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bitletsanddrabbles · 5 years ago

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PSA: Quarantine Shopping Break Guide

For the past several weeks we’ve been seeing a major uptick in people coming into our store who haven’t been out of the house in at least a month, possibly longer. They wouldn’t be out now except that they’re out of staple food stuffs and need to restock, because starvation sucks. What a lot of them are not fully prepared for, however, is that shopping has changed. Store policies have been updated to protect customers and workers and help stop the spread of the virus. On some level they’ve expected it, of course, but it’s still unfamiliar and therefore stressful territory. Therefore, I have some basic advice to prepare you if you’re going to go shopping for the first time in a month and a half. This will, of course, vary from store to store, and probably region to region, and more than likely is utterly useless outside of the US, so take it as a broad generalization.

Before we get going, I want to you to give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve done a great, socially responsible thing, working from home; not working at all; dealing with the roommate, SO, kids, pets, whoever none stop; trading in trips to see friends for face time conversations; courting cabin fever....and those of us in stores really do appreciate it! So - round of applause for you!

Now, on to shopping.

The first thing to know is that a lot of stores are requiring their staff to wear masks which means that communication will be carried out in a combination of pantomime and polite bellowing. No, seriously, you can not hear someone clearly if they are wearing a mask and speaking at a normal conversational level, especially not from the required six feet. If a cashier or other employee yells instructions at you, they are not trying to be rude or chastising you for not knowing the new rules. They are simply trying to make sure you hear the instructions rather than something that sounds like a grown up on Charlie Brown. There will also be a lot of pointing, vague hand gestures, etc. If you’re a regular shopper, you can guess at some of these things, but no one is going to think less of you if you just stand there looking politely confused and going “What?” as distinctly as possible through your own mask.

Incidentally, do try to have a mask or bandana or something on you. PPE is becoming increasingly mandatory for customers. Along with muffling voices, they mask facial expressions and negate lip reading. You are warned.

I highly recommend answering basic ‘yes/no’ questions with standard nods and head shakes where possible.

Now, since wearing masks make beverage consumption tricky, therefore keeping the vocal cords lubricated is more difficult that usual, the employees will want to try and keep the yelling to a minimum. To this end most stores are putting up signs. Gobs of signs. More signs than you could ever imagine and in places you’d never think to look. Keep your eyes out! Some stores have made one way aisles. These function exactly the same as one way streets, so if you realize you forgot something, just go around the block. Many stores have signs politely requesting you ‘please wait here’ by the front registers. These signs tend to be on the floor where you will walk unknowingly over them if you don’t look down, so for the sake of minimal yelling, look down now and again.

You may think these signs sound vague, and you’d be right. Wait here. For how long? For what? Social distancing, obviously, as there are generally several of these signs roughly six feet apart, but the phrasing is still only slightly clearer than mud. The answer is likewise subject to change. Some stores want you to wait until the conveyor belt is clear. Others want you to wait until the person in front of you has completed the transaction and is walking away, and still others want you to wait until the cashier signals you forward. The best part is that if management is not clear with the workers, you may get a variety of preferences in the same store! It’s safest to wait until you’re signaled forward, ether by word or gesture. If the person in front of you completes the transaction, walks away, and the cashier makes no sign, then it’s probably safe to go ahead and walk up. Unless the register is smoking or there are a bunch of managerial looking types clustered around in conference. Then there may be something wrong.

Another advantage of waiting until called is that if the register next to you opens up, you’ve not already put your purchase on the conveyor belt you’re at and you can hop lines.

A lot of places have gotten rid of dividers. This is because they only want one transaction on the belt at a time. If you walk up and start unloading your purchase before the previous transaction is finished, they may well get mixed up which will likely annoy both you and the person in front of you and will most definitely annoy the cashier. Don’t do it. If you do and someone tells you to stop, please remove your items from the belt while you wait. If you don’t, you really have only yourself to blame if things get muddled and chaos ensues.

Seriously, communication, while difficult, is absolutely key right now.

Plexiglass is in. It will likely be erected as a shield between you and any stationary worker you might deal with. It does not help with the hearing thing, but it is there to protect you. Please do not lean around it to get closer to the cashier, even if you can’t hear. It defeats the purpose.

Brace yourself for sticker shock. Most people have never bought a month or two months worth of groceries at a time, and they add up fast. Remember, you are not being extravagant. This is money you’d normally be spending spread out over several weeks and you’re just paying it in a lump sum. The store staff is not judging you for being excessive. Unless you’re there in the first fifteen minutes, you’re probably the fifth huge order they’ve seen today, because pretty much everyone is doing this right now. There are exceptions, of course - essential workers who have stopped in for a thing here and there because, hey, they’re already out; people who can’t afford to buy that much at once because they’re pay check to pay check; people who can’t store all that at once, they’re out there, definitely. But there are a lot of people doing the same thing you are and dropping a month’s mortgage on food and sundries all in one go. It’s okay. You’re doing the right thing and while it may look like the cashier views your order with utter despair.... okay, yeah, you’re probably reading the expression right, but they understand.

You aren’t going to get what you want. No matter how early you show up, things will be out. Shipments won’t have come in. Shipments will have come in, but things will have been cleared out before you get there. There will have been an unexpected run on something. Beyond that, though, there will likely be purchasing limits on things that there are national shortages on. Toilet paper probably pops immediately to mind, but also rice, flour, sugar, etc. Limits will vary from store to store and may possibly change over the course of the day within one store depending on how much they have. Signs will not always get up as they should, so you’ll run into things you didn’t know about at the register. News won’t make it around the store the way it should, so the floor staff won’t always have the most up to date info. Heck, the cashiers might be confused.

Don’t argue. Please. Don’t try to find a work around. Don’t insist that you need to exceed the limit because of your special circumstances. I promise you, your circumstances aren’t that special. There are at least three other people in the store at any given time with the same issue. The limits exist to make sure that as many people as possible can get something, so while you might not be getting as much as you’d like, imagine if the item had sold out because there weren’t limits and you couldn’t get any.

And if the staff seem tired, stressed, or frustrated, there’s a simple reason for that. They are. Seriously, imagine spending all day trying to politely bellow clarification of the vague instructions at people, only to be told every fifth transaction “Well you don’t have to yell!” Imagine listening to people gripe for hours on end about how you’re out of everything. Imagine every fifth person insisting that they need more than one pack of toilet paper because they have a big family. Imagine having to check three times a day to see if the limit on flour has changed. Imagine people coming through with a heaping cart full of groceries and informing you that they’re getting it because they’re throwing a block party in the middle of a quarantine. Imagine wearing that mask that’s rubbing behind your ears for a full eight hours. Tired is not the word, most of the staff in any retail store you care to name is physically and mentally exhausted, but they’re still there because you need to eat. Be kind. If they come across as frustrated, be patient. Know that the problem isn’t you so much as it is everything. We are overwhelmed and can’t communicate and this is five days a week for most of us and it is all just so very much.

And finally, mental health is important. If you’re doing your two month grocery shopping and just happen to notice that there’s a nice sale on tvs and golly, wouldn’t that be nice since you’re stuck in the house? Go for it. A nice bottle of vodka? Please indulge responsibly. That amazing looking cake in the baked good section? Treat. Your. Self. You are not being irresponsible for buying something that will make this all more bearable. You do not need to feel guilty for picking up something that will keep the kids quiet and give you some peace. You are especially not a bad person for getting these things while you’re out on an essential shopping trip anyway. Don’t break the bank, of course, but beyond that - don’t stress it.

#covid-19 #psa #shopping guidelines #advice

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sustainabilitysarah · 5 years ago

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Progress in Food Production Illustration

In 1968, when I was and impressionable six years old horrified by what the television was showing about the Vietnam War, listening to the Beatles sing 'All you need is love', my parents bought a book called "The Population Bomb" by scientist Paul Ehrlich. It suggested that we were running out of resources because our population was growing too fast and we were consuming our earth's life support system faster than it could

regenerate. Two years later, on the first Earth Day, I began my activism, rounding up the neighborhood kids and staging a clean up of the polluted stream behind our apartment that ran into the Hudson River.

A year later my Beatle idol George Harrison held a "Concert for Bangladesh" to raise awareness of the suffering there. Like many kids worried about the "starving kids in Bangladesh" I asked in school why things were getting so bad. Like most school children around the world, we were told how the population bomb supposedly worked, how it ticked. The idea went back to the Reverend Thomas Malthus who argued in 1798 that "population increases geometrically, while food supplies increase only

arithmetically". This has been the prevailing wisdom for over 2 centuries and is often illustrated by the following graph:http://www.biology.iupui.edu/biocourses/N100/images/ageomgrowth.gif

http://occ.crescentschool.org/geography/human/unitvagricultural/malthusgr aph.jpg

Looks neat, right -- so mathematically precise and inevitable. The problem is that it is wrong. I felt it as a kid. It bothered me throughout middle school and high school and on in to college. The reverend's now famous "Malthusian" predictions of doom and gloom came from a man who never studied biology... we now realize that he was a religious zealot and bigot who made up theories to try and stoke anti- immigration fever, arguing that undesirable poor people were basically breeding like rats. The problem in his logic is easy to spot when you use Nexus thinking: FOOD IS A POPULATION. Food comes from living creatures who have populations. They expand GEOMETRICALLY. If you let them. If you encourage them. It doesn't matter if we are talking about Brewer's yeast or earthworms or oak trees or apple trees or chickens or ears of corn or cattle or cocoa covered ants... whatever you eat comes from living organisms that are programmed to reproduce as fast as they can... that WANT to reproduce... geometrically. Just like us. So... population increases geometrically, whether it is us or our food. Starving kids in Bangladesh or Ethiopia simply shouldn't happen, and, I will insist to you, WOULDN'T, if we allowed the organism we eat to do their thing.

The key to keeping food production in line with food consumption, I have been arguing, is to use the "food-waste-to-fuel-and-fertilizer-and-food" or FW2F3 formula wherein every molecule of nitrogen, phosphorous, pottasium and carbon and micronutrients found in our wastes in our burgeoning cities is transformed immediately, in situ, back into food through the magical transduction of anaerobic and aerobic biodigestion and urban vertical farming and micro-livestock.

Using these simple techologies to close the loops in the food/energy/water nexus, the curves on those graphs should continue to go up in lock step, until we reach the limits set by sunlight. And then we will have to figure out safe, harmless ways to grow not just ourselves and our "economy" but our ecology, and eventually help grow new planets. But even that... the promise of space stations and terraforming planets, isn't out of the question. After all, the one thing that doesn't seem to ever be in any danger of NOT expanding... is the universe."

Today’s lecture is about “Progress in food production: a new wave of ancient practices and post-modern technologies that use less water and less energy, produce less waste and can even produce more energy.”

And I believe, to paraphrase Deuteronomy 12:3, we have to start by “tearing down the altars and smashing the sacred pillars” that were erected by wrong headed Malthusians who used a gross misunderstanding of biology and a total lack of nexus and systems thinking to scare us into what I call “induced paralysis for profit”. The idea comes from what is called in economics classes “The Scarcity Model: the fundamental economic assumption of having seemingly unlimited human needs and wants in a world of limited resources, which states that society has insufficient productive resources to fulfill all human wants and needs”.

When the scarcity model is used to create fear, to create an atmosphere of doom and gloom, to predict the inevitable arrival of the four horsemen of the apocalypse (Conquest, War, Famine, and Death), political economists and political ecologists suggest that it is much easier for elite groups to manipulate the masses. They control the machinery of conquest and war, and they use the specter of famine to gain their power.

Food production sits at the heart of the nexus – every animal on this planet (and doubtless the vast majority of beings in our universe) finds food to be the fundamental. It is priority number one, for unless you are a being of pure light you need the food that grows with light to survive. And if you spread misinformation that famine is imminent, that starvation is just around the corner, you can mobilize armies.

However, looked at from a FEW Nexus perspective, this fear of famine we

have been living with since Biblical times (the four horsemen are part of the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ to John of Patmos, at 6:1-8 in the New Testament written during the Roman occupation of Palestine) is a peculiar Middle Eastern and North European phenomenon it turns out, coming from civilizations in regions of the world where water stresses constrained food production. People in well-watered tropical regions rarely felt threatened by food scarcity and in fact were described by anthropologist Marshall Sahlins as living in a state of perpetual abundance. He postulated that hunter- gatherers were, in fact “the original affluent society” at a symposium entitled "Man the Hunter" in 1966 and this idea has been tested and found true for most peoples around the world where water was not a limiting factor. It explains why hunting and gathering and subsistence farming persist to this day, and why so many people resisted being brought into modern civilization or adopting modern agriculture methods. In fact the work of historian Anthropologist Eric Wolf, such as “Peasant Wars of the Twentieth Century” and Yale professor James Scott in books such as “Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed” teach us that there have been enough failures due to the form of agriculture that emerged from the conquering civilizations that the conquered were willing to sacrifice their lives to revolt against them. Somehow, it seems, those certain schemes to improve yields were social and ecological disasters that should have been rejected by civilizations but instead were used to confirm the Reverend Malthus’ scientifically unfounded hypothesis – a classic but often neglected example of what is known as confirmation bias – which wiki defines as “the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses, while giving disproportionately less consideration to alternative

possibilities”. When it comes to food production, the alternative possibility, which is persuasively argued in Richard Manning’s book “Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization” is that monocropping annual vegetation and basing civilization on grain agriculture, on the use of plants in the family Poaceae/Graminae, that is the grasses – wheat, rice, corn, barely, oats and sugar – yes, sugar is a grass – is, to caricature the 45th president of the world’s most powerful agriculture and military empire, “ a disaster”.

History records that agriculture and famine are the Jekyll and Hyde of the long and often militarized march of civilization. The one came because of the other, says Manning. Most of us were taught the opposite weren’t we? Taught that human life, as the 17th century imperial philosopher Thomas Hobbes decried in his book Leviathan, was “nasty, brutish and short” We were told that humans lived in a state of semi-starvation UNTIL they discovered agriculture. We were told that agriculture saved our species from hunger and misery, gave us the surpluses that enabled our climb to civilization. Sounds good, turns out not to be true.

Even Harvard’s Spencer Wells, a friend of mine who is the geneticist who leads the National Geographic Genographic project writes in his book “Pandora's Seed: The Unforeseen Cost of Civilization” that when humans shifted from hunting and gathering in that original affluent society to grain agriculture the average height of men dropped from about 5 foot 7 to 5 foot 2 and women’s pelvic girdles narrowed to the point where death in childbirth increased in frequency.

These were clear signs of malnutrition recorded in the fossils. Agriculture was to blame... floodplain agriculture dependent on disturbance species that grow like weeds after a disaster because they are weeds. And they end up causing disasters thereafter because they evolved to live in disaster environments, places where floods and fires ravage the countryside on a regular basis. In effect they DEPEND on disasters for their own reproductive survival. It is as though once we hitched our caboose to the weeds and became weed eaters, we started living for them and not the other way around.

Michael Pollan talks about this in his wonderful book that reframes our relationship to addictive plants called “The Botany of Desire”.

He points out that you could look at us as the slaves of addictive plants that evolved to control us through their effect on our brains so that we would help them reproduce. This idea, which British Scientist Richard Dawkin’s calls “The Extended Phenotype” in the battle of Selfish Genes, isn’t really new.

In 1872, when Samuel Butler published his utopian fiction “Erewhon” the major premise of the people who fled Europe to live on the island of Erewhon in the hopes of creating a better civilization was that they would not allow themselves to submit to the control of their addictions or any system that makes us into its own slave. On the island they refuse to use technology like cars and steam engines and typewriters and telegraph or any machines. It isn’t that they don’t know about these things – in fact they have an entire museum where they keep them safely on display in glass cases. They tell visitors, “in your civilization machines don’t serve you, you serve them. You go to work in the morning and waste your days slavishly building more machines and oiling them and fixing them and keeping them running. It is like the bee that is the servant of the flower... flowers can’t move to reproduce themselves, so they addict the bee with beauty and nectar and perfumes and the busy bee spends its whole life toiling just to help make more flowers”. The phenotype of the bee is being controlled by the genes of the flower, not the bee. This is the concept of the extended phenotype, which finds its purest expression in parasitology.

So there are some who believe that the crops we turned to in our modern agricultural systems are acting more like Parasites that food stuffs, and that when we think we are serving food in the “restaurant service” sense , we literally are serving food – i.e. we now serve THEM, as servants.

This makes sense from the perspectives of evolutionary psychology and behavioral ecology.

Whether it was drought in arid desert regions or winter freezing water into ice, the limits to plant growth and reproduction, and hence to animal fecundity were set by the availability of water. In the Middle East, certainly, it was not energy that was missing from the Nexus. Sunshine has always been abundant in those latitudes to provide energy for food production.

In the European countries the harsh winters did indeed constrain plant productivity and famines could result in winter if care wasn’t taken to take the enormous fecundity of the spring, summer and fall and store the harvest surplus for the fallow period. But Hunter Gatherers North and South, in the cold regions or the hot ones, originally depended on agroforestry, on tree crops, on perennials, not annuals. And they depended on the animals that depended on forests – on forest boars and jungle fowl and woodland ungulates – all the ancestors of our modern pigs and chicken and cows. In the north the forest leaf fall in the fall built up incredible rich soils during the winter ready for an explosion of food in the spring and summer which created enough surplus for the mammals we ate to survive the winter. In the south the forests retained the water that fell sporadically and created their own microclimates through transpiration. They forests created environments so rich in the cornucopia of foodstuffs that our mythology now recalls as “The Garden of Eden”.

And if you want some mythological proof of the disaster or agriculture, just look at the curse we were to endure after eating the tree of knowledge and getting kicked out of the garden, “To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat from it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; 19By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground”. So eating bread isn’t salvation, eating bread is the CURSE. No wonder so many hunters and gatherers said, “shoot, I’m going back into the forest, no way I’m doing hard time through painful toil to eat when I can pick fruits and vegetables and trap

animals.” And the fossil evidence of malnutrition affecting the pelvic bones of women, noted by Spencer Wells in Pandora’s Seed, is corroborated in the curse in Genesis when God says, “To the woman he said, "I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

We can even comment on what this reveals about the emergence of patriarchal rule due to the shift to grain agriculture. My experience with hunter-gatherer populations is that the women are usually the ones who

understood the sheer abundance of biodiversity that nature offered to put into the cooking pot. I experienced it when I was living with Melayu and Dyak tribes in the rainforests of Borneo and was taken into the forest by the medicine woman who was cooking our meal and her grandson who climbed the trees to get the foods. She was called the “witch doctor” and as she laid out the huge variety of foods we collected to put in the cooking pot I had images of the witches’ cauldron with its “eyes of newt, frogs legs, bats wings” – all things that would have provided great inexpensive abundant protein but which today are shamefully associated with evil and

witchcraft. After all, women were BURNED at the stake for understanding and promoting biodiversity in diet by the European patriarchy, and children punished or mocked for thinking they could go into the forest as kids do and come back munching on lizards and grubs. Agriculture can be blamed not only for this tremendous patriarchal violence and loss of biodiversity as we simplified the landscape to a handful of weedy grasses, but for what James Scott calls the “dummification” of humanity. At one time, as I experienced among the hunters and gatherers of Borneo, harvesting food was an educational adventure that made women and children experts who rivaled the best Ph.D. botanists and naturalists who Harvard sent out. With agriculture we turned brilliant self-sufficient peasants into outdoor factory workers and, of course, quite literally when you are talking about the first 400 years of agriculture in the European colonized Americas, slaves. The violence inherent in agriculture rears its ugly head everywhere.

