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canadajoke5-blog · 5 years ago

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TSC MASTER LIST: THRIVE MARKET ESSENTIALS

It’s no secret that I love Thrive Market. You’ve heard me talk about it everywhere because it really is that good. They make shopping for healthy items easy and affordable. No need to sift through aisles of products reading all of the ingredients. Everything has been reviewed and approved.

They make it easy with categories from vegan to paleo, household to beauty and everything else in-between. It’s really your one stop shop for healthy living. Plus everything gets delivered so there’s no need to go to the store. Efficient! Just how we like it.

Today I’m sharing TSC MASTER LIST: THRIVE MARKET EDITION ( you can find the full master list here ). These are the items I find myself going back to time and time again. Let’s dive in:

RAO’S HOMEMADE SAUCE

“Rao’s Arrabbiata “Fra Diavolo” Sauce is made with the spice of imported crushed red pepper, imported Italian tomatoes, imported pure Italian olive oil and blended with fresh garlic, fresh basil, black pepper and oregano.”

There’s something about Rao’s that just tastes SO MUCH BETTER than any other sauce. Once you try it you’ll understand. I love using this with lentil pasta and Brussels sprouts for an easy and quick weeknight meal. Throw on some nutritional yeast and you’re good to go. You can also use this to make gg pizzas which are loaded with fiber to fill you up. The options are endless really.

YUM EARTH CANDY

“When you go picking for strawberry licorice, settle on YumEarth. This fully USDA Certified Organic Licorice is not like the other candies on the market. It’s made from ingredients like real fruit juice and organic cane sugar and no high fructose corn syrup, soy, or dairy anywhere in the bag. It’s gluten-free, too!. Great for kids and adults.”

Let’s be real – sometimes you have a sweet tooth and you just want some candy. Well it’s time to say buh-bye to red dye and artificial flavoring and say hello to Yum Earth Candy. This stuff satisfies your sweet tooth and tastes delicious. I love snacking on this during movies or while driving in the car from San Diego to Los Angeles. Plus with Halloween coming up, this makes the perfect substitute. You can even create a candy bar for your next party.

ORGANIC PUMPKIN

“Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin is rich, smooth and delicious, AND ready to use in everything from baked delights to entrees. Use it in a variety of recipes including pies, muffins, cookies, soups…even chili!”

Every morning each of our dogs has a scoop of this pumpkin in their food. They LOVEEEE it. Literally though, they live for their pumpkin. It’s great for providing fiber & beta-carotene to promote vitamin A. You can also use this to make a homemade pumpkin spice latte and skip the sugar-filled one from Starbucks.

ROSEWATER MIST

“Experience the delicate floral scent of real roses any time of the year! Rosewater is truly versatile with numerous benefits from culinary gourmet flavoring to uplifting cosmetic mist. Use as a perfume, body splash or add to your hair rinse or bath water. You can also combine with therapeutic oils to make your own complexion formula.”

There’s nothing better than a good mist. I even wrote a whole post dedicated to why I’m obsessed. This smells delicious, it’s refreshing and it provides extra hydration for dewy skin. Who doesn’t want that? Mist yourself midday while you’re walking to grab coffee, mist yourself in the car while in traffic, mist yourself at night before bed. There’s really no wrong time to mist.

CALM TEA

“Calm Tea features a proprietary formula that provides a highly absorbable, water-soluble magnesium in ionic form. It gradually reduces accumulated calcium, giving fast relief to many symptoms of magnesium depletion. CALM mixes easily with water for a convenient dose of magnesium.”

I’m obsessed with this powder. It’s like Xanax but all natural. Really relaxes you. BIG time. I swear I’m so high-strung & this stuff really zens me out. Highly recommended. I add this to mint tea ( just a scoop ) or to warm water.

RAW ALMOND BUTTER

“Rich and creamy Artisana Organic Raw Almond Butter is made from 100 percent organic nuts and crafted in small batches for the freshest quality. And without any artificial dyes, preservatives, or high fructose corn syrup, it packs in the nutritional profile of a superfood. A single serving provides seven grams of protein, keeping you feeling full.”

My raw almond butter is added to: apples with chia seeds, baby carrots, PB & J on an open-faced sandwich, celery, banana slices, smoothies, oatmeal, a piece of dark chocolate, sweet potatoes, TSC two ingredient pancakes, &/or any baking recipes. Add cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or nutmeg for added flavor. Raw almonds are rich in monounsaturated fats, which help your heart without raising your cholesterol levels. YUM.

INDIAN HEALING CLAY

“Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay is bentonite clay from Death Valley, California, where it is sun-dried for up to six months in temperatures that sometimes reach 134 degrees Fahrenheit. With more than 50 natural minerals inside, it makes for a nourishing face mask or skin treatment. It can lift pimples and blackheads right out of your pores.”

I don’t care if your complexion is acne prone, oily, or dry, if this mask isn’t in your medicine cabinet you’re seriously missing out. This secret mask has been named “the world’s most powerful facial” and it’s under $5.

All you do is mix this powdered clay with equal parts of raw apple cider vinegar &/or a bit of water. Use a bowl & spoon ( preferably non-metal ) & stir the mixture well so it turns to paste. Apply the clay to your face & allow it to harden for ten minutes ( sometimes I even leave it on for twenty mins— rebel!!! ). Remove by washing it off with warm water. It’s totally #teamnormal to have some redness.

Pros: it reduces acne scars, shrinks pores, & provides a tightening sensation ( << love!!). And not only can you use this magic mud to beautify, it can be used on skin irritations & bug bites too.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

“Bragg Organic Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar can add a pop of tangy flavor to salads, veggies, and even popcorn, but it also has nutritive benefits with enzymes that may help with digestion, pH balance, and inflammation. Bragg makes theirs with non-GMO, USDA certified organic apples and keeps it raw and unfiltered with the “mother” intact.”

