#egg contains vitamin a

[foodnutritionsposts]

Source of vitamin A

[jeremyd23]

5 Healthy and Delicious Homemade Cat Treats for Summer

5 Healthy and Delicious Homemade Cat Treats for Summer: Today, the summers are getting hotter and hotter, and the average annual temperature is on the rise in many parts of the world. While sweating in your t-shirt and shorts, your cat can be found soaking up as much warmth as possible. 

Do you worry about your pet’s Cat Treats for Summer? Thinking about what to eat him? Here are a few foods vets say will keep your beloved cat healthy this summer.

Packet-type dry food is available for cats. You can eat that food on the doctor’s advice. But apart from that there are some homemade dishes. It will keep your cat cool even in hot weather. Your feline friend will thank you for it!

5 Homemade Cat Treats for Summer

Now that summer has here, feline friends everywhere are looking for tasty ways to beat the heat. As a pet owner, you may be curious about what kinds of treats are healthy. And you should appealing to your cat. Here, we’ll look at some of the top summertime treats for felines.

Spinach and Rice:

Boiled spinach and rice are good for cats. The vitamins in spinach boost the cat’s immune system. Mix 1 part spinach with 4 parts rice and let him eat. It is better to mix it with water before giving it. But whether to give this food or not, know well from the doctor. 

Eggs and Rice:

Remove the yolk from the boiled eggs and mash only the white part. Then, Mix the egg white with rice and give it to the cat. Egg protein will meet most of the cat’s nutritional needs.

Meat Water Ice Cubes:

Boiling water for chicken is good for cats. But remember, it should not contain salt or any spices. Keep this water in the ice tray of the refrigerator and freeze it. Once the frozen ice cubes are ready, give them to your cat. It is good for the stomach and nutrition.

Watermelon Slices:

Watermelon meets some of the water needs of the cat’s body. But large amounts of watermelon can harm cats. Therefore, before eating watermelon, you must consult a doctor. One more thing to remember. 

Remove all the seeds from the watermelon before giving it. These seeds are harmful to the cat’s stomach.

Salmon and Sweet Potato Treats 

Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial to a cat’s skin and coat health. And salmon is a fantastic source of these nutrients. Vitamins and fiber can also be found in abundance in sweet potatoes. 

One can of salmon, drained and mashed, one mashed sweet potato. Besides, a quarter cup of flour is all you need to make these tasty morsels. Make little balls from the dough and bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 350°F. These snacks are not only nutritious, but they also taste great!

[harryspet]

homestead | r.cameron [p.2]

[warnings]dark!rafe cameron x pregnant!reader, farmer!rafe, pogue!reader, implied jj x reader, kidnapping, NONCON, unprotected sex, little editing,READ AT YOUR OWN RISK 18+

word count: 3.4k

In which you confront Rafe's unsettling mix of tenderness and manipulation.

part one

Your search of the room for anything useful as a weapon was not fruitful. Most drawers were empty except for clothes. You found more pairs of pajamas and nightgowns, but searching the closet only yielded a few hung sundresses. The bathroom was simple, with a clawfoot tub and another window looking out onto green pastures. On the bathroom counter, you found a wicker basket full of what you assumed were newly bought essentials. Several containers of prenatal vitamins, body washes and creams for sensitive skin, panty liners, Epsom salts, and essential oils. 

Rafe Cameron thought of all of this?

The window offered a view of the other side of the house and a large white barn and Rafe’s blue pickup truck caught your eye. You stepped into the tub to get a closer look out the window. Maybe you could see a road, a way out of here, or even a street sign that might tell you where you were. Just like the bedroom windows, they didn’t budge either. 

The bedroom door swings open once more, and you sink into the empty tub, your head cradled in your hands as you desperately try to force your mind to function. For the sake of your baby, you need to think clearly. The overwhelming situation presses down on you, making it even harder to process what’s happening. You can sense his presence in the doorway, but you can't bring yourself to meet his gaze.

“I made scrambled eggs,” He said. 

“They make me sick,” You said stoically, “Haven’t eaten them in months.”

“Good to know,” His tall, broad figure stood over you before you heard him kneel down beside the tub, “I also brought yogurt and fresh fruit. How does that sound?”

“All the windows are locked.”

“Uh, yeah,” he said as if it were normal, “I know you’re hungry. You need your strength. I don’t have to remind you why.”

You looked up to see his hand offering a white bowl filled with yogurt, fresh blueberries, and strawberries. He was right—you needed your strength. If not for the baby, then to gather the energy to escape. Perhaps you could think more clearly on a full stomach. You gazed at the food for a full minute, trying to rationalize why you should accept it, wrestling with the cognitive dissonance that churned within you.

You took it from his hands without a thank you and stirred your spoon about twenty times before finally bringing it to your mouth. It tasted heavenly, which you hated. “There’s the cutest farmer’s market a couple of miles from here. The blueberries are incredible but you gotta get there early on Sunday before they’re sold out.”

You met his eyes for a brief moment and realized they were sparkling with joy. You didn’t have to respond to him, he’d happily talk to himself as long as he felt like he was making some progress with you. You couldn’t let me feel that way for long, “You’ve outdone yourself, Rafe, really.”

“Just want you to be comfortable,” He shrugged, and you rolled your eyes, “It’s a lot right now, I know that.”

“A lot,” you scoffed, bitterness laced throughout your tone. “This is insane.”

Something flickered in his eyes, but he suppressed it, whatever it was, “You’re safe here. Your baby’s safe here. There’s plenty of room, plenty of food, and you’d never have to work a real jon. You haven’t even seen everything yet, but it’s beautiful. It’s a great place to raise a kid.”

“Rafe, you took the choice away from me.”

He shook his head, “So what? I saved you from suffering even further. Not even a little part of you regrets choosing JJ?”

You went quiet, feeling your temper rising. Instead of responding, you brought another spoonful to your mouth. He didn’t understand why this was so completely wrong, and presenting him with common sense didn’t seem to be working. 

“I love you, Y/N,” He spoke as if to get your attention, but you didn’t meet his eyes this time, “Don’t start thinking anyone’s coming to save you, Y/N. And you won’t overpower me or make it far running. Not in your condition. You know that.”

You knew that, didn’t you? Clearly, JJ didn’t care enough about you to do better. And Pope had a bright future ahead of him. Maybe he’d realize he was better off without you. What were you to do now? Give in when you’ve just realized that Rafe is a monster?

“Finish your food, I’ll be back later,” When you looked again he had the plate in hand and was walking away, not without loudly shutting the door. 

Your head tilted back against the cold porcelain. This would turn out to be a game of endurance. You had to outlast him and perhaps outthink him. He’d been planning to bring you here for weeks, but he couldn’t have planned for everything. 

You finished your food and then spent the next few hours exploring the room in more detail, ensuring you hadn’t missed any detail. After all that time, the only new discovery that you make is under the bed. Still, in its packaging, you find a pregnancy pillow. You wouldn’t admit that you felt a small comfort at the sight of it. Sleeping had started to feel completely uncomfortable over the past few weeks, and you woke up painfully sore each morning.

It felt wrong when you knew it shouldn’t. In the meantime, you’d also take some of the prenatal vitamins. You could only afford one bottle of the generic brand, but Rafe provided several different types. Taking multiple kinds meant you weren’t missing any nutrients your baby might need. In just a matter of hours, you were starting to realize all that you didn’t have. 

You unzipped the pillow from its packaging, letting yourself feel the soft material against your chest. Although the knock at the door wasn’t loud, it startled you. Rafe appeared now in work boots, jeans, and a flannel. He held the doorknob in his hand and looked you over as if he hadn’t just seen you or picked out the exact outfit he wanted to see you in. You noticed he was even taller in those boots.

“What do you think?” He gestured to the pillow.

“Looks expensive,” You said simply.

“It had the best reviews,” he added, “You’ll have to let me know how you like it tomorrow morning.”

You stared back at him, shifting on your feet. "Can I show you something?" he asked, the door still wide open. A chance to leave. Of course, you’d take it. Faking compliance, you carefully stepped towards him. As you crossed the threshold of your room, you allowed him to place a hand on the small of your back. "The room right next door," he said.

Your eyes were anywhere but that door. You were scoping out the entire hallway. There were two more doors across the hallway, perhaps one of them was Rafe’s, and you spotted the staircase. The walls were painted a muted beige and adorned with several rustic paintings. The scent of mahogany lingered in the air, likely one of Rafe’s attempts to make this place feel like a home rather than a prison. You couldn’t turn your head far as Rafe was urging you forward. 

“I’ve been working on something,” When Rafe opened the door, you stepped inside a brand new nursery room, “Rose helped with the decorations, but  I can change anything that you don’t like.”

The wallpaper was decorated with blue flowers and little woodland creatures. A wooden crib sat in the corner, a white canopy draping right next to a rocking chair. The window on the far side of the room also looked out onto green pastures. Shelves on the walls were already adorned with toys and baby books. It was surreal. Beautiful and horrifying. You clutched your chest as you slowly walked around the room. 

