Growing up and through my 30s I've always eaten what I've been given. Consequently, my pallet has a wide tolerance for strange flavors and I've never really cared about texture (other than chips which must have crunch). Pineapple, however, is very sensitive to texture and flavor. If a vegetable doesn't have the right texture, or is slimy, she absolutely will not eat it.
Thankfully for the first several years of our marriage I rarely cooked. I didn't have the sense or the skills so I regularly ruined vegetables. Frozen veggies steamed in the microwave tended to come out okay, but often mushy.
Monday, July 29, 2019
Monday, July 22, 2019
More on Soap
Last time I talked about soap, I documented why I moved off of bar soap to liquid soap because bar soap is made with palm kernelate; i.e. palm kernel oil which causes my psoriasis to flare up.
Well, this time I've reversed directions...sort of. I moved off of most liquid soaps and back to bar soap, but very specific kinds of bar soaps which do not use palm kernel oil.
I had been using standard liquid soap on my hands for months and then I bought a set of bottles of liquid soap for use in the shower. I used soap from one bottle once and had an instant flare-up. So I double-checked the ingredients and found that they were basically the same as my hand soap, which I only use on my hands. In the shower, I had been using (and continue to use) Alevia Ensymatic Body Cleanse, which is liquid but has a simple list of Paleo-AIP-compatible ingredients.
Well, this time I've reversed directions...sort of. I moved off of most liquid soaps and back to bar soap, but very specific kinds of bar soaps which do not use palm kernel oil.
I had been using standard liquid soap on my hands for months and then I bought a set of bottles of liquid soap for use in the shower. I used soap from one bottle once and had an instant flare-up. So I double-checked the ingredients and found that they were basically the same as my hand soap, which I only use on my hands. In the shower, I had been using (and continue to use) Alevia Ensymatic Body Cleanse, which is liquid but has a simple list of Paleo-AIP-compatible ingredients.
Monday, July 15, 2019
Taco Salad sans Taco
A couple months ago, Pineapple brought up the fact that she had been craving an old childhood favorite of hers: taco salad. She asked if I could make it for her--adjusted for my diet of course.
So I decided to give it a try. Historically her taco salad calls for corn chips, sour cream, and ketchup but since I cannot have any of those, I leave them out and use olive oil as a dressing instead. Pineapple, on the other hand, will sometimes add sour cream initially and later she may add ketchup.
My initial stab at making the taco salad was a hit, and so I have been making it 4 times each week since.
So I decided to give it a try. Historically her taco salad calls for corn chips, sour cream, and ketchup but since I cannot have any of those, I leave them out and use olive oil as a dressing instead. Pineapple, on the other hand, will sometimes add sour cream initially and later she may add ketchup.
My initial stab at making the taco salad was a hit, and so I have been making it 4 times each week since.
Monday, July 8, 2019
Limeade
When I cook dinner, I'm not afraid of larger quantities of fats or proteins than most people are accustomed to. However, that means that Pineapple and I often want something acidic to help cut through the fat and protein.
I typically get my acid via the vinegar I drizzle on my salads and by eating citrus such as Red Grapefruit. However, Pineapple asked if I could make a limeade so I figured I'd give it a shot.
The limeade we get at the store is typically pretty sweet. The manufacturer--like most drink manufacturers--is trying to hit the sweetness bliss point; That's basically the amount of sweetness which maximizes pleasure when drinking. Most sodas use high fructose corn syrup because it's inexpensive, gives a strong sugar high, has a lower glycemic index, and in the right quantity it will hit the bliss point.
However, I don't like to eat sugary foods anymore (I often can only taste the sugar and all the other flavors disappear), I don't like the 2-by-4-to-the-head smack of the bliss point (it temporarily makes the drink the center of the meal drowning out the food or company), and high concentrations of fructose cause me digestive trouble (I have fructose malabsorption). Because Pineapple and I make our own limeades now, we can control the sugar content and we like it much more.
Here's our recipe, and it typically takes about 5 minutes start-to-finish.
I typically get my acid via the vinegar I drizzle on my salads and by eating citrus such as Red Grapefruit. However, Pineapple asked if I could make a limeade so I figured I'd give it a shot.
The limeade we get at the store is typically pretty sweet. The manufacturer--like most drink manufacturers--is trying to hit the sweetness bliss point; That's basically the amount of sweetness which maximizes pleasure when drinking. Most sodas use high fructose corn syrup because it's inexpensive, gives a strong sugar high, has a lower glycemic index, and in the right quantity it will hit the bliss point.
