On thursday i started being "good" again, and am finally starting to feel a little more normal. Friday, my legs just ACHED and my energy was poor -- how quickly i go gimpy on a less-than-optimal diet! Yesterday (after increased doses of carnitine to help the process along) my symptoms started fading. A good night's sleep last night was icing.
Yesterday's dinner was the pair of pork hocks, and it fully lived up to expectation! Browned in fat then removed to a platter, the meat rested while i made the mirepoix and deglazed the pan with white wine, then added a melange of spices (per the recipe in "Odd Bits" for lamb shank), popped it all in a roaster and cooked at 300F for three hours (turning halfway through). YUM. We'll definitely buy that cut again, and use the recipe some more, too!
I allowed myself a glass of white wine while i was cooking, and interestingly enough, my stomach wasn't happy about it. :-) I wouldn't be too surprised if my body started making me forgo ALL the things it doesn't approve of....
Next weekend i have a living-history event to prepare for, so i'll probably be too busy to write or read much -- at our old-west village, a group of us is "putting on a show in the barn" as those silly old movies used to say. We're doing a truncated version of "The Pirates of Penzance," and i get to play Ruth, the part that Angela Lansbury did so beautifully in the film version of '83. :-D Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013
meat, glorious meat!
We went out for dinner with our dear neighbors last night. Mexican food ... i wasn't "good" but i COULD have been much worse! :-) The big highlight, though, came after we had mopped up the DELICIOUS fajitas (which i ate with a fork rather than wrapped in tortilla) -- there's a little market and carniceria attached, and OH MY GOD THE BEAUTIFUL MEAT!!!
Cow and pig parts like i've never seen before! You know those cute little shrink-wrapped pre-seasoned pork tenderloins -- i SNEER at them. Carniceria Latino Americana has pork tenderloin that would make a steer jealous! They have fresh pork hock done up in beautifully-matched pairs (bought some) -- they have pig feet and chops and slabs of ribs, they have beef feet with the leg almost up to the knee, and liver and the most gorgeous thick slices of shank (got a pair of those too) and ... and ... and!
Having a pretty full freezer already, i limited myself, but brother have i got a new butcher-shop to love! Who cares that the butcher himself may be a little English-challenged -- it'll be incentive for me to brush up my Spanish and learn some new words, meat-cut-related of course. The girl who waited on us at table said that he does the meat-cutting himself (as compared to what you see in most groceries). And the place was so CLEAN -- not an off-scent in the place, as compared to the oriental place down the road.... Assuming the meat i bought is as good as it looks, i'll have to go back and try the chicken and fish, too.
Cow and pig parts like i've never seen before! You know those cute little shrink-wrapped pre-seasoned pork tenderloins -- i SNEER at them. Carniceria Latino Americana has pork tenderloin that would make a steer jealous! They have fresh pork hock done up in beautifully-matched pairs (bought some) -- they have pig feet and chops and slabs of ribs, they have beef feet with the leg almost up to the knee, and liver and the most gorgeous thick slices of shank (got a pair of those too) and ... and ... and!
Having a pretty full freezer already, i limited myself, but brother have i got a new butcher-shop to love! Who cares that the butcher himself may be a little English-challenged -- it'll be incentive for me to brush up my Spanish and learn some new words, meat-cut-related of course. The girl who waited on us at table said that he does the meat-cutting himself (as compared to what you see in most groceries). And the place was so CLEAN -- not an off-scent in the place, as compared to the oriental place down the road.... Assuming the meat i bought is as good as it looks, i'll have to go back and try the chicken and fish, too.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
one mechanism
When weight loss slows or plateaus, my instinct is to read all sorts of articles/chapters of books on the subject, just to encourage myself, clean up my "technique" and reinforce my will to succeed. Thus i often read things online which could be considered just confirmation of what i already know, by way of a pep-talk ... but i never know if i'm going to come across something new or especially-inspiring. I'm sure i've read a lot of THIS info before, but this time i was ripe to appreciate a particular aspect of it.
One of the (many) ways we see the basic CICO concept fall on its ass is where isocaloric diets differentiating between low- and high-carb arms show significantly different fat-loss results. And one of the (many) ways low-carb diets "waste" calories lies in the process of gluconeogenesis -- turns out, 100 grams of protein convert to only 57 grams of glucose! That's some pretty impressive inefficiency!
