Whew -- although i'm awake and it's the middle of the night, i'm feeling MUUUUUCH better. The DOH reports mold and ragweed readings still in the "high" range but grass pollen has dropped down to "moderate." For the most part, i've been trying to eat a lower histamine/tyramine diet, but i've made a few additions -- and i even got a little accidental mold contact in the house in the last 12 hours!
Part of the improvement MAY be attributable to a short fasting period i enjoyed yesterday -- on Tuesday evening we ate a whole duck between us (cooked in a "new" and wonderful way as described in Dana Carpender's "Five Hundred Paleo Recipes" "Unsightly but Delicious Duck").... Well, eat half a duckling, and you're not going to be hungry again for quite some time! I drank mostly black coffee until Wednesday dinner, at which time i couldn't even finish my (admittedly huge) ribeye steak ... though i polished off my share of the swiss chard with asian spices that J prepared to go with it. With this i allowed myself about eight or nine ounces of petite syrah ... oh, and twice during the afternoon (when i started to feel hunger again) i had a small square of the egg-cheese-jalapeno preparation that's on my recipe page. Yum.
I started working on the next house-rehab project -- the downstairs powder room where the wallpaper started to fail. That's where i found the mold, behind the toilet (which is under the window). Some of the previous owners' rehabs have been very poorly done, and every time i pull down old wallpaper i find things that make me roll my eyes in disbelief. Friends, if you have to make repairs to old plaster walls, do yourself a favor and put a layer a primer between it and your new wallpaper.... I'm surprised my sinuses didn't start screaming at me, working in that tiny airless room, up-close-and-personal with mildew ... or whatever it was.
***
Got back to sleep around 5:30 and got a few more hours -- and i still feel very good! :-) I guess my next experimental move will be to [gasp] go outdoors for a little while. We'll see if the summer heat (which finally arrived) makes me feel crummy again.
My husband, though, says he now feels symptoms of a chest-cold and has for a couple of days -- dating to when we got the new vacuum cleaner and air filter. Although our rugs and therefore the air we breathe are much cleaner now, there's no doubt i stirred up some almost-literal "old shit" (the stuff that Spense scratched off himself, which then got trodden into the carpets). This may be an indication that he's catching something i just got over. Bear in mind that J almost NEVER gets sick -- he's got the most robust body i've ever heard of, even compared to my mother's 90 years of generally good health! Back in the days he was smoking, he was always able to blow the lung-testing machine to the top of its scale, whereas i (nonsmoker) barely got it into the "normal" range. I'm grateful he's learned tolerance of my wimpiness!
Today's pollen and mold have been reported -- mold and grass pollen have both moderated and only ragweed is still high. Quality of life continues to improve. ;-)
Doing a last proofread while sitting down for awhile -- just got finished making more mayo and oopsie rolls, and clarifying the duck fat i saved the other day. Also reclarified the last tallow i saved, but alas it's developed a little rancid smell -- this will get saved in the "ordinary tallow" bag for use in my new betty lamp, or making candles. Damn.
Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
stress and ideal weight
My husband hasn't been away on a business trip in WEEEEKS (and there for awhile we thought he might never be again). Fortunately, as time has passed, we've gotten used to being around each other so much, again. Snoring and tossing no longer wakes me up so much during the night, and i hope that whatever i do that discombobulates him is not as acute as it probably was, when he just returned from the last assignment. There are still times of stress which happen when one has to share living space, but it's reduced, and even reversed in some situations (when the other person takes a burden from one's shoulders).
Of course, i haven't lost a pound since he got home, and he isn't even obstructive about diet. The gods only know how people manage to change their diet in an environment which is actively hostile!
My weight has, in fact, become quite stable ... at 8 pounds over where i want it [eyes rolling]. This is something of a confirmation of an old hypothesis of mine -- that when you reach and hold a weight for a reasonably long period of time, that "held" weight becomes a new defended normal for the body (i would use the s-word, but i absolutely HATE the connotations that "setpoint" has gained over the last few years).