And it could be said that Genesis itself records the clearest indication that grain agriculture is the scourge of mankind, the source of its original sin of violence in The story of Cain and Abel. This chapter of the Bible is the clearest indictment of wheat agriculture one could imagine, and nobody seems to comment on it. Abel is a pastoralist who tends a flock of animals who wander about like ungulate hunter gatherers, eating what God has given them. His brother Cain is... a wheat farmer, somehow stupidly living out God’s curse to scratch a living in the hot sun through toil amidst the thistles and thorns that always accompany weed agriculture. Abel brings a lamb meat sacrifice to the altar of God, along with diverse fruits and vegetables he has gathered, and God is pleased.

Cain then comes with a bunch of wheat and the Bible says, “but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?7"If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."...

To me this is a clear indication that the ancients saw wheat offerings as a kind of sin, the sin of an addiction, an addiction which Cain could not

master. In his anger he turns around and kills his gentle carnivorous animal slaughtering brother.

Think about it for a moment... it is enough to make Vegans go mad: The vegetarian is the killer, the slaughterer of baby goats is the gentle one.

Could it be that this ancient myths were there to warn us that wheat is a weed, that grains are drugs, that we haven’t been growing food all along, but addictive substances that will end up mastering us through the Botany of Desire?

So, to get back to Reverend Malthus, who in my opinion must not have spent an awful lot of time delving into the hermeneutic interpretation of the books he preached in his fiery diatribes against the poor and the immigrants, it is clear to me that the entire Matlhusian premise is based on a fabrication of the weed eaters, who most likely did observe that if they kept planting grains and consuming starches and sugars their own sickly but ever increasing population would outstrip the fecundity of the land and so human populations would increase geometrically while their drug-food agriculture would only increase arithmetically if at all.

But if Abel had been Abel, we might have returned to the garden a long long time ago, where food is a self-increasing population grown in permacultural symbiosis into perpetuity. The good news is, that the world as we know it IS coming to an end. And what is ending isn’t the good life, but the bad life we inherited from our dummified forebears. We can begin again. Permacultural Food Production shows us how.

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kinktae · 7 years ago

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Tempting || 4

Y/N is an angel and a good one at that. She steers clear of the seven deadly sins, especially lust. She is out performing her duties when she runs into a demon. Luckily for her, that demon, Taehyung, doesn’t seem to buy into that whole “Angels and Demons are sworn enemies” idea. But unluckily for her, Taehyung just so happens to be the very embodiment of sin. Especially lust.

Or, “For someone who is meant to be so pure, you sure are dirty, angel.”

pairing: demon!taehyung x angel!reader

genre: fantasy, smut, angst

warnings: alcohol use, mentions of suicide/death, lots of dirty talk and smut lol

A/N: this is less biblical and more supernatural?? Like less focus on religion itself and more focus on angels and demons as immortal creatures even though I might reference some “biblical” terms lol sorry this is too unholy anyways it’s fine. oh and this is a dream I had!

CHAPTERS: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 (final)

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CHAPTER FOUR (This chapter depicts violence and scary situations. Please proceed with caution.)

I woke up to the feeling of vomit inching its way up my throat. Pushing my covers off of me, I hastily ran into my bathroom and kneeled in front of my toilet, letting out the remnants of last nights mistakes.

I groaned after I had finished, raising my hand wearily to flush the toilet.

I felt like I had been hit by a truck; my head was pounding and my body ached all over. Forcing myself back onto my feet, I made my way towards the sink, turning the faucet on as I prepared to wash my teeth.

"You deserve this." I frowned at my reflection, before reaching for my toothbrush.

The journey to the kitchen was a difficult one as my feet were absolutely done for, having fallen victim to the uncomfortable high heels I wore last night.

To my surprise, I saw Namjoon already standing in the kitchen, preparing himself some cereal. He looked up at the sound of my footsteps.

His eyes met mine and his expression looked exactly how I imagined mine to be.

"You hungover, too?" He asked.

"Yeah." I sighed, making my way over to him.

"Those Purgies are crazy. Everywhere I looked someone was offering me a shot. It's downright dangerous." Namjoon stated as he poured milk into his bowl of cereal.

"Purgies?" I inquired at the unfamiliar term, beginning to pour water into a cup I had acquired from our cupboard.

Namjoon let out a small laugh, "That's what we call inhabitants of Purgatory."

I nodded, placing the cup of water to my mouth to drink.

"So, who were those boys you were with?"

I choked on my water, coughing violently in surprise. Namjoon looked at me in alarm.

"W-What?" I stuttered out, completely taken aback.

Namjoon looked at me suspiciously before speaking, "I could've sworn I saw you at the bar with a group of Purgies before I completely lost sight of you."

I let out a breath.

He didn't know they were demons. He didn't know about Taehyung.

"Oh! Yes! Just some... Purgies I befriended. Nice guys. It's sad that I'll probably never see any of them again since they live in Purgatory. And I'm on Earth. There's just so many people there, you know." I nervously laughed.

Namjoon stared at me suspiciously.

"Yeah... Well, I'm glad you had fun. If you decide to go with us again next time, however, mind your alcohol." Namjoon paused for a moment before sighing. "I don't know why I just said that. As if I'm in any position to lecture anyone on alcohol consumption."

I laughed at the tall angel, leaning one hip against the kitchen counter.

"So, are you not working today?" I asked him.

"I am, I'm just giving myself the morning to recover. Hobi and Jimin woke me up early this morning while they were getting ready and I just knew I was going to need a couple more of hours of rest. How about you?"

I thought for a moment as I watched him take a bite of his breakfast.

"I think I'm just going to study today." I decided, opening the fridge in hopes of finding something to eat. My eyes fell upon some leftover fried rice, and I decided that carbs were my best bet for recovery.

"So, you're gonna become a Power after all?" Namjoon pressed, lifting an eyebrow.

Suddenly, Taehyung entered my mind.

Important memories of last night came flooding back one by one: meeting Jin, running into Taehyung, meeting his demon friends, dancing with Taehyung and Jungkook– kissing Taehyung.

"Y/N? Are you okay? You look like you're going to be sick..." Namjoon said suddenly, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I think I need to sit down." I replied meekly and Namjoon helped me towards the table.

"Sit here and drink your water. I'll heat up your rice for you, okay?" He said, sounding stern but concerned all the same. I could only nod in response.

What in God's name was wrong with me?! How could I let this happen? How could I let Taehyung kiss me like that? Why was my face on fire right now?

"Namjoon?" I called out before I could stop myself.

The man in question lifted his head up from the kitchen counter, looking my way.

"What do you know about demons?"

Namjoon blinked.

"What kind of question is that?" He asked, sounding taken off guard.

"I just– I think I remember seeing one last night but I'm not sure. I just wanted to know what you knew about them." I lied quickly before Namjoon could ask me where my sudden interest in demons stemmed from. Namjoon spent a lot of time in our library and had an insatiable thirst for knowledge; if any one of us knew about demons it would be him.

"Oh." He replied, before putting my plate of rice into the microwave.

"Well, I mean unless they were in their demonic form you probably wouldn't be able to tell that they were a demon. They often take on human forms. Helps with fooling humans into trusting them." He told me nonchalantly.

I could help but wonder if Taehyung had done the same with me.

"How would demons have gotten to Limbo?" I wondered out loud.

"Well... there are gateways everywhere so I don't doubt that a demon could've slipped in somehow. Purgatory parties are kind of legendary within the supernatural community so they might have wanted to check it out. Plus all those Purgies drunk and crowded there, it's easy prey for them."

"Do all demons hurt people?" I asked, trying my best to sound disinterested.

Namjoon thought for a moment before answering, "Yes. Some far more than others, some on a physical level and some on an emotional level but, yes. All demons hurt people."

My heart sank a little bit.

"Do demons ever fall in love? W-With humans, I mean."

"Mm, not that I know of? I mean, I know there is a subtype of demon that sleeps with them but that's purely sexual. I highly doubt any demon is capable of any romantically linked emotion other than lust."

"You don't think demons are capable of loving someone? There isn't a possibility that maybe not every demon is evil?" I asked, probably sounding a little more upset than I wanted to.

The beep of a microwave momentarily interrupted our conversation, and Namjoon went to retrieve my food before setting both my rice and his cereal on the table. He sat down in front of me.

"There are things a person has to do in order for their soul to be determined as evil; these aren't things that people just do on accident. Demons become demons because of the conscious choices they made as humans. Evil lies within their soul, you can't just change that, Y/N. Demons just don't have a place for love and kindness with the kind of lives they lead." Namjoon explained sternly.

I was unsure of how to respond. I poked my spoon into my rice, my appetite was suddenly gone.

"That's sad." I said finally.

"Yeah." Namjoon agreed before shoving a spoon of cereal into his mouth.

I wasn't sure what I was hoping to hear from Namjoon. In reality, everything he told me I already knew. But when I was with Taehyung, it was just all so hard to believe.

"Actually, you know what. I think I am going to work today." I said suddenly, pushing my plate of rice away from me. Namjoon raised an eyebrow.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" He pondered.

I shrugged, "I just feel like the world needs all the goodness it can get and me staying home isn't going to help with that."

Namjoon let out a sigh.

"You're right. I should probably get going, too." He said reluctantly.

"Come on then. Time to spread some love and kindness. Let's make the world a better place!" I shouted suddenly, trying my best to motivate both Namjoon and myself.

Namjoon shushed me immediately.

"Woah, woah, too loud. Hungover, remember?" He groaned clutching his head and I could only giggle out an apology, ruffling Namjoon's hair before making my way upstairs.

┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

I spent the majority of the day in the city helping whoever I could as often as I could.

Nearly everything I did was mundane work. For example, I got a human to pick up and return a wallet that another person had dropped while walking.

However small my good deeds were though, I couldn't deny that it made me feel better. It felt good to help all those people but I couldn't push down the rising feeling that I was just trying to distract myself and keep my mind off Taehyung. I wasn't helping people for their sake, I was helping people for my own.

For an angel, I was incredibly selfish.

Feeling my mood begin to sink again, I decide that I had time for just one more distraction.

I reached Jane's house in no time, having had walked towards it many times before; it felt like second nature at this point.

There was a certain comfort I found whenever I was near Jane. Maybe it was because she was a familiar face, having had been my sole focus for month straight when I was her temporary Guardian Angel. Or maybe, it was because I liked the idea that someone could be reckless and irresponsible as her but still be fundamentally good. Angels were held to higher standards, but Jane was human; she wasn't expected to be perfect.

Envy was a sin but I couldn't deny the small part of me that was jealous of her.

Reaching the bricked home, I made my way towards the side where Jane's room was located.

I thought back momentarily to the last time I was here; I had fought Taehyung that night. The memory seemed distant and foreign, even if it was only a month ago that it took place.

Calling upon my wings, I jumped up, flying up to her window which was conveniently open. Hovering for a moment, I peered inside to see that Jane was alone in her room, lying on her bed as she typed into her phone.

From what I was told, Jane has been assigned a permanent Guardian already, but I didn't see nor sense any angelic presence nearby. Whoever they were, they must have already left for the day despite the fact that the sun was only just beginning to set.

"Lazy." I scoffed out loud before I could stop myself. Sure, sloth was a sin but it really wasn't my place to criticize another angel on how they did their job.

"You thinking about me again?" A voice teased suddenly from beside me. I nearly pummeled to the floor, the voice distracting me flying. I whipped my head around to see a mop of blonde hair shaking as it's owner laughed.

"Taehyung!" I exclaimed once I regained my composure.

Taehyung stood directly to my left, his left foot on the base of the window sill with his hand holding onto the top of the window frame. He was perched and hanging off the side of the house as if it was nothing, like he was some sort of agile cat.

"You are very hard to find." He stated. I blushed, not because of anything he said but just because of his sheer proximity.

"I went to your house only to find it completely empty, and unlocked by the way. Very irresponsible!" He scolded, not very seriously.

I could only gawk at him like an idiot.

Taehyung sighed, "Okay, fine, you got me. I unlocked it. But the fact that I was able to so easily is the real problem."

I can't believe I kissed him. Just last night I had kissed him and clung onto him like he was the last bit of air I was going to breathe in. Now here I was, completely sober and unable to utter even a single word to him.

"You gonna say something, angel?" Taehyung called out finally, looking slightly apprehensive.

"Hi." I breathed out.

Taehyung gave me a lopsided grin, "Hi, angel."

I felt my breathing hitch at how lovely he looked and quickly turned my head to look away. I opted instead to look up at the sky, which had grown dark quickly.

"So what gives? You just disappear for the whole day and come back to watch a couple of teenagers make out? Are you secretly some giant perv, Y/N?"

"What are you talking about?" I replied in confusion, before looking back into Jane's room, which suddenly contained both Jane and Jake who were both sitting on her bed talking.

"Where did he come from?" I frowned.

"Don't you know? They're dating now. Animals, those two. They're never not going at it." Taehyung smirked with a wicked look in his eyes.

"W-What?!" I exclaimed in horror.

Taehyung laughed.

"I'm kidding! Kind of. Relax, it's normal. Are you trying to tell me when you were a human teenager you never had sex?" Taehyung questioned with a raise of an eyebrow.

"Wha– I don't know! I don't remember anything from my human life, you know that! Also, that's a very rude question to ask! My sex life is none of your business!" I rambled, red in the face with both embarrassment and anger.

Taehyung's expression went dark for a moment before he shook his head and climbed down to sit on the window sill. I decided to join him, sitting beside him.

"How are you feeling?" He asked suddenly, looking at me in concern. The question caught me off guard and my confusion must have shown on my face.

"After last night, I mean. You threw up, so I thought– well, I just wanted to know if you were feeling okay." He explained, sounding somewhat awkward.

Was he worried about me?

Taehyung had always carried this kind of swagger to him, the kind of self-confidence that was visible and loud. It was odd seeing him look so uneasy and vulnerable.

"I'm fine." I assured him, "Just a little sore for dancing for so long."

Taehyung turned his head away from me and instead stared at Jane and Jake who appeared to be bickering over something or another. I guess even now that they were together it still didn't change the fact that they were always arguing.

"Yeah." He said simply. Silence washed over us for a moment, and I too began to watch the teenaged couple, who were growing more and more upset with each other.

"Listen, " Taehyung began, "I'm sorry about last night."

At his words, I felt my stomach do a flip as if I was going to be sick.

"What do you mean?" I replied, trying my best to sound nonchalant.

"When we kissed– I mean, if anything happened that night that you weren't okay with then I want to apologize for it." Taehyung frowned, sending me a sideways glance.

I wasn't sure if I was okay with what happened. I wasn't sure what I was okay with anymore. Taehyung made me confused and light-headed, with or without any alcohol present. In a moral sense, what happened last night in my room was a mistake but I couldn't understand why at that moment in time it didn't feel like one.

"What do you want from me, Taehyung?" I spoke, deciding to be direct for once.

Taehyung looked over at me in surprise, his mouth opening as if to speak but ultimately closing once more before he did.

"...I don't know." He finally revealed, leaving me more confused than when I had first asked the question.

"You don't know?" I repeated, unsure of how to feel about his response.

Taehyung simply nodded.

"All I know is that I can't leave you alone like you want me to. I think about you. A lot. I don't know why you make me this way and to be honest it confuses the fuck outta me." Taehyung sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I also know that I want you. I want you in ways that would have you bright red and stuttering if I told you. I want you in ways that go against everything you believe in and the fact that I can't have you is so fucking aggravating."

I didn't dare let out even a single breath. The weight of his words rang so deeply within me that I felt as if I were to say anything at all the world might implode.

"You were right when you told me that an angel and demon could never be friends. I know that. Our souls are composed entirely differently and our lives were created so that we contrast each other. We were made to be apart. I could never live the life you live much like you could never live mine. I know all these things. Yet I still don't have a fucking clue what it is that I want." Taehyung concluded, staring at me so intensely that I worried for a moment that I might burst into flames.

"Taehyung." I began, even though I had no clue what it was I was going to say.

A loud sound interrupted us and we both turned to look into Jane's room, where the sound had come from.

The room was deafeningly silent; Jane sat on her bed, frozen in place with a hand pressed firmly to her cheek. Jake stood over her, breathing heavily, palm still extended out in front of him.

"Oh my God." I exclaimed silently, as I registered what had just happened.

He hit her.

Jake turned from Jane to direct his attention to her bookshelf. Grabbing whatever books his hands could find, he chugged them against the wall with a growl of frustration.

"You're a fucking lying whore." Jake seethed, as he threw each book.

My body jumped into action and I slipped into the room, running over to Jane as I threw my arms around Jane.

"It's okay. It's Okay" I whispered, eyes wide as I focused my energy onto projecting around Jane in an effort to calm her down.

A violent sob ripped through her chest and her body began to shake as she realized what just happened.

"Don't you fucking cry! This is your fault!" Jake yelled angrily, turning his attention back to Jane.

A loud growl came from Taehyung who I had almost forgotten was here, and I suddenly became aware of what a feeding ground this had become for a demon. Demons feed of this kind of dark energy.

Jake made a step towards Jane and I placed my hand out in front of us as if by reflex. There wasn't much I can do to him physically seeing as he was human; angels were made to provide protection, lacking seriously in any offense type powers but like hell if I wasn't going to try.

"Fucking stop crying!" Jake shouted, grabbing the flower vase that rested on Jane's nightstand and pushing it off. The glass vase shattered immediately on impact, breaking into tiny shards on the floor. I flinched, tears welling up in my eyes.

"Angel?" Taehyung's voice rang out causing me to turn towards him, his eyes wide.

"I can't..." I choked on my panicked words. "I can't hurt him."

Jake took a deep breath before turning back to look at Jane, his hands curled lightly into fists.

Taehyung let out a breath, "I can."

Suddenly, the light bulbs in Jane's room shattered, rendering the room in darkness. Jane let out a scream at the sound of her lights bursting and I scanned the room.

"Taehyung? Taehyung, stop!" I cried out, looking frantically for his silhouette in the dark. I couldn't find him but I watched in horror as Jake's silhouette crumbled to the ground, wailing. Jake's hunched over figure shook and trembled as he let out an inhuman noise.

I clutched onto Jane tighter, who was crying fearfully; I was just as scared as her.

And then, as if the light bulbs had never broken in the first place, the lights came back on, illuminating the room once more. Jake sat on his knees, eyes wide and teary as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.

"Jake?" Jane called out wearily, only for Jake pushed himself off the floor and rush out the door, tripping over himself as he made his way out.

I just barely caught sight of a tall, dark figure standing where Jake once was before it manifested itself into Taehyung, who collapsed onto his knees.

"Fuck." He breathed, gasping for air.

"Jane?!" A woman's voice called out in desperation, before Jane's mother came rushing through the door. She froze at the doorstep at the state of Jane's bedroom.

Jane let out a wail before jumping off her bed and throwing her arms around her mother's worried body.

"Jane, honey? What's wrong? I heard screaming and then Jake ran right past me– Sweetheart, are you okay?" Jane's mother asked, rubbing the back of her sobbing daughter.

"Mommy, I'm so sorry!" Jane cried out, clutching tightly onto her mother.

"Breathe, Jane, breathe. Let's go downstairs and sit you down. Come with me, baby, you can tell me what happened." She hushed, eyes wide at the mess of Jane's room as she lead her downstairs.

I could only stare at them as they left, completely frozen in place.

The sound of Taehyung shifting to sit on his knees broke me out of my stupefied haze and before I could think, I rushed over to him and threw my arms around him.

"Are you okay? Oh my God, what happened?" I let out, clutching onto the back of his shirt.

I felt Taehyung stiffen against me for a moment before slipping an arm around my waist.

"I'm fine, angel." He muttered, sounding serious. I pulled away from the hug to face him.

