denial can be a positive coping strategy

Welcome Back from Mar's personal purgatory

sooo, food stuff first to distract me from moi!
Fatigue
Eating foods rich in iron and vitamin B12.
spinach, almond, cashew nut, quinoa, lentil, kidney bean, sardines.
Lamb and beef for an iron boost in case of low hemoglobin.

insomnia
avoid stimulants such as coffee chocolate and sugar for at least 5 hours prior sleep.
Remember anything processed ie: things made with white flour, alcohol....turn into sugar.
they can interrupt sleep patterns or cause blood sugar highs and lows.
when snacking eat foods with natural sugars to keep blood sugar stable.
foods to eat:
grapes, oranges, prunes, fig, spinach, sweet potato, peanuts, pumpkin seed, whole wheat, quinoa, lentil, kidney bean, haddock, oyster, chicken, parsley ginger, coconut oil.

I am struggling with health crap. So used to keeping it all inside that I'm kinda in failsafe mode again.
So...today is the breakout day.
I figure now that I've got a crack in the ice of my mask mode, I will chip away over it the next little while and share. verry tough to do. So one chip at a time, and voila.
That's my plan.
later y'all

researching, Faith, Hope, & Healing, for an inspiration

I'll start with wishing everyone a Happy-Healthy New Year.

Next I would like to tell my family, alllll of them........A Very Big Thank-You for a truly heart and soul warming Holiday Visit.

I was at the Library and looking at the newly acquired books and this one just spoke to me.

"Faith, Hope & Healing, by Bernie Siegel and Jennifer Sander".

It is a collection of inspiring lessons/stories learned from people living with Cancer.

I started reading it as I was waiting for a Dr.'s appt.

In the introduction they speak of the so-called curses in life that can become blessings, and an illness can help us come alive as human beings.

The side effects of cancer can become the labor pains by which we give birth to ourselves and lives we were meant to live.

The side effects empower us to nourish our lives, just as hunger forces us to seek nourishment for our bodies.

So........Not sure of the labor pain thing-a-ma-jingy, but the empower us to nourish....seemed to resonate for moi.

Since I have started this blog, the combination of sharing health, nutrition, recipes, and my struggles with depression. I have felt a lightening of my spirit. It is difficult to share the uglier, shamefilled, guilt-inducing thoughts I experience, tho somehow it also liberates me.

Doesn't make it easier to start a blog, or share, but the rebound of not feeling like I am contributing to the prison the chemical imbalance brings and, that slowly bit by bit I am building something by sharing my passion for nutrition and healthy food helps me feel like I am contributing something.

Sooo... the whole Universe does not revolve around surviving, that I am building something. A life maybe.

My hope is that you all will send me your health and nutrition, or food and recipe questions, and that in researching and answering them, my passion will be served/ignited, and the rest will follow.

Food Facts: the book "The Top 100 foods for a Younger You"

Fact is Foods bursting with nutrients are the cornerstone of looking and feeling great

The right foods can slowdown aging including wrinkle, dull skin, lifeless hair and strengthen the immune system.

AGING WELL IS AN ART. Who knew????!!!!

Sooo...Eat or Drink more

Foods loaded with Vitamin C--counteracts free radical damage and maintain healthy skin

Mango has Vit.- C, E, beta-carotene, and fiber

The recipe of the week--Mango's are in season, oh ya...

Mango Lassi- 2 cups plain yogurt ( I use skim because I like to save my fat calories for the good stuff) 2 mangos ( small atulfo mangoes= 1 med/lg haden mango)

8 ice-cubes

Yummmmm, If you have a powerful blender I throw in a few almonds for the extra protein and good oils.

I'll do a review of foods and Vitamin content and share it next time.

au'revoir,mar

Ho! Ho! Ho!-My Holiday Survival Tips--food,family,life

Hey There Y'all--it's moi, back in the frigid city also known as Ottawa (North Pole of the South).....Okayyyy that's all I'm saying. Brrrrrrrrr.

On a brighter note arrived Thursday afternoon 5 pm'ish, flight was delayed in leaving 'cause brakes needed fixing. Oh ya! Fix dem brakes, that's a good thing. Sooo arrived an hour late, and did I mention it was cold........

Got my luggage and found Cuz Rick and was about to load luggage when Rick yelled stop!!!, and reached in the trunk and pulled out, Mado's missing X 1week (already been deactivated, teehee) cell phone. Sooo I was already a good luck charm, my Mojo was ON, Oh Ya!......Did I mention my fingers were still numb with cold.(Hmmmm I sense a theme)

Anywhoooo, Soooo, phone found, Mar = good luck, and I could use all the good luck I can...

Arrive @ Rick & Mado's and lotsa hugs later suitcases in and deposited in my room, when hmmmm Where's Rick?? Followed by large clanging banging noises and much colorful speaking in increasingly louder verbal tonages. Off Mado and I went to investigate, and found Rick attempting to erect a ladder that was taller than the height allowance from floor to ceiling in the garage, ( that in itself was chuckleworthy, albeit silently to not incur his wrath)

Sooo a shorter ladder was retrieved and Rick pointed out an area on the ceiling that appeared whitish, and declared it was frost, which meant that there was moisture, which meant those ffffff'n guys didn't fix the problem that had their house flooded, torn apart, and a dusty wheezy, frustrating construction zone for the better part of the year.