“Rafe,” was all you could manage to say.

“I didn’t get a lot of clothes yet. I knew you’d want to pick those out,” His arms raised up, scratching his head as if he was nervous to see your reaction. Over the crib, you noticed the space-themed mobile you had picked out at the store gently hanging down. "It’s a good start, right?" he added, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

“It’s literally perfect,” You couldn’t lie at that moment, “Rafe, d-do you really think I would be that horrible of a mom on my own?”

“No,” He rushed out, his face falling, “What? No, I don’t think that.”

“I could never give my baby anything like this.”

He came closer, but you stepped back, “That’s not what I’ve been trying to say with all of this. I think you’d be a great mom. You’re gonna be a great mom.”

You needed to hear those words. Maybe Rafe was the wrong source but you needed that confirmation. In a moment of weakness, you let him closer. He wiped your tears as they began to fall, “It’s not about what you have, but I’m telling you that I won’t let you do it on your own,” He wrapped his arm around your waist and tear-eyed, and you let your head rest on his chest, “I’ll take care of every little worry. All you have to do is agree to be mine.”

“If you really care about me,” you said softly, letting him run his hands over your hair. “You’ll let me make my own choices.”

“Y/N–”

“I appreciate everything you’ve done. I really do,” You lied, “And I want this. I promise. I know JJ is no good for me or the baby. Could you just give me a little bit more time?”

“You’ll go back to him,” Rafe said. His grip on your waist tightened, and you pulled your head away from his chest, gazing up at him. 

“It’s not your baby. You know that, right?” It was the wrong thing to say. His nostrils flared, and your heartbeat quickened. There was no reeling it back, so you pressed him further, “Even if we don’t end up together, I wouldn’t keep his baby from him. That’s wrong.”

“What he’s done to you is worse.”

“You’re right,” You said, trying to maintain the calm, “I know that now. And I understand that you care about me-”

“Do you understand? Really understand? Huh?” 

“Rafe-” You pushed at his chest, and he grabbed your wrists tightly. Your eyes widened as you struggled against him, “Please don’t hurt me.”

Powerless, he held you there, “I’d love your baby like it was mine, I would. And soon after, we could have our own. That’s what I want, for us to be a family,” Each word was low, tight, and controlled as he glared down at you. 

“Okay,” You agreed, scared more than anything, “I’m sorry.”

“I’ll show you,” He was completely cold now, “If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you. How you deserve to be treated. Everything I can give you. Then you’ll see, huh?”

He forced you down to the plush blue carpet with his body weight. You weren’t used to how your center of gravity had shifted, how your belly was also keeping you from being able to push back against him, “Please,” You said over and over again, your arms flailing until he pinned them above your head. You were out of breath already, and you had to slow your movementsand stop your struggling just to catch your breath. In this position, the baby is pressed against your further against your diaphragm, “Rafe, don’t.”

He just looked at you hungrily, grunting as he pulled down your bottoms and underwear. 

“You’re so beautiful like this,” He reached between your legs, and you felt your body freeze, “Fucking gorgeous … I’m so lucky.”

You might’ve swooned in any other context. You were more swollen and much more sensitive, meaning you felt every caress that he made. You didn’t want to, but your head tilted back as he carefully rubbed your sensitive mound, “I’ll make you feel good … haven’t been touched in so long. Daddy’s gonna take care of you,” You told yourself that your body was just reacting, that it didn’t matter how good it felt because you didn’t ask for it. He kept your hands pinned only using one of his, as he used his other to undo his jeans. When he finally freed himself, able to palm his growing hardness through his briefs, he let go of your wrists. On your elbows, you tried to pull yourself away and you caught a glimpse of a smirk on his face. He liked this. Watching you struggle and attempt to crawl away. 

You yelped when he grabbed your hips, pulling you back and lifting them up at the same. He was inside of you before you could fully comprehend it. You could handle it if he thrust hard into you if he destroyed you fast, but Rafe took his time with you. There was no rush or hurry in his movements. He went as deep as you would take him, and his long strokes left you crying out with each one. 

You could handle it if it weren’t personal, but Rafe leaned over you and stared into your eyes with fierce determination. He talked you through every rush of pleasure, “I know, baby,” He’d coo when he knew it was too much, “Feels too good, don’t it?”

“I know you’re gonna cum for me,” He’d say when your eyes threatened to roll back into your head. “Cum all over me, baby,” He said when you finally couldn’t take it anymore. 

When he spilled into you, your body froze again. He cursed, his hips rutting into you. You felt every drop of him, and he didn’t pull out until he’d fully emptied himself inside of you. He sits back on his knees, and you hear him pull up his zipper. 

You flinched when you felt his hand on your thigh again.

“I’m sorry.”

What exactly he was apologizing for, you had no idea.

Rafe had gotten what he wanted because you didn’t speak out of turn once over the next two days. At some point, you expected the cavalry to arrive and come save you, but that hope shrank with each passing day. He invited you out of your room, and each time, you denied it. You easily recalled what happened the last time you left your room. You had all you could mentally handle within the room, and Rafe would bring you all three needed meals and snacks. You were quiet when he started the conversation, but you mustered up a few sentences for him when he grew frustrated at the lack of back and forth. 

You should have been focused on escape, but all you could think about was never letting him do to you again what he had done on the nursery floor. Being pregnant already made you feel like you had no control over your body. Rafe amplified that feeling, making you feel even more vulnerable and easily manipulated given your current state.

You spent most of the day sleeping, punctuated by long baths or staring out the window. Rafe woke up early each morning to tend to chores, the animals, and the early summer harvest. The vast expanse of land meant you didn’t see all the animals during the day, but in the afternoons when he fed Wrangler and Sadie, many of the animals rushed to the fence, hoping for scraps.

“Got you some books,” Rafe said when he came to see you around dinner time. To your disappointment, he wasn’t carrying any dinner with him. He set the stack of books on the dresser before adding, “And I ordered pizza.”

“Thank you,” you said, resting your head back down on your pillow, hoping that meant he’d bring it to you later. 

“Come watch a movie with me, I finally got the surround sound set up.”

“I’d like to eat up here, please?” You asked quietly, “I don’t feel good.”

“You haven’t felt good since you got here.” You let him sit in silence, “You’ll come eat downstairs tonight, Y/N.”

This was the first time you felt he was forcing you out of your room. You didn’t have the courage to upset him, so you lifted yourself out of the bed. He watched you intently, as if waiting for your compliance, aware of your recent streak of obedience. The way the look on his face softened was obvious, and you hated how relieved that made you feel. 

This time, he led you down the staircase, his hand gently guiding the small of your back as you held onto the railings. As you descended, you caught a glimpse of the front door, sunlight streaming in from the setting sun, but Rafe guided you in the opposite direction.

You passed through a large dining area with a substantial dark wooden table near the front of the house, then continued into a cozy living room. A plush sectional couch faced a massive stone fireplace, underneath which neatly stacked firewood awaited use. Above, a large flatscreen TV was mounted on the wall, flanked by windows dressed in simple, cream-colored curtains. Adjacent to the windows, a bookcase filled mostly with DVDs caught your eye.

He took the time to show you the downstairs bathroom and laundry room before leading you to the kitchen, which was located toward the back of the house. It was straight out of a magazine, spacious and well-appointed, complete with a charming breakfast nook. Many of the touches seemed to reflect Rose's influence, and seeing the rest of the house gave you a clearer picture of just how well-off he was.

A box of pizza sat atop the kitchen island, and Rafe pulled out one of the stools for you to sit on.

“You take care of this place all by yourself?” You asked as Rafe helped you into the seat.

“I’ve had some help,” He shrugged, “But I won’t need much help anymore now that you’re here.”

“You’re expecting me to take care of the house?” 

“Someday soon,” he spoke nonchalantly, opening the pizza box. He grabbed a slice straight from it and started eating so you assumed you could do the same. He added with a slightly full mouth, “Better than working at The Wreck.”

You took a bite of your pizza, not wanting to delve into that conversation further. You should’ve known he was expecting you to be a homemaker. Now that you were gonna be a Mom, you didn’t need to have any career aspirations. 

You picked at your slice under his careful eye. This house exuded a warmth that almost drowned out the coldness you felt toward Rafe. You took the time to map out all the windows and doors and the downstairs layout. It kept your mind busy and, combined with the food, provided a helpful distraction. 

“Are you feeling better now?” His voice cut through the silence. 

“I’m fine.”

“You still like those cheesy rom-coms?”

A memory flashed in your mind. You saw Rafe sitting across from you on his bed. A huge party was going on downstairs in Tannyhill, but you and he were upstairs watching a movie. You wanted so badly to show him Enchanted. He didn’t act impressed at the time, but you could tell he liked it because he couldn’t keep his eyes off the screen. 