However, I don't like to eat sugary foods anymore (I often can only taste the sugar and all the other flavors disappear), I don't like the 2-by-4-to-the-head smack of the bliss point (it temporarily makes the drink the center of the meal drowning out the food or company), and high concentrations of fructose cause me digestive trouble (I have fructose malabsorption). Because Pineapple and I make our own limeades now, we can control the sugar content and we like it much more.
Here's our recipe, and it typically takes about 5 minutes start-to-finish.
Ingredients
- 1 - 2 limes, depending on tartness (we prefer 1)
- 2.5 or more tablespoons of cane sugar, depending on desired sweetness (I stay low)
- A hand-full of ice to keep the drink cool
- Water
Directions
- Slice the lime(s) into chunks you can squeeze
- Squeeze the lime(s) into the blender
- Add the sugar
- Add the ice (too much ice will give you more of a slush which doesn't pour evenly)
- Add water up to the 1 liter mark
- Blend (I hold down "pulse" for 10-15 seconds)
- Serve and enjoy!
Limes
When cutting the lime(s) (or lemons in recipes which require them), I do the following:
- slice the lime off-center from top to bottom
- set aside the smaller portion
- slice the remaining portion off-center from the top to the bottom
- set aside the smaller portion
- slice the final chunk off-center
At this point I have 4 chunks, one looks like half a lime, one looks like half a sliver taken from the center of the lime, and the last two pieces mirror each other and came from either side of the half-sliver.
When juicing, I hand-squeeze a chunk of lime over the blender, and then--using my thumbnail--scrape the pulp out of the lime skin into the blender.
Monday, July 1, 2019
Worst. Winter. Ever.
I just had my worst winter ever.
It was filled with lots of depression and long gloomy days even though the sun goes down pretty early. On several occasions, Pineapple expressed concern about my state of mind. Mentally I figured I should be fine since I didn't have anything specific to point to as the cause, but I definitely didn't feel right. Although I was eating the same diet I've been eating all year--and I felt great all the other months--for some reason this winter was abysmal.
Ever since I was a kid I've had trouble getting through the winter. Each winter I get depressed and can never pinpoint why. I've never been professionally diagnosed but I suspect that I have Seasonal Affective Disorder (a.k.a. SAD ...not to be confused with SAD [the Standard American Diet]). Basically, with the sun not coming up as high in the sky, my body never quite feels alive; It feels like I am living in a cave. Living in the Seattle area compounds this feeling because the sky is typically cloudy for most of the winter which means I get even less exposure to the sun.
To compensate for this lack of sunlight, I could move much further south, but other than the "winter blues" I like it around here. Portland, Oregon has a similar climate, but it is not located far enough south to get me the sunlight I need.
One way I attempt to wake up my brain is to use a "happy light"; A specially-tuned bright light I position in my periphery for at least 30 minutes. I use it every day, and it has worked fairly well for the last five to six winters, but this year my depression still persisted.
One day in March I watched a documentary titled Living Proof about a guy with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) who brought it under control via diet and exercise. Apparently MS is a huge problem in Canada where they get less sunshine during the winter months, and consuming Vitamin D is an essential part of bringing it under control. Also, MS appears to be an auto-immune disease. Hmmmm...
So I started taking Vitamin D every morning and after a few days my depression finally abated. (Technically I take Vitamin D3 because it is easier to absorb and use. I also make sure that all the ingredients are compatible with my diet.) Although we are now well into summer, and I no longer feel like I am living in a cave, I still take this supplement nearly every morning.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient; It's used by our bodies to absorb calcium. However, Vitamin D is not something we normally consume in food because out bodies can produce it in our skin when exposed to sunlight.
The reason the lack of sunlight seems to contribute to my depressed winters is that my body is trying to tell me that it is missing Vitamin D. In other words the source-less depression is a sign that my body is struggling to do the work it needs to do.
A second reason I think I got more depressed than normal this last winter is that I felt so much better since starting this diet. Similarly to how my body now overreacts to foods it is sensitive to because it is no longer constantly fighting, this winter I got a much stronger reaction to my lack of Vitamin D because my body no longer constantly struggles. When it is no longer generating Vitamin D its reaction is more prominent.
A huge reason I think my depression was compounded is stress. Over the Christmas break I lost more weight (most people gain weight) and then immediately afterward I gained back 20-30 pounds. I attribute all of that weight to stress and most of it to work-related stress.