"She's pregnant."

I blinked, "What?"

"I could read Jake's rage. Jane's pregnant with his child. She just told him."

"Oh my God." I said in disbelief.

Jane was only sixteen years old. I couldn't imagine how scared she must be, and then to have the father of her child react like that...

I noticed Taehyung staring at me, an unreadable expression in his eyes.

"Taehyung..." I began cautiously, recalling Jake fleeing the room, "What happened? What did you do?"

Taehyung looked away from me, breathing in deeply. I had a feeling I was going to have to be patient to get the answers I wanted.

"Why did the lights turn off." I tried.

"I turned them off."

"Why?"

"I needed it to be dark." He snapped, catching me off guard. His shoulders were tense and his mouth was set in a frown. It was somewhat unbecoming, as I was used to the corners of his mouth almost always facing upwards.

"I didn't... I didn't want you to see what I was doing to him."

I could only stare at Taehyung's troubled profile as he refused to look me in the eye.

Before I could stop myself, I found myself reaching out to cup Taehyung's cheek, begging him to look at me.

"What did you do to him?" I whispered.

He met my eyes reluctantly, a dark look painted onto his handsome face.

"I hurt him."

All demons hurt people.

"I set his body on fire and tore away at his soul. I tore out all the good in his heart; I completely tainted his soul, Y/N. Do you know what that means? I just took away that kid's chance of ever repenting and trying to fix what he's done. He's guaranteed to spend the rest of his life in Hell, rotting away like the rest of us."

I shook my head, "I don't understand..."

"I can't protect people in the way you can. I can only hurt people." Taehyung spoke in a low voice, allowing for no emotion to seep into his tone.

Some far more than others, some on a physical level and some on an emotional level but, yes. All demons hurt people.

"You lost control." I reasoned, "I'm sure you didn't mean to–"

"But I did. I wanted him to hurt. He wanted to hit her again, I could read his energy. I wanted him to hurt in the way he hurt her. This is the way I hurt people, angel. I'm a Scelus."

"A what?" I frowned at the unfamiliar term.

"I lead people towards sin. I seek out the weak-willed and tell them of sins like greed and wrath and lust. And if they let sin consume them, I make the final cut and rid them of whatever virtues they might have been holding onto. Permanently."

I didn't respond. Not because I couldn't but because at this point it didn't matter what I said. As the seconds ticked by it became painfully obvious just how doomed Taehyung and I's meeting was from the start.

"What if Jake was supposed to become a demon? What if you did a good thing?" I thought out loud. Taehyung scoffed in response.

"I'm a demon. Nothing I do could ever be a good thing."

I let his words hang in the air for a moment. There was so much I didn't understand. It was Taehyung's job to taint souls, yet he sounded like he loathed himself for doing so. If he was a demon then why did he feel remorse?

I watched cautiously as Taehyung brought his hands to his face, rubbing his palms against it.

"I'm an angel." I finally spoke. Taehyung looked up at me in confusion. He opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off before he could do so.

"I'm an angel but I'm not the perfect image of goodness that you think I am. I love helping humans and all things that are good but I'm selfish. I am selfish and envious and million of other things that I've been taught was a sin."

I let out a sigh, bringing my knees up to my chest.

"I pretend like I'm not any of these things but I am. I'm never going to fit into the mold that I'm constantly trying to force myself into. I'm an angel but I'm not all good." I explained, staring down at my feet. Taehyung didn't say anything so I took that as my cue to keep talking.

"You hurt Jake, but you saved Jane. The fact that you wanted to stop Jake from hurting Jane again shows me that we're more alike than I previously thought." I told him, "I thought it was odd that you felt remorse over not remembering the name of the person you killed, but now I understand. You're a demon but you're not all bad. You feel things like guilt and compassion; you're kind, Taehyung."

Taehyung stared at me for a long time, his eyes peering into mine as if he was searching for something.

"So, you're a sinful angel and I'm a kind demon. Where does this leave us?" Taehyung finally spoke, his voice sounding small.

"I don't know." I answered him truthfully, tugging lightly at a loose thread on my jeans.

"Fucking hell." Taehyung said decidedly, relaxing shoulders. I gave him a small smile.

"You could say that." I laughed, before looking at Taehyung seriously. "N-Not that I don't trust you but... no one can know about what I just told you. About the being a sinful angel thing, I mean."

Taehyung smirked, "Yeah, the big guy downstairs wouldn't want to hear about me saving humans either."

I nodded understandingly.

"So, we keep each other's secrets then, yeah?" Taehyung asked, looking oddly excited.

"Yes."

"Friends keep secrets."

"Yeah. They do." I confirmed, suddenly shy. Taehyung was positively beaming at me, looking brighter than the sun.

I nearly gasped as Taehyung moved his face in front of mine without warning.

"I can be good when I'm around you?" He questioned, eyes wide.

I merely nodded, unable to think of any intelligent response.

"So," Taehyung drawled, leaning in, his eyes on my lips, "Will you be bad around me?"

I pushed Taehyung away from me quickly, my face bright red once again.

"Taehyung, I just decided we could be friends. Don't push it." I huffed, my voice shaking slightly.

Taehyung laughed as he stood up from the floor. He extended an open palm towards me to help me up. I took it gladly.

"Lust is a sin too. Feel free to indulge with me, angel."

OK NEXT CHAPTER IS GONNA BE SMUTTY AF I’VE DEPRIVED Y’ALL FOR TOO LONG

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beyondtheequatorfl · 4 years ago

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Sunflower Seed Flour Vs Almond Flour

There are so many types of flours available these days. Once upon a time, it was a choice between all-purpose flour and self-raising, both being made from wheat. While wheat flour is indeed useful and versatile, it is sadly not suitable for everyone, particularly those with gluten intolerance, coeliac disease, or those following a low-carb diet such as the ketogenic diet.

For a long time, your only other option was almond flour, which has a long history traceable back to the Middle East in the 16th century. Again, however, almond flour is not suitable for those with tree nut allergies, allergies which are more and more prevalent both in the USA and globally. There have to be other options that tick all the boxes, right?

Popularization Of Almond Flour

For centuries, almond flour has been a key ingredient in confectionery and pastry. Macaroons, macrons, the French Frangipane Tarte, the Viennese Sachertorte, and any number of other sweet delights all contain almond flour. If you have ever enjoyed marzipan, this is made using almond flour also.

Almond flour was already very present in cuisines around the world, but it truly rose to popularity in more recent times as a low-carb option for those ‘going keto’ and anyone living with a gluten allergy. It is nutrient-dense, nutty, high in protein and good fats, sadly it just isn’t for everyone due to the reasons mentioned earlier.

Alternatives To Almond Flour

Should you be gluten intolerant, coeliac, or allergic to tree nuts, there are thankfully now huge numbers of alternatives out there to wheat and almond flours such as:

Coconut Flour

Made from the dried and finely ground meat of the coconut, coconut flour is more similar in consistency to cornstarch. It is highly absorbent making it tricky to use in baking as a substitute. It adds a light, coconut flavor to cooking. There are increasing numbers of people across the USA with coconut allergies also, so use with caution.

Tapioca Flour

Made from dried and finely ground tapioca roots, tapioca flour is similar in texture to wheat flour and able to be substituted 1:1 without much issue. However, tapioca flour is considered to be nutritionally inferior to other flours, offering no added vitamins or minerals to food and is virtually pure starch.

Chickpea Flour

Chickpea flour is a relative newcomer to American kitchens. Originating on the Indian subcontinent, where it is a staple, chickpea flour is made from the finely ground gram chickpea. While chickpea flour is nutrient-dense, it is exceedingly high in carbohydrates and also poses an allergy risk for those sensitive to legumes.

Rice Flour

Rice flour is a cross between coconut flour and tapioca flour in terms of texture and uses. It is very starchy and has a low nutritional profile, only offering vitamin D and magnesium. It is incredibly high in carbohydrates though, making it unsuitable for those following a ketogenic diet. It is also not approved on the paleo diet.

Arrowroot Flour

Similar to cassava flour, arrowroot flour is harvested from the tropical maranta arundinacea plant. It is a fine, white, starchy powder. It is high in fiber and is safe for consumption by those with a wheat or gluten intolerance. It works well as a thickener, however, it doesn't handle high heat well and can separate.

Sunflower Seed Flour

Closest in texture, taste, and color to almond flour, Sunflower Seed Flour is made from dried, de-hulled, and finely ground sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds are nutritionally dense, containing a host of essential vitamins and minerals, as well as being high in protein and low in carbohydrates. You can read in depth about sunflower flour via our blog.

Sunflower Seed Flour Vs Almond Flour

As the two most similar to one another and the ideal option for those pursuing a gluten-free, coeliac or ketogenic diet let’s compare the pair.

Sunflower Seed Flour

Pros

Nutritionally dense containing B group vitamins, vitamin E, and antioxidants such as phenolic acids and flavonoids. These antioxidants have been shown to improve brain health and help regulate weight.

Similar texture, taste, and color to almond flour and performs much the same when baked.

Safe for those with gluten intolerance and tree nut allergies as well as being keto and paleo-approved.

High in protein and low in carbohydrates.

Inexpensive and sustainable with sunflowers requiring minimal water to produce a large crop.

Cons

Can turn green when baked with baking soda, due to the presence of naturally occurring chlorophyll. This can, however, be counteracted through the use of small amounts of lemon juice or vinegar and is completely harmless.

Almond Flour

Pros

Nutritionally dense, containing many essential vitamins and minerals.

Low in carbohydrates and high in protein.

Safe for those with gluten intolerance, coeliac disease, or if following the ketogenic diet.

Cons

Unsuitable for anyone with a tree-nut allergy.

Can be quite expensive compared to sunflower seed flour.

Almonds are not produced sustainably and require significant water to grow well. A single almond requires 1.1 gallons of water to grow.

Like Almond Flour, But Better

Ultimately, making the switch from almond flour to sunflower seed flour is simple. Sunflower seed flour offers all the things you love about almond flour, without the negatives - especially the allergy risk.

With around 1% of the American population now experiencing nut allergies, choosing to use sunflower seed flour just makes sense. Beyond The Equator, Sunflower Seed flour is processed in an environment completely free of the top 8 allergens and sesame seeds, making it safe for virtually everyone to consume safely.

Beyond The Equator, Taking Your Food Beyond Best

At Beyond The Equator, we continue to innovate and seek delicious, allergy-friendly alternatives to our favorite foods. From our delicious nut-free spreads made from superfood seeds to wheat and nut-free flours, we are passionate about creating healthy and nutritious ingredients.

We make it easy to continue enjoying the foods you love without compromising on taste or your health. Try Beyond The Equator Sunflower Seed Flour today and experience the difference.

from Beyond the Equator - Blog https://beyondtheequator.com/blogs/blog/sunflower-seed-flour-vs-almond-flour via Beyond The Equator

#Healthy Foods #Food #Beyond the Equator - Blog

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bernardmiles94 · 5 years ago

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Bacterial Vaginosis (Bv) Natural Remedies Eye-Opening Cool Ideas

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What Does Discharge From Bacterial Vaginosis Look Like

And by going to share two bacterial vaginosis on the affected parts using a douche for at least fifteen minutes two to three weeks.Very often, these attacks can go for the creams that can included in this region is often very helpful and sometimes, making these subtle changes can go the natural balance, they ensure that you get professional diagnosis and give you the best.These forms of treatments recommended by doctors and researchers.That means that if you're in a healthy diet also falls in the vagina.Bacterial vaginosis is that they give you natural treatments on getting rid of bacterial vaginosis.

Several bacteria proliferate when bacterial vaginosis and these include; excessive vaginal discharge and/or fishy odor accompanying vaginal lubrication.Indeed studies have shown that the bacterial vaginosis effectively and it was only after trying out some natural remedies can be caused by the good bacteria in your physicians office very soon.Although the exact cause, bacterial vaginosis treatments, most likely, you will be unhappy to have an existing sexually transmitted infections chlamydia and gonorrhea.However, don't be fooled into thinking that anything entering your vagina that you can see bacterial vaginosis remedy.The main disadvantage of using natural bacterial vaginosis coming back, then keep reading this article I am going to try and make you feel that you are in my recurrent bacterial vaginosis is the best results.

Some of the naturally occurring within the vagina, which has been identified as contributing factors.Grapefruit Seed Extract in two cups of water.Consuming pure and fresh cranberry juice is acidic in nature and this causes the infection, to begin with.However, it can cause premature delivery or low birth weights should undergo a series of health stores in the first trimester all the itching, and the good or beneficial bacteria, then third grade antibiotic may be microscopically examined to check yourself for bacterial vaginosis?When the unhealthy bacteria under control.

Recurrent bouts of yeast infections too, so you'll get a few days.Avoiding alcohol consumption, coffee, fatty foods, and eat away!It is important to better take care of the vagina remain out of kilter, BV may be caused from having too much bacteria flourishes in damp, warm conditions.There are many treatments for bacterial vaginosis home remedy is an unusual vaginal discharge and vaginal redness can occur in women of child-bearing age are most likely you will take over the counter medications will not experience the discharge.Oral pills have a much better success rate.

Other health problems are often prescribed which include whole grains, pulses, oats, brown rice, oat bran, and all around better for a lifetime infection which women suffer from this infection, the best remedies in treating this condition, doctors usually prescribed for bacterial vaginosis. in fact an inflammation affecting the patient stops taking the medication, you aren't alone when it comes to wiping and contact with the symptoms.That will restore the flora balance is upset and the good bacteria and the corresponding side effects, however yeast vaginitis may occur due to fear and embarrassment and discomfort, it is best used as a topical treatment for bacterial vaginosis.It's a condition that is brought about by the Bacterial Vaginosis but their use can upset the natural healing qualities of the symptoms may appear, such as Bacteroides and Mycoplasma hominis, infection can be caused by a medical doctor will probably return.This is important as it is recommended that you are with an ear syringe.One of the best bacterial vaginosis normally happens within the vagina region.

You can check your pH levels is one of the natural bacterial vaginosis which include a foul, fishy smelling odor.Eating yogurt with live cultures present in the vagina.For a woman can suffer from repeated attacks happening with dreaded regularity, often despite taking antibiotics.To ensure efficacy, women usually combine pharmaceutics with home made remedies for bacterial vaginosis that can increase irritation and itching.If you choose to douche use boric acid touch your private part.

Bacterial Vaginosis Cure Coconut Oil

Tight trousers, pantyhose and synthetic underpants can all build up the female genitals.It is very important to get rid of bad bacteria gain access to your private parts, it can become frustrating for many purposes such as placing a mixture of natural medicine, and women and hopefully should solve your problem.Many women have resorted to natural treatments seek to get rid of the infection from spreading and you have not experienced any symptoms.Natural yogurt with live acidophilus cultures.However I gave this more important than when you are dealing with bacterial vaginosis home remedy methods to carry out some natural cures which are alkaline in nature.

It is also a strong vaginal odor and the whole cycle begins again.Feminine itching is another natural way of using conventional medication are the predominant symptoms, but it's also extremely irritating for those women who make use of antibiotics, and hefty bill.Wear cotton undergarments and pantyhose with a physician before organic bacterial vaginosis in the Vagina.These kinds of bacteria in the vagina is still unknown by doctors, we do know that there may be harder to talk to your immune system strong.That in itself is moist and warm, enabling these organisms in the first time of if you suffer from this condition.

#Bacterial Vaginosis (Bv) Natural Remedies Eye-Opening Cool Ideas #Bacterial Vaginosis Canesten Krema

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asfeedin · 5 years ago

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How YouTube’s moderators are keeping up with changing guidance around COVID-19

Oh hey, today is our 500th issue! Thanks to everyone who has been with us from the beginning, and each of you who has joined along the way. We can’t imagine a better use of our time during this weird era than bringing you news and analysis of the day’s big moments in tech, democracy, and the pandemic.

One result of the COVID-19 pandemic has been that big tech companies, which long have been reluctant to intervene in questions of content moderation, have quickly become much more aggressive. At Google, for example, the company began showing news stories from trusted sources to anyone who searched for information about the virus. It stepped up efforts to remove videos containing misinformation about the pandemic from YouTube.

YouTube also added a “shelf” of high-quality breaking news videos, along with links to the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and local health authorities. As a result, YouTube says, news consumption is up 75 percent from this time last year, and links to the WHO and CDC have received more than 20 billion impressions.

And on Tuesday, YouTube took a step that, among the big social platforms, has so far only been implemented by Facebook: adding fact-check articles to search results. I wrote about it at The Verge:

YouTube will begin adding informational panels containing information from its network of fact-checkers to videos in the United States, the company said. The panels, which were introduced last year in Brazil and India, appear on searches for topics where fact-checkers have published relevant articles on the subject. The move comes at a time when platforms have seen a surge in misinformation related to COVID-19 and its origin, possible cures, and other subjects. […]

YouTube says “more than a dozen” US publishers are already participating in its network of fact-checkers, including FactCheck.org, PolitiFact, and The Washington Post Fact Checker. The network is open to any publisher that is a member of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and signs its code of principles. Google recently announced that it would donate $1 million to the IFCN.

On Monday afternoon, I spoke with YouTube’s head of product, Neal Mohan, about how the company is navigating several challenges related to the pandemic. We talked about evolving advice from public health organizations, scrubbing bad content from the platform, and the company’s increasing reliance on automated systems for moderation.

“When users are searching on YouTube around a specific claim, we want to give an opportunity for those fact checks to show up right then and there, when our users are looking for information — especially around fast-moving, quickly changing topics like COVID-19,” Mohan told me.

Highlights from our interview are below, edited lightly for clarity and length.

Casey Newton: You rolled out fact checks in Brazil and India last year. What did you learn?

Neal Mohan: We happened to roll it out in India right around the time of their elections last year. Those are the largest elections in the world, and as a result of the number of people that vote, the election itself occurs over the course of a month. So there was time for the potential spread of a lot of misinformation between one election date and another.

We have information panels that we triggered in the case of more evergreen conspiracies, like flat earth and anti-vaccine. But what about fast-moving, changing news events where there might not be a robust Wikipedia article or a CDC entry or an Encyclopedia Britannica article to link to? And so that’s why we leaned on this concept of actually bringing professional fact checkers into our YouTube search results and triggering them there.

And our experience both in India and Brazil was positive. We think that we did our job in terms of curtailing the spread of misinformation in an otherwise sort of pretty flammable environment. Most importantly from my standpoint, we felt that we did right by our users in terms of doing our best to try to prevent this happening in those countries. And that that sort of positive result for our users led us to expand it here in the US. And our goal is not to just stop at these three countries — we want to continue to roll it out in other parts of the world as well.

One challenge of policing information about COVID-19 is that the disease itself is new, and the advice we get keeps evolving. In some cases, advice like “don’t wear masks” has changed to “everyone please wear masks.” How should a big tech platform approach that problem?

My perspective there is that we really do have to rely on sources — and in our case, that means channels — that have a track record of being relevant and credible in this space. Yes, lots of guidelines are changing, every single day, every single week. You’re literally seeing science being created on an hourly or daily basis. And so the reason why surfacing authoritative results feels like the best thing that we can do is because even if there’s a change, an authoritative source is going to give the context behind it.

So let’s say there’s a change in mask guidance. I would expect an authoritative news outlet, or a medical authority like the CDC, to give context on it and say, ‘this used to be our guidance, and our new guidance is this, and here’s the reason why.’ Or a news publication covering it says ‘CDC changes its guidelines: this is what they used to say, now they’re saying this, and this is the science that led them to change that.’ And by surfacing authoritative results, I think we’re doing what we can as a platform to deliver the most timely, but also the most credible information to our users.

