Well, That Didn't Take Long

[allswell]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Hi Everyone,

Hey UN, the election is the first week of November. The signs arrived this week so I'm begging everyone I know and don't know to put one in their yard. The early part of the campaign is the fun part where it's calm and not nasty, I'll let you know how it goes the last couple of weeks when things get weird.

I'm definitely running the Marine Corp Marathon in DC at the end of October, was lucky enough to get in (30,000 entries and it sold out in hours) and already have the hotel and flight booked and paid for. I am so looking forward to it.

Have a good weekend everyone.

[lifechange]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Hello lovely people,
I had to work such a long day and then help my ex out with the girls.
I want time to read through all the new posts with a clear mind, so I will do so tomorrow morning with coffee. Can't wait.
Day 7, UN!!!

see you all soon:h

[NoSugar]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Pinecone;1553132 wrote: Hi friends,

Un, I really like Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian." He is a great food writer formerly of the NYT. The recipes are presented like templates and nothing is written in stone, just like real life when you try to make something but only have half of the ingredients. He also goes into the nuts and bolts of beans/legumes different kinds of grains, cooking techniques etc. it is a pretty rich book for the price.

As far as meditation, I have been doing a mindfulness of breathing practice that I found in Thich Nhat Hahn's "Miracle of Mindfulness." It really seems to help with a lot of my issues.

It really is great to read about everyone's lives here. I feel fortunate to have you all as colleagues in sobriety.

Hi, Pinecone

I like Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything! He is really getting involved in food and social politics lately, too. I'm glad since I generally agree with him and he reaches a large audience via the NYT. I'm on the library wait list for the meditation book you recommended and am eager to read it.

How many marathons have you run in your 50 years, Allswell? Maybe with this one being right before Election Day, you'll get a boost from nervous energy :H !
Also, what kind of farming are you planning to do?

Good night, everyone. :h NS

[lifechange]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

hello everyone!
We're so lucky to have a beautiful warm day here-- just got back from a walk to the flea market nearby. It's a really fun one to go to, even with no money!! It's the first time I've felt up to going out and about so early on a Sunday morning for ages. I am very thankful for that.

So nice to read and catch up and learn more about all of you! It was NoSugar's idea with the short bio's and I hope everyone wants to continue sharing. I now have a little idea about who's who and it's easier to picture the people behind the posts. Do you know what I mean? This is the first and only forum I've ever been a part of so it's taken/is taking me time to figure it all out.

Pinecone, I really like Thich Nhat Hanh! I don't know the book you're talking about so I'll have to look into it. I have Teachings on Love, which I've found to be very grounding and it's helped me often to put things into perspective in relationships-- especially the one with my bf. I also really liked The Sun my Heart-- I would like more reading suggestions, if you have some.

Allswell, you sound very busy! Marathons and elections! It sounds as if you're running in both. I always wanted to run a marathon and used to practice with my dad when he was training. But I don't have the knees for it. I have a guitar gathering dust in my closet-- i bought it 7 years ago with hopes to learn. Do you think it's possible to learn without a teacher? With a detailed chord book?

Mylife, where did you live in Alaska? How old were you at the time? We lived in Ketchikan and Anchorage when I was a child. I miss Anchorage in the summer!
I'm so envious of all of you who are talking about retiring early. Lucky dogs. I definitely chose the wrong path as far as that's concerned! I'll be on my feet until into my 80's, If my body holds out!

NS, I'm on the 4th day of no sugar and it's getting a bit easier. I'm eating whole fruits and dried fruits-I enjoyed reading everything you posted on the sugar free thread. You mentioned that quitting sugar shouldn't get in the way of the most important quit--Al-- has that been a problem with others you know? What did you mean?

UN, thinking about you as you finish everything up before your move. I've moved house 24 times in my life--8 times just in this city, practically in the same neighborhood, in the past 15 years-- and I told myself, as we moved into this flat 6 years ago, never again! At least not until the little one is 18. I'm going to try to copy and paste 2 veg websites that I like. I've tried a lot of the recipes and they're good.

a wonderful sunday to you all,
life

[lifechange]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Green Kitchen Stories ? The healthy vegetarian recipe blog

101 Cookbooks - Healthy Recipe Journal

[mylife]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Good morning everyone!

I second No Sugar's sentiments. I love this thread and eveyone here. NS - I really commend your sugar free diet. I really love my sugar - but if I find I can't moderate it I will have to give it up. Luckly no blood sugar issues but I know it's not good for me in so many ways...!

UN - I hear you about things changing as we age. I also have no children with my husband and we have been married for 20+ years - it's been dawning on me lately I could be a relatively young widow and then what...? I try to put it to the back of my mind as it's really too scary for me to think about. Anyway, good luck with your move! I hate moving and would be tempted just to throw everything away and start over if we had to LOL. I know I'll be facing it at some point but for now I'm staying put!

Pinecone - I made vegetarinan Lasagne yesterday using Zuccini as the noodles no less. It was OK...maybe I could use a cookbook LOL.