Suffice it to say, all was not well in Whoville!

Friends with connections were called, plumbers were paged, contractors were contacted, and there were holes in the ceiling of the garage (a big one). Holes in the drywall in the master bedroom, moisture was found, pipes were replaced, and now comes the complete inspection of the faulty area to determine the extent of the problem and what it will take to fix da sucker once and for all.

And thru all of this, as disheartening as this is, Ya Know What, It's Just A House !!!!

Ain't it the truth! One we've all learnt well again this year! Soooooo next I went to Shae and Bob's.

Where we discussed food and what to prepare and serve for the family dinner we were hosting

on Sunday. Shae had found a recipe for Country Pork Pate in the Ottawa Citizen.

It Was Fabulous--- Soooo Here's the recipe.----of course we made a double batch-- one with the mushroom option and one without.

2lbs boneless pork shoulder

4oz bacon--chopped

4Tbsp- shallots--chopped

2Tbsp--garlic--chopped

2Tbsp--fresh thyme leaves

1/2cup--fresh parsley--chopped

2Tbsp--kosher salt

1tsp--black pepper

1cup--mushrooms-chopped fine--(optional)

1/2cup--pistachios--roasted&chopped

1/2 cup--dried apple--chopped

2Tbsp--flour

Tbsp--flour

2-large eggs (we used only one)

1/2 cup-heavy cream(we used 5%cream)

1--Prepare a weight to fit inside the terrine mould-(we used loaf pans)--which you will use later to compress terrine.(brick wrapped in foil)

2--grind the pork--coarse grind--(we used food processor on pulse--til coarse--then manually sifted through to pull out sinew and grizzle and cut up the larger pieces--it's detail work so good music is a must-- so say I)---set aside and reserve 2/3 of the pork.

---combine the remaining pork, bacon, shallots, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper and then grind a 2nd time.

3--In a bowl combine remaining reserved portion of pork with pistachios and chopped dried apples.

4--In a stand mixer bowl,( we used a hand mixer & large bowl)--combine the flour,eggs,brandy and cream and mix to combine.--Fold in pork/bacon mixture, working to combine.(mit your hands)--Fry up a small portion and adjust salt and pepper seasonings to taste. (we didn't, oops)

5--preheat oven to 300 degrees F.(150C)

6--Line a 1&1/2 quart (1.5L) terrine mould (loaf pan) with plastic wrap--(we used parchment paper)--leaving sufficient to hang over the sides to cover the top later.

Fill the mold with the pate mixture and fold the paper over the top to cover the terrine.

Place in a roasting pan and fill halfway up the sides of terrine pans with boiling water.

Bake until the internal temp=150degreesF, approx. 1 hour.

7--Remove terrine from roasting pan, place a weight on top(foil covered brick), let cool, and refrigerate with weight overnite. ( or if you live in Ottawa, put it in the garage)

As for moi----too bloody cold to walk so am doing several sets of push-ups and wearing my 3lb. ankle weights and using the stairs for exercise. helps cope with anxiety and heavyness.

Having increased menopause symptoms, muchos hot flashes and sweats, ughh, that's it no more complaining.

Emotionally soothing to be with family and feel cocooned in their warmth and love. Makes up for how difficult it is not sleeping in my own bed with my usual noises. Soooo Shae and Bob are home from errands sooooo....later y'all

interesting Eco-Info

Courtesy of The Big Green Cookbook

A Planet-friendly bite

Bamboo is a fast-growing, truly renewable resource. In fact, it's one of the fastest growing plants on Earth.

Since it has a uniquely short growth cycle, it can be harvested in less than five years versus the twenty that is typical for many hardwoods. And it doesn't need replanting because of its large root network.

Unfortunately, dairy foods, including cheese, are responsible for some of our greenhouse gas emissions. Of course, every food or beverage category has some impact on the environment. But there's no need to give up cheese. Just enjoy "real" cheese, not the processed stuff. Choose organic, local , or artisanal cheese varieties that are handmade in small batches, whenever possible. And then savour them like fine wine.

Go Local: If you can only find hoisin sauce that's imported or not-so-natural, then make your own "local" preservative-free, hoisin-like sauce with mainly organic ingredients.

Mix together 1/4 cup naturally brewed soy sauce, 2 TBSP. peanut or almond butter, 1TBSP mild foral honey, 1TBSP rice vinegar( preferably brown rice vinegar), 2tsp. sesame oil, and a few drops of your favorite hot pepper sauce.

This sauce goes great on lettuce wraps, soo easy and delicious.

Sautee your choice of ingredients, veggies, chicken, or pork, and fill lettuce leaves with the mixture, squeeze lemon and drizzle with homemade hoisin. Yummm

Use it, don't lose it---#1--have leftover olive juice, add more interest to salad dressings, or use the olive juice to make a dirty--or extra dirty--martini. Then sip while enjoying your appies and salad.

#2--if you don't use all parts of a citrus fruit in a recipe, consider other edible uses.

