#my eyes are very sensitive so this is my version of the 'who's chopping onions in here?' joke

[ranty-ramblestein]

... *turns off the fan blowing in my face*

Laika: 1954-1957

Opportunity Rover: 2004-2019

[breelandwalker]

Do you know spells for justice or protection for other people? Like the protesters?

I know a few, but it’s difficult to pick one exactly. Here’s everything I could find in my personal spellbook that I thought might be applicable.

Ninja Dust

Intent: To enable a person to make a quick unseen exit or go unnoticed; formulated to work in crowded places.

Ingredients:

1 pt White Oak

1 pt Bloodroot

1 pt Black Salt

1 pt Red Poppy

1 pt Mustard

1/2 pt Rosemary

1/2 pt Sage

1/2 pt Clove

1/2 pt Willow Bark

Optional:

Pinch of Galangal Root

Pinch of Heather Blossom

Pinch of Devil's Shoestring

Pinch of Black Cohosh

This powder was prepared for a friend of mine the night before she attended a large-scale protest march. It's meant to help you stay safe in a crowded situations and affect a quick exit when and if you have to.

Sprinkle a pinch or two on your shoes before you go out, or carry a small vial or packet with you. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to leave quickly, toss down the powder and step on it as you leave.

Of course, this should always go along with whatever practical safety measures are deemed prudent for your situation. If you find yourself in a position where you are in immediate physical danger, forget the powder, just get to safety however you can. Be careful out there!

Liza Hempstock’s Invisibility Charm

Inspired by The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman.

Use this charm when you want to pass unseen and unremarked in a crowd or need to escape a situation without being noticed.

Put a pinch of poppy seeds in your shoe or carry a packet of them in your pocket. When you need to make a quick exit, turn three times, spit over your left shoulder, and whisper:

Be hole, be dust, be dream, be wind Be night, be dark, be wish, be mind, Now slip, now slide, now move unseen, Above, beneath, betwixt, between

Gather yourself together, find your exit, and GO.

No Fear Here

To help dispel fear, ward off danger, and promote bravery. This blend is meant for a home ornament witchball, but it can also be put into a sachet or a bottle charm if mobile magic is needed.

Agrimony

Yarrow

Black Pepper

Thyme

Jasmine

Black Tea Leaves

Walking Ward Protection Oil

For personal warding spells of all kinds

Sweet Basil

Witch Hazel

Fennel Sprigs

Mix the herbs in equal parts and soak 1 tbsp of the blend in 1-2 cups of bland oil for about a week to make the infusion. Strain and bottle the oil. If desired, add a couple of drops of Basil or Rosemary essential oil.

Short Notice Travel Protection Charm

If you're called to make an unexpected trip and don't have time to prepare a full-sized bottle charm, making a braid or knot-string out of white yarn or string. As you tie it, say seven times over:

By water and fire, by sky and by stone, This charm will see me brought safely back home.

Tie the string around your wrist or ankle for the duration of the trip. You can remove it when you return home or let it fall off on its' own.

"Bibbity Bobbity Back Off" Banishing Spell

This spell grew out of a quip that I made in response to some hate mail that came my way. Some weeks of experimenting with word-activated protection magics later, this is what I came up with.

Intent: To repel or banish harmful things that attempt to accost you.

Materials:

Piece of Personal Jewelry

Small Jar with Flat Lid

Tealight Candle

Herbs: Angelica Root, Peppermint, Marjoram, Willow Bark

Make a potpourri blend out of the herbs and place it in the jar. For extra potency, spit in the jar. Place the piece of jewelry in the jar, close the lid, and shake gently. Set the jar somewhere level and safe, set the tealight on top of the lid, and burn it for a few minutes.

Focus on the flame of the tealight and chant, as many times as you feel you need to:

I cannot be snared, I cannot be caught However you try, no harm is wrought

When you've finished, blow out the candle. Wait for the candle cup and the lid to cool before opening the jar. Retrieve the jewelry and wear it when you need a little extra protection.

