually, but they are delicious!

The flavor might be a bit odd, but I really think it’s good. I want to keep eating them~

Kumamon White Sesame Cracker

Our next item is a dense white sesame cracker, I think it also has a very light glaze and broken up pieces of nut in it. It kind of looks like something you would give a bird doesn’t it?

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

I thought it was kind of yummy, I love sesame seeds. But I also feel like I taste a bit of peanut, which I hate. I also didn’t like how dry it left my mouth after eating it. It’s also a little bitter, and sweet.

I feel like this is an “acquired“ item, because I gave a piece of it to my mom and she dislikes sesame seeds. Now, I’ve given her mochi with sesame seeds and she doesn’t seem to hate them, but this she didn’t like at all.

See, it’s unique things like this I wish they gave us more often. Maybe more rice-based products?

Melon Bread Cookies & Burnt Caramel Taiyaki

Next up we have two sweet items, first up being a small cookie based on Melon Pan (bread that resembles a melon. Only some of them actually taste like melon though).

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

I’d say the melon-flavoring is a medium-high in rating, and I think the cookie might be shortbread. I thought it was nice for a bite sized cookie.

The larger item on the side is inspired by a Taiyaki (fish-shaped pancake-like treats filled with cream, jam, or chocolate). This is a popular snack item by meito and is flavored burnt caramel, these specific taiyaki are made from wafer with air popped chocolate inside~!

This specific flavor is 87kcal, and they have a handful of different flavors. As of now, I’ve tried two or three (soon to be four hint hint) of these, they’re so good.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

The black color might look a bit scary at first (or not, I like black so I thought it was kind of fun), but oddly to me it actually smells and tastes a lot like brown sugar and pancakes, I love caramel but I thought this tasted amazing!

I would highly recommend trying this, or any of the others if you can find them!

Bubbly Cola Ramune Candy & Tomato & Cherry Gummies

Okay so... one of these items I was extremely dreading to try. Wanna guess which one?

Our first item here is the cola candy inspired by a real pop. If the picture doesn’t imply anything, this is very foamy. I noticed when sucking on it, the foaming is very slow, and the candy has a teensy bit of sourness. But when you bite into it, it will foam a huge amount! It filled my entire mouth!

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

As I say all the time, I love cola (I’m even drinking coke as I write this) so I really like getting to try the unique cola-flavored Japanese candies. I think these were really fun, and each pack actually has 3 of them in it so these would be a fun candy to share with friends or to give someone if you wanted to play a cute little prank on them ;p

The next item meanwhile... I was terrified of it. It’s our Kinosei (health snack) is a bag of these tomato and cherry gummies. They contain a blend of natural collagen and lycopene to increase ones natural beauty. They also lower blood pressure, refresh the skin, and help ones heart. It’s also naturally refreshing.

Each bag is 94kcal. They are squishy-soft and jelly-like on the inside. They smell strongly of ketchup and sweetness.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ 

I kid you not, each time I smell these I cringe. I HATE tomatoes, but ironically I really like ketchup. Because of this, I was honestly afraid of this, the only reason I tried it was because I figured “it can’t be any worse than that Takoyaki ramune right?“

They’re actually not bad though; I was shook! I can’t really explain the flavor though, it’s like a cross between cherries and the acidicness of ketchup. Does that make sense? They’re have a neutral sweetness to them, and they actually are kind of refreshing. 

A few years ago I saw tomato jelly (basically a jelly tomato) on cold noodles during the summer and thought “what a strange concept“, but now I feel like I understand it a little more...

Bourbon Sylveine Chocolate Cake

To go with the holiday box, of course they had to include a holiday staple- that being a delicious cake! Everyone has a cake on Christmas in Japan, along with the KFC or home-cooked meal. Like a few other items this cake is by the brand Bourbon.

Each cake (or box, I’m not sure) is 102kcal. There are six cakes in total, so you could essentially use this as a dessert for a meal if you wanted :3 The cake is a soft, creamy yellow with thin sections of cream between the layers, and it is covered in chocolate and topped with something. I’m not sure what it is, but it reminds me of a raisin in taste and feel.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

These are delicious- they’re a lot like little snack cakes you can buy at the grocery store, in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if these are the Japanese version of them.

The cakes are very soft and squishable, but not soft enough that they can’t be eaten in your hands if you really wanted or had to. But the chocolate is super-melty and a little bit bitter in taste.

I don’t get to have fancy cakes as much as I would like to (nor can I make them just yet...), I couldn’t help but feel fancy eating these cuties~

Oh, and I did share them with my family, don’t worry.

Takoyaki Umaibo & Christmas Pizza Poteko

I was pleasantly delighted by the variety of savory items we got, and surprised too. Our last time items are also savory :D including an Umaibo I’m not going to review because I’ve already had it. 

I will say that I think it’s delicious though- way better than the horrible takoyaki Ramune drink. It doesn’t taste fishy, but I honestly can’t think of how to describe the flavor either. It’s covered in seasoning, and it seems to have a very thin, saucy layer or glaze, matching the sauce Takoyaki is usually covered in.