I don't believe in weight or fat setpoint theories as described by so many purported experts, though i have observed that my body WANTS to maintain a steady state. Further, it WILL do this as long as i eat a low-carb diet. I'm not one who says one CAN'T gain weight on VLC, but MY body WILL NOT: there's no way i could eat and drink enough ketogenic food to make me gain fat -- my appetite switch trips OFF shortly after i get more than 100 grams each of fat and protein under my belt for one day. In fact, if that point is reached by lunchtime, i don't have any appetite again for almost 24 hours.
No -- the "setpoint" my body wants to maintain is ANY weight it's held reasonably constant for more than a couple of months. The ONLY way it goes up is through carelessness in carb intake, and the ONLY way it goes down is through a low-alcohol, XLC diet (which is only calorie-controlled because of the "100-gram rule" i described above). Stress affects the situation (for me) through perverting hormones and sleep ... and desire for alcohol, the "gateway drug to carbs."
I think i'm at a "healthy" weight right now, and some may suspect it is "ideal" because my body is defending it so easily. My daughter is in a similar position -- her two-decades-plus-younger body is resisting HER attempts at weight loss, too. But i don't think these weights are ideal even though they are healthy, because (in my case) the 20 pounds of fat i COULD afford to lose are 20 pounds my joints are better off not bearing, and which my systems would be better off not serving with circulation, sensation and nutrients; extra weight without which my "challenged" mitochondria would be much less burdened, when supplying my body with energy!
So as my stress levels lessen (I HOPE), i anticipate dropping some 6-8 more pounds ... which i'll then make every effort to maintain for two or three months before making another "push" for weight loss. See how good this hypothesis of mine really is!
Sunday, September 2, 2012
well, i AVERAGED two good nights' sleep....
The first night my husband is back from a long business trip, we both tend to sleep poorly. He's a big guy, and is used to sleeping in a king-size bed in his hotel. We have a queen-size, at home. It takes time to get used to the tossing and snoring of another person in your bed.
Friday night, i got something like four hours, which is precisely half of what i absolutely require. I took a nap yesterday afternoon, but was still ready to hit the hay last night rather early. I got over nine hours. YES. Back to feeling good. (I hope you clicked the YouTube link in the last post -- it was a young James Brown performing one of his signature songs, complete with dance moves, in all its B&W glory.)
But yesterday, i felt ROTTEN. Though my eating was the same as usual for the previous couple of days, i experienced that unpleasant weak/shaky hypoglycemic feeling and my head felt kinda "swimmy" at breakfast. We quickly hit the grocer's for a few essentials, then returned home where i crashed with a book. The afternoon was better, and this morning improved further.
It all goes to show, even if you're doing everything else right, if your sleep is inadequate, your health CANNOT be optimal. Right, Wooo? ;-)
Friday night, i got something like four hours, which is precisely half of what i absolutely require. I took a nap yesterday afternoon, but was still ready to hit the hay last night rather early. I got over nine hours. YES. Back to feeling good. (I hope you clicked the YouTube link in the last post -- it was a young James Brown performing one of his signature songs, complete with dance moves, in all its B&W glory.)
But yesterday, i felt ROTTEN. Though my eating was the same as usual for the previous couple of days, i experienced that unpleasant weak/shaky hypoglycemic feeling and my head felt kinda "swimmy" at breakfast. We quickly hit the grocer's for a few essentials, then returned home where i crashed with a book. The afternoon was better, and this morning improved further.
It all goes to show, even if you're doing everything else right, if your sleep is inadequate, your health CANNOT be optimal. Right, Wooo? ;-)
Friday, August 24, 2012
good sleep, good morning -- just CORRELATION
Yes, i took melatonin last night. I woke up slightly in the wee-small hours, but drifted right off again. Got somewhere around ten hours of good rest, making up for the two previous nights.
I woke up cheerful, serene and alert; the scale was down another half-pound. I was WICKED yesterday, and had a couple of cocktails (home made -- only significant sugar was in the ounce or two of Cointreau) with my pound of meat (over two meals), and my supper was a good-sized glass of home-made raw-milk kefir.