ACV is GREAT for beauty. It’s insane for skin, hair, nails, weight loss, & detoxification. You can create your own toner to balance your pH by combining 1 cup of ACV with 1 cup of cold water. This can help with any sun spots/aging you may have. You can also drink it in the morning as a shot to help promote detoxification to flush your system. Plus you can even use it on your hair by adding a couple of teaspoons into your shampoo to help create healthy, shiny hair.

SILVER

“For thousands of years, silver has played an essential role in safeguarding human health. In fact, until 1938, colloidal silver was the preferred choice of physicians for empowering the immune system and stimulating the body’s innate healing processes. Sovereign Silver has only two ingredients: pure silver and pharmaceutical-grade purified water. It does not contain added salt or proteins that render other silver products less effective. Plus, it is packaged in non-leaching glass bottles to guarantee purity throughout its shelf life.”

If you’re starting to feel sick, enjoy some silver! This stuff is an immunity booster. If you feel a cold coming on simply place 1 tsp under your tongue for 30 seconds before swallowing. I also love to take this while I’m traveling to avoid getting sick from the stale airplane air. Be sure to stock up on this for winter time to keep yourself strong so you can continue building your dreams.

OK there you have it! My Thrive Market MUST HAVES. What am I missing? What are you guys all obsessed with?

x, lauryn

+ full TSC master list

+ PODCAST with Nick Green, CEO of Thrive Market

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Source: https://www.theskinnyconfidential.com/tsc-master-list-thrive-market-essentials/

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jmaria200 · 7 years ago

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Sweet Pain

05/28/2018

Sweet Pain

05/28/2018

The first full day of the new eating lifestyle has come and gone and I’m in such need of a piece of strawberry licorice. I not sure if I should call it a diet(actually you don’t lose weight this time around), a lifestyle, torture, etc. It’s official name is The Whole 30, another food fad that attempts to right the wrongs of the American diet. This time sugar, specifically processed sugars,(you know everything that tastes great and is addicting), preservatives, starches are the enemies and the Whole 30 commands you to get rid of them, cold turkey. Instead you are beholden to meat, nuts, fish and other proteins and fruit for thirty days.

My wife, a worse junk food junkie than me, is on the hunt for the latest ways to curb her yearnings and this was her latest find. Having long waged the secret inner war with my sweet tooth face it almost all of us do, I signed up and even after the first day I’m craving good old fashioned sugar. Lord, what would we do without it in this country? Maybe not be so fat? I’ve decided to keep this online journal of my progress and my pain over the next 30 days.

5/29/2018

I feel lethargic, my mouth is constantly watering, and my head is fuzzy, . This marks the second day of the Whole30. Food, once reliable comfort, has become a antagonist. The kitchen is a mine field where I must step carefully. It is so easy to pluck out a sensual chocolate covered marshmallow from a red colored box and bite into it. The food I can eat sits like a bag of sand in my gut. It keeps me sustained but not happy.

I’ve read some of the literature and what I’m going through is quite normal and it will get worse before it gets better. My body is converting slowly converting from sugar based fuel to fat fuel (apparently good fats) however it doesn’t know how to do that yet so I am sluggish. I think I will accompany this blog with some research on the story of Americans obsession with sugar and processed foods. Writing will help distract me.

5/30/2018

Here I am two days behind. I’ll try to catch you up. I’m going to try to focus on not what I and my wife are doing this meal plan but why we’re doing it. Why this radical life change? I found this list symptoms from a website of a fitness expert. Guess what these refer too.

Anxiety

Changes in appetite

Cravings

Flu-like symptoms

Depression

Mood changes

Dizziness

Fatigue

Headaches

Shakiness

Changes in sleep patterns

Weight loss

Stomach flu? Food poisoning? Nope. These are the symptoms of sugar detox. Yep, that’s right. This is what happens if you take sugar out of your diet and I’m not talking about cookies and ice cream and chocolate. This plan goes much deeper: bread, pasta, beans, etc. All of these types of food are broken down into sugars in your body and sugars are being linked to inflammation, bad skin, poor mood, etc.

Now America is the land of diets and eating fads as in the end we as a society have little idea of what to eat and what is good for us. If this meal plan sounds like one the many movements out there that finds its enemy: fat, gluten, carbohydrates, etc and profits off getting people worked up about it, your right and I agree. More to come on this.

6/8/18

It is now day 11 of the Whole 30 food plan and clearly my attempts to keep up with this blog on a regular basis have failed. This is a conglomerate of previously mentioned twin infants that need near constant car and the mission to find not only summer employment but full term employment. I can easily recap most of what has happened in those missed days.

