Paleo Pals - Health, Weight Loss & Support

InnaB2018

Wow, Egads, I wouldn’t want to be on your bad side! Poor Mr. Paleo is probably hiccuping all the way to tomorrow now.

Well, I wrote it, and then started to wonder: Do you guys have this expression in English? Hmmmm. In Russian, if someone is hiccuping we say that someone else is remembering that person. We also say someone is badmouthing a person, if his/her ears burn. So, it’s actually a toss up between hiccups and burning ears for Mr. Paleo 🤣🤣.

ksusan

Yes, I have raised a skeptical eyebrow at some of Whole30's pronouncements. The only case I can see for not allowing the combination of compliant ingredients is 1) if they change chemically in the process to a non-allowed form (unlikely) or 2) the combined form contributes to a behavioral problem like craving that will undermine compliance (probably the case for some people). My rule for medical diets is that as soon as an author uses too many exclamation points, that article or approach is suspect.

Egads007

Inna (godda davida) - My Scottish background has the same 'ears burning' if someone is talking smack about you....also, if your right palm itches it means you're coming into money, the left and you'll be losing money. I'm thinking like you.....Mr. Paleo's ears must be on fire LOL!!! Yeah....snobby attitudes drive me nuts!

KSuze - Agreed on 1 and especially on 2......baking (as it did at Christmas) can start a nasty cycle of carb craves. If Mr. Paleo had made those points I would have had no problem.....it was his written finger shaking style that blew I for me. Too many exclamation points regarding diets.....guess I'm busted!! )))))))))))))))))))))))))))) !!!

!

)) !

This is so me...……

………..and (!!)

ksusan

I look to you for !!!!!, in addition to science reportage. What I don't like is a diet program or purportedly scientific book that bursts into !!!!!! to make a point--it suggests that the author has overly-emphatic emotions and may not be evaluating the evidence dispassionately.

ksusan

In other news, my first week of pretend-Camino was 104.90 kilometers since St. Jean Pied de Port in France. If I were actually walking at this rate, I'd have left the town of Lorca in Spain this morning. This is about 65 miles; if I were on pace for real, I'd want to be at about 103 miles (about 166 kilometers), but since I'm not actually there or trying to match distances, it will do!

Egads007

KSuze - Couldn't agree more, it is def a red flag. The Whole30 website includes a section titled 'It's Easy!!!' Helluva exclamation pointed statement to make when trying to flip folk's lifelong eating habits on its ear. I so wanted to end that last sentence with a ! ))

I'm fully aware of my punctuation addiction ..sometimes makes me cringe, cheerleader-esque. Strangely enoughI don't feel the desire to mend the 'error of my ways', (exclamation marks, bolding font, and incessant '......'). Perhaps it has become ingrained? Meh, gots' ta' be me! Darn, did it again. ))

ETA- WOOT!! Your mileage is exclamation mark worthy!! High 5’s KSuze...keep up the great pace!!

InnaB2018

Ksuzan, impressive! Your legs must be tired now 🤣.

Egads, you found another thing we both like: Seinfeld! I love love love that show! Hmmm, better check my exclamation points. Ok, I love love love that show. I am a firm believer that for every crazy life sitiatuon there is a corresponding Seinfeld episode. And yes, we do wish each other Happy Festivus around Cristmastime 🤪🤪

Egads007

Inna - I have the complete Seinfeld collection and drag it out from time to time....never get sick if it. Great to know we have a fellow Seinfeldian in da’ haus, and will now make gratituitous references moving forward! LOL @ your ‘!’ correction!!

Who’da thunk Festivus was Paleo?

)))

PebblesV

Hello paleo pals! I want pancakes. Yum yum. But I need to get to my weight loss goals first, and apparently recovery from the egg retrieval surgery is making that harder. They say it’s natural to experience bloating and weight gain from this and that’s happening, shucks...

Have to say hello to Marbles and Scabbers! So glad you got them Vamps and they are SOooo cute!!

Ksuse color me impressed with your walking.

Egads as soon as I can exercise again (they told me not to for about 5 days post egg retrieval) I will follow your plan, slow and steady, small goals and post my progress here!

RE: the moments of anxiety and wanting to be carefree again, I wanted to share that 5 years ago my Dad had a stroke and couldn’t walk or speak immediately after. He recovered - fully! - walks as much as Ksuze does now, and texted me the other day reminding me about how he had a stroke 5 years ago and is in the best health he’s ever been in today. And that this whole bc fight / challenge for me can be the thing that helps me get to the healthiest I’ve ever been too. So I like looking at it that way. That this bc happening is just that annoying eye opener reminder to get me really aware and to the best health ever and 5 years from now we can all be looking back on this too while celebrating our health.

Still going to work during the day, coming back exhausted and sleeping early, with my husband and these two paw protectors by my side.

And I want pancakes!! So tough!

vampeyes

Ha! I made pancakes for breakfast for the boys and yes Virginia I did indulge in one or two, they were delicious. Ok maybe it was actually 3.

65 miles in your first week ksuze!!!!!! OMG!!! You inspired me to go for a walk, outdoors during this arctic cold day, I am now just thawing out. My exercise is limited due to my neck pain, it's gotten worse, likely due to stress, but who knows. So a walk was good for the mind and body, thank you for the motivation to get off my butt and do it!

