#it's not sunday but perhaps thirsty thursday? thirsty thursday <3 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

captain-aralias · 4 years ago

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Six Sentence Sunday (and 3 recs because I couldn’t help myself)

thank you for tags @amywaterwings , @llamapyjamas and @sharing-a-room-with-an-open-fire

i posted the third chapter and the epilogue for my sex pollen last night, so i spent today reading, rather than writing.

what was i reading you may ask? mostly this -

Holding Out For A Hero by @scone-lover which is 100k of god-tier superhero AU. so plotty and romantic and funny and FUN - it has all your favs, it has a really neat take on your least fav (the Mage), it has amazing fights, queer-coded supervillains, simon’s pants, an all-gay bakery. i highly recommend.

i also read my gf’s new Untamed “WWX didn’t realise they were engaged” fic, but it’s not live yet, so no post. she’s a great writer, though, so worth checking out. most recently she wrote this -

Call and Response by x_los (The Untamed) narrated by lan xichen, it’s the story of how he and his younger brother once summoned their dead mother to ask her things she didn’t want to tell them. it’s very sad and good. she’s also written some ‘always-a-woman’!WWX (hetting the slash) which is great and i also recommend, though even the W/W snowbaz is maybe contentious in our fandom at the moment.

aaaaand...

since we’re doing thirsty thursday a few days early (or late), i also read these this week:

How Shall I Love Thee When You are Gone? by DefinitelyYou post wayward son break-up/get-back-together, super plotty, full of lovely heartbreaking yearning and really cool ideas about Lamb, baz’s self acceptance, and the way simon and baz work together. also has demons.

@ninemagicks has been knocking it out the fucking park with these kiss prompts. i love every single one of them, however the football hate kiss is my favourite so far. so that’s the one i rec to you.

and here’s some lines i wrote for ‘greener grass’ chapter 3 at least two fics ago...... which is only a month ago really, but feels like another lifetime. this is Baz in Simon’s body after the vampire party and their meeting with Lamb

👇

Shepard wanted to know everything too. And then he wanted to tell Simon everything that he knew about vampires.

It wasn’t much. Shepard doesn’t consider himself an expert, apparently (“I keep asking if they want to go to coffee with me, but I guess they think Starbucks is overrated.”) But it seems even he knew that vampires can bite without Turning their victims.

“How do they do it, then?” I heard Simon ask.

If he got an answer, I didn’t hear it. (Although I did hear Shepard say, “It’s not easy” before I moved away from the door. So perhaps that’s one thing I don’t have to worry about. Not something that can be done by accident.)

Fortunately, no one questions me when I finally step out into the main room. Bunce is desperate for the loo and Shepard is eating breakfast. Miniature burgers. (Is this really what we’ve come to – burgers for breakfast?) (I suppose this is America.)

how CONVENIENT that shepard knows this. i wonder if it will be relevant in the rest of the chapter???

tagging all the above for Six Sentence Sunday, as well as @sourcherrymagiks @gampyre @caitybuglove23 @vkelleyart @annabellelux @foolofabookwyrm @sbazzing

#fic rec

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wasalwaysagreatpickle · 4 years ago

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Thursday 6 May 1830

11 55/..

But lay down again for 1/2 hour

And long while on the pot

Fahrenheit 63˚ at 7 3/4 and very fine morning – wrote note to Madame de Hagemann dated ‘Wednesday evening 5 April [May]’ saying I very much regretted not being at home when she called yesterday but if they were disengaged some evening should be very happy to see them tomorrow Saturday or Sunday. –

Breakfast at 8 1/4 – left my note to ‘Madame Madame de Hagemann’ for George to take, and off (walked to Rue Saint Victor at 8 50/.. – bought back knife, and plumeau, and looked at paillassons, and got to my apartment at 10 - then called on M Audoin – not at home and went to my menisieur Rue Copreau about paint – bought bottle of sirop de groseille so thirsty had a glass of this sirop and water by me, drinking perpetually – my rooms have west aspect so no sun, yet Fahrenheit hanging over my chimney piece was at 70˚ - the woman brought me my green paint – from 11 10/.. to 12 10/.. painting my flower shelves –