Since i had tired myself out on wednesday, patching plaster in my still-renovating living room (it was all the ladder-climbing), i took it easy yesterday and included a long hot bath. No walkies, only one or two trips to the basement and none to the attic.
Am i going to advocate this as a perfect formula for weight loss? HELL no!
Just because a sugar-containing increase in carbs for one day RESULTED in weight loss, doesn't suggest to me that yesterday's intake was optimal. It was just delicious and satisfying. If i repeated it, the scale would probably be up tomorrow.
In looking at the recent iniquitous studies that condemn red meat and egg yolks and all those foods WE have been improving our health with, paleo/low-carb authors are always decrying the confusing of correlation with causation. But ya know what i've noticed? They don't mind mere correlation at all, when results tell them something they want to hear. Chairs kill? Standing-desks are best? People who walk or bike to work are thinner? I don't think anyone has even done a randomized, controlled study on those things. Why are they considered gospel? Because it fits into people's belief systems.
Now, i'm not one to deride anecdotal evidence. In many cases -- like, when Drs. Atkins or Davis observe hundreds of patients improve health with the removal of sugar, wheat, vegetable oil, whatever from their diets -- THIS is powerful evidence and more likely to be true than a BigPharm trial that's rigged from the start. You just have to make sure that the people telling the anecdote are on the same page with you.
So today, i'm going to resist the temptation to repeat my good-resulting behavior of yesterday. My breakfast was a good-sized serving of Italian Almond Cream (an Atkins recipe -- if you've never tried it, you SHOULD -- delicious!) with my coffee. I think i'll have a steak for lunch/dinner, but no cocktail-hour today. Since i've had such good luck on weight this week, i won't anticipate the scale going down for several days.
That should correlate with long-term success.
I woke up cheerful, serene and alert; the scale was down another half-pound. I was WICKED yesterday, and had a couple of cocktails (home made -- only significant sugar was in the ounce or two of Cointreau) with my pound of meat (over two meals), and my supper was a good-sized glass of home-made raw-milk kefir.
Since i had tired myself out on wednesday, patching plaster in my still-renovating living room (it was all the ladder-climbing), i took it easy yesterday and included a long hot bath. No walkies, only one or two trips to the basement and none to the attic.
Am i going to advocate this as a perfect formula for weight loss? HELL no!
Just because a sugar-containing increase in carbs for one day RESULTED in weight loss, doesn't suggest to me that yesterday's intake was optimal. It was just delicious and satisfying. If i repeated it, the scale would probably be up tomorrow.
In looking at the recent iniquitous studies that condemn red meat and egg yolks and all those foods WE have been improving our health with, paleo/low-carb authors are always decrying the confusing of correlation with causation. But ya know what i've noticed? They don't mind mere correlation at all, when results tell them something they want to hear. Chairs kill? Standing-desks are best? People who walk or bike to work are thinner? I don't think anyone has even done a randomized, controlled study on those things. Why are they considered gospel? Because it fits into people's belief systems.
Now, i'm not one to deride anecdotal evidence. In many cases -- like, when Drs. Atkins or Davis observe hundreds of patients improve health with the removal of sugar, wheat, vegetable oil, whatever from their diets -- THIS is powerful evidence and more likely to be true than a BigPharm trial that's rigged from the start. You just have to make sure that the people telling the anecdote are on the same page with you.
So today, i'm going to resist the temptation to repeat my good-resulting behavior of yesterday. My breakfast was a good-sized serving of Italian Almond Cream (an Atkins recipe -- if you've never tried it, you SHOULD -- delicious!) with my coffee. I think i'll have a steak for lunch/dinner, but no cocktail-hour today. Since i've had such good luck on weight this week, i won't anticipate the scale going down for several days.
That should correlate with long-term success.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
insomnia -- not a bad thing?
I seem to go through phases of sleeping less and sleeping more. Like the phases of what i feel like eating, and phases of greater/lesser thyroid function, i'm concluding that these things are not pathological unless they go on too long, or go out of reasonable boundaries.