“Yeah,” You answered cautiously, though the truth was that you hadn’t had time to enjoy a movie in long time. 

“I happen to have a few Patrick Dempsey movies … if that interests you,” He smiled, trying to tease you. 

“I really should get some rest . . .”

“A movie will help you relax. Just one? C’mon, we can watch Can’t Buy Me Love,” Realizing he wouldn’t let up, you gave in.

You sat on the couch as he moved to set up the movie. You should’ve known that he would sit right next to you, his arm wrapped around the pillows directly behind you, “Relax, enjoy the movie.” He said as the movie’s intro began, and you did your best to appear more like you were. When it wasn’t sufficient, Rafe pulled you closer until you could only lay against his shoulder to be comfortable. You tried to focus on one of your favorite movies and there were moments that night when you completely forgot your circumstance. 

Yet, every additional touch brought you sharply back to reality—whether it was the gentle circles his thumb traced on your arm or the tender kisses he placed atop your head.

Please let me know what your thoughts and predictions are! Reblog with a comment to be added to my taglist!

[freehealthtips24]

Fast Weight Loss Is More Water Than Fat

Duck eggs are larger than chicken eggs, with a larger yolk-to-white ratio that makes them ideal for baked goods. Golden in color and rich in flavor, baked goods made with duck eggs tend to be moist and fluffy, rise better, and hold their shape well. Duck eggs are preferred over chicken eggs for cream and custard fillings because they contain less water and more fat.

You can cook duck eggs just like chicken eggs and will find that they have a creamier, richer taste. Some people prefer them deviled or in omelets or quiches, as they have a stronger flavor than chicken eggs when eaten plain.

Health Benefits However you serve them, duck eggs are an excellent source of nutrition. Their dark yellow yolk indicates that they hold more antioxidants, more omega-3 fatty acids, and 50% more vitamin A than chicken eggs.

Build Muscle

Duck eggs offer more protein than chicken eggs, even taking size into consideration. Protein can help you build lean muscle, maintain a healthy weight, and recover after exercise or injury.

Support Mental Health

Deficiencies in zinc, magnesium, and selenium have been linked to depression and fatigue. Eggs contain all three of these minerals. Duck eggs are an excellent source of selenium, providing almost half of the daily value in one egg.

Duck eggs also provide vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin.” Low levels of vitamin D are associated with depression and seasonal affective disorder.

Boost Skin Health

Recent studies have shown that B vitamins may improve skin health. There are eight B vitamins, each with their own unique benefit for the skin, and duck eggs contain them all:

Vitamin B1, the “anti-stress vitamin,” can help prevent stress-related breakouts. Vitamin B2 helps maintain collagen and reduce inflammation. Vitamin B3 can help with acne, eczema, and dermatitis. Vitamin B5 holds moisture in the skin. Vitamin B6 aids the body in coping with stress, and getting enough sleep, preventing inflammation and dry skin. Vitamin B7 protects the skin from infection and maintains skin moisture. Vitamin B9 promotes cell regeneration, the process by which the body is continuously replacing dead skin cells with new ones. Vitamin B12 reduces acne, dryness, and inflammation.

[delis-glitter-bong-water]

MY @NA GROCERY LIST 

VEGETABLES 

-iceberg lettuce (14 calories per 100 grams)

-white mild kimchi (5 calories per 2 tablespoons)

-cucumbers (15 calories per 100 grams with peel)

-shredded carrots (41 calories per 100 grams)

-shiitake mushrooms (34 calories per 100 grams)

-bok choy (13 calories per 100 grams)

-celery (14 calories per 100 grams)

FRUITS

-apples (52 calories per 100 grams)

-strawberries (33 calories per 100 grams)

-raspberries (53 calories per 100 grams)

-blueberries (57 calories per 100 grams)

-blackberries (43 calories per 100 grams)

-grapes (67 calories per 100 grams)

OTHER STUFF FOR MEALS

-shirataki noodles (9 calories per 100 grams)

-natures own life honey wheat (40 calories per slice)

-lipton soup (70 calories per package)

-chicken broth (5 calories per cup)

-instant miso soup (30 calories per packet)

-weetabix (67 calories per biscuit)

-spring roll wraps (20 calories per wrap)

-medium eggs (50 calories per egg)

LIQUID 

-la croix (0 calories per can)

-unsweetened almond milk (30 calories per cup)

-vitamin water zero sugar (0-10 calories per bottle)

-celsius (10 calories per can)

-medium roast coffee (2 calories per cup)

-black tea (0 calories per cup)

-red bull zero (15 calories per 12 oz)

SNACKS

-protein bars (depends on the brand)

-rice cakes (25-35 calories per cake)

-sugar free pear cups (30 calories per container)

-blob gummies (50 calories per pack)

-popsicles (40 calories per pop)

-butter free popcorn (20 calories per cup)

-quest protein chips (120 calories per bag)

-silk mango yogurt (120 calories per container)

SAFE SHOPPING, DONT FAINT IN THE STORE !!

[theambitiouswoman]

Superfoods you should incorporate in your diet:

Superfoods are nutrient-dense foods that are considered beneficial for your health due to their high concentration of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other beneficial compounds.

Combine these superfoods with a variety of other whole foods to ensure you're getting a wide range of nutrients. Also, be mindful of portion sizes and any individual dietary restrictions or allergies you may have.

Berries: Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and other berries are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins.

Leafy greens: Spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and other leafy greens are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They are low in calories and provide important nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin C, and folate.

Cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage are part of the cruciferous vegetable family. They contain compounds that may help reduce the risk of certain cancers.

Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and hemp seeds are excellent sources of healthy fats, protein, fiber, and various vitamins and minerals.

Fish: Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for heart health and brain function.

Whole grains: Quinoa, brown rice, oats, and whole wheat are examples of whole grains that provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Legumes: Beans, lentils, chickpeas, and other legumes are high in fiber, protein, and various nutrients. They are also a good source of plant-based protein.

Turmeric: This spice contains curcumin, a compound with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Green tea: Green tea is rich in antioxidants called catechins and is believed to have various health benefits, including improved brain function and a lower risk of certain diseases.

Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate with a high cocoa content (70% or higher) is a source of antioxidants and may have positive effects on heart health and mood.

Avocado: Avocados are rich in healthy fats, fiber, and various vitamins and minerals. They also provide a good source of potassium.

Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt is a protein-rich food that also contains beneficial probiotics, calcium, and vitamin B12.

Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They are an excellent source of beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body.

Garlic: Garlic contains sulfur compounds that have been associated with potential health benefits, including immune support and cardiovascular health.

Ginger: Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and is commonly used to aid digestion and relieve nausea.

Seaweed: Seaweed, such as nori, kelp, and spirulina, is a rich source of minerals like iodine, as well as antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids.

Pomegranate: Pomegranates are packed with antioxidants and are believed to have anti-inflammatory properties. They are also a good source of vitamin C and fiber.

Cacao: Raw cacao is the purest form of chocolate and is rich in antioxidants, flavonoids, and minerals. It can be enjoyed as nibs, powder, or in dark chocolate form.

Quinoa: Quinoa is a gluten-free grain that provides a complete source of protein, along with fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil is a healthy fat option, particularly extra virgin olive oil, which is high in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants.

Chia seeds: Chia seeds are a great source of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. They can be added to smoothies, yogurt, or used as an egg substitute in recipes.

Beets: Beets are rich in antioxidants and are known for their vibrant color. They also contain nitrates, which have been shown to have beneficial effects on blood pressure and exercise performance.

Matcha: Matcha is a powdered form of green tea and is known for its high concentration of antioxidants. It provides a calm energy boost and can be enjoyed as a tea or added to smoothies and baked goods.

Algae: Algae, such as spirulina and chlorella, are nutrient-dense foods that are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are often consumed in powdered or supplement form.

Fermented foods: Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and kombucha are rich in beneficial probiotics that support gut health and digestion.

Maca: Maca is a root vegetable native to the Andes and is often consumed in powdered form. It is known for its potential hormone-balancing properties and is commonly used as an adaptogen.

Goji berries: Goji berries are small red berries that are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. They can be enjoyed as a snack or added to smoothies and oatmeal.

Hemp seeds: Hemp seeds are a great source of plant-based protein, healthy fats, and minerals like magnesium and iron. They can be sprinkled on salads, yogurt, or blended into smoothies.

Moringa: Moringa is a nutrient-dense plant that is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It is often consumed as a powder or used in tea.

Mushrooms: Certain mushrooms, such as shiitake, reishi, and maitake, have immune-boosting properties and are rich in antioxidants. They can be cooked and added to various dishes.