Alls - I'm so impressed that you're running a marathon. I don't think I'll ever be able to do that so my hat is off to you!

Life - I grew up in Alaska as a child. We lived in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and north of the Arcitic circle in a small village for 4 years. I haven't lived there in years but go back usually at least once a year to visit family who are still there.

Have a great day all!

[Unwasted]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Good morning everyone,

Well my husband took off early this morning for Colorado so our new life is on the horizon! I'll have a pretty quiet week finalizing things around here and then we leave on the 19th. Lots of mixed emotions, but overall good.

Pinecone, thank you for the book recommendations. I am familiar with both didn't realize that Bittman had a vegetarian cookbook out. And would you believe I have the Miracle of Mindfulness book? Now I just need to read it. I really was all around this stuff before, but obviously didn't stick with it.

Alls, I had to laugh at your description of the two last weeks before the election getting weird. Seems like these days everything in that arena is weird. Maybe it's a bit saner on a local level. Well, do keep us posted; I'm sure it's interesting stuff.

Life change, it's so odd how all of us on this thread have similar interests. I actually get regular emails from the 101 Cookbooks people and love the site. Thanks too for the other link; that one is new for me. And aside from all that, yikes, I can't believe the number of times you've moved! (Good job by the way on figuring out how to post those links!)

My Life, well, again, there is a recurrent theme here about our life experiences. I remember your husband having Diabetes. I don't know much about the condition, but I believe he has to take insulin and monitor his blood sugar levels? That must be trying for both of you. Does he have other related issues that come with it? And that neither of us have kids .... That's actually very unusual!

Free and No Sugar, hope you're having a good day!

Now if we just all lived near each other we could meet for coffee! Oh well, guess this is the next best thing. :l

[NoSugar]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Here we go:




Here's a trick if you want to not think about drinking or anything else for that matter: come down with HIVES! I am about to crawl out of my skin!!! Not good timing to get this while away from home, to say the least.

Well, there are worse things, like being drunk or hungover, right?

I hope everyone else here is having a lovely, un-itchy day! :h NS

[lifechange]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Delicious coffee! Thanks-- but now I probably won't be able to sleep--

Sorry to hear about the hives, NS. Itchy is not nice-- hope you're feeling some relief soon-

[allswell]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Hello Everyone and Happy Sunday!

Lifechange I would recommend a few lessons in the beginning to get you started off right. We often learn bad habits and a teacher can point them out so you won't have to unlearn later which can be so much more difficult.

NS, this will be my 16th marathon. As far as what I'd like to farm it would be mostly orchard stuff. Fruit trees, nuts, berries and the like. The stuff I think doesn't require as much effort as vegetables and animals. For right now I'm just experimenting with some trees and vines in the back yard and having a lot of fun with it.

I hope everyone is having a great day. It's picture perfect here in Ohio.

[Unwasted]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Good Morning Everyone,

OK, so I've been pondering some things today.....

First, I absolutely cannot get over how much better I feel physically --- how even the smallest amount of alcohol makes me feel terrible. And the quality of sleep is other worldly. Just amazing.

The other thing is, I know on a very deep level that any romantic recollections I have about drinking are pure fantasy. It is becoming more natural for me to be able to kick errant drinking thoughts the curb. And, I really believe that most "moderators" are struggling very hard to moderate. This isn't a revelation, just something that's becoming clearer to me. It's so odd the way we can know things but not be really ready to internalize them!

And something I recently read that struck me.....isn't it interesting that so many of the adjectives used to describe the drinking experience are destructive words.....like I got wasted, trashed, blotto, etc?

Anyway.....just stuff

No Sugar, I have been meaning to ask you about your thoughts on dairy. I know you attribute inflammation in large part to gluten, but how do you feel about cheese, yogurt? The holistic people I study online point out how we are the only mammals to drink another animal's milk and that milk is for baby cows. I use organic, unsweetened rice milk when I eat cereal and have recently stopped with yogurt and cheese. Would love to hear your thoughts. Or, if you've already posted about it under another thread, let me know. Oh, yes, and how are your hives and what do you think caused them?

Lifechange, day 10 for us -- yay!

Pinecone, a word of warning on berries. If you plant blackberries be careful where you put them. My husband made the mistake of putting them in a regular bed and they got unwieldy and in the way of other plants. Not good because of their wicked thorns!

Free, you are sounding so strong these days! And PC is right - you are very smart about knowing how to recharge, which of course is key to keeping al at bay! Thank you for the link too.

Alls, I'm blown away by your running prowess! As someone who has never run over 5 miles, the thought of 26 doesn't even compute. Amazing! As an aside, can you tell me what kind of running shoes you recommend? And, do you use a trail shoe specifically when you run off road?