Should you need to activate the protection, simply breathe on your fingers, touch the charmed object, and whisper, "Invictus." (Latin, pron. in-VIK-toos; “invincible.”) The charm will last until you remove the piece and breathe on it again. You'll need to return it to the jar of herbs to recharge within 24 hours of use, or you'll have to cast the charm all over again. For best results, I recommend changing the herbs in the jar between charges.

This is a short-term heavy-duty banishing spell. It can't ensure physical safety, but it can help keep you safe from emotional and mental attack, and may provide an opportunity for escape if one is needed. It may also diffuse aggressive outside energy long enough for you to make a prudently-timed getaway if a confrontation seems imminent.

"Not On My Watch" Vinegar

 Intent: An all-purpose preventative potion for use in protective and binding spells.

 Ingredients:

Jar with Tight-fitting Lid

2 cups Vinegar

Coffee Filter

Funnel

Bottle for Storage

Knife and Cutting Board

Fresh Ginger or Horseradish Root

Peppermint Essential Oil

Herbs: Bay Leaves, Coriander, Lemon Peel, Cedar Tips, Pine Needles, Witch Hazel, Clover Leaves

This is a heavy-duty protective vinegar that I created in a fit of rage. If the ingredient list seems excessive, it's because I was angry enough about the situation to basically throw the book at it. I've used it a few times since then and it's been very effective.

To make this potion, you'll need a jar with a tight-fitting lid. A large brand-new mason jar is best for this. For some other spells and potions, you can use recycled food jars, but for this one, you want a fresh jar with no chance of leftover food particles.

First, clean your piece of ginger or horseradish root. For best results, you'll want a fresh root, not dried pieces, as you want the juice and oils to blend with the vinegar. Cut several slices from the root and place them in the mason jar. Wash and dry the knife before continuing.

Note: Fresh horseradish root has a very strong peppery-sour smell, and can produce fumes like onions do. The fumes may cause your nose to run and may irritate your eyes. (It's a great way to clear the sinuses though.) If you are sensitive to such things, you may want to wear a surgical mask and goggles, or just use ginger root instead.

To help your herbs fit more easily into the jar, you may want to carefully dice them into smaller, more manageable pieces. You can work with fresh or dried herbs for this potion, whichever works best with your available supplies. If you want additional aromatic qualities in your potion, I recommend using fresh Lemon Peel, Cedar Tips, and Pine Needles if possible. It adds a nice fresh, clean scent, a little bit like a certain name-brand floor cleaner, but less chemical. Using fresh versions of these ingredients will also help to cut the vinegar smell to a certain degree. But again, if you only have dried herbs, that will work just as well.

Dried or fresh, you'll need approximately 2 ½ ounces of chopped herbs altogether. That's about five tablespoons or 71 grams of herbs. Mix them together and add them to the jar. If you've used fresh herbs, you'll need to dry or discard any leftovers. If you used only dried herbs, put any extra mix into a container for future use. Waste not, want not.

Add two cups of vinegar to the jar. I used white vinegar, but cider vinegar or wine vinegar will do as well. Use whatever you have available. White vinegar may be less expensive, if you need to purchase a fresh bottle. Add 2-3 drops of Peppermint essential oil, close the lid tightly, and give the jar a good shake.

Leave the vinegar jar in a warm, dry place to steep for three full days. Strain the resulting liquid into a clean bottle using a funnel and coffee filter, and discard the herbs. The mason jar can be used again after it has been thoroughly cleaned and dried.

Use the potion in home protection magics, particularly if you need to repel unsavory persons, "accidents" which are not at all accidental, or harmful magics. It can also be an additive in spells meant to make the home a sanctuary for those who need it. Add a small amount to your washwater when you clean hard floors or your doorstep for additional protection. Splash a little on your front door or at your property line to discourage trespassers.

(I’m sure this could be put to use for keeping yourself safe during protests, keeping cops away from your home, blessing marchers and venues, and so forth.)

I’ll try and search up my post with magical measures for justice as well.

Hope this helps!

[souslejaune]

During the food shortage my sister... (Folio 1: Part 4)

iii

During the food shortage my sister and I spent our hours reading. In the rainbow world of the written word we found holes in which to hide from the reality of our existence. 