[becomingthatgirl111]

the "superfoods" you should incorporate into your diet

first of all, what are superfoods, and why are they so beneficial to our health? are those that in addition to feeding us have beneficial properties for health and are 100% natural, their origin is mainly vegetable and raw consumption, have a high content of fiber, minerals, proteins and vitamins, many of this help strengthen the immune system and promise the extension of a long healthy life.

and these are some of the foods you should incorporate into your diet.

goji berries: high in vitamins and minerals

acai berries: beneficial for overall health and boost performance. high in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.

chia seeds: high in vegetable fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and high-quality protein.

ginger: it is attributed with properties against digestive discomfort and headaches. it also has an anti-inflammatory effect.

avocado: high in healthy fats, antioxidants, it has numerous micronutrients among which are vitamins C, vitamin B5, and vitamin K.

green tea: accelerates metabolism, detoxifying.

matcha: rich in antioxidants, polyphenols, and EGG, responsible for helping to protect against heart disease, helps regulate blood sugar, and accelerates metabolism.

quinoa: high protein concentration, rich in fiber and vitamins.

spinach: high concentrations of vitamins C and A, flavonoids, omega-3.

curcuma: increases serotonin production, helps regulate menstrual cramps and headaches.

walnuts: source of omega-3, protects our heart and cholesterol, we will get protein, vitamin E, fiber, healthy fats and lots of energy.

broccoli: very low caloric intake, rich in vitamin A and beta-carotene (a great antioxidant), vitamin C, fiber and folic acid.

seaweed: all are alkalizing and a good source of dietary fiber, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. contain healthy fatty acids and provide plenty of calcium, iron, and iodine.

and many more…! i am getting into the world of healthy eating to incorporate it into my day-to-day and I will continue to bring you posts related to this so that you also know about it and you can have a really healthy diet 🤍

this article has been written with the help of different sources.

[weaselle]

@biggyb I wanted to answer you and then it became so much that i felt it needed to be it's own post.

So, if it was enacted on a large or ubiquitous scale, that is absolutely a concern, that if everybody had more money prices would just increase, rendering the UBI useless.

what would we do about that?

One the one hand that is basically already what happens anyway, which is why cost of living increases etc are a thing. And on the other hand there are a few mechanisms that can curb that, things like rent control laws.

But ultimately, personally, i believe the real answer is to remove the money aspect and provide the basic necessities directly.

When we say UBI we’re basically talking about the government giving us money (which has to come from somewhere, and that probably means some kind of progressive wealth tax, which is really just wealth redistribution at that point but whatever)

Anyway I believe it would be more effective for the government to provide those things directly (but not exclusively). I believe the baseline for society is everybody has free access to:

HEALTHCARE

All forms of healthcare (this is an important one, the very best we can do should be available to anyone who needs it, with no conditions, no barriers to entry like complicated paperwork, if you need health care you should get it, period.

INFORMATION

This means a free press, and education, true, but i also mean internet access, which at this point in our society i think is necessary for equality

NUTRITION

So, not just food, but a complete diet. This can still be very basic, little more than rice and beans, with medical exemption options of course, but it can be enough that it is the bare minimum food types, maybe rice beans and a couple types of dark green veggie and a couple types of vitamin C fruit. Possibly eggs or peanuts or something. Nothing fancy, just good quality ingredients that contain enough nutrition to keep you not only alive but fully healthy. And i think this should be provided in both raw ingredient form and cooked form.

CLOTHING

This one gets overlooked a lot, but kids need shoes, and struggling people need blankets and jackets, and everybody needs access to clothes, actually. Again, can be very basic, maybe government issued overalls, socks, jackets, blankets, and some kind of cheap tennis shoes would be most of it, but everybody needs access to clothes.

And finally HOUSING

So for example, the government would build apartment complexes that were just freely available to the public, first come first serve, you sign for it and the apartment is yours until you give it up or take another apartment.

We already have our government building and running public schools and libraries, we just need to upgrade those a bit. We already have governments building and running hospitals, we just need to do a lot more of that a lot better and get these private insurance companies to fuck off.

And then we just need to provide the clothes, open the Food Distribution Centers and build the housing.

Because then it won’t be money, so you don’t have to worry about the prices of everything going up because everybody has more income, which you are correct, is a concern. So just provide those things directly.

This is much less like taking money from the super wealthy and putting it into the bank accounts of everyone else, and much more the way taxes are supposed to work taking money from those that can spare it and using it to build a society that is better for everyone - even improving things for those super wealthy people (who now at the very least get to walk around safer from the sick and the homeless and the desperate - i mean violent crime alone would probably do whatever the opposite of sky-rocket is. Ground-dive.)

And people will still get jobs and spend money! Like, just because you provide government overalls, doesn’t mean people will stop wanting fashion brands. But now nobody will die of exposure from not having clothes. Same with everything, for example, the government school system is extremely developed, but there are still private schools, right?

That would be true of all this. If you gave everyone access to basic nutrition, there would still be steak houses and sushi restaurants and stuff. But now you could actually have the public boycott foods they felt were sourced unethically, or you could, say, regulate the fishing industry into sustainability even if that meant fish became so expensive that the average person could only eat fish once a year or whatever. Businesses might die from it, but no people would. Not even the people who used to own those businesses.

For my money, no money is where it’s at. But UBI would be a nice stepping stone.

What UBI experiments show us is that when you give people money and they DON’T get a job, but just exist at the minimum level, they are usually only doing so to accomplish something like go back to school for a degree or take care of a disabled or elderly loved one.

And the same would be true if we just provided everyone with the basics (except healthcare, everybody must get the best we have when it comes to healthcare, anything else is a moral failing that doesn’t bear contemplating)

but yeah, there would be people who would only wear government issued overalls, only live in government barracks, and only eat government rice and beans… but UBI experiments show us that it would be a small percentage of the population, and they'd only be doing it either to accomplish something worthy, or because they were in some way impaired. 90% of everyone else would still be out there getting jobs so they could move into a nice house and eat fish, but now with the security to quit if those jobs didn’t treat them well!

imo, THAT’s how you fix the economic issues surrounding UBI, you take the “income” out of the equation and you just straight up provide the Universal Basics themselves.

"but how would we build all these apartments and run these food distribution centers?"

well, this dovetails into my other favorite solution for the united states.

See, we spend a FUCKTON on the military, and we're just never going to make that stop happening, apparently.

So I say, we INCREASE the military. I say double it even.

And then we use them here, keeping them sharp and employed and trained etc by doing public works.

The military is already full of engineers and cooks and doctors and electricians and forklift operators and everything else.

So get them building apartments and running food distribution and supplementing hospital staffs etc.

All that stuff involves, logistics, and teamwork, and knowing how to run projects and accomplish missions, it's all good training even for the combat personnel, which is only 15% of the people in the military btw.

The rest are those other jobs i mentioned. So hire and train even more of them, and then deploy them here, repairing bridges and building hospitals and managing clothing warehouses and stuff.

anyway. Food for thought.

[tightwadspoonies]

Eating Well

If you are someone who struggles to figure out what to eat, this post may help.

There is a lot of information out there about eating well. It's important to know it's not as complicated as most guides try to make it. The following is a simple way of looking at food adapted from David Werner's Where There Is No Doctor:

You need a main food, or foods. A "Main Food" is one or more starch bases, like pasta/noodles, bread/tortilla/biscuits, hominy, rice, potatoes, taro, millet, barley, or another grain or starchy tuber.

These are usually cheap and should make up a majority of your calories. They often also provide an amount of protein, vitamins and minerals.

However, living on starchy bases alone is not adequate. To them, you need to add at least one or two each of "Go Foods", "Grow Foods" and "Glow Foods" every day.

"Go Foods" are energy foods. They are things like oils, fats, peanuts, other nuts, oily seeds (like sesame and sunflower), and sugars (like granulated sugar, honey, maple syrup, and fruit juices). Eat more of these if you are doing heavy work. They can also replace some of your Main Food, though they are often somewhat more expensive.

"Grow Foods" are foods that build muscle and other body tissues and heal injuries. They include animal foods (like meat, eggs, milk, and fish), legumes (beans, peas, peanuts, and lentils), and seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, melon, etc...).

"Glow Foods" are foods that contain a lot of vitamins and minerals. These include dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, collards, turnip greens, radish greens, etc...), orange vegetables (carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, winter squash of any kind, etc...), fruits (apples, pears, berries, quince, etc...) and other vegetables (turnips, radishes, summer squash, onions, cabbage, etc...), herbs and spices (chili powder, garlic, cumin, thyme, oregano, sage, cinnamon, etc...).

Example meals (each meal does not need to contain all types of foods, as long as someone is eating some of each every day):

A rice bowl (Main) with vegetable (Glow) and bean (Grow) curry (Glow).