ML, I pulled out my meditation books and cushion and am going to get started. One thing I found that is so cool is this clock. It's specifically for meditation and allows you to set it for a specified time and then just begins a gentle ping so you know when your set meditation time is up. It's made in Boulder, CO by a company named Now and Zen. . It's the greatest thing....has other wonderful features too. I no longer have to wake to a jolting buzz when I need an alarm of any kind! I highly recommend it!!

R4 and Quest, hope you guys are ok :lilheart:

Off to keep readying for the big day! Thanks for all the thoughts on this guys. I think it will go well because I'm really prepared on all levels.

xoxo,
UN :lilheart:
p.s. to Pinecone and No Sugar - wonder why Ibex doesn't have sweaters

p.p.s. Guess what, my favorite store in my new town carries Ibex! YAY!

[NoSugar]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Unwasted;1554210 wrote:
p.s. to Pinecone and No Sugar - wonder why Ibex doesn't have sweaters

Hey, UnBlotto :H - that is odd! I have bought sweaters for my husband (they might be listed as 'jackets' or 'long sleeves'). Maybe the offerings will increase as we head toward the holiday season -- that is when I've typically been on the site.

I'm glad to hear you are feeling good and the "right" thoughts are getting internalized (that is how Free sounds, too ).

You asked about dairy foods. I do eat those but I try to limit it to e.g. butter, cream, or cheese from pastured (not grain-fed) cows. Their fatty acid composition is much different (and better, high in omega 3 fatty acids) from those of feed-lot cows. Meat from pastured animals also differs greatly and has a much better composition. The website that most closely mirrors my choices is Authority Nutrition - An Evidence-Based Approach. The things I don't eat are added sugar or HFCS (which eliminates most processed foods), trans-fat and seed oils (which eliminates most of the rest of the processed foods b/c they all contain soybean oil and a few still have trans fat), and wheat (and most other grains). I know that probably sounds like I don't eat anything but I actually eat large portions of wonderful "real" foods - fruit, vegetables, eggs, nuts, meat, etc. I would like to have your future farm produce available to me, Alls! I would be your best customer.

I know you're shaking your head, Pinecone, since vegetarian works well for you. I think everyone should figure out what works best for them - there is no one diet that "fits all". I've tried many eating plans and at long last have found one that works well for me. The most exciting area of nutrition research right now is how different food components are best for people with particular genotypes. Just like medicine is becoming personalized based on genetics, nutrition may also be someday.

Thanks for checking on my health, LC and PC. I had to cave in and use oral and topical Benydryl. So, the hives are still there but I'm knocking out the histamine so I can function. I'll see if I can get by w/o drugs after I get home. I wish I knew what caused them but more often than not, it is tough to i.d. the trigger. Having this come up certainly reminds me how grateful I am to generally feel good overall. I still marvel at how good I feel each morning now and hope that I always appreciate it.

Hey LC and UN - you never have to be in single digits AF again if you make this your last quit. Given how much trouble has been evident on MWO lately about the huge challenges of starting over, it seems to me it is worth everything you've got! Let us know if there is anything specific we can do to help, ok?

Enjoy your time at home MyLife and Free, and stay strong when you're on the road (or in the air) again!

Have a good day, :h NS

[lifechange]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

NS, I never want to be in the single digits again. I am definitely going to ask for help when needed-- thank you!

and UN, I think I am also rid of those fantasies of being able to drink moderately or in any fashion whatsoever. It feels good to accept it.

[Unwasted]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Guys, here is a link posted by 199 that makes so much sense to me. I'm going to follow this model as opposed to some of the things that fall into a category this way of thinking calls "recoveryism." I couldn't begin to explain it, but it makes the most sense of anything I've run across. Big thanks to 199!

Rational Recovery | The Crash Course On AVRT

No Sugar, thank you for the link. I have been looking for a way to get away from wheat and use things like coconut flour and this site looks like it has ideas. I'm going to make this (yum!):

Free Recipe @ Healthylicious Housewife Recipes: Cauli-Egg Sandwich Thins (Breads/Muffins/Crusts/Wraps) - Powered by Maian Recipe v2.0

Hope everyone has a super day.

[3June2013]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Since diet is in the menu I will identify myself as a lacto ovo peschetarian? I don't eat meat or chicken, I eat fish. I don't have a lot of dairy but I love yogurt and cottage cheese. Not sure I'm ready to give them up.

But I think I'm going to have a look at a wheat free diet. I've been told that if I read "Wheat Belly" I'll never want to eat it. Funny it feels a bit like I felt about giving up AL. Unsure of how it will feel, afraid of the loss, wanting a substitute, considering moderation!

Meanwhile I love this time of year. Tomatoes, corn on the cob, the herbs, peppers, eggplants zucchinis ... Straight from the gardens and farms. I'm lucky that I have two farmers markets close by.

I've lost about nine pounds nice I quit AL, partly due to increased exercise but also not drinking means way less snacking.

I'm on vacation right now, spent a week away camping and visiting. In a week we are hitting the road again for a 2000km trip to Winnipeg. It's tougher to eat well and exercise on the road but I'm up for the challenge!