The last item, which I will review because it’s new is an item we get all the time, Poteko rings. You’ve seen these several times on here, but again, when we have a new flavor I’m more likely to be open-minded, and I was kind of curious because we hardly get pizza-inspired snacks.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

They strongly smell like cheese, but I actually didn’t taste pizza at all. To me (my mom agreed but my dad took some time to agree as well), it tastes like a McDonalds cheeseburger!

Like an exact cheeseburger from McDonalds. Bun, burger, cheese, ketchup, pickle and all. It’s very delicious, but it kind of made me wonder if they make burger flavored snacks...

♥ Cutie Ranking ♥

Content - 5 out of 5. I loved everything! There was also a nice change in that we had a LOT of savory items, and I thought they did well in terms of item variety. There was a bit of each thing.

Theme - 1.5 out of 5. Sadly I thought they did decently with this before, but this year was really lacking. I could feel the spirit on Christmas with the box, but if I didn’t know it was a Christmas box and didn’t get the one item with a Christmas wrapper I wouldn’t have been able to tell it was Christmas themed.

Total Rank: 9 out of 10. An awesome box, one of the best to have gotten I thought. All they had to do was focus more on the Christmas theme they were going for and I think it could have been a perfect 10.

♥ Cutie’s Scale of Yummy ♥

1. Burnt Caramel Taiyaki - Like I said, I’m not sure it tasted like caramel. But I really liked it! If I see it online I’ll definitely be buying it, I just hope the next one I get tastes as good, if not better~

2. Chocolate Cake - I’m glad we got six of these because they are very delicious~ My dad and I loved them, but my mom was less receptive since it reminded her of dark chocolate. 

3. Strawberry chocolate chips - I like em, what more can i say :D

4. Takoyaki Umaibo - I may not be able to describe the flavor well but this one is a winner!

5. Mango Jelly Drink - I really liked this, but as I already warned- try not to smell mango items. They will either smell delicious, or like feet. 

6. Cola Candy - I love cola, I love pop, I think fizzy candy is fun to try; I was a little surprised they were kind of sour though.

7. Apple Chocobi - Again, I was surprised by how much I actually liked these. Only because I’ve never been into Chocobi that much. They don’t taste bad, but I gotta remember to eat these before they go south (stale).

8. Pizza Poteko - I’m still convinced they taste like cheeseburgers, but they are good :P

9. Tomato & Cherry Gummies - I was really surprised by these!  

10. Melon Bread Cookie - It was okay. I like melon, but for some reason I’m not too into melon-flavored baked goods. I love melon candy and drinks.

11. Potato Sticks - They don’t have a huge amount of taste but I still like them enough. I like the texture too.

12. Peas Mini Chips -  They weren’t bad, I just like other items more. 

13. Sesame Cracker - I really did like it, but I wasn’t too crazy about the desert left in my mouth after eating it... 

[northpolenotes]

How To Babysit an Infant

Choosing to babysit an infant is a major commitment. What is an infant? Infants are children under 12 months old (1 year). In some instances you may hear that they have extended this stage of life for up to 2 years old, however, for the purposes of this post, I will be referring to infants as children under 1-year-old.

During this stage of their lives, children are beautiful bundles of joy, but they’re also quite fragile. They are completely dependant on the help of others to be fed, burped, changed, kept warm or cool, and making sure that they’re safe at all times. On top of that, you’re going to have to figure out which of those they’ll need on your own because they can’t talk. Whoa!

Don’t worry, you’re in the same boat as their parents too. Mothers and Fathers have to learn what their baby cries mean because not everything comes second nature to them either. Once you have some experience with infants you’ll be able to predict what their needs are too. And parents are usually pretty good at telling you the specific behaviors for their child, but you should also go in with some basic knowledge.

What are the needs of an infant?

1.) Feeding

While babysitting an infant, you’ll need to know what their feed schedule is. Schedules and routines are very important, especially for this age. Depending on how young they are, they may only be taking formula or breast milk from a bottle.

As they get older, usually around 6 months, they’ll start to be given solid foods, like pureed vegetables and fruits and will also most likely have rice cereal mixed into their bottles.

NEVER give a baby any food that the parent hasn’t specifically told you to give them.

It’s up to the parents and Doctor to determine what foods can be given to infants by how old. They cannot swallow or chew very well so don’t take it upon yourself to share any of your food with the baby.

There’s a whole host of items that shouldn’t be given to children under 1-year-old, however, for you, it’s everything other than what the parent has told you to give them and at what time.

2.) Burping

Infants have trouble expelling gas on their own. It’s sad to watch a little baby dealing with gas pains. They’ll cry a lot when they have gas. Think about how badly your stomach hurts when you have gas. Then try to imagine not knowing what’s wrong with you at the same time. You might cry as well.

Since they take most of their food through a bottle, they also ingest a lot of air through the sucking motion. So these little guys will need to get it out.

Ask the parent how often the baby usually needs to be burped. When I was watching my nieces and nephews at this age and bottle feeding them, we burped them once after every ounce was drunk. You’ll have to check the levels on the side of the bottle to know how much they’ve taken. Otherwise, burping is an as needed thing, but they’ll certainly after an entire bottle is taken in.