Inna - enjoyed your poem, very well written, I did not loose my hair (no chemo) so I can't relate, but still enjoyed it very much. Thank you for sharing.

Pebbles - that tiredness will eventually get better. I went through that after Rads and it took a bit to get back to "normal", I use quotes as I am far from normal. My God I think my rats are cute!!!!! I am partial to Scabbers more so, likely because she does not poop on me! My boys find it quite funny that Marbles likes to do so. My DH does not allow our dog in the house, "farm dogs belong outside!" {insert eye roll} we do tend to sneak her in when he is not around. It's nice company having the rats inside with me. I think Scabbers is getting use to my voice, she climbs the cage when I talk to her.

Egads!!!!!!! - I may be the only one who has not watched Seinfeld. I have seen maybe parts of a show, but honestly wasn't a huge fan - see far from Normal. Oh and I would have pointed all those points out to the Neanderthal!

Anyone heard of infrared light to help with pain? Seen a neck pillow with this in it and wondered what it just might do, not a lot of reviews.

Off like a dirty shirt to do something that does not upset my neck. Have a great day ya'll.

Egads007

Good late afternoon/early evening Mighty Cave Clan!!

I hit the ground running today and am still going! I'll be back to reply to y'all when the dust settles in my cave.

My apologies for the late entry….but it's here……and *cue deep brown voice*…it's bad!

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY – You haven't lived till' you've Deadlifted!!

There are a few iconic moves that gym rats and sedentary folks are aware of….the Deadlift being one of them.This nifty & VERY empowering move is responsible for the gym battle cry seen on memes & teeshirts – "Bro/Dude, do you even lift?"

The deadlift is awesome and considered to be the purest measure of strength. I can't tell you how exhilarating it is to complete your first set!! So………

WHY DEADLIFT?

When you deadlift, you use every single muscle in your body:

• Your arms, forearms, and hands hold onto the barbell and make sure the bar stays in the right position and stays stable throughout the lift.
• Your shoulders and traps hold the weight and hold it stable.
• Your back and core help keep your entire body tight and stable to help keep your spine secure.
• Your posterior chain and legs to act as a lever and lift the weight.
• Don't think you can do it? Babydoll, you already are:
• 
  
• The deadlift is a basic human movement. Other than the squat, there might not be another movement that is more "functional." From the grocery store, to moving a piece of furniture, to picking your child up off the floor – you are deadlifting (unfortunately most of us with poor form, hence back probs).

Look at all those muscles involved!

Why women should Deadlift:

• Excellent confidence booster
• Corrects pelvic tilt caused by years of heels,
• Burns more fat than cardio
• Builds muscles to prevent back pain
• Improves your posture and stability (think core!)
• Useful in real life (think lifting groceries, kids/grandkids, gardening)
• Can do in gym or home…..or if you're feeling sassy, the library

There are many types of deadlifts you can do, Conventional, Sumo, Hex/trap bar, snatch grip, Romanian, Deficit, Dumbell, Stiff leg, straight leg…..but we'll start with the conventional method. You'll see variations in future Workout Wednesday posts.

***FORM IS EVERYTING….and VITAL with Deadlifts….PULLLLLEEEESE WATCH THE VIDS BEFORE STARTING!

REMEMBER TO LIFT WITH EMPHASIS ON YOUR LEGS (drive off the heels)…… IF YOU ATTEMPT TO LIFT EMPHASISING YOUR ARMS YOU'LL HAVE YOUR BACK PULLED OUT FASTER THAN A JACK RABBIT ON HIS FIRST DATE!! HAVE A MIRROR ONHAND TO CHECK YOUR FORM***

Now that I'm finished yelling ….

Start by using only your body, no bar. Move up by using a broomstick. Add weight to a bar when you're completely confident in your form. Listen to your bod….it speaks the truth…if it hurts stop…reassess your form.

Here's another, short n' sweet, side view....

I'm including a third vid....if you can get past the big ol' beard, and loud yakky intro, this fella gives GREAT laymans advice, he knows of what he speaks....

So give it a whirl, you won't be sorry. Need further info or assistance…..hit me up!!

Deadlifting will allow you to look at your meatball eating Sis when she's pointing out the MSG in the soup and say "Dude, do you even lift?" )))))) Yup, that's for you Pebbles!

Backatcha' soon kids.....have a splendiferous evening!!

InnaB2018

Egads, Vamp, I am so happy you liked my poem! And thank you for the compliments, they are like a balm for my sore swollen arm. It was my first and only (so far) attempt to write poetry in English, so you can imagine my surprise when I learned that it will be published!

Vamp, we have to convert you to the Seinfeld-dom. In the meantime, if you have Amazon Prime, look up Yoga for neck and back pain relief with Lindsey Samper. I hope I got the name right. It’s a series of videos with yoga relaxation poses for the pain relief. I stambled on it last month and have been doing an episode a day religiously. It really helped me.

PebblesV

I’m with Vamps - have never really watched Seinfeld. Tried to and couldn’t get into it. Plus I met Jerry Seinfeld a couple times (he provided a voice for a video game we were working on) and he’s kind of full of it. So that turned me off from Seinfeld.

Inna amazing poem and congrats on being published too!

