Spring into Shape Bootcamp Challenge, Week One.
I’ll continue the assigned videos (5-10mins/day) and 10 minutes of cardio 5 days a week but I’m going for 30 minutes everyday cos I do that anyway. I’m aiming to not SKIP any days, which is my personal tweak on the challenge.
Join me! It’s free, it’s fun, it’s easy. Really. 5-10 minutes of video a day and 10 minutes cardio, 5 days a week. You’ve got this.
‘They’re all sickly and want the dole but don’t want to work.’
I work full time and have done for decades with no lapses, since aged 15. I have never received state aid beyond state-backed loans for university, for which I had no co-signer. I paid them back with 10% interest, while still in my 20s.
I live in Missouri, one of the states that refused to expand Medicaid but couldn’t force us from buying at the Marketplace.
I am in my 40s. I enrolled before the deadline. I purchased a Gold level package because it was cheaper than what work offered (premiums cheaper, plus the coverage was 5X better…FIVE). I just had my yearly physical, including blood panels. I am healthy. Kiss my half-Irish arse.
OMG
You know how I finally -this Tuesday! got a new GP after MONTHS of looking and waiting to be accepted and then having to do a switch? While I was there, amongst normal checking on things-things, she said, ‘You have a virus.’ I knew that I wasn’t feeling well but I wasn’t falling over dead or anything. She said, ‘run its course’ and I totally agreed.
About 24 hours later (Wed), I was well and truly sick (at work) but knew that we’re going to be down a coworker in theartdept as she’s on holiday. For me to call out sick when I knew this was going on is a Big Deal, not so much because I’m awesome (though I’d have felt guilty no matter what but especially with a person gone already) but also because things are rough all over — as you know.
So. Sick.
Virus? Yes. Add to it raging, bacterial infection.
I called out. First thing on my Sick Day, though, was ringing my brand new GP’s office.
Now, I’ve basically just shook hands with her. I know people who can’t get a ‘called-in script’ from their normal GP.
I got one. HOT DOGE!
I’m back at work today but feel every bit as bad as Wednesday, which is better than Wednesday night through Thursday night, so I reckon the virus part may shake off in a day or two. The infection is being dealt with and I’m so freaking grateful to this new doctor!!!
!!
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I know!!! How old am I that all I talk about is finding a doctor and then needing it, so I’m super happy?
I went to a HORRENDOUS ‘doctor’ in my search for a new GP a couple of weeks ago. Then, I got a referral for another doctor (hence, ‘Twho’) and got to see her yesterday.
Yesterday, I was too verklept to talk about much other than the normally hour-and-a-quarter drive taking over two hours but most importantly that including a head-on collision 8 feet from me. This freaked me out so badly that I was still shaking 2.5 hours later. -prayed to Lord Xanax after getting to work and he intervened. Glory-be.
-are the new readers gone yet?
Today, I want to focus on how FANTASTIC the new doctor’s STAFF is. I came in (rang, they knew about 3 interstates being shut down, so obviously all other arteries were clogged and circulation was shite) and they were happily awaiting me. Really. Like hippity-happity to see me. How nice!
They were like glowing that I’d made it safely. They didn’t know about the head-on collision. I started telling them. Next thing you know, I’ve got other staffers rushing forward, not so much like to hear the gossip but to sort of coddle me.
somebody HOLD me — not like THAT
And I needed coddling. I’m fairly well adjusted -har! but I have PTSD. Four decades into it, I have techniques and everything but if something very stressful happens, I go into anxiety mode. I mean more than my self-diagnosed ADHD. I’m not complaining, I’m saying that I probably looked crazy. Poor staff. -cos I was
They get me settled. This did not include cups of tea, blankets or restraints, it was a kindly circle of caring souls and next thing I know somebody says, ‘I need you to follow me.’
It’s not the usual, ‘Doctor can see you now.’ It was Different . And boy, was it ever.
