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lovinghaikyuu · 3 years ago

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Sweet! So do ya think ya can do a Sakuatsu poly where gender neutral or male reader is overworking? To the point of just plain exhaustion where they fall asleep literally standing? Thank you!! <3

-🏵

Sakuatsu x gn!reader

Warnings: brief mentions of not eating enough

It’s Friday, a day that usually brings you comfort and relief with the nearing weekend, but today all you feel is on edge. Has the week gone by that fast? Every day feels the same. With work, exams, and your personal life, it seems like you haven’t had even a moment to spare. Your sleep schedule is nowhere to be found, and you can forget about proper meals. Who has time for that when there’s so much to be done?

How long this has been going on you have no idea, it’s been a normal thing for a while. Go to classes with barely three hours of sleep? It’s become easy for you. Work yourself to exhaustion with no breaks? You’re used to it by now. You thought it wasn’t a big deal, or that no one would notice, but you’ve been proven wrong on multiple occasions.

You and your boyfriends are exceptionally close, nothing goes unnoticed between you three.

“Have you eaten anything today?” Sakusa always asks you.

“You should really take a break,” Atsumu tells you every day without fail.

Their little reminders bring you out of your unhealthy routine and remind you to take care of yourself; you’d be a mess without them. You’re especially thankful for them on days like this. The days that are particularly tiring, but you continue your habits as always.

You had just got home and went straight to your room, not wanting to waste a moment and getting right to work. Have my professors always assigned this much? you think. After all, four essays and multiple exams to study for does seem a bit excessive. But you don’t complain, and instead focus on getting the work done.

However, after a short while your concentration is disrupted by a knock at your door. You reluctantly get up from your desk to answer it, not wanting to stop working just yet. But when you open the door and are met with your two favorite people, you’re glad you did.

“Y/n!” Atsumu’s booming voice greets you, Sakusa doing the same with a warm smile.

“We’re going to the park downtown, wanna come with us? It’ll be fun,” Atsumu asks.

“To play volleyball?”

“Yeah maybe, whatever ya want to do, really,” He says with a smile, Sakusa nods in agreement.

“I don’t know, I have stuff to do-”

“No, you’re coming with,” Sakusa interrupts you. “You need to get out of the house, get some exercise.”

“Not to mention some fresh air.”

You look at them and can’t help but smile, they know what you’re going through. You three are very good at understanding each other, to the point where sometimes you don’t have to say anything at all.

“Yeah, okay.” You figure you can take the rest of the day off for them, and you gladly do.

And so, you make your way over to the park, holding hands and chatting about your days. You really love times like these.

“Hey look,” Atsumu points to a nearing food stand, “Wanna go get somethin’ from there?”You all agree and hurry over, eager to fill your hungry stomachs. But when you get there, there’s a relatively long line.

“Should we just come back later?” Sakusa questions.

“Nah don’t worry, the line will move fast,” Atsumu reassures him, “Plus I’m starving, I think I’ll die if I wait to eat any longer.”

You and Sakusa look at each other, rolling your eyes before laughing at Atsumu’s dramatic behavior. The time spent waiting in line seems like forever, and your lack of sleep starts to catch up to you. This is the first time in days since you’ve had an actual break, and you begin to drift off, leaning on Sakusa’a shoulder as a pillow.

“Hey, you okay?” He nudges you, momentarily pulling you out of your sleepy daze.

“Yeah, just a little tired.” He nods and wraps his arm around you, making sure you won’t fall if you begin to drift asleep again. And you do, this time not waking up until Atsumu returns with your food.

“Y/n, are ya good?” He asks, gently shaking you awake. “You fell asleep, how much sleep did you get last night?” You look up at him, truly not knowing the answer to his question. “We should go back,” he says, “you need to rest.” Sakusa hastily agrees, and you three begin the walk back to your place.

When you finally arrive home, they immediately take you to your room.

“Are ya comfy?” Atsumu questions while tucking you in.

“Yeah, thank you,” you mumble, letting the the warmth of the blankets overtake you.

“Do you need anything? Water? Medicine?” Sakusa asks.

“No, I’m fine,” you say, giving him a smile. He leaves the room anyway, and heads to the kitchen to get you a cold glass of water.

“Why didn’t you tell us it was this bad?” Atsumu asks you, concern present in his voice. “If we had known you were this stressed, we would’ve helped you.”

“I’m sorry, I just didn’t want you guys to worry. It’s fine, really”

“No it’s not,” he pauses, seemingly deep in thought. “Next time, do ya promise you’ll tell us? We want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I Promise.”

Sakusa returns with your water, making sure you drink some before kissing your forehead. After making sure you’re alright, they make their way out of your room to let you sleep.

“I love you guys, thank you,” You tell them as they leave.

“Love you,” They say in unison, turning the lights off and wishing you a goodnight.

I hope this lived up to your expectations! This was my first time writing for both Sakusa and a polyamorous relationship, so I really hope I did them both justice <3

#haikyuu x gn!reader #haikyuu fluff #haikyuu comfort #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu imagines #sakusa x reader #atsumu x reader #sakuatsu x reader #you’ve got mail

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rocorambles · 4 years ago

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Beauty and the Beast

Pairing: Iwaizumi x Reader

Genre: Fluff

Summary: Life isn’t a fairytale and Iwaizumi is perfectly fine with that.

Author’s Note: Gifting this to @aonesteddybear as part of the SFW Haikyuu HQ Gifting Event. Hope you enjoy~

Oikawa had always used to joke that whenever Iwaizumi got a girlfriend, it would be like the live reenactment of Beauty and the Beast (which always earned him a well-aimed volleyball to the head). But the ex-ace secretly wonders if the brunette is right.

High school had been full of shy giggling girls who had nervously confessed to him or asked him out, entranced by the idea of dating the ace and vice-captain of Aoba Johsai’s renowned volleyball team, the best friend of Oikawa Tooru himself, the boy the entire Seijoh team and the rest of his peers highly respected and spoke well of. Even second-year Kyoutani Kentarou seemed to be on his best behavior whenever the spiky haired third-year was around and that was saying something.

Encouraged and urged on by Oikawa, Matsukawa, and Hanamaki to test out the waters, Iwaizumi had gone on a few dates. But he always felt like a bumbling inarticulate caveman no matter how sweet, how kind, how accommodating the girls were.

He cringes when he remembers how accidentally callous he had been with his words, making girls cry and left when he lectured them about eating less sweets and exercising more when they insisted on going to desert shops, things he would tell his own teammates out of a responsibility to keep them healthy, not because he cared about what they looked like. And he groans when he remembers the countless times his highschool dates had screamed in his face when he just shrugged his shoulders and said they looked fine, the same as usual, when they showed off a new outfit, new haircut, new makeup look.

Boys still flocked to him, younger students looking up to him as a role model, his male classmates fist bumping and slapping a hand on his back in friendly greeting. But gossip travels fast among highschool girls and as oblivious as Iwaizumi usually is to the rumors circulating around, even he notices the wary looks and whispers every time he walks past a group of girls.

"Iwaizumi is polite, but I heard he has no social skills. Did you hear how he made the last girl he dated cry?"

"Iwaizumi and Oikawa are best friends, but Iwaizumi isn't anywhere near as charming as Oikawa."

"Iwaizumi is kind of cute, but I heard he's kind of a brute when you get to know him."

Rough around the edges. Gruff. Lacks tact.

The descriptions never seem to end and although it stings a bit, Iwaizumi can't deny that there's some truth to all of the above.

So he swears off dating throughout the rest of high school, dedicating himself to volleyball, making it to Nationals, passing the college entrance exam, leaving highschool with no regrets as he spends as much time laughing and fooling around with Oikawa, Matsukawa, and Hanamaki as he can before hopping onboard a flight to California.

America is different. College is different. And suddenly he feels like he's the beauty and the girls around him are beasts.

Iwaizumi knows that even by Japan’s more conservative standards, he still falls on the quieter and introverted side of the spectrum, so acclimating to a place like California is a cultural shock to say the least. He feels as skittish as a mouse as girls blatantly flutter their eyelashes and casually lay their hands on his shoulders in class. He almost drops his drink in surprise when drunk college girls walk right up to him and attempt to lock lips at parties. And on the few dates that he does go on, he feels like a wide-eyed blushing maiden when he’s practically dragged into apartments after a date has ended under the guise of just watching a TV show together, only to realize that his date has much less innocent intentions.

He tries to convince himself that it’s not just him, that it’s just a clash of cultures and that he’ll get used to it. But he throws his phone across the room when he sees pictures of Oikawa looking perfectly at home in Argentina’s arguably more sensuous and passionate culture. Even Matsukawa and Hanamaki handle themselves just fine the few times they come to visit Iwaizumi and he groans when he sees the two men soak up the attention and physical touches without even batting an eye.

Fine, so maybe it is just him.

Tired of being siloed into the roles of beauty and beast, he once again pushes dating aside, opting instead to dive headfirst into his studies, join the university’s volleyball club, explore the west coast. He gets good grades. He makes new friends. He gets to continue playing the sport he loves. All in all, it’s a great life and he really can’t complain. But every time he walks past a couple on campus holding hands, every time he sees a couple sitting together in the college coffee shop, every time he video chats with his old highschool friends and they go on and on about the girls they’re currently seeing, he feels a sharp pang of longing deep inside of him.

Years pass and he busies himself with acing his exams and landing a solid career and now that he has his dream job as an athletic trainer for Japan’s National team, he hardly has time to think about anything outside of his rowdy team, let alone dating or women. And it certainly helps that the males he’s surrounded with on a daily basis all have one track minds, too focused on volleyball, on the court, on always excelling to care about romance or relationships. It’s a mindset he’s more than well acquainted with and he feels like he’s finally in his element as he barks orders and drills at the sweaty athletes, grinning when Bokuto’s spikes get stronger, giving a thumbs up when Hinata jumps even higher than before.

Who needs a ring on their finger or a woman on their arm when victory tastes even sweeter than any love story?

Or so he thinks until he meets you.

The team is celebrating another victory at their favorite bar and although Iwaizumi is happy for them, he keeps a close eye on how many drinks they’re chugging, knowing that the role of babysitter will always fall on Ushijima and him. But all seems well so far. Atsumu and Sakusa aren’t at each other’s throats. Hinata and Bokuto are speaking in relatively coherent sentences. So he decides to reward himself with another drink, making his way over to the counter and waiting for the bartender to notice him.

It’s a busy night and he sighs when minutes pass by, but he tenses up when a teasing voice reaches his ears.

“You’re going to get wrinkles if you keep on frowning like that.”

It’s instinctive, the way he scowls and snaps back at the stranger without even looking at them, telling them that’s just his face and if they don’t like it, they can take a hike. But he pales when he registers his harsh words and an apology is already forming in his mouth when he whips his head around to look at you, only to stare in surprise when you just cackle at him, eyes glimmering with mischief and curiosity as you introduce yourself, so different from the usual disappointed or judgemental looks he receives from women.

And he wonders if this is a prank or a dream, disbelief coursing through him at how easily the two of you converse after years of believing that he would never find someone he was compatible with. There’s no need to sugarcoat his words, to filter his thoughts and he watches in awe as you take it all in stride, never flinching at his frank words, rolling your eyes with an amused smile on your face before sending a quip of your own right back at him, filling in the gaps when words don’t easily flow from his mouth.

For the first time in his life, he doesn’t feel like a beauty or a beast. He’s just himself. Iwaizumi Hajime. 27. Athletic trainer. A man quickly falling head over heels for the woman besides him.

Dating you is a breath of fresh air. It’s comfortable. It’s natural. It just feels...right. There’s no pressure on him to be prince charming (although he tries his best and ends up grumbling when you just laugh at his stiff attempts of eloquent conversation and polite mannerism). There’s no tears or vague confusing anger directed his way when he misses subtle cues or phrases something horribly (both of which he is often guilty of) and he just nods and listens, jotting down mental notes when you tell him directly and clearly why you’re upset with him.

And in return you see his more nuanced signs of affection and love. You see it when he roughly grabs your bags from you and holds them for you. You feel it when he silently corrects your posture when you’re working out together. You hear it when he briskly grunts at you to stop working so much and get some real food and sleep.

Life isn’t a fairytale. There are no magic teapots to provide guidance. There’s no spell to blame their fights on. There’s no magic that will instantly restore peace. There’s only two humans, two equals learning how to love, navigating through life together, sticking side by side through the fights, the tears, the laughter, and the smiles.

And Iwaizumi can’t help but think this is far better than any romantic fantasy, even a tale as old as time like Beauty and the Beast.

#haikyuu fluff #iwaizumi x reader #haikyuu!!#haikyuu #haikyuu fic #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu scenarios #Iwaizumi #Iwaizumi Hajime

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vampiremonday · 4 years ago

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Prompt number: #1 - “no, come back!”

Fandom: Portal

Rating: T

Warnings/Tags: References to canon-typical death, futility, and horror.

On AO3.

For @fictober-event.

Falling

Chell wanders through tall, golden grass for such a long time before she sees anything at all. The fresh air almost stings her lungs, but it is the sweetest smell she can remember. The fresh, unfiltered air feels different, and she doesn’t know if it helps or hinders her progress lugging the companion cube along with one arm and then the other.

It is heavy, and she had almost left it behind. Then something pinged in the back of her mind, soft and strange like the scrawled warnings that she had sometimes seen on the walls back in the facility.

Weighted Storage Cube.

She does not know if its weight is the cube itself or if there is something inside. She also doesn’t know how to open it. The only thing that makes her decide to start her journey with it, its path mashing down the golden grass in a very clear trail that almost matches hers, is that she cannot imagine that GLaDOS would have sent it with her if it were meaningless.

Chell still feels a tight, wrenching sensation in her gut when she realizes that she is outside rather than dead. She had seen the four laser-sights pointed at her out of the turrets’ tall, narrow bodies, and she had exhaled – with understanding, if not acceptance – but then something <i>strange</i> had happened.

It is still happening.

Small flashes of what Chell thinks are memories come as she walks along. Sunlight through a window pane. The soft jolt of a car rolling over a fault in the pavement. People.

She wonders where the people are.

Evening approaches, and it is dusk before she ever reaches a change of scenery. The golden grass gives way to shorter grass, and not far beyond there is a stream. Along the edge of the stream, trees grow and rocks sit there, undisturbed and silent.