Vamps - good to know if gets better. I think I must be experiencing that post-rads fatigue and surgery on top of all that doesn’t help! Re: neck I don’t know if it’s too much to try yet but yoga sometime soon helps loosen stiff muscles etc

vampeyes

Inna and Pebbles thank you for the yoga suggestion, I am going to head over to amazon to find this Lindsey Samper, if I can't get her there is a girl on YouTube I use to follow, maybe she has some yoga vids for my neck. My headache is now on day 3 and going strong, I don't know if it's the neck or weather. I bought a pillow massager yesterday and tried it out, hoping for a miracle, no such luck if the headache is still going strong.

Egads - I did not know there were so many variations to the deadlift, I would like to do this, maybe without weights and just focus on posture?? I like the beaded guy, he was interesting.

ETAsk: Inna do I go to Prime video? I found her on YouTube. The girl I use to follow has some to so I am going to try her Headache one today!

Egads007

Howdy Peeps!

Well wasn't my yesterday a cluster....thing. Looks like today is well on it's way to being the same. No worries, it keeps me out of trouble.....and I can find trouble out of nothing! On to business....

Inna (godda davida) - You shouldn't be surprised....you're a true literary spirit!! As for Seinfeld-ing, I agree, we need to spread the word. Life would be a little duller without it and I feel those that aren't fans are missing out.....not that theres anything wrong with it! ))))

Pebbles (Flintstone) - Your dad rocks!! His actions and words are truly inspirational and must be such a help to you in your struggles. My father's cancer 'journey' did the same for me. His illness and eventual passing with such grace and bravery is what got me through. Give your Dad (and the pups) a big cave hug from all of us! Hope you're recovering nicely....and yes, take er' easy with the exercise, all in good time. Want pancakes the healthy way? Google 'paleo pancakes' or 'keto pancakes' on occasion. You'll be getting yourself a delish healthy way to Sunday breakfast. If you need help getting a good recipe, hit us up!

Vampriella - Yes, deadlift carefully, it will help your back and posture. No weight, or a broomstick at most. Concentrate on a straight back and drive through the heals, not your arms or shoulders. Check out this one:

Seinfeld Nay-Sayers: I avoided the show for the first 3 or 4 seasons like the plague....didn't find it funny, didn't get it. I happened to be reading when my Sis was watching one day. Something Kramer did struck a cord, laughed like crazy. I started watching, got to know the characters and understand the 'show about nothing' sentiment....SO glad I did. Watching Seinfeld is like watching myself in many different characters. I'm like Elaine for the most part, but see (hysterical) similarities in George, Kramer and even Jerry (yes Pebbles, I've heard that about JS, prob stardom got to his head). If y'all like a good start, search YouTube for the 'hand model' episode.....or 'Master of my Domain'. Now I'm craving a Seinfest! ))

Get ready kids...……….it's coming...……………..

Egads007

.....and it's here.....

TUTUORIAL THURSDAY -Cha-chaaaange!!! Coming soon to a package near you.

Have you, or do you, scope out the nutritional labels plastered (by law) on your fav grocery item packaging? If you're anything like me you probably do more reading in the grocery store than you would in a library. When I first decided to take note of what I was consuming (long before Paleo) I found reading labels a big pain in the …..you know what. After a spell it became second nature and today I can pretty much scan a label in seconds flat…..and because of modern processing techniques & funky additions to foodstuffs, most items I pick up are promptly returned to the shelf.

Don't get me wrong, my pantry is full, but with repetitive 'safe' choices….I have what I think may be 'stocking up' issues…..dare I say Paleo hoarder? Uggggg. Much like Mother Hubbard, my cupboards are skimpy on cans & jars in comparison to my refrigerator (*blush* 2 fridges, 1 upright freezer). Anyhoodle, my stocks aren't the issue today, labels are.

Wanna scope out the new labels?

FOR CANADA:

FOR THE USA:

Some of the most significant changes to the Nutritional Guidelines (in two decades) via the FDA and Canadian government are set to commence next year for the US of A, and 2022 for us Canucks. These changes can't happen fast enough for me.

Let's check it out a couple of the biggies:

SUGAR…ohhh honey honey

The Carbohydrates Section will now contain a subsection for "Added Sugars," which includes all sugars that do not naturally occur in the food.

What took so long???? Science has known the disaster sugars leave behind in their wake. Government foot dragging stinks up the joint with a distinct scent of Big Agra IMHO. No matter, it's coming to a package near you….no more guessing what the added sugar content is in your fav products. Wonderful improvement….if you're an American.

BAD NEWS FOR CANADA…..NO ADDED SUGAR TO BE INCLUDED….but a daily value percentage will be noted…..the proposed daily level is still TOO HIGH for health. Answer: Know your stuff re: sugars & carbs and it won't present much of a problem.

Missing: Teaspoons. Listing sugars in grams isn't clear enough for most of us. List in teaspoons and we get the picture pretty fast. A 12 oz can of coke shows 39 grams of sugar. That's 9 ½ teaspoons of sugar. Coke ain't lookin' so purdy after reading the teaspoon way.

Tip: Use your phone to convert the sugars to get a better picture.

SERVING SIZE

The labels will now reflect what peeps typically eat in one sitting. You may read a label and think "oh cool, there is only 168 calories in these potato chips" Look closer, that calorie count is for ten measly chips…..and to quote the late great Mr. Carlin "bet ya can't just eat 10!". The total number of chips in a medium bag may be 5-6 times higher. Who eats 1/3 cup of cookies…unless you crumble them up? The present label also shows info on the down low for a reason……the serving size on the package is usually scaled waaaay down to reflect the best possible picture for the product. …… The new listing will provide a much easier way to determine but……

Missing: The serving size should not reflect the typical serving…..typical western serving sizes are gargantuan. We eat too much, period.