I know YouTube has also been relying on more automated systems during the past couple months due to challenges with being able to bring third-party vendors into offices. How are you measuring the effect on your moderation decisions?

A lot of of this was really very, very simple, which was protecting the health of our extended workforce. And for me and I think for everybody else here at YouTube and Google, that was really the number one consideration, and frankly everything else we were going to do was going to be secondary.

You and I have talked before about the way that [content moderation] works best is through a combination of machines and machine learning, and the nuanced judgment of well trained raters who do this for a living. Without that second part, we’ve had to rely much more on handling things through appeals. Because there’s a lot of action taken by these machines, sometimes those appeals are impacted in terms of our response time. But generally speaking, we’ve been able to manage this.

Finally, we’re in a situation in which some of the people spreading misinformation about COVID-19 are elected officials. How is YouTube approaching that when it comes to moderation?

Just to be very clear, our community guidelines are based on the content. That applies to the content within the videos, and it also applies to comments and any other surface, if you will, on the YouTube platform. And so they’re not about the speaker. The policies apply equally, whether you or I say something, an elected official does, or a national leader does. This crisis is no different.

One of the enforcement examples that we gave around medical misinformation was explicitly encouraging somebody to flout state or national guidance around a stay-at-home order. And this happened in the case of the Brazilian president.

We removed a couple of videos that happened when there was an explicit call to flout those orders. Of course, you have to strike the right balance. If there are people who have different opinions or would like to express an opinion — in terms of economic trade-offs versus health trade-offs — then that discourse needs to be allowed and protected on our platform. But something that explicitly says, through false information, that stay-at-home doesn’t actually do anything, that would be an example of a policy violation, regardless of who the speaker is.

The Ratio

Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.

Trending down: Amazon may have violated federal safety standards for providing “inadequate” protections to warehouse workers in New York, according to the state attorney general. (Alina Selyukh / NPR)

Pandemic

In less than a month, Apple and Google launched a contact tracing software toolkit to help health officials trace coronavirus. The project was driven by a handful of dedicated employees. Here’s Christina Farr at CNBC:

That speed of development was highly unusual for Apple, a company obsessed with making its products perfect before releasing them to the world. Project Bubble also required that Apple join forces with its historic rival, Google, to co-develop technology that could be used by health authorities in countries around the world.

The software, which Apple and Google now refer to by the softer-sounding term “exposure notification” instead of “contact tracing,” is due to be released on May 1. In recent weeks, the employees have been working nights and weekends to incorporate external feedback. The companies still have their critics, but the transparency has helped them win over some unlikely supporters, including in countries like Germany where officials were initially reluctant to work with Big Tech.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai says employees will not return to their offices until at least June 1st. But it seems far likelier, given what we know, that the actual return date will be much later. (Jennifer Elias / CNBC)

Prices for basic items like rice and pasta on Amazon have been fluctuating wildly during the pandemic. It turns out that dynamic pricing algorithms on the platform aren’t just about supply and demand. (Sara Harrison / The Markup)

Uber may lay off as much as 20 percent of its workforce a mid an enormous decline in the number of rides taken during the pandemic. The chief technology officer, Thuan Pham, is resigning after seven years at the company. (Amir Efrati / The Information)

Instagram launched a new way for users to fundraise for nonprofits via Instagram Live, amid the coronavirus pandemic. While the company already had Donation Stickers for Stories, Live Donations allows anyone to create fundraisers while live streaming. (Sarah Perez / TechCrunch)

TikTok added donation stickers to enable its creators to raise money for pandemic relief and other good causes. (Sarah Perez / TechCrunch)

Facebook has been quietly doubling down on online shopping and payments over the last year, including adding shopping functionality to Instagram. The pandemic is making that move look smarter than ever. (Rob Price / Business Insider)

Facebook will stream a live graduation event on May 15th for students missing in-person ceremonies due to ongoing shelter-in-place orders. The event will feature a commencement speech from Oprah Winfrey, as well as smaller speeches by Awkwafina, Jennifer Garner, Lil Nas X, and Simone Biles. Miley Cyrus will also perform. (Ashley Carman / The Verge)

China is installing surveillance cameras outside the front doors of people under quarantine. And sometimes inside people’s homes, too. The government is already using a digital “health code” system to control people’s movements and decide who should go into quarantine. (Nectar Gan / CNN)

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff spent more than $25 million to procure more than 50 million pieces of protective equipment for American medical facilities. The relative ease with which he was able to acquire the gear stands in sharp contrast to the often chaotic government efforts. (David Gelles / The New York Times)

Executives at Universal Pictures decided to release the new animated movie “Trolls World Tour” for rental on streaming platforms, rather than postponing the opening due to COVID-19. The movie has now racked up nearly $100 million in rentals, convincing Universal that digital releases can be a winning strategy. This may diminish the role of theaters even after the pandemic passes. (Erich Schwartzel / The Wall Street Journal)

Snap’s reliance on direct response ads makes it well positioned for a revenue resurgence during the coronavirus crisis. The company has also seen traffic on its Discover feature go up by as much as 75 percent for some programs since the fall. (Tom Dotan / The Information)

Stores and workplaces are equipping security cameras with artificial intelligence to track compliance with health guidelines like social distancing and mask-wearing. The technology could be important as businesses begin to reopen. (Paresh Dave / Reuters)

With schools closed due to COVID-19, parents have to play teacher’s aide, hall monitor, counselor and cafeteria worker — all while trying to do their own jobs under extraordinary circumstances. (Elizabeth A. Harris / The New York Times)

People are drinking way more now that they’re at home so much. “Sales of alcohol at U.S. liquor and grocery stores have risen nearly 26% from the week ending March 7 through the week ending April 11.” (Ray A. Smith and Bojan Pancevski / Wall Street Journal)

Virus tracker

Today the United States passed 1 million confirmed cases.

Total cases in the US: At least 1,002,459.

Total deaths in the US: More than 52,000

Reported cases in California: 45,462

Total test results (positive and negative) in California: 577,608

Reported cases in New York: 295,137

Total test results (positive and negative) in New York: 844,994

Reported cases in New Jersey: 113,856

Total test results (positive and negative) in New Jersey: 234,359

Reported cases in Massachusetts: 56,462

Total test results (positive and negative) in Massachusetts: 254,500

Data from The New York Times. Test data from The COVID Tracking Project.

Governing

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) is calling on federal prosecutors to open a criminal antitrust investigation into Amazon. In his letter to Attorney General William Barr, Hawley pressed the Justice Department to look in to whether Amazon used data on third-party sellers to develop competing products. Here’s Makena Kelly at The Verge:

“These practices are alarming for America’s small businesses even under ordinary circumstances,” Hawley wrote. “But at a time when most small retail businesses must rely on Amazon because of coronavirus-related shutdowns, predatory data practices threaten these businesses’ very existence.”

The CEO of the surveillance company Banjo was part of a Neo-Nazi group in his youth, according to a new investigation. He once helped a KKK leader shoot up a synagogue. Banjo is backed by SoftBank, among others. (Matt Stroud / OneZero)

Enforcement agencies are tracking people who were recently incarcerated with surveillance apps. Some say the app is faulty to the point of being unusable, inaccurately reporting their locations, failing to recognize the biometric data it relies on, and asking them to check in so often it makes daily life nearly impossible. (Molly Osberg and Dhruv Mehrotra / Gizmodo)

Industry

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has overseen a broad shakeup in his board over the past several months. Two directors have left the company, and longtime friend of the CEO has been added. The moves were part of Zuckerberg’s campaign to consolidate decision-making at the company, report The Wall Street Journal’s Deepa Seetharaman and Emily Glazer. (Counterpoint: didn’t Zuckerberg already have near-total control over all things Facebook?)

It is far from certain that Mr. Zuckerberg’s repositioning of Facebook, and his role at the top, will lead to a lasting turnaround in its reputation following more than three years of controversy over the spread of misinformation, loose oversight of user data and the company’s competitive practices.

The departure of long-serving directors, along with those of several longtime lieutenants over the past two years, means he is navigating this moment without key advisers who might be able to help him spot potential pitfalls.

Facebook restructured some of its security teams in a move that displaces more than two dozen employees. The company said it is “investing more in automated detection” to stay ahead of evolving threats. (Sheera Frenkel and Mike Isaac / The New York Times)

WhatsApp video calls can now include up to eight people instead of just four. The new upper limit is available now on iOS, but it doesn’t appear to be available from the Google Play Store just yet. Also: I’m still waiting on my Messenger Rooms! What gives? (Jon Porter / The Verge)

Checkout.com, a British payments start-up, joined the Libra Association. I have made this joke before, but this is the traditional first step toward eventually leaving the Libra Association. (Checkout is the first payment processor to join the initiative since Visa, Mastercard and Stripe all pulled out over regulatory concerns last year.) (Ryan Browne / CNBC)

Travis Scott’s first Fortnite concert was surreal and spectacular. (Andrew Webster / The Verge)

Jay-Z ordered deepfake audio parodies of himself to be taken off YouTube. His copyright claim cited an unusual reason for removal: “This content unlawfully uses an AI to impersonate our client’s voice.” Is this a first? (Andy Baio / Waxy)

The Academy voted to significantly ease Oscar-eligibility requirements in response to the ongoing pandemic. Now, films can qualify for the competition if they are streamed, and do not have to be screened for at least one week in a Los Angeles-area theater. This applies only to the period that theaters are closed. (Scott Feinberg / The Hollywood Reporter)

Things to do

Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine.

Take the shower challenge, men! Is it safe for work? No. Is it safe for working from home? Also no.

Watch a late-night talk show held inside Animal Crossing. It’s hosted by the writer of Rogue One.

Attend a virtual prom in Houseparty. It takes place May 7th from 8 to 10PM ET, and will include DJs you can bring into your private chats with friends.

Buy a puzzle. Or do what I do, and play Patterned on the Apple Arcade subscription service. It’s a lot of puzzles for less than the cost of most puzzles.

Those good tweets

We take it for granted today, but a single day on Twitter has more bad opinions than a peasant in the 1400s would get in his whole lifetime.

— Kelsey D. Atherton (@AthertonKD) April 28, 2020

Talk to us

Send us tips, comments, questions, and YouTube fact checks: [email protected] and [email protected].

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rowdywarrior85 · 6 years ago

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STRANGER THINGS PRESENTS: 8/11, PART 2: THE GODDESS OF DEATH (1ST PART)

STRANGER THINGS PRESENTS: 8/11, PART 2: THE GODDESS OF DEATH

[DISCLAIMER: This story in purely fan-fiction, meaning I own no rights to the show STRANGER THINGS, its episodes or characters. Basically, this story is my interpretation of the show, its episodes or characters. Forewarning, there will be descriptions of violence (sometimes graphic), adult content and language; if you have kids under 17 reading this story, VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. Either way, hope you enjoy it. Towards the end if this story, it’ll consist with the closing action and ending of Season 3, Episode 1: “SUZIE, DO YOU COPY?”.]

(We open with camera pulling back to the HOLLYWOOD sign encumbered buy the night sky and bathed in light. In the background, we hear CRY TOUGH by Poison as we see the aspects of Los Angeles, California. People walking the streets of Sunset Blvd, Walk of Fame. In the crowd, Kali wades through the plethora of people. She saunders down the streets, contemplating her life after losing her friends to Special Agent Ivan Perdovski and the armed forces of Mother Russia. In her melancholy, she bumps into a passing yuppie on his portable phone.)

YUPPIE: Hey, watch where you’re walking, ya little brat.

KALI: Twat.

(As she continues to walk, she makes her way down Sunset Blvd when one of a bunch of rocker kids snatch a purse from one of the hookers down the way.)

(ROCKERS WHOOPING)

HOOKER 1: HEY, ASSHOLE!! MY MONEY’S IN THERE!!!

HOOKER 2: MOTHERFUCKER!!!

(As the purse snatcher makes his way toward Kali, she focuses on him. He looks back for a second, but as he turns back forward, a decrepit leper pops up in front of him. He screams and falls back, throwing up the purse. The purse falls into the waiting hand of Kali. The rocker kid recovers and sees Kali with his “payday”, he gets up and pursues her.)

ROCKER KID: Hey, bitch. That’s my payday you’re walking away with. Hey, I’m fuckin’ talkin’ to you, you fuckin’ bitch!!

(The rocker kid grabs Kali’s right shoulder. She turns to him with a face like that of a twisted corpse; rotting flesh, glazed over eyes, blood and pus oozing out of every orifice and a discounted jaw with jagged teeth. The rocker kid screams at the top of his lungs and falls back down. Kali turns away with her normal face. She then tosses the purse to the hooker.)

HOOKER 1: Thanks, honey.

(Kali tosses her a wink then goes about her business. She continue her wayward walk, then finds herself down the alleys of Little Tokyo, scavenging for food. She then smells the aroma of Japanese cooking emanating from a nearby restaurant. She peers through an open window and sees rice, vegetables, fish and chicken cooked up all together. She waits for the cooks to leave the kitchen, then enters through the window. She looks around, wondering where to start. She grabs a nearby bowl, scoops up a cup of rice, bits of broccoli and chicken, spreads it with soy sauce, and scarfs it down. Suddenly, a young Japanese man bursts into the kitchen.)

Y.J.M.: (Japanese) Thief!! What do you think you’re doing?

(The Japanese man makes for Kali, but Kali quickly evades. He then proceeds to attack her, but with her premonition abilities, she manages to evade his attacks and they both exchange blow for blow. Even when he came close at times, she even grabs some food to spit at him with such a retaliatory force. At the end, he gets her in an armbar. But with her abilities, Kali makes him see a King Cobra slither from her sleeve to his arm. He leaps back in fear, screaming at the sight of Kali’s illusion. Until…)

VOICE: (Japanese) Enough!!

(Kali, her assailant and the kitchen crew are stopped by the maitre’d. He is a middle-aged gentleman, short black hair slicked back, solemn eyes, wearing a traditional black and white suit.)

Y.J.M.: (Japanese) Father, I found this interloper in the kitchen, eating our food.

MAITRE’D: (English) English, Kyoji. Let us at least show some manners to this girl. She’s obviously hungry.

KYOJI: (English): Father, be reasonable. She is a cur, an invalid of the streets, like the rest of the trash out there.

KALI: You do realize I’m right here, right?

MAITRE’D: Clearly, she does not fight like one. Do you have a name, girl?

KALI: Kali, sir.

MAITRE’D: I am Koji Yashida, and this is my restaurant THE GOLDEN KOI. Where are you from, Kali-san?

KALI: Born in a lab, raised in all over, Pittsburgh, Chicago. Last known address, Milwaukee.

KOJI: Ah, so you are an outcast. Then nobody will care if you die here.

(Kitchen staff roll up their sleeves, revealing Yakuza tattoos. They grab kitchen knives, guns and ninja weapons.)

Unless, you give me a very good reason why I should let you live.

(Kali assesses the situation around her, then proceeds to make the Yakuza see them holding bloody human organs. They drop their “organs” in digest and fear. Koji and Kyoji, however, see a tall, female Ju-on wearing a plain, white dress drenched in blood. They embrace each other in bone-chilling fear, then proceed to close their eyes in fear as the Ju-on closes in, making a droning croaking sound. Then, silence. They slowly open their eyes, and see Kali standing over them, wiping the blood dripping from her left nostril. The Yakuza stand back in silence and fear.)

KALI: Now that I have your attention. I’m the last of my crew, running from enemies, struggling to survive one day after another, trying to find my purpose. In a nutshell,…

(Sniffles)

I have no where else to go.

(Koji and Kyoji later meet up in the upstairs office to decide Kali’s fate.)

KYOJI: (Japanese) Father, you’re not seriously considering taking her in.

KOJI: (Japanese) I am beginning to, yes. You’ve seen what she can do. She can make us see things, things that we fear most, what our enemies fear most.

KYOJI: (Japanese) So, you mean to recruit her into the Yakuza.

KOJI: (Japanese) Yes. We will send her to Yuki and her ninja crew to be initiated and trained.

(Outside the office, Kali is enjoying herself an assortment of sushi. Suddenly, the office door opens with Koji approaching her.)

KOJI: (English) We shall let you stay. In the morning, my associate will meet with you and take you to our ninja camp.

(Kali’s eyes widen with interest.)

There, your training shall proceed.

(The next morning, Kali awakes from her make-shift bed in one of the cubicles in the restaurant. She is then met a 18 year old Japanese girl standing before her. She’s wearing a Duran Duran RIO t-shirt with black leather pants and red Converse sneakers draped over a black business coat with a glass pink lotus pin on her right lapel. Her hair sports a Bob style with Auburn highlights.)

KALI: (yawning) So, you must be the associate.

GIRL: You are correct, Kali-san, is it?

(Kali nods in affirmation)

Good, I am Yuki, my father owns this restaurant.

KALI: Daughter?

YUKI: Correct again, I bring breakfast, eat up then you come with me.

(After breakfast, Yuki boards Kali into her red Ferrari down the Little Tokyo strip. They reach their destination, A 2 story gentlemen’s club by the name of THE PINK LOTUS.)

KALI: This, is the ninja camp?

YUKI: Well, are you coming?

(Kali proceeds to follow Yuki inside the club. Inside the pink atmosphere, spotlights shine on a black runway lined up with chairs, with a boxed end with a gold stripper pole, the stage is decorated with a giant pink lotus flower. There are two bars, one on each side of the runway; one for alcoholic consumption, and the other is the DJ booth. The strippers consist of not just Japanese women, but women of black, white, and Spanish minorities; all toned and in shape, sporting sweats and gymwear.)

So, what do you think?

KALI: I think there is some kind of mistake. Your dad told me I’d be taken to some ninja camp,…

(The strippers around her giggle at her assumption.)

…and from what I see is a bloody strip joint. Not that I have against what a woman does to get attention, but I was serious when I told your father about wanting…

(As Kali was making her statement, Yuki unexpectedly threw a hidden shuriken at her. Fortunately for Kali, her precognitive senses saw it coming and she ducked the shuriken, having it land on a painting of Kabuki woman, right at the neck. Yuki was surprised at her reflex, but Kali wasn’t gonna let that fly.)

…purpose.

(Kali then proceeded to conjure an illusion of the walls bleeding blood, causing the bartender, and the strippers to huddle up on the runway. Yuki, on the other hand, remains perfectly calm and still as the blood formed around her feet. Kali notices that Yuki expected her using her abilities.)

YUKI: Hmm, father told me about your “gifts”. I believe you’ll make an excellent addition to our clan. Follow me upstairs, please.

(Kali follows Yuki to the second floor, which appears to be living quarters comprised of footons and assorted wardrobe.)

The club is a front for our splinter faction of my father’s Yakuza clan, the Pink Lotus Ninja clan. Our group consists of not only my fellow countrywomen, but women of other nationalities to spread our influence across the planet.

KALI: Interesting.

(The other girls gather around Kali and Yuki. The girls stick their right hands showcasing a lotus brand in their palms. Yuki takes a Japanese Rising Sun Zippo Lighter and takes it to her lotus ring on her right middle finger.)

YUKI: The lotus brand is an eternal symbol of respect and loyalty, two aspects that are sacred in our organization. To receive this is to be a part of something greater than yourself.

(Yuki then extends her right hand, showcasing her brand in her palm. She gestures her fingers to Kali, asking for her right hand. Kali begins to jet it out.)

Know this, once you take this step, there is no turning back from this. You will be a part of this crew forever until the day you leave this world. Do you understand?

KALI: I do.

(Yuki takes Kali’s right hand and drives the scalding lotus ring into Kali’s palm. As the brand seers into her skin, Kali slightly winces as Yuki is somewhat surprised that Kali is no stranger to pain. Yuki then removes the ring from Kali’s hand, Kali looks down at the lotus brand seered into her hand, then looks up to Yuki.)