Water.

It occurs to Chell that she has not needed to see to eating or drinking on her own for years. Her brow furrows as she grunts and tugs and trudges onward. Finally, on some of the shorter grass, she leaves the Companion Cube behind. Her shoulders sag with relief, and she notes that she can smell the water, too.

She doesn’t know why she thinks that is strange, but her mouth tries to feebly fill itself with saliva.

She approaches the stream and finds a place to fall to her knees. Without much apprehension, she cups her hands and brings some of the water to her face. She slurps from it, eagerly, and does it again and again and again. Finally, her breathing steadies, and she pauses for a moment.

She peers at her reflection. There is a cut through her eyebrow again. She has two eyebrows, which – again – occurs to her as odd, but she doesn’t care enough to linger on the thought. There are other nicks and cuts and deep bruises all over her body. She hasn’t had time to care for them or to care about them at all.

She cups her hands and draws more water up to her face, only she closes her eyes and splashes it across it. She feels water droplets slipping down the side of her neck and into her shirt. They are cooler than sweat.

Methodically, she washes her exposed skin, but before long she catches herself laughing once at the sensation of her clothes becoming sodden with anything but sweat and blood.

The sound of her own voice startles her.

She has been alone for such a long time. Then, she had decided to stop speaking to them, since it did no good at all. Now, there is nothing to stop her voice or hold her tongue. She reaches up and rubs at her sore larynx. Part of her had feared that something they had done to her might have taken it away, after all.

She clears her throat after a moment but otherwise makes no sound.

It is approaching dark by the time she drags the Cube to the trunk of a tree. She sits down with her back to the trunk of a different, neighboring tree and peers at the Cube, thoughtfully. She sees no immediate clue as to its latching mechanism.

With a grim compression of her lips, Chell wonders if sending the Cube might have been GLaDOS’s idea of a cruel joke, after all.

A bitter sort of calculation begins to run in Chell’s brain. It starts to suggest all the reasons the Cube might be so heavy.

Useful supplies. Food, water, medicine, shower curtains.

None of those seem likely, after all.

Chemical storage.

She has already seen how the facility’s blood runs through it, though.

Toxic failure deterrent.

She can hope not, barely.

A body.

She does not know where that thought comes from, but it makes her crinkle her nose with actual distaste. She sniffs at the clean air and does not notice anything she would consider a sign of decay. If the Cube contains a dead body, though, it would likely either be reduced to a skeleton by now or otherwise so well-preserved that decay could not have reached it. Either way, she suddenly feels less enthusiastic about the idea of opening it.

The more sentimental reason GLaDOS could have sent the Cube along occurs to her �� morbidly – shortly after the idea that the Cube’s contents may have once been a person files itself away as another grisly thing to be prepared for.

Maybe GLaDOS had sent the Cube with her to be her friend.

She recalls the exercise as if it had been only days ago, though she knows better.

One corner of her mouth tugs higher than the other in a faint, satisfied smirk.

It is a pointless victory, especially now, but she stares at the emblem at the Cube’s center which makes it unique. The Cube’s battered body would be something to be pitied, if it could feel a thing at all. She has never, for a moment, been convinced that it can. If it does, it has suffered in silence, which is something they have in common.

Tilting her head at it, she cranes to one side and then the other, searching for some difference that would be a place to press or pry.

Finding none, she slides across to sit upon her knees in front of it. Before she tries to sleep, she will give it one more close examination. In daylight, maybe she can wash off the soot and grime and have better luck.

It is cool to the touch but not cold. There is nothing about it that feels alive.

It isn’t like them – the Aperture scientists nor the machines they had left in their wake.

After a while, Chell gives up and returns to her own tree.

She shrugs the tattered sleeves of the jumpsuit back up onto her arms, hugging herself and trying to find a comfortable way to lean her head back against the tree bark.

Another strange shudder runs through her when she rests her gaze on the Cube because it is the most familiar thing to look at while she tries to let her guard down enough to fall asleep. She tastes something bitter in her mouth and draws enough saliva to swallow.

She is alone here.

She is free.

And the Companion Cube is not any companion at all.

She lets her gaze drift upward, and through the branches of the trees, she sees the cold light of the stars above her. Her eyes are drawn toward the moon, which is still almost as bright and clear as it had been when she had seen it – big, beautiful, and the only, mad hope she had – through the roof.

He’s still there.

It is an unwelcome thought. As soon as she has it, Chell sits upright and looks down at the ground. She places one hand against it, trying to stop feeling dizzy. She shakes her head.

The reaction only seems to make it worse.

Her arms are so cold, and she can feel herself falling up into space.

There is a sudden rush of harsh warmth, more her own blood rushing to the bruising force than the clamp, but the clamp is warmer than the lack of air around the moon.

“Grab me, grab me, grab me!” he begs.

She searches for some hardness within her, for the thought that she would not have done what he pleaded for her to do had she had the chance.

She can’t find it.

His voice had sounded so human, and all she can think about is falling.

She wishes he were here. She wishes she could find her voice and scream at him.

She wishes he weren’t just gone. It isn’t fair, even in the spirit of vengeance, and she wishes she weren’t alone.

#fictober20 #portal #chelley #chell #chell x wheatley #can be read as shippy or not #mine

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greenstudies · 6 years ago

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Glow up tips/ideas

Here’s my little guide how to glow up in your life:

First, get your life together:

Organise and clean your home -Having clean home will make you feel better and lighter and therefore you will be more positive.

Have a life admin day -Write down all the stuff that needs to be done, all the appointments you need to get and everything that needs to be fixed. Then schedule in a day every month or every two weeks when you tick off these thing off your list.

Do your damn laundry

Create routines -They can be long and strict or short and very opened

Fight procrastination in all the ways you can

Take your mediaction and have regular health check ups

Now it’s time for mental health:

Make sure you eat and drink water regularly

Get a therapist if you feel like you need/want one

Practise your hobbies or find new ones

Listen to your favourite music

Meditate

Create a happy atmosphere for yourself -Buy plants and flowers, let your favourite music play in the background, let in as much ligh as you can.

Warm beverages

Be as positive as you can

Try to complain less

Don’t talk shit about people, especially not behind their back -You spread negative energy and hurt yourself in the process.

Say nice things to people, compliment them as much as you can -Being nice to poeple will affect your own mood for the better.

Talk about what you love, not what you hate

Get enough fresh air.

Glow up your mind!:

Read more books -Does not matter the genre

Watch movies and series

Learn new language -Even if it’s just a few words

Watch documents

Talk to people smarter than you

Try learning random fact every day

Find a new hobby

Think of ways to make your life better and help your surrounding -Minimalism? Zero waste? Vegetarian? It depends on you.

Find a new friend

Help people

And lastly the physical glow up:

Find out how much sleep you need and stick to it -Usually 8 hours are the norm

Play around with make up -You will fail and it might look wonky from the beginning. And maybe you won’t even like it. I want you to experiment.

Make sure to go make-up-less sometimes if you wear it often

Drink water -It won’t magically clear your skin completely but it will get better.

Wash your face in the morning and in the evening, but no soap if possible

Use as little skin products as you can -Sometimes less is more.

Lip balm

Eat vegetables every day -Every. single. day. It’s the best thing I have ever done for myself.

Eat oatmeal -It did wonders for my hair.

Stretch regularly

Exercise -Find something you have fun doing and do it as often as possible.

Avoid food with too much grease and sugar -You can have it but try to reduce it.

Prepare your outfit the night before -It gives you time to think about what you’ll wear and it’s nice to have it ready in the morning.

Get clothes you feel good and confident in

Get your dream hair colour! -Get crazy if you want

Learn to be comfortable with your body

Don’t shower every day -I know, I know... but listen... It’s actually much healthier for your skin to shower every other day and wash your hair even less. Plus it saves a lot of water.

Get a perfume -Have a scent

Get enough sun -You don’t have to be tan but getting sun on your skin is very healthy and it’s visible in other ways than tan.

Smile and spread joy

If you’re happy, show it -It’s contagious

Remember that beauty comes from within. That is why I put these tips in that order.

I hope I helped and have a great year!

EDIT: After over a year I added a few notes after seeing the way people reacted and felt about this. Everyone chose to ignore those notes in the reblog, therefore I’m adding them to the original post:

This post has been going around for a bit again and I wanted to address some things about it:

Some people labeled it as ableist and I want to fix that. Back when I posted this, I got defensive and it was the wrong thing to do. The problem is that I still can’t see the exact points and things that are ableist. If you can see them, please point them out to me, so I can fix them and alter them to include everybody

The idea of glowing up can be incredibly toxic and please don’t take this post as a list of things you must do. Glow up should be something coming from the need to pamper yourself and to feel better in your life. If you’re not able to do any of this, it doesn’t make you flawed. Don’t use this to “fix” yourself either. Love yourself first

The outrage about not taking daily showers is unnecessary. Everybody’s life and needs are different. Some people need more hygiene than others, some sweat more, some bodies need more attention than others. I’m not saying you can’t shower daily or that you shouldn’t. I’m saying it’s not always necessary and from biological standpoint it is unnecessary for an average person. No matter what, do what you’re comfortable with. But please don’t call other people gross just because their habits differ from yours. It migth be especially hurtful who can’t make themselves shower regularly due to mental illness or lack of opportunities

Skincare isn’t bad, what I’m pointing out here is making sure to let your body do its thing. Bodies get lazy and if you start using products you don’t need, your body might stop regulating its skin in natural ways. Plus you might throw things out of balance if you experiment too much. Minimal skin care might be better in most cases

Thank you for any additions and I apologise to all who find this post hurtful. I’ll do my best to make it better!

#the-diary-of-a-failure #studyblr #life style blog #study blog #glow up #mental health #beauty #health #student life #studies #tips #advice #list #testpost #school #studying #long post #get your life together #life hacks

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dragons-bones · 5 years ago

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5 Questions for Writers

Tagged by: @frostmantle (thank you!)

Tagging: @ishgard, @starsandauras, @twelveswood, @autumnslance, aaaaaaand YOU (because I cannot keep track of who’s done this or not XD)

1. Do you have a favorite character to write? Who and why?

2. Do you have a favorite trope to write? Or one you want to write?

3. Share your favorite description you’ve written?

4. Share your favorite dialogue you’ve written?

5. Scene you haven’t written, but want to?

----

Cut for length!

1. Do you have a favorite character to write? Who and why?

I am, of course, obviously quite fond of snarky, quick-witted characters, and my OCs banter a lot. Dialogue is one of my favorite things to write, so chatty characters in general I find easier to approach. It’s fun slinging sass back and forth! (This tends to be why I focus a lot of Synnove and Rereha most often--they’re the snark queens of the Squad and the most likely to turn the sarcasm filter off and just go off on someone. Which further reminds me I need to have Thancred and Rereha trading jabs, too, at some point...)

I’ve also really been enjoying writing Aymeric specifically, even if it is intimidating to do so at times. I obviously headcanon him as ridiculously smitten with Synnove (the feeling, of course, is mutual), and finding the right balance of “deeply in love with a Warrior of Light” without it coming off as overly saccharine or out of character is a great mental exercise. Also of course I enjoy indulging my personal fantasy of having a handsome man be a badass, deeply in love with his lady, and perfectly delighted to kick ass beside his lady!

2. Do you have a favorite trope to write? Or one you want to write?

Food porn. My mother’s Italian, I grew up being taught to enjoy food, I love sharing my enjoyment of food. Plus it’s usually accompanying some happier moments, or domestic ones, and is basically a cue to the readers that the story is meant to be light and fun.

I have no idea what the proper trope name would be (and going to TV Tropes to asking to start a rabbit hole dive I shouldn’t begin), but as we all know, I love Shenanigans. I typically write them in reaction to how serious the setting is; I deeply enjoy stretching how far I insert some humor and levity without it becoming crack. I think it provides some fresh air; I enjoy angst and hurt/comfort and dark themes, but frequently it’s not something I prefer to write for myself.

I also enjoy found family, battle couples, magic-as-science... Anything that gives me an excuse to write character interactions and/or worldbuild. The great fun of fanfiction, particularly in a setting like FFXIV, is that we’ve got a bare bones foundation, with some areas more developed than others, but otherwise there is a ton of room to grow my own ideas. I personally like to work within lore, but it is hugely enjoyable for me to figure out how to get certain concepts to work with the lore rather than against it. (See: my approach to arcanima.)

3. Share your favorite description you’ve written?

This obviously changes all the time, but there’s a couple I really love:

From Pearls of Wisdom:

It was one of the most basic principles of magic, not just arcanima: astral elements and umbral elements. It was such an accepted, unquestioned foundation that she had never even considered that the three elements most commonly used by arcanists for their carbuncles were not all the same primary polarity. Every element could manifest as either polarity, but Roksana Blackspark was correct, now that Synnove properly thought about it: wind, earth, and fire were much, much more likely to be found in a stable state. Even the Guild’s enormous aether batteries, all the way down in subbasement twelve, had been initially tricky to install until they found the right combination of overgrown elemental clusters, with most of the problems coming from the water, ice, and levin clusters.

Of course trying to infuse any sort of gem with those three elements specifically was going to fail, they were fucking overaspected to astral or umbral. The equations didn’t fucking work as they should because they were built to account for elements that naturally occurred in stable states, and so the infusions fizzled and the gemstones cracked and no carbuncles could manifest.

But.

But if she did account for instability, or, in fact, deliberately found crystals with which to infuse gems that were of opposite polarities so that the final infusion was stable…

A new thought made itself known, and Synnove stuffed the rest of her cake in her mouth, set the plate and fork aside, bookmarked her spot in the journal, and opened up the note taking program, yanking the stylus from the side of the case. As she chewed, she began scribbling in frantic shorthand. Perhaps in addition to ensuring stable aetheric polarity, she could also try infusion over time as well? Even when artificially infusing emeralds, topazes, and rubies, the stones still cracked every one time out of eight. Certainly, working with water, levin, and ice aether would benefit from a slower infusion speed, as it would allow her to keep a better eye on maintaining polar equilibrium, and if that issue was what was affecting the failures for wind, earth, and fire, then that would be two problems solved.