First, I feel I must break away from food talk only and integrate my career story as it is the other side of the coin that is my life right now and it is in trouble. My job history has been a floundering mess. I won’t go into all the gritty details as I feel they’ve been with me for at least a quarter of my life here on earth and they can get repetitive and depressing. Let’s say I had little idea of what I wanted to do coming out of college. I tried a few different fields usually based more on “this interests me” than real research. This tactic did not work very well. The pile of temporary, part time, and “road not taken” jobs grew and grew and, at forty two, I have yet to have a steady full time job. I discovered a love of teaching in my mid thirties, specifically freshman composition at the community college level, but I have remained woefully underemployed as an adjunct for five of the six part years. This lack of opportunity is a combination of the need for excessive education and experience for even entry level positions, the ongoing deterioration of the the writing career field, and the heightening level of competition. I also believe my subdued personality does not help my chances. I now have a family that depends on me and I’ve been able to do no better than a one year contract for the small Onondaga community college in upstate New York. Since then I’ve tried to shift into high school teaching. Once again the need for degrees and certification is rigorous. I have a master’s degree, albeit not in education, and was led to believe by the recruitment people of Anne Arundel community college master’s in education program that I could potentially land temporary teaching employment while gaining my certification. The Baltimore County public school systems didn’t seem to see it this way.(go figure) I’ve also had little to no help in figuring out what to put in my application packet to make me a more attractive candidate. Since the Onondaga success, my job search has become a rather dark cycle of sending out applications and getting rejections. Being a daddy doesn’t allow me much time to network and I tend to be poor in this area. I’ve sought out help from the state career program, but it is painfully slow. I take time to write about because I think the cumulative effect has become a mixture of depression and anxiety. Depression? That word is scary what with two celebrities having recently committed suicide in thew news. I have a family history of it. I have felt worn down and isolated lately but could it be that? Not knowing for sure is more worrisome which might lead to more depression. I go to bed anxious over money, anxious that my family will be well off, and wondering how many more years I need to struggle. II worry about retirement of course. I’ve scraped and saved what I could but without a solid income it’s going to be woefully inadequate. Could it be depression? I keep searching out some signal of depression in my consciousness as if I might uncover it but people who are depressed generally aren’t good at diagnosing their own condition. It’s hard to link the physical symptoms to something mental.

So what do I do? Well, I’m working hard to stay focused, to get more organized, but I need the help of others and that help is hard to find. I need career help. I’m leary of the integrity of paid career consultants but how long can I keep floundering? I can see this summer will be tedious. It will be about slowly piecing together the knowledge to get a foot in the door in high school and probably working a part time job that is a poor fit to get there. I will need strong doses of positivity and support in my life and a real sense of direction. I’m not sure where to find that right now. I love Aurora but she is not strong at being emotionally supportive, at least not for me. I will have to do some research on where I can find the help I need. I will leave my story there for now.

Whew, one of the best functions of writing is catharsis, to get one’s thoughts out there. It’s not pretty but it’s necessary. I wrote the previous section because it captures what is happening outside of the Whole30 and being a father and is vital to how I have been feeling over the past four days both mentally and physically. At first I’d naturally thought my symptoms were linked to the change in eating habits, but last Wednesday they took a real turn for the worst. I hadn’t felt that strange in a long time-just heavy and thick headed with blurry vision and shortness of breath. Each day I’ve felt a little better thankfully. I went to the doctor today to rule out physical cause. She didn’t find anything obvious but I still have blood labs pending that the neglected to get done. The intense labor of the Whole30 hasn’t helped my mood. No single meal is a simple grab and go and the constant preparation is taxing. in fact, I must bring this blog to a close now.

6/23/18

We are a nation of sugar addicts. “Two hundred years ago, the average American ate only 2 pounds of sugar a year. In 1970, we ate 123 pounds of sugar per year. Today, the average American consumes almost 152 pounds of sugar in one year. This is equal to 3 pounds (or 6 cups) of sugar consumed in one week” (www.dhhs.nh.gov). Sugar is everywhere in our diet slipped into breads and bacon to make them more desirable so we eat more. Here’s the little secret that is not really a secret: these foods are desirable while not satisfying so we eat more and more so we buy more. Food companies figured this out a long time ago. It’s good for business and bad for people. These are one of the tenants of the Whole 30, to become aware of how we are being manipulated this way. Whats more, like many business influenced trends, these machinations only become really effective when they are normalized by culture. Just think about how many American cultural norms involve sweets and processed food of some form: cakes at birthdays, drinking alcohol at social gathering, cheap vending food at sporting events. If you want to stand out at just about any social gathering American society, try avoiding foods with sugars and processed foods. Many conversations this way leading inevitably to discussion of the Whole 30. This was one of the most surprising side effects of being on this meal plan. I and my wife had to educate the waiter of a expensive steak house in Washington D.C. on the guidelines of our meal plan. Most dining out experiences will be this way. Sorry, but we can’t eat ninety five percent of the food on the menu.

Just walking into a grocery store, I was shocked by how much was off limits: pasta, cereal, juice, etc. That was one of the great challenges of this diet. What could we eat? Obviously, there was meats and vegetables and fruits but what about diary? beans?. They don’t have added sugar, right? While diary and things like beans did not have added sugar they include sugars and other chemicals that aren’t necessarily healthy.(For more on this read the accompanying book It Starts With Food). If you’re skeptical at this point, I’m understand. I’m still a skeptic. After all, the Whole 30 is another lifestyle program, one of many products that is being marketed to the public in the age of food confusion in this country.

7/1/18

Promises, Promises...

“Systemic inflammation” seems to be the catchphrase behind the Whole 30. (There’s a lot of food science behind this that I won’t go into. Again read the book). The jist of systemic inflammation is that bad foods silently hurts your body. Over time this damage shows up as illnesses including allergies, depression, and diabetes. Eating foods that contribute to both physical and psychological well being can lead to better health. This idea seems legitimate enough but then the authors also include anecdotes by people with illnesses ranging from lyme disease to diabetes whose symptoms disappeared after being on the Whole 30. You can practically hear the credibility of the writers straining here. I had eczema before the Whole 30 and and I still have eczema after it. All in all, taking sugar out and adding more protein is beneficial to people but let’s hold off on the miracles.

While I’m on the topic of veracity, I can understand the authors of the Whole 30 exaggerating the effects of their meal plan- after all maybe one person out there with lyme disease did experience an improvement in their symptoms and, if this doesn’t happen, no one would necessarily be worse off-since their plan seems sound and is self directed for the most part. I didn’t need to constantly by products from the authors of the Whole 30. But what about those companies that, for all intensive purposes, are influential on our health, what about the stories that the food industry tell?