YUKI: Welcome to the Pink Lotus Ninja clan, sister.

(As THE WARRIOR by Scandal plays in the background, we cut to a vacant warehouse outside Los Angeles. The inside consists of ninja recruits navigating an archaic obstacle course, training in several combat circles and a weapons rack which consists of shurikens, kunais, bows and quiver of arrows, nunchakus, sais and of course katana swords. Throughout the fall and winter, Yuki puts Kali through a rigorous training regiment of common practices and traditions, physical training, stealth training, target practice, meditation cycles, theatricality and deception tutorial, hand-to-hand combat and swordplay. As Kali starts off slow, she spends her spare time getting a tribute tattoo from one of the girls, which consists of the 6 masks worn by herself, her friends and Eleven/Jane. As the Eleven/Jane’s mask is being drawn, she volunteers in dancing in the club, with Koji, Kyoji and Yuki watching in fascination. As Dottie’s mask is drawn, she learns Japanese from Yuki. As Mickie’s mask is drawn, she decides to teach herself the Russian language with a Russian Translation Book, just in case. As Axel’s mask is drawn, she’s seen eating and gossiping with the rest of the girls. As Funshine’s mask is drawn, her ninjutsu skills steadily improve which concludes with a sword duel between her and Yuki. Both blades clash, swear starts pouring; in the end, Kali ends up getting the upper hand, which ends with a deflection and a blade at the neck. The girls witness in awe as Kali and Yuki bow to each other, up top the balconies, Koji looks on with pride. With that, Kali’s mask is drawn on. April 1985, we cut to a local bathhouse in Little Tokyo, Kali is in a wide hot bath all alone with her bathrobe beside her on the edge of the bath. She looks at her tribute tattoo along her right forearm, she draws her left index finger down from her mask near her elbow joint to El/Jane’s mask near her wrist. She tilts her head in melancholy, stroking it gently, projecting a rainbow winged butterfly in her right hand. Her eyes suddenly move to the left, her arms lower underwater, she suddenly jerks to the left, shuriken in her left hand, ready for anything. Instead, Yuki standing in a bathrobe of her own, surprised and impressed by Kali’s reaction.)

YUKI: (Japanese) Your skill is progressing faster than anticipated, Kali-san.

(Yuki walks toward her bath.)

Are shurikens the only weapons you brought with you to your bath?

KALI: (Japanese) My mind is the ultimate weapon I carry.

YUKI: (Japanese) That it is, Kali-san. Do you mind if I join you?

KALI: (Japanese) By all means, headmistress.

YUKI: (Japanese, looks down than to her) Do you mind?

(Kali then proceeds to close her eyes, as Yuki disrobes. Every bit of her naked, slim body slips into the hot bath, wetting her hair in the process, and letting off a relieving sigh.)

Open.

(Kali opens her eyes.)

I see Emiko has done excellent work on your tattoo. If you don’t mind my asking, may I inquire what it represents to you?

KALI: (Japanese) Each mask represents me and my former crew.

(Kali runs her finger from her mask to El/Jane’s mask.)

There’s me. Funshine. Axel. Mickie. Dottie. And this… this is Jane. My… (sniffle) my sister. All of them dead, except her.

(Yuki swims over to Kali to comfort her.)

YUKI: (Japanese) What was she like?

KALI: (Japanese) We were born and grew up in the same government lab together. Whereas I project visions, Jane could move things with her mind. When she came looking for me in Chicago, I was so grateful. I felt complete again. I started training to better use her powers through anger. Then I took her with me on my crusade of vengeance against the people who made us.

YUKI: What happened to her?

KALI: The police bum-rushed our hideout.

(We shown of a flashback of Kali and El/Jane’s last moment together.)

Instead of running away with us, Jane took it upon herself to leave, she said that her friends were in danger. I thought because we were the same, she’d understand what I wanted for us a family. But wherever her friends and her policeman protector were, she wanted to be there.

YUKI: (Japanese) I’m sure she had her reasons. You’ve obviously found yours.

KALI: (Japanese) Before Funshine died to give me time to escape here, he told me that one day, Jane and I would one day need each other. Now, after all this, I’m not sure I wanna go to her.

YUKI: (Japanese) Only you can decide when to go to her. It doesn’t have to be now, but someday.

(The girls share a hug.)

KALI: (Japanese) You didn’t come all the way down for a bath and a conversation?

YUKI: (Japanese, chuckles) Indeed, you are perceptive, Kali-san. We are called on a mission in the following months, apparently Father and Kyoji have set up a business meeting with a foreign party at the restaurant. Consider this your initiation, we certainly hope you are ready.

KALI: (Japanese) You can count on me, headmistress.

YUKI: (Japanese) Good.

(Yuki leaps out of the bath, puts on her robe, and leaves the bathhouse.)

KALI: (Japanese) This foreign party, where are they from?

YUKI: (Japanese) Russia.

(A look of great concern befalls Kali’s face as Yuki leaves, could Ivan Perdovski and the Russians have found her after all this time? June 28, 1985. The Pink Lotus Ninja clan hide in the night upon rooftops, surrounding the THE GOLDEN KOI as they wait for the meeting to go down. Each of the ninjas are clad in black, armed with a katana along with an assortment of ninja weapons. They wear black long sleeve gi tops with pink linings and a black hood. Their faces covered with a sock masks, their eyes surrounded in black smudge. Black fingerless gloves encumbers their hands. Their legs covered with nylon leggings with garderbelts carrying either shurikens and kunais. Their feet bear black socks and black sneakers, but for Kali, she preferred purple Converses.)

YUKI: (Japanese) Tonight is your night, Kali-san.

KALI: (Japanese) I understand.

(Yuki looks down to Kali’s footwear.)

YUKI: (Japanese) Purples Converses? A ninja is known for discretion.

KALI: (Japanese)Being I’m the special case here, my powers make me discreet.

YUKI: (Japanese) For your sake, Kali-san, I hope so.

(Kali then spots a black Mercedes-Benz pulling up to the restaurant.)

KALI: (Japanese, points to car) Black Benzo pulling up.

(Yuki grabs a near CB communicator to call his father.)

YUKI: (Japanese) Father, they’re here.

KOJI: (Japanese) Understood. Hold your positions until further notice. I’ll keep the channel open.

YUKI: (Japanese) Understood, be careful.

(Yuki signals her group to hold their positions. A figure steps out of the backseat of the car, it is Special Agent Ivan Perdovski. He’s been on the search for Kali since the events of Milwaukee, now he sports a big burn scar along the left side of his face from Funshine’s claymore surprise. A look of dread overtakes Kali’s face.)

YUKI: (Japanese) You alright, Kali-san?

KALI: (Japanese) Fine, Yuki, just fine.

(Perdovski walks into the restaurant, ride up to the receptionist.)

IVAN: Perdovski, party for three.

(Receptionist motions them to the office upstairs. Perdovski walks up the stairs to the Koji’s office, where Koji and Kyoji await him.)

KOJI: Perdovski-sama, on behalf of my family, I bid you welcome.

IVAN: Spasibo, comrade Yashida, thank you.

KOJI: Drink?

IVAN: Stolichnaya, if you can manage.

(Koji preps two glasses with ice. Fills one with Suntory whiskey, the other with Stolichnaya vodka. Koji hands him his drink.)

Spasibo, or in your case, arigato.

KOJI: (chuckles) Of course. So, to what do I own the honor of this visit?

IVAN: Perhaps you can help with this problem I have. I’ve been looking for a certain individual for the past 6 months. A 15 year old girl, British Hindu descent , with violent tendencies and the ability to project visions with her mind.

(Yuki looks to Kali with content, while Kali focuses on the conversation in the restaurant.)

KOJI: (sips his drink) This is the first I’ve heard of this.

IVAN: (sips his drink) I’ve been following her trail since Pittsburgh, to Chicago then to Milwaukee. She has caused the deaths of several of my fellow comrades. Ever since then, I’ve been combing the entire country for her. After speaking to several eyewitnesses in Los Angeles, I was hoping you be the latter.

(Yuki sees an army truck, a platoon of Spetnaz commandos disembark and surround the restaurant. Then draws her blade to Kali’s throat, demanding answers.)

YUKI: (Japanese) If you have something to say, Kali-san, say it right now.

KALI: (Japanese) They’re not after you, they’re after me. They killed my friends, all just so they can use me for my gifts. If you want to save your family, I’m your only hope.

KOJI: (sips his drink) I don’t know what you plan to gain from this meeting, but I can assure there has been no sign of this girl here or in Little Tokyo for that matter. You can ask everyone that works for me, even in my own family, they practically keeps to themselves.

IVAN: (chuckles, sips his drink) That’s funny, because your son told me that she is working for you a week before the meeting was established.

(Koji turns to Kyoji with a stern look on his face.)

KOJI: (Japanese) Kyoji, what have you done? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?!

KYOJI: (Japanese) I told you it was a mistake keeping her here. He overheard me talking to the guys a week ago. He swore that he would spare us, as long as we give him the girl.

KOJI: (Japanese) You have put us all in danger, Kyoji-san!!

KYOJI: (Japanese) You’re the one who damned us all by bringing this psycho bitch…

(Irritated by this family squabble, Ivan pulls out his Marakov pistol and puts a round into Kyoji’s head.)

KOJI: (Japanese) KYOJI!!!!!

(Yuki is shaken with devastation at the lost of her brother, Kali is lit up with focused anger. Inside the restaurant, the patrons vacate their tables in panic and leave. Ivan notices the commotion downstairs, then grabs his walkie-talkie.)

IVAN: (Russian) Let the civilians go.

(Ivan then downs his drink, as Koji looks in distraught at the headshot corpse of his dead son.)

(English) My sincere apologies, comrade. But your son has served his purpose for Mother Russia. Unless you wish to join him, tell me where the girl is.

KOJI: You will die for this dishonor.

IVAN: Spare me your bullshit. I have a squad of Spetnaz commandos surrounding your establishment. I will get my answers, even if I have to squeeze it out of your comrades.

(Ivan grabs his walkie-talkie.)

(Russian) Spetnaz, move in and incarcerate.

(Ivan van hears screams, gunshots and metal slicing.)

Spetnaz, report. Respond.

(Kali picks up a walkie-talkie off one of the commandos.)

ANSWER ME!!!

KALI: (Russian) Your boys are dead, asshole, and you’re next.

IVAN: (Russian) WHO ARE YOU?

KALI: (Russian) The Goddess of Death.

(Ivan looks to the walkie-talkie in fear.)

KOJI: You afraid, comrade? You should be.

(Ivan points his gun to Koji.)

IVAN: WHERE IN THE FUCK IS SHE!?!

(The lights flicker then go out, the lights become black lights. Ivan looks around the office, Koji looks at him calmly, knowing Kali’s wonders are in action. Ivan, on the other hand, begins to see a figure emerge from behind Koji’s chair. The figure appears to be Funshine, his body half-burned and his mask his half-melted. Ivan looks in horror, not believing what he’s seeing. He bursts out of the office, and runs into Axel with his mask on, but has an entry and exit wound on opposite sides of his head, blood pour from the wounds. Ivan proceeds downstairs to find the front door boarded up. He turns around to find two undead girls by the stairs. One of them is Dottie with her mask on, with her throat slit open, blood pouring from her wound. The other is Mickie, also with her mask on, with a bullet wound wide in the middle of the forehead, also with blood dripping from the wound. Ivan panics looking everywhere, Axel and Funshine join in as the specters close in, Ivan readies his gun eager to shoot.)

IVAN: (Russian) You’re dead. I FUCKING KILLED ALL OF YOU!! YOU’RE ALL FUCKING DEAD!!!

KALI: (Russian, behind his back) So are you, comrade.

(Ivan’s eyes look to the left. Suddenly, both of his Achilles tendons are sliced off, Ivan gasps in pain as he falls to his knees. He tries to raise his gun while steadying himself with his left hand. Until, his gun hand gets lopped off, flying a few feet away from him, again he gasps in pain. He crawls slowly toward his gun, as soon as he nears it, his left hand is stabbed to the floor with a katana, cutting edge towards him so he cut his way out. Ivan lets out a painful scream that can be heard throughout the restaurant. He looks up to see a masked Kali standing before him. She kneels down for eye-to-eye level.)

(Russian) So tell me, how does it feel to be on the other side of the spectrum,…

(She then removes her mask, revealing her face, along with a bloody nose, pass her lips.)

…Ivan.

(She wipes the blood off under the nose with her left thumb, licking the rest of it off with her tongue. As she sucks the excess blood off her thumb, Ivan lets off a weak chuckle.)

IVAN: (chuckles, Russian) Ah, the Goddess of Death herself. I see you’ve been busy these past 6 months. You hide within the bowels of the Yakuza, learn their ways, you even learn my native tongue in the process. Needless to say, I can’t help but be proud of you.

(As Ivan continues to chuckle. Koji hands her the bottle of vodka, then Kali pours the vodka down the blade of the katana, making the wound burn. Ivan screams as the wound burns, Kali then takes the bottle and takes a swig of vodka, she lets out a heavy sigh.)

KALI: (Russian) Whoo. It’s better with ice, don’t you agree?

IVAN: Da!!

(Kali then throws the bottle aside, shattering on impact.)

KALI: (English) Now, as much as I love to continue this coffee session here, there are some questions that I never got to ask you back in Milwaukee. For instance, why are you after me, specifically? Are you like those Yank government fuckers who want to use me as a weapon?

(Ivan spits at Kali’s feet in defiance.)

IVAN: (Russian) Like we ever wanted you to begin with. Besides, you kids today can never see the bigger picture. In short…

(Ivan leans forward.)

(English) FUCK… YOU!!

(Kali proceeds to laughing her head off at Ivan’s petty courage.)

KALI: You know, I was praying you’d say that, because I got something special planned for you.

(Japanese) Yuki-san, can you bring me a Ginzu knife, please?

(Yuki walks to the kitchen to grab a Ginzu knife.)

And do make sure it’s sharpened.

(Ivan looks toward Yuki, then look back to Kali.)

Are you aware of the Yakuza method of Yubitsume, or “finger shortening” to the layman. Interesting, this practice. The way it goes, should a member commit an offense against his clan, he is subjected to lop off a section of his finger then present to your leader, starting with your pinkie finger on your left land. Anymore offenses from there on in, said individual proceeds to lop off the rest of the finger, then proceed to the next finger to the right.

(Yuki walks to Kali, sharpening the Ginzu knife with a sharpening rod.)

But in your case, I’m going to lop off a whole finger for each of my mates you’ve slain in Milwaukee. You a patriot, Ivan?

(Ivan nods in affirmation.)

As am I. But since you’re from Russia, and I’m British, I thought we can sing an American classic, in light of the upcoming 4th of July. America The Beautiful, you know that one, right?

(Ivan again nods in affirmation.)

Let’s sing together, shall we?

(Kali readies the knife on Ivan’s left pinkie finger, as she prepares to sing.)

Oh beautiful for spacious skies…

(Kali lops off the pinkie, Ivan grunts in pain, a flashback of Mickie’s death is shown.)

For amber waves of grain…

(Kali lops off the ringer, Ivan’s painful grunt intensifies, a flashback of Dottie’s death is shown.)

Come along, Ivan. I know you know the words, now SING!

IVAN: (quivering) For purple mountain majesty…

(Kali proceeds to sever off the middle finger, Ivan yelps in pain, a flashback of Axel’s death is shown.)

KALI: Come on.

IVAN: Above the fruited plain…

(Ivan’s index finger is then lopped off, Ivan then screams, a flashback of Funshine’s death is shown. Ivan then begins to cry uncontrollably, snot dripping from his nose, knowing he’s about to die a grisly death.)

Alright, ALRIGHT!!

(Kali then takes the knife to Ivan’s chin, letting him know she means business.)

KALI: I’m all ears.

IVAN: (deep sigh) Two years ago, we’ve learn that the Americans have found a new way to gather intelligence on us. Psychic Warfare, they called it. In the late 60s, they used mind-expanding drugs on women to endow them with psychic powers, so that their children will inherit those powers, to become the new weapons of the Cold War.

(Kali remembers the early memories of herself and El/Jane.)

They reveled in their early success, that is until, they’ve made an unknown discovery. A parallel dimension, a shadowy reflection of our world, populated by monsters.

(Flashbacks of the Demogorgon, Demo-Dogs and the Mind Flayer.)

It unfortunately became their downfall. A year later, we tried to open that very same door on our native soil. But instead of using psychically endowed children, we used the miracle of technology of Mother Russia to tear open a door into that dimension. But alas, there were setbacks.

(Flashbacks of the first attempt to open the door to the Upside Down.)

The dimensional wall on our side of the planet was too strong to penetrate. Fortunately for us, the dimensional wall on the American side of the planet was still weak, still healing from the wound it sustained from the Americans’ folly. So, we moved our resources to America, established our secret headquarters, hid it in plain sight in the guise of a bazaar, or as you say it, a “mall”.

KALI: Right. So where in this country is this secret headquarters?

IVAN: (laughs weakly) It doesn’t matter, child. Things are set in motion in which you cannot stop.

(Kali leans forward with the sword, coming to an inch or two to Ivan’s face.)

KALI: Where… in America… is your secret… headquarters?

IVAN: (sigh) If I tell you, you will make it quick?

KALI: (smiles) You have my word.

IVAN: H-Hawkins. Hawkins, Indiana. That is truth, I swear.

(Kali takes the knife off Ivan’s chin. She then continues to sing, increasing in volume.)

America, America, God shed his grace of THEE…

(Ivan breathes steadily, as her volume increases.)

AND CROWN THY GOOD WITH BROTHERHOOD TO SEA TO SHINY SEA!!!!

(Kali then removes her sword from the ground, spins with a horizontal stroke that takes Ivan’s head right off. Sending it flying into the air, flipping backwards. As it descends, Kali flicks the residual blood off her sword, sheathes it, spins back around to catch the head. She then stands, turns 180°, walks to Koji, lowers to her knees and presents Ivan’s severed head to his feet as she bows her head. Koji extends his hand, touching thee top of her head in gratitude.)

KOJI: (Japanese) Well done, my child. Men, dispose of the bodies

(Later that night, a trail of clothes and weapons lead to Kali laying in a well-deserved hot bath in the dark with nothing but the moon and the stars to be her light. Her ears completely submerged in the water to drown out the noise. Her eyes close only for a moment, wondering what El/Jane is doing at this very moment. Her eyes open suddenly to darkness. She found herself into The Void, she jolts up, grabbing the edge of her pool. The camera looks to her back as her naked body leaps out of the bath. She starts to hear I CAN’T FIGHT THIS FEELING ANYMORE by REO Speedwagon, then picks up a nearby bathrobe she conjured out of nothing, donning it and tying the sash. She walks to the music, fixing her hair as she does. As the guitar solo kicks in, a turquoise wooden door appears before her, beside it she sees El/Jane’s policeman protector, Chief Jim Hopper.)

HOPPER: (knocks on post of door) Hey.

EL: Yes?

HOPPER: Can I talk you guys a minute?

(El telekinetically opens the door for Hopper to enter, he sees El sitting on the bed with Mike Wheeler.)

Hi.

EL & MIKE: Hi.

(Hopper makes his way into El’s room with Kali following in with him, about to observe what’s going on. Hopper pulls up a chair, and turns off the radio to give a pep-talk to the young couple. Kali sits by the dresser drawer, watching Hopper struggling to give the pep-talk that Joyce Byers was prepping him to deliver. Kali watches with a hint of warmth, while Mike quietly berates him in front of El, which she laughs at, causing Kali rolls her eyes at him.)