…Perhaps three, Synnove sucking in a deep breath and her heart pounding as she wrote. A proper balance of aetheric polarization combined with a slow enough infusion potentially meant that she could, theoretically, infuse any precious stone she desired, not just ones with a specific hardness and durability. Of course, the equations would need to be further adjusted to take into account the specific chemical properties of the specific gems and how they would need to interact with different elemental aether, but that, while difficult and tedious, was still doable.

Writing characters smarter than oneself is really difficult and intimidating, but I think I did a really good job showing Synnove’s thought process, and based on some of the feedback I’ve gotten, I succeeded! So I’m really, really proud of this passage.

From Suffer, Promise, Witness (FFXIV Write 2019 #19):

The ground shook, suddenly, and Synnove whipped her head around to the direction from which it originated, staring in shock. In the distance, an enormous red…key, for lack of a better term, pulsing with blue aetherlight, had struck the ground. The dust cloud kicked up rose immediately into the air and began obscuring it, and even from here she could see that the force of the strike had knocked down allies and foes alike around it.

Then a roar of sound—a deep, resonant thunder of triumphant, all-consuming rage—engulfed Carteneau, drawing every eye skyward, to see Dalamud’s outer shell, glowing with more of that sickly blue aetherlight, cracking open.

And Dalamud exploded.

The shockwave hit her first, throwing her and every other living being on the Plains still alive and standing to the ground with a force that punched the air from her lungs. The sound came next, shaking her bones and cracking the stone around her in an awful crescendo of combusting, howling aether. Her ears rang—or maybe it was just the screams of terror from every damned soul on the Carteneau killing fields all blending together.

The sky was aflame, and then the first of the pieces of Dalamud impacted the ground. Molten earth flew into the air, and then again from another impact, and another, and another, until the heavens and the earth were indistinguishable from how they both burned. Synnove desperately tried to sit up, feet scrambling to find purchase on the broken ground, as Galette and Tyr converged on her, eyes wide with fear as they tugged and pushed on her to get her upright.

Honestly I love this whole piece, but trying to describe what’s basically a trailer from another perspective (while also trying to portray the passage of time in an accurate manner) was difficult. I’d been dying to write the Synnove at Carteneau piece for a long time, and I just let myself write without worry. I think it came out pretty well! (Everyone screaming at me after the fact certainly boosted my confidence. :D)

From Assessments (FFXIV Write 2017 #25)

He did not attempt to step softly, as it was always a poor idea to sneak up on any warrior, never mind a Warrior of Light, but apparently Synnove was deeply enough engrossed in her text to not register his approach. Tyr, however, looked over as soon as he noticed the loud clacking of boot heels on stone floor coming closer to his mistress. He perked his ears up and came to meet Aymeric, shoving his face into the elezen’s hands.

“Maow!” the topaz carbuncle said, deep and echoing like a brass bell, only a little bone-rattling.

Aymeric laughed softly and obliging scratched behind his ears. Tyr thrummed happily, enjoying the attention for a few moments, before he disengaged and went back to Synnove. He braced himself on the rungs of the ladder and reached up with his paw to tap her foot, chirruping quietly.

“Hmm? Whazzit, honey?” Synnove said, voice distant and distracted. She did not look up as she turned the page.

Tyr sat back on his haunches and said, “Maow!”

Aymeric hadn’t the faintest idea of what Tyr had said, but Synnove most certainly did, as her head jerked up in surprise. (He winced sympathetically; when she had straightened, her spine had made an awful crack.) She frantically looked around until her gaze settled on Aymeric. She blinked rapidly, quite obviously not yet comprehending what she was seeing, until a smile finally bloomed across her features, her green eyes crinkling at the corners. “Well, fancy meeting you here,” she said, her cheerfulness tempered by the slight slur of exhaustion in her voice.

There were dark circles under her eyes, her hair was obviously unkempt up close, and her fingers were ever-so-slightly shaking from the particular combination of too much caffeine and not enough sleep, but Synnove Greywolfe was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Aymeric grinned up at her, not bothering to disguise how besotted he was with no witnesses about to see, and said, “What brings one of the celebrated Warriors of Light to Ishgard a bell before midnight?” He took a few steps closer to the ladder and held out his arms.

Synnove winced as she closed and shelved the book she had been reading. “Thal’s balls, that late?” She slid to the edge of the ladder’s seat, pushed off with her right hand and foot, and unceremoniously dropped into his grasp.

He tightened his hold on her as he caught her, drawing her close, and he dropped a kiss on each of her eyelids, relishing the giggles the action elicited from her. Another kiss on her nose, one to the beauty mark at the side of her chin, and then he finally kissed her properly. Synnove, in turn, languidly draped her arms around his shoulders and ran her fingers through the hairs on the nape of his neck, practically purring as she did. He hummed appreciatively against her lips, and they both ended up laughing into the kiss.

(Next to them, Tyr sighed, and rolled his eyes.)

Aymeric reluctantly drew away and set her on her feet, keeping Synnove steady as she wobbled and her spine cracked yet again. His beloved immediately leaned back into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and slouching so her cheek could rest over his heart. He smiled and returned the hug, resting his chin on her head. He closed his eyes and swayed with her gently, enjoying the familiar and much-missed comfort of her presence.

An older bit, but I love these two goobers, and I love writing them being physically affectionate and just basking in each other. Fucking cuties.

4. Share your favorite dialogue you’ve written?

FUCK I HAVE TO CHOOSE. Okay, let’s start with Pearls of Wisdom again:

Rereha threw open the doors to Aymeric’s office, shite-eating grin firmly plastered on her face as she skipped inside, and sang out, “Congratulations! It’s twins!”

Two things happened.

First, as soon as the doors opened, but before Rereha even opened her mouth, Lucia, she of finely honed Frumentarium instincts and years of friendship with a lalafell infamous across the realm for her Theatrics and Shenanigans, reached out and yanked the multitude of reports on the desk in front of Aymeric out of the way.

Second, Aymeric, who had been taking a sip of tea at the exact moment Rereha entered the office, choked and spat out said tea across his desk—and where all of the paperwork had once been not even a second before—in the most glorious spit take Rereha had ever engendered. A tiny part of her was saddened at the waste of perfectly good tea, but, wow, that had been spectacular. She gave herself a mental pat on the back and came to a stop in the middle of the office, grin widening to manic levels.

Lucia pounded Aymeric on the back between his shoulder blades as he coughed and sputtered, stopping only when the Lord Commander wheezed out, wide-eyed, voice high-pitched and halfway to a full-blown panic, “WHAT?!”

THREE YEARS THIS LIVED IN MY HEAD. THREE FUCKING YEARS I HAVE WANTED TO WRITE THIS STORY AND BEGIN IT WITH THAT LINE. THREE YEARS AND IT’S FINALLY OUT IN THE WORLD AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

From Needling (FFXIV Write 2019 #17):

Merlwyb drained her cup dry and poured herself a fresh serving (no whiskey this time, however). Grudgingly, she filled a second, and slid it over to Synnove, along with the bowl of maple sugar cubes and jar of cream. The arcanist doctored her tea as she preferred it—three lumps, generous dash of cream—and took a luxurious sip, humming in satisfaction.

“Why are you here?” the Admiral finally said, tea cup in hand and elbows braced on her desk. She wedged her feet a little firmer beneath Tyr.

“Mmmm, we had to bodily force Thubyrgeim to take a vacation,” said Synnove. She took another slow sip of tea. “Accounting realized she hadn’t taken a proper one in nigh on three years. So, we kicked her out of the Gate, with the caveat that she wasn’t to come back until next moon, and then we divvied up her usual responsibilities among the lot of us. I volunteered for the pleasure and delight of taking over our dear Guildmistress’s sennightly meetings with you.” Here the woman batted her eyelashes.

Merlwyb eyed her. “You have an ulterior motive,” she said, enunciating clearly for emphasis. “You always have an ulterior motive.”

“I enjoy the faces you make when you are confronted with the stark reality that every single one of your arcanists is capable of rewriting the laws of creation but are, simultaneously, godsdamned lunatics who should be taken out back and shot.”

“I should start with you.”

“Start with aetherochemistry; they just invented a new plague.” Synnove took the top folder from the pile and slid it across the desk to the Admiral.

“Of course they bloody did,” Merlwyb growled, opening the folder and skimming the abstract on the first page. Dear gods, did they really decide to mix malaria and consumption? Always so busy wondering if they could they never bothered to consider if they should. She plucked her reading glasses from their usual spot, sliding them on as she turned the page to the formal report, written in the aetherochemistry department chair’s tiny, cramped hand. Absently, she said, “And no, we are not testing it on the faculty of the University of Radz-at-Han.”

Synnove pouted. For the first time that afternoon, Merlwyb cracked a grin.

Merlwyb doesn’t get enough love, in my opinion, and of course I imagine she’s a salty bitch underneath the cool, commanding exterior. Couple that with Synnove probably letting loose the Full Sass (she would never behave such with Raubahn, Nanamo, or Kan-E, but she’s been an assessor for fifteen years, she knows exactly how far she can poke the Admiral and is well aware it’s tolerated only because she’s been an arcanist for so long) and the “out back and shot” line is my single favorite sentence from the whole of FFXIV Write 2019, and this is my favorite character exchange that’s I’ve done in a long time.

From Of Taunting and Tales (FFXIV Write 2019 #25)

Knock knock a-knock—knockknock! “Guess who~.”

A loud groan answered her. “Go away, you debauched scandalmonger!”

Rereha poked her head into one of the private rooms of the Rhalgr’s Reach infirmary, wicked grin firmly in place. “Now, now, Mr. Scaeva, is that any way to speak to the lady come to relieve your unending boredom?” she drawled.

The former tribunus laticlavius of the XIVth Imperial Legion raised his arm, hand up and middle finger extended, without lifting his head from his pillow.

Rereha cackled and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her. A disgusted sigh came from Nero’s direction, and he flopped his arm back down on the mattress with a characteristically overdramatic wave of his hand. She grabbed a chair sitting by the wall and dragged it behind her as she waltzed towards Nero’s bed, the wood shrieking angrily against the stone of the floor, and whistled a cheery little ditty deliberately out of tune. She could see his jaw clenched in annoyance as she set the chair up near the head of the bed and cackled again as she hopped up into it. She placed the book she had been carrying on her lap and folded her hands primly on top of it, beaming.

“How are we feeling today?” she chirped.

“Like I’ve been run over by a flock of rabid chocobos.” Nero stubbornly refused to open his eyes, instead folding his hands on his stomach in unknowing mirror of her. “And then sat upon by a buffalo.”

“That’s an improvement! Last time you said you felt like you’d been chewed and spat out by an enraged king behemoth!”

“Rereha,” he sighed, still not opening his eyes. “Why are you here? Garlond and Greywolfe are infinitely more stimulating conversationalists, for all their damned sanctimonious self-important morals and ethics.” He spat out the last word like it was a particularly loathsome curse.

“I’m hurt, Nero,” said Rereha, placing her hand on her heart. She pitched her voice to express layers of emotion: disappointment, regret, sadness. “Genuinely hurt. A friend of mine has been grievously wounded in the course of his attempts to safeguard not just Eorzea, but Hydaelyn as a whole from an interdimensional entity of vast and unfathomable power. I come in my spare time to bring some light and laughter to his dreary hospital room as he heals, and he insults me and wishes for the company of others.”

A long silence descended over them both. Finally, Nero arched one golden eyebrow and cracked an eye open to stare at her incredulously.

Rereha pursed her lips together and said pensively, “Laid it on a bit too thick, didn’t I?”

He raised his hand and held his forefinger and thumb a quarter of an ilm apart.

“Damn,” Rereha said, crossing her arms. “Ah, well.”

Rereha basically exists to let me write Sass and Irreverent Humor. Nero is full of Salt and Sass. Together they could flay someone with words alone. I also really enjoyed writing Nero being a sassmaster without using words. Wordless dialogue is fun!! :D

5. Scene you haven’t written, but want to?

One day I’m gonna get over my hesitation about writing (and sharing) smut and fucking write the first time Synnove and Aymeric had sex. I know exactly when and where and how.

...Also Synnove getting ravished in one of the Neo-Ishgardian dresses. That’s, like, second on the list. Ooohh, and the Vacation Fic; maybe I should write that one as scenes and worry about connecting them after the fact. I think because that one will require chapters and I’m more of a one-shot person is a reason I have yet to start it.

#meme stuff #writing #dt's writing

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madonnawilshire-blog · 4 years ago

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Skincare Strategies For Skiers And Snowboarders

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Just like with bleaching your own hair in the sun, putting lemon juice on your skin can lighten the redness associated with acne, and help to lighten aged scars left behind as carefully. Just dab some on your breakouts with a cotton scraping. Be careful that you don't overdue it although people point out that it can sting and burn quite. Exercise Regularly: Aurora Cream Review Fluctuating weight gain and loss can cause your skin and facial muscles to lose tone and check flabby or sagging. Necessity maintaining an appropriate weight, exercise benefits your skin, hair and face's tone and show off. By using quality makeup, it will protect your skin, not damage getting this done. Invest in high quality makeup products just anyone invest in high quality food. Take into account the fact that part of the makeup is absorbed by your body while using pores. You won't harmful substances to penetrate in entire body and attack it in any way, can? And the most important thing of all: NEVER sleep with your makeup during. It will make your skin look older laptop really is and will clog your pores, thus contributing towards the rapid evolution of acne or other similar skin disorders. Light and portable skin cancer rates all through globe creep upward, as well as more more people realize opt-in list of sun protection. The above-mentioned summer Skincare Tips are very useful for others to block the ultraviolet rays in the hot months. In fact, prolonged as as every day . how preserve our skin, we can see enjoy the sun's rays and have a beautiful season. When washing your face to take off acne, make use of your hands. Fabrics or exfoliators can damage your skin even further, so both your hands are the gentlest tool you may use. Paired with a mild soapy warm water you'll be able to clean deal with and rid yourself of acne fresh! You got to love modern technology. Today, there a variety of innovative and modern wrinkle treatment methods offered in clinics such Laser Facial procedures, the wrinkle filler remedy and far more. Laser Facial stimulates collagen growth with your skin. Around other hand, a wrinkle filler generally injected into the skin's top later lower wrinkle formation in the and neck of. It's simple yet great. Moisturiser helps to smooth the through preventing water loss, and ultimately actively works to keep DIY Skincare pores and skin looking beneficial. Travelling is not only tiring but various forms of transport work dry your skin. This can occur through such things as air physical fitness. Moisturising regularly can help to cut back the involving this and is defined as a should have for any holiday make. Inside a place where it has become standard for female to be "superwomen" and have a job, stop a family, and check out school, sleeping for 8 hours an evening may seem impossible. However, sleep is a crucial part of having healthy, beautiful looking skin. Consider it: don't you notice a lack of sleep on other people's faces? They often have dry, dull looking skin that's accompanied with those lovely under eye circles and bags under their opinion. Not attractive. Attempt to reach least 7-8 hours of sound sleep every evening if you need to avoid giving the impression of a spook. Use correct cleanser to clean your skin twice daily, especially the actual which is more delicate. Alpha hydroxyl acids which are derived from fruit, Aurora Anti Aging Cream milk or sugar has the bleaching and exfoliating affect on skin. Allowing the surface skin cells to slough off, revealing newer, less damaged skin cells beneath. Use natural toner to close the pores after cleansing and post disaster with lotion.