Would be Better: A healthy portion size serving listed.

DAILY VALUES (%) UPDATED

The daily values for fiber, sodium, and vitamin D have been updated to reflect new 'scientific consensus'. "Scientific consensus" can be sketchy depending on the study. Some of these changes appear for the better. Whereas 4 grams of fiber used to comprise 16% of your DV, it's now 14%. Sodium DV was previously based on a 2400 mg daily limit; now it's 2300 mg. Tightened up sodium limits may not be so great according to recent studies, but sodium will be tutorial-ized in a future post. Fiber recommendations increased…..good for gut health, and Vitamin D has been upped….good because most peeps don't bother with it and don't get enough sun.

CALORIES FROM FAT HAS BEEN REMOVED

The new label no longer lists the amount of calories derived from fat. Healthy fats support brain function, keeps you full, and when combined with a healthy amount of carbs will keep blood sugars from spiking = more energy, better focus and fewer cravings. Fat is more calorically dense than other nutrients and a lot of peeps assume that the calorie number is the most important number on the label. Because of the high calorie content fat becomes their 'enemy' I thought this for years until I learned about healthy fat choices and their benefits. Taking the calories from fat out of the picture will encourage folks to evaluate the food product for all of its merits (eg; avocado, high in fat, high in benefits).

Bonus: The Egads methodology to buying labelled foods:

1. It's processed, jarred, canned, in a bag….Do I really want/need this? Can I make it myself….make it better?
2. Country of origin….must be from reliable sources….get to know them!
3. Pick up product, breeze by the nutrition label to the ingredient list looking for non-compliant additions(corn stuff, soy, wheat, sugar), chemical words I can't pronounce, gmo etc… Back on shelf if they are present….most of the time they are.
4. Ingredient list checks out, over to nutritional data. Forget calories (haven't counted them in years). Read carbs & sugars first, then look for trans fats (yuck). If carbs are reasonable I check out fiber…takes em' even lower.
5. If all is good I…..

This was a quick (quick?) overview of a few label changes coming….if you want futher reading:

FDA: https://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ucm20026097.htm

Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/fo...

So get your reading done ladies….and while you're doing it…have a splendiferous day!!

ksusan

Vampeyes, I'm happy to inspire you! I always walk more if I have a goal, even if it's a made-up one.

I don't know if I already said so, but yes, full agreement on the poem!

U.S. cave peeps may want to consider buying from local farms if feasible during the government shutdown--the FDA isn't inspecting, and I trust the guy with chickens down the road more than big agribusinesses freed from oversight.

GG27

The lurker is back!! Just getting caught up on all of Egad's posts, wow, you are something, I wish I had your energy! ( I won't use the amount of exclamations points you do!!!!

I'm not sure what you would call our diet these days. Not paleo or low carb for sure. We have fruit, oats & greek yogurt for breakfast and COFFEE. Most days lunch is cheddar cheese and either a banana or apple with natural peanut butter.

Then dinner is a meat protein, lots of veg but we live in Canada so most of them are root veg at this time of year and sometimes a carb like 1/2 baked potato or yam or sweet potato. Once in a while I will make us homemade pasta as a treat, We rarely eat out as we live on a remote island with less than wonderful restaurants, they are very hit and miss. I will admit to a small glass of red wine most nights before dinner and dark chocolate after.

I have no packaged food in the house, but I do have minimally processed like bottles of strained tomatoes for making sauces, canned salmon, coconut milk for curries etc.

My weight really only fluctuates when I'm on some horrid drug or another & can't eat otherwise I'm ok. But I'm always looking for interesting lower carb recipes as that seems to be how we like eating best.

Here is my low carb (not paleo at all) pancake recipe that we love better than regular pancakes, though some people think they are too gritty. I love the texture of them. I serve with berries, a dollop of full fat greek yogurt & a drizzle of real maple syrup.

Coconut Flour Pancakes

This makes 8 pancakes

3 eggs

3 tbsp coconut oil or butter, melted

9 tbsp of cream

1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp sifted coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

Mix everything together into a smooth batter, you will need to scrape the excess flour off the spoon & incorporate into the batter.

You need additional butter or coconut oil for frying

cheers, dee

PebblesV

OMG Dee THANK YOU for the Coconut Pancake recipe!! Might try that out this weekend, more with coconut oil as I'm trying to cut back on butter. And PS I was a lurker for awhile too and am fully in the paleo sun now.

Egads - very informative post! Yes I'm a big label reader now, especially with the weight loss goal meaning cutting back on processed foods. Good thing too because my (awesome) Dad bought me this ginger and honey tea from an Asian market in packs, but when I looked at the labels, it showed ingredients as ginger, honey and cane sugar - and LOTS of sugar, about 17g per bag! So I had to say no to the tea. And gently inform my Dad that sugar is the #1 thing I'm trying to stay away from right now, especially processed added sugar (sugar from honey and maple syrup is A-OK).