Wrote 1 1/4 page to Mariana then an hour’s nap – at 2 George brought me letter from Mariana (Lawton) 3pp. the ends and under the seal – she was suffering from violent headaches which she thought must be rheumatism – no chance of her being able to leave Charles his loss of memory and other faculties very apparent – she seems determined to keep little Mariana – hopes the thought of building at Lawton is given up – several letters have passed about augusta cottage at Leamington the purchase 4200 exclusive of furniture – £2000 to paid on taking possession, the rest to remain on mortgage – but difficult for Charles to borrow £2,000 for he can only give a bond jointly with his brother which security nobody seems to like – Mariana fancies that if Charles lives 2 or 3 years he might easily pay it off –

‘yet now and then a feeling comes over me to think that it is selfish to wish him to save on my account – his indifference or at least apparent indifference, as to my future concerns so far from making me more anxious about them seems to inspire me with the same sort of unconcern and I sometimes think that if I alone was interested in them, I should let things quietly take their own way – my habits are not extravagant ones, I believe I could live when many would starve, and though the income I have lately had to spend upon mere fancies amounts to nearly half what may ultimately be the only resource, yet if I am driven to it, I have no doubt but I should make it do. Not one half of my income have I ever spent upon myself, so that others would feel my poverty perhaps more than I should myself’ -

This sentence struck me forcibly – sat musing upon it – copied it to Mariana and then made some brief remarks – said she had evidently mistaken that part of my last ‘on the subject of what might well be named to Charles respecting your future provision….. It is little more than a year since I saw you – I must see you again by and by’ – do not think the account of Charles a good one – things must soon fall into her management and with no more than proper attention to economy she will find a surplus at the year’s end – ‘and whether this might not justly and without any undue selfishness be applied to the improvement of your settlement, I leave you to judge – at the time of your marriage, you were believed to have a certainty of five hundred a year and a prospect of five more – Mary! I could write much if I chose, much that might rouse you from that unconcern which has more despondency than virtue in it – but I know you better than you know me; and I shall continue to see you next year’ not to name this – fear Charles ‘will not like to have his tête à tête broken in upon – nous venons – at all rates, set your mind at ease – if you cannot come to me, I shall go to you – That is clear, is it not? ……. How very very much I should like to talk to you a little! I am sick of writing – I know how and why you so mistake me, and yet I dare not help it …… I wish Miss Maclean had come – I am too lonely – my poor aunt is all goodness, but something still is wanting – were all my mind thrown on my paper; how different would be my pages! you are not happy to think me unhappy – you are not happy to think me too happy – I have never told you when my heart was sick of solitude – I have scarcely written one word since I saw you last that all the world might not read – why? you told me you should know all without my telling it, and I have always passed over in silence every moment or regret and every wish and every hope that might have [inflamed] my pen too strongly – But no more’ –

Wrote 3pp. and one end – then dawdling over 1 thing or other and not off from my apartment till 5 3/4 – had to walk to Place Maubert then got into a fiacre – went snail’s pace and home at 6 35/.. dressed – dinner at 6 50/.. – read the paper – came to room at 8 1/2 – wrote all but the first 4 lines of today – coffee at 9 25/.. – talking to my aunt of her going to Shibden and of the necessary of my seeing Mariana her mistaking me etc. etc. came to my room at 10 25/.. at which hour Fahrenheit 68 1/2˚ -

Sat writing copies of notes first to Mrs de Hagemann then to Mr Saint Romain about coming to us tomorrow evening cannot have them all at once -

#anne lister #mariana lawton #1830 #paris

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hallsp · 5 years ago

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Ramadan Diary

Ramadan is a month of fasting, prayer, and self-reflection for the world’s two billion Muslims. The observance of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, a central tenet of the faith. The holy month itself commemorates the start of the recitation of the Qur’an to Mohammad, culminating in Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Destiny, which celebrates the very first revelation.

The date for Ramadan varies from year to year, as the Islamic calendar is based on the movements of the moon, not the sun. This year, it began on the night of Sunday, May 5th, when the religious authorities glimpsed the thin crescent of a new moon.

I decided, after some encouragement from my students, to fast for all of Ramadan as a kind of personal challenge. This is a diary of my progress.

Monday, 6th May

Today was long, and hungry. I didn’t eat a morsel, nor drink a drop, all the livelong day. It wasn’t easy. I thought about food quite a lot. Bron, my roommate, is also fasting so we can do iftar together. An app tells me that the evening call to prayer, called maghrib, is at 19.27, but it began a small bit later — an agonizing two minutes — at about 19.29. Maryam, my other roommate, and raised Muslim, told me we have to wait until the prayer is finished, bless the food bismillah, and then eat. I broke the fast with some water and some dates, as is the custom, then devoured a chicken curry.