Oatmeal (Main) with whole or coconut milk (Go, Grow) and berries (Glow)

Spaghetti (Main) with tomato sauce (Glow) and meatballs (Grow)

Tapioca pudding (Main, Grow, Go) with cinnamon and nutmeg (Glow)

Farrow (Main) with stewed tomatoes (Glow) and olive oil (Go)

Zucchini boats (Glow) with black beans (Grow), rice (Main) and cheese (Go, Grow)

Baked potato (Main) with broccoli (Glow) and cheese (Go, Grow)

Potato (Main) and spinach (Glow) curry (Glow)

Whole fat yogurt (Grow, Go), granola (Main, Go), and berries (Glow)

Peanut butter (Go, Grow) and jam (Go, Glow) on toast (Main)

[rottenpumpkin13]

Youre so right for the CC Seph losing weight thing because all he was eating was carbs and sweets and I raise you the terrible depression meals of:

Plain pasta + a concerning amount of pepper just to feel something. No other flavors.

Udon takeout. Third night in a row.

MRE ration bars, would they taste better dipped in nutella? No.

Forgot to get dinner because this was the day reserved for going over to Angeal's and eating something he cooked, drank a red bull Zack handed him. Regret.

Entire box of cheerios dry, directly out of the package at 4 am.

Ramen brewed in pedialyte. It was a Mistake to use the strawberry flavored one.

Normal ramen, with egg, it meets the protein quota.

This blueberry muffin is healthy! It has a fruit! Turk shadowing him, don't look so disapproving!

These vitamin gummies and a coffee are basically a nutritionally complete breakfast, right?

Someone with cooking skills make him eat a vegetable.

To accompany the meals he forces himself to eat are unsavory thoughts behind each one.

• The plain pasta with pepper resembles Angeal's aglio e olio, so he remembers the night he first ate it at 2 AM, sitting on Angeal's kitchen counter while Genesis reads to them.

• The Udon would taste fine on its own, but every bite is thick and unappetizing as he sits alone on his kitchen floor. He wonders where Angeal and Genesis are, and if they've eaten that day.

• The ration bars taste exactly like the ones the three of them ate on that mission four years ago, the ones that tasted like sand that Angeal choked on. Sephiroth remembers laughing so hard he cried.

• He's not sure why he's awake at 4 AM, but Angeal's voice rings at the back of his mind asking if he's eaten something. He replies back that no, he hasn't eaten in two days. So he reaches for the box of Cheerios.

• He starts to get creative with ramen, because maybe that'll trigger his hunger. He has to eat something. He's starting to thin out rather quickly.

• He eats the blueberry muffin and then sits in silence as he feels the aftertaste coat his tongue. He starts to feel sick. It faintly tastes like dumbapples.

• So much coffee. He's lying to himself if he thinks adding vitamin gummies are going to cancel out the caffeine he's consuming just to stay awake.

• Zack has a tupperware container filled with spring rolls. He pushes it towards Sephiroth one day during their training session.

"Try it!" he says, "It's Angeal's recipe."

Sephiroth knows. He can smell it. He thinks he's gonna throw up.

[mayajadewrites]

Levi Ackerman x Reader: Moth to a Flame

synopsis: Levi Ackerman - Captain of the Scout Regiment. He's broody, quiet, and clean. You're a scout, skilled in combat and has killed numerous titans. You dated Captain Levi briefly, in secret, in a whirlwind romance. Late nights and secrets are what kept your "relationship" afloat. Due to Levi's ideals, he decided to end things with you, but now you're moved on. But Levi hasn't.

authors note: this takes place in the AOT universe, and it will reference SOME of the events from the anime, so be aware if you're not caught up. i won't be following the timeline of the manga/anime.

characters: levi ackerman, erwin smith, erin jaeger, mikasa ackerman, armin arlot, jean kirstein, sasha braus, connie springer, hange zoe, + more.

content warnings: some chapters will be nsfw. i will put a warning before each chapter if it contains 18+ content.

ao3

C H A P T E R O N E – A U T U M N

The air was cold and crisp as it flowed through your window to the room you shared with Mikasa and Sasha. Summer is over and autumn has kissed the leafs on the trees.

Your body twitched as the air touched your skin. You made a mental note to start sleeping with a sweatshirt on. Sasha's snores filled the room while Mikasa slept silently.

You grab your watch from your nightstand and look at the time. 5:45 AM. You like to go on runs before breakfast to get your heart rate up and get some vitamin D before you had to attend training for your next mission.

After putting a t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers, you're out the door. The girls won't be up for another hour, so you didn't want to disturb them.

As you walk down the hallway, you put your hair in a ponytail, looking at your feet as you walk.

Then your body collided with another.

"Sorry." You say before you even look up at who's in front of you.

Captain Levi Ackerman.

"Sorry, Captain." You correct yourself, standing up straight.

"Where are you off to?" Levi brushed off his shirt, freshly pressed of course.

"I'm going on a run before breakfast."

Levi nodded in response, pushing past you towards Erwin's office. You sighed when you felt it was safe to, ignoring the pending thoughts in your head.

Levi Ackerman broke your heart, and you just super-glued the pieces back together.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Breakfast was usually the same in the scouts. Eggs, bread, and sometimes bacon. Everyone sits in what we call the "mess hall" and eats breakfast together before we put our bodies through the ultimate torture which is training to fight titans.

You find your usual table – Mikasa, Eren, Armin, Jean, Sasha, and Connie.

"Good morning!" Sasha said as she stuffed her face with eggs. "I heard you leave this morning, how was your run?"

"I'm surprised you could hear me over your snoring." You chuckle, pushing a piece of hair behind your ear. "It was good. The sun felt good this morning, I'm so glad its finally autumn."

"You go on runs every morning?" Jean asked, patting his mouth with his napkin.

"Yeah, I like to prepare myself for training for the day."

You didn't want to say that Levi gave you the idea to go on runs every morning. He goes on runs earlier than you, thank God, because you'd rather not have to see him more than you already do.

"I might have to start doing that. I feel like I run really slow." Eren nodded to himself. I knew Mikasa was now going to also be going on runs in the morning with Eren. They are inseparable.

"That's awesome." Jean smiled as he said your name. He's always been sweet and funny, especially with Connie. They make you laugh every day, even on your worst days.

You feel the hair on the back of your neck stick up, a wave of goosebumps to follow. Your ears honed in on the sound of his boots against the floor.

You hated that Levi had this affect on you.

He was talking to Hange about her latest Titan experiment, which he sounded less than thrilled about. You made a conscious effort not to look at him.

"Morning Captain!" Armin said with a smile. He's always so joyful in the morning, which is something you envy.

"Good morning brats." Levi nodded in approval, his eyes glazing over yours for a split second.

A memory of you waking up next to him flashed in your mind, a time when you accidentally fell asleep after spending the night talking, kissing, and obviously... other activities.

"You good?" Jean's voice was like a pin to your thoughts, popping them instantly. "You looked like you're spacing out."

"Yeah, I was just thinking about how good a cup off coffee would be right now. I'm gonna go get some." You get up from your seat, shaking off the feeling of your memory.

"I've never felt like this." Levi kissed your ear, his voice low in your ear. His hand snaked up your body to your face, taking your chin roughly in his hands and pulling it towards his face. "You're one of a kind."

Life without Levi has been tough, but you have gotten over the gash of heartbreak he left. Seeing him every day for training and missions has gotten easier, and thankfully he doesn't want to see you any more than you do him.

Or so you think.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

let me know what you guys think so far!

[thatquietkid108]

Humans are space pets concept but the aliens feed you like one of those rich pet mom videos and record you eating it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good morning!

Today we are feeding Bronia potatoes which we will be using for the base. They are a must for human owners since they contain vitamin C. It is a vitamin humans are unable to synthesize themselves yet it's very important to keep humans' skin healthy and strong.

Some egg yolk for vitamin D together with salmon which is also a great source for protein.

Sprinkle some Parmesan and Cheddar cheese for extra calcium for her bones...

Dried beef and lamb for iron, and that extra crunch you guys love to hear! It also helps her clean her teeth out a little.

Sunflower seeds for Vitamin E and finally freeze dried clams for Vitamin B12.

[beautyandlifestyleblog86]

There are several foods that are known to support brain health and cognitive function. Incorporating these foods into your diet can help boost memory, focus, and overall brain health. Some of the best foods for brain health include:

1. Fatty fish: Fatty fish like salmon, trout, and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA, which is essential for brain health. Omega-3s have been linked to improved brain function and may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline.

2. Blueberries: Blueberries are packed with antioxidants, which help protect the brain from oxidative stress and inflammation. They have also been shown to improve memory and cognitive function.

3. Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can enhance brain function. It may also improve mood and cognitive function.

4. Nuts and seeds: Nuts and seeds, such as almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds, are rich in nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamin E, which are beneficial for brain health.

5. Leafy green vegetables: Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and broccoli are high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that support brain health. They also contain compounds that may help protect the brain from age-related decline.

6. Turmeric: Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that may benefit brain health. It has been linked to improved memory and mood.

7. Eggs: Eggs are a good source of choline, a nutrient that is essential for brain health and development. Choline plays a role in neurotransmitter function and may enhance cognitive performance.

8. Berries: Berries like strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries are rich in antioxidants and other compounds that can protect the brain from oxidative stress and inflammation. They may also improve memory and cognitive function.