If you’ve never burped a baby before, here is a helpful resource. Newborn Burping Techniques.

Changing

Infants need to be changed regularly, but it also depends on how much they’re eating for pee. Generally, they’ll need a new diaper every 2 to 3 hours, but you won’t need to wake them from a nap. Give the baby a fresh diaper to sleep in and then after their nap, change them again.

If they poop, they have to be changed right away. It’s not healthy or sanitary to leave a baby in a poopy diaper. Poopy diapers are usually pretty messy, so make sure you have a garbage bag, wipes, and gloves (if you prefer) ready set up before you remove the diaper.

You won’t have to wonder if the baby pooped or not. The smell will permeate the room and you’ll know it’s go time! Also, be prepared that sometimes it’s A LOT of poop you’re dealing with. I can recall on more than one occasion when I was blessed with a poop diaper that went all the way to the baby’s neck!

Helpful tip: If you just changing pee, slide the clean diaper under the baby while the old diaper is still on. That way once you’ve removed the dirty diaper, you can quickly flip the new diaper up over their private parts and protect yourself from any pee pee flying up at you. It’s happened to me with both boys and girls when I wasn’t paying close enough attention.

If it’s a poop diaper, on to the baby’s legs above their stomach and remove the diaper from front to back. This is to avoid spreading any poop around. Have the box of wipes open next to you to start cleaning the baby up. And always wipe front to back!

Important:

Always keep one hand on the baby while changing them. Even if they are very young, you’ll have to get used to using one hand for lots of things!

Nap time

Infants need their beauty rest! They’re usually on a schedule for sleep, so it probably won’t be a guessing game for you. Also, they can’t help themselves. If they’re tired, they’ll usually conk out.

After a feeding and a poop, they’ll need a nap. Don’t let them go down for a nap without burping them first. They won’t have a restful sleep and they could also spit up. Also, try to remember to give them a clean diaper before putting them down.

Ask the parents where to put the baby once they have fallen asleep. Or if they’re independent sleepers, (you’re lucky), where you should put them down to fall asleep on their own.

If the infant needs a little help falling asleep, go into a room that is quiet and dark. Rock the baby to sleep in your arms while humming or singing a song. I’ve found this to be the best method if they have trouble sleeping on their own.

Important:

Only allow babies to sleep on their backs! There is a high risk for babies to suffocate if they sleep on their stomachs. They’re not strong enough to roll over, so be very cautious and mindful when putting them down for a nap.

Interaction

Infants don’t just need to be fed, changed, and put down for a nap. They need some attention too! Infant toys usually light up and make funny sounds. Spend some time with the baby and interact with them with their toys.

Warning: Their smiles and laughs are contagious.

How do you know what they need an when?

Knowing what the baby needs and when they need it can be a little tricky. You’ll learn a lot based on their schedule and from the information that the parents give you. However, sometimes, you have to figure it out on your own too.

It’s usually a process of elimination.

If the infant…

Just ate, they’re probably not hungry. Try burping them.

Got up from a nap, they might be scared, too hot, too cold, or again, might have gas. If they’re hot, they’ll be sweaty. You can feel if they’re cold too by touch their skin. Sometimes a wet diaper can make them chilly, but in my experience babies don’t actually cry from a dirty diaper.

Looks sleepy, such as watery and droopy eyes, and is acting like they want to literally fight you, it’s usually time for a nap. Some babies put up a fight and cry before going down for a nap.

Has been given a bottle, been burped, and took a nap, he or she might just be bored. Some babies just want attention or to be held.

Feels very warm, they may have a temperature, but their body temperature runs higher than adults. Use a thermometer to confirm, anything over 100 degrees F is usually considered a fever. Notify their parents immediately. Learn more about baby fevers from Web MD

Do not give any medication to the baby without parental consent. If consent is given, make sure you have read the bottle for the dosage and confirm that with the parent.

And if you feel like you’ve done everything and the baby is STILL crying, it might be a stomach ache. Gassy or colicky babies cry A LOT.

How to start babysitting an infant

If you have little to no experience watching an infant, it might be a good idea to start out as a Mother’s or Father’s helper. Meaning, the parent is still in the home, but you’re looking after the baby. If you have an issue, you can ask questions so you become more comfortable with watching the baby.

This will help you get acquainted with the house to make sure that you know where all the items are kept, i.e. bottles, diapers, clean clothes, blankets, etc.

The parent can do other things like take a nap, clean, or tend to other household needs. It may sound a little silly to be a babysitter while the parents are still home, but it’s actually quite helpful for them to have a second set of hands around. Infants are a lot of work when they’re not sleeping.

Once you feel comfortable enough, the parent can start to go out for short periods of time until you both feel comfortable being left alone for longer breaks.