Tuesday, 7th May

Small bit easier today. Didn’t think of food so often. I was noticeably more tired though. I slept for an hour when I came home. Some strange reactions from some of the teachers to my fasting, but a lot of encouragement from fellow-fasters. Advice from other fasters includes waking at 3 or 4 AM for suhur, the pre-dawn meal, and easing into the iftar in the evenings with soup and salad. I decided against suhur, for reasons of laziness, so my fast is actually more extreme, having one meal, as opposed to two meals, per day. Broke the fast with some dates, a lot more water, and the last part of my chicken curry.

Wednesday, 8th May

Getting into the swing of things now, the hunger isn’t so obvious throughout the day, but much less energy. I’m in a very good mood, though. I’ve decided to make a fattoush salad, with the help of my Syrian friend Majd, who’s Christian and thinks I’m crazy for fasting. He also helped make lentil soup, another staple dish, with Bron, my roommate. So, this was a proper iftar: dates, soup, salad, and bread.

Thursday, 9th

Talked with the Biology teacher, who’s also fasting. He tells me that people ought to re-orient their mind towards other people during Ramadan, and that it’s not about feasting once the sun goes down. Look out, not in, essentially. More advice received: do not eat an even number of dates. Mohammad used to eat three. Broke the fast with (three) dates, and water. I made my own fattoush, which worked out very well. We also had leftover soup from yesterday, and I bought chicken tawouq, which I ate with bread.

Friday, 10th May

Today is International Day at school. The worst event for people fasting. There was food from every country on the planet. I had to borrow a tupperware container to bring the food home. Worse, today is Friday. The weekend is here. I have to go on a trip to Batroun for a bachelorette party with my friends leaving Beirut at about 5pm. Drink will certainly be taken. I can’t avoid it. Anyway, I’m not doing the fast for religious reasons, so once the sun goes down, I can eat, drink, and be merry. The hangover will be tough without a lot of water to compensate, though. We arrived in Batroun at 19:30 so I hopped out of the van, chugged some water, had a few dates, then started into the champagne. I managed to squeeze in a chicken burger in between the drinks.

Saturday, 11th May

The hangover wasn’t so bad, actually. In spite of this, I broke the fast for the first time — to drink a small bottle of water. As sins go, not so heinous. I was just so thirsty day after the night before. Religiously, you can break the fast if you’re pregnant, or menstruating, or sick. Maybe a hangover is a type of sickness? Anyway, spent the day on the beach, mostly under cover, and rested. Broke the fast back in Beirut with dates, some tuna fish, and pasta.

Sunday, 12th May

Apparently there’s an exemption on fasting if you’re traveling. I could’ve done with this on the road to Batroun! It also excuses my breach the day of my return to Beirut, I reckon. Broke the fast with dates, water, tawouq, bread, and pasta.

Monday, 13th May

People are always giving you advice when they hear that you’re fasting. Some of it contradictory. Bron was told not to drink so much water before eating at iftar. We decided to try it. Broke the fast with dates, no water, and chicken curry. Then copious amounts of water after. No obvious difference.

Tuesday, 14th May

Bron makes a strong point. Those who alter their body clocks by sleeping during the day and eating all night are cheating in a way. They’re just moving their day around, and sleeping through the hunger. It’s not a proper fast if you can’t feel the hunger. Broke the fast with chicken curry, round two, and lots of water.

Wednesday, 15th May

I feel hungrier today, not sure why. More advice with recommendations for iftar. The mindfulness coach thinks I ought to break the fast with some warm water, not cold, perhaps herbal tea, as this prepares the stomach better for eating, to be followed by three dates. He’s also of the opinion that people should be humble during Ramadan, no talking about their fast, no feasts at iftar, certainly no Instagram pictures. Broke the fast with a chicken burger from Smoked Bun, post-dates. Ridiculously nice.

Thursday, 16th May

I have a day off school today, for the funeral of Patriarch Sfeir, a Lebanese Maronite Cardinal. It was more difficult being home, actually. At work, even though I’m much more active and using more energy, at least I’m kept busy. Today, I caught myself watching cooking videos on YouTube. Broke the fast with (three) dates, and beef fajitas, but made with Lebanese bread.