On the news we saw flickering images of flat bodies steamrollered by hunger. People dotted the city waiting for rations of flour and yellow corn. We had never seen yellow corn before the drought, but it was the colour of the corn the American government finally sent us as aid. Ronald Reagan’s yellow reaction to humanitarian pressure. The Americans didn't owe us anything but because the corn was yellow, our gratitude was measured. 

Kenkey, a national staple made from fermented corn: milled, rolled into balls, wrapped in corn husks and punctured in the middle to hold the husks in place and provide better heat transfer; changed its colour from white to yellow like a chameleon. No amount of boiling could make the shade fade. We could no longer identify with our food. 

Grandma’s chronic need to consume kenkey before she declared herself sated meant that she was never full during the drought. Yellow kenkey was a hollow statement. 

Men wandered around with bloodshot eyes seeking answers. The parched ground offered nothing. Even priests and witchdoctors queued for food. There was an air of persistent mourning. Richer families crossed the border to Togo or La Côte D’Ivoire to buy food that had been shipped in from France. The entire West African sub-region was hit by dry Sahelian winds that came to steal moisture from plants and render them barren. Across the region, breezes played a new kind of music – no longer did we hear the harmonious chorus of green shoots; instead a harsh rattle of brown stalks making sticks of themselves invaded the air, assaulting us, striking a frantic rhythm that left dancers spent. France supported its former colonies with vital food shipments. Although they remained hungry in those countries they thinned slower. 

My father drove out into the villages and farming communities where there was still some food, and brought sacks of food home. Plantain, cassava and yam. Tomatoes were scarce. Out of season, they festered like wounds across the nation. There was no infrastructure to process them and our people didn’t like sun-dried tomatoes. Our Uncles and Aunts heard about my father’s haul quickly. Faster than the sweep of bush fires across the farmlands. They came for their “share” of the spoils and later conveniently forgot about us when they managed to get a store of food. My mother told my father that he was too kind-hearted, even though her sister, Stella, was one of the Aunts that came to take our food away. 

All through the drama Naana and I read. We fought in the Spanish Civil War alongside Hemingway’s heroes Anselmo, Pablo, Pilar, Maria and the tragic Robert Johnson. We watched them plot and double cross and fall in love and die. We ached with them. We cried with them until the bell for our single meal tolled. 

In 1984 a Japanese philanthropist called Ryoichi Sasakawa brought food aid to Ghana and started to consult with West African governments on finding a lasting solution to our sensitivity to drought. I immediately read everything I could about Japan. It wasn't easy reading. While I admired them for Judo and for Walkmans, they had a terrifying history of violence; in Malaysia, in the Philippines, in China – even in Russia. They were just like the British in South Africa and India and Kenya. Still, I decried the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and got mad at the United States for putting over 100,000 Japanese Americans in captivity at the end of World War II. The anger came easily. We were still eating yellow kenkey and Grandma was developing a permanent look of hunger. 

That year – 1984 – was an especially difficult year for my sister Naana. She was studying for her A-levels and had to deal with hunger at the same time. Rations at her boarding school reduced dramatically. Her workload increased in an inverse relation to the rations. Predictably, her head appeared to grow ahead of the rest of her body. She looked like a stick drawing by a talented five-year-old. Still, Grandma said she couldn’t afford to weaken or stumble. The exam questions were oblivious to the question of hunger amongst the masses. Universities the world over would still rank us by the same criteria as everyone else, because modern society has no sensitivity to life. I tried to help. Anytime she was home, I read her notes to her when she started doing something that prevented her from reading herself. I read outside the bathroom door. I read in the kitchen and by the ironing table. She began to speak to me like a friend rather than a little brother. We talked about everything and made jokes about our hunger. 

“Don’t hold your finger too close to my face,” she’d say. “It looks too much like food and I might bite.” 

“If you bite, I might think you’re a big fish. Perfect for kenkey.” 

We’d laugh a pained laughter that involved as little motion as possible, although Naana’s head still shook involuntarily anytime she laughed. Every time I made a comparison with something from Great Expectations, which had become my habit after reading the full version that year, her head would shake silently. 