My insurance –new insurance that took til MONDAY 24 MARCH to get my card that I’d paid for in mid-February — this is Coventry’s fault; I’d finally gotten to the bottom of that last week: it was a corrupt file, their automated systems went ‘huh?’ when my account was pulled up DECLINED this doctor because I didn’t have a GP to refer her.
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THIS is the doctor who would be my GP if they’d let her! My old GP is not only retired but dead. She retired to DIE of cancer, OKAY? Baby Bejeebers is crying here. And in case you’re saying, ‘Well, you should’ve started earlier,’ I started looking as soon as we received notice in TWO THOUSAND AND THIRTEEN. I could find no GPs accepting new patients. For realz!
Of all the freaking effed-up scenarios, this is me? It’s better than being in a head-on collision, don’t get me wrong. I’ve been in one of those. Flew out the wind screen.
I had Help. Four staffers worked with me and in under two hours, we think that it’s sorted, so doctor saw me (way the heck passed my appointment time!). I say think because we never got written or verbal permission but it showed up on the website, so they took screen shots. Bloody insurance. And they said it’s not just my insurance company. It’s sort of all of them, they take turns being completely ridiculous and you can’t predict when or how. You see it for what it is when it comes and deal with it.
Of all the Companions, Bridget was the Best. I told her when I get married, I’m going to make her a bridesmaid, though we’d only met 2 hours earlier. She said as I was leaving, ‘Listen, if you get anything weird from them in the post, call me and we’ll schedule a meeting (this is not her job) to sort it.’
I’m SO staying with this doctor — for her STAFF! And the doctor seems fine, too. The only thing that weirded me out was she kept staring and staring at the monitor. I’m glad that she’s reading me files and everything but it seemed extra long? She started asking some questions that weren’t the usual things doctors ask. They were medical but like none had anything to do with me? Finally, she said, ‘You’ve seen Beck recently?’ -Dr. So and So
Ah, she’s reading that eedjits notes. ‘I see no reason for us to test you for anything but electrolytes, lipids and sugars, the common ‘yearly physical’ stuff. Can you think of any reason for all these other things?’
I nodded. ‘I read those 4 pages of lab requests and I have to admit that I don’t know what most of them are, having never seen them, but I will say the call for Celiac antibody serum I’m familiar with and since we’ve already covered that I’ve been gluten-free for well over 2 years–‘
She cut me off. ‘There would be nothing in the results. Yeah. Let’s just get you the normal stuff.’
I’m baaaack from hols. I had a loverly time away from work.
Remember that doctor who was so horrid? Super-mean and also completely a dolt? I’m going through my pocketbook and found all these papers… -in the meantime, I have an appointment for a new interview session for a GP Tuesday next
One wad of papers was lab requisitions Doctor So and So filled out (which I never went to get as I have ZERO intention of returning — I’d rather have a med tech at a nursing home work on me and that’s not meant as an insult, I have a friend who just got hired in that position and at least she can take a pulse and BP).
Where was I?
Of the 4 pages thick of requisitions, NUMBER ONE was? Celiac test.
Let’s scroll back a tic for the new readers: I have Celiac Disease. It’s a big part of my life since it means that I can’t eat anything I didn’t prepare in my sterile kitchen. It controls my life, as I need to eat.
Here’s the tricky bit that you may not know but a DOCTOR CALLING FOR A TEST SHOULD: one must ingest gluten daily for at least 2 straight weeks before having this test. I told the doctor that I’ve been gf for over 2 years, closer to 3 years. This stuff would be in my medical records.
But it would cost a lot of money for my insurance company to pay.
I would love to blame this doctor for gouging the insurance company, for bilking them out of hundreds of dollars, but I don’t believe it was on purpose. I believe this is one MORE example of incompetence.
Again: I do not expect everybody to know this. I expect a doctor who called for an expensive test to know it. My other doctors know it as soon as I mention Celiac. One even asked me if I’d go back to eating gluten so he could get a current marker on how high my antibodies go up.
He’s just asked me to poison myself for two weeks so he could satisfy an academic itch. I didn’t even have to say anything. From the look on my face, he said, ‘Oh. I don’t suppose I’ll ever seen you again.’