“the post-crash world appears to have become much more cynical about the behavior and motives of corporations.” (Beatte). Unless you’ve been “off the grid” for most of your life you’re probably all too familiar with the constant avalanche of ads that are forced upon Americans everyday so much so that, like me, you’d do anything to get away from them. Now I’ve already covered the influences of advertising in another part of this blog; however, the food industry holds a special place among advertisers as, for better or worse, they often determine what we put in our bodies in this country and this isn’t necessarily due to their popularity but a well designed combination of market control and addiction.

The master plan

The current state of the American diet is, like most institutions, a result of the interaction between corporations, the government, and the individual where each party is both influential and under the influence. However, what is key here is that the influence of the individual has eroded significantly over the years unless they happen to be wealthy enough to be influential. Government has responded more to these wealthy and corporations creating more and more of a corporate dictated agenda.

The Food Guys

If you do a little research you’ll find that thanks to constant mergers and take overs about ten mega corporations control most of the U.S. food production. Think about that, just ten! Some are well known like Pepsico, which owns Tropicana, Quaker, Lays, while others are more obscure like Unilever that owns Knorr, Good Humor, and Skippie. Regardless, you can bet you’ve eaten something made by one of of these ten companies recently. Much like health care and airline travel, a key aspect of weakly regulated capitalism is that power in the form of market control can be consolidated in the hands of a few major players and this is scary especially when it comes to our food. These companies may not necessarily set out to give people cheap, poor quality food but this arises out of an effective business model that calls for high profit and low cost and if one is successful they can dominate the market. This model may work for computers or cars but not necessarily food.

Now before I go on lambasting corporations there are some important details to cover. A good capitalist would probably argue that companies are simply responding to market demands. This is one of the classic “pass the buck” phrases business people use to recuse themselves(and it drives me crazy)but it is important to consider. Keep firmly in mind the question: “Who has helped create these market demands?”

Today, people have less free time to prepare and consume their meals. Yes, this seems to be the trend ever since the post World War II years when consumer culture took off in this country and packaged, processed food along with it. Appliances became more commonplace in the home, woman started to go to college and get jobs outside the home, and the car became more available. One of the largest changes in the household was the television. Now with the help of the tv dinner one could watch their favorite shows and eat at the same time. Over the years the cost of living has increased, wages have stagnated, and people have to work more than ever to keep up. Business stepped up and what started with the tv dinner has slowly blown up into a full industry of packaged, processed food. These foods were tasty and easy to make. How many times has these phrases been uttered in a food commercial? Consider though who has influenced many of these lifestyle changes? Who has increased the working day, kept wages generally flat, and increased costs? The general picture is that businesses have either through direct influence or through influence on government public policy and today Americans are probably more stressed and less healthy than every before.

Consider how foods are advertised in this country. Let’s take the Coca Cola corporation. Coca Cola is best known for their soda but they also control a large percentage of what we drink: Perrier water, Minute maid juice, and Nos energy drink. Coca Cola often uses images of young, hip looking people smiling and drinking their soda(Heck, what company out there doesn’t use young, hip, ethnically diverse people to sell their product? That is a generalization...let us continue). These ads remind you that drinking soda (pure sugar and other flavorings in carbonated water) can be fun and social, so much more than just soda. There is of course no mention that soda with destroy your teeth and probably cripple your health over time. An advertiser would have to be insane to let on such information about their product. But imagine if they did. If there was a disclaimer at the end of soda commercials. Would it make a difference? I’m betting not and this is where the addiction factor comes in. Look at smoking. It is well known that smoking can cause serious health problems and even death.There are commercials and prints ads constantly advertising these facts yet people continue to smoke because it is addictive. In the information age, people generally know the health threats of drinking soda over a life time yet they still do. This is where individual choice does come in(more on this later) and, as mentioned before, sugar is another addictive substance and companies rely on this.

The Coca Cola corporation doesn’t claim their product is healthy but many other companies do. Take cereals. Breakfast cereals are often so processed that there is little nutritionally value, yet companies put labels on like “part of a balanced breakfast”, “containing vitamins A, B....”, “5 whole grains”. Companies attempt to replace some of the lost nutrition in these foods but they are far from healthy. Also any nutrition is offset by the amount of sugar in these cereals. This is especially tragic when one realizes that some of the worst cereals are marketed to children with flashy cartoon characters, logos, and commercials. I admit it wouldn’t take much for me to eat a bowl of Count Chocula even now knowing how bad for me it is. That is growing up in this country. I hope different for my children, but the corporate machine is hard to escape.

The Men in Black

“Read the farm bill, and a big problem jumps right out at you: Taxpayers heavily subsidize corn and soy, two crops that facilitate the meat and processed food we’re supposed to eat less of, and do almost nothing for the fruits and vegetables we’re supposed to eat more of.” (Haspel)

Healthy food like fruits and vegetables are usually more costly to grow and transport and organic food can’t use chemical pesticides,herbicides, or genetically modified organisms. Since the 1930′s the United States government has subsidized (helped pay for) farming in this country to protect our food sources as raising food can be unpredictable. The Farm Bill began with good intentions but the money has slowly been funneled to supporting a few crops like corn and soy that are versatile and can be broken down and used in many processed and unhealthy foods. Consider that our government is supporting the production of poor quality foods? What does this mean for us? It means the commonly cited downsides of the the American diet: diabetes, obesity, heart disease, etc. all given a stamp of approval by politicians who are pledged to watch out for us. On the plus side not being subsidized is often favored by farmers as they don’t need to meet the regulations set by the government but it still means people will pay more. People do have the choice not to eat these foods, but realistically not everyone can afford these costs and, if they can’t, people become trapped eating unhealthy food cycles not to mention deepening the already aggravated class divide in America. It’s much easier to get potato chips than organic fruit. Organic apples are on average three dollars a pound(which means about two) while potato chips are three dollars a bag. You can eat a lot more chips for the same money but the chips are sad, empty calories but, as I mentioned earlier, people will buy and eat them not because they are healthy but we have slowly become wired to do so. Currently slashing or stalling social welfare programs is the trend in government. Public policy has become heavily influenced by corporate interest over public good due in large part to funding of campaigns by companies and the wealthy ergo there is little possibility right now.