Friday, 17th May

Broke the fast with a gorgeous mujaddara, a spicy mix of lentils, rice, and onions, made by a chef friend of Bron’s. Eaten with some of his delicious homemade bread, and some 961 Red Ale. Today is my good friend Enzo’s last night in Lebanon so drink will have to be taken again. What choice do I have?

Saturday, 18th May

Asma, Maryam’s friend from the UK whose working with a medical NGO in the Beqaa Valley, came for iftar. She’s a practising Muslim, so we had to lend her a Qur’an and find the Qibla, the direction of prayer. It was nice to get some more insight into the traditions. Apparently we can eat as soon as the call to prayer begins. We ate three dates, some ripe peach, and drank water, followed by mint tea. Dinner included pasta, fattoush, and more mujaddara. We also had ayran, a traditional kind of sour yoghurt drink. After dinner, we drank some Turkish coffee, then some Indian desi chai, made with ginger and milk. Finally, we had some traditional sweets, heloweyat. A proper iftar!

Sunday, 19th May

No hunger pangs at all today. I think my body has fully acclimatised to fasting. A small group of us went to see some childrens’ theatre in Tripoli, directed by a friend of ours and starring some kids from a Syrian refugee camp. It was really entertaining. The boys put on a production about a couple of swindlers selling dodgy seeds. The girls had a modern take on Cinderella. I could understand most of it, so I’m happy. We rushed back to Beirut for iftar. I decided to order a Ramadan Combo from Malik al-Tawouq: lentil soup, salad, and chicken tawouq platter, and a date cookie called ma’moul. Plus, a Miranda tamarind soft drink. The guy who delivered it was fasting and so forgot to take any money! We also ate some traditional Ramadan cheese sweets, heloweyat al-jibn, made with clotted cream called ashta, which we bought in Tripoli. They were spectacular. There’s a beautiful full moon tonight, which means: we’re half way through Ramadan! Ramadan Kareem!

Monday, 20th May

I genuinely don’t feel hungry during the day any more. Intellectually, I know I need to eat, but there are no hunger pangs. It’s not an obvious hunger. My sense of smell is more active, that’s about it. I decided to make chicken biryani today, which worked out really well. No big communal iftar today, as the final episode of Game of Thrones is available. Some things are more important.

Tuesday, 21st May

Bron invited two work friends over, a Syrian Muslim and a Jordanian Christian, and we also invited Dennis from downstairs. Bron made another batch of lentil soup, which was nicer even than the last one. She made fattoush as well. I contributed the remaining biryani. We had a huge variety of ice-creams with cones for dessert.

Wednesday, 22nd May

I didn’t eat so much today. I think my stomach is getting smaller. Broke the fast with three dates, some of the leftover lentil soup, a Mexican bean and tuna fish mix, and some fried haloumi. Fried haloumi is my new favourite food. Also, had a little pot of yoghurt.

Thursday, 23rd May

The routine now is to break the fast with three dates, and follow this with warm tea, usually mint tea. This really helps the transition to eating. Today, I had a big plate of pasta, some fried haloumi, and a yoghurt.

Friday, 24th May

It’s 38° today. It’s so hot that the cold tap runs warm. It’s at times like these that you appreciate the true value of something as simple as a glass of water. Tonight we’re hosting iftar on our balcony. Maryam made a Palestinian vegetarian maqluba, meaning upside-down, which is made with layers of fried vegetables, potatoes, and rice, which is then flipped before serving, and topped with fried cashew nuts. It was delicious. I made fattoush for seven people, complete with fried pita bread, and it was my best one yet. I was relieved, as I was serving Arabic food to Arabs. My friend Shadi brought his fiancé all the way from Damascus. We eventually made our way to Mezyan in Hamra, where I was rewarded with a free drink for boldly asking for one. It’s Ramadan, after all, the season of good will.

Saturday, 25th May

Myself and my house mates, Maryam and Bron, went to the Beqaa Valley to meet with Asma, who had invited us to iftar with her boss, Doctor Fares, and his extended family. It was such an amazing evening. Typically Syrian. First, we sat around half-talking, half-watching Arab dramas, like Al-Hayba and Khamsa Wa Nos, while the family cooked. People were coming and going all the time. We then went for a short walk with the good doctor’s kids, who were adorable. His eldest daughter, Lamar, had very good English. Then we moved to the garden where we played cards, a version of Trumps. I managed to cheat a bit with help of the kids. Finally, as the sun went down, we ate in a big group in the garden, sitting on cushions around a selection of dishes. There was soup and salad, alongside three different meat dishes: chicken, lamb, and fish. The flavours were superb. The family were a lively bunch. At one point, Doctor Fares insisted on feeding us from his hand. I also discovered that they knew one of my colleagues in Eastwood. Lebanon is a very small place! We sang happy birthday to one his kids and topped it all off with cake. It was the best iftar experience so far.