In addition to incorporating these brain-boosting foods into your diet, it's important to maintain a balanced and varied diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats to support overall brain health. Regular physical activity, adequate sleep, and mental stimulation are also important factors in maintaining a healthy brain.

[tealin]

Antarctic Food

Below you will find my account of eating at McMurdo, but PBS did a whole special on it which has more privileged access and, like, moving pictures and stuff. I highly recommend watching that if you're at all interested in the food question.

As other pleasures in life are restricted or eliminated, food gains significance beyond mere nutrition.  When removed from the comforts and diversions of civilisation for months or years at a time, polar explorers had to pay particular attention to the culinary side of their enterprise.  Scott learned this the hard way on the Discovery, when their cook was so bad he was sent home after the first year and others took over his job in shifts.  Shackleton, on his second visit to Antarctica, brought all sorts of tinned delicacies, and left a lot of them behind in his hut at Cape Royds, which the Terra Nova men would raid on day trips from Cape Evans.  Scott was much more careful with his choice of cook on his second expedition, and in his journal he continually praises Clissold's cooking – though Atkinson, writing for a publication he knew no one would read, says that Archer (the ship's cook, who filled in after Clissold was invalided home) was a far superior chef, and made the miserable second winter that much more bearable.

The expeditions of the early 20th Century brought down crates and crates of imperishables – tinned vegetables, powdered milk and eggs, and dry goods like flour, sugar, and tea.  These were necessary, of course, but were ultimately supplemental to the core of their diet, which was the produce of Antarctica itself.  In fact, in a letter laying out contingency plans if the Terra Nova Expedition were stranded in Antarctica, Scott says not to worry for their safety because the continent provides enough food to keep a party happily fed; they would only be wanting the comforts of a civilised menu.  Mostly what the continent provided was seals, whose meat (especially livers) contained enough Vitamin C to stave off scurvy, but penguins and their eggs also regularly passed through the kitchen, and the contents of the marine biologist's net – once properly enumerated and dissected, of course – would often end up in the frying pan.  The Notothenia fish was commonly eaten at breakfast, appreciated for its 'sweet' and 'nutty' flavour. Notothenia’s claim to fame is the sugar in its blood that acts as an antifreeze, so this is hardly a surprise.

Thanks to the Antarctic Treaty forbidding the killing of animals for consumption, modern Antarctic larders are not stocked with local wildlife, and as far as I know, no one down there now has tasted the sweetness of Notothenia.  They do, however, have the advantage of modern transport and food storage, not to mention a century's worth of advances in the study of nutrition, so the diet of the present-day Antarctican is fresher, healthier, and much more diverse.

McMurdo Station's annual food supply arrives in one lump delivery, every January, on a big cargo ship from California.  From the harbour where the Discovery berthed, it goes into climate-controlled storage, either to the dry goods store or to the freezer, which is a whole building off the cafeteria in the main station hub.  A freezer, in Antarctica?  Why, yes, because food safety regulations require frozen food to be kept at a constant temperature, and the only way to ensure that is to build an enormous manmade freezer in the land of ice and snow. In the summer, temperatures at McMurdo will wander around freezing, so this is entirely practical, but for much of the year, it's actually warmer inside the freezer than outside. 

The modern Antarctic commissariat is not entirely divorced from its Edwardian predecessor, though – frozen vegetables taste fresher than tinned, and are more nutritious and palatable, but they are not fresh; powdered milk and powdered eggs are still the status quo.  During the summer, perishable groceries – called 'freshies' – come down on the flights from New Zealand, if there is room after the passengers and equipment are loaded.  After a month of flight cancellations, fresh apples and oranges are greeted with as much delight as they were on the arrival of relief ships in the Heroic Age, and the appearance of a salad bar in the Galley prompts general rejoicing.

The US Antarctic Program has its roots in the Navy, and McMurdo is still provisioned by one of the big firms that supplies the US military.  Having had experience with industrial-scale American catering in California, I had moderate expectations of the quality of food at McMurdo, but it was surprisingly good.  One might argue that the excitement of being there and the daily energy expenditure would be a good sauce for anything, and this may be true, but against this I would argue that dry air impedes one's ability to taste – that fact it was so flavourful at all is significant.  People kept apologising for the food in the Galley and I kept telling them, earnestly, that it was better than the food in the Disney commissary. They didn't believe me, but I firmly attest this; I ate at Disney on my return journey and have confirmed it by direct comparison.  I know they were working with roughly the same quality of ingredients, but the chefs at McMurdo reliably made things delightful to eat, which is more than I can say for the other place.  Why this should be is anyone's guess ... Working as a Galley Rat is one of the few ways enthusiasts can get down to the Ice, so it's full of keen, intelligent, and curious cooks, and maybe that rubs off on the food.  There are people who come back to tackle the unique challenges of Antarctic cuisine year after year, so maybe they're more experienced and invested in the job.  My personal theory is that because they have to eat the food, too, of course they're invested in making it tasty – I suspect the folks behind the counter in LA have much better meals waiting for them when they get home.

Mealtimes follow a strict schedule:

5:30-7:30 Breakfast (many a time I missed the cutoff, woe)

11:00-13:00 Lunch

17:00 to 19:30 Dinner. There was always a portion of the cafeteria serving breakfast food at this time; this was reserved for the night shift workers, who got a reprise of the day shift's dinner for their lunch.  If you really liked whatever was served for dinner, nothing could stop you coming around again for another go at midnight.

The one exception to this was Sunday, when a brunch would be served from 10 to 12.  The service in the chapel started at 10 as well, and was very weak competition.  Brunch was always excellent, and being the single day off, was often where one would meet up with people who were too busy during the week.

If you failed to make a mealtime for any reason, there was always something on offer.  A fridge would be stocked with packaged leftovers, sandwiches, and other food-to-go – when I had a day out, I would eat breakfast and then grab my lunch from this fridge.  On one occasion, dinner included fried okra (one of my faves, rarely had outside the States) and after stuffing myself with it, I nabbed two or three extra portions and cached them in my dorm room mini-fridge to enjoy later. 

In a challenging environment, with a lot of people doing energy-intensive jobs, calories are important.  There was only one rule regulating portions: Take what you want, but eat what you take.  With a finite amount of food on hand, and delivery only once a year, food waste is anathema – if you need it, then eat it, but do not throw any away.

The menu seemed to originate with whatever presented itself in the enormous freezer, though perhaps in November and December it was dictated more by what remained in it, prior to the new shipment.  We didn't suffer for want of variety, though: if anything, we benefited from a surfeit of prawns, including great bowls of them at Sunday brunch.  I found myself wondering if the US military had a contract for most of the catch from the Gulf, and how much of their famously inflated budget went into that; I suspect, in reality, the kitchen just hit a seam of prawn in the recesses of the freezer and had to use it up.  As a devotee of all shapes of sea bug, I was in seventh heaven, and did my level best to help McMurdo clear the surplus. 

Once new food was defrosted and cooked up, it would cascade through various dishes down the week, as leftovers were repurposed to minimise waste.  Usually this was successful, but sometimes they had to try a little harder ... 

A variety of cuisines were offered, some of which were more successful than others. They seemed to reflect the makeup of the US military, for whom the rations would have been designed.  The best dishes were the meat-and-potatoes variety (my minder said that if she were on Death Row, she'd ask for McMurdo Pot Roast for her last meal), Italian, Southern (see above re: okra), and what I assume was Tex Mex – the only misstep on the last count was an almost inedibly hot 'taco soup' which may have been more of a delivery vehicle for leftovers than an intentional dish.  The only disappointments were anything attempting to be Asian, and the fish, which, due to the circumstances, was always overcooked.  Provision was always made for vegetarians and even vegans, but I can't say I noticed many people adhering strictly to those diets.  I suppose if the animals are already dead and in the freezer, there's little difference whether you eat them or not.

There was also, always, pizza.  It was left in one of those tiered heated racks like you get at a buck-a-slice takeaway pizzeria, but this was no buck-a-slice pizza, this was McMurdo pizza, and McMurdo pizza is AMAZING.  My brother-in-law's cousin went to super legit pizza school in Naples, and gets queues down the street wherever he opens a pizzeria.  He makes the best pizza I have ever had anywhere; McMurdo’s wasn't quite as good as his, but it was pretty darn close.  It's a testament to how good the rest of the food was that I didn't just have pizza for every meal.  The pizza kitchen runs 24 hours a day, and takes orders for pickup from all across the base.  If you're flying out to a field camp, it's good manners to take their pizza order and deliver it to them hot and fresh.  For all the advances in food technology since the Heroic Age, surely the greatest has to be the McMurdo Pizza.