‘Why don’t you take this tablespoon of arsenic a day and come back to me in 2 weeks?’ Sound pretty fucking cuckoo, doesn’t it?
He knew better. Dr. So and So didn’t. Whether or not, you have to ask what’s going on with your practitioners.
Did a ramble about my crap doctor experience yesterday. -it was a crappy experience but mostly due to the doctor being crap
Today, we follow up:
I talked to some more people about their GPs (Internal Medicine Doctors is the modern term) — if they loved them. I come up with none.
I went back where I first asked for referrals: my beloved breathing specialist. -my lungs were damaged in a fire about 10 years ago, I mostly do great but have caught pneumonia twice and if I get flu, it almost always goes to my chest, so it’s something for which I retain an expert
Her doctor’s assistant gave me some more names. It’s all about are they accepting new patients.
The nice lady on the phone (not medical staff) took my info and while we were speaking, she saw that I’d just seen a doctor. -this is why I’m never surprised at spying
What happened next was unprofessional but I didn’t mind a bit.
‘You saw Dr. So and So?’
‘Erm, yeahhhhhh. Erm. I don’t want to see her again.’
‘You’re not the only one. My in laws saw her and they’ll never go back.’
Sholy Hit!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that was unprofessional BUT it made me feel better! I was feeling guilty that I had that experience, like it was my fault she was an ignorant asshole. Anyway, I have another newbie appointment (ugh, with the levels of interviews again) in a couple of weeks with a different doctor, the second doctor.
* Wish that I could share the song with you but Spotify (which I hate anyway just for these reasons–they NEVER have what I want because I’m not your normal listener) nor youtube have it. You can listen to a clip at Amazon…
My GP retired. I needed to find a replacement. Last December, I rang around MANY places and found none taking new patients. Now, I’m not saying ‘nobody’ is but after making 12 phone calls, I got ONE place that said they had a doctor in their group who was receiving new ones, so I snapped that up.
Three months was the wait. Yesterday, was the appointment.
Now, I need to find another doctor. I cannot go back there.
Here’s the thing: as a GP (internal medicine is the modern appellation), I don’t expect you to know everything. I hope that you’re sort of current on big issues but if you don’t know something, there’s nothing like genuine caring and concern, an interest in getting a handle on a medical topic and an openness to learn. Walk with me towards better health, yo.
This doctor was relatively young. I like that! That means they’ve probably gotten some current info and they’re still hoping to save people! Well, that’s what I presume when I see a young doctor. Not to say older doctors are out of the loop or jaded but I have this idea about younger ones. Plus, if it all works out, I won’t have to worry about them retiring on me again. -where was I?
Right. This doctor’s office is about 60 miles from where I live because I don’t live near anything but I could find somebody closer. I went with this one because it was the first-nearest who’d take anybody new. I’m reiterating this because boy, is it going to be a PIMA to find somebody else.
I go in and wait, then get a full interview with the first lady. Then, another wait and the doctor’s assistant comes in and gives a full interview. After another wait, the doctor shows. She didn’t make eye contact and sort of mumbled at me. I had to ask her to repeat herself. She was irritated by that. ‘Get up on the table.’ Oh, okay. I can do that but we’re to have an interview first. I think seated would be more normal but She must have Her way, so I clamber on the freak table.
During the interview, she’s reading the assistant’s notes and googling — I swear to God. She’d google something then say something like, ‘WHY ARE YOU TAKING POTASSIUM?!’
I know this is a red flag to doctors who haven’t seen my records. Pity she didn’t bother, so I said, ‘Blood tests showed I was low.’ That pissed her off. Then she asked how often I take my gut tranqs – which had been reported ‘as needed.’
‘For the last two weeks, daily, but before then only now and then since I got the Celiac diagnosis and got completely off things that would injure my gut.’
That pissed her off. ‘You have a counter-indication here.’ It wasn’t what she said but how she said it? Heck, it alarmed me. ‘Really? What?’
She said the potassium and tranq. I asked, ‘Oh, gosh. What would be an indication? Since I don’t have to take it often, I’ll have to watch out for anything.’