"This morning" i woke up at around 3 (four hours sleep), and when i couldn't doze off again over the next hour, i gave up the attempt. This follows a night of only about 6 hours. Tonight, i'll make sure to take some melatonin so it doesn't become a habit.
The body is an amazing self-regulatory system. When we try to micromanage it, we end up doing things we never intended. (This is one of the reasons i avoid pharmaceuticals....) If we try to INSIST that our bodies eat or sleep or give birth or poop or whatever, when our bodies aren't READY to do it, doesn't it make sense that the rebellion might be an ugly thing? Not to mention the emotional stress that we get from the frustration, when our control-demanding minds completely fail to get the results we think we should. And the physical stress that we cause when we try....
A little bit of the fatalism and acceptance-of-the-unavoidable of times past may be good for us. If we don't EXPECT to be able to control every facet of our lives, the stress goes way down. It helps to have a philosophy that says that things will be okay anyhow -- i suppose that's why people can have some really irrational religious beliefs when times are hard.
It can be easy to let it drive you crazy when you NEED SLEEP and it eludes you. Just like, when you're doing everything right and the weight just won't come off. Western culture telling us that we SHOULD be able to have and do ANYTHING WE WANT, if only we want it BADLY ENOUGH, has been a piss-poor influence, in my opinion. Ironic, that the voice of reason in this regard comes from a pop icon in "you can't always get what you want, ... but you just might find, you get what you need."
I think that giving your body what it needs, and then having a little trust in it to manage itself properly, is wiser than trying to get it to perform the way you want and to schedule, like a synchronized-swimming team. Especially if your body is ... shall we say, atypical? There's NO authority which knows it as well as it knows itself.
"This morning" i woke up at around 3 (four hours sleep), and when i couldn't doze off again over the next hour, i gave up the attempt. This follows a night of only about 6 hours. Tonight, i'll make sure to take some melatonin so it doesn't become a habit.
The body is an amazing self-regulatory system. When we try to micromanage it, we end up doing things we never intended. (This is one of the reasons i avoid pharmaceuticals....) If we try to INSIST that our bodies eat or sleep or give birth or poop or whatever, when our bodies aren't READY to do it, doesn't it make sense that the rebellion might be an ugly thing? Not to mention the emotional stress that we get from the frustration, when our control-demanding minds completely fail to get the results we think we should. And the physical stress that we cause when we try....
A little bit of the fatalism and acceptance-of-the-unavoidable of times past may be good for us. If we don't EXPECT to be able to control every facet of our lives, the stress goes way down. It helps to have a philosophy that says that things will be okay anyhow -- i suppose that's why people can have some really irrational religious beliefs when times are hard.
It can be easy to let it drive you crazy when you NEED SLEEP and it eludes you. Just like, when you're doing everything right and the weight just won't come off. Western culture telling us that we SHOULD be able to have and do ANYTHING WE WANT, if only we want it BADLY ENOUGH, has been a piss-poor influence, in my opinion. Ironic, that the voice of reason in this regard comes from a pop icon in "you can't always get what you want, ... but you just might find, you get what you need."
I think that giving your body what it needs, and then having a little trust in it to manage itself properly, is wiser than trying to get it to perform the way you want and to schedule, like a synchronized-swimming team. Especially if your body is ... shall we say, atypical? There's NO authority which knows it as well as it knows itself.
Monday, February 13, 2012
what's working, revisited
I went to bed early last night, and today i feel great! :-) Part of the credit for that, i feel, is the half-dozen raw oysters i had last evening as a first course (the rest of the meal was a lobster tail with butter, roasted okra from the "Paleo Comfort Foods" cookbook, sweetener-free raspberry-orange sorbet and coffee -- yum). We ate comparatively early, which always agrees with me.
I had a few ounces of a good sake with the oysters -- it seemed to call for it! That, or champagne, or vodka.... Now, i haven't added champagne back into my diet yet, as i had "trouble" with chardonnay. On Saturday afternoon i had a short bloody-mary made with a bacon-flavored potato vodka, tomato juice and hot sauce, and i felt draggy the rest of the day. Perhaps even potato-based vodka isn't going to agree with me -- i'll try it again sometime later, in a mixture that doesn't include the nightshades. Sake, though, continues to be comparatively non-toxic.