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dreaming-skiiny · 4 years ago

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9 Healthy Lifestyle Tips

Leading a healthy lifestyle is in fact quite simple if you just take a while to consider it. This report will help a bit.

1. Eat a high fiber - When you awake in the morning, you body is drained of energy. Be certain that you consume a high fiber breakfast because this gives you strength for the whole day and help with your digestion.

2. Keep a window open for flow of fresh air - The reason people get ill in the winter has less to do with the temperature than with the fact that most areas are closed to keep out the cold. This makes the atmosphere full of germs and can make you sick. Fresh air is free and it is healthy.

3. That is why I try to do something that I love everyday. Be certain that you make time for yourself between work and your household chores.

4. Walk for 30 minutes 3 times per week - Walking aids circulation, aids weight loss, and keeps the joints and muscles fit. Walking also gets you out of the home and keeps you busy.

5. Do not skip any meals - Skipping meals sends your metabolism in turmoil. Be certain that you consume a balanced diet and spread your calories throughout the day. It's far better to eat more small meals than 3 large ones.

6. Laugh - Every day, finds something that makes you laugh and let yourself go. Watch a sitcom, visit a Stand Up bar, or simply watch babies baby talk with one another. Laughter is one of the healthiest things for you, physically and emotionally.

7. Reading a book is a psychological exercise. It's also among the best ways to escape reality for a little while.

8. Do not be a workaholic - Working is essential, but do not turn it in your entire life. Overworking is unhealthy and counterproductive.

9. Drink 10 glasses of water daily - Drinking water improves your concentration, energy levels, is very good for your skin, weight, and all bodily functions.

Follow these 9 healthy lifestyle tips, and you'll increase your odds for a happy and healthy life.

Healthy Lifestyle Tips For More Energy And Well-Being

You ought to abide by healthy lifestyle tips to make your life happy and sound. Don't all folks want to live long and free of diseases? Fantastic quality of life, but for many, they do not know where to begin. It can be difficult to stop old habits and stick to healthy ones. There are issues like lack of inspiration wherein they readily give up. To have the ability to maintain healthy lifestyle tips and customs, start making small adjustments, not drastic changes. Here are a few healthy lifestyle tips to guide you in living with great health and well-being.

If you don't enjoy the natural taste of water, then add a piece of lemon in the glass. Your system will be cleared if you do this, and it is going to also rev up your metabolism. Aside from these, it will help flush out toxins in the body. It could even help in your weight loss program.

Get sufficient sleep. Insufficient sleep wreak havoc to your health in many ways. To begin with, it will make you feel tired and irritable. It affects your physical health, especially your heart. What is the average sleep requirement for adults? It is 8 hours for each 24-hour period. Some might need 6 to 10 hours of sleep. You will know if you do not get enough sleep if you feel tired at about 4 pm and 6 in the evening.

Do some stretching when you wake up in the morning. Use your morning wisely. Rather than snoozing, stretch your neck, legs and back. It will perk up your day as it wakes you up from sleepiness. Prepare fresh for the day ahead because extending when you wake up promotes better blood flow to your muscles that gives you a chance of oxygen.

Snack on healthy foods. Some foods are yummy, but aren't healthy for the human body, like candies, potato chips, cookies and salted nuts, among st others. These foods contains loads of sugar, salt and fats. You may rather eat healthy snacks such as berries, fresh fruits and raw nuts which are rich sources of minerals and vitamins.

Do not skip eating breakfast. Particularly if you're trying to drop weight, do not miss eating breakfast. It's the main meal to your day. If you skip breakfast, you will often feel hungry before lunch. That is why you have food cravings and will snack on food snacks which contain much fat and sugar. These foods contain hardly any vitamins. Eating breakfast prevents you from being diabetic and obese.

Take a walk everyday. Experts agree that physical activity is important in a healthy lifestyle, but a lot of folks lack time to participate in it. There are people who lack the desire and motivation to be physically active. You can make tiny changes in your daily ongoing to add physical activity, like taking the stairs rather than the elevator, or taking a walk with your spouse, kids or friends. When you walk your dog, make it a bit longer than normal. One hundred twenty-five to 200 minutes of walk collected for the entire week enhances the health of your heart. These healthy lifestyle tips will make you enjoy health, well-being and a fantastic quality of life.

#lifestyle #lifestyle tips #healthy lifestyle #healthy #energy #well-being

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topbiohacking · 5 years ago

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How to age Well. 5 Secrets to Age Well!

Aging Gracefully Is A Choice! Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

There are few people you might know of in your life and when you see them you immediately think ‘wow, they are really aging gracefully! Is there a secret? Or did they inherited some special genes?’ It’s a simple question, but the answer might surprise you.

So, what does it really take to age well?

Diet: Not a specific diet, but a balanced diet of what you already like to eat!

Exercise: No Crazy exercises that you will do once and regret for the rest of your life. Something you already like but a new way of doing it.

Memory Health / Brain Health: To do everything right, you need your memory to remember, and remember correctly.

Skin & Hair: What we put on our skin eventually makes its way inside (partially or in an indirect way) the same goes for our hair.

Cell Health: Everything boils down to our cells! This is where everything started from, so it makes sense that we should fix everything at the roots.

First – Diet

When we usually talk about dieting we always like to label our diet with some sort of a name. However, if you are looking for a specific diet and diet plan, maybe this is not the article you are looking for. Even though we will be talking about food and nutrition from the inside out.

But for us, we look at diet and food from a holistic approach. You need to eat almost everything, and everything in a moderate amount will benefit you. There are many diet plans out that tell you to stop completely consuming one thing or another. But most people who start on those diets, don’t make through the first month. The main problem with such diets that they are not sustainable. Cutting something out ‘cold turkey’ might work for some, it does not work for the majority.

Food Variety Is Key To Provide Us With All Nutrition Image by silviarita from Pixabay

For diet, we are going to provide the tips that will give you the best results with the least amount of effort! Tips that will require you doing less not more. It sounds like a good deal. Right?! Let’s dive in. You need to look at those three areas ONLY:

Look at your food consumption for a longer period of time. Not daily. Balance it on a weekly basis, monthly and overall basis.

Stick with organic whenever you can.

The dirty dozen and The Clean 15 lists. A simple list of food that you want to get organic, and another list that you might be able to go with the non-organic. The top 15 foods with the least pesticides are called the Clean 15, while the 12 foods with the most pesticides are called the Dirty Dozen. The list is courtesy of the Elizabeth Rider Blog

THE DIRTY DOZEN (2019)

Buy these organic whenever possible – Updated 2019

Strawberries

Spinach

Kale

Nectarines

Apples

Grapes

Peaches

Cherries

Pears

Tomatoes

Celery

Potatoes

+EWG’s Dirty Dozen Plus:

Hot Peppers +

THE CLEAN 15 (2019)

These are ok to buy conventional (not organic) – Updated 2019

Avocados

Sweet Corn

Pineapples

Sweet Peas Frozen

Onions

Papayas

Eggplants

Asparagus

Kiwi

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Cantaloupe

Broccoli

Mushrooms

Honeydew Melons

Second – Exercise

Exercise is closely connected with diet. We can’t talk about one without the other. Also, the same goes for exercise that goes for dieting. Most people who start a brand new exercise that is totally different from their daily activities, typically they will give up on the new routine quickly.

For sure, there are some crazy cases where people stick with it from day one and keep going forever, but most of us, we need to adapt those exercises in our daily life one exercise a week, or one exercise a month.

This Is The Reality Of How Most People Feel About Exercising. Especially, Trying Something New For The First Time

This Is What We Think Of Ourselves When We Exercise For The First Time! It’s True After A While But Right Away.

Here are a few steps to get your exercise ‘requirements’ done easily:

Things you like to do or you are already doing. If you like walking, then start with it. If you like working out, then do this. If you like hiking or even as simple as shopping. Yep, you read it correctly. You can just add a few steps to your shopping trips. Park the car further, do a few more laps around the mall. Chase your kids, or grand-kids around the yard, the park, or even the living room. Take the stairs down and the elevator up. Or half-half.

Break a sweat. If you can break a sweat in whatever you do then you nailed it! Sweating is a sign that you are putting your body in activity mode. Nothing too crazy, but just a little to move you forward ahead of where you are today. Usually, 3-5 min of high-intensity exercise should be enough to break a sweat.

Add one more. By the end of the day, you just want to add one more pump to your heart to keep it pumping longer. One step, one repetition, one pound of lifting weight, one positive change no matter how small it is.

A Walk With Your Grand-kid In A Fresh Air, Is More Thank Just An Excellent Exercise! Image by emailme3 from Pixabay

NOTE: Never, Ever use your progress in dieting and exercising as a rewarding/excuse to bring bad habits that you are trying to move away from. The reward of walking the extra mile is not another donut. You are better off without them both in this case.

Third – Memory Health / Brain Health

There’s no point of dieting and exercising if we don’t remember doing them. It might sound silly to bring up such a thing, but it’s so real. We don’t remember to exercise until it is too late in the day or the week. Or we forget what kind of activity we planned on doing today. So, in this case, we are missing on our physical health because of our mental health.

“Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory” Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash

Our brain is the most important organ in our body. It is the central computer of the whole body. When we start forgetting, slipping off mentally, we lack mental clarity, memory issues, lack of focus, and other issues. Those are problems on their own, but also they are signaling issues that are occurring from our bad food, lack of activity, sleeping behavior, and so on. However, the good news is that we can reverse most of them. We can change our food, and see it in our brain, and we can feed our brains and see the results on our bodies.

That’s how science started discovering the types of food that will help our brain become healthier and stay healthy. Few of those foods are:

Wild Salmon – Omega 3

Walnut

Avocado

Almond

Blueberries

Broccoli

Coconut oil

Turmeric – curcumin

Dark chocolate

Drinking water – Brain content is 80% water.

Two more tricks/ hacks that will help improve brain health, but has nothing to do with food and as easy as eating food, are:

Brush your teeth with the opposite hand. That will help your brain develop new neural connections.

Learn something new! Anything. Learning new skills, activities, games, crafts, new learning helps the brain to engage, wake up, and spark the young activities that once used to have.

Skin Care Is Not Luxurious, It Is Essential Image by chezbeate from Pixabay

Fourth – Skin & Hair:

We often don’t think much of what we are putting on our skin & hair from deodorant, shampoos, lotions, sprays, etc. We pay attention to the way it smells, the way it makes us feel, but not the ingredients, or how we are getting those results.

A simple example of this case is that we use lots of deodorants, but we are not sure (aware) of how they are working. Most of them use harsh chemicals to kill the bacteria that are causing the odor, but at the same time is hurting our skin. There is a nice article by publicgoods that explains the way ‘deodorant’ works on our body.

The same goes for shampoos that we use, we like the smell, the price, and maybe the results, but over time we start losing hair. That’s when we start looking for solutions and start educating ourselves on what we the heck we are putting on our hair.

If you think you are starting to go bald, you might want to check this blogpost First Signs Of Balding

And if you are a woman losing a lot of hair then you need to start with considering treatment from the source, the scalp first. Here’s a good blog post I found for this (it has good humor in it as well haha) Inside My Quest to Find the Holy Grail of Hair Care

Fifth – Cell Health

Last but not least, is the health of our cells. Out of everything, this is what all boils down to. It takes no genius to figure it out, but it’s important to say it over and over that the health of our cells is the health of our body.

The problem that we see out there with all of these big corporates and big money, is that they look at each problem in a very disconnected way from other problems so they can sell you an UNLIMITED number of product “solutions”. While the core thing is to look at the main source of all the problems which are our cells.

Our Health Start From The Health Of Our Cells Image by Colin Behrens from Pixabay

The health of our cells starts by fighting Cellular Stress.

What Is Cellular Stress?

Nrf2Science describes that ��Too many damaging free radicals — or too few protective antioxidants — can wreak havoc on cell membranes, mitochondria, and DNA, leading to tissue damage and a wide range of chronic diseases, including cancer, chronic fatigue, diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease. For more than 50 years, scientists have known the aging process to be linked to highly reactive oxygen molecules produced during normal metabolism. These oxygen molecules, often called “free radicals” or “reactive oxygen species” (ROS), can react with and cause damage to cellular structures throughout the body. Particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage are cell membranes, DNA (genetic material), and mitochondria (where cells generate energy)—and damage to these vital areas often means that cells cannot function properly.” Cellular Stress/Oxidative Stress is something that we need to combat in our cells as it has been linked to many chronic diseases like cancer, chronic fatigue, diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease, etc.

Oxidative Stress Diseases

Some of the chronic diseases that are linked in a way or another to oxidative stress

The Cause of Oxidative Stress

Even though Oxidative Stress is harmful to the cell, it is part of its natural behavior. According to Nrf2Science “Sometimes, the body deliberately makes free radicals in order to neutralize viruses and bacteria.” Also, scientists have found that the cell produces free radicals during its normal metabolism. However, the problem arises when there are too many free radicals that they begin to interfere with the cell’s normal functions. The increase of free radicals might also be from external sources as well. External factors like food, pollution, smoking, pesticides, fungicides, chemicals, etc.