She glared at me. After a few seconds, I reworded my concern and that I’d like to know what would be a sign that I’m harming myself, like nausea, fainting, stroke, seizure…you know? What signs?
She started googling. I wish that I were joking.
Look, I don’t believe she has to know everything but if you’re going to bother being LOUD AND ANGRY because something I’m taking counter-indicates, why didn’t you bother SEEING what it could possibly do? I would do that and I bet anybody reading this or WebMD would say, ‘OMG, counter indication?!?! What would it BE?’
Dr. So and So? Nothing. And angry that I asked. I don’t know wtf I’m supposed to do if I need both…I assume get a different prescription that would NOT counter?
Another one she stone-cold flipped on was me taking 10,000 D3 a day. This is not an insane amount but she railed. RAILED. Finally, I said, ‘Celiac? Celiacs commonly are low and need supplementation. While I was only diagnosed less than 3 years ago, I’ve had this since childhood which explains why I’ve always had malabsorption issues and always been prescribed supplements.’ -like in my MOTHERFUCKINGMEDICALHISTORY
‘Celiac is such a new thing…’
Okay. You can be not-so-up-to-date but that’s flat-out, fecking, unreasonably ill-informed. Her response as an ill-informed yet professional would’ve been something like: We spent about 3 minutes on that in school. I’m not up on the literature. How do you handle it?
It should’ve been in the nature of trying to get a handle on how she should approach this as my doctor.
It was obvious that she didn’t know a great deal (I’m only sharing about Celiac but there’s other autoimmune and heart disease is RAMPANT in my family. She should’ve been very concerned about the heart issues. She was not.
In case you have autoimmune diseases, especially Crohns or Ulcerative Colitis and/ or Celiac, or know somebody who does and would like to be exponentially better informed than this doctor I won’t return to, listening to this video lecture is going to set you up as a winner.
Had my Well Woman (pelvic & pap) exam yesterday. -need to get a mammogram soon
The doctor was doing her interview — which has NEVER included ‘Have you lost weight?’ It wasn’t being read, it was whilst she was palpitating my glands and girlie bits.
Laugh? I thought I’d die! She looked at me like I was mental, which I am, so you know. I thought it was funny because I’m the biggest she has ever seen me but she also only ever sees me once a year and…
I’m telling you, p90x3 is making me look better. I still have padding that I’m not fond of, which isn’t normally there (I cycle sizes or as I put it: I’ma repeat offender) but I just look healthier. That’s cool.
And in case anybody was wondering because I keep referring to that programme, no. I don’t work for them, I never received gifts and I’m not suggesting anybody buys it, even though I own the original and 3 (I own a LOT of fitness DVDs). Regular readers will recall that I often recommend FREE workouts or LifeFitRevolution.org, which is all the workouts you’d ever need and online coaching and nutrition for FREE. I’m just saying this p90x3 is my current amour.
The Good Knee* is killing me. DAMN! Remember when I oh, so very shortly ago mentioned the I modified some moves and didn’t others? -shut up!
I was talking to a gym rat and she asked if I didn’t feel it when it happened. Ask somebody with chronic pain if they hurt.
Yes?
I realised that I was feeling ‘it’ in my joints but I do if I BREATHE. –whatevs
I don’t know which move but I have a sneaking suspicion it was the dribble left, jump shot, dribble right, jump shot (not what it’s called, I don’t think — TH has cutesy names for things and that’s cool but I just follow along and don’t care very much about what it’s called). That’s because I recall thinking, ‘Wot?’ whilst doing. Of course, I thought, ‘Wot?’ during a few things, including the back twist stretch. My back has been so spasmed that almost anything is near wrenching it. Scary, eh?
I’m also breaking down and emailing my nutrition tracking (oh, the embarrassment) to a couple of homies, Laurie and Sheila. We’ll see if that calms me down a bit. While I eat a lot, yesterday was far less than I normally would’ve snacked because I knew that I was going to send that!