Choice of the People

Our American class structure can be seen in our food. The neighborhood I currently live in, which shall remain unnamed for reasons of privacy, is considered marginal. People are more often working class and black. This neighborhood was also known as a urban food desert for some time.(One neighborhood over is a wealthy, mostly white neighborhood with a high end, albeit expensive grocery store). Food deserts are areas without a decent source of healthy foods. They exist in the poorer sections of many major U.S. cities including New Orleans, New York, and Memphis. 7-11′s and corner bodegas often don’t count. In fact, the convenience store is one of the greatest offenders concerning food choice. They have made food too convenient. Just look at the shelves of any convenience store.

A low end grocery store finally came to this neighborhood. They stack most of their products on the floor instead of on shelves, their staff is poorly trained, and, while the store does sell fresh produce and even a little organic food if you look hard, the majority of the products are standard processed foods: Drakes desserts, chips, processed meats, etc. I’ve watched people in line with carts filled with soda. I can’t be too critical as I was making poor food choices all the same, but not on this level. Why does anyone would need ten bottles of soda? The evidence is in the obese bodies and poor skin. Yet, people consume these foods. This can be for three main reasons: they are aware but apathetic, they aren’t aware, they are aware but not doing enough or following one the ineffective “diets” out there. Often the poor and working class fall in the second category.

Back to Biology

Early humans had to eat what they could kill or gather(Raising crops for a stable source of food came later). We subsisted on meats, berries, nuts, etc. These were necessary, nutritious sources of protein and fiber. Fats and sugars were rare and highly desirable as they meant easy calories especially for lean times. This is where our evolutionary biology was cemented and still functions this way, but now we are provided a plethora of cheap fats and sugars everywhere. They taste good and give us a quick boost. But these foods don’t provide sufficient nutrition so we are constantly needing to eat more and more while gaining mostly empty calories and health problems. This makes sense if you stand back and think about it. This is the “addiction” factor that aids companies in getting us to eat poor quality food. The food makes us feel good in the short term, but in the long run we crash and need more. Thus, the “addiction” factor.

Apple or Ring Ding?

While sugar, fat, and salt can be addictive and some people have financial problems, ultimately people choose what they put in their bodies and their bodies will hold them responsible. This is especially true when we are people who know or suspect what we eat is bad for us and continue to do so. I believe this is tied to an idea I’ve brought up before, our culture. America is the land of opportunity where we can all have the American dream that are really just that for most of us, a dream that we continue to cling too. This ability to better ourselves is both beautiful and tragic. America is a society whose people struggle to face it’s darker sides instead burying them in indulgences or placing blame elsewhere. This collective denial makes us extremely malleable. We are already primed to believe in our food, our politics, our society. No matter how self destructive over time vices become misconstrued as personal rights. By buying gas guzzling vehicles, shopping, indulging in poor quality foods, collecting dangerous guns we declare our freedom from the system when it’s the system that is providing these. This beautiful psychology that companies can only cheer us on and count their money. Buy more. Eat more. Excess is wonderful. Be rebellious and trendy by buying phones and drinking soda. Companies let us down, cheat us, and we still buy their products and elect officials who take their money. We grumble when the government doesn’t punish these companies but we don’t either. Despite having mentioned the short comings and influences of corporations and government, it is up to us to determine what is good for us. I believe what we’ve lost sight of the most in this country is the sense of personal advocacy and a sense of unity to stand up ourselves, the power of the customer, of the voter. Instead we fight and criticize and go along.

The experience of the Whole 30 has helped me be a healthier person, but it has really helped me take action and reconsider my perspective concerning the food I eat. I’ve tried to relay the many facets of what I’ve learned here for others who may be curious. Also I should end with there are some positive changes on horizon. Organic food is now available in more grocery stores than ever before. The fast casual restaurant offer healthier choices that have eaten into the profits of fast food companies like McDonald’s, all because educated customers have demanded it. However, changes need to come from the top down, from the government and that is where the real hard work comes in because first we need to heal the rifts in our society. Then maybe we can eat better.

7/5/18

The Results.

The end of the Whole 30 has arrived, well, it actually arrived more than a week ago so clearly I’m not a dedicated diarist. I’ve also done the “reintroduction” portion of the meal plan where by I bring back the foods I’ve given up.I’m going to discuss both the small scale and bigger picture results of this experiment.

The results:

I can taste more, For example, fruits are sweeter and meats are richer.

I have more consistent energy.

I don’t get as hungry between meals.

I don’t have the craving for added sugar that I once did but I can tell from sampling foods with added sugar that it is quite easy to go back.

Diary is hard on my stomach.

Alcohol gives me a headache even after one glass of wine

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thesoggychef-blog · 7 years ago

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Good Spirits: All the Booze You Need to Get Throug...