A quick search on the topic of Oxidative Stress and the diseases related to it will yield quite some results, probably more than what we would like to see. However, relatively speaking, all research seems to be limited, or new in age. But for the most part, this is where taking antioxidants started taking off. Things like vitamin C supplements, vitamin E supplements, eating more blueberries, etc. The kind of routine that we have been familiar with. The only issue with this approach is that we are supplementing our body with external antioxidants, which is better than nothing but is very limited in the amount of effectiveness in combating oxidative stress and eliminating the increasing number of free radicals.

The Best Solution I Have Found & I Personally Use & Put My Reputation Behind…

The other emerging approach, which is the one I subscribe to, is ‘hacking’ the Nrf2 pathway to signal the production of antioxidants within our body itself instead of supplementing our body with external synthetic antioxidants. In my mind, I imagine our body as this perfect computer and at some point it starts to slow down (due to aging and other factors), instead of me upgrading the machine by adding better processors, which is not possible to our “human-machine”, I will try to optimize my existing system/ body to perform better to go back to its original capabilities.

Releasing the system from the unnecessary burden that we are putting it in, is much easier, and more efficient than upgrading or supplementing with external resources. That’s where Nrf2 Activation comes into the picture.

We can think of Nrf2 as the new sheriff in town! Oxidative stress & Cellular Stress are the bad guys. The antioxidant is the policemen. Everyone is telling you to add more policemen to your body to fight the bad guys, which is a good idea, but what’s even better is that you have your body making its own policemen if you enable the sheriff to do their job! NRF2 is the sheriff you need on your side!

Get The Best NRF2 Activator…..Period!

By The Way, If You Don’t Take Anything Away From The List Above Then Take One Thing & One Thing Only, To Get The Fastest Results! Activating Your NRF2 Naturally Please Don’t Go Another Day Without At Least Giving Your Body The Benefit Of The Doubt, To Heal Itself From The Inside Out!

“No Matter how much it gets abused, the body can restore balance.”

-Deepak Chopra

Get The Best NRF2 Activator…..Period!

Resources: https://jimkwik.com/ https://blog.publicgoods.com/breaking-a-sweat-antiperspirant-vs-deodorant/ http://www.nrf2science.com/ https://www.elizabethrider.com/dirty-dozen-clean-15/ http://blog.topbiohacking.com/wp/blog/we-keep-hearing-that-western-diet-is-different-than-eastern-diet-eastern-western-mediterranean-etc-why-it-even-matters-how-diet-affects-nrf-activation/ http://topbiohacking.lifevantage.com/blog/inside-my-quest-to-find-the-holy-grail-of-hair-care/

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#Biohacking #Entrepreneur #Health

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astrolocherry · 7 years ago

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Cosmic Tonics

Aries: Drink lots of water and move your neck often to make sure it doesn't become stiff, you probably know the outcome of this and it’s likely a headache. Fast acting relief will only work for so long. You need head massages and wear your glasses like you are supposed to, don't use your wounds and injuries as another form of exploration. An ice or cool press when feeling unwell, stressed, panicked, or have trouble sleeping can help. When everyone is agitating you, it's time to stop, breathe, rest, and take some time to yourself

Taurus: Rest your voice, and feel the soothing sense of whipped cream running down your throat. Warm honey in the morning and evening may stop the sore, dry throat you can wake up with. When you don't have plans tune your daily routine into the sun and moon, sleep when you are tired, eat when you are hungry, and don't think about time. Affection and neck massages, cooking and enjoying substantial, nourishing, wholesome food is good for your health, but look for the pleasure of satisfaction in moderation, and not excessive and mindless satiation.

Gemini: You breathe quickly or skip a breath without noticing, so whenever you can remember to take some deep and mindful breaths and just focus on counting them. You need clear lungs so you can keep talking, it's where your spiritual energy is most abundant, but that fear of boredom, nerves, and urge to do something with your hands can be the reason for smoking and contaminating this sacred place, when you breathe in toxicity there is a moment of relief but a more wrenching tension to follow. You will have better focus and mental productivity with a mindful routine of eating substantial and nourishing food instead of hastily preparing or forgetting, and attending to earthly duties, it helps to reground and rebalance you. Arm, head, and hand massages are good for you

Cancer: Blocked emotion can upset the inner balance and cause a high rush of sugar cravings or unsatisfying hunger. Hunger pains are not good for you, it means you are not thinking or feeling clearly. Try not to turn on your phone, social media, or news right after you wake up, your emotions are sensitive and easily provoked during this time so it can make you too overwhelmed and exhausted before you even begin the day. Getting as much sunlight and warmth in the morning as possible redirects your compass and spins your diurnal body clock. Taking care of people is also letting them take care of you

Leo: If you start to feel the blood rush into your face and your cheeks burn it's time to stop, take deep breaths, slow down your heart, and re-orient yourself. You can't control time or outside forces, and nobody expects you to either. You will help people more by taking care of yourself when you need it, and not burning yourself out in self-sacrifice. Affection is good for you, so are dogs and babies and old people. Surround yourself with loving people because heartbreak is a physical, emotional, and spiritual breakdown. Lower back massages are good for you, and so is Sun Salutation, solar naps, falling asleep listening to a heartbeat, the press of somebody’s body against your heart

Virgo: A panadol to relieve a headache won't poison you, but a ritual of 2 a day probably will. You attach to whatever works with ease and efficiency, so you can adopt quick fixes and band aid habits that become automatic or relied upon as routine. Too little of something can be just as damaging as too much. You push the limits of how far you can go in terms of perfecting and stabilising your work, physical appearance and health, responsibilities, and skills that your inner needs, conditions, and psychological pleasure and balance are pushed aside and begin to decontaminate. While you are chasing that perfect self-image, don't forget to take care of the one you have now, the one that is real and important. Head, neck, and hand massages are good for you. Dogs and pets are good for your health

Libra: You need to stay as well hydrated as possible as Libra rules the kidneys and acidic balance, so the strain of collective contaminants can cause low back pain, keeping this area well cleansed and flushed can relieve the pressure. Back massages are good for you and so is the moderation of sugar intake, because you intellectualise as a reflex to emotion, a desire for sweets or insatiable hunger can be a symptom of frustration, a recent conflict, unstable mood or emotional discomfort. You may feel better if you take the help that people offer you

Scorpio: Try to express, demonstrate, and release your emotions because keeping it inside can be very destructive. If it eventually sinks into the unconscious, you may be up for a trialing and enduring battle trying to find and validate it again. Your past always has a way of coming back to you, regardless of the lengths you take to run from it. Extremist behaviour is part of your nature, your diets can become famines and your exercise schedule can become militant regimes so moderation is important, establish a threshold that is challenging but not lethal

Sagittarius: Restless legs can be a symptom of emotional or psychological tension, lack of substantial movement and motion or too much of it. Your eyes are bigger than your stomach, and your desire is greater than your physical limits it will probably feel better to satisfy yourself until you are full rather than you are sick, not everything has to be a competition with yourself. Thigh and hip massages are good, and so is frequently stretching and keeping these areas flexible. Dogs and pets are good for your health

Capricorn: A routine of deep stretching or yoga can be very beneficial because there can be a tendency to become extremely stiff, tense, and suffer repetitive stress injuries, it can also relieve the pressure in your back and shoulders. Good, therapeutic conversation where you share and release your worries can stop them building into contamination and straining your skin, causing irritants and reactions, fresh, country or salt water air is also cleansing for your skin

Aquarius: It's always going to be difficult for you to reach a meditation of 'thoughtlessness' because your mind is so active, so establishing a method where you can engage in a sublime, non intrusive rhythm of thought and self reflection can be a meditative state, and because your spiritual energy is contained in the calves, it may be something like taking a long nature walk or swimming. The meditative experience may come easier through group meditation and dogs and pets are good for your health

Pisces: Anything that massages, soothes, flexes, and restores the feet is good and nourishing for your inner balance. You can be restored by walking with bare feet along the shoreline or the sand, and it's important that you have the right supportive shoes for your total equilibrium, when your shoes don't fit in the right way you can become intensely irritable and be unsure of why. The water is good for your spirit, its like a baptism and revival, swim or listen to the ocean sounds whenever you can, sleep when you can, sleep when you are tired or you begin to lose a sense of what is real emotionally

-C.

#aries #taurus #gemini #cancer #leo #virgo #libra #scorpio #sagittarius #capricorn #aquarius #pisces #astrology #list #medical astrology

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dammitadolfnomorecake · 6 years ago