But that's not the mechanism i was referring to. The one that "turned on the lights" for me just now is the fact that alcohol use INHIBITS gluconeogenesis. I had observed that i could still lose weight on my ultra-LC regimen with one glass of wine with brunch and dinner, but beyond that it was (if i may coin a phrase) orvieto-land -- that CITY ON A PLATEAU [evil grin].
I already knew that for the best weight-loss results it helps to stay strictly on the wagon. Just a reminder, then....
One of the (many) ways we see the basic CICO concept fall on its ass is where isocaloric diets differentiating between low- and high-carb arms show significantly different fat-loss results. And one of the (many) ways low-carb diets "waste" calories lies in the process of gluconeogenesis -- turns out, 100 grams of protein convert to only 57 grams of glucose! That's some pretty impressive inefficiency!
But that's not the mechanism i was referring to. The one that "turned on the lights" for me just now is the fact that alcohol use INHIBITS gluconeogenesis. I had observed that i could still lose weight on my ultra-LC regimen with one glass of wine with brunch and dinner, but beyond that it was (if i may coin a phrase) orvieto-land -- that CITY ON A PLATEAU [evil grin].
I already knew that for the best weight-loss results it helps to stay strictly on the wagon. Just a reminder, then....
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
poor diet + poor sleep = catching his cold
My husband has been stuffy-headed and sneezing for a few days. The rough breathing has made him rather restless at night and you know what that means -- we've both had less than perfect sleep (and shorter-than-usual tempers). When he got up to clear his head at 3 a.m. i tried to not wake up completely but didn't succeed. I popped some systemic enzymes first (they help defeat viruses) along with a zinc lozenge, then a little later i took a couple of capsules of echinacea with benedryl and aspirin to help me get back to sleep (too late in the morning for melatonin).
I'd been blaming my dietary excursions for the lowered energy and worsened mood i've had the last few days, but now i'm inclined to suspect the virus. When i finally got up i had a tender throat and i can feel the inflammation in my upper-respiratory passages. I had the kind of REALLY weird dreams i only get when i have a bug, too.
:-( Well, i hope it doesn't get any worse, AND i hope it doesn't last too long! I'll be taking it easy today and doing all the right things for healing -- napping if i feel the need, forgoing alcohol, drinking chicken broth and continuing the special supplements. Certainly doing no significant brain work -- i don't think i have one today....
I'd been blaming my dietary excursions for the lowered energy and worsened mood i've had the last few days, but now i'm inclined to suspect the virus. When i finally got up i had a tender throat and i can feel the inflammation in my upper-respiratory passages. I had the kind of REALLY weird dreams i only get when i have a bug, too.
:-( Well, i hope it doesn't get any worse, AND i hope it doesn't last too long! I'll be taking it easy today and doing all the right things for healing -- napping if i feel the need, forgoing alcohol, drinking chicken broth and continuing the special supplements. Certainly doing no significant brain work -- i don't think i have one today....
Monday, March 4, 2013
craving bitters -- a revelation
I find that mindless activities are excellent for creative thinking. There's something freeing about having your hands busy and your brain minimally occupied! Needlework, driving, dishwashing and solitaire games are examples of when a lot of "eureka moments" hit me ... and i had one this morning.
Way back in my Atkins-days, i found it fascinating that the foods i most craved were GREENS. As a child, i (strangely enough) liked spinach, but never was a huge fan of the occasional beet- or turnip-greens to be found in our house -- well, i just didn't like the way my mother cooked them! Flavor-wise, the seasoning of all these was redundant, and she cooked the roots WITH the tops, and i believe they're better separate. My husband started making things like mustard, kale, chard and collards using different styles, and i became an AVID enthusiast. To CRAVE GREENS -- a completely new experience....
A similar pattern emerged when i started trying new cocktail recipes. I quickly tired of the sweet, koolaid-like bases for alcohol, and new favorites like the Calvados Cocktail (with a whopping 1/2 oz of orange bitters), Satan's Whiskers and Campari-&-soda are now my before-dinner choices.
Maybe i'm a little slow, but it took me awhile to connect the dots after i read that study last week (thanks, Bill!) and did some more googling -- bitter flavors on the tongue prompt an increase in stomach-acid AND bile production. More of each makes for a happier digestive system, and the bile specifically encourages the conversion of more thyroxine (T4) to triiodothyronine (T3): short answer, bitters make me feel more "normal"!
The old-timers were right ... as usual. Eat your greens and drink your aperitif, they're good for you -- and now we know why.