Babysitting an infant is much different from babysitting a toddler. Since they don’t have any speech you have to depend on their nonverbal queues to tend to their needs. If you feel like you’re not ready to take this on just yet, seek babysitting positions for older children. Once you’ve become a more seasoned babysitter, you can they consider children of younger ages.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:

Tips For First Time Babysitters

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DAY 2 LOG:

So day 2 went pretty well. I ate some cereal with milk in the morning, I was planning to have some sushi for lunch but my mom ended up ordering from a pasta place. It was really good though, I ate some mac and cheese and gnocchi with salmon but the portion was pretty reasonable so I was satisfied. Then I exercised a bit, stretched did about 30 mins of cardio and abs. I also ate some rice cakes as a snack. For dinner my moms friend brough over a soup which was really good, but it had no noodles etc. so I complimented it with some tiny toasts my mom has. I finished of the days with some vegan morsels for something sweet. I went to bed pretty satisfied and proud tbh cause I usually suck at exercise etc. i hope we’ll stop ordering food so much cause i want to learn how to cook for when I move to campus in January, and its also less caloric in general. Im not counting cals tho so I dont actually know how well I truly did, it just stresses me out so Im just trying to eat more moderately. Tomorrow is a busy day so we’ll see how it goes.

[healthyandfitness-diy]

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LACTOSE INTOLERANCE

What Is Lactose Intolerance?

Lactose is a natural sugar mostly found in dairy items. If a baby cannot digest this lactose present in milk, it is called lactose intolerance. Intolerance happens when the enzyme lactase needed to digest this lactose is not secreted in sufficient amount in the baby’s gut. In turn, the baby will have problems in the digestive system since the milk stays inside the stomach in an undigested form.

Do You Think Your Baby Is Lactose Intolerance?

Symptoms Of Lactose Intolerance In Babies

In absence of lactase, the lactose present in the milk does not digested and stays in the gut. As a result, the bacteria in the gut eat the lactose and produce large amounts of gas. This causes a wide range of symptoms including:

·        Diarrhea

·        Stomach pain with bloating

·        Noisy bowel sounds and wind

·        Vomiting

·        Crankiness

·        Unable to settle

·        Coming on and off the breast during breastfeeding

·        Frequently crying

·        Malnutrition, unable to gain weight

 Causes Of Lactose Intolerance In Babies

There are two types of lactose intolerance: PRIMARY and SECONDARY.

1.      Primary lactose intolerance:

When babies are born with a lack lactase enzymes (the enzyme that digests lactose) at all is known as Congenital Lactose Intolerance. Primary or Congenital Lactose Intolerance extremely rare and occurs due to geneticallyinherited metabolic disorder. This kind of lactose intolerance in babies is recognized by severe diarrhea from the first day of life. These babies with congenital lactose intolerance need a specially formulated lactose-free diet to thrive.

2.      Secondary lactose intolerance

Secondary lactose intolerance is noticed when child’s digestive system is disrupted by something like gastroenteritis, which cause temporary irritation of the lining of the gut and reducing the amount of lactase production. Secondary lactose intolerance is temporary and generally improves 2-3 week after the causative illness subsides. 

Conditions that causes of secondary lactose intolerance: Gastroenteritis, Coeliac disease, parasitic infection, food sensitivity, Crohn’s disease, oral rotavirus vaccine or after use of antibiotic. Secondary Lactose intolerance should not be a problem once these conditions are taken care properly. 

What To Do Lactose Intolerance In Babies?

You might be encouraged to take out lactose from your infant's daily diet, when lactose intolerance is suspected. You need to do this under the supervision of a pediatric medicinal expert, who will give exhortation about guaranteeing your child still get nourished with the supplements required for overall growth and improvement. Supplementing calcium needs extraordinary consideration. Minerals like, calcium and vitamin D, is typically associated with lactose-rich dairy products and which can influence your child’s bone and teeth development.

]  Switch the baby to soy based formula. Soy protein based formula milk contains corn syrup solids rather than lactose and this can be given to these babies.

]  Milk are also available that has been ultra-heated to break down the lactose. However, these milks costs twice as much as the regular, but it is far cheaper in consideration to the protein-based formulas.

]  Other than milk, there are many options these days, which are alternative to cow's milk like soymilk-derived curd, almond milk, peanut milk or soy yogurt.

]  You could also try switching to goat's milk. Some children who are lactose intolerant only have issues with cow's milk.

]  If you're worried about compensating the calcium when you avoid milk to your lactose intolerance baby or kid you can give lot of calcium rich foods to them examples are beans, avocado, eggs and vitamin D supplements on consultation with a doctor.

]  Do not forget to check the label while purchasing milk and dairy products for your lactose intolerant baby. Even a small amount of lactose in products like cheese, ice cream and other desserts may intricate tummy upset in your baby. Even processed meats and foods, Bread and bread products, Breakfast cereals, Cakes, Biscuits may contain lactose.

The lactose levels of some common foods:

1. Glass of milk (200ml)                 9g lactose

2. Carton of yogurt (125g)            5.9g lactose

3. Fromage Frais (60g)                  1.8g lactose

4. Cheddar cheese (30g)                0g lactose

5. Cottage cheese (40g)                  1.2g lactose

6. Milk chocolate bar (54g)            5.5g lactose

7. Bowl of rice pudding (200g)      7.8g lactose

  LACTOSE OVERLOAD and LACTOSE INTOLERANCE

Lactose overload and lactose intolerance are not the same. Lactose overload not related to the production of lactase. Lactose overload happens when a baby fed with large amounts of lactose containing diet at one time and having problem to digest. Overloading your baby with both breast milk and cow's milk or formula meal can cause an injured gut, which leads to signs of lactose intolerance.