Some good news today, the extra water bloat weight just after the egg retrieval surgery seems to have gone away now, what a relief! So I'm back at the weight I was at... huge relief because right after surgery, the scale showed a 3 lb (!) weight gain on Monday, but now it's only Thursday and those 3 lbs. are gone. The docs and nurses all say it was normal post-surgery bloat and water weight. I'm just relieved that today's weigh-in was back to normal, as now I feel I can continue the path downwards, and it was hard to have this sudden 3 lb. gain in a day!

ksusan

That's great, Pebbles!

JKL2017

Finally catching up on all of your post-Christmas posts ... we are a busy tribe!

Pebbles, LOVED your baby pic. And your dogs are so cuteI Tucker looks like a sweetheart and all your pics of Domino are adorable. (He appears to be a little dog with a BIG personality!) You are sure going through a lot lately - egg retrieval, yikes! Although I can sure understand doing that - my kids and grandkids are the lights of my life and I hope that you & your DH will know that joy one day. I, too, love your dad's attitude! And, like him, I sometimes think that I'm in better shape now than I have been in years. (Of course, it's because Egads keeps kicking my butt to exercise & eat healthier!) And YEA on your weight loss!!!! Don't let the naysayers get into your head ... you've got this, girl! Sometimes a little side trip to Vegas is just what we need. Just enjoy it and then return to the cave! (And, like you, I have - and love - a compliant DH!)

Inna, just wow! I can't believe that English isn't your native language. That poem was remarkable - you are very talented! And I will definitely read any blog that you and Egads write. You need to share some Russian expressions with us. (My son took Russian in high school and spent a week there during his spring break & returned fascinated with all things Russian.) And I'll join your Seinfeld Fan Club; there is much to identify with on that show! (And we, too, celebrate Festivus - and perform Feats of Strength - during the Christmas season.)

TwoH, how's your job search going? How was your paleo chili? I would love the recipe ... I laughed when I read that you might put up 3 or 4 Christmas trees when you retire. I used to put up two - One “decorator" tree with all glass and brass ornaments and one “kids" tree with everything else on it. I would let the grandkids touch and rearrange ornaments all they wanted on their tree & that kept them from touching the fragile stuff. Nowadays they are more interested in what's under the tree than what's on it so I have passed on all my “kids tree" ornaments to their families & I only put up one tree. I really enjoyed your Fun Facts. You are a true brainiac if you pursued both nutrition and business. Impressive!

Hi, Vamp. Marbles & Scabbers (you all are big Harry Potter fans!) are cute & I love that Scabbers (aka George) responds to your voice! How are you feeling? Any luck finding pain relief? Let me know what works; I have arthritis in my neck & sometimes it is very annoying. And I totally understand the Christmas gloomies. I find I miss a lot of people during the holidays (the ones who live far away or who have passed on) & sometimes that leads to a little melancholy. Getting back to a normal routine usually helps (& so does taking a trip to a warmer climate!). (Oh, and I'm going to help convert you & Pebbles to the Seinfeld camp!)

Ksuze, you are quite a gifted photographer. The Galapagos & Quito? That's amazing! And I love your idea of an ersatz Camino walk. I may have to adapt that to my exercise program. Maybe I'll “swim" the English Channel when I go to the pool this winter. And I love your treadmill desk idea; all I ever accomplish on my treadmill (besides walking) is binge watching some television series I'm interested in. I am so impessed with your mileage - you rock!

Pi-Xi, good to see you back here. Good luck with your weight; just wish I could mail you some of my extra pounds. Eat some of that steak you like! And some avocados!

GG, welcome. We love Canadians in our cave.

DearLife, welcome to you, too. That was some picture post-storm. Hope you all have power & passable roads now.

And Egads, last but definitely not least! Thank you for all the effort you put into this thread. I may not always eat paleo (hangs head in shame) but you do inspire me to attempt it! I'm off to Austin next week for a long visit with DD & a side trip to see some old friends in Dallas and San Antonio. Texas has a lot of paleo opportunities (think steak!) but even more non-Paleo distractions (think Margueritas & cheesy Mexican goodness). I'm not going to stress about my diet; I'll just visit Vegas & get back on the wagon when I return. I found your lifting post interesting but don't know if I will try it. My 69 year old knees may not be quite as enthusiastic about the idea. (I'll run it by my orthopedist at my next appointment.) I enjoyed your nutrition post, too. I am always arguing with my DH about what's important on food labels. He has a fat-phobia & is always picking up fat-free food. I make him read the label & acknowlege all the salt, sugar, chemicals, etc in fat-free food but he just can't seem to accept the fact that fat-free can be very bad! (To be fair, his mom was the queen of fat-free eating so he has some serious indoctrination to get past!) Oh, well, to live is to learn!

Hope I didn't leave anyone out. Gosh, Egads, I'm challenging you for longest post!!!! Now it's off to the gym. Must get in a workout before the snow hits this weekend.

ksusan

JKL, by all means swim the Channel!

InnaB2018

Thanks, JKL! Appreciate your kind words. I always joke that I probably write with an accent, but I guess I can hide it now . I didn’t speak English until I immigrated into the US in 1995, but I always loved to read and write, so I spent many many many hours honing my language skills just for the fun of it. My friends from the writing group tell me that sometimes I sound archaic, because when I see a good word in some book, I use it without realizing that normal people might not even know it. At home we mostly speak Ringlish, which is a mix of Russian and English that makes our kids’ friends laugh hysterically. I am happy your son loved Russia! Which cities did he visit, I wonder?