Way back in my Atkins-days, i found it fascinating that the foods i most craved were GREENS. As a child, i (strangely enough) liked spinach, but never was a huge fan of the occasional beet- or turnip-greens to be found in our house -- well, i just didn't like the way my mother cooked them! Flavor-wise, the seasoning of all these was redundant, and she cooked the roots WITH the tops, and i believe they're better separate. My husband started making things like mustard, kale, chard and collards using different styles, and i became an AVID enthusiast. To CRAVE GREENS -- a completely new experience....
A similar pattern emerged when i started trying new cocktail recipes. I quickly tired of the sweet, koolaid-like bases for alcohol, and new favorites like the Calvados Cocktail (with a whopping 1/2 oz of orange bitters), Satan's Whiskers and Campari-&-soda are now my before-dinner choices.
Maybe i'm a little slow, but it took me awhile to connect the dots after i read that study last week (thanks, Bill!) and did some more googling -- bitter flavors on the tongue prompt an increase in stomach-acid AND bile production. More of each makes for a happier digestive system, and the bile specifically encourages the conversion of more thyroxine (T4) to triiodothyronine (T3): short answer, bitters make me feel more "normal"!
The old-timers were right ... as usual. Eat your greens and drink your aperitif, they're good for you -- and now we know why.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
avoiding goitrogenic foods is SERIOUS business
Yesterday i found the threshold. About a half-cup of sauerkraut with my lunch, maybe a third-cup of cooked kale at dinner, plus an additional half-cup of the leftover coleslaw (just to finish it up), and i was COLD last evening. I slept well, and woke this morning with a tongue that filled my mouth to overflowing. Two strong symptoms with me, that my thyroid is under-performing.
I can usually have small amounts of problematic foods as long as i continue to eat well otherwise. The other day, i had about a quarter-cup of baked beans without symptoms, and i had more than that of lentils on another day with impunity, but after my whole30 last year when i added refried beans in, a half-cup of THOSE caused the cold to grip me. Then, a few months ago i tried a heritage variety of beans (Anasazi, and a small quantity at that) in my chili -- probably a quarter-cup was too much.
Obviously, different legumes, and different preparations of some foods (like cabbage) make a HUGE difference! After all, i had a good-sized wedge of cabbage (probably a cup's worth) cooked with corned beef not long ago, and didn't turn a hair. I can eat a reasonable serving of cooked broccoli or cauliflower (i avoid them raw these days) with no trouble. If one has a weak or sensitive thyroid, only self-experimentation can teach you what you can live with and what is just TOO MUCH.
And these are only the goitrogens! Grains and dairy cause a constellation of very different symptoms not necessarily associated with thyroid function. One small serving of wheat doesn't bring on significant joint pain, and for those who don't realize they're sensitive because they don't have glaring symptoms -- well, they aren't likely to believe they have any problem at all. It's only with an elimination diet and a LARGE dose of the offending substance that they'll come to notice they have ANY trouble! I suspect that few people have as strong a reaction as Lori did to a foodstuff ... OR do as good detective-work in figuring it out. You have to pay close attention to your body's cues, and not add too many novel foods too fast.
The additional amount of dairy (specifically, cream) that i've been consuming since my husband got home from his last business-trip has contributed its toll as well -- i've noticed before that dairy contributes to skin break-outs. I had been thinking about trying a new recipe for barley bread, and i was curious to see if my reaction to that flour would be like what i have to wheat and oats, or more like my almost-nonexistent response to sourdough rye ... and now i'm glad i did NOT make it. Too much of a load of "dangerous" foods at once!
Well, i've had fun experimenting but it's time to go back to a purer diet. The last few days have "gifted" me with more body aches and allergies than i've felt for quite awhile, so enough is obviously enough.
I can usually have small amounts of problematic foods as long as i continue to eat well otherwise. The other day, i had about a quarter-cup of baked beans without symptoms, and i had more than that of lentils on another day with impunity, but after my whole30 last year when i added refried beans in, a half-cup of THOSE caused the cold to grip me. Then, a few months ago i tried a heritage variety of beans (Anasazi, and a small quantity at that) in my chili -- probably a quarter-cup was too much.
Obviously, different legumes, and different preparations of some foods (like cabbage) make a HUGE difference! After all, i had a good-sized wedge of cabbage (probably a cup's worth) cooked with corned beef not long ago, and didn't turn a hair. I can eat a reasonable serving of cooked broccoli or cauliflower (i avoid them raw these days) with no trouble. If one has a weak or sensitive thyroid, only self-experimentation can teach you what you can live with and what is just TOO MUCH.