My discovered "tricks of the trade" may not work with everybody. I strongly suspect that if one's middle-aged body resists weight-loss when all of the "neolithic agents of disease" (NADs) are removed, then low-carb is definitely the way to go. Some people say they've tried it and they felt terrible, but i suspect they weren't eliminating a "sensitive" food that they should have. HOWEVER: i'm not in a position to say they're wrong, either! Not everybody's body functions the same way -- a young, healthy, athletic male body's physiology is entirely different from mine: female, middle-aged, thyroid-challenged, food-sensitivity-ridden, and moderately overweight.
Having discovered, with the help of the Personal Paleo Code, what the worst offenders are against my health and well-being, i can offer this partial list of what helps me most:
I had a few ounces of a good sake with the oysters -- it seemed to call for it! That, or champagne, or vodka.... Now, i haven't added champagne back into my diet yet, as i had "trouble" with chardonnay. On Saturday afternoon i had a short bloody-mary made with a bacon-flavored potato vodka, tomato juice and hot sauce, and i felt draggy the rest of the day. Perhaps even potato-based vodka isn't going to agree with me -- i'll try it again sometime later, in a mixture that doesn't include the nightshades. Sake, though, continues to be comparatively non-toxic.
My discovered "tricks of the trade" may not work with everybody. I strongly suspect that if one's middle-aged body resists weight-loss when all of the "neolithic agents of disease" (NADs) are removed, then low-carb is definitely the way to go. Some people say they've tried it and they felt terrible, but i suspect they weren't eliminating a "sensitive" food that they should have. HOWEVER: i'm not in a position to say they're wrong, either! Not everybody's body functions the same way -- a young, healthy, athletic male body's physiology is entirely different from mine: female, middle-aged, thyroid-challenged, food-sensitivity-ridden, and moderately overweight.
Having discovered, with the help of the Personal Paleo Code, what the worst offenders are against my health and well-being, i can offer this partial list of what helps me most:
- very low carbohydrate diet;
- intermittent fasting;
- sleep! 7-9 hours of it!
- stress control (i use tincture of licorice when feeling overburdened);
- supplements, which are entirely individual, though the Perfect Health Diet website makes some good recommendations;
- high-fat and protein meal early in the day, and any significant amount of carb i allow myself, saved for dinner;
- avoiding EVERYTHING that actively disagrees with me (all the NADs, and more), no matter how much i like it!
- tabata sprints, not too often, and walking, as Mark Sisson says;
- limiting goitrogens;
- not snacking;
- progesterone creme (again, it's individual -- but it helps the thyroid, balances estrogen-dominance, and is NOT CARCINOGENIC, California!)
- ... uh ... i'm sure there's more ... oh yeah, coffee! i think i need another cup.... ;-)
Thursday, February 2, 2012
indulgence and irony
At the four-week-point weigh-in yesterday, results were disappointing but nothing to discourage me from continuing with the paleo program. If my weight loss has stalled, part of the problem is the inflammation in my injured knee, and additionally, all the travel has encouraged water retention. Nevertheless, i DID give myself permission to anticipate the 30-day minimum of perfect conduct: i went out for sushi with my daughter and three friends at Chitsuru in Houston, and i had a great evening -- with sake.
I perused the menu before going -- i always like to do that when trying a new restaurant. Sometimes, it's just impossible to read a menu with full comprehension when people are around. I pretty well decided what i was going to eat beforehand (pending changes of mood or an enticing special...), and ended up sticking to my conclusion: hot sake, pickled vegetables, mackerel sashimi, yellowtail, and a rice-free roll with cucumber, masago, avocado and eel.