Sunday, 26th May

Went to Souq al-Ahad, the Sunday market, with Bron. Such a crazy place. We bought some spices, some olives and maqdus (baby aubergine stuffed with chilies, and then pickled) from Aleppo, and salvaged an old backgammon board. It’s a great place to wander for a couple of hours. At one stage I was offered a taste of something, and when I said I was fasting he immediately said (in Arabic): “Me too, I’m Muslim. Are you Muslim? Are you Sunni or Shi’a?” I had to disappoint him by saying neither. It was at this point that he said, with utmost confidence: “It’s only a matter of time.” We broke the fast with a vegetable curry, alongside some maqdus and some Lebanese bread.

Monday, 27th May

I was a small bit busy with work tonight so I had three dates followed by a simple pasta with pesto rosso, onions, and tomato. Naturally, had some mint tea and gallons of water.

Tuesday, 28th May

Today, I had the least amount of food yet. I just had a simple pasta with spicy tomato sauce and cheddar cheese. I couldn’t even finish it. I think my stomach has shrunk over the course of Ramadan. I’m definitely losing weight.

Wednesday, 29th May

Today was a tough day. I was in a bad mood for some reason. I think it’s to do with not having enough energy. Usually, during the whole of Ramadan, my mood has been positive. I think I need to eat enough to maintain my energy levels. Tonight I made chicken vindaloo with egg noodles.

Thursday, 30th May

I had more energy today, back to my normal self. I broke the fast with the remainder of my chicken vindaloo. Also, the requisite number of dates and some mint tea.

Friday, 31st May

Another Friday is upon us. The last, in fact, of Ramadan. Tonight is a big night for Muslims around the world. No-one is quite sure exactly when Laylat al-Qadr is supposed to fall, but most believe it’s the 27th day of Ramadan, which is tonight. It’s also a Friday, so it’s a big deal. We had our last group iftar in the apartment. This time we had three Syrians with us, so we had plenty of help with the food. We had a rice and aubergine dish, a water melon and feta salad, a tabbouleh salad, and some fried haloumi. Later, I nipped downstairs to say goodbye to some friends, before moving to Strada 51, a local bar, and winding up in a swimming pool in a club at 4am. Your typical Laylat al-Qadr.

Saturday, 1st June

I had Arabic class with my friend Majd, from about 2pm. He spent half the day preparing a chicken and rice dish to break the fast with at 7.45. Bless him. I broke the fast with this and some delicious Ethiopian soup made by our friend Jodie, called shiro. It was spicy, and the perfect match for the chicken. I followed this with a few drinks with an Irish guy visiting Lebanon for a week.

Sunday, 2nd June

I broke the fast with three dates, some water, and pasta, alongside some fried haloumi. The end is nigh.

Monday, 3rd June

I had to work today, but I’ve been given the rest of the week off work to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the Festival of Fast Breaking. Today might well be the last night of Ramadan, but we’ll have to wait for the religious authorities to check on the phase of the moon. It will end either tonight or tomorrow.

If Eid begins tomorrow, Muslims will gather for special prayers called Salat al-Eid, which is usually followed by a small breakfast, the first daytime meal in a month. Eid is usually celebrated by visiting relatives, where gifts are exchanged, and zakat is given to the poor. The kids will get a tidy sum of money. Unsurprisingly, food is very important. After a whole month of fasting, all sorts of delicacies will be eaten.

It’s official. Eid begins tonight. The fast is over. I broke the fast by going to Tariq al-Jadida, a busy part of the southern suburbs, with Bron. We then went to Dahieh, where we had some saj with jibneh and zataar, before walking through the market in Sabra and Shatilla. We ended up back in Tariq al-Jadida looking for heloweyat. We weren’t very successful, but we were given free street food: foul with lemon, and seasoned corn. Tomorrow, I’ll go for breakfast in the morning, and then hit the beach.

Epilogue

This month has been really amazing. I’ve learned so much about the traditions of Islam, I’ve met so many different people, I’ve tasted lots of new foods, and I’ve had some great experiences.