We were reminded constantly how important hydration was, and the Galley offered a range of liquids at all hours.  To my surprise, what looked like a soda fountain offered not pop but fruit juice – grapefruit, orange, cranberry, and apple, though one or more often ran out before the end of breakfast.  There were enormous urns of extremely weak coffee – a provision, I supposed, for its diuretic effects – though with 10-hour workdays and very early starts, a little more oomph would have gone a long way.  Experienced hands, and those of discerning tastes, brought their own coffee or sourced it somehow from the stores. The kitchenette in the Crary library was full of people's personal coffee-making supplies as they sought a more effective brew. 

I had been warned that if I liked tea, I should bring my own; this was a sound warning, as the black tea on offer looked and smelled as though it had been on a shelf for about a decade.  What I had not been warned about was that the only 'milk' on hand for one's coffee or tea was, in most places, 'coffee whitener', a ubiquitous Americanism which I'd completely forgotten about (or supressed?) since moving away.  For those who've not had the privilege of its acquaintance, this is a blend of margarine, sugar, synthetic vanilla, and titanium dioxide, rendered into a powder by some unknown chemical process and packaged up to pass for milk.  (I think it might be illegal in Europe.  I've certainly not seen it around.)  The Galley had the base's only dispenser of actual mammalian lactation – reconstituted from powdered, of course.  If I were to go again, I would bring a small bottle to fill there with 'real' milk, which I could take away for tea purposes elsewhere.  There were boxes of UHT milk available for purchase in the shop, and had I been staying longer I might have invested in some, but for just a splash per cuppa, it hardly seemed worthwhile.

The undisputed star of the Galley was the soft serve ice cream dispenser, named Frosty Boy (or Boi), an ancient beast that was such an institution that it was rumoured the USAP had bought another one from a junkyard just for parts.  The Thing to Do was, instead of putting milk or coffee whitener in your coffee, to use a dollop of Frosty Boy instead – I'm not sure which end of the dairy/non-dairy spectrum his product was nearest, but it did go well in the coffee, such as it was.  More often than not while I was there, Frosty Boy exuded only a watery splutter rather than creamy delight – even when he was working, the product was rather gritty – but I was assured he was just going through a phase, and would be right again soon.  I got the impression that if anyone tried replacing the machine with something more reliable, or which produced something more resembling ice cream, there'd be a protest.  We shall see if Frosty Boy survives the station revamp, as the NSF seems keen to scrub out any vestiges of character ...

I have brought two things back from the McMurdo Galley, and they're things that go right back to the beginning: powdered milk and powdered egg.  Even when I'm near a shop with both in fresh form, it's convenient to have the powdered on hand for recipes.  I really only use milk to splash in my tea and coffee, so don't keep a large amount in my fridge, but recipes often call for far more than I have – so instead of making a trip for the extra, I can just mix it up on demand.  I've also taken on the Perpetual Yoghurt: McMurdo makes its own yoghurt from its vast reserves of powdered milk, using a bit of the last batch to inoculate the next, and it turns out this is perfectly doable at home, too.  Eggs eaten as eggs are better fresh, of course, but when providing structure in a recipe, no one's going to notice if they've been reconstituted, and then I can save my 'real' eggs for when they'll be appreciated. It's a good system, and economical, too.  Alas, the pizza isn't as easy to replicate at home ... 

For more information on McMurdo food – The Antarctic Sun newsletter put out this podcast: https://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/4329/ I didn't mention how good the desserts were; I was lucky enough to share my time at McMurdo with Rose McAdoo, who was featured in this story on NPR: https://text.npr.org/779463164

[matttgirlies]

Matt & Me🎀

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a story heavily based on Priscilla Presley’s Book “Elvis & Me” based in the 1950’s - 1970’s.

fem! reader x singer! matt

disclaimer!! - in no way am i saying matt would ever support or do these kind of things, for the sake of the book certain unethical things do happen at times.

warnings - none

y/nn = your nickname for any confusion🩷

Chapter 19

Matt and I often talked of having children, but we certainly weren’t planning on having them right away. Then one day we were at the ranch. It was early afternoon and Matt was still asleep. I lay in bed and felt a strange sensation in my stomach, a sensation I’d never felt before. I lay staring at the ceiling. No—it couldn’t be. Again, the same feeling. I slid out of bed. I’ll call Patsy, I thought. She’d know. I went to the phone in the next room.

“Patsy, when you found out you were pregnant, did you feel strange?”

“Strange like what?”

“You know. I mean, what did you feel?”

“Well, I missed my period.”

“But didn’t you feel something in your body, something strange?”

“I really don’t remember, y/n. Why?”

“Because I think I’m pregnant. I know I am. I’ve never felt this before.”

“Maybe it’s nerves.”

“No—I just have a funny feeling. I’ll talk to you later.”

I didn’t tell Matt right away: I couldn’t. But he saw that I was quiet and preoccupied.

If I were pregnant, I knew that our plans to travel would have to be postponed. I wouldn’t be able to head off to some exotic locale and leave my child with nurses and maids. For the first year, I truly wanted to be alone with Matt, without any responsibilities or obligations.

For a few days I was angry with Matt. Before the wedding I asked him if I should start taking birth-control pills, but he had been adamantly against it.

“They’re not good for you. I really don’t want you taking them. They’re not perfected yet, Baby. There’s all kinds of side effects.”

A week passed before I told Matt my suspicions. I expected him to react with the same mixed emotions I’d felt, but he was ecstatic. He made arrangements for me to see a doctor right away, accompanied me to the doctor’s office, and sat anxiously in the waiting room while I was examined.

When I came out I put my arms around him and said, “Guess what?”

“What? What?” He was barely able to contain himself.

“You’re going to be a dad.”

He couldn’t believe it and immediately wanted to tell everyone. Just then his father, who had driven over with us, came into the room. Matt grabbed him.

“Dad, you won’t believe this. y/nn’s gonna have a baby. You’re gonna be a grandad.”

“Good Lord Almighty,” James said, stunned. “You’re kiddin’ me.”

“No, Dad. We’re telling you the truth.” Then Matt teased him, saying, “You’re going to be a gray-headed granddaddy.”

I loved seeing Matt happy, but I was still uncertain about how my unexpected pregnancy would affect our marriage. This was supposed to have been our time alone. I wanted to be beautiful for him; instead, my debut as Matt’s bride was going to be spoiled by a fat stomach, puffy face, and swollen feet.

As far as I was concerned, the less people mentioned about my looking pregnant, the better. I intended to prove that a pregnant woman did not have to get fat. I wanted to refute Matt’s claim that “women use the excuse of their pregnancy to let themselves go.” Although the doctor said that a twenty five-pound gain would be fine, I immediately dropped from my normal one hundred ten pounds to one hundred. During the next four months, I regained just five pounds, and only nine more by the time of delivery. Eating one meal a day and snacking on apples and hardboiled eggs, I prided myself on never needing to buy a maternity outfit. My doctor advised that in addition to taking multiple vitamins I should consume plenty of dairy products. Being vain, I amended my doctor’s instructions and lessened my intake of dairy products. I did not want to gain weight and get stretch marks. As a further precaution I resolved to slather myself with cocoa butter for the next eight months.

A few days after I learned I was pregnant, we left Boston for L.A., where Matt was to begin preproduction on a new film, Speedway. It was to be the last drive in our customized bus before it was sold. During the trip, Matt and the guys had a ball, punching each other and playing practical jokes. I played photographer, clicking away at everyone. But when I kept smiling and laughing I still felt very ambivalent about my pregnancy. I wanted a baby, just not so soon.

Matt was extremely sensitive to my moods. He missed his little girl’s “twinkling eyes,” her “bright, smiling face.” Finally, in Flagstaff, Arizona, at a small roadside inn, he sat me down and said, “What do you want to do, Little One?”

I broke down and answered, “I don’t know. What can I do?”

“What do you think?” he said. “I’ll back you up whatever you want to do.”

Instantly I knew what he was talking about. He was leaving the decision up to me. “It’s our baby,” I said, sobbing. “I could never live with myself, neither could you.”

There were no words, only his smile of approval; he held me tightly in his arms as I cried. The two of us, bound by love, accepted our new little creation wholeheartedly.

When I first felt my baby move I suddenly understood the full joy of carrying our child. My smile returned when Matt delicately placed his hand on my slightly swollen stomach and said, “How can such a little person carry another little person?” The pregnancy was bringing us closer. He would call me from the studio every day, just to say hello and make sure I was fine. It was because of the baby that we decided to buy our first home in Los Angeles instead of leasing as we’d done in the past. While he was filming I searched the Beverly Hills-Bel Air area for a place that would suit us.

Later that fall, when we were in Arizona for location filming on “Stay Away, Joe”, I saw an advertisement in Variety for a house that sounded perfect: a beautiful home in Trousdale Estates, completely furnished, three bedrooms, a guest cottage, pool, and good security.

I flew back to L.A. The house was owned by a prominent landowner who was recently divorced. With a built-in bar, antique furnishings, and collectors’ art, it was a far cry from Rocca Place, where each room was decorated to each employee’s specification—a different carpet, a different color, a different style in each room. Unfortunately, I’d tried to satisfy everyone’s taste, and architectural indigestion was the result. This time I would be able to live with everything the way I liked.