How To Avoid Lactose Intolerance Due To Lactose Overload?

v  Hence, do not overload the young tummy with too many types of milk.

v  Breast milk is more than sufficient for a baby. You can always choose to stop the formula milk or cow's milk instead to avoid possibility of lactose overload.

v  If symptoms of lactose overload perceived in your child, ensure to feed your baby a position so that sucks all the milk from each breast.

v  Make your baby to feed from one breast only for a 4-hour slot before moving onto your other breast for the next 4-hours.

v  If you suspect over-feeding is causing the overload, avoid to feed more often than every three hours.

Does Breast Milk Also Cause Lactose Intolerance?

As stated earlier babies with congenital lactose intolerance (lack in lactase-the lactose digestive enzyme), need a specially formulated lactose-free diet. Consult your doctor to make sure of congenital lactose intolerance before stop breastfeeding or switch to formulas.

However, for a breastfed baby with secondary lactose Intolerance never substitute breast milk with lactose free formula. For a breastfed baby with secondary lactose intolerance caused by gastroenteritis, you should be able to continue breastfeeding. Since breast milk has so many essential nutrients and lactose is good for your baby’s growth, weaning is not recommended. Usually your child tolerate small amount of lactose present in breast milk and breast-feeding will help the baby to increase the ability to produce more lactate. Usually secondary lactose intolerance is noticed when something that has irritated the gut and breast milk can help your baby’s gut to heal.

The intolerance to lactose is generally from the cow's milk or formula prepared with it. So if a baby is lactose intolerance do not stop breastfeeding. Breastfed baby may have allergy to cow’s milk protein, if the lactating mother removes cow’s milk protein from her diet, the secondary lactose intolerance in her baby will wane.

Do You Have Food Intolerance? FOOD ALLERGY or FOOD INTOLERANCE

 Lactose Intolerance In Breastfed Babies

Switch the baby to soy based formula. Soy protein based formula milk contains corn syrup solids rather than lactose and this can be given to these babies. Even some formulated lactose-free diet may contain cow’s milk protein. Be sure that your baby is not allergic to cow’s milk protein before feeding your baby. Consult a pediatric dietitian to choose the correct formula diet that contains all the essential nutrients for your baby growth.

[plxyboi-blog]

Post-operative diet tips for healing

New Post has been published on https://healthy4lives.com/post-operative-diet-tips-for-healing/

Post-operative diet tips for healing

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RINGSIDE 24/08/2019

“We are what we take in,” as my good friend and colleague Dr. Philip Goglia claims. Philip is a certified nutritionist. He has more than 30 years of expertise – encouraging and healing by means of diet.

The truth is, he has helped many of my sufferers all through postoperative recovery with his peerless understanding of effectiveness diet. When Philip tells me about the job of foods in the healing procedure, which is when I choose out pencil and pad (sure, I continue to use a pencil) and scribble furiously.

If there are any diet “secrets” to healing, the large a single is to shed body fat and to preserve it off. Normally we really don’t require more excess weight as we mend from surgical procedures – which is just simple frequent sense. But we really don’t starve ourselves both. Nor do we decide on postoperative recovery as a terrific time to experiment with a trend diet.

A lot of this diet method is coated effectively-in advance of surgical procedures. The finest effects come from sufferers who are as healthy and in shape as attainable. With that in mind, I go along Philip’s “4 keys to exercise success”:

1. Educate like it issues – like a entire write-up-operative recovery.

two. Health and physique is eighty% kitchen and twenty% gymnasium.

3. Drink water!

4. Concentrate on effectiveness attain what you require to succeed.

Achieving your ‘rep goals’ is crucial. But it’s the “80% kitchen” that occasionally is a minimal challenging. When you assume about your full foods intake, then what you take in really should be your single most crucial issue. And this is where by Dr. Goglia’s eager experienced advice is so very useful.

I questioned a single problem: “What’s your variety a single rule when it arrives to diet?” Philip arrived up with 10!

Keep away from all food items that have multi-elements these kinds of as breads, muffins, bagels, pastries, cereal, et cetera. Generally, you want to keep absent from any baked goods that consist of yeast, sugar, mould, and gluten (even if gluten is not a issue). Keep away from any diet food items or beverages that has the label “Low or No Fat” or “Low or No Sugar.” You really don’t require sweetening chemical compounds in your overall body. Frankly, nobody does. This goes back again to variety 3 of the ‘4 Keys to Health Success’ – Usually hydrate your overall body. You really should be ingesting 1/two oz to 1 oz of water for each each pound you weigh just about every working day no make any difference what. When each person’s metabolic overall body variety is distinctive, normally talking a healthy diet consists of superior body fat fish, carbs (potatoes, rice, yams), organic and natural poultry, fresh fruits and fresh greens. Attempt to reduce as significantly dairy from your diet as attainable. A splash of milk in your coffee is alright while! And if you are very good, assist you to a single “tall cappuccino” at your preferred Starbucks (max, a single for each working day). Never ever rely on nutritional supplements around authentic foods and training. No make any difference what any one else may perhaps tell you, nutritional supplements will not fix a pizza or a skipped food. The most important protein food you take in really should be at evening. This is when your overall body has time to relaxation and repair your muscle tissue. Seeking for a terrific pre-get the job done out snack? Try to eat uncooked nuts – like twelve almonds with a piece of fruit. This will give you a terrific source of body fat as an energy source. The sugar and body fat blend will be extremely energizing and sustainable for a training of 90 minutes or so. Keep away from sporting activities drinks. Quite a few of them are superior in sodium and sugar. Some contain around-the-prime amounts of caffeine, which will bring about digestive discomfort. The variety of energy you get from sporting activities drinks is “spikey” at finest and not sustainable. You are going to crash as soon as the result wears off. Frequently talking – NO “protein bars.” See observe under.