 We were as close as twins until our parents decided that GeeMaa – my father’s mother – should come and live with us, since living alone in hard times is doubly hard. Naana automatically lost her bedroom and had to share mine. I did my best to make it easy for her but I was very untidy, and I refused to move my mounted spider, which gave her the creeps. Sixteen is a terrible age to lose your privacy. Particularly if you are female. Hormones kick in. Unfamiliar cycles become bedmates. Changes occur almost daily. You need time and space to adapt. Apart from the obvious sexual differences, I was a curious boy with a penchant for reading. Her diaries, letters, notes and schoolbooks became targets. She had no inclination to share the soaked blood of her growing pains and concerns with me. I was too wide-eyed. My questions too detailed. We grew apart. 

Nevertheless I think I was good for her. I asked her endless questions about her schoolwork; asked until she could reel off answers without thinking. I also pestered her with information from my favourite information trove – the encyclopaedia – and what I had gleaned from old magazines. 

“Naana, did you know that Somoza Garcia’s dictatorship in Nicaragua was supported by the US?” 

 Impatiently, “No.” 

“Twenty years. Then his brother took over, then his son…” 

“Ebo, I’m trying to study.” 

“Oh, OK. What is it today? I didn’t understand the differentiation thing you explained yesterday.” 

“Ebo!” 

“OK. Just give me the book.” 

 She threw it at me. 

 When I wasn’t with her, I spoke to GeeMaa. 

GeeMaa liked to go for walks. We left our house in Tesano and strolled. Sometimes to the Industrial Area. Sometimes to North Kaneshie. She bought me groundnuts on the way when we could find some. The dusty roads had become dustier still. With fewer traders lining the banks of the open gutters along the roads, the city had become a faded monochrome of its former self. GeeMaa seemed impervious to the despair that clung to the city like grey blight on trees. She told me fantastic stories. Water maidens, sorcerers and the living dead. Being the student I was, turned on by basic science and its neat explanations, questioned her stories. She always smiled when I doubted her. “Mi bi, there are two sides to every story,” she would say. “More than two sometimes.” 

It was the same thing she said when I asked her about my grandfather, FatherGrandpa, whom I had only met twice. She said it with a tender smile. With the quiet assurance that Mr. Wemmick from Great Expectations had when saying “portable property.” The clear air of those who have tested the truth of their statements. On the way home she often recited her favourite poem

Elegy Written In A Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray.

Full many a gem of purest ray serene

The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:

Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,

And waste its sweetness on the desert air.

Alone at home with her one afternoon, I told her about my Dee Dee dreams. It was a Friday and I was helping her slice onions in the kitchen. I chopped onions so regularly that I no longer cried when I did. GeeMaa had taken over in the kitchen since she moved in with us. She insisted she had nothing else to do and she didn’t want to be waited on. Her intervention was well-timed. The drought had pushed prices up and, although the food situation was improving, prices showed no inclination of easing down. With GeeMaa living with us my mother didn’t need to be home as much so she went back to work as an accountant. Business was slow in my father’s hardware store; sales of farming implements had reduced to a trickle. He continued to sell cooking utensils and specialist items like laboratory equipment, but his income was not enough to support the family. Undeterred, he contemplated importing irrigation devices from China. He revealed this while we were cleaning his well-kept Datsun. 

“It will be the next big thing,” he announced with a smile. “The drought has taught everyone that rain is not a reliable servant.” 

 My father’s optimism always made me smile.

—–

continued >> here <<… | start from beginning? | current projects: The City Will Love You and a collection of poems, The Geez

[lenaglittleus]

No-Wheat Diet: Everything You Need to Know

Is bread dead? Gluten-free and low-carb diets are now mainstream, but now there’s another diet to add to the list: the no-wheat diet.

Devotees of this diet cut out bread, crackers, and pasta to control their appetite, support gut health, and lose weight; some swear off grains entirely.

What is a no-wheat diet — and does it work? Do we really need to put grains on the chopping block and stop eating wheat?