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[Photographs: Vicky Wasik, unless otherwise noted]

You’ve decked the halls with tinsel and wreaths; you’ve stocked up on Hanukkah candles and polished your grandpa’s menorah. Your New Year’s bash may get a disco ball this year (because, really, good riddance, 2017)—but you’re not quite done with all the fancy preparations. Because if there’s ever an occasion to drink fancy, it’s the holiday season. December is the time to pour Champagne (or, okay, good sparkling wine) and mix a little something special into your cocoa. And, to get through all those office parties and ugly-sweater contests, you’re going to need some whiskey…and some rum…and some gin.

Before you hit the store, do a little survey of your calendar so you can stock up in advance on liquor for special gatherings of family and friends, gift bottles for your holiday hosts, and once-a-year investments for truly delicious winter sipping.

Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere

Buy a dozen bottles of sparkling wine now, and you’ll likely score a discount. That’s money you can put toward better-tasting bubbles for every toast through New Year’s—plus, with a dozen on hand, you’ll be ready for last-minute dinner invites and all those endless end-of-year parties. We’re partial to bright, lemony Vitteaut-Alberti Crémant de Bourgogne Cuvée Agnès (around $24) for cocktail-party situations, especially if there’s seafood or lighter snacks on hand. If your meal stars richer pork or poultry, go with rounder, yeasty Domaine Parigot & Richard Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Blanc de Blancs (around $23), or the wonderfully juicy, citrus- and blackberry-tinged Raventós i Blanc Rosé de Nit (around $24). Worst case: You have a bottle or two left over for Valentine’s Day.

The Easiest Cocktail Ever

[Photograph: Courtesy of Hochstadter]

It’s wise to be a little wary of premade cocktails—there are bad ones out there, gang—but pour a mini can of Hochstadter’s 84-proof Slow & Low Rock and Rye (around $4) into a nice tumbler with a big cube of ice, and you’ll easily fool the snobs in your midst into thinking you’ve stirred a cocktail to order. Made with rye, raw honey, dried oranges, rock candy, and Angostura bitters, it’s an old-timey concoction that’s essentially a canned Old Fashioned. The citrusy spice feels holiday-appropriate, and the pleasure-to-effort ratio is just right. Planning on serving a crowd? A full bottle of the stuff might be more up your alley.

Rum for Sipping (and for Eggnog)

You may not use a whole bottle of rum when you make eggnog, so you might as well buy something that will also taste good on its own. Luckily, there’s a wealth of options. This time of year, we often recommend the rich, complex El Dorado 15 Year Old ($50) or its more affordable 12-year-old sibling; luscious Zaya Gran Reserva 12 ($30); toasty Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 ($45); or sweet, chocolaty Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva ($22 for 375ml).

Spice Your Cocoa

I’ll always have a weakness for cocoa spiked with tequila and mint schnapps (try it!), but this year, my comfort drink of choice is a big mug of hot chocolate with a tablespoon of St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram (around $28) stirred in after heating. The Jamaican-born rum-based liqueur adds a blast of spice that’s reminiscent of pepper, clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. When you’ve had your fill of spiced cocoa, you can pour a bit into your Old Fashioned, your mulled wine, your hot cider, your coffee, or pretty much any punch.

The Best Gin for Martinis

Fords Gin (around $30) makes a beautifully balanced Martini, its piney, resinous flavors backed up with a chorus of grapefruit, peppercorn, and coriander. Be careful: With a cocktail this silky-smooth, you might find yourself drinking fast. (I trust you’ll already have snacks at the ready.) While Fords won the Serious Eats Martini taste test a few years back, I also truly adore the super-fragrant St. George Terroir Gin (around $33), flavored with sage, Douglas fir, and California bay laurel. Don’t dishonor it with stale vermouth.

(At Least) Two Fresh Bottles of Vermouth

Unless you (or your dinner host) have bought vermouth within the last month and stored it in the fridge, you’ll need fresh vermouth to start the season right. You can’t go wrong with Dolin, especially since a half bottle is just about 10 bucks, but lately I’ve been enjoying Routin Dry Vermouth (around $23), which is especially bright and citrusy thanks to a dose of Sauvignon Blanc. It has a nice floral character, too. If you like a slightly richer Martini, try the alluring, honeyed Martini & Rossi Riserva Speciale “Ambrato” (around $18), which has a round, sweet-and-savory character and a delicately bitter, herbal finish.

While you’re at it, pick up a half bottle of Carpano Antica Formula (around $16) for Negronis, Boulevardiers, or this variation made with apple brandy. Again: Remember to store any open bottles of vermouth in the fridge.

Red, Red Wine

If you followed my advice and bought extra bottles of Cabernet Franc or Passe-Tout-Grains in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, your work here is done. Those wines will do just fine with your Christmas prime rib, crisp-skinned goose, or crown roast of lamb. The Domaine de la Chanteleuserie 2016 Bourgueil “Cuvée Alouettes” ($16), in particular, has an earthy, juniper-infused flavor and affordable price that make it ideal for a crowd. But even the very best gamey, savory, and delicious Chinon, from producers like Olga Raffault or Bernard Baudry, isn’t all that expensive.

Party Whiskey

Serious Eats has a whole list of the best budget bourbons and another of the best budget rye whiskeys from a few years back, both written by Michael Dietsch, the author of Whiskey and Shrubs. There are also some great values recommended in this introduction to bottled-in-bond whiskeys; my go-to these days for cocktails is the spicy Henry McKenna Single Barrel, which I’ve seen for about $27 near me.

After-Dinner Sips

[Photograph: Wes Rowe]

If you haven’t quite sated your sweet tooth even after a plate or two of cookies—or if you prefer to drink your dessert—a small pour of Don Ciccio & Figli’s Concerto (around $32) will do the trick. It’s a luxuriously rich and chocolaty liqueur, flavored with wood-roasted barley, espresso, and various herbs and spices, and it wraps up on a black-licorice note that makes it a nice accompaniment for just one more gingersnap.