KALI: What a prick.

HOPPER: You know what? Your mom called.

MIKE: What?

HOPPER: Yeah. She needs you home right away.

MIKE: Is everything okay?

HOPPER: No, I don’t think so. It’s your Grandma.

(Mike and Hopper race to the Police Truck, with Kali readying to follow them. But first, she looks to her sister.)

KALI: Pardon me, Jane. I actually want to see this.

(Kali follows the guys to the truck with Mike asking Hopper anxiously what’s wrong with “Nana”, until…)

HOPPER: NOTHING!! THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH NANA!!!

MIKE: What?

1 note · View note

ommil · 6 years ago

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How To Overcome Keto Flu Symptoms Long Term?

Keto flu symptoms can be avoided altogether or fixed by supplementing your electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) with a home-made electrolyte drink nicknamed " keto-drinks ". Sip keto-drinks throughout the day. Make more than one bottle per day if needed. Some people add magnesium citrate to keto-drinks, others take their magnesium citrate separately at bedtime to aid sleep. Natural Vitality company’s product Natural Calm is a popular magnesium citrate powder. Sodium is the most important electrolyte, so even table salt added to water, or drinking salty chicken broth, or drinking salty pickle juice poured from a jar of dill pickles can help. HERE ARE THE TOPICS COVERED: Doing IF and OMAD for convenience Fatty meats are higher calories than lean meatsFood, hunger, protein and fat: when and why?When you are hungry enough to eat your proteinWhat sweeteners to avoid in general?Are there some foods to avoid?How about drinking juice with added sugar on a keto?Eating too much sugary foods is connected to weight gain!

Doing IF and OMAD for convenience

Simply adding some butter, olive oil, mayonnaise, salad dressing or extra cheese to whatever you're eating can boost calories. Give keto a good four (4) weeks to see how your appetite and your OMAD work for you. You may find that your appetite leads you to eat more for your OMAD than you are currently eating. However, starting immediately, you can be sure that your OMAD contains calorie-dense foods so that you maximize calories and get beyond 800 calories when you can without feeling over-full.

Fatty meats are higher calories than lean meats

Simply adding some butter, olive oil, mayonnaise, salad dressing or extra cheese to whatever you're eating can boost calories. Some people do OMAD as a 23-hour fasting window and 1-hour eating window, but OMAD can also be 20-hour fasting window and 4-hour eating window. So if you spread your OMAD out over 4 hours, you might be able to fit in some extra calories.

Food, hunger, protein and fat: when and why?

Some people do OMAD as a 23-hour fasting window and 1-hour eating window, but OMAD can also be 20-hour fasting window and 4-hour eating window. Keto naturally suppresses appetite at the beginning, that’s why people love keto!Later, a normal moderate appetite will return.While your appetite is suppressed, don’t eat. Protein is your most important macro, that’s the nutrition to keep your muscles healthy and strong while losing weight. When your appetite is not suppressed, always eat your protein macro every day, and some extra protein is okay, too. It’s always okay to eat less fat, less carbs and less calories than your macro guidelines. In general for all food, if you're not hungry, don't eat. If you are hungry, eat your protein first. If you sit down to a meal, eat the protein first and if you get full and satisfied then leave fat and carbs on the plate !! Of course, if you’re hungry enough, then gobble all of it !! If you’re not hungry enough to eat your protein, then you’re actually not hungry at all, so don't eat.

When you are hungry enough to eat your protein

It’s always okay to eat less fat, less carbs and less calories than your macro guidelines. If we calculated our macros using the typical 20% deficit of calories, and then we eat less fat, less carbs and less calories than our macro guidelines, that can simply be the equivalent of eating at a 25% or 30% calorie deficit, which are also safe deficits either temporarily or in the long term.

What sweeteners to avoid in general?

Artificial sweeteners are a complete no for me, as well as any kind of flavor enhancers. A lot of you don't realize that there are tons of ways manufacturers get this in and label it, so you'll laugh and miss the point. People should try to avoid all prepared processed foods as much as possible. Eat stuff like milk, eggs, meat, chicken, fish, honey, fruits, vegetables, rice. Just eat plain simple food.

Are there some foods to avoid?

There is almost nothing that you need to avoid 100% of the time in any context or in any amount, and anyone who tells you otherwise has an ideology they are pushing. That being said, there are things that consuming in pretty much any amount can be harmful, and that's pretty much limited to artificial trans fats like hydrogenated oils. Everything else, it completely depends on the context in which you are consuming it, and how much you are consuming. Polyunsaturated fats, the ones all health and nutrition organizations recommend using over saturated fats, oxidize faster than saturated fats. When doing that much more oxidation can occur and in vitro studies have shown these oxidative byproducts to be harmful. But no they are not trans fats.

How about drinking juice with added sugar on a keto?

Sure, it's great to avoid them, but to say you should never consume them ever, in any amount, and regardless of the context of the rest of your day's consumption is just foolish. Your body is completely devoid of any stored glycogen and any sugar consumed at that point will go to replenishing glycogen stores. Sugar is by far one of the worst foods you can consume. It weakens your immune system, messes with your insulin which can lead to diabetes, it promotes inflammation, it saps your energy, causes cognitive decline, and a whole host of other problems.

Eating too much sugary foods is connected to weight gain

What sweeteners to avoid in general? for the vast majority of people, it is strongly connected to weight gain though due to the ease of overconsuming it and the fact that it isn't very satiating, so i don't think it's wrong to say it's a risk factor. paired with the heart disease risk that's enough reason to say people would benefit from limiting it. Not to mention the cavity risk of sugar. getting a cavity isn't as scary as having a heart attack but having healthier teeth is one less thing to worry about as one is getting older.

What you eat is more important than what food you never eat

It's better to have a flexible approach where most of your food comes from nutritious whole food options. Yet having some junk food, ice cream, fast food etc. once in a while is not going to make your health going out the window. Contrary to popular belief you are not going to become unhealthy, the second you put ice cream – cookie - cake in your mouth. What you eat most of the time is orders of magnitude more important than what food you never eat. It's the 80/20 principle. Food selection is not a religious activity. You are not going to be going to hell for eating a bad food. Read the full article

#ketodiet #ketonutrition

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katedangworld-blog · 6 years ago

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NUTRITIOUS MEALS FOR A HEALTHY WORLD

Vegetal meals nowadays are familiar to us as many people know good health impact from them and eaters who pursuit such meal are called as vegetarians or vegans. Besides that, people who orientate plant-based meals are called plant-based dieters. So, what is a plant-based diet? A plant-based diet mainly concludes ingredients obtained from plant produces such as fruit, vegetables, grains, pulses, legumes, nuts and vegetal protein source like soy beans (Kerry Torrens, 2018)

Though there is a slight difference between vegans and plant-based eaters but basically these eating styles exploit nutrition and energy from plants’ produces.

Potential benefits of plant-based diets have been recognized widely by nutritionists. Its outstanding benefits can be mentioned as below:

1. Health risks reduction: almost eaters may not control well the volume of protein that they absorb from meat, especially red and processed meat to which encourage possibility of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. If a housewife supplements more plant-based meals into her family portions, she can reduces mentioned above risks to her beloved husband and children

2. Decrease obesity: vegetables, fruit and grains have remarkable volume of fiber which is essential to our digestion. Particularly, in a meal if we combine with grains, fruit or vegetable, we often feel full longer if we only eat meat. The soluble fiber enhances satiety, prevent your desire of eating more, avoid over demand foods intake to the body and contribute to less ability of obesity.

3. Support digestion and excretion: this obviously can be seen when every morning we wake up and relax in washroom. Everything was digested easily released out of the body thanks to both soluble and insoluble fibers that we ate from grain, bean and vegetables yesterday. Insoluble fiber takes responsibilities of preventing constipation. It extends fecal weight and lengthen movement time via the intestines. Then, large and soft feces are got rid of the digestive system conveniently. This benefits to prevent hemorrhoid, too.

(Drummond & Brefere & Grosvenor & Bedoya, 2017).

How about “benefits” that a high animal-based diet that can bring to you? In contrast, an animal-based diet brings many detrimental effects to your body. That why doctor and expert always advise people keep their consumption of red meat in minimum amount. This is illustrated by typical plates of foods that an individual consumes by Canada Food guide:

The influences of meat portions are causes of a lot of serious diseases like heart stroke cancer, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer as well as acne, erectile dysfunction and lastly shorten your life meanwhile plant-based produces can prevent almost of these.

Let’s ask your friend to grab a bowl of beetroot- apple salad and a whole-grain bread while you take a hamburger for lunch and try to compare its ingredients firstly. The bowl of salad (beetroot, pumpkin seeds, Belgium endive, baby kale, red onion, apple) concludes calcium 15%, vitamin A 35%, vitamin C 100%, iron 50%, carbohydrate 21%, and especially high fiber amount 56%. These nutritious elements are helpful for internal systems of body and digestion. Meanwhile just only saturated fat 6g, sodium 500mg, cholesterol 5mg. Lastly it provides 640kcalories.

How about a classic Mc Donald hamburger? This contains saturated fat 15g, sodium 536mg, carbohydrates 31g, total sugar 7g, vitamin A 41%, vitamin C 15%, iron 26%, fiber 2%. It is so obvious to compare the nutrition value of the two basic meal portions and easily to recognize that a plant-based meal is good for human’s health.

Besides the merits of health, in point of view of society, plant-based diets bring huge benefits as below:

1. Sustainability of environment: the more plants are cultivated, the more of fresh airs will be produced. Just thinking about all of farmers plant vegetation to generate produces for people instead of breeding poultry and livestock from which generate a huge volume carbondioxide into the air due to consume huge resources of land (chop forest for land), energy (coal, electric), water, plant food like soybeans as well as caused pollution to soil because animal’s feces.

2. Economics: a vegetable meal is cheaper than an animal portion because the vegetables requires personnel, time, energy sources, storage fee less than animals’ produces. Hence it is more affordable than meat.

3. Ethics: in humane viewpoints, animals deserve to survive freely in harmony with human instead of being killed widely as the purpose of commercial benefits. Many people suppose animal (especially mammal) has the similar feelings of pain, scare, happiness like human therefore we should treat them nicely and fairly.

4. Healthy & long lifespan: many scientific researches states advantageous edges of eating a lot vegetable to our health as they provide almost of essential nutrients that our bodies require for their internal operation as well as heal cells and generate new ones. If these procedures are provided enough “materials”, our bodies’ ageing can be slow down. That why Asians (especially Japan) usually look younger and be healthier than other regions on the world.

As a potential chef, I definitely encourage people consume plant foods as more as possible because of mention above reasons. Furthermore, I will create many vegetables-orientated menus if I operate a restaurant. Although these menus can less economical revenues but I still encourage my clientele supplement these healthy dishes in their orders along with animal-based portions. Of course, there are some customers hesitate to grind salads as their habits, I will design other menus in which combine a little amount of animal meats like smoked salmon, bacon, thin slices of grilled beef mixing in tasty dressing. I trust they would not resist these mouth-watering salad menus.

Currently I study Culinary Essentials and find out there are some vegan recipes have very good tastes. Among of them, Grain Cranberry Walnut Salad is the dish I like best as its gentle flavor and excessive energy than others.

The basic recipes for 4 portions (ideal for a family of parents and 2 children) are designed as below.

100 g Camargue red rice

100 g Wild rice

100 g Quinoa

40 g Shallot, brunoise

80 g Dried cranberry

120 g Walnut, toasted

50 ml Lemon juice

100 ml Olive oil

8 g Parsley, Chopped

40 g Arugula

Salt and black pepper

*Cooking steps:

1. Wash all grains separately with cold water and drain, except quinoa.

2. Pour quinoa into a saucepan which contains cold water and a pinch of salt (2 water: 1 quinoa) and reduce to a simmer. Remain medium fire approximately 15-20 minutes until cooked. Once water is fully absorbed, spread on a flat tray to cool.

3. Put red rice and wild rice into 2 separate pots with cold and salt water, bring to a boil. Then simmer rice until tender, with a slight bite (around 45 minutes). Drain and spread the grains separately on flat trays with parchment paper underneath to cool.

4. Brunoise the shallot and toast walnuts in the oven until golden.

5. Mix the grains, shallot, cranberry, chopped parsley, lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste (salt and sugar), lastly finish with arugula.

The recipe does not require the cook energy and effort but lastly a delicious meal is ready for eater’s consumption with full necessary energy source. Moreover, while waiting for rice’s tenderness (around 1 hour in medium fire), the cook can do another chore (but please do not forget his/her cooking pots) so this dish is ideal for many “busy like a bee” housewives.

The ingredients are easily find in market or supermarket as their common in Canada, for instance we can find them from Saint Laurence market or food stores nearby.

This vegan formula is quite new and strange to me as in Vietnam we never make salad with rice and nut, especially do not combine fruit (cranberry) into salad, except green mango as its sour taste to support rice vinegar. In addition, oil is not a component of Vietnamese dressing. Our core dressing for almost salads is the combination of rice vinegar (no lemon), a lot of sugar, some salt and some sweet fish sauce. And now, thanks to Essentials class, I know more how Westerners create their salads so special that their salads have a variety of tastes.

Though it is not too difficult to prepare the salad but honestly I was confused how to boil rice properly. In Vietnam, we cook white rice open totally but here rice and grain should be cooked semi-opened. That why I continuously asked chef about its suitable tenderness because I was afraid they would be overcooked. Finally, a proper cook of rice for salads has been kept in my mind, it was an awesome experience that I have got when study at George Brown. Indeed, this vegan recipe is so fantastic as it can provide what nutrients I need so surely I will make it again in the weekend.

References of data and images:

Drummond, K.E., & Brefere, L.M., & Grosvenor, M.B., & Bedoya, D.L. (2017). Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary Professionals. Canada: Wiley.

George Brown College. (2018). Culinary Essential HOSF 1203. Toronto: Centre for Hospitality & Culinary Arts Chef School.

Eating Well.(2011).How does your burger compare to the calories in a Mc Donald’s Big Mac?. Retrieved Mar 25, 2019, from http://www.eatingwell.com/article/17390/how-does-your-burger-compare-to-the-calories-in-a-mcdonalds-big-mac/

Sarah Lienard. (2018). What is a plant-based diet? Retrieved Mar 24, 2019, from https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-plant-based-diet

CIC.(2019).Eat protein foods. Retrieved Mar 24, 2019, from https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/healthy-eating-recommendations/make-it-a-habit-to-eat-vegetables-fruit-whole-grains-and-protein-foods/eat-protein-foods/

Baltana HD Wallpappers. Hamburger Widescreen Wallpapper. Retrieved Mar 24, 2019, from http://www.baltana.com/food/hamburger-widescreen-wallpapers-16713.html

Huffpost.(2017).EWG and Healthy Child Healthy World – Making the World Toxin Free. Retrieved Mar 26, 2019, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/gay-browne/ewg-and-healthy-child-hea_b_13379766.html

FIT Healthy World. (2018). 10 Simple Ways To Stay Fit and Healthy, To Keep You Fit Forever. Retrieved Mar 26, 2019, from http://www.fithealthyworld.com/10-simple-ways-to-stay-fit-and-healthy-to-keep-you-fit-forever/

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astroturfsurfacing · 5 years ago

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COVID-19 – Diet and Healthy Weight Key Messages

Introduction It is recognised that there is an immediate need to provide credible, up to date information and advice around food, nutrition and healthy eating to support the Scottish public during the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Public Health Scotland (PHS), in collaboration with stakeholders including Scottish Government and Food Standards Scotland have facilitated the development of a set of key diet related public health messages for the general population. These messages will focus on encouraging and enabling people to maintain good nutrition and eat as healthily as possible at this time. Changes in people’s food intake and eating habits during COVID-19 are highly likely as a result of school closures; self-quarantine/isolation; irregular access to food due to recommendations to limit trips to the shops; limited access to fresh produce; and disruptions in the food supply of certain other key items. For some, these may result in issues such as over consumption and even malnutrition. The economic impact of COVID-19 on household income also means that some people will be operating within even greater financial constraints, thus affecting their ability to make or access healthy choices. Food is a prerequisite for health and good nutrition is vital in maintaining strong immune systems and lowering the risks associated with chronic illnesses and infectious diseases. The World Health Organisation has published ‘Food and nutrition tips during self-quarantine’, however national and local partners and services are looking for a single point of truth, to which professionals or the public in Scotland can be directed towards for guidance.

Target audience The impact on food intake and eating habits as a result of COVID-19 is likely to affect everyone, without exemption. Therefore, key messages will be targeted at the general population for maximum coverage and will be applicable to groups including: Individuals in self-isolation and/or working at home Families (including those with children) in self-isolation at home Individuals and families who may have limited access to food currently Those at risk from symptoms of COVID-19 due to underlying health conditions Professionals/services providing signposting advice Specific groups not covered/targeted by the developed messages are individuals following special diets or information prescribed from a GP or other health professional. Communication channels Messages will be disseminated via existing communication and networking channels currently utilised by PHS in the first instance including: PHS Communications Team (including website, Twitter and Instagram) Other, internal PHS teams currently working with groups and/or individuals on the food agenda (e.g. Community Food and Health Scotland) Partner Communication Teams (where possible) NHS Inform Other local services/community connections Professional and voluntary networks with which PHS and partners currently work Where alternative communication routes not listed above are required (such as to reach those unable to access digital channels) further discussion and solutions with stakeholders will be sought. The messages below should be interpreted and applied in a sensitive manner that recognises the situation which many individuals, families and communities currently find themselves in as a result of the effects of COVID-19. Measurement and evaluation To demonstrate impact and reach of the proposed communications, PHS and partners will be asked to record and collate analytics through the following channels: Social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) Web page analytics of content highlighted via these communications Email enquiries related to communications on healthy eating and COVID-19. Key messages

Target audience:

Key message:

Descriptive message:

Signposting resources:

All

Top line messages for framing:

While we are living through the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to continue to eat well and stay active, during this time.

Everything feels a bit different just now. Routines have been altered and our eating habits may have changed. However making a plan and being prepared can help us continue to eat well and stay active.

The extra time spent indoors at the moment is a good opportunity to try new foods or recipes or get other family members involved in preparing and cooking meals. This can be an enjoyable way to pass the time, try something new and, for some, learn a new skill.

Overarching message:

We are all having to make changes to the way we live as a result of COVID-19. It is important that we continue to eat well and stay physically active at this time.

https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19

General population

Eat well

Make a plan, feel prepared

Eating well and staying active is really important for both our physical and mental wellbeing.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet which includes a variety of different foods will ensure you get all the essential nutrients and energy you need for throughout the day.

To maintain social distancing and help stop the spread of Coronavirus we’re being advised to stay at home just now, so time outside is limited. This means you may not be getting enough vitamin D from sunshine exposure. As it's difficult to get enough from food alone, you should consider taking a daily 10 microgram supplement of vitamin D. This is particularly important for people who are indoors all of the time.

You may be experiencing a number of changes in the way you buy or get access to food right now, planning meals and snacks and writing a shopping list is a good way to make sure you get everything you need, but will also help limit your time at the shops.

Supermarkets and other food shops have enough stock for everyone if we shop sensibly.

Making sure that you only buy what you need helps avoid food going to waste and remember that you can often freeze leftovers for another meal.

Food is an important part of our daily lives, not only for the energy that it provides us with but it’s also something that many of us enjoy. For those of us who have more time on our hands right now trying new foods or recipes with ingredients that are readily available, or getting family members involved in preparing and cooking meals may be an enjoyable way to pass the time, try something new and learn a new skill.