Wheat has become a food “that everyone loves to hate,” says Paige Benté, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., and nutrition manager at Beachbody. Indeed, our collective wheat consumption started dropping significantly in 2000, according to the USDA, after three decades of increased per-capita consumption.

The cause for both the rise and fall: The ever-changing trends of what is considered “healthy eating.”

In the ’70s, we started embracing carbs — and wheat — as we ate fewer animal products. But by the ’00s, the low(er)-carb movement had us breaking up with bread.

By 2011, we were eating nearly 10 percent less than in 2000 (about 5.75 ounces daily).

What Is a No-Wheat Diet?

You may already know some diets that eschew wheat and grains, such as the Paleo, Atkins, and ketogenic diets.

A wheat-free diet may not resemble those plans. It may exclude wheat, but not rye and barley, which contain gluten. And it may or may not be a weight-loss diet — it’s simply a diet that excludes all wheat and wheat products.

Other Names for Wheat

Wheat, like sugar, goes by many names. When you’re trying to avoid wheat, look for these words, too:

Bulgur

Couscous

Durum

Einkorn

Emmer

Farina

Farro

Flour (all-purpose, bread, cake, durum, enriched, pastry, stone-ground, whole wheat)

Hydrolyzed wheat protein

Kamut

Seitan (vital wheat gluten)

Semolina

Spelt

Sprouted wheat

Starch (including gelatinized starch, modified starch, modified food starch, and vegetable starch)

Triticale

Wheat (including bran, germ, and malt)

Wheatgrass

Wheat berries

And wheat can be hiding in surprising foods like:

Ice cream

Oats and oatmeal

Processed meats

Rice cakes

Salad dressings

Sauces

Soups

Soy sauce

Why Would You Want to Stop Eating Wheat?

Swapping white bread for whole-wheat bread is a tried-and-true healthy eating tip, so why wouldn’t someone want to eat whole-wheat bread — and why would you want to stop eating wheat entirely?

Those who follow a no-wheat diet generally fall into three camps, says Benté. As with any diet, the motivation may be related to weight, health, or personal preference.

First, there are people who have an actual wheat allergy. Wheat is one of the eight major allergens that must be listed on food labels, but it is most common in children and usually outgrown by age 3.

Then there are the three million people who have celiac disease. When they consume gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and foods like soy sauce, salad dressings, beer, and more), it sparks an immune-system response that can damage the small intestine and interfere with nutrient absorption. Since gluten is a part of wheat, a gluten-free diet is also a no-wheat diet.

The final group is composed of people who simply choose not to eat wheat. Is this interpretation of a wheat-free diet a trendy way to cut carbs? “Pretty much,” says Benté.

Monica Auslander, M.S., R.D.N., and founder of Essence Nutrition in Miami agrees — and cautions against cutting out wheat just because it’s trendy, as that can backfire.

You “often end up eating less fiber, more carbohydrates, more refined carbohydrates, more sugar, and gaining weight,” she says.

Auslander adds a fourth group to the no-wheat camp: “Some people just feel better overall when they eliminate wheat,” she says. “The ‘why’ may not be as important here — if you can eliminate wheat and maintain a healthy, balanced diet, I wouldn’t resist.”

In 2013, the Journal of the American College of Nutrition published a review of individuals with non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Researchers found that eliminating gluten (and thereby wheat), helped both the gastrointestinal system and other areas of health for these people.

What’s in Wheat?

Gluten

This protein is off-limits to those with celiac disease. Otherwise, Benté says “there’s nothing wrong with gluten.” (Learn more about this protein, the gluten-free diet, and whether it’s right for you.)

Fructan

This is a polymer of fructose (sugar) molecules that can cause digestive issues in some people.

It’s considered off-limits in low FODMAP (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols) diets. (A FODMAP diet is a very specific elimination diet that wouldn’t apply to most people.)

Wheat contains fructan, but Benté says that “many foods have one of the FODMAP components in them.”

Phytic Acid and Phytates

Phytic acid and phytates, which are found in seeds, legumes, grains, and nuts, are sometimes called “anti-nutrients,” since they can inhibit the absorption of other nutrients.