As soon as Matt returned from Arizona we moved into our new home and began preparing a room for our baby. All I could think about was how happy I was, how wonderful life was.

Naturally, I got a lot of advice about what I should and shouldn’t do while I was pregnant. Steeped in her Southern superstitions, Grandma was especially solicitous, telling me I couldn’t brush my hair over my head or else I would wrap the umbilical cord around the baby. She also said I shouldn’t stand on my feet too long or my legs would swell and I wouldn’t be able to walk again. She was as concerned as any doting mother and some of my activities gave her reason to worry. I still kept up with my ballet, rode my motorcycle and my horse Domino, right up until the eighth month of pregnancy. Matt thought I was absolutely incredible to keep up with him in every way. That made me happy. I was pleasing him and still by his side every day.

Then I began hearing rumors about Matt and Madison Beer, the same rumors that I had read about in Germany: that she had a passionate crush on him, that they were having an affair. I was extremely sensitive and quick to cry. Matt assured me that I was just being oversensitive because of my condition. I agreed. Six months into my pregnancy Madison called and said she’d like to give me a baby shower. I didn’t know her that well and thought it a little strange that she was so accommodating. But Matt assured me that she was very nice and that I should get to know her. It was agreed that I would go to the shower under one condition, which Colonel suggested: All the pictures that were taken that day were to be handed over to me. That way, there’d be no shots popping up in the national movie magazines. It turned out quite nicely. Madison was very friendly and very supportive. I found that I liked her and I decided to ignore the rumors.

Life takes such surprising turns. Just when you’re getting confident, along comes the unexpected. I was upstairs at Graceland when Matt called me to his office, the one adjoining my dressing room. “y/nn, I have to have time to think. Things just aren’t going right. It’ll be good for the two of us to take a little time off, like a trial separation. Be apart from one another for a while.”

I wanted to die. I was seven months along and could not believe what I was hearing. It had to be a joke. “What are you saying? What did I do?”

“You didn’t do anything, Baby. You don’t understand. It’s not you. It’s just that I’m going through some things. I think it’d be better if we took a little break.”

I looked at him in silence, feeling a new strength. If he excluded me at this time, then he didn’t deserve me at all. I stood up and said, “You’ve got it. Just tell me when to leave.” I went into my dressing room and closed the door.

I was numb. This was not the man I knew. I instinctively withdrew, my affection numbed, my thoughts suspicious, my heart aching.

I don’t think Matt really intended to leave me. It wasn’t his style. I later realized he too had questions about how a baby would affect his life. Would his public accept him as a father? He wasn’t even sure if his fans had adapted to his becoming a husband. How loyal would they be?

Within a short time Matt’s sensitive nature brought him back to his senses. Two days had passed. The idea of a trial separation was never mentioned again. We both acted as if nothing had been said. It was at times like this that I wished Matt and I had the ability to truly communicate with each other, to confront our insecurities, fears, and frustrations instead of pretending these feelings weren’t there. We probably would have been surprised at how much understanding we both really had. I could not escape the impact his words had on me, leaving me with a sense of doubt.

As my pregnancy progressed, we still played hard. I wanted to be included in everything that everyone else did. That Christmas we went to the ranch and rode horses, had snowball fights and went on hayrides. Matt would sit up front in the wagon and call out to me, “How you doing, y/nn? That’s my girl. How’s she doing back there?”

I’d call back, “She’s doing pretty good. I’m okay.”

If we’d go horseback riding, he’d always ask me, “Are you sure you can do this? Did the doctor say you could?”

“Yes,” I’d answer. “I can do it.”

I was determined not to ask for special treatment.

It was only in the last month or so that I slowed down at all. Instead of sitting through two or three films a night, Matt would take me home after just one.

He arranged his schedule so that he could be home with me at Graceland during the final month. To be absolutely prepared for the big day, we even performed practice drills for the trip to Baptist Memorial Hospital. As my time drew near, Matt became more and more nervous.

On February 1, 1968, I awoke about eight o’clock and found the bed beneath me soaking wet. Frightened, I called my mother in New Jersey and she suggested I ring the doctor immediately. He told me to head straight for the hospital. I gently woke Matt up and told him the big day had arrived. Matt groggily asked me if I was sure. When I said yes, he called James and told him to notify everyone, then yelled downstairs, “She’s ready! y/nn is going to have the baby!”

Ignoring his frenzy, I disappeared calmly into the bathroom and applied my ever-so-black mascara and teased my ever-so-black hair. Later at the hospital I requested special permission to keep on my double set of lashes.

Downstairs there was pandemonium. As planned, the decoy cars raced off first, Steven and Nate frantically waving for the fans to follow them. Then we took off, but despite the rehearsals we headed straight for the wrong hospital. We had changed hospitals, but obviously Jerry, who was driving, hadn’t been informed. Charlie Hodge saved the day, convincing Jerry it was Baptist Memorial, not Methodist. Luckily we arrived in time.

Our daughter, Charlotte Grace, was born at 5:01 that afternoon. The nurse brought her into my room and I cradled her in my arms. I couldn’t believe she was mine, that I had borne this child. She was so tiny, so beautiful. Matt came into the room and kissed me, thrilled that we had a perfectly normal, healthy baby. He was already in love with her. He watched me holding her and his eyes misted with happiness. Then he took us both in his arms and held us.

“Baby,” he whispered, “We have a little baby girl.”

“I know,” I whispered back.

I asked if he wanted to hold her. He looked petrified at first, but then he started to touch her. He played with her hands, her feet. He was in awe, saying, “I can’t believe that I made part of this beautiful child.” Matt knew that I had wanted the baby to have dark hair like his, and Charlotte had been born with lots of silky black hair. “She’s so perfect,” he said, “even the color of her hair is right.”

We stayed in each other’s arms for a long time, caressing our infant and each other, a young couple sharing the first pleasures of parenthood.

The man in my hospital room that day was the man I loved, and will always love. He didn’t have to try to be strong and decisive or sexy, he wasn’t afraid to show his warmth or vulnerability. He didn’t have to act the part of Matt Sturniolo, superstar. He was just a man, my husband.

Excerpt from: "Elvis and Me" by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley. Scribd. This material may be protected by copyright.

a/n - this is the cutest chapter ill write i swear its so so cute🎀

[honeytonedhottie]

healthy foods and recipes that i use on a daily basis(>•<)💭🍣

these r just some recipes for foods that i eat every single day, and they r healthy and easy to make. they r also great if u have a busy lifestyle bcuz they're super easy and quick to make <3

remember to eat yummy food that fuels u 💗

SALADS -

carrot salad - carrots! carrots r an amazing source of vitamin A and isn't only beneficial for ur skin, but also ur eyesight, and ur immune system; for the recipe i'd wash a carrot and shave it, then add one cap of apple cider vinegar and olive oil, with salt and pepper and i'll eat that as a side dish along with my meal

cucumber salad - cucumbers r also an amazing source of hydration and is great for ur skin. just slice a couple cucumbers and add olive oil, salt, pepper, and chili flakes

meditteranean salad - dice cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and make a vinaigrette using lemon, olive oil, and salt and pepper and add those all together with some basil for a hydrating delicious salad

SNACKS -

pan con tómate - its simply toasted bread with oil, grated tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper

apple slices and peanut butter

frozen grapes with lime juice on top

literally any assortment of veggies with lime juice and salt

sliced fruit bowls with lemon juice

DINNERS -

how i make tofu - so i always use firm tofu and i'll dry it with a paper towel just to make sure that its dry (make sure to drain the excess water) and on a separate plate i'd add some flour, and seasonings of my choice. then coat the tofu in the flour and put it on a hot pan (approximately 5 min per side of tofu) or until its crispy, and then i'll make a sauce, usually with soy sauce, ginger and honey.

cucumber sushi - i'd wash and shave cucumbers, then take the shavings and lay them out as though it was wrapping paper (if that makes sense) then dry it with a paper towel so that the ingredients can stick onto it. then i'd fill it with sticky rice, sauces, tuna sometimes, or literally anything u wanna fill it with and then roll it up like u would do with sushi and cut it into pieces.

SANDWICHES -

sandwich one - take a hard boiled egg and break it down in a bowl, and add some mayo and mustard (trust) to create a paste like mixture. spread all that onto some bread. then add some lettuce, tomato, and cucumber.

BREAKFASTS -

overnight oats - in a container, add some oats, greek yogurt, chia seeds, honey, fruits of choice (i often use strawberries or blueberries) and almond milk and then shake that up and let it stay in the fridge overnight for an easy breakfast in the morning.

chia seed pudding - add three tablespoons of chia seeds into a container, half a cup of almond milk, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, and some honey (add coco powder if u like chocolate) and then put that in the fridge overnight.