Another contributing factor is that my sleep quality tanked back in November. I'm not sure what caused it to fall off. I'm using my CPAP every night, but for some reason I do not feel as rested each morning as I used to. My mask still fits fine, there doesn't seem to be a big leak, the machine is still pumping at the same pressure, and I still wake up less-than-rested.
Thankfully, since getting the vitamin D I need, I have lost much of my regained weight. I am on my way to getting even slimmer and more muscular (Pineapple comments from time to time 😁). To get these results I have been exercising more (I'm following a new program), doing yoga--daily if possible--and changing my relationship with work (I'm trying to do quality work without making my value as a person dependent on how other people perceive my efforts; this last one is the hardest to get right but is essential).
Now that winter's over, and I have a solid idea of what is probably going on, I now have a battle-plan for next winter. Hopefully next time I can be more in-tune with my body and can respond appropriately so that I can be happier and more productive.
It was filled with lots of depression and long gloomy days even though the sun goes down pretty early. On several occasions, Pineapple expressed concern about my state of mind. Mentally I figured I should be fine since I didn't have anything specific to point to as the cause, but I definitely didn't feel right. Although I was eating the same diet I've been eating all year--and I felt great all the other months--for some reason this winter was abysmal.
Ever since I was a kid I've had trouble getting through the winter. Each winter I get depressed and can never pinpoint why. I've never been professionally diagnosed but I suspect that I have Seasonal Affective Disorder (a.k.a. SAD ...not to be confused with SAD [the Standard American Diet]). Basically, with the sun not coming up as high in the sky, my body never quite feels alive; It feels like I am living in a cave. Living in the Seattle area compounds this feeling because the sky is typically cloudy for most of the winter which means I get even less exposure to the sun.
To compensate for this lack of sunlight, I could move much further south, but other than the "winter blues" I like it around here. Portland, Oregon has a similar climate, but it is not located far enough south to get me the sunlight I need.
One way I attempt to wake up my brain is to use a "happy light"; A specially-tuned bright light I position in my periphery for at least 30 minutes. I use it every day, and it has worked fairly well for the last five to six winters, but this year my depression still persisted.
One day in March I watched a documentary titled Living Proof about a guy with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) who brought it under control via diet and exercise. Apparently MS is a huge problem in Canada where they get less sunshine during the winter months, and consuming Vitamin D is an essential part of bringing it under control. Also, MS appears to be an auto-immune disease. Hmmmm...
So I started taking Vitamin D every morning and after a few days my depression finally abated. (Technically I take Vitamin D3 because it is easier to absorb and use. I also make sure that all the ingredients are compatible with my diet.) Although we are now well into summer, and I no longer feel like I am living in a cave, I still take this supplement nearly every morning.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient; It's used by our bodies to absorb calcium. However, Vitamin D is not something we normally consume in food because out bodies can produce it in our skin when exposed to sunlight.
The reason the lack of sunlight seems to contribute to my depressed winters is that my body is trying to tell me that it is missing Vitamin D. In other words the source-less depression is a sign that my body is struggling to do the work it needs to do.
A second reason I think I got more depressed than normal this last winter is that I felt so much better since starting this diet. Similarly to how my body now overreacts to foods it is sensitive to because it is no longer constantly fighting, this winter I got a much stronger reaction to my lack of Vitamin D because my body no longer constantly struggles. When it is no longer generating Vitamin D its reaction is more prominent.
A huge reason I think my depression was compounded is stress. Over the Christmas break I lost more weight (most people gain weight) and then immediately afterward I gained back 20-30 pounds. I attribute all of that weight to stress and most of it to work-related stress.
Another contributing factor is that my sleep quality tanked back in November. I'm not sure what caused it to fall off. I'm using my CPAP every night, but for some reason I do not feel as rested each morning as I used to. My mask still fits fine, there doesn't seem to be a big leak, the machine is still pumping at the same pressure, and I still wake up less-than-rested.
Thankfully, since getting the vitamin D I need, I have lost much of my regained weight. I am on my way to getting even slimmer and more muscular (Pineapple comments from time to time 😁). To get these results I have been exercising more (I'm following a new program), doing yoga--daily if possible--and changing my relationship with work (I'm trying to do quality work without making my value as a person dependent on how other people perceive my efforts; this last one is the hardest to get right but is essential).
Now that winter's over, and I have a solid idea of what is probably going on, I now have a battle-plan for next winter. Hopefully next time I can be more in-tune with my body and can respond appropriately so that I can be happier and more productive.
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