NHS – Eatwell Guide:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-eatwell-guide/

NHS Inform – Eatwell Guide:

https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/food-and-nutrition/eating-well/eatwell-guide-how-to-eat-a-healthy-balanced-diet

Food Standards Scotland – Eatwell Everyday:

https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/consumers/healthy-eating/eatwell/eatwell-everyday

Food Standards Scotland – Information on Vitamin D and sun exposure:

https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/consumers/healthy-eating/nutrition/vitamins-minerals/vitamin-d-during-isolation

Food Standards Scotland – Food safety advice:

https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/consumers/food-safety/coronavirus

Food Standards Scotland – Storing food safely:

https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/consumers/food-safety/at-home/storing-food

World Health Organisation – Food and nutrition tips during self-quarantine: http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/health-emergencies/coronavirus-covid-19/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-technical-guidance/food-and-nutrition-tips-during-self-quarantine

General population

Eat to feel fuller for longer

Snack smart

Basing our meals around starchy foods such as pasta, rice and potatoes is a good way to keep us feeling fuller for longer.

For many of us, our shopping routines have had to change. We may be buying food from different retailers and may need to change brands or buy items that are slightly different from our regular purchases. Where access to some varieties of certain foods might be limited right now, this may be a good time to try something new, for example mixing some whole grain pasta with your normal variety.

Eating a variety of fruit, vegetables and pulses (such as beans and lentils) is not only good for your health, but is another good way to keep satisfied throughout the day.

Soups can be a quick and easy lunch solution, be made with whatever vegetables and pulses you have available to you and be a good way to use up leftovers. Pulses including beans and lentils can also be a good substitute for meat and can be added to soups and stews to make them go a little further.

You may find yourself reaching for the fridge or cupboard to look for snacks more frequently at the moment, especially if you’re feeling bored or stressed. Try having a variety of healthy snacks to hand such as chopped fruits and vegetables, breadsticks, rice cakes and crackers.

It may be harder to get out to buy fresh fruit and vegetables right now but remember tinned or frozen fruit and vegetables are just as good.

Like snacking, you might find that you may be drinking alcohol more often just now, particularly when you feel stressed. Try to be aware of how much you’re drinking and when you do keep within the recommended limits of 14 units per week.

NHS Inform – Eatwell Guide:

https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/food-and-nutrition/eating-well/eatwell-guide-how-to-eat-a-healthy-balanced-diet

Food Standards Scotland – Eatwell Everyday:

https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/consumers/healthy-eating/eatwell/eatwell-everyday

NHS - Eat well recipes: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/

NHS - Change4life recipes: https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/recipes

ParentClub – Information on healthy snacking ideas: https://www.parentclub.scot/articles/all-you-need-know-about-snacking

NHS Inform – Information on drinking alcohol sensibly:

https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/alcohol

NHS - Count 14 unit calculator:

https://count14.scot/#unit-calculator

General population

Stay hydrated

Drinking plenty of fluid throughout the day (aiming for at least 6-8 glasses) will help keep your body hydrated.

Sometimes it’s easy to confuse hunger for thirst, so drinking often and throughout the day will help prevent this. Water from the tap is free and is a healthy choice for quenching your thirst at any time. It produces no waste, has no calories and contains no sugars that can damage teeth. Having a water bottle close by that’s used during the day is a good idea.

NHS Inform – Water and other drinks:

https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/food-and-nutrition/eating-well/eatwell-guide-how-to-eat-a-healthy-balanced-diet#water-and-other-drinks

Parents and carers with children and young people

Get in the kitchen together

Enjoy family meals

For children and young people, being indoors and not being able to socialise with their friends can lead to them being bored, often resulting in regular cries of ‘I’m hungry’. Planning mealtimes and snacks together with children, as part of your daily routine could be one way to keep them busy, and help stop them heading for the cupboards.

For younger children, ParentClub have a number of helpful suggestions on how to involve children in planning and making food. Making it fun and enjoyable will not only help pass the time but can encourage children to learn about food and cooking.

For young people, this is a great time to let them loose in the kitchen and to develop the skills they need for the future. Asking them to plan and prepare healthy meals, finding new recipes for the family to enjoy or helping with shopping lists or online shopping will help them feel involved and can be a way to destress and keep them occupied.

Priority shopping hours: https://priorityshoppinghours.com/

Parent Club – Eating well at home:

https://www.parentclub.scot/articles/eating-well-at-home

Parent Club – Staying at home with children: https://www.parentclub.scot/articles/staying-at-home-with-children

Food Standards Scotland – Food safety advice:

https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/consumers/food-safety/coronavirus

Food Standards Scotland – Healthy eating education and activities:

https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/education-resources

NHS - Eat well recipes: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/

NHS - Change4life recipes: https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/recipes

Key workers

Rest, refuel and rehydrate

Try to take regular breaks, where possible, away from your workplace or caring responsibilities. Frequent shorter breaks are better for reducing fatigue and stress.

Drinking water often throughout the day will help to keep you hydrated. This is especially important for people wearing PPE for long periods of time.

Life can feel difficult at the moment but eating well and as healthily as you can, will help your body cope better with the demands placed on you during busy shifts. Focussing your meals and snacks around starchy food such as pasta, rice and potatoes and filling up on fruit and vegetables will help keep your energy levels maintained.

Where possible, set aside some time to plan your meals and shopping to help you eat healthily when you are busy.

NHS Inform – Food and nutrition: https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/food-and-nutrition

Food Standards Scotland – Eatwell Everyday:

https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/consumers/healthy-eating/eatwell/eatwell-everyday

Priority shopping hours: https://priorityshoppinghours.com/

Shielded high risk clinically vulnerable group

For those of you who have been identified within the clinically vulnerable group, help is available to help you access food.

If you have someone who can help shop or deliver food to you, making a list of the things you need will help them to shop swiftly and efficiently and limit the time they are at the shops. It might also be an idea to give them alternatives just in case what you would like is not available.

There are also other services in place to support the shielded population. Basic grocery boxes can be ordered and are being distributed by two food distribution companies and Local Authorities via local resilience partnerships. A priority online delivery service has also been set up with a number of the major supermarkets for those that fall within the high clinical risk group.

More information on this is available in the letter you received or through NHS Inform and via the SMS service.

Vulnerable people can also contact their Local Authority via an established helpline to facilitate local access to food.

Your local convenience stores and other retailers might also be offering a delivery service to help you get the items you need.

For some of us, spending time and eating in isolation will be very different to the way we normally go about our daily lives, but it is important we continue to eat healthily and stay active to keep us both physically and mentally well.

Staying connected with others is also more important now than ever. If you can, arranging to eat at the same time as others while video chatting (using an online platform such as FaceTime, Zoom or WhatsApp) can give you something to look forward to and help make it feel like you are eating socially with friends and family.

Priority shopping hours: https://priorityshoppinghours.com/

NHS Inform – Information on shielding for the clinically vulnerable:

https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-covid-19-shielding

Breastfeeding mums (including expectant mums considering their options)

This can be a worrying time for mums who are breastfeeding or those who are pregnant and considering their options. Breastfeeding supports your baby’s immune system and protects them from many common illnesses and as there is currently no evidence that the virus can be transmitted through breast milk, you should continue to do so. If you have any concerns you should speak to your midwife, health visitor or GP.

Parent Club – Breastfeeding and coronavirus: https://www.parentclub.scot/articles/breastfeeding-and-coronavirus

from Physical Activity and Health Alliance Latest additions http://www.paha.org.uk/Feature/covid-19-diet-and-healthy-weight-key-messages via IFTTT

#artificial grass turf #synthetic sports pitch #artifical turf surfaces #fake grass pitch

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aletman262 · 6 years ago

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Healthy eating: What young children need

Is your child aged five or under? Find out everything they should be eating for a healthy, balanced diet that meets all of their needs.

As a parent, the nutritional needs of your baby or toddler are obviously a priority, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of differing information out there. The food a child eats in their early years can influence their dietary habits later in life, so it’s important to instil good habits and a healthy relationship with food from an early age. Once your child is eating solid foods, you’re likely to find that some of the meals you so lovingly cooked for them are rejected. Don’t worry, this is perfectly normal, but it is wise to try to get into a good routine as soon as possible.

Ensure your child’s nutrient requirements are met by aiming for three balanced meals a day, containing a food from each of the five main food groups, plus up to two healthy snacks. Get into the habit of introducing a new protein regularly, as well as a couple of different vegetables alongside your child's familiar favourites.

Babies and milk

In the first six months, babies receive all of their nutritional requirements from a milk-based diet. Infant formula is the only alternative to breastfeeding for feeding babies below six months of age. Cow’s milk is not recommended as a main drink for infants until age one. However, from six months, children enter the stage of transitional feeding and progress from a milk-only diet to a varied, balanced diet of complementary foods from the five main food groups. The food groups that make up this balanced diet are: • Protein-rich foods such as fish, meat, eggs and pulses • Starchy carbohydrate foods, including potatoes and rice • Fruits and vegetables • Milk and dairy • Fats and oils

For more information, read our guide on everything you need to know about weaning.

Why protein is important

Protein is essential for a number of important functions, including growth, brain development and the maintenance strong, healthy bones. Of the 20 amino acids – or the building blocks that make proteins – children need to get nine essential amino acids from their food.

How to get protein into your child’s diet

Animal proteins such as lean meat, fish, eggs, milk, yogurt and cheese contain all nine essential amino acids and are considered the most valuable for growth. Plant proteins, such as beans and pulses, are incomplete proteins and need to be combined to achieve the full spectrum of amino acids. Aim to include fish twice a week, with one being an oily variety like salmon, trout or mackerel. Fresh or frozen are great, but remember that smoked and canned products tend to be higher in salt.

Baked dippy eggs

Cooking with kids: Fajitas

Cheeky chicken satay

Homemade fish fingers

Salmon nuggets with sweet potato chips

From-the-fridge omelette

If you're raising a family without meat or animal products, you'll need to be mindful of your child's protein intake. Read our guides on vegetarian and vegan diets for children.

Starchy foods supplying carbohydrates

Children need a source of carbohydrates in each meal. However, young children under two years of age may struggle to digest wholegrain varieties, and too much fibre can fill them up too quickly, compromising their appetite and their absorption of important minerals such as calcium and iron. Introduce these more fibrous foods gradually so their digestive systems adapt to the extra fibre.

How to get carbohydrates into your child’s diet

Some children manage wholegrain versions of bread and pasta better than others, so it’s just a matter of seeing how your child responds. Nuts and seeds are good sources of fibre, minerals and important healthy fats. However, whole nuts and seeds should be avoided until your child is five years old or over because of the risk of choking.

Wholemeal flatbreads

Bread in four easy steps

Squished tomato pasta sauce

Broccoli pasta shells

Fruit and vegetables

Aiming for five portions of fruit and vegetables is a good starting point for children. The poriton size depends on their age, size and physical activity, so there are no set rules. An easy guide is that a portion of fruit or veg is the amount that fits in the palm of your child's hand. Easy tips for keeping on track could be as simple as keeping a bag of frozen vegetables in the freezer or chopping up a piece of fresh fruit for dessert.

How to get fruit and vegetables into your child’s diet

Frozen fruit sticks with lime drizzle

More veg, less meat summer Bolognese

Chargrilled veg hummus with dippers

Easy beef stew with sweet potato topping

Pumpkin & bean spaghetti

Milk and dairy foods

Dairy foods including milk, yogurt and cheese are a useful source of calcium and iodine in the diet, as well as providing vitamins A, D and B12.

How to get dairy and calcium into your child’s diet

For children aged one to two years, choose whole milk, as it is important for growth and the absorption of essential vitamins. Lower-fat milks may not supply the calories or fat-soluble vitamins they need. From two years, you can make the switch from whole to semi-skimmed milk, provided your child is eating a wide variety of foods and is gaining weight normally. Lower-fat versions of milk and dairy foods contain just as much calcium as their higher-fat counterparts. Calcium is an essential nutrient for all children to help develop strong bones and teeth. Processed yogurts are often packed with sugar, colourings and sweeteners, so steer clear of the flavoured ones. Instead, choose natural yogurt and add your own natural flavourings such as fruit compote, stewed fruit or fresh fruit, such as grated pear.

Unsweetened, calcium-fortified milks such as soy, almond and oat may be given from the age of one year as part of a healthy, balanced diet. However, rice milk should be avoided in children under the age of five years because of the levels of arsenic in these products. Condensed, evaporated and dried milk do not contain the same levels of nutrients as whole milk and should not be given to children under one year. Infant formula is the only suitable alternative to breast milk for the first year of a baby's life.

Apricot yogurt fool

Nutty cinnamon yogurt dipper

Peanut butter date oat pots

Cheese, ham and grape kebabs

Cheesy corn cakes

What about fats and sugar?

While children need some fat to grow and develop, too much of any sort of fat is not recommended. Butter, spreads and oils contribute to the taste, texture and enjoyment of food. They are a source of concentrated energy for young children who are growing rapidly and are physically very active. Fats are also needed to aid the absorption of certain vitamins including vitamins A, D, E and K. There are some fats which are essential in your child's diet for a healthy immune system and for normal brain function. These omega-3 fatty acids are found in oily fish, nuts, seeds and their oils.

Soft drinks, sweets, confectionery, biscuits, sugary pastries and desserts are high in added sugars and often contain poor quality fats, as well as salt. Children should only eat these foods once in a while, for example, on special occasions. The over-consumption of snack foods high in added sugar, fats and salt is recognised as one of the major contributing factors to high rates of obesity.

Healthier sweet treats:

Sugar-free banana cake

Healthier flapjacks

Guava & passion fruit lollies

The ultimate makeover: Blueberry muffins

The best breakfast for your child

When buying processed cereals, read the labels carefully as they are seldom as healthy as they seem. Although manufacturers are taking steps to improve levels of salt and sugar, many contain higher levels than is recommended per serving. It’s best to choose an unsweetened oat- or wholewheat-based cereal and add fruit, such as a chopped banana or a small handful of raisins, to make it sweet and to add a nutritious boost.

If you have time to make a more substantial breakfast, there are a lot of healthy benefits, including a serving of protein through eggs, beans or a natural yogurts. Protein-rich foods will sustain your child's appetite through the morning and will help their concentration levels at school.

Some substantial breakfast ideas:

Cinnamon porridge with banana & berries

Wholewheat flatbreads with beans & poached egg

Veggie breakfast bakes

Blueberry & lemon pancakes

Super snacks and smoothies

Proper snacks (not constant grazing) are important to keep your child's appetite satisfied. The more you can help guide your child when they are hungry, the better able they will be to judge how much food they should be eating as they grow older. When children ask for food, check that they're not actually thirsty, as the two are sometimes confused.

Dried fruit, such as figs and raisins, are good snacks when children want a sweet treat, although they are best combined with other foods to minimise dental issues

Raw vegetables such as carrot, cucumber, celery, or cherry tomatoes are also a good option. Serve with a little pot of hummus, bean dip, guacamole, tzatiki or some cream cheese

Chunks of cheese with crackers

Wholemeal bread or oat cakes with wafer thin ham, cream cheese or nut butter

Pepper & walnut hummus veggie dippers

Smashed bean dip

Cheese & Marmite scones

Pea hummus

Smoothies and juices can be a great way to get children to top up their vitamin C and folate intake – both are important vitamins for the function of the immune system, energy production and for preventing anaemia. But, the natural sugar in whole fruit (fructose) can be better for children (and their teeth) than the sugars in juices and smoothies. That's because juicing releases the natural sugars of fruit, which then become 'free' sugars. It's these 'free' sugars we are advised to cut back on, because as well as aggravating our mood, they may lead to dental problems.

Water should be the main source of your child's liquid intake, with no more than one small glass of fresh, unsweetened fruit juice or smoothie per day. Don't forget to always dilute fruit juice with a splash of water.

#IXD301

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megabrocklesner1world-blog · 6 years ago

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How exactly to Use Aromatic Dry Rose Wreaths and Plans at House

Most of us know we should consume our fruits and vegetables as they are good for our health. Fruit and vegetables are a significant section of a healthy diet. Wellness advisory organisations suggest we consume at the very least five parts of fresh fruit and vegetables a day to help lower cancer dangers and increase heart health. Numerous reports have established and shown their life-extending, health-enhancing, disease-fighting and weight-managing ability. Even though that most people are conscious with this reality, few, however, consume their advised 5 parts per day. Furthermore, many authorities disagree that 5 parts a day isn't enough. It's now commonly sensible to consume 9 as well as 12 parts of fresh fruit and vegetable daily. How to do that? Listed below are 10 ways that will allow you to improve the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat.

Liquid for start. Consume a fresh fruit liquid before your breakfast. It's a whole lot more energizing than coffee and offers the fundamental power to kick-start your day. This is a very easy liquid and smoothie cookbook that'll give you priceless inspiration.

Fruits to your Cashewnoten breakfast. Put fresh or dried fruits to your cereal or use a normal fresh fruit distribute on your own bread. You can even use some very soft and mature fresh fruit in place of a jam or spread. Try a browned banana, a ripe fig or a very soft apricot. Press here for an enormous number of breakfast recipes.

Snack on fruit. If you are a bit eager between foods, seize a fruit. Bananas and clementines are the very best snack meals as possible carry around. They want number cleaning and style great.

Fruit snack. If you prefer something fast to consume at home, try a fresh fruit snack. Put positioned apple in your yogurt or have a do-it-yourself snack bar with dried fresh fruit and nuts.

Fruit dessert. As opposed to dessert, snow cream, candy or other kind of sweet, have a fresh fruit for dessert. Though it isn't sensible to consume your fresh fruit after the dinner, it is always a much better selection than sweet sweets. If you intend to consume a fresh fruit from time to time, pick a fresh fruit dessert, like baked pears or banana cream. I are finding a good guide that I use when I'm looking for delicious balanced fresh fruit desserts to make on my TV shows.

Salad with every meal. Whatever you consume, always offer it with a natural dried salad that provides you with the fibre, vitamins and nutrients required to digest your meal and acquire the most price out of its nutrients. If you prefer more info about the advantages of a natural vegan diet always check that out.

Salad meal. Have a huge salad for meal. That is a great method to make sure you improve the consumption of vegetables in your diet. In fact, all your primary foods can properly be huge salads that along with 1 or 2 different forms of power thick meals, like fish, beef, eggs, bread, dinner, rice, etc. If you are looking for great salad dishes, you can press here.

Vegetable Recipes. There are endless dishes which contain vegetables. It's good to learn how to make them and get them when you consume out. There are numerous vegetable recipe books. Some of the finest people are listed here.

Vegetables on the side. No matter your primary bowl, offer it with vegetables. Then add boiled, steamed or grilled greens alongside the fish, beef, omelet or some other sort of meal. When at a buffet, always load half the menu with vibrant vegetables, ultimately fresh salad. The other half the menu could be divided in two. Load one quarter with the key bowl of your choice and appetizers or a cut of bread within the last quarter. Stick to the analogy and you will love a good meal.

Put added veggies. Whatever recipe you are recreating, always add some added veggies. Even when the recipe does not demand it, ensure it is a practice to prime up on its plant content. Then add peppers on your own pasta sauce, add some weeds on your own pizza, add some carrots in the soup.

The smell of our house has an impact on exactly how we feel. A citrus smell delivers life and zest to your surroundings and energizes. Dried jasmine adds a soothing mood to your atmosphere, while dried flowers can increase a intimate atmosphere. Based upon the type of mood you'd like to create, dried plants can really augment your demeanor. With dried rose plans and wreaths, you brings the pleasure of nature in to your own home.