Vamp, yes, you have to go to Prime Video. I found another series of yoga there called Yogalite. Will try it tomorrow.

I hate lymphedema! The only good thing about it is that my DH has to cook now because my right arm is pretty much useless now. He warned me that he is not going to make any fancy dishes and proceeded making tortilla soup, Moroccan chicken tagine, zucchini sauté and daikon radish salad. I should’ve bandaged that arm much sooner.

TwoHobbies

Hello, everyone. The weekender is back and just caught up with all the posts. Inna I love that you use “archaic words”. Good literature is the only place we hear those words. I remember reading Cold Mountain and I just loved the words he chose to use. True literature.

Pebbles I am glad your egg retrieval went well and may you enjoy your own little Pebbles in the not too distant future.

JKL, the chili I had intended to make was on nom nom paleo. I think it was called Cowboy Chili. However I forgot the chocolate so I ended up making Ree Drummonds (The Pioneer Woman) recipe without adding the masa, which it didnt need.

2 garlic cloves, 1 t oregano, 1T cumin, 2 T chili powder, 2 lbs ground beef, 8 oz tomato sauce, 1 t salt.

It was delicious. I used about 3 oz tomato paste because I didnt have sauce and then added some beef broth for liquid.

Job hunt. I have applied for two jobs. Had an interview but didnt get it. I liked the responsibilities and was told I was “well qualified” which may mean “over qualified” but it was good to get a practice interview at least. The other job was something I have experience in but not in 12 years so not surprised at the rejection. Just thought I would try. So I anticipate it will be slow going being in the over 50 demographic but I will keep looking.

I had to laugh at the Seinfeld opinions. Comedy is very personal. DH was a big Seinfeld fan and I was lukewarm but ended up seeing most episodes with him. There are some very classic phrases that we still use. No soup for you!

Vamp you mentioned SAD, depression, anxiety, fear. Hell ya! Every one of us I am sure. I actually have a light box for SAD and it does help. Exercise also helps, and for me, when I would get anxious about BC and possible early death, I note to myself that “Today I am alive”. I am not going to die today or tomorrow or next month so put the worry away.

On to Paleo stuff. Egads what is your thought on white potato? So I have always noticed that I cant eat one bite of white potato without gaining weight. When I was in the hospital, I was eating potato a lot. I had been low on electrolytes going in. Perhaps my body was telling me I needed them. I purchased a bag of yukon gold organic potatos this week. I roast them with olive oil and my other veggies and they are not making me gain weight this way. Interesting.

I lost 1.6 pounds this week so just a lb away from losing that Christmas/New Years weight. I ate a lot of shrimp and roasted veggies for dinner. One night had zoodles with pesto. Last night was ground beef mixed with zucchini and broccoli. Lunch I tried to stick to soup and salad. Breakfast is always nuts. And I did have chocolate-Lindt Lindor truffles which, speaking of sugar labels, 15 grams of sugar in 3 truffles. Less than most sweets and less than even a standard fruit yogurt. I have definitely been using the carb and sugar labels for years. It is sobering when you look at sugar in EVERYTHING packaged - bacon, lunchmeat, yogurt, bread, salad dressings. My local paper did an article one time showing standard meals without eating “sweets” and how much sugar you still get.

Well that was a long post for me too. I hate typing on the Ipad so I prefer to keep them shorter but love talking withall of you.

PebblesV

Good to hear from you GG27, TwoHobbies and JKL2017!

InnaB and Egads - I need to get started on those Amazon Prime yoga videos!

Ksusan - there's a Farmer's Market in walking distance from us and we have a weekend tradition with our "paw family" where we walk to Farmer's Market on Saturdays (if it's nice out) and buy from there.

JKL2017 - So great to hear that you, like my Dad, feel you are currently in the best shape you've been in. What an inspiration!

Yeah, it's been a lot lately all at once. As positive as I always appear and usually am, I did have my moment of breakdown from something so small (but it could have been the letrozole and IVF stims making me super emotional too). Basically at the reproductive place they wanted to take blood to check my estrogen levels, but they'd just pulled blood a couple days before for other tests, and I had blood tests at the hospital a couple days before that to establish all my 'baselines' before I start tamoxifen. And the nurse couldn't 'tap the vein', she tried twice, just sat there with the needle in my arm poking about trying to find the vein. And I was already feeling like it was too many blood tests on this one arm and they were destroying my veins, and can't try the other arm since I had the lumpectomy on that side. So I asked to speak to the doctor before they tried again, and they led me to this office to sit and wait and I called my husband to let him know what was going on, and I just broke down and started crying and crying to my husband. I don't even know what it was, I was super strong through radiation, maybe it was just it all catching up to me. But I feel fine today so maybe it was all those IVF hormones too!

Feeling like this on an overcast weekend, whew! Sometimes you just need a good rest.

ksusan

Well, it's pretty awful to have someone poking at you, especially if it's not effective. I'm sorry.

vampeyes

Oh Pebbles, sometimes we need a good cry. After everything you've been through I believe you were likely due and it was well deserved - a way to let go of some of the stress. If someone was poking me like they were you, which has happened, I would have broke down too. Heck I broke down in the hospital parking lot over the scheduled time of my second surgery. Sending you cyber hugs.

xxx

PebblesV

Thank you Ksusan and vamps. It is comforting to have your solidarity.