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🏰⚔️🐲👑 33 update

Snapping awake, Eren groaned as his aching head demanded he allow himself more than 5 seconds of dozing at a time. Levi was still unconscious. His boyfriend had been for the last week, since Eren had come out of his heat to find things in chaos. His body was burning, his dreams indeed made real. Wounds that refused to heal had grown infected across his stomach, while the new scales across his back felt tight and still. He'd bound his wounds, forced down herbal compounds, cleaned the best he could, but his heart was filled with concern for Levi. The alpha's fingers were long claws, his hair had grown slightly, and the look on his sleeping face was filled with pain. He'd written to Historia when he'd come out of his heat, yet that was a week and a half ago, with no word. Settling back down against Levi, Eren wrapped his arm back around his boyfriend's chest. Every day he'd spent hours just listening to Levi's heart beating, reconfirming that the man was still alive, because he didn't know what else to do. He'd tried his magic, but nothing changed. He'd washed and bathed Levi. He'd forced water down his throat, and herbal teas to ease any pain his boyfriend might be feeling. He'd even tried sex... Levi had responded physically, but hadn't roused. Eren felt ashamed for riding him, bringing him to climax and knot, without his magic flaring to heal or wake his alpha... "Eren?" Pushing himself up, Eren rearranged Levi into his lap protectively. Armin had been the first to seek them out when they hadn't left the tower after a week, he knew Armin wouldn't hurt Levi, but with the alpha so vulnerable, his instincts to protect his lover had gone haywire. With Eren not leaving Levi's side for longer than trips to the bathroom or trips to the kitchen to brew fresh teas, Armin was the one making sure he ate. His friend was angered that he wouldn't rest, but as long as he ate, he wasn't so bad "No change?" "No, he still won't wake..." Carrying the tray of food he held over to the side of the bed, Armin placed it by Eren's side "Levi was asking after him. The whole castle doesn't know what to do" "I don't either. I've written to Historia. My magic does nothing... and I can't feel anything through our bond" "You really should rest. You look terrible" Eren groaned. They'd had this conversation. He didn't want to sleep because he didn't want to miss Levi waking, or to slip into the same state as his alpha. Who would help Levi if he wasn't there? "I can't. You know I can't..." "Sleeping when you collapse isn't ok. He wouldn't want this for you" "Then he can fucking wake up and tell me that himself" Sighing softly, Armin rubbed his face. He really shouldn't be taking his mood out on his friend. Armin had patiently listened as he'd explained that Levi was infected by bad magic, which had passed to him and caused the changes that had upset his friend so much... He'd also kept Erwin from sending healers in, and kept Mikasa at bay "You've heard nothing from Historia" "No. I don't know what to do anymore. I wake, sleep and pray for him to wake... I'm about ready to take him to Draecia and beg for their help. The kingdom needs their prince" "And you need your alpha. You seriously look ill" Grey dirtied his scales, while the ones on his back were grey. His complexion was sickly thanks to his messed up stomach. Without thinking, his free hand went to his stomach "It's fine" "Have you changed your bandages today?" "No. I fell asleep..." Armin rolled his eyes. Eren already knew how shit he looked and didn't need to be reminded "Let me guess, you panicked the moment you woke?" "Of course I fucking did! He's not getting better!" Shaking his head, Eren regretted his second outburst. Armin being the Saint he was, simply brushed his mood off "Look. Lay him back down. I'll get the dressings and ointments ready, then we'll do your bandages. I know you're worried, but you need to look after yourself" Eren sighed at Armin, trying to make an attempt for his friend's sake "Great. Now you're starting to sound like him" "Maybe he's smarter than I gave him credit for... I really can't believe I didn't see it sooner. When I think about it, it was so obvious. All those looks. The way he lights up when with you. The time spent together in the royal library..." "Armin, you're not making this better" "I'm just saying... I don't know what I'm saying" "That's obvious, and what happens when you spend too much time with Hanji" "She's certainly... taxing. She's been wanting to visit. I told her you're keeping the door locked with magic. I don't think she believes me" "Probably not. She has been in here before" "Levi wants an update... Are you sure the castle mages can't do anything?" "I'm certain. The only ones who can help are in Draecia" He'd tried moving the sword closer to Levi in an act of desperation, but that hadn't worked either. He'd also thought of flying out to the peninsula in the hope of meeting with a dragon there that could relay a message to Historia, yet he didn't want to risk things getting back to Rod "Then I'll write. I'll make Historia understand" "Armin, Historia understands. If she can't come, it'd because of her father. That means all we can do is wait for him to wake" "Then I'll ask Levi... or Hanji. You're suffering Eren. You're my best friend and your suffering... it's not right" Armin teared up, Eren wishing he wasn't the cause of his friend's pain. Armin didn't know it, but he'd do anything for him, even before he found out Armin was a prince "It's ok. You're right. I should do my bandages, but I want to air the bed too. Can you help me move him? If he lays in bed, he risked bed sores. I need to do his exercises too, so he doesn't wake up even weaker" "Of course. Anything you need" What he needed was for Levi to wake, but the only person who could give him that, was Levi himself. * It was hard not to give up hope. Eren had moved Levi back to his quarters, while the castle had descended into mourning, despite the fact Levi hadn't passed. The air in the castle felt colder, the days longer and the shadows more numerous. He couldn't remember the last time someone had laughed or smiled. He couldn't remember the last time the sun shone through the windows. Though he hadn't given up on his boyfriend, Eren had been forced to rest by Hanji. The cold of the castle, and lingering infection in his wounds had led to him falling ill, as Armin had feared it would. Hanji had cried over the scarred and poorly healing wounds on his body, while Eren felt he couldn't feel anything about them anymore. He didn't understand it. No matter how many hours he spent sleeping, he couldn't connect to Levi or Obsydin. He was supposed to be bonded with them both, yet he couldn't find his way to them. Each day he spent was sitting beside Levi, holding his hand in a kind of daze. Hours would pass, and he wouldn't process a thing. Always jumping when he found either Hanji or Erwin sitting at the dining table watching them. It'd been three long weeks of Levi sleeping before Historia finally came. The weather outside the castle matched his mood, the storm most probably summoned by his magic without his intent. Sitting with Levi propped up in his arms, he'd once again zoned out, not noticing Historia's presence until warm arms were thrown around him with a sob. Growling in warning, it was her scent finally filled his senses that he came too. His voice rough, and throat sore "Historia?" "I'm so sorry! I wanted to come much sooner, but I was unable to. Oh, Eren. I'm so sorry" From feeling nothing, his emotions slammed into him like a brick wall. Awkwardly he pulled her closer as he started to cry. Finally. Finally someone who could help Levi, unlike his useless self "I'm so sorry. My father lost his mind, and I couldn't leave Draecia. Please, forgive me. I wanted to come the moment I got your letter" "He won't wake... I can't reach him anymore" "I know. Armin wrote, as did Erwin. Though his was somewhat harder to understand. I've brought Maria with me. Can we look at him?" "Historia... I'm infected. The spell made everything worse... you can't use your magic on him" "The light's too dim in here. Do you mind if we make things a little brighter?" He didn't even realise it was night, his head felt foggy, while the tears wouldn't stop "Historia..." "It's ok. I can feel it. I understand. Maria, Eren's sick and wounded. Will you please see to him while I tend to Levi?" Burying his face against Historia's neck, Eren shook his head. He didn't matter. Levi mattered "Can't lose him, 'storia" "I know. I know, and we're finally here. I'm sorry for arriving so late" Maria lifted Levi out Eren's arms, while Historia helped Eren from the bed. His arse numb from the hours of sitting and holding Levi. Laying Levi down, Maria made sure the alpha was settled before giving Historia a nod. Standing awkwardly, Eren wanted to climb back into bed and curl into Levi's side. The warmth his lover still held was deeply missed, and without Levi in his arms, Eren felt incredibly small. His lover had been his world for the better part of the last month, and now he was being moved aside. Historia may be the answers to his prayers, but that didn't mean she held all the answers. Casting lights to hover near the ceiling, Eren was sitting in front of the fireplace as Maria assessed the degree of infection. No. Infection wasn't the right world. This was a curse. Everything had gone to shit since the sword had been drawn. Starting with the gold collar around his neck, Maria was now touching the scales across his spine, her lack of comment did nothing for his nerves, nor did the way Historia was poking at Levi. He knew she wouldn't risk infection, but to him it looked as if she was performing all the basic tests Hanji had. Tests that had led to nothing "Eren, I need you to stay still" He hadn't even realised he was moving "Sorry, Maria. How bad does it look?" "These scales aren't a good sign. The collar is clearly made with dragon magic, yet I can't get a feel for the spell in place. Have you noticed anything? Anything at all?" "My magic won't heal either of us" She hadn't made it to his stomach yet "Yes. I gathered that much. I mean, have you noticed anything not quite right. Maybe hearing things? Or seeing things?" Eren blinked, before nodding. He'd tried to forget it, in favour of worrying over Levi "In Obsydin's dream during my heat. I thought I was going crazy. I still do. I can't tell if this is just him tormenting me in a new dream, or if I'm really awake. He showed me my mother dying, and some other things over and over..." "You mentioned the spell made it worse?" "Obsydin... He said I bound part of my soul to him. We managed to shut him away, but by doing so, Levi couldn't tell that the spell to hold him was growing weaker. At this stage, I'm just as infected as Levi, and the dream I gave up was for nothing" Eren found himself pulled into Maria's hold. Maria was nicer than her sisters, but this felt like a hug from a mother, not a friend "It wasn't for nothing. It was for love. As Historia said, we wished to come sooner, but Rod has been acting more and more unstable. I'm sorry for your clutch" "What Maria means is, my father was caught beating one of the maids and yelling that he'd never given her orders, which he had. He's jumping at shadows and has locked the manor down, fearing that Obsydin will destroy Draecia. Now, for Levi The infection has indeed grown worse. I fear without magic, I am unable to help him. But, I'm hesitant to try. Even with our combined magic, and that piece of your soul wasn't enough to fully restrain him" "We can't leave him like this" "I didn't say that. I want to see the wounds he inflicted on you" Maria moved to Levi, while Historia had Eren stand so she could unwrap his bandaged stomach, cringing when the wounds were revealed "Obsydin did all of these?" "The smaller ones were done by me. They've healed more than the other ones, but nowhere near normal" Moving him closer to the fire, Historia then pulled one of the small floating lights down, to illuminate the wounds better "I can see shards of black in the dried blood. I think the reason you're not healing, is because traces of claw remain in the wounds" "He said he'd leave me broken and bloodied. He was so fucking mad that I'd tried to seal him... but then he said he wouldn't lay with me, as he had no interest in laying with another's lover" "He didn't want a clutch?" "It doesn't seem like it. He wants to end the Smith line, but he easily could have done that already. I don't know what he wants" "To be honest, I was sure it was a clutch. I was sure he was looking to be reborn" "He said he'd be reborn in Levi, but a human body is no good to him. Levi can't do magic, though Obsydin can manipulate my magic in my dreams" "And the sword?" "It's still encased in the scales. Obsydin broke through when Levi knotted me at the start of... mating" "This is confusing. Given we don't make notes like you do, we don't know his history. I do know of an older dragon, but he's been in isolation for years. His partner was killed by Marley, so he turned his back on humanity and now lives in a forest on the main land. From what I've heard, he's nearly 250 years old, but that may just be rumour, or he may have already passed" "Could he help?" "He's an earth dragon. Possibly his nature magic could ease the symptoms... We've never encountered anything like this, so it's all speculation" "Historia, it's been three weeks. Everyone in the castle thinks he won't survive. I can't... I can't even keep up with the days anymore. My head just feels so empty. If not for Armin and Hanji forcing me to eat, I would forget to do that too" "You feel empty because your rider is in a coma. I know he is the face of the prince, but it may be better if we removed him from the castle. Your mages have filled the place with their spells and magic, and traces of yours also linger. There may be magic in place to keep threats contained? But I'm not sure..." It was weird to hear Historia so serious, and disheartened. Normally she found a way back to optimism no matter what. He'd relied on her for help, and she had none to offer. Other than a potential waste of time "Historia, if this dragon can help, then I have to go. He would do the same for me. I know he would. What other choice do we have? I can't connect with him in his dreams, nor is Obsydin talking to me. I'll visit every single dragon in the world if it means finding a way to save him" "And what about you? Levi wouldn't like you wear yourself out" "I don't care. I just... I can't live like this. We spent a year apart, and since my return everything has been one thing after another. I didn't come back, just for him to die. I lost my clutch, and he helped birth it. He stepped up and he helped. He held my hand, and did everything he could, even though I hurt him. He's always been there for me. Always encouraged me. Always let me do what I needed, no matter if it hurt him in the process. If I can't be there for him now, what good am I?" "Eren, you're sweet and kind. You're also angry and quick to jump in when someone you care for is harmed, without considering all options. You know not all dragons welcome humans. Let alone two infected by the worst dragon to ever live" "I don't care. If they won't listen, I'll make them listen. His people need him, and they need him more than he needs me" "Maria, can you fetch Erwin from the hall. We all need to be present for this conversation. Also, I need a blade, hot water and towels. These wounds need to be opened so the scale particles can be removed" Laying on the bed beside Levi, Eren was holding his alpha's hand as Historia and Maria whispered back and forth about the wounds on his stomach. It'd be easier if Eren was unconscious, but he didn't want to be put under. On Levi's other side, Erwin was staring down at the man, still processing the conversation they'd just had. Historia had shown him where to find the dragon she'd mentioned, but getting there would be a dangerous trip. They'd have to leave at night, and risk flying over Marley, unless they took the longer detour, which he wasn't prepared to do. The sooner they reached their destination, the sooner Levi could get help. Flinching as Historia made the first cut, Eren gripped Levi's hand tighter "I know. I'm sorry" "It's fine. It's for him, so it's fine" Clearing his throat, Erwin's voice seemed to tremble slightly "I thought Eren giving up his ability to have children made this spell permanent" "No. We'd hoped so. Maybe if Levi's rut could have been suppressed, things may have been different" "Well, what about the sword? Can't we just destroy it?" "Not now that he's inside both Levi and Eren, and not with both their souls being tied to it. If it doesn't kill them outright, it may cause irreversible changes in them" "So there's a chance it also might not?" "Eren is likely to die. We took the part of his soul responsible for new life, and tied it to the sword. It's part of him now, and the reason he's come down with black scales that cannot be removed. As the infection deepens, his green scales will blacken. As you've seen, his facial scales have already begun to grey" "Eldia can't lose Levi" "Then perhaps it's time you stepped into the role of prince. Even if dragons do offer aid, that doesn't mean the journey will be a short one, or an easy one" "My parents..." "Were killed. You spent your whole adult life looking for the culprits, only to find nothing. No move was made against Levi as prince. It's time to give up knowing the truth, and time to lead your people" Eren was impressed Historia could call Erwin out like this. Erwin really must be worried for Levi to be listening to her so patiently "I can't merely step into the role of prince" "Then step in as acting prince in Levi's stead. Let me make this clear, if they cannot find a way to deal with this infection, Levi will die. His madness will infect the castle, before people lose all control of themselves" "All this, from a sword" "From a sword made of slain dragon" "It's a curse... Things have been shit since it was drawn" Historia shot him a scowl "You need to stay still" "I'm sorry if it fucking hurts" "You had your scales plucked from your face and your soul severed. You can survive a little stabbing" "For a healer, your bedside manner is awful" "We both know you appreciate the truth" "The truth sucks" "That it does. Now, Erwin, what will you do?" "I don't know..." "So you'll let your country fall apart?" "Of course not" "Then you'll take on being prince. Without a royal heir, the role would fall to you" "It feels as if I'm disrespecting Levi. He's not even dead and we're moving on" "Eldia needs a leader. Eren mentioned Zeke was less than impressed with everything during his last visit. If it's not seen as strong, they may use this time to launch an attack" "I know that. Maybe if you'd come sooner, things would haven't escalated this far" "Yes. Well. If we had come sooner, it's very likely my father would have destroyed your country by now. As it is, I had to leave Ymir at home so he wouldn't be suspicious" Ah... so that's where Ymir was. He'd kind of hoped she'd be here as he missed her "He doesn't know you're here?" "No. He thinks Maria and I are busy elsewhere" Which meant a whole lot of shit if Historia was caught sneaking back in. Eren sighed unhappily "It's fine. I don't think I'll be infected provided I don't use my magic on your wounds" "I didn't want you to get into trouble" "And I told you no talking. The more you talk, the longer this will take" "My magic isn't even trying to heal me. You've got plenty of time to cut me open" "Yes, well. You can't make things easy, can you?" "No" "You'll need to pack too. Into something light, as you don't know how long you'll be gone for" "Yeah... I've thought about that too..." Hushing him, Historia went to work on his wounds, as he faded in and out. It hurt, but it grew to a very distant pain, though it was a pain that spread throughout his body. His head starting to throb, as if he could feel his heartbeat in it "Historia?" "I'm nearly done" "My head feels funny... something's wrong" "Just hold on a little longer" "I don't know if I can..." "You can and you will" "I don't think it works that way" "Don't you dare fall asleep" "I'm not going to" "Good. I'm nearly done, and once I am, there's just one more thing to do" Eren was confused. The increasing throbbing in his head was now being accompanied by a ringing in his ears. There was plenty left to do. He and Levi couldn't just leave. Feeling the pressure being lifted off his belly, Eren's eyes fluttered open. He couldn't even remember closing them, but it was much more likely he'd just passed out for a few moments "Historia?" Raising the blade above her head, Historia stabbed down so hard that the handle was forced into the wound "You need to wake up"

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goodvibesatpeace · 6 years ago

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According To Your Zodiac Sign This Is How To HEAL Yourself

Did you know that each body part is ruled by a particular zodiac energy?

Many cultures have attached importance to astronomical events. Some have developed elaborate systems for predicting terrestrial events from celestial observations. Western astrology, one of the oldest astrological systems still in use, is often associated with systems of horoscopes that explain aspects of a person’s personality and predict significant events in their lives based on the positions of celestial objects. This is not just on an emotional and spiritual level, but on a physical level as well.

Each zodiac sign governs different parts of our body. Below you’ll find the twelve different astrology personality types, with a short description, and tips to help you find harmony in your life.

ARIES

Mar 21 – April 20

They are passionate, dynamic and confident by nature, however, they tend to have a short-temper and a tendency towards being impulsive.

Due to the fact that their head, hair and face rules their body, Aries energy can manifest headaches, migraines, loss of self confidence, runny nose and sinus problems. As well as acne, skin problems, eczema, rashes and hair loss, when their energy is off balance.

To maintain a balance: they should ensure that they take time out, by Meditating, cooking, reading or gardening to calm down. They should listen to their soul.

TAURUS

April 21 – May 21

They are reliable, warmhearted and determined, however, they can sometimes be inflexible, resentful and possessive. Sometimes they can be a bit too set in their ways and have trouble adjusting to change.

Due to the fact their neck, throat, thyroid, tonsils and upper back area rules their body, Taurus energy may manifest upper back issues, neck problems, sore throats and a hoarse voice, when their energy is off balance. Because they can be a bit too set in their ways and they have trouble adjusting to change.

To maintain a balance: they should learn to consider the viability of other people’s points of view to avoid stubbornness and be aware of the way their actions influence other people. They should try meditation or mantras to surrender their recurring thoughts. Possibly even grounding themselves. Nature is very good for everybody’s soul. Mother Earth is never stagnant, and they shouldn’t be either.

GEMINI

May 22 – June 21

They are intelligent, versatile and lively, but on the flip side, they can also be tense, cunning and inconsistent.

Due to the fact that their mind and thoughts rule their body, they can manifest scattered thoughts, a confused mental processes, arm or hand pain and fear of expression, when their energy is off balance.

To maintain a balance: they should meditate or visualization techniques to rest their mind. Gemini should try not to over work themselves. Learning to adopt to a balanced diet and avoid skipping meals would be a benefit to them as well as doing breathing exercise.

CANCER

June 22 – July 22

They are caring, intuitive and protective souls, but they tend to struggle with moodiness, touchiness and the inability to let go.

Due to the fact that their chest, breast and heart area rule their body, they can manifest uncontrollable emotions, feeling drained or overly sensitive and the desire to be alone. Symptoms include respiratory illnesses, coughing, sore breasts and a tendency to emotionally eat, when their energy is off balance.