It was trying at times, but the effort was definitely worth it. Ramadan really focuses the mind, and makes you very thankful for what you have. It’s also helped me to think more about portion size and also about my own health. Lastly, it’s helped me bond with others who are fasting, and brought me closer to my Muslim friends and students. I can now say with pride that I made it through the full month of Ramadan.

#ramadan #lebanon #diary #reporter

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whatdoesshedotothem · 2 years ago

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Sunday 26 August 1832

7 5

finish morning (rain recently) and F62° at 7 10 - breakfast with Marian - came to my room at 9 40 - from ten to eleven and twenty minutes wrote copies of letter to my landlord in Paris and to Hammersley and to Doctor Beclombe – went down to my aunt at 11 ½ - poorly

vid. p. 212.

again – amused her by talking of altering the house – better idea than what seemed to me the best on Thursday – to enter by the lower buttery and turn the upper kitchen into cook kitchen – my aunts’ present bedroom into back kitchen Hemingways’ room into butlers’ pantry – hall into dining room – upper butteries into servants hall or housekeepers’ room – present kitchen into drawing room – and make the kitchen court by walling up between present coach house and cow house and barn end and of the house – at 12 5 read the morning service sermon 7 Mr. Knight in exactly 50 minutes, as I generally do – then looking about – true the house is not worth much altering – should do little or pull it down at once – came upstairs at 2 ¼ - sometime asleep – then making out work-account with Pickles and writing the above of today till 4 – such perpetual showers have not been out – sometime in the library - till 5 ¾ wrote the following 2 2/3 pages to Dr B- ‘Shibden Hall Sunday 26 August 1832 – At last, my dear Steph, my patience is in the wane, and I really must ask for a little of your physicking - after the wonders you did for Grantham, no sick of bowels needs despair - I cannot tell what is the matter with mine; but for the last 4 or 5 years, they have been more or less tiresomely obstinate - Dr Tupper have me medicines and tonics in Paris, tho’ never for any good beyond the moment - I was better for the vegetable system (began at the end of 1828) till its goof effect seemed worn out last winter; and I have been omnivorous ever since April without being sensible of its making any difference whatever - the soft, relaxing air of Hastings did not quite agree with me, and I have never since had any sufficient or proper alvine evacuations - some 6 or 7 little rounds lumps per day (some days nothing at all) in size more like those of sheep than anything else, tho’ well enough as to colour and for the last 7 or 8 months, I have had a feeling of weight or stiffness, sometimes amounting to pain, at the bottom of my back, particularly on blending it inwards, as if the lumbar vertebrae might be this put in too close contact with something which ought not to be there - almost any kind of medicine (from my so seldom taking any) acts promptly and well; and, for a day or 2 afterwards, I feel relieved, but then all returns to its former state. I feel a regular inclination, every morning to the right; yet it always ends unsatisfactory - I am perpetually well in every other respect, and can in no way account for this intestinal obstinacy - I have had no sick headaches, as formerly, since it began, and one morning last October (not having taken medicine) found that I had parted with, to all appearance, a large garden-worm, but rather thinner, and flatter and paler - I eat, and sleep well, and am out all the day - perhaps I drink too much water or liquid of some sort, from being often thirsty during the day, and always so in an evening - on applying much to reading or writing I am soon either or powered with sleep, or, on keeping awake with difficulty, have a sensation of fulness [fullness] in my head and ringing in my ears. If you can make anything of all this, do pray tell me what I had best do - I have perhaps too little confidence in medical man in general, but faith enough in you to move mountains - I have nothing of news kind to tell you worth my trouble of writing, much more yours of reading - no cholera at Halifax as yet, but we are thinking of making preparations, as it is within 7 or 8 miles of us, tho’ little or nothing is said of it - Mariana tells me, they really are to be off for London on Wednesday, and talk of going to Brighton and Hastings, before their return. I suppose Mrs Milne and the Norcliffes are expected back about the end of this week, or beginning of next - I see there will be no getting off from here on this side of Xmas and I shall therefore hope to see you before I go. Do tell Harriet this, with my kindest regards to her, and to you all - my aunt begs her compliments - very faithfully yours. AL’ – wrote out this copy just before and after dinner till six and fifty minutes – dinner at 6 10 – sent off at 7 my letter to ‘Dr. Belcombe, York’ – read ½ a dozen pages of the Reliquiae diluvianae to p. 74 then my aunt came and no more reading till skimmed over the courier – went into the little room at 9 ½ - came to my room at 10 – rainy day – F60° at 10 p.m.