Zest the peel for added flavour or flair. ( one of my fave pump up the flavour tricks)

After using the juice, remove the rest of pulp and membranes from the peel and freeze in container. Add to breakfast shakes(with assorted berries- pumps up the Vit C + antiox values).

Or add to salad dressings with olive oil salt and pepper, and favorite spices and herbs, and Garlic of course.

Had a nice chat with Barb just now. twas lovely.

As for moi, dark and rainy, sooo ick. Had a break in the rain and got out for a walk Yesterday, was mild and the fresh air smelled great. A touch of sun didn't hurt. Trying to rebuild my physical fitness, so 15 push-ups x 2 daily, and walked for 20 minutes yesterday and came home and napped.

The pleurisy, which is a membrane at the base of the lung is not improving in a proper time frame, sooo another round of those ugh body bashing antibiotics. Yay modern medicine.

Sooo, I am using the reflect and redirect, otherwise known as avoid avoid avoid when it comes to symptoms of depression. Will build slowly on tried and true methods of redirection, The good news is I have it firmly implanted in recent memory cells that these increasingly severe symptoms do not last forever, that like the darkness the Seasonal component of my illness requires a more vigilant use of my coping strategies so they cannot gain to great a foothold on my psyche.

All that mumbo jumbo means is I'm doing my lite therapy and being careful to not dip to far down the mood scale, without employing my methods for surviving.

guess that's it.

bye for now.

M

okayyyyy, here I go.....one small step.....

Food Facts:

The book 'The Gene Smart Diet" I am skimming it now for any pearls of wisdom to absorb.

"Eat less, lose weight, and you'll have less inflammation and fewer biomarkers of aging. Eat more and the opposite occurs" exploring the health choice of calorie restriction. (CR-- calorie restriction) Not Fasting.

CR dramatically reduces c-reactive protein, a biomarker of of inflammation, in humans.

Pros and Cons of Calorie Restriction:

Pros--lowers blood pressure, lovers bad (LDL) cholesterol, lowers triglycerides--raises good (HDL) cholesterol---lowers fasting insulin and glucose levels--- lowers C-reactive protein--slows DNA damage.

Cons---only one-- being hungry---most peoples stomachs are larger and can accommodate more food due to the size of food portions ingested being ever increasing.

Solution----Eat something at least every 2 hours, you will never be hungry and your brain will stop sending signals and your stomach will stop expanding and expecting larger portions.

Mar"s tips: I aways have Walnuts, Almonds, and Dried fruits(careful with these that they don't have added oils or sweeteners, even concentrated apple/grape juice added will increase the empty calories) and a small container of whole grain cereal.

Food choices are so important, make everything you eat count. Save your empty calories for alcohol.

As for moi---my reading choices, reference above gene smart health, are involved. I use reading as a therapy tool. The more complex, the more focus it requires, concentration is difficult to access when my brain chemicals are doing their funky thang.

I have been housebound due to illness, and now torrential rains and biblical flooding. Thanks to the Universe my area has not flooded, only dealing with really dark grey skies and rain, rain rain.

I am doing my light Therapy again, when sick with the pneumonia I actually forgot about it, because spent two full weeks in bed and then daily trips to the living room, and I realized as I was trying to watch T.V. and couldn't focus, and was weeping at long distance phone commercials. It came to me, that one reason I was feeling worse than usual was I Had forgotten to do my light therapy.

So the veil of darkness that had so completely engulfed me again, has begun to allow some lightness of being to slowly emerge. Hence today's effort at blogging.

Have done 13 pushups- and got those little sparkly lites in my vision- so will do 10, 3 times a day, and start to build up some physical stamina. And will do a 20 minute walk ummmmm, tomorrow, uhhh , maybe.

Anyhow that's it for moi.

Flipping the switch to Health--The master health regulators.

A central switchboard for controlling the genes that dictate how long yeast cells live, and how many times they divide.

Actually the switchboard is a biological pathway that the scientists called Sir2 (sir stands for silent information regulator).

Simply put Sir2 senses how many nutrients are available to an organism in its environment. If nutrients are scarce--as they are when we restrict calories--the switchboard lights up and its activity increases. This activity, in turn, has a major impact on how long an organism lives and/or how many times it can reproduce. For the yeast cells, activating the switchboard extended their life span by a whopping 30 to 40%, just like calorie restriction.

"By reducing inflammation, which leads to better cell maintenance, the sirtuins increase life span and overall health."

The entire family of protein switchboards is collectively known as Sirtuins.

It is thought that all seven sirtuins (SIRTs 1 thru 7) deploy in response to the calorie restriction, they sense when the body is running low on nutrients and direct a wide range of metabolic adjustments. So if calorie restriction continues on an extended period, the body gradually reaches a new equilibrium.

For instance---insulin sensitivity improves-- a great thing when you consider that insulin resistance is a step on the path toward diabetes. Oxygen consumption and physical activity increase, and energy use returns to pre-CR levels.

CR provides a turbo boost, too: in animals, we see a marked enhancement of their ability to endure a number of other stressors like heat and alcohol. All of these changes are hallmarks of calorie restriction in mammals.