To maintain a balance: meditation, grounding, yoga, fresh air and light exercises. It’s a good idea for them to look within, and connect with their body on a deeper, more intuitive level.

LEO

July 23 – August 21

They are courageous, creative and loyal people, however, they tend to struggle with being bossy, self-righteous and intolerant.

Due to the fact that the heart, as well as the upper back rule their body, they can manifest heart complications, difficulty in expressing emotions and feeling closed off to love. It can also manifest as a lack of self confidence, feeling shy, lead by fears, when their energy is off balance.

To find balance: yoga would help open the heart. They should communicate their feelings to those they care about. Spend quality time doing things they love. Avoid spicy and fatty foods as that would weigh them down and imbalance their energy. They should drink loads of water.

VIRGO

August 22 – September 23

They are analytical, practical and diligent people, but they can also be a perfectionist, and be overly critical and fussy.

Due to the fact that their stomach and digestive organs rule their bodies, they can manifest digestive problems, constipation, eating disorders, chronic dieting and poor digestion. They tend to overthink, become stubborn with obsessive behaviors, when their energy is off balance.

To find balance: it is important for them to learn how to be spontaneous and release some of the expectations they have placed on themselves. They should get out of their mind and into their bodies. They should try explore hiking or dancing. They tend to be too critical. They should learn to replace any negativity with acceptance. Sleeping should become a priority to rest their mind.

LIBRA

September 24 – October 23

They are easy-going, romantic and idealistic people, but they can sometimes be gullible, over-indulgent and indecisive.

Due to the fact that their kidneys, bladder and lower back area rule their bodies, they can manifest as being too independent or too co-dependent. They can also manifest as issues relating to the bladder such as infections, frequent urination or lower back pain, when their energy is off balance.

To find balance: they should create lists to help stay organized. Music, painting and yoga is an excellent way to avoid stress and express their emotions.

SCORPIO

October 24 – November 22

They are passionate, intuitive and magnetic people, yet they also have a tendency to be jealous, resentful and obsessive. They always searching for deeper meaning, as they not concerned with surface explanations.

Due to the fact that the genital area rule their body, they can manifest as feeling stuck or perhaps even overwhelmed by too much change too quickly. It can also manifest as depression, STD’s, lack of libido or an overactive libido, when their energy is off balance.

To find balance: they should practice self calming techniques such as breathing, visualization, and meditation. Spending time near water could also help them to recharge.

SAGITTARIUS

November 23 – December 22

They are honest, good-humored and philosophical, but they also tend to be blindly optimistic, irresponsible and restless. They are free spirited and always ready for boundless adventure.

Due to the fact that their liver, hips and thighs rule their body, they can manifest hip problems, liver issues or even the tendency to over-indulge, when their energy is off balance.

To find balance: they should use sport as an energetic outlet. Possibly do something different from their regular routine. Sound healing is a great way to travel to new places without even leaving a room.

CAPRICORN

December 23 – January 20

They are humorous, practical and disciplined people, but they can sometimes be miserly, fatalistic and pessimistic.

Due to the fact that their bones, knees and teeth, rule their body, they could have workaholic tendencies, issues with the knees, cavities or tooth pain. They could also land up putting too much pressure on themselves to achieve and take on more work to avoid emotions, when their energy is off balance.

To find balance: they should let go of toxic connections and surround themselves with vibrant positive people. They should never forget their values and dreams when they making decisions. Remember happiness is a choice.

AQUARIUS

January 21 – February 19

They are inventive, free-spirited and friendly, but they can also be unpredictable, emotionally distant and argumentative.

Due to the fact that their ankles and their nervous system rule their body, they can manifest feelings of losing touch with reality. Ankle issues can also present itself, as well as feelings of anxiety and panic attacks, when their energy is off balance.

To find balance: They should stay true to themselves (authentic). They should bring their ideas to life, while not loosing track of the bigger picture. They should surround themselves with like-minded people to learn and grow from.

PISCES

February 20 – March 20

They are sensitive, compassionate and imaginative, but they also tend to be secretive, weak-willed and vague.

Due to the fact that their feet and pineal gland rule their body, they can manifest feeling of being all over the place. This could result in being closed off from their spiritual energy or intuition. Imbalances can sometimes also occur during a spiritual awakening, when their energy is off balance.

To find balance: Soak in a tub of Epsom salt. They should get in touch with their spiritualself via meditation. Grounding and foot massages could also help. They should allow their minds to run free but remember to come back to earth.

#greatest versions #zodiac #zodiac signs #energy

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theartoftrash-blog1 · 6 years ago

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The Guide To Reducing Burning In Your Body

Almost every person can enhance their health and wellness by decreasing the degrees of inflammation in their body. inflammation is among the significant forces behind aging and also disease, yet most of us are unknowingly fuelling it through the foods we consume and the way of living we live. Poor diet regimen selections, a difficult lifestyle, air pollution and lack of exercise can all add up and also result in chronic inflammation, pain and disease over an extensive period.

How To Reduce Inflammation In The Body

The reason we intend to maintain inflammation low results from the prospective havoc it can create in our body. inflammation is related to many conditions, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular, neurogenic, arthritis as well as macular deterioration, inflammation reduction need to be a priority for many people. While inflammation may not directly create an illness such as weight problems, it is a by-product of coming to be obese which may then sustain various other diseases like arthritis, diabetes mellitus and heart problem. Visit this link: https://youtu.be/rYT2FWkr7rE for details.

In some scenarios, such as tissue repair service from injury or battling infection, reduced degrees of short-lived inflammation is a completely all-natural as well as healthy feedback to aiding our healing. Chronic inflammation or low-grade inflammation slowly triggering cell damages every day is what we want to avoid.

Now that we have factors to keep inflammation down, allow's check out 5 very easy lifestyle modifications we can make to significantly reduce inflammation and improve our health.

Reduce Sugar

Lowering sugar I believe is the number method most people can reduce inflammation. For the majority of people, it could appear impossible to completely reduce refined sugar from one's diet yet there are numerous means to reduce it while still taking pleasure in the periodic reward.

Want to fill on your own up with a healthy and balanced morning meal, lunch and dinner to assist lower need to treat, as this is where most of us slip junk food into their lives. Decreasing sodas, sweets, cakes and also basic junk food is an excellent place to start. If you need a wonderful beverage look in the direction of stevia sweetened waters or tea, trade the milk chocolate for dark delicious chocolate, or switch the biscuits for some nuts.

Decrease processed and also fast foods

Processed foods as well as fast food can include an abundance of inflammation-causing compounds. The trans-fats that many fast food is cooked in has been connected with pro-inflammatory effects, which in processed foods is often identified with the word "hydrogenised". Typically we don't understand precisely which chemicals go into our fast food to make the food preference so great or what preservatives have been used to make it last so long. Examine the back of packets for words you have a hard time to articulate, and there's a good chance your body doesn't desire it. Thankfully there are an enhancing number of healthy and balanced coffee shops and also fast food alternatives that we can currently select from.

Include Extra Antioxidant-Rich Foods Into Your Diet regimen

The even more antioxidant abundant foods you consume, the extra ammo your body needs to fight inflammation-causing cost-free radicals. We can develop some of our anti-oxidants but greatly rely on dietary consumption to get over the excess cost-free radicals caused by ecological toxins and tension.

There is no much better area to start than fresh, natural fruit and vegetables. Anti-oxidants from fruit and vegetables remain in a bioavailable type our body understands how to utilize as well as refine.

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To match the fruit and vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids from fish, nuts and avocados is an additional fantastic natural anti-inflammatory.

Workout For A Minimum Of 20 Minutes A Day

Merely 20 mins of exercise a day can have impressive benefits on your health and wellness. By promoting anti-inflammatory cytokines, some exercise on a daily basis can assist safeguard you versus chronic disease associated with low-grade inflammation.

As we understand, sugar is exceptionally inflammatory. Integrating resistance training or high-intensity exercise can reduce blood glucose degrees as our body begins to draw sugar right into our muscular tissues for power, more reducing the inflammation pressure on your body.

Relax And Obtain A Good Sleep

Relaxing and also getting a proper evening sleep can actually help reduce inflammation. Relaxation advertises the decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines and helps maintain inflammatory stress and anxiety hormonal agents down. Sleeping offers our body it's finest opportunity to recuperate from inflammation while coming under an anti-inflammatory state.

Just a couple of simple altering to our way of life can change the balance in between inflammation-causing totally free radicals and antioxidants. By minimizing sugar, convenience food and processed food, we are producing less help anti-oxidants to decrease cost-free radicals. By going one action better and also adding antioxidant promoting activities into your life such as even more workout, vibrant vegetable.

#Reducing Burning In Your Body #reduce inflammation in the body fast #reduce inflammation in the body #reduce inflammation

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danbily · 6 years ago

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Goodbye Vietnam

This is a true story about a winter camping trip that I went on.

As a chubby little boy, I was the perfect fit for Cub Scouts. We built birdhouses, sang silly songs, and, best of all, baked cookies. What I lacked in ambition was more than offset by the snacks at the end of each weekly meeting. My small blue uniform was stretched to its limits as I neared the end of my tour of duty. It was time to move on to Boy Scouts.

My first night at Boy Scouts was shockingly different from Cub Scouts. Mr. Cordy, our scoutmaster, made us suck in our guts as we stood at attention in a straight line while he inspected our uniforms. My scarf tie was on crooked and I could feel that Mr. Cordy was unhappy about my chubby physique. “You will benefit from our exercise program, young man,” was his terse remark as he departed for the next scout in line. I knew then that we were not ending this meeting with cookies and milk, and I was right.

My pack included my best friend, Charlie, my neighbor, Art, my fellow Cub Scout, Paul, and Donny. Donny was the son of our pack supervisor, Mr. Lynn, who’d been an officer in World War II. In addition to our regular troop meeting at the new rec center, we would often meet at their home. The Lynns owned one of the first color TVs in 1958. We would all gather around it and gaze in amazement at actual color film. We compared it to our drab black and white sets at home and laughed. Mrs. Lynn would make us snacks as well. It was so much better than a troop meeting with mean Mr. Cordy.

Just after the New Year, Mr. Lynn announced that he together with Mr. Cordy were planning a winter father-son campout. Each pack would pick their own date and camp just south of Holland, New York, a town known for its lake effect snow.

I was eager to test out my new scout-approved, two-man tent that I’d earned by selling Boy Scout Christmas cards. It was a canvas tent complete with poles, stakes, and a canvas floor. It also had a mosquito net door that would be a nice feature in the summer. The only thing I lacked was an air mattress for the underside of my sleeping bag. My dad and I needed to go shopping for air mattresses as soon as possible.

The following Saturday, we visited our local sporting goods shop. It was located in a small plaza and had a limited selection. The clerk showed us an air mattress made in France, but made no personal recommendation; he fully admitted that he wasn’t into camping. My father ultimately bought two of the ugly blue contraptions. The clerk smirked as he rang them up on the register. I knew this wasn’t a good omen. On the drive home, I opened one of the boxes and tried to read the instructions. My dad looked over at me in disgust. “Don’t they teach you kids how to read at that school I pay hefty taxes to send you to? Hand me those instructions.” I did as requested and my father pulled over to the curb. After a minute, he turned to me. “Damn things are written in French,” he said. “Mom can read Polish,” I said, “Is that close?” Needless to say, it wasn’t. We struggled with the few crude drawings and I understood why the clerk had smirked.

The week of the camping trip was filled with the promise of a new adventure in my young mind. I loved watching Walter Cronkite and The Twentieth Century on Sunday evenings. The film footage of the mighty German army grinding to a halt outside Moscow in the brutal Russian winter was a fresh memory. Would our pack succumb to the same fate in the heavy snow south of Buffalo? Then there was my image of Napoleon sitting inside the Kremlin, burning furniture in order to keep warm. Was Mr. Lynn aware of just how awful George Washington had it during that winter at Valley Forge? As an officer from our military, I hoped he was well versed in the hardships of a winter campout, especially one that involved the greenest of troops known as the Boy Scouts.

That Saturday arrived with clear skies and bountiful sunshine for our two hour drive to Scout camp. We had six carloads in all, as many of the fathers had volunteered to accompany their sons on this make believe Arctic adventure. The local weather forecast never came up in conversation. The radio stations were all based in Buffalo and would not have mentioned any snow this far south of the city. It was still sunny and birds were chirping as we unloaded our camping supplies in the parking lot. We had two toboggans with tow ropes for our tents. Our cooking gear and food was in our Scout regulation knapsacks. We all opted for snowsuits and rubber boots versus any regulation uniform, a wise choice for this ragtag little army of greenhorns. Mr. Lynn took out his map and pointed to a trail leading from the edge of the parking lot to a wooded hillside. “Boys, I mean MEN, we will proceed this way.”

The snow had been packed down on the trail from previous use. It wasn’t difficult to follow. We found a tree sheltered hillside after a one hour hike. Mr. Lynn and Art, our only Eagle Scout, declared that we’d “arrived at encampment.” I personally felt it had more to do with the heavy wheezing now coming from many of the fathers prone to smoking. We were assigned small areas and told to pitch our tents and help with a general mess area for our evening meal. The snowpack was shoveled clear in a twenty foot circle and we started a fire in the middle. We went on a scavenger hunt for every downed tree limb on that hillside. Our fire soon blazed like a blast furnace and our bodies cooked on one side and froze on the other. I understood why the Indians had danced around the fire, they were simply rotating in the heat like chickens on a spit.

The evening meal consisted of beans and weiners emptied from large institutional cans into a five gallon enameled steel cooking pot. We made Scout biscuits by rolling a twig in Bisquick and water. After a dough ball had formed on the end of the twig, it was held over the fire until it turned light brown. We enjoyed the folly of keeping the biscuits on the twig and out of the fire. You either mastered the technique or ate only beans and weiners. I ended up the expert in this bizarre food misadventure and became camp baker for the less able. I must have baked three dozen biscuits that evening. They were served with huge slices of butter. Rounding out our frontier dinner party was hot chocolate and Hostess cupcakes. We all liked to suck out the cream filling first, then eat the frosting.