Here’s the observe about “protein bars.” When I questioned Philip about what variety of protein bars are finest to take in, he just smiled. “There is no these kinds of factor as a protein bar!”

He goes on. “Does your protein bar style like salmon, chicken or steak? Uncertain. It likely preferences like chocolate or cookies.” And which is his large level.

Much more than probably, your preferred “protein” bar has more in frequent with a frequent sweet bar. In most cases, it’s a bundle of sugar with “fairy dusting” of some type of small quality protein in it. On this level, Philip (and now I) warning our sufferers about getting sucked into crafty marketing and advertising. If it’s not fish, poultry, steak, eggs or nuts, it’s not a source of protein. Period of time.

  The only exception that Philip would make is that If you decide on to use a pre-get the job done out bar, then make positive it is a single that clearly states that it is a “50/50” foods: an even split in between sugar and body fat. This variety of foods can be applied for sustainable training energy. Some illustrations are Bonk Breaker bars which is Philip’s preferred preference and the preference of cyclists and other multi-sport athletes.

And lastly, the most crucial observe of all is Philip’s reminder that parts are crucial and regularity is vital. Try to eat what your overall body requires to satisfy nutritional requires. Additionally, be reliable and preserve up with the software.

To your greatness!

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The Low Down On Breakfast Cereal

Wendyl Nissen’s book Supermarket Companion, how to bring home good food, is a wealth of knowledge for those looking to avoid foods laden with dangerous chemicals, there’s a comprehensive list of food colourings and additives so you can shop smarter and be more aware of what’s in processed supermarket food.

This entertaining and enlightening exert looks at breakfast foods, in particular, Nestlé Milo Oats and Kellogg’s Froot Loops (no fruit there!) and the importance of eating a nutritious breakfast that is not laden with sugar and additives.

Make sure you check out Wendyl’s findings at the end of the chapter.

Just for starters!

“Look at what?” I say, as we both gaze at the bags of shopping.Can I look at that, Grandma?” says our four-year-old grand-daughter, Lila, as I’m putting the shopping in the back of the Prius. We have just made our way around the supermarket and Lila has been a great help.

“That one there,” she says pointing at a brightly coloured box.

“Oh, that’s not for you,” I say reaching in and covering the offending piece of garish marketing with a bag of potatoes.

“Why not?” she says, disappointed.

“That’s for Grandma’s work.” I reply and hastily strap her into her car seat. “When Grandma has done her work on it, maybe you can have one next time you visit.”

Most visits to the supermarket require that I look for products that I can review in my column. This box was for some brightly coloured biscuits called Oki Doki Disco Bits. They looked frightening in terms of artificial colours and so I threw them in the trolley. Lila never said a word when I took them off the shelf, nor to my knowledge even noticed they were in the trolley. But when it comes to kid marketing Lila is a perfect target. She has an innate ability to seek and find any brightly coloured foods within a 10-meter radius.

I’m not sure what she thinks Grandma does when she “works” on these foods but she knows that they generally live on a shelf in my office, lined up and waiting for my magnifying glass to hover critically over their ingredients panel.

I know Lila knows this because it’s her first stop at every visit, once we have all been all been greeted with a cuddle, she’s patted our dog, Shirl, and gone out to check that her white hen, who she has named “Mummy”, is still around.

I had an extremely colourful and enticing box of Kellogg’s Fruit Loops sitting in my office when Lila came to visit recently. She regards my office as our “second” kitchen because on any occasion she might find all sorts of wonderful foods lined up on my shelf ready to be analysed for the column. I was in the “first” kitchen, when she appeared clutching the box of Froot Loops with a look of wonderment on her face.

“Grandma, can I please have these in a bowl with some milk?”

Something about the packaging had managed to (tell her that a) she desperately needed to eat these and b) it was a food you had in a bowl with milk.

“Why do you want them?” I asked.

“They look nice,” was all she said.

I gently pried them off her with promises of other treats and hid them in the pantry.

When I went back to get them to write about, I found that my 26-year-old son, Daniel, had succumbed to the same marketing message, but didn’t need to ask first, and ate them.

I am always astonished at the power of packaging and its ability to transfix a small child or her uncle. Lila lives in a household where her parents are very aware of food additives and eat a very healthy, real-food diet. (Not because I pressured them –they are just intelligent consumers, honestly.)