With the first nibble of my appetizer, i was sold on this place! I have never been a pickle enthusiast -- the nasty, vinegary stuff that comes in jars at the local supermarket has ALWAYS left me cold -- but sometimes ethnic restaurants have pleasant surprises in that department. This outshone the best. True lacto-fermented radish, squash, and a sweetish mystery vegetable truly blew me away. Not only were they delicious, but my digestive tract has been thanking me ever since. :-)
The mackerel was wonderful -- mild and meaty. Whoever thinks mackerel is exceptionally strong, obviously hasn't had it prepared or handled right. The yellowtail was delectable and beautifully presented. The roll was delicious as well -- gave me a taste of the eel i love without a big dose of the "naughty" sauce that frequently accompanies it. A taste of Gina's seaweed salad proves that this restaurant does THAT well, too. Chitsuru is going to be a return-to place whenever i'm visiting here!
That said ... I WAS NAUGHTY. I drank sake and used a little soy sauce (i asked after tamari, but it was not to be had). I also had a couple of tastes of the rolls my daughter and a friend had ordered (i.e., i had a little rice). I rationalized to myself that the small amount of sugar from the eel and the digestion of the tablespoon or two of rice was not significant, in that i had no fruit yesterday. I "know" rice to be non-toxic to me (part of the reason why i ordered sake instead of chardonnay). There IS no excuse for the soy sauce, though.
Last night, i didn't sleep quite so soundly as i have been doing since i arrived in Texas. I tossed a little, and "slept hot" (had to keep my feet out from under the covers), and had another of my trademark "interesting" dreams -- i credit the sake for that. I frequently feel hot while metabolizing off alcohol as fuel (the body has to burn it before sugar or fat, because it can't be stored).
The ultimate irony, though -- i stepped on the scales to survey the damage this morning, and found myself two pounds lower than yesterday. It seems like an encouragement to vice, but i'm not going to fall for it.
I perused the menu before going -- i always like to do that when trying a new restaurant. Sometimes, it's just impossible to read a menu with full comprehension when people are around. I pretty well decided what i was going to eat beforehand (pending changes of mood or an enticing special...), and ended up sticking to my conclusion: hot sake, pickled vegetables, mackerel sashimi, yellowtail, and a rice-free roll with cucumber, masago, avocado and eel.
With the first nibble of my appetizer, i was sold on this place! I have never been a pickle enthusiast -- the nasty, vinegary stuff that comes in jars at the local supermarket has ALWAYS left me cold -- but sometimes ethnic restaurants have pleasant surprises in that department. This outshone the best. True lacto-fermented radish, squash, and a sweetish mystery vegetable truly blew me away. Not only were they delicious, but my digestive tract has been thanking me ever since. :-)
The mackerel was wonderful -- mild and meaty. Whoever thinks mackerel is exceptionally strong, obviously hasn't had it prepared or handled right. The yellowtail was delectable and beautifully presented. The roll was delicious as well -- gave me a taste of the eel i love without a big dose of the "naughty" sauce that frequently accompanies it. A taste of Gina's seaweed salad proves that this restaurant does THAT well, too. Chitsuru is going to be a return-to place whenever i'm visiting here!
That said ... I WAS NAUGHTY. I drank sake and used a little soy sauce (i asked after tamari, but it was not to be had). I also had a couple of tastes of the rolls my daughter and a friend had ordered (i.e., i had a little rice). I rationalized to myself that the small amount of sugar from the eel and the digestion of the tablespoon or two of rice was not significant, in that i had no fruit yesterday. I "know" rice to be non-toxic to me (part of the reason why i ordered sake instead of chardonnay). There IS no excuse for the soy sauce, though.
Last night, i didn't sleep quite so soundly as i have been doing since i arrived in Texas. I tossed a little, and "slept hot" (had to keep my feet out from under the covers), and had another of my trademark "interesting" dreams -- i credit the sake for that. I frequently feel hot while metabolizing off alcohol as fuel (the body has to burn it before sugar or fat, because it can't be stored).
The ultimate irony, though -- i stepped on the scales to survey the damage this morning, and found myself two pounds lower than yesterday. It seems like an encouragement to vice, but i'm not going to fall for it.