And these are only the goitrogens! Grains and dairy cause a constellation of very different symptoms not necessarily associated with thyroid function. One small serving of wheat doesn't bring on significant joint pain, and for those who don't realize they're sensitive because they don't have glaring symptoms -- well, they aren't likely to believe they have any problem at all. It's only with an elimination diet and a LARGE dose of the offending substance that they'll come to notice they have ANY trouble! I suspect that few people have as strong a reaction as Lori did to a foodstuff ... OR do as good detective-work in figuring it out. You have to pay close attention to your body's cues, and not add too many novel foods too fast.
The additional amount of dairy (specifically, cream) that i've been consuming since my husband got home from his last business-trip has contributed its toll as well -- i've noticed before that dairy contributes to skin break-outs. I had been thinking about trying a new recipe for barley bread, and i was curious to see if my reaction to that flour would be like what i have to wheat and oats, or more like my almost-nonexistent response to sourdough rye ... and now i'm glad i did NOT make it. Too much of a load of "dangerous" foods at once!
Well, i've had fun experimenting but it's time to go back to a purer diet. The last few days have "gifted" me with more body aches and allergies than i've felt for quite awhile, so enough is obviously enough.
Friday, March 1, 2013
one indulgence does not a slippery-slide make
We had neighbors over last night for a try-out of two local purveyors of BARBECUE. :-D It was good, and i was bad, having a sample of everything including "the neolithic agents of disease." But it won't do lasting damage because i've learned a couple of little secrets....
FIRST: never ever ever ever EVER say "well, i've already screwed up, so i may as well screw up more." EVER.
Second: fast until i feel reasonably normal again. It's just an extension of the type of fasting that comes naturally to me -- not eating first thing in the morning (when i'm not hungry anyway), but waiting till i actually regain an appetite. Usually, this gives me a 16-18 hour window in which to burn primarily lots of endogenous fat fuel, but today it'll probably stretch to 22 hours or more. I'll drink coffee while i'm waiting for the bloated feeling to go away ... as it will.
Third: a tiny bit of exercise is good, but a lot is horrible. If i TRY to burn off the stored carbs, all i'll succeed in doing is aggravate the joints which have taken a hit from the increased lectin load. More inflammation, i DON'T need!
So today i'll act like the poisoned pup i feel, and stay away from more food while i recover. For the record, there was no wrong answer when choosing baby-back ribs, though we all liked Bogart's (with a little cooked-on sauce) a LITTLE better than Pappy's probably-lower-carb spice-rubbed version. The brisket isn't as good as home-made, and the smoked turkey was a little dry. The green beans were spicy and pleasant, interesting for a change but not crave-worthy. The baked beans got good reviews but i think they're too sweet. The potato salad isn't in the same ballpark with my recipe, but surprisingly, the slaw was almost as good as J's. The only thing i prepared -- our starter cocktail, the Jungle Bird -- went over well ... and of course the wine was great!
FIRST: never ever ever ever EVER say "well, i've already screwed up, so i may as well screw up more." EVER.
Second: fast until i feel reasonably normal again. It's just an extension of the type of fasting that comes naturally to me -- not eating first thing in the morning (when i'm not hungry anyway), but waiting till i actually regain an appetite. Usually, this gives me a 16-18 hour window in which to burn primarily lots of endogenous fat fuel, but today it'll probably stretch to 22 hours or more. I'll drink coffee while i'm waiting for the bloated feeling to go away ... as it will.
Third: a tiny bit of exercise is good, but a lot is horrible. If i TRY to burn off the stored carbs, all i'll succeed in doing is aggravate the joints which have taken a hit from the increased lectin load. More inflammation, i DON'T need!
So today i'll act like the poisoned pup i feel, and stay away from more food while i recover. For the record, there was no wrong answer when choosing baby-back ribs, though we all liked Bogart's (with a little cooked-on sauce) a LITTLE better than Pappy's probably-lower-carb spice-rubbed version. The brisket isn't as good as home-made, and the smoked turkey was a little dry. The green beans were spicy and pleasant, interesting for a change but not crave-worthy. The baked beans got good reviews but i think they're too sweet. The potato salad isn't in the same ballpark with my recipe, but surprisingly, the slaw was almost as good as J's. The only thing i prepared -- our starter cocktail, the Jungle Bird -- went over well ... and of course the wine was great!
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