Some folks like to sip something a bit more aggressively bitter in the hopes that it’ll settle the stomach. If you’re bored with fernet and the amari you’ve got on hand, try Don Ciccio & Figli’s citrusy Amaro Tonico Ferro-Kina (around $40) with your fruitcake, or score a bottle of bittersweet Barolo-based Chinato, made by Cappellano, Vergano, or G. D. Vajra.

A Fancy Gift for Scotch Lovers

This year has some strong contenders when it comes to new whisky releases, including The Macallan’s robust, toffee- and fruit-laced Edition No. 3 ($95) and Speyburn 15 Year Old ($65), which is a lovely mouthful of graham cracker and marmalade. But the whisky I keep thinking about night after night is The Balvenie’s Peat Week ($99), a 14-year aged Scotch made back in 2002 with earthy Highland peat. (They produce peated whiskies only one week out of the year at the distillery, hence the name.) While there’s an intriguing, smoky finish to this dram, it isn’t the peat monster you might expect from the label. Instead, Peat Week is a chewy, butterscotch-y Scotch with full, round body and a vanilla-scented warmth. I love it.

Something Pretty for the Bar Cart

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention one more—the bottle I’ve most enjoyed having around for dinner parties. Even if you’re not normally the sort to be charmed by a beveled, decanter-type bottle, pouring Suntory’s Hibiki Japanese Harmony ($65) for your guests just feels fancy. And drinking it does, too: This Japanese blended whisky is creamy, mellow, and silky, hinting at toffee, toasted nuts, and a fragrant orange twist that’s been lit by a match. Offer a cheese plate alongside it, and let everyone linger.

While we’re talking about booze gifts that are basically both sculpture and drink, those who like their whiskey headier, sweeter, and richer have Blanton’s Bourbon Single Barrel ($60), complete with metallic horse-and-jockey stopper and beveled-bowling-ball bottle. This guy is gooey caramel and velvet in a glass, as intense as some sort of whiskey concentrate. Which might be just the dram you need when your family’s in town.

Disclosure: Tasting samples provided for review consideration. All prices noted in the text are estimates as of the time of writing and may change. Your purchase on Drizly helps support Serious Eats.

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#Booze #Good #Spirits #Throug

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itsworn · 8 years ago

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Pete Chapouris: Goodbye to a Good Friend

It’s taken me a bit longer to get around to writing my editorial. In fact, it has taken me an entire month to get my thoughts around this one as it’s one of the most uncomfortable ones I’ve ever had to write. I’ve lost a number of friends over the years within my world of hot rodding. Some to accidents, some to illness, and some to things I just can’t explain. I believe it was Mark Twain who once said, “The two most important days in a man’s life are the day he is born and the day he finds out why.

For starters, I find myself here at the Detroit Autorama on a Tuesday night before the show and I’m in the same little bar that a few years earlier Pete Chapouris introduced me to the luxurious throat warming effects of Ouzo. It’s a licorice taste that when chilled is really very yummy. Well, Pete and another Greek by the name of Chuck Vranas, a freelancer for STREET RODDER, were both well versed in the delights and benefits of this cultural drink. I on the other hand knew nothing! What begin as a casual drink became a long evening of discussing the merits of life, family, and hot rods. Frankly, we had very little to drink, but then Ouzo doesn’t require much. It put all of us at ease and from this point we solved the problems of the world.

Here I am years later sitting at the same table tapping away on a computer keyboard thinking of a friend who I have lost far too early in his life. I will never sit at this table again and enjoy his conversation, perspective on life, nor his view into the future of my beloved hobby. It really is a dark evening for so many reasons.

This month I’m coming to grips with the loss of a very close friend, consummate hot rodder, and just plain ol’ rodding legend. The loss of Pete Chapouris (who I realize many of you have already read a great deal about but this approach is more about his impact on our hobby through my eyes). As I spent hours poring over photos of Chapouris’ life I realized I was looking at the very growth of our hobby … at least the past 50 years’ worth. In his efforts I could see the various stages of styling our hobby has gone through. Chapouris was in no small part responsible for the shaping of this “look.” (He and Jim “Jake” Jacobs were instrumental with the growth of our hobby through such companies as Pete & Jake’s Hot Rod Parts and later SO-CAL Speed Shop.)

I remember one day while talking with historian supreme and curator at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, Greg Sharp; he brought up the fact that neither of us had heard the term “in the weeds” to describe a proper lowering job before Chapouris uttered that now tried-and-true expression. Greg and I were soon to agree that there are three basics in building a hot rod. There’s the stance, the wheel and tire combination, and the paint. All the rest is extra, but if you screw up any one of those the car is no good, no matter what else you do. And it was Pete who knew this and he never screwed up. He got it. His cars were oftentimes harbinger of styles to come.

Again, it’s in the loss of Chapouris that I realized it’s akin to the loss of a library. When a library is lost we stand there looking over what once was and we come to the realization that all of this knowledge and history is lost for all time. We can be thankful that much of what Chapouris stood for is still with us in his family, the shop, his cars, and elsewhere, but so much is gone. But I’m thankful for the time I did have with him.

Chapouris called me one day this past December and asked if I would come out for lunch on Friday before Christmas. A chance for a free meal, talk hot rods with a dear buddy, what decision was there … I was out the door! We spent 2-1/2 hours that day talking about the first time we met, our multiple drives across country with the “Wild Bunch,” the many stories we were involved with, and what our plans were for the coming year. Still sitting on my desk is the “Coupes are for Chickens” issue (Nov. ’73) of Rod & Custom, which went back to our earliest days accompanying a letter he had sent me earlier in the year describing a roadster he wanted to build to compete for America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award in 2018. We talked about his T-bucket and how that was one of the first car features that I ever shot appearing in STREET RODDER back in 1972. The Weber-inducted small-block Ford motor and trans came out of the tall-top T and ended up in the now iconic “California Kid” 1934 coupe.