Today is Dynamix, which is a combination of dynamic stretching and calisthenics. I previewed it and there’s a lot of knee-usage. Joint pain, children, is never okay. Never. I don’t want to just take off a day, I’d rather modify because there’s other good stuff in there.
* So-called because my Bad Knee was the first one injured, when I was 13 doing sporty BS. My good knee came along a couple years later when I fell down HARD on it on the ice. I’ve tweaked them several times, sometimes needing physio. I haven’t done operations because I’ll hold off forever, if I can. Having auto-immune disease means we not only recover slower but we get infections easier. It’s almost always better to not slice and dice an AIer. We won’t heal right anyway and it’ll take longer and we’ll die of MSRA blahblahblah.
Yikes! Okay, well I have caught ‘something’ about every 10 days for like 2 months but not counting those things, I feel pretty good!
Stomach flu is going around and so are colds and flu. Ugh! People! I’m the one with auto-immune diseases. Stop the madness!
I’m still rocking the programme I created* called Points N Paleo (paleo=whole foods minus dairy and legumes and points=a nutrition tracking system that’s PROPORTION based). I’m also not doing very well on choices considering I had dairy yesterday and faux grains (on top of everything that is healthy and good, it’s just I ate DOUBLE the points a human my size should). However, I’m doing great on P90X3! Well, again, I’m modifying and I had 2 days rest after 3 days on. This is probably the BEST plan for me, btw.
Last night was CVX (cardiovascular) and it’s nothing like any cardio you’ve done. It’s calisthenics but you can use a small weight (anything from a beach ball, which weighs very, very little to 12lb for the Big Boys), if you’re feeling sassy. I used a pretend basketball. -are the new readers gone yet?
At first, I thought it was boring but after about 7 or 8 minutes, I was so winded, my brain didn’t have time to think of anything but survival. Noice! I should add, the first set it’s calisthenics, the second, it’s plyos. I forget how many circuits there are.
I’ve forgotten what my point was, if I ever had one. Hrm. Well, I feel pretty good and I’m down a few pounds, though you know that I think the scale’s BS. I need to take measurements but I’d rather wait til I’ve done the first month of p90x3.
Effort (not outcome or accomplishment):
nutrition 5:10
fitness 9:10
* I created neither but I put them together and people wouldn’t normally do that! I’m not normal 🙂
I’m a big fan and supporter of Alysia and Jason. They’ve relaunched their site — while it’s shiny and streamlined, I’m still used to the old one. Change is hard on old dogs…
If you’ve never been there, LiveFitRevolution.org is fantastic! There’s motivation (videos, challenges, memes), workouts (video and text printouts for those who prefer to only hear themselves) and nutrition advice along with recipe videos. It’s all free, with no catch.
Here’s Alysia’s welcome to 2014.
Carla asked if my cholesterol improved after being diagnosed Celiac. As usual, I can’t tell a short story and it’s not even well-told.
I knew about this compression issue from a loved one in the early 90s. They had to cut through a lot of blubber to get to her parts that needed cutting. She still has multiple issues due to compression.
I bought my usual protein powder last trip and noticed when sorting things back home: the canister is now white instead of black…otherwise same but no! Gluten-free claims were removed. That said, no warnings were provided, either (many products have a disclaimer that reads something like, ‘contains no gluten but produced in a facility that also manufactures products containing gluten.’ That means: prepare for cross-contamination.
I emailed Trader Joe’s that night and they got back with me today.
“Even though hemp does not contain gluten, there is a risk of gluten contamination from other gluten containing grains. Just one wheat kernel in 50,000 hemp seeds can cause a positive gluten reading over 20ppm which will be the new FDA cut off.“
Regular readers may recall that I’m truly Celiac, I’m not faffing about here. A spoon that has been previously used to stir a beverage containing syrup with gluten (many do have it, like caramel flavor or even many vanilla extracts use gluten, too!), then used in my drink will make me seriously ill for days.
So, there’s that.
I guess I not only have to return it but also don’t have a current option as whey makes me nauseated for several hours until it gives me the shits. I haven’t tried egg white powder as protein booster. I love eggs and eat a lot of eggs. The idea of egg white powder seems overkill but at least it wouldn’t kill me.