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mgjansen81 · 7 years ago

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LCHF Diet - Getting Started

New Post has been published on https://makesomethingtasty.com/lchf-diet-getting-started/

LCHF Diet - Getting Started

GETTING STARTED ON LCHF – PART 1: CLEAN OUT DAY

By far and away the most email, comments and questions we get are around how to start LCHF, what a LCHF whole food eating plan looks like, whether its doable for the average person, and how you know what success looks like. We’ll address this in a series of posts but here are the first three steps……

By Helen Kilding and Grant Schofield

Back in April of last year, Grant talked about what he and his family eat, but let’s go a step further and look at how you might adapt your current menu to achieve a Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) lifestyle, that delivers all the nutrients your body needs, in the quantities required. Note I say lifestyle, not diet, as an LCHF way of eating can be as beneficial and enjoyable for people who don’t need to lose weight as for those who do.

First there are two things you need to get over….your fear of fat and your fear of missing carbs. We often ask people, “What is it about a burger that you most enjoy?” Inevitably it’s not the tasteless bread roll that is used to hold it. Top a nice juicy burger, two even, with cheese, avocado, tomato and mayonnaise, wrap it in a big fresh iceberg lettuce leaf and see if you miss the bun. Ditto lasagne….replace the pasta sheets with strips of eggplant and see if you even notice. One proviso, make these switches without increasing how much good fat you eat and you do risk missing the carbs. You’ll possibly lose weight, but because of calorie restriction, not an increase in fat burning, which should be the ultimate goal. And as with all calorie restricted diets, you’ll likely regain the weight, and then some.

When you take out carbohydrate you must increase fat….protein should stay about the same. Far from fat making you fat, as Grant has spoken about at length, dietary fat and body fat are two completely different things. To encourage your body to burn fat, you need to deprive it of alternative fuel sources (i.e. sugar/carbohydrate) so that it’s only option is to use fat. When you eat fat, so long as there is no sugar around, there is little or no impact on the hormone insulin (the fat storage hormone) and also no blocking of the hormone leptin. It is leptin that tells the brain you’re full. You need fat to feel satisfied, plus it tastes great and makes the food you add it to taste great.

So what exactly should you eat? Here are some tips and tricks from someone who is not a great cook, who is preparing meals for a young family and who also enjoys eating out. None of which provides any barrier to an LCHF lifestyle. For a better cook, or someone with more time on their hands, the possibilities are endless.

Step 1: Ditch these carbs

Understand which foods are out for you and then clear them all out of your fridge and cupboards. Having a defined “start day” or “clean out day” is the “cold turkey” approach, which may leave you feeling a bit rubbish for a few days, as your metabolism adjusts the way it fuels your body, but after that you’re away. It’s our preferred method but we’ll explore more gradual methods later.

The following items are out (left), with some replacements on the right:

OUT IN

Breakfast cereals of all kinds Nuts and seeds or No grainola Rice Faux rice Potato and all other starchy vegetables Faux potato and heaps of non-starchy, low carb veggies Spaghetti and pasta Courgetti (courgette ribbons) or eggplant slices Sugar in all forms (includes honey, agave) Bread of all kinds Big iceberg lettuce leaves or Oopsie rolls Cracker, biscuits, and cakes Seed crackers

Step 2: Oil change

Boost your good fat component. We need plenty of fat but not too much of the Omega 6 fats which can cause inflammation. Remove the manufactured seed oils, like sunflower, peanut, safflower and canola, and replace them with:

Coconut oil

Olive oil

Butter

Cream

Cheese

Avocado

Coconut milk/cream

The fat/skin on meat and fish

Step 3: Step away from the packages

Ditch all processed foods – these are likely to be high in sugar, other carbs, and Omega 6 fats. Make sauces and dressings from scratch wherever possible. This doesn’t have to mean hours slaving over a stove but if you really must use a jar of curry sauce (because throwing some spices and a can of coconut milk in a pan is so hard!), at least check that the carbohydrate content is no more than 10 g per 100 g and ideally less than 5 g.

Load up on things that will rot in a few days – in season vegetables, meat, fish, etc and you won’t go far wrong.

Follow these three steps and the end result will be a plate/dish that is nutrient dense and packed with natural flavour. You’ll feel satisfied (full) but not bloated full.