So Lila’s exposure to junk food and the bright packaging is minimal and she would have had no conditioning to tell her that inside these packets are sweet tasting, moreish foods. She just wouldn’t know. Yet something about the design of the boxes sets off a reaction in her brain which gives her the drive to search for it in bags of shopping or reach up onto a shelf and carry it all the way down the hall to me in the kitchen.

It is no secret that kids as young as Lila are directly targeted by advertising, not just on TV but also techniques such as free gifts, competitions, games and puzzles, website games and movie promotions.

And that marketing is why breakfast becomes a minefield for well meaning parents to negotiate.

Next time you are at the supermarket, wander down the breakfast aisle and take note of the packaging. It all looks fantastic. Aside from the relentless use of every bright colour in the rainbow, you will see three elements competing for your attention: chocolate, punchy bright berries and fruit and fibre.

In my house over the years, we have been through most of the cereal crazes as each of our five children has begged to be allowed a new brand and their busy working mum (former) bought them.

Have you ever noticed Jerry Seinfeld’s cereal shelf in the kitchen on Seinfeld? Next time you watch the show have a look. One internet source sets the number at nine, mostly cornflakes and shredded wheat. His cereal shelf looks exactly how ours looked for years, as every child claimed a new brand as theirs.

While you’re in the breakfast cereal aisle, see if you can find one box which lists the sugar content per 100g at less than 15g, which is what we should aim for when buying our kids cereal.

Consumer magazine conducted a survey of our breakfast cereals in 2008 and found that seven products had more than 40 per cent sugar – over three teaspoons in a 30g serve. I’ve listed them at the end of the chapter for you, in case they’re sitting on your Seinfeld cereal shelf. One of them is the aforementioned Kellogg’s Froot Loops which I prevented Lila from eating.

My focus when first studying this cereal was primarily on the three artificial colours used in it (see my findings below) but then I worked out that, if Lila had been allowed her Froot Loops with milk, she would have consumed 4.3 teaspoons of sugar in her bowl.

I can guarantee you will not find a box of cereal in the supermarket with low sugar until you come to Weet-Bix. Plain old Weet-Bix is the star of the cereal aisle, at just 2.8g per 100g. Admittedly, a lot of people add sugar, but at least you can control that and most kids enjoy eating them.

Lila eats two “bix” for breakfast every morning and won’t be swayed from them even when her grandpa is offering to make her sausages and eggs.

My mother, Elis, however, can’t stand them. Something to do with trying to avoid eating them when she was a child by sneezing into them, thinking her patents would deem that a reasonable enough excuse not to have to eat them. But no. She had to eat every last bit and has never touched them since.

As a guide, when you are out shopping, if sugar appears in the ingredients list directly under the name of the cereal, such as rice, corn or wheat, that means that the second biggest ingredient in there is sugar, and you should put it straight back on the shelf.

The other thing you need to think about is salt levels (fewer than 400mg sodium per 100g of cereal) and fibre.

We all know that we don’t get enough fibre in our diets. It’s good for bowel health and digestion and the things that give you fibre – fresh fruit, veges and wholegrains – tend to be really nutritious and good for you. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed a trend for food manufacturers to add what I call “faux fibre” to their processed foods, using vegetable gums and inulin, which is a substance that occurs naturally in root vegetables, particularly chicory. Other additions include polydextrose, which is created out of dextrose (glucose), sorbitol, a low-calorie carbohydrate, and citric acid to add to processed foods, usually to provide fibre. It is called a functional fibre because no one knows if it has the same health benefits as fibre found in real foods.

A good guide for children’s fibre requirements is 5g to 15g per 100g, so look out for that on the label, and if you see inulin or vegetable gum in the ingredients panel, reject it in favour of something which uses wholegrains and fruit to provide fibre.

Another problem with most breakfast cereals is the fact that they are extruded. This means perfectly good wholegrains are ground up, made into a slurry with liquid, heated to high temperatures, then pressurised through small holes to create shapes such as rings, flakes or puffs. You have to wonder just how much nutrition gets killed off in the process with those high heats and pressures.

OFTEN WHEN I’M out and about, people like to talk about the food column and what it has taught them.

“Thank goodness Krispies are okay,” said my aunt. “They’re my favourite biscuit.”

“I haven’t touched a raspberry jam slice since the day I read your column,” said a woman I met at a knitting bee.

And, of course, many people have suggestions for foods I should look at. By far the most disturbing conversation along these lines with a woman I was doing some work with.

“I have this friend who basically throws those cartons of Up&Go at her kids from dawn until dusk,” she said. “That’s all they eat. For breakfast they sit there in the car sucking on them on their way to school, they have another one with their lunch and sometimes dinner too. I’ve tried to tell her they need some real food but she believes they are good for them.  Are they?”

Then I got the emails about UP&Go: “My kids have one every day and I’m wondering how healthy they are,” said one mother.

“I really don’t like this product because it has so much sugar and it’s like this giving your child a milkshake for breakfast,” said another.

I was well acquainted with Up&Go. My son Daniel has never been a great breakfast eater, and so for a while he took one of these with him but in the end he didn’t even eat those, claiming the texture was weird.