By the time dinner ended, the wind had picked up and snowflakes were appearing in ever increasing numbers. True to the Buffalo curse, the flakes were blowing parallel to the terrain and entering our tents through the tiniest of cracks in the flap doors. Art, our Eagle Scout, suggested that we lower the mosquito netting once inside, and the screening would catch any snow that made it through the canvas flaps. This indeed proved to be an effective solution, and my dad and I turned in early to the sound of what now seemed like a blizzard and the songs of a rock station on my six transistor radio. Dad only liked “Harbor Lights,” an old song by The Platters that had been recently redone for my generation. Battery life was short in those days and we were soon left with only the wind and our thoughts. My mind focused on those newsreel clips of the mighty German army snowbound thirty miles from Moscow and helpless. That was just about our distance from Buffalo.

Attempting to sleep in the dead cold of winter with the wind whipping the pines above us was a no go from the start. My sleeping bag had been advertised as containing two pounds of genuine goose down. I’d been light on funds at the time and had passed over the deluxe bag with three pounds of goose down. Like the German army, I’d underestimated what cold really means. My father had opted for several dark green woolen army blankets he’d purchased years ago when he and my mother went tent camping in Canada. They were scratchy but warm. So there we lay, me with my teeth chattering from the cold and Dad itching from the coarse army issue woolen blankets. He told me a story about camping in Northern Ontario in early June and having it snow. Even though the fishing went well, my mother never forgave him for the poor timing. I understood her resentment as my own carefree attitude toward camping was waning.

Halfway through our no sleep night, the hot chocolate caught up with my bladder. My dad was in equal need of a nonexistent bathroom in the forest. We struggled with our flashlights to find our boots and untie the many straps that secured both the canvas door flaps and the mosquito netting. We also observed that our brand new French air mattresses were no longer plump and firm. What could be the problem? My dad suggested that the cold had reduced the air volume and it was of no concern to us. The trek up into the pines revealed a full blown lake effect blizzard had descended on our little party of novice campers. The yellow snow we made was covered instantly by the fast falling fresh white variety. “I hope Lynn remembers the way out. There’ll be no tracks to follow by morning,” my father said, not sounding all that confident.

It wasn’t the morning sun that woke us, it was the sting of cold ice water on our backsides. Remember those deflating French air mattresses? Well, they continued to deflate as the night went on. This in turn put our body heat in direct contact with the snowpack beneath our tent floor. The rest was simple physics. We had to stand up and try to dry ourselves as best we could. My dad restarted the campfire with much effort put into finding the kindling and pine logs now buried under a foot of fresh powder. A squirt of charcoal lighter fluid brought the fire to life. So much for the Indian method we’d seen in our handbook. They were smart enough to have long houses, animal pelt clothing, and all the time in the world to make it work. We stood with our backs to the flames as a small group of teeth chattering scouts joined us in a circle of distraught ignorance. Humility was earned one mistake at a time.

Mr. Lynn soon appeared and announced that the smarter option would be to hike out and have breakfast in town at the local diner. I heard no dissenting remarks from the red faced, booger nosed tiny army of boys that had been labeled MEN just twelve hours earlier. Art, the Eagle Scout, got out his map and compass and showed us what he thought was our path out. He was wrong, but our luck held. The snow had abated enough to spot the camp mess hall on the hilltop near the parking lot. With our goal in sight, we broke camp and trudged off in knee deep snow. Each step took a deep breath of effort and the fathers who smoked dearly paid for that extra push. After an hour in the Klondike of Southern Erie County, we all reached the parking lot. Here the vast majority our pack fell down in a snowbank to rest. Thankfully, the Scouts had a full time manager that kept the parking lot and service roads plowed. We brushed the snow off of our caravan of 1950s iron and off we drove to Holland, New York.

Over my pancakes and hot chocolate at the Zider Zee Diner, I could clearly see that the military was not going to be in my future. Mr. Lynn had failed to secure an accurate weather forecast, our equipment was a joke, and Art was incompetent. As a final note, Art went to Vietnam as a second lieutenant. He got so many of his men killed that he returned stateside and entered the priesthood. I became a salesman and stayed at five star hotels. So much for winter camping!

#boy scouts #cub scouts #winter camping #true stories #holland new york

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drlaurynlax · 6 years ago

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How to Treat Menopause Naturally: 6 Essentials to Know

Treating menopause naturally and practically “symptom free” is not only possible, it’s how women experienced menopause for hundreds of years, prior to hot flashes and headaches most women get now. Here are 6 essentials to know about menopause and how to treat menopause naturally.

Menopause 101

Peri-menopause and menopause, which span the 40s and 50s, are normal events in a woman’s life when a woman experiences shifts in her hormonal balance.

Menopause is defined as a “lack of period for 12-months or more, in a woman who over age 40.” Peri-menopause entails the years leading up to menopause—a time of hormonal imbalance, when the production of sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone) begin to decline.

The average age of menopause onset is 51 years. However, this isn’t the case for everyone. The menopausal age of a woman’s own mother is often the best predictor and indicator of their own. For some women, this means older, for others, menopause can happen a little younger. Moreover, the perimenopausal (i.e. before menopause) years—-anywhere from age 35 to 55, is typically when many women begin to see their bodies and hormones become “imbalanced.”

Menopause Symptoms

Unfortunately, menopause and peri-menopause are often (negatively) associated with a wide array of “unpleasant symptoms” including:

Hot flashes

Night sweats

Weight and body fat gain

Slowed metabolism

Brain fog

Waking insomnia

Mood swings

Vaginal dryness

Decreased libido.

Menopause Paradigm Shift

However, menopause and peri-menopause does NOT have to mean any of these symptoms—(at least to the intensity and degree that approximately 75 to 90-percent of women experience them). Menopause can actually feel like a “liberating” experience of never having to buy tampons again, while feeling proud and aging gracefully into the next stage of womanhood– especially if you know these 6 Things Every Woman Should Know About Hormone Imbalances & Menopause.

6 Things Every Woman Should Know About Hormone Imbalances & Menopause

1. (Some) Hormonal Imbalance is Normal

During the menopausal years, the production of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone naturally decrease—a normal hormonal imbalance that comes as a right of passage with age.

Concurrently during these years, a woman’s metabolic rate and bone density naturally decreases and body fat naturally increases (other normal biological“imbalances” that are actually not directly due to menopause itself).

While most women blame body fat, weight gain and other frustrations they have with their bodies on menopause, many health experts and research studies agree that a majority of the “menopause symptoms” are actually more likely related to normal, natural shifts in metabolism that come with age, and other lifestyle factors.

The bottom line:

“Menopause symptoms” and “hormone imbalances” point back to imbalances in OTHER areas of your health and lifestyle, instead of menopause itself—many of these within your control, including:

Your nutrition

Emotional and mental health

Quality sleep 7-9 hours each night

Stress

Toxin exposure (beauty products, plastics, cleaning supplies)

Exercise

Caffeine and sugar consumption

2. Stress is the #1 Driver Menopause

During the peri-menopausal and menopausal years, the production of sex hormones shifts from the ovaries to the adrenal glands (the same glands also responsible for producing and balancing cortisol, your stress hormone).

Cortisol is necessary for helping us combat stress when we need it most (like a tough workout or getting us through the day after 5 hours of sleep one night). However, when our lifestyles demand too much cortisol daily to fight off stress ON TOP of the elevated cortisol from our hormone shifts, then, Houston, we have a problem.

In short, the more stressful our lives and our bodies, the MORE stressed out our hormones (and the MORE menopause symptoms).Stress goes far beyond mental stress too.

Common daily stressors that work against hormonal imbalance include:

Dieting and under-eating

Sedentary lifestyles OR overtraining

Lack of fresh air and nature

Lack of social connections

Poor quality foods

Environmental toxins (plastics, beauty and cleaning products)

Lack of water

High coffee/caffeine or sugar/sweetener consumption

Low fat, low protein or too-low-carb diets

The bottom line:

Stress is the number one driver of hormonal imbalances and the intensity of menopausal symptoms women experience in their 40’s and 50s.

3. The Gut is the Gateway to (Hormonal) Health

The gut is the gateway to (hormonal) health.

Think about it: Every single cell in a woman’s body is nourished, fed and supported by what goes into the gut. In addition, the gut is an epicenter of hormone production (in fact, the gut is now being termed an “endocrine organ”). If we have a weak foundation in our gut (i.e. “leaky” gut, bacterial overgrowth, low stomach acid, parasites, etc.), then the rest of our body takes a hit–cortisol and hormone levels included.

Even if you do eat “healthy,” if you have an underlying gut imbalance or you are not supporting the health of your gut as a whole, then your body is simply not going to absorb and digest the foods you eat (for hormone health).

Unfortunately, much of conventional medicine is built upon the replacement model (simply replacing hormones or treating hormone imbalances with hormone replacement drugs and therapies) BEFORE looking into the reasons why hormones are significantly out of balance in the first place.

For some women, gut testing (SIBO, stool, organic acids, etc,) can be a game changer in understanding why their hormone imbalances may be more “out of control.” For others, simple implementation of a basic digestive support protocol can be “game changing” to minimize or lessen any compounded stress.

The bottom line:

A common reason why women experience menopause symptoms (i.e. unwanted weight gain, headaches, brain fog, blood sugar imbalance, insulin resistance, etc.) goes back to the gut.

4. Your Liver Needs Love (During Menopause)

The liver is your detoxifying organ responsible for controlling the flushing and balancing of hormones in your body.

The metabolism of estrogen itself takes place primarily in the liver through Phase I (hydroxylation) and Phase II (methylation and glucuronidation) pathways. These allow the estrogen to be detoxified and removed from the body.

However, if estrogen is UNABLE to be detoxified (due to a sluggish digestion, gut imbalances or liver dysfunction), excess estrogen accumulates in the body can cause many of the unpleasant symptoms of menopause (weight gain, mood swing, temperature changes, etc.).

How does your liver “get unhealthy?”

There is typically no single one reason. Some common stressors that take a toll on your liver and body’s ability to detoxify include:

Longterm medication use (birthcontrol, prescription meds, NSAIDS)

High alcohol consumption

Low-fat diets

Packaged and processed foods

Mold exposure

Non-organic food sources, conventional meats, fish with heavy-metals and conventional dairy

Exposure to environmental toxins (plastics, cleaning and hygiene products)

Poor quality, contaminated water

The bottom line:

Love your liver during menopause to balance hormone imbalances.

Liver Health Boosters

Eat leafy greens, healthy fats and cholesterol (especially pastured egg yolks, coconut oil and ghee/grassfed butter), fresh herbs, plenty of fruits and vegetables;

Drink Dandelion tea

Sip 1 cup bone broth daily

Replace toxic plastics with stainless steel and glass

Overhaul your cleaning and beauty supplies with eco-friendly versions

Drink clean filtered water (not tap)

Decrease alcohol intake to 1 to 2 glasses/week

Limit coffee to 1 cup organic coffee/daily

Eat organic organ meats 1-2 times per week

Consider some liver-boosting supplements (Fermented Cod Liver Oil and/or Liver Capsules, Ox Bile with meals)

Drink warm lemon water with a pinch of sea salt every morning

5. Balance Blood Sugar to Feel Balanced All Around

Increased abdominal fat and weight gain, experienced by nearly 90-percent of women during menopause, are directly connected to blood sugar “imbalances” or “insulin resistance.”

Your blood sugar levels are responsible for giving you stable energy and a feeling of overall body balance throughout the day. Roller-coaster like blood sugar levels (i.e. high or low), on the other hand, bring about many of the same symptoms associated with menopause (Mood swings, headaches, shakiness before meals, sugar or caffeine cravings, fatigue, weight gain and body fat retention).

Insulin is a hormone that is responsible for controlling your blood sugar balance—acting like a director for how your body uses the food you eat. Insulin ensures that the “just right” amount of glucose (i.e. sugar) and energy (i.e. food you eat) is in your blood at any one time. However, if you we have TOO MUCH insulin circulating in the body at once (insulin resistance), fat storage and menopause-like “symptoms” of blood sugar imbalances happen (headaches, mood swings, hungry, sugar cravings, low energy dips).

“How does insulin resistance occur in the first place?

Answer: Imbalanced nutrition, poor gut health and elevated cortisol (stress) levels.

You don’t necessarily need to eat Hershey’s candy bars or donuts every day for breakfast to experience insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can happen from:

Imbalanced meals (especially not enough enough proteins and healthy fats)

Undereating

Restrict carbs (too much) and not eating enough fat to support low carb intake

Underlying gut imbalances—preventing your body from absorbing and using your energy and nutrients

Cortisol imbalances (cortisol feeds off sugar and demands your body needs more of it to survive)

The bottom line:

Insulin resistance and blood sugar imbalances are common during the menopausal years primarily because your body is more sensitive (overall) to the impacts of stress.

6. Be Wary of Hormone Replacement Therapy

Many women experiencing the “negative” side effects of menopause are often told to “just use hormone replacements (HRT) to improve symptoms.”

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT, bioidentical hormones or synthetic hormones) can significantly reduce peri-menopausal symptoms by reducing the extremes sometimes experienced with the decline of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone production.

However, HRT can also make symptoms worse in the long run, especially if the other causes of “hormone imbalance” (i.e. stress and adrenals, gut health, liver and blood sugar) are NOT addressed in the first place.

When you take exogenous hormones (supplemental HRT hormones from outside of your body), the levels of those hormones go up in the bloodstream. In response, your pituitary gland reduces your own internal (natural) production of that hormone.

Now, this may not be much of a problem when you’re actually taking that hormone (since the hormone is coming into your body from outside), but another problem begins to develop behind the scenes: Hormone resistance.

When we have chronically higher levels of hormones in our blood (from HRT), the receptors for our hormones throughout our body get down-regulated.

Thus, the HRT hormones in our blood begin to have a lesser and lesser effect (over time) because our hormone receptors aren’t sensitive to that hormone anymore. Long-term side effects of HRT or “too much” synthetic hormone in our blood are associated with heart disease, stroke, blood clots, breast cancer, and further adrenal (stress) imbalances.

The bottom line:

Lastly, address the roots of hormone imbalance first (gut, stress, liver health), not the symptoms.

The post How to Treat Menopause Naturally: 6 Essentials to Know appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

Source/Repost=> https://drlauryn.com/hormones-metabolism/treat-menopause-naturally/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/

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