A weekly menu

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Breakfast Yoghurt, cream, berries, nuts and seeds (YCBNS) Cheesy scrambled egg YCBNS YCBNS YCBNS

Whatever

Bacon, eggs, creamy mushrooms and spinach Lunch Chicken Super Salad Seed crackers and platter Leftover Bolognese with salad and cheese Left over frittata Tuna Super Salad Dinner Salmon fillet, pumpkin mash and Asian veggies Courgetti Bolognese Asparagus and feta frittata Burger with all the trimmings Chicken curry and faux rice BBQ (meat, fish, salad/veggies) or Roast Dinner (no potato) Extras 10 almonds3 squares of dark chocolate Apple slices and nut butter 10 almondsGlass of wine 3 squares of dark chocolate Apple slices and nut butterGlass of wine Seed crackers and dips[1]

Other Breakfast Ideas

Greek yoghurt with No Grainola

Eggs and bacon

Omelette

Creamy mushrooms on spinach

Coconut cream smoothie

Super Salads

I wish I could come up with a different word to describe an LCHF salad (Mark Sisson calls them “Big Ass salads”), as to me the word salad says deprivation, sacrifice, boring, unsatisfying. But in the absence of anything better, I’m going to call them Super Salads. Yes they may and should include plenty of greenery, but what else goes in is only limited by your imagination. Favourites of ours are Chicken, Cos lettuce, hard boiled eggs, shaved parmesan, walnuts and plenty of creamy Caesar dressing, or Canned tuna, with green beans, rocket, cherry tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, avocado and lots and lots of olive oil.

Extras

An LCHF lifestyle that includes enough fat usually results in little or no hunger between meals. If hunger does strike, first make a mental note to ensure fat and protein intake are both adequate in future. Second, check you’re actually hungry and not just bored or thirsty. And third, have the following on hand: nuts such as almonds, macadamias, walnuts and brazils; an apple and some nut butter; hard boiled eggs; seed crackers.

And at night, especially if weight loss is not such a priority, a few squares of good dark chocolate and/or a glass of wine can be nicely accommodated in an LCHF lifestyle.

The “Whatever” day

The “Whatever” day might be LCHF or it might not. The jury is out on whether having the odd ‘treat’ or a weekly blow out delays adaptation to an LCHF lifestyle. It’s something we plan to study in the near future. You might find that you don’t want or need it, especially as the benefits of LCHF start kicking in, but knowing that it’s there as an option can be just what some people need to make the whole concept more appealing/achievable and enable them to give it a go. If you’re physically active, a re-feed of “better” carbohydrates once a week (perhaps on a heavy training day) may also be beneficial.

So there it is….an LCHF lifestyle is a long-term decision to fuel your body in the way it was designed to be fuelled – to make it a more efficient fat burner rather than a carb dependent sugar burner. In an upcoming post we’ll look at the nutritional content of a menu like the one above and compare it to a typical Standard American Diet (SAD) and a low-fat, whole grains one. In the meantime, all we can say is give it a try. Never has the old adage “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it” been so appropriate.

Summary of Foods to eat:[2]

Meat – grass fed (which is fortunately most meat in New Zealand)

Fish – fresh and canned

Vegetables – especially those grown over ground (cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, eggplant, cucumber, lettuce, capsicum, etc)

Coconut oil and coconut cream

Butter

Eggs

Cream, sour cream and full fat Greek yoghurt

Olive oil

Cheese

Nuts and seeds – especially almonds, walnuts, macadamia and brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and linseed

Seasonal fruit in moderation

Summary of Foods to avoid:

Bread, pasta, cereals

Pastries, cakes, biscuits and desserts

Sugar in all its forms – plain sugar, castor sugar, maple syrup, golden syrup, honey

Jam and other preserves

Sweetened yoghurt

Lollies and chocolate

Beans and legumes

Dried fruit

Fruit juice

Beer, cider and liqueurs

[1] Make your own guacamole, pesto, salsa or sour cream dips or choose ones with as few ingredients as possible and less than 5 g of carbohydrate per 100 g

[2] For certain individuals, some of these foods may not be advisable. This list is a starting point which is proving effective for a large proportion of people. By experimenting, you can find the carbohydrate intake that works for you – it might be <50g a day, 50-100g or up to 150g – and the foods that your body tolerates well and not so well.

#lchf diet #Low Carb #low carb high fat diet

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