JKL2017

Oh, Pebbles, I'm sending you hugs too. Blood draws can bring out the beast in anyone! Hormones can wreak havoc with our emotions & you're dealing with super-charged hormones on top of having had BC. It's amazing you haven't had MORE meltdowns. Pamper yourself a little & know that we are hear to listen when you need to rant.

On a more personal note - I loved the latest Domino pic. It reminded me of the last time I ever saw my DD's mini Schnauzer. I was visiting her in San Antonio & was out with friends one day & came home to find Buster curled up, asleep in my open suitcase. He was old & so deaf at the time that he didn't even hear me come in. He was the sweetest dog ever & it was so unexpected to revisit that memory. Thank you for that!

Ksuze, I've begun my research re swimming the Channel. Now to determine how far I have to swim each day to complete the trip before summer arrives! (Thanks for the motivation!)

TwoH, I'm making your chili tonight. Yum!!!

Inna, my DS visited Moscow & St Petersburg. He couldn't stop talking about The Hermitage! (That is a place I would love to visit.)

Egads, forget about Stupid Paleo Man. He clearly gets enjoyment raining on parades. (And he obviously doesn't know that food should be fun!) We don't have room for people like that in our cave! (BTW, I obviously like exclamation points as much as you do! Shall we start a support group to deal with our addiction?)

We had about 9" of snow yesterday (& yes, I know that's NOTHING to you hearty souls to the north) & it is SO COLD! I am counting down the days until I depart for Texas!

Egads007

Good Day Cavies!!

It's never too late for…………

I see I have some catching up to do…..y'all been posting like busy bees….which is great! My absence since Thursday can be summed up with…..Insanity Ruled My Days!! It all started Friday with the early (like 2.5 hours early) arrival of the water company tech to change over my water meter. I was juggling 45 things as he worked away in my basementand he kept up a steady stream of "M'am, can you come here" in a highly irritating nasal & high pitched voice . Gee whiz I hate having graduated to m'am from Miss! ))) On one occasion his request was to show me the vertical blinds he destroyed in the process….and we're still trying to figure out how the doo-fus managed to break them!No matter, I was changing them out anyway so it's no big….just irritating. From there my day degenerated into a mass of activity, which not one of of went well.

Ever have one of those days? Going along just fine, lots of plans and then……..

Buster is lucky he still had a steering wheel, I sure didn't )))

No Vegas for me over the weekend, more along the lines of the Vegas pic above….look closely and it's Las Veg ))) That is about all I could handle after starting my new 5 year (ugggg) stint on an AI (Letrozle). Took my first dose Saturday morn and was suffering a gruesome nausea by the evening.….as I was last evening. I'm crossing fingers and toes that it's just a stomach bug and that I don't have to spend the next 5 years living with Rasputin in my tummy. So, bland veggies was the most I could tolerate. Top this off with too harsh a return to the gym and I've got DOMS that would make Genghis Khan cry...…..

Meh, only have myself to blame….went with my Cavecub and we silently turned the workout into a 'who can lift harder/longer challenge. I bet he's feeling it at work today, poor kid. In an effort to 'self heal' I dropped by the mall yesterday to pick up a few things….figuring the walking would help the abject pain my workoutleft me with…… Nope…..legs were killing me……

Enough of my chatter, on to business…….

KSuze – I've been following the US gov't shutdown…..and I don't want to get political here, but someone should build a wall around DT )) 'Nuff said about that. Good advice re: inspection. I've been avoiding US imports in the grocery store for the same reason…..and at this time of year it's not making the veg department an easy shop.Hope all the US peeps/cavies see an happy end to the shutdown soon! I agree with Vamp…..your treks are truly inspirational!!Btw, when you told JKL to try swimming the Channel I read it as Chanel ))))))) She'd make great scents. (Boo!!) )))

Dee (Gee Dee) – Welcome back! Whew……Dee came back kids….big cheer!! I should explain….we lose more newbies that we keep….probably the length of my posts )))) No matter, we're small but mighty!Oh and btw, you've past lurker status and are now a full fledged Cave Chick (note you've been given the nick name Dee (Gee Dee) ))) There is leopard/tiger skin clothing in your size and bone hair clasps in the 3^rd cave from the left……and your 'beatin'' club has your name on it )))Do I ever hear you about veggies this time of year….I too find it hard to get a lot of non-starchy choices….especially with the US shutdown. By March I'm usually jonsing for different greens and don't want to look a butternutsquash in the stem until October.Guess it's the price we pay for living in this great country of ours. Your cupboards sound pretty darned healthy. I stockpile the same type of things with the exception of a very few sundries, most that I can't really confirm as compliant, but are seldom used. When I do, its in tiny portions so no big.Ohhhhhhhhh, you like curries…WOOT!! My cavedude and myself are crazy for curry…..I'llbe posting not just recipes for different curries, but the actual spice blends soon. Winter was made for curries!!Your pancake recipe is VERY Paleo. The only catch I see is the baking powder (easy enough to make Paleo baking powder by: Mix 1 part baking soda to 2 parts . That's it!) I'm hoping my tummy is good to go next Sunday….I love Sunday pancakes!