I finished antibiotics a couple of days ago for the rampant Strep B infection that went on for 3 months (was told that I’d weathered it well, considering it’s life-threatening and all those painful lesions on my skin were also covering my organs–yum!).
Of course I got the flu vaccine at the first sight of offerings (mine was first week of September) because of my auto-immune issues…yet I’m getting a chest rattle and this fatigue hasn’t improved at all. I also have a crushing headache but that’s so frequent with cervical spine issues that it’s hard to tell one thing from another. I’m not complaining; it’s hard to cypher symptoms equalling X when you always have pain.
I dove into my arsenal: SingularVitaminCComplexZincNaproxinSodium and dug out the frozen kale and chicken stock, herbal infusions and nutrient-rich veg.
For breakfast, I steeped double-strong Gypsy Cold Care whilst puréeing
I tried it with 1oz pommie but the kales were still extremely GREEN-tasting (and I like bitter flavors). The second shot fixed that (sort of). I didn’t wish to add sweeteners, as this was Medicinal.
I began making the Soup.
Chard, Leek and Butternut Squash Chicken Soup (omnivorous)
food processes spices for uniformity
Begin with oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Toss in spices and cook til aromatic.
Add about 1/2C stock and squeeze in the entire bag of chard. It’s BIG. It cooks down, as all fresh greens do.
When they’re bright green and getting tender, pour in remaining stock, chuck in the leeks and butternut squash. Cover and boil til tender. You can enjoy it as it is or given my weirdo gut, I choose to purée things down.
I did this all Sunday morning. I’m feeling a little better. Hopefully, repeats of highly nutritious foods and drugs will kick it!
…toe.
Here’s a funny thing: I had no idea. When I talk about my relationship to the pain scale being skewed, there’s proof.
I don’t think anybody would say blisters are THAT awful (in comparison to childbirth, surgeries, broken jaws, etc.).
I’m saying it didn’t register. I was having a wee, kicking my feet back and forth (I’m under-tall) and saw that bump.
I’ll drain and medicate it tonight (if I remember). Goofball!
2012:
BP: 100/ 76 (a bit higher than normal but I’m stressed as hell and in constant pain, more than usual…just saying).
I used a ratio calculator cos I’m crap at maths.
While my total cholesterol is HIGHER than deemed lovely, you’ll notice my HDL is ‘the culprit.’ Again, HDL is ‘good.’ I also read an article about the 2 kinds of LDL (now there’s ‘good’ and ‘bad’ kinds of LDL, the ‘bad’ type). ‘Fluffy’ LDL doesn’t seem likely to lead to artherosclerosis. As always, don’t trust me. I have zero medical training.
This doesn’t seem like a fail apart from:
Even though mine’s ‘fluffy,’ LDL* is too close for comfort. I like it lower.
EDIT: Oh, gosh! I realized that I should probably give history for New Readers (hi!). I had high cholesterol my entire life til last year’s panels. All of my family members are on cholesterol lowering meds & BP lowering meds. My father has had 5 heart attacks and had stents. My mother had quadruple by-pass surgery recently. My mother’s family for 4 generations have documented heart disease. My father’s mother died of a heart attack in her early 50s. Doctors tell me genetics trump lifestyle. I’m fighting that.
I ate vegetarian 1994-2009 (meat ~1x/mo). I was a soy baby due to dairy intolerance but still sometimes have some (I always react but cheese and ice cream call me…
When I switched to eating meat and making an effort to ‘up’ healthy fats? That changed.
Newer research supports avoiding grains and taking plenty of meat and fat (not deep-fried turkey drums!) for an over-all healthier life — and it lowers cholesterol.