However, research shows that phytic acid may have antioxidant-like properties, and you can negate that anti-nutrient quality by adding garlic or onions. “In healthy amounts, they are not bad for you,” says Benté.

Here are some potential advantages and disadvantages of giving up wheat:

The Advantages of a No-Wheat Diet

You may eat more whole grains and fewer processed foods

You’ve seen all the places wheat can hide — it’s mostly processed foods. So if you’re replacing wheat products like frozen pizza with steamed quinoa and grilled chicken breasts, that’s healthier, says Benté.

You probably read labels more closely

Since wheat can hide in prepared foods, you’ll need to have an eagle eye to keep it out of your diet. This might draw your attention to other areas of the ingredients list, like salt, sugar, and trans fats.

You may lose weight

What do you eat on a wheat-free diet to lose weight? It’s similar to any healthy eating plan, says Auslander.

When you cut wheat, “you need to rely on more proteins, vegetables, legumes, and more nutritious sources of carbohydrates,” she says. “So many people lose weight just by virtue of eliminating the calories and carbohydrates from all the bread and breaded products they consume.”

The Disadvantages of a No-Wheat Diet

You may find it challenging

“It can make your life a lot harder,” says Benté, since wheat is the third-biggest crop in the U.S. and permeates our supermarkets and restaurants.

Cutting out wheat (aside from health reasons), she says, is “not dangerous, it’s not unhealthy, it’s fine” — but it may complicate your shopping, dining out, and cooking habits.

You may eat less fiber — and more refined carbs

Whole wheat is a major source of fiber for many people, says Auslander, and fiber can help with satiety and regularity, too.

Since the gluten in wheat has a binding effect in foods like bread, many gluten-free counterparts rely on gums and sticky starches (aka simple carbs) that lack fiber, a key nutrient we’re often skimping on. “Gluten-free bread still has calories and carbohydrates,” she says. “Gluten-free cookies still have sugar.”

You may find your diet is not really healthier

Growth of the gluten-free market may be slowing, but it’s still nearly a $2 billion industry. That means that you can find a gluten-free or wheat-free version of just about every junk food imaginable.

Benté says if you’re swapping a frozen pizza with a wheat flour crust for another frozen pizza with a wheat-free crust, “in my opinion, you’ve done nothing to improve your diet.”

What About a Grain-Free Diet?

You may hear about diets that are against all grains as a way to cut carbs and — as proponents say — keep appetite and energy levels steady.

But are these grain-free diets good for you? “Not at all,” says Auslander. When you cut out grains, “you cut out nutrients — fiber, B vitamins, potassium, trace minerals.”

She adds that you might also overeat other food groups or macronutrients as a result. As for the energy and appetite benefits of such diets, Benté says cutting out grains is going to extremes.

Eating high-carb meals will affect energy and appetite — the ebbs and flows are normal. But “we need the energy that comes from those carbohydrates,” says Benté, adding that you can eat balanced meals — such as a serving of oatmeal, two scrambled eggs, and a piece of fruit or maybe some vegetables at breakfast — instead of cutting out whole food groups.

“I think people are constantly looking for these quick fixes, these easy ways to cut calories,” she says.

Are We Eating Too Much Wheat?

Benté and Auslander agree that we eat too much wheat. Grains tend to be cheaper than proteins and produce, so we load up.

Instead, Auslander says wheat should be a supporting actor — not the star. We’re not overdoing it on wheatgrass or wheat berries, says Benté. We eat too much junk where wheat is a filler.

If you want to eat less wheat, using the Portion Fix Container plan can help. “You only have so many containers that you can fill with carbohydrates, and even if you filled all of those with grains, the only grains that are allowed are whole grains,” says Benté, so you’re cutting out all that processed wheat. And, you can eat wheat berries, whole-wheat bread, barley, or other whole grains, she says.

The Bottom Line

While wheat is off-limits to those with celiac disease and allergies, for everyone else, going wheat-free is a personal choice that may help you reduce the amount of processed food you eat.

To maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet, be sure to eat a variety of whole grains — and that may include wheat.

from News About Health https://www.beachbodyondemand.com/blog/no-wheat-diet