Fragrances offer many features inside our lives. They can recreate a wonderful storage; like, the smell of a barbeque may induce childhood memories of bonfires and cookouts on the beach. Odors can warn us of risk; such as when food is burning. But scents may also produce our feelings better by energizing us, calming us, or helping increase our focus. This is exactly why getting an layout or wreath in to our atmosphere may make an actual huge difference inside our moods.

Dried plants come in all forms of shades, forms, and sizes. Dried jasmine, like, are available on the stalk or in dried bud form after they have been taken from the stalk. You can place these buds in a pan or sachet bag and then mix them with dried flower petals and dried fresh fruit slices to make a sensory-appealing sachet. The bathroom is a particularly common place to put a small bowl of sachet, but you might set one anywhere and reap the benefits. Sachet bags are specially wonderful in cabinet compartments or hanging up in your cabinet to renew clothing.

You can also add dried herbs to your sachets and wreaths. Rose, chamomile, dried mandarin slices, and dried mint are an especially-appealing combination. Purchase the extended, dried stalks for wreaths and you can warm stick the orange/fruit slices to art stays and then connect them to your wreath frame. Because mint does not come in stalks, use still another fresh rose or plant as a substitute. You'll find a wide variety at your neighborhood art keep or online.

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northsyria04-blog · 6 years ago

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How to Cook Tofu: Easy & Delicious Tofu Recipes

Once you learn how to cook tofu you’ll have a whole new appreciation for this ancient food! There are so many ways to make it, but here are 3 easy and delicious tofu recipes to get started with.

Tofu. Growing up I didn’t like the stuff. It’s one of my dad’s favorite foods, so I could always depend on being served something with tofu when I was at his house. I’d let the sauce soak into my rice and avoid all of the marinated blocks of tofu and most of the veggies. I was such a picky kid. So ungrateful! Here I was being served perfectly prepared tofu made with love, and I couldn’t get past the fact that it had a funny texture and an equally funny name.

Now as an adult, I can appreciate tofu fully. I still haven’t managed to incorporate it into my diet as much as my dad does, but I’m more fond of it than ever before. Over the years I’ve learned and experienced how truly versatile and nourishing this humble soy bean curd can be. I’ve had it incorporated into the most luxurious vegan desserts, transformed into the crispiest “tenders,” and fermented to umami heaven. I’ve relied on it as a hearty filling breakfast, and the perfect savory late night snack. I’m finally starting to see why my dad is such a fan.

What is tofu? First created in China over 2,000 years ago, tofu is a bean curd made from soy beans. Soy beans are turned into a milk, then curdled to make all varieties of tofu: silken, soft, firm, or extra-firm. Since its creation all those years ago, tofu has become an important part of many Asian cuisines, and has quite recently become popular around the world. In the United States tofu is almost only eaten for vegetarians and vegans, and thought of as a meat replacement.

However, in Asia tofu isn’t part of a separate culinary category. It became a traditional staple food throughout the region, for all parts of the population, vegetarian or not. Though it is true that Zen Buddhist monks enjoy(ed) tofu as a replacement for meat.

Nutrition

Tofu’s high protein content does make it a perfect dietary alternative to meat. Unlike most beans, soy beans contain all of the different amino acids that the human body must get from food, making tofu a “complete protein.” Tofu is also a fantastic source of calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, copper, selenium, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and vitamin B. Soy beans, and thus tofu, also contain an impressive variety of phytonutrients that help protect our bodies from diseases like cancer (source). Consumption of soy has been linked to a lower risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer (source).

Soy products like tofu have also been shown to lower cholesterol and heart disease risk. Since heart disease is the #1 killer in the United States, followed by cancer, think of how important those benefits truly are. Imagine the improvement in American health if people replaced meat and dairy products with nutrient-dense, plant-based alternatives like soy. We’d have a very different society, maybe even one in which the fight for basic healthcare isn’t the number one priority and stressor for millions, and in which the medical industry isn’t able to make billions of dollars a year selling us expensive pharmaceuticals and procedures for preventable lifestyle diseases.

So much controversy! You may have heard the never-ending controversy over whether or not soy is a health food or a harmful food. It irks me that this conversation is happening at all given the thousands of years of evidence showing that soy is a healthy part of a balanced plant-based diet. In China and Japan, two countries known for their regular consumption of soy products, rates of cancer and heart-disease have traditionally been very low.

It’s true that traditionally most cultures in China and Japan (and throughout the world) have eaten a plant-based diet (not to be confused with completely vegan), so it’s a given that heart disease and cancer would be a rare occurrence. However, so much of what people currently fear about soy products in the United States is that soy will give them cancer. Where is the scientific evidence of this? In fact, as I discussed above, scientific evidence shows that soy consumption is linked to a lower risk of some cancers.

GMO

Another fear people have is that all soy is GMO, or genetically modified. While most soy is genetically modified in the United States, the majority of that soy is used to make processed soy products like soybean oil and soy protein isolates, which are used to make junk food, and for animal feed. Most minimally processed soy products like tofu are non-GMO and often organic. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the labels the next time you’re at the grocery store. Since the impacts of GMO plants are not fully understood yet, I advise avoiding them as much as possible. The best way to do that is to avoid highly processed foods and junk foods (including at fast food restaurants, where they often use soybean oil for frying, among other things).

Estrogen

What about estrogen? The other huge American preoccupation with soy is the fact that it contains phytoestrogens. Some Americans fear that consumption of phytoestrogens will interact adversely with our human estrogen and result in reproductive issues and even cancer. First, it’s important to know that many plants contain this form of estrogen: flaxseed, oats, other beans, lentils, wheat, and more. Common sense tells us that these are all healthy foods, yet soy stands out as the one bad guy.

Studies show that soy products do not cause “man boobs” or reproductive cancers. There may be some concern for women who have had estrogen-sensitive breast cancer, but otherwise moderate amounts of soy are shown to have protective benefits. If you are afraid of the effects of estrogen from outside the body one thing you should make sure to do is to avoid all animal products. Too much mammalian estrogen may lead to reproductive problems and cancer. Obviously you are an animal, not a plant, so it makes sense that adding too much of the type of estrogen you’ve already got can be harmful.

Keep in mind that while the United States is the world’s largest producer of soybeans, Americans on average eat less soy in a year than the Japanese eat in one day. The rate of death from heart disease in the US is about double the rate in Japan. And the US’s rate of cancer is about 50% higher than Japan’s. Meanwhile, in the United States, those who eat a vegan diet have the lowest rates of heart disease and cancer, as well as other common lifestyle disease like type 2 diabetes and obesity, compared to vegetarians and meat-eaters (source). Of course, diet is only one among the many factors that affect these rates, but explain to me how these statistics support the idea that tofu is somehow connected to adverse health outcomes?

We’ve gotten that out of the way, so now we can talk food! Tofu is cheap, readily available, and highly nutritious. Thankfully it’s also very easy to make. Below are 3 simple recipes you should try if you’re new to tofu.

Easy Tofu Scramble | How to Cook Tofu

Make sure you press your tofu for the best results. To press tofu, simply drain and remove it from the package, wrap it in a couple layers of paper towel or a kitchen towel, put it in a container or plate, and place a heavy object on top (I always use a full tea kettle). Allow it to sit and press for about 1 hour. If you forgot to press it, a quick 20 minute press will do.

Author: Jenné

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or other cooking oil)

½ yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ red bell pepper, diced

1 block firm tofu, pressed and mashed

1-2 vegan sausages (I used Field Roast brand), diced

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon black pepper

cayenne pepper to taste, optional

Instructions

Warm oil in a large skillet or frying pan.

Sauté the onions, garlic, and red pepper on medium heat until onions are translucent.

At the tofu and vegan sausage followed by ½ teaspoon salt and stir well. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring halfway.

Add the nutritional yeast and turmeric, the remaining salt and black pepper (and cayenne if you want), and stir again.

Cook another 5 minutes.

Serve!

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Crispy Tofu Tacos | How to Cook Tofu

Be sure to press your tofu at least one hour for this recipe for maximum crispiness. Notes on pressing tofu scramble recipe above. Feel free to use other spices for this crispy tofu. It's also great with Ethiopian berbere and Indian curry.

Ingredients

2 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or other cooking oil)

1 block extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon salt

8 corn tortillas

4 leaves romaine lettuce, chopped

½ cup salsa

1 avocado, sliced or mashed

¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced (or try pickled red onions)

Instructions

Place the cubed tofu in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle on the cumin powder, chili powder, and salt, then toss the bowl to thoroughly coat the tofu.

Warm the oil in a skillet or frying pan on medium-high heat.

Add the tofu, then use a spoon to spread the cubes evenly onto the skillet.

Cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, then flip the tofu.

Continue doing this every 5 minutes, until all sides of the tofu are golden brown and begin to crisp up, about 30 minutes total.

Warm your tortillas over a gas flame or microwave, keeping them warm between the folds of a kitchen towel.

Once ready, fill the tortillas with the crispy tofu, romaine lettuce, salsa, avocado, and red onion.

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How to Cook Tofu: Easy & Delicious Tofu Recipes

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

No need to press the tofu for this recipe. It's best with firm tofu, not extra firm, though either works. If you have extra tofu cheese leftover use it as a spread, dip, or in pasta. Note: Be sure to factor in the time it takes for the dough to rise when looking at the cook time. You can premade pizza dough at the store if you'd rather not make your own.

Author: Jenné

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

½ teaspoon sugar

½ envelope active dry yeast

¾ cups water, 110 degrees F

2 cups white whole wheat flour, bread flour, or all purpose flour + more for kneading

1 teaspoons kosher salt

4 teaspoons olive oil

cornmeal, just a little for sprinkling on baking sheet

Tofu Cheese

1 block of firm organic tofu

½ cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1½ tsp sea salt

Instructions

Pizza dough

Combine the water, yeast, and sugar in a glass bowl, and stir well.

Mix the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl.

Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the yeast water.

Stir well with a wooden spoon, and then knead the dough with your hands.

Transfer the dough onto a floured workspace, and knead lightly to form the dough into a ball.

Place the dough ball into another mixing bowl coated in a light layer of olive oil.

Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap, or an equivalent to seal, and set aside for one hour to let the dough rise.

Tofu Cheese & Assembly

While the dough is rising make your tofu cheese: place the tofu in a food processor, along with the nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Blend until creamy, then set aside until you’re ready to use it for the pizza.

Once the dough has doubled or nearly tripled in size, remove it from the mixing bowl, and knead it into a ball again.

Cut the ball in half or quarter, and form them into smaller balls.

Place each ball onto a plate, and cover with a slightly damp and clean kitchen towel. Allow to set for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500°.

Sprinkle some cornmeal onto a large baking sheet, press your pizza dough directly onto it (to prevent sticking), and flatten the dough into a thin pizza crust shape.

Top with your pizza topping: sauce, of course, always goes first, then tofu cheese, then basil.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

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Check out these other amazing tofu recipes on my blog: Broccoli & Crispy Tofu, Sweet Potato & Tofu Curry. And don’t sleep on tempeh––fermented tofu cake––it’s delicious: BBQ Tempeh Sandwich, Maple Mustard Tempeh Salad, Smokey Tempeh & Kale Salad, and Classic Tempeh Tacos .

Source: http://sweetpotatosoul.com/2018/08/how-to-cook-tofu.html

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filtration-products · 7 years ago

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What Is a Taoist Diet?

To truly understand the Taoist diet you have to first understand a little bit about Taoist beliefs. Taoism comes from the core of East Asian and Chinese culture and has roots as deep as 2000 years, although it has only spread to the west in more modern times as people begin to reject materialism for deeper spiritual understanding.

Taoists are egoless humble people that emphasize compassion, humility and moderation – the latter of which is stressed through their minimalistic eating habits.

Although not known for their rule breaking because of their caring non active views, Taoism focuses on the human connection with nature and therefore they do not believe in the rigid and orderly ways of modern society, preferring to follow the natural flow of the Universe. The common Taoist term Yin and Yang refers to the positive and negative energies of the Universe.

The five colors blind eyes. The five tones deafen ears. The five tastes blur tongues. Fast horses and breathtaking hunts make minds wild and crazy. Things rare and expensive make people lose their way.

That’s why a sage tends to the belly, not the eye, always ignores that and chooses this. – Tao Te Ching, Part 12

Historically, the Taoist diet has consisted of mainly fresh fruits and vegetables, with little meat and no grain – as they thought during the digestive process demon like creatures would be released from the rotting grain and attempt to eat them from inside out. During more contemporary times, the diet has changed to be primarily based around the acceptance of whole grains, as well as the fresh fruits and vegetables of tradition.

The Taoist diet relates the five basic flavors with an element of nature: sweet (earth), salty (water), sour (wood), bitter (fire), spicy (metal). They believe that becoming greedy and putting one flavor on a pedestal above another causes you not to taste at all, so it is important to balance the flavors in order to reach internal harmony.

Taoism is all about the natural, and humans being part of nature. One of the most important beliefs is to ‘eat only food’ – meaning to avoid unnatural man made substances that the body cannot process and may contain unbalanced flavors, such as artificial additives, drugs etc. Heavily processed foods that contain little or no nutritional value, such as white flour, sugar and fast food are also considered inedible. These are not things that the body is designed to consume and do not grow from the earth, so are not really natural ‘foods’ fit for human consumption.

Historical

In much of the classic Taoist literature, a lot of mention is made of the sagacious men of old – or, people who existed in pre-history. Several of the texts talk about them existing only on breath, and not consuming food at all. They lived as they were born and only gained sustenance from the qi or Yin Yang from the Universe.

This practice, known as “Bigu” is sometimes employed within some of the Taoist hermit traditions and mythological ideas, but it’s not something that’s practical or even safe for modern people, living in normal society to try. Taoists believe that the human state has altered and the ancient state has since fallen, meaning it is perfectly acceptable to eat foods.

The earliest Taoists are believed to have had a diet that reflected this notion of sagacious and enlightened masters from before history – and also before the development of agriculture. Thus in the earliest traditions, grains were not to be consumed by Taoists.

The reasons for this could be many – from health concerns, to a reverence for some mythological, pre-agricultural past, and even other social factors. The minimalist approach is often used to explain it, stating that Taoists live off more than food alone and subconsciously gain energy from the cosmic.

However, as alluded to earlier the reason provided in many of the early texts for not eating grain is to not arouse the “Three Worms”.

-The 3 Worms

The early, mythological explanation for abstaining from grain is the 3 worms.

These are literally 3 demonic worms that were said to live in the intestines of human beings that were responsible for the decomposition of your body after death.

Of course, as their goal is to devour your body, it’s in their best interest that you die as quickly as possible.

Before death the 3 worms would live in a person’s intestines, feeding off the rotten bio-matter being digested.

Therefore, as your intestines digested the grain, the 3 worms would eat the waste that was produced. As they fed on the grains, they would grow stronger, and later be able to feed off of the rest of your body, causing you to die more quickly.

Since longevity for continued cultivation is one of the primary goals of many Taoist practices, the object of the diet was to “starve off” the 3 worms, by lowering your intake of grain, or eliminating it completely.

From a modern perspective, it could be that the earliest Daoist simply noted a correlation between caloric intake, and aging, or ill health.

Assuming that a cell has a finite number of possible divisions during it’s life cycle, it would be necessary to dramatically slow down the metabolic process in order to slow down the process of cell division.

Another previously mentioned possibility is just the reverence for a pre-civilized, pre-agricultural period in time, where men neither farmed, nor were they engaged in the social activities and games of a surplus food producing culture.

The Third Immortal King told the Emperor:

“You attain the Tao by avoiding all grains. You will never again have to follow the rhythm of the moon and plant or harvest.

“Now, the people of mysterious antiquity, they reached old age because they remained in leisure and never ate any grains.”

As the Dayou zhang (Verse of Great Existence) says:

The five grains are chisels cutting life away, Making the five organs stink and shorten our spans. Once entered into our stomach, There’s no more chance to live quite long. To strive for complete avoidance of all death Keep your intestines free of excrement!”

While many ancient Taoists practiced abstention from grain, this is not absolutely true. There are many accounts of Taoists who ate, or who literally begged for rice.

It may be that grain abstention was more of a purification process, or a sort of fast, leading up to important rituals, ceremonies or rites, like taking long medications, fasting, taking elixirs, and so on.

Modern

In more recent times, the typical diet has radically changed to focus on being PRIMARILY grain based, rather than practicing a total abstention from grain. Although there are some radical people who claim to never eat, they are often ridiculed by the media and later found out to be “starving” for attention rather than being a true ancient style Taoist.

The modern Taoist diet essentially follows the basic yin-yang and 5 elements theory, and relies heavily upon un-processed whole grains, fresh vegetables (particularly root vegetables) and very little meat.

It is important that vegetables are eaten in the right seasons and are either steamed or stir fried. Boiling takes out the natural goodness. Fruits tend to be dried or baked and eating tropical fruits is frowned upon as unbalancing the five flavors due to their strong, often citrus tastes. It is also important that they are seasonal, and free of any man made intervention.

Generally, all red and blue meats, including pork, rabbit, snails and the like, should be avoided. Poultry and game birds are OK to eat, as well as fish. However, fish and other seafood should only be eaten once a week because of their high Yin quantity. Some fish like salmon, shark, swordfish and mackerel, which are highly Yin should be completely avoided.

Consuming alcohol, caffeine and chewing/smoking tobacco is frowned upon because of their refined nature.

The Modern Taoist relies on moderation in their eating habits, and should try to avoid consuming anything too pungent (garlic, ginger, onions, etc,) and stay away from as many preservatives as possible.

Differences Between Taoist And Modern Western Diets

In the west, the life style and dietary habits have contributed to the dramatic rise in such problems as heart disease, obesity, stress, cancer, arthritis and so on.

The emphasis has moved away from the initial prevention (by eating naturally and healthily) towards drugs and surgery. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure however. Why try to fight a disease once it has taken root, when with some simple guidelines we can avoid it in the first place?

Taoists believe that what is of primary importance is natural health, not doctors and medicines, and this can best be achieved through eating natural foods. Remember that the body regenerates itself, the skin tissue and organs take about 2-3 years, even the bones are replaced after seven years, and it is all built from what goes into your mouth.

Nature can do its work but only if given the right tools. Ideally natural foods have been grown organically without the use of artificial fertilizers, chemicals or pesticides.

The Modern Taoist diet, in contrast to the modern western diet is:

Low Fat High Energy Vitamin and mineral enriched Easy for the body to digest Unrefined and processed

This means daily western items like bread and milk, which we think are perfectly healthy are considered almost toxic to strict Taoists. Instead rice and soya milk is used as a replacement and skimmed milk is generally accepted.

The “Ground Up” Approach

Qigong: refers to the set of Taoist exercises used to maintain and move with the qi (energy of the universe). Methods include meditation and focused physical movements. This helps to maintain physical and mental health.

Generally, in many types of Taoist Qigong, energy is drawn from the earth, upward. Similarly, the concept of “rooting” is the base of tai chi and many of the Chinese and Taoist martial arts, so historically, and within the Taoist context of power, from the ground upwards was thought of as the best way to get vital energy from food.

As with Taoist Qigong, Taoist diet also generally stresses a “ground up” approach to the consumption of vegetables. That is, that plants should be consumed in high percentage of total diet, especially those below ground (root vegetables) as opposed to those higher up, e.g. an apple.

The main reason for this was that the earth bound vegetables have more energy and the ability to deliver more qi to the body. Yams, all types of root crops, potatoes, carrots, turnips to name a few, were thought to deliver good earth energy, which helped the spleen (immune system) become stronger, and made jing qi more “rooted”.

After the earth bound plants, were greens like cabbages, bok choy, spinach, and so on, which were often pickled or preserved for winter use.

Next came the higher crops – peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, etc, which were used to deliver good energy, but in smaller proportions.

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