I don’t take RX. It’s from eating and regular exercise. In case you’re thinking, ‘It’s the exercise,’ I’ve always gotten exercise. I do less now than ever. Raised on a working ranch, I worked a minimum of 4 hours manual labor a day in addition to school and housework. Throughout my 20s, I did 90mins (at least) of cardio a day (cardio bunny!). I love moving. In my late 30s, I discovered lifting heavy with short reps. I ran 3-12mi a week for 26 years…
I was born with autoimmune (don’t recover well & catch everything that comes down the Pike!). I suffered many injuries very early in life; my spine is deteriorated and I have 4 known disc hernias. It means that I get to keep trying new things, which isn’t bad!
This is still Very Good but Not as Good as Last Year’s. **
* ‘Large, fluffy LDL particles are not only harmless, but may be protective. If they are protective, what’s wrong with having a bit more of them?‘ That’s one opinion.
**2011:
Blood sugar: (after 18 hour fast) normal
Cholesterol: (s/b less than 200) 177 mg/dl
HDL (s/b greater than 45) 48
LDL (s/b less than 130) 118
Triglyceride (s/b less than 150) 57
I had noooo idea this is what it looked like. WOW!
Everybody should watch this–even if you’re super-healthy! Thanks to Laurie for sharing it with me. If you don’t have 2.5 minutes, skip to 1:00.
(as always, I have zero medical training–do your own research & get health assessments)
Goals? How about avoid THIS
Mum’s were too bad to ‘clear.’ They chopped hers out and ‘transplanted’ arteries from her leg into the heart. My mother weighs under 80lb. She’s not fat.
a) it’s genetic, sure
b) while she doesn’t eat much, she’s a grain-eating fool
You know what grain is used for in ranching, right?
As oft-mentioned, I grew up on a working ranch. Our cattle (sheep, goats, mules and horses) were grazed. The hogs were pretty much grain-fed (hrm!) with additional ‘slop’ (which could contain things like chicken heads I’d just wrung or lopped off with an axe — my version of keeping it real is realer than most!).
Grain-feeding makes sickly mammals. They’re fat and weak. This is not in dispute.
Ranchers have always known this! That’s why, one month prior to auction, we GRAINED THEIR ARSES TO MAKE THEM CHUBBY.
(it’s like giving them cake with ice cream for all meals) *
I had no idea clogged arteries looked like that. I showed it to several friends who had no idea, one of which worked as a medic in the Armed Forces for over 20 years.
* I’m not saying eating a diet full of grains guarantees this. I haven’t consulted my Augury yet. We all know a diet high in grains makes fatty bodies. We’ve known it for centuries. I’m big on middle road living, however, if coronary artery disease/ artherosclerosis/ heart disease runs in your family OR you eat lot of sugar, fat and/ or grains…remember this video. Personally, I’m regretting that ice cream supper.
My favorite topic! Well, sort of. It’s my favorite measure of health. Obviously, there are others: *
This article is very, very nice because it offers graphics and explanations that we can easily understand. I stumbled upon it, looking up graphics. Also included are photos of models (not just the drawrings I’m skiving).
* I’ll be having 4 hours of testing on my heart (after working 1/2 day). Wish me luck on those measures of health!
I bought frozen mussels (living 1,000 miles from the nearest coast, you settle). Rather than fixing in any of the ways I normally do, there was a recipe on the back for ‘Mussels, Dutch-style.’
The package called for butter. Normally, I use coconut oil for cooking and EVOO from dressing veggies. I cannot eat dairy, even grass-fed, non-antibiotic, organic dairy.
I’m can’t recommend Earth Balance as something healthy but it’s my butter substitute.
Steam the mussels.
Here’s the sauce:
I used ~1T Earth Balance to sauté diced onions and big, fat garlic cloves with cracked black pepper. When translucent, I dumped in the mussels and added a few pieces of diced tomato and several dashes of Worcestershire sauce. I added a bit more sea salt and served on a bed of raw spinach.
It’s nice to try new things. My favorite part was all those garlic cloves (the recipe called for one—hahahaha ! I adore garlic but am supposed to avoid it (as well as tomatoes) as they’re lupus triggers.
I just realized something…That was Friday night. The whole weekend, I was miserable, thinking I’d caught something. Hrm. I can usually get away with some but there were as many cloves of garlic as mussels!
opinions expressed may be incorrect 