Up&Go, for those who are not familiar with it, is a drink which is endorsed by the All Blacks in its advertising campaign and claims on the box to have “the protein, energy and dietary fibre of 2 Weet-Bix and milk”.

It is reasonable that parents like myself would read that and presume that in the little box we are handing over to our kids is simply two Weet-Bix and some milk all mashed up. And presumably it would have the same nutritional benefits.

Wrong.

The label should also state that it has 11.7g more sugar and 13 more ingredients than a simple bowl of Weet-Bix and milk. By the time I’d finished writing the column I was quite angry with Sanitarium for the misconception and wrote: “Is it really that hard to get a kid to sit down at the kitchen table and eat solid food these days? Are we raising a nation of astronauts in training who need to develop a taste for liquid food?”

I think if you’ve got a kid who needs something quick to eat in the car you can throw them a banana. And if you’ve got a kid who only likes to drink their meals, whip up a smoothie, put it in a bottle and let them drink that. On the Sanitarium website they even recommend that you throw a Weet-Bix into the smoothies.

I also took a look at Nestlé Milo Oats, mainly because Pearl had picked them up in the super-market and loved them. I’m a big fan of oats, as not only are they a good source of fibre but they also do wonderful soothing things to your digestive system.

Nestlé have a range of breakfast cereals marketed under the Milo name and some are better than others. Milo Oats is a better one.

I found that they weren’t too high in sugar and were a good source of fibre. I saw them as a great food to get kids interested in porridge for breakfast. I also found a study which showed that children who had oats for breakfast had better spatial memory (which means being able to remember geographical details like the interior of your house), better short-term memory and better listening attention than children who ate ready-to-eat cereal or no breakfast at all. Pearl was very relieved.

PUTTING THE CHOICE of cereal for your kids aside, there is a bigger problem emerging on the horizon for families, and that’s the kid who just won’t eat breakfast. This is cause for concern because every study you read emphasises the importance of breakfast for kids to kickstart their brains and give them the energy to see them through a day of learning school.

One University of Sydney study, conveniently commissioned by Kellogg’s, looked at the type of breakfast eaten by 800 New South Wales children aged eight to 16, across 19 different schools. The students who ate breakfast before their tests performed better, and those who ate the most nutritious breakfasts, such as cereal and milk, or eggs on toast, got the highest scores. They also scored higher on literacy and numeracy tests than their classmates who ate only toast.

It is easy to see why many parents faced with a non breakfast-child will be less fussy about the food they consume, reasoning that at least they’re eating something. We let two of our children, Daniel and his step-sister Alex, go to school on a diet of Pop-Tarts (basically jam-filled pastries you heat up in the toaster) for months because we were just so glad they were eating something.

In the end we settled on toasted sandwiches, smoothies and, if all else failed, a banana. I have yet to meet a child who doesn’t like the taste and as a food they have a lot going for them. They have lots of carbohydrates for energy, are low in fat, and are potassium-rich, which is great for muscles. They also have some protein and iron.

Instead of throwing an Up&Go at your child on the way to school, swap it for a banana a carton of milk, which will give protein, calcium, zinc, vitamins A and B, and iodine.

I’m very much a toast and a cup of tea girl at breakfast, and it gives me enough energy, even with a gym work out to see me through to lunch. Which is when I go outside to raid the chicken coop and find some delicious, bright yellow-yolked eggs.

MY FINDINGS

Nestlé Milo Oats

I see this as a great transition product to get children who may be used to the a diet of high sugar processed breakfast cereal used to the taste and texture of oats which are a very healthy option for the reasons above. By the time they’ve gone through a packet of these, they might just like a bowl of real porridge with some fresh banana and honey mixed in which is less sweet option than this product and better for them. It also means that your child sets off on a cold winter’s morning with a warm breakfast in their stomach, which is a nice old-fashioned thing to do, and the effect of the oats on their memory and listening skills might be good too.

Summary:

Three teaspoons of sugar in every serving if made with milk, but with water only one and half teaspoons.

20g of oats in every serve which is a great option for good nutrition, and oats have proven benefits for your child’s memory and listening skills.

A great transition food to get your child interested in eating porridge on a winter’s morning.

**Nestle still use palm oil so be sure to read your labels**

Kellogg’s Froot Loops

There is just something irresistible to children about food which comes in fun colours and Froot Loops certainly fulfils that expectation. It even has the sell line “a fun fuel for adventurous kids.”

There is no doubting your kids will love this cereal and hoover it down. But why not teach your children that real food doesn’t come in six fun, mostly artificial colours? Most children are quite happy to eat Weet-Bix which by comparison has only 0.8g of sugar per serve or 6.8g per serve with milk. It also uses wholegrains and has more fibre. Top it with some fresh fruit, like strawberries and peaches, and you have a great breakfast with plenty of natural colour.

And perhaps follow a rule for eating by the author of Food Rules, Michael Pollan, who says “Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the colour of the milk.’’

Summary:

Contains 38 per cent sugar.

Has three artificial colours which are banned in other countries.

Uses natural flavourings.

Wendyl Nissen

Photos by Fischer Twins  Etienne Girardet  rawpixel  Peter Lewicki

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