TwoH - I think it's great that you're getting interviews (and the experience of them) in this economic climate…..it's half the battle.I imagine you must have a pretty extensive resume considering the years you've put in….hang in, this will keep you getting those interviews. I've found that fate's fickle finger always does me well….when I don't get the job, I get one that was much more suited to me. Your age group are prized by employers……a steady head, lots o' experienced and dependable. As I told Vamp a while back, as an employer I look for our age group when hiring…..we've had too much trouble with the youngins'. Keep us posted….sending 'you're hired!' vibes your way! 1.6lbs down….WOOT!!!! High 5s….you're rockin this ship!

You asked….we answer ))………………..

Let's talk Taters'!!

Potato, whether white or sweet both have great (and similar) nutritional profiles. Where one finishes ahead of the other is with the sweet potato, because of it's much higher Vitamin A level. Overall nutritional value both generally run pretty close though. As for sugars/carbs it is a potato/patato paradox. White = low sugars/high carb while Sweet = high sugar/low carb. Their glycemic index of white potato is 82, where sweet potato is 70…but hang on the glycemic load (which is a better predictor of blood glucose levels) brings both out about the same.

DECIDING POTATO FACTOR: Most potatoes contain a toxin called saponin….also known as glycoalkaloids (which is also present in other various plants including spinach, oats, chick peas, beans, asparagus tea, onions, yams, garlic, tomatoes, and peppers....which GI sensitive peeps call 'Nightshades') This toxin can cause inflammation in anyone, but are especially nasty for persons with GI & inflammatory issues (me). White potato has this toxin (not in huge levels, but it's there), while sweet potato does not……hence why Paleo peeps choose sweet potato most of the time

Let me just say….I've always been a white potato freak…..so I hear ya loud and clear on the whole issue. Why do I still partake occasionally? Because my life would be cold & gray without them ) I DO avoid white most of the time for a few reasons….

• Carby as all get out! Carbs = pudgy Egads.
• Could cause me GI issues…..but hasn't yet because I keep the quantity I eat on occasion low.
• My knees and wrists ache for a few days after eating white (inflammation from toxin)

Bottom line…. White potato should be treated as an outright cheat if you're strictly Paleo.If you're Paleo/Primal, opt for sweet potato if you're using on a fairly regular basis, reserving white for 'treats' (I use on major holidays and maybe twice in between). If you have blood sugar issues you might want to consider taking these off the menu except for very rare occasions if at all.

There is a reason it's hard to turn away from potatoes….they cause carb crave & they're good…..but not necessarily good for you all things considered.

Pebbles (Flinstone) – Awwwww darling….breaking into tears and getting emotional is so damned common.No wonder! We're handed too much, especially in the beginning. We strive for a 'normal' and roadblocks seem to creep up out of nowhere and surprise us. You're so not alone. I was going along fine for over a year and had to explain something cancer related to someone on the phone…..I totally lost it. I was embarrassed and frustrated until I gave myself a shake…..shit happens….and this shit we deal with would put anyone through an emotional ringer from time to time. Almost everyone understands, and if they don't…well, get your pork ball out and fling it at them! I'll let you in on a little secret….you'll get stronger. You'll go through ups and downs that will slowly build up your resolve. One day, though you might not see it at this point, you may even be laughing at these things. I have the same prob….my'good'side doesn't have a decent vein to tap into while my 'bad side' is loaded with them. I've had an MRI that saw the tech trying 5 times to stick me and the 4^th attempt ended with blood splatter on the ceiling! I swear it's still there! (if anyone is in North York General MRI Dept, Room 3, the Dexter Room, take a peek!)Simple blood draws are a pain….I have to call ahead to have a qualified nurse on hand to go through the veins in my hand. It used to upset me something terrible….now I take cards with 1 through 10 printed on them to 'grade' their performance ))))) kidding of course, but I do get a kick out of the look on their faces….they probably flip coins to see who gets the 'teflon arm'. Take your time sweetheart, allow yourself to react in any way your emotions lead you. It's early days so it's expected. Big HUGS!!!! Btw…I think I'm still loving that white leather bench of yours almost as much as Domino…but not quite…he's too cute for words!!

Inna (godda rowling) – Your writing buds must be behind the times…..Archaic is the New Sexy!!! Much like the Nerds are enjoying the sexy limelight, those that choose classic, complex and toothy words are the supermodels of the literary world IMHO. Juxtaposition…..now, doesn't that word just float your boat?? You write the way you want and never let the pack lead you…..your work is fab. Period. I'm sorry you're suffering the LE, but SO OVERJOYED you're getting the cooking done via DH…..pretend if you have to, Moroccan food is awesome ) Is the PT helping?

JKL – AGREED!!!! We do have fun with food and SWYPO isn't a part of our vocab here in the Cave, thank goodness!!!! You've got more snow than us!!! For that you have my condolences…..winter is hard enough with the cold, nevermind trying to drive in the white stuff! In my perfect world the temps would shoot up to 70 F right after Christmas!!!! Yes, you and I need to visit the Cave's Exclamation Mark Anonymous at the next meeting!!!!! ))))))))))) Meh….it provides excitement. I do think I need to be looking at my .gif/meme problem as well )))

If I've missed anyone give me a swat with your club…..I've written an encyclopedia length post and afraid to go any further. Have a splendiferous evening y'all (also afraid of putting one more ! in) no I'm not…..!

:P