One of the first car clubs that I had the good fortune to meet the guys (aside from the L.A. Roadsters) was the Vintage Tin Club. Chapouris was involved with this club along with his bucket in the late ’60s and into the early ’70s. It was in 1971 that he went on to work at Blair’s Speed Shop and from there came Pete & Jake’s. Chapouris used to tell me the story how the late-Gray Baskerville, of Hot Rod and R&C fame, introduced both he and Jacobs while they were building their coupes. And the rest, as they say, is history.

I remember Chapouris telling me the story the first time he saw the McMullen 1932 Ford highboy roadster. This iconic black and flamed roadster graced the cover of Hot Rod back in the mid ’60s and was the desire of every hot rodder. Chapouris was pulled up to a traffic light in a stocker when up came the McMullen roadster rumbling and making sounds only a most badass hot rod can. According to Chapouris, the sound and the look were inspiring. He went onto tell me that the Deuce roadster as it pulled away from the traffic light, rapidly, was a sight to behold in its rich black color with those oh-so brilliant flames lavishly spread all across the front sheetmetal. To this was a copious amount of thick white pinstriping across many of the body panels. The car was a sight to behold.

I can remember another time when Chapouris, Jacobs, Pete Eastwood, Jim Ewing, and myself were headed out to the NSRA Nationals in St. Paul, Minnesota, back in the mid ’70s. Every day brought about a handful of stories that would follow us for a lifetime but there were two in particular that have resonated with me, and it turned out Chapouris too, that each of us told for years to come.

I believe we were running down the interstate probably in Colorado with Jacobs in his coupe leading the way, followed by Chapouris in the California Kid with Eastwood, and bringing up the rear Ewing and I in the Super Bell coupe. Thinking back on it that must have been a sight for those days for any passersby who may not have been well versed in the world of hot rodding.

Anyway, Jacobs was zipping along and I remember telling Ewing that it looked like Chapouris was drifting out of the number one (fast) lane and onto the shoulder and then into the wide grassy medium. Sure enough he was, as it turned out Chapouris had dosed off while Eastwood was riding shotgun and had been asleep for some time. Ewing and I looked at each other with eyeballs that must have looked like pie plates. Ewing was quick to react and we found ourselves driving on the grassy center medium (which turned out to not be as soft and comfortable a surface as one might have thought) and I hanging out the passenger window yelling at Chapouris to wake up. (For those of you that know the Ewing coupe with its hammered top you realize there is precious little space to be sticking one’s head out to yell!) Eventually, thankfully, I got Chapouris’ attention and he snapped too and brought the coupe back under control and steered back up and onto the highway. Ewing and I could see both Petes yelling at each and arms were a flailing. Once everyone’s heart beat dipped below 200 all was good. It made for a great campfire story that night with a great deal of finger pointing and even more hootin’ and hollerin’ from the five of us.

It was the same trip when another one of those “never to be forgotten” life’s little occurrences occurred. Now let me preface by saying this wasn’t one of our prouder moments and having had a lifetime to think back on it the following probably shouldn’t have happened … but it did, so here goes.

The three cars were nose to tail with Jacobs once again in the lead, Chapouris and Eastwood representing the Oreo in the cookie and Ewing and I bringing up the rear (a position that we held with a great deal of regard). This was back in the day of the 55-mph national speed limit and it was aggressively enforced by the local highway patrol (or state trooper). We were running “significantly” over the speed limit and we came upon 18-wheelers in the slow lane and other traffic in the fast lane. So we were faced with a dilemma of far too slow of traffic occupying the lanes we wished to navigate and we were in a hurry. What to do?

The answer seemed obvious to us: nose to tail we moved over to the right shoulder and proceeded to pass the 18-wheelers and proceeded on our way. Down the road we came upon a truck stop, which seemed ideal to have our morning breakfast and refill the hot rods. All of us were inside beginning to enjoy our fill-up when we noticed state troopers pulling up alongside the hot rods. Chapouris thought it best the rest of us, the unseemly ones, should stay inside while he went out and used his charm and powers of persuasion to speak with the officer. About 20 minutes later Chapouris came back in and proceeded to inform us we were lucky that we weren’t going to jail and that for the rest of our stay in this fine state we would be traveling 55 mph as 56 mph would guarantee our immediate apprehension and subsequent trip to the hoosegow (gray bar motel, or whatever your term is for jail). Turns out the local law enforcement weren’t thrilled with our California driving habits as they weren’t appreciated in this state and we being what appeared to be unsavory types should just keep motoring. Do you have any idea how slow 55 mph is when you are driving on the interstate across an entire state. Suffice to say it was really slow and time-consuming. Chapouris for years would tell how he stared into the eyes (covered with those chrome-looking reflective sunglasses) of this particular state trooper in his oh-so neatly starched and pressed uniform complete with his Smokey hat, tie, and the biggest gun I had ever seen strapped to the hip of any two-legged individual.

There were lots of other stories, most much more mundane, but all had their moments of excitement. I will forever remember on once such trip when we were moving about between the cars when it was my turn to ride with Chapouris. I told him, “As I sit here in the front seat of the California Kid it will be a moment that I will remember for my entire life.” Chapouris agreed and I can remember as if it were yesterday that smile peaking from behind his beard. I will never forget but I will forever miss that smile and that man. Lest there be any doubt, Chapouris knew full well why he was born.

The post Pete Chapouris: Goodbye to a Good Friend appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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