Monday, January 30, 2012
more reflecting on effects of "paleostyle" living
As i progress in the first month of the Personal Paleo Code, different things start "popping out at me" -- gaining my attention as fewer diet-confounding symptoms are noticeable....
One thing happened several times over the course of the weekend, which RECENTLY hasn't been an issue with me: forgetfulness! I don't know how many times i was conversing with someone, and the word i wanted just would NOT come to mind. This was historically something that would often annoy me about myself, even in early adulthood, but not something that's troubled me over the past few years. On the drive between the living-history town and my daughter's house, i had plenty of time to ruminate on why this may have occurred over the weekend.
The stand-out "failure" i was guilty of, during the event, was late nights and early mornings. The people i "play" with are VERY dear friends whom i see way too seldom. When i finally get to enjoy their company, i try to make the most of the hours, and it's very easy for 2am to overtake me -- then, the next morning i may (as i did on Sunday) have to awaken at 6 in order to wait tables at breakfast. Wednesday night (as i was preparing to leave home), Thursday night (sharing a room with my best friend), and Saturday night (as described above) i got WAAAYYY too little sleep. Could that be why my brain just was not retrieving language-related information the way i expected it to?
On the other hand, i was proud of myself, the way i stuck to the dietary part of the Code. As all my friends were downing beers, ciders, wine and "Pembertons" (Coke), i sipped innocently at my San-Pellegrino-with-a-sliver-of-lime pretty happily (it helped stave off the dehydration i frequently experience, too). Bacon and eggs, nuts, a few fruits (more than my usual, in fact), steak and green beans were the mainstays of the weekend. My energy and stamina were good. I have to say, i DID leave a couple of supplements at home which i take semi-regularly -- i figured i'd be able to make up for their lack by eating things like oysters.... :-D
I'll make sure to get plenty of rest this week, and see how that improves the way my brain works (i'm even feeling more difficulty in expressing myself in writing). I slept very well last night, so i'm thinking that one more long night's sleep OUGHT to catch me up properly. If tomorrow's post isn't a bit more fluent ... well, i'm on the Gulf Coast and it's the end of January! Where's me some seafood?!
One thing happened several times over the course of the weekend, which RECENTLY hasn't been an issue with me: forgetfulness! I don't know how many times i was conversing with someone, and the word i wanted just would NOT come to mind. This was historically something that would often annoy me about myself, even in early adulthood, but not something that's troubled me over the past few years. On the drive between the living-history town and my daughter's house, i had plenty of time to ruminate on why this may have occurred over the weekend.
The stand-out "failure" i was guilty of, during the event, was late nights and early mornings. The people i "play" with are VERY dear friends whom i see way too seldom. When i finally get to enjoy their company, i try to make the most of the hours, and it's very easy for 2am to overtake me -- then, the next morning i may (as i did on Sunday) have to awaken at 6 in order to wait tables at breakfast. Wednesday night (as i was preparing to leave home), Thursday night (sharing a room with my best friend), and Saturday night (as described above) i got WAAAYYY too little sleep. Could that be why my brain just was not retrieving language-related information the way i expected it to?
On the other hand, i was proud of myself, the way i stuck to the dietary part of the Code. As all my friends were downing beers, ciders, wine and "Pembertons" (Coke), i sipped innocently at my San-Pellegrino-with-a-sliver-of-lime pretty happily (it helped stave off the dehydration i frequently experience, too). Bacon and eggs, nuts, a few fruits (more than my usual, in fact), steak and green beans were the mainstays of the weekend. My energy and stamina were good. I have to say, i DID leave a couple of supplements at home which i take semi-regularly -- i figured i'd be able to make up for their lack by eating things like oysters.... :-D
I'll make sure to get plenty of rest this week, and see how that improves the way my brain works (i'm even feeling more difficulty in expressing myself in writing). I slept very well last night, so i'm thinking that one more long night's sleep OUGHT to catch me up properly. If tomorrow's post isn't a bit more fluent ... well, i'm on the Gulf Coast and it's the end of January! Where's me some seafood?!
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