#poor baby has a swiss cheese brain

[ohlovxr]

ok u cannot judge me i read that one stepbro remus blurb (ur prolly gonna be able to recognize which one. thats all im sayinfg. i’m a whore i literally cannot stand myself. eep) but

idk i heard somebody say sumn about an older stepbro!matt who “accidentally” (maybe. maybe on purpose tho. open to interpretation) buries his cock balls deep in your ass when you’re fooling around one day. he’s behind you with your body pulled flush to his chest when you freeze and squeak under your breath— “matty— that’s— wrong hole.”

speaking from experience (a fr accident. that i handled like a champ bc i am a champ) if you’re relaxed and aware of the fact that you need to REMAIN relaxed it doesn’t hurt as much as it just feels really weird and big and overstimulating. As long as you’re not moving, you’re mostly fine, even with spit for lube and little prep. You’re squirming as much as you dare to-which isn’t very much— while matt holds you still, hands smoothing down your arms and tone dripping with concern, “Oh, jeez, I’m so sorry. I dunno if I can get it out, I mean, there’s no lube and you’re just so tight it’s gonna hurt both of us a whole lot :((((we’re gonna have to wait until you relax, baby.“. and hugs you tighter. n maybe that sounds not quite right, but matty’s older, he’s in grad school, so he prolly knows what he’s talking about, right? plus he’s fucked you thru 3 orgasms atp so your brain is swiss cheese. of course matty is right. he’s always right. always looking after you. N so you’re pretty much stuck there, in his lap, his mouth at your neck n his fingers rubbing little soothing circles around your puffy little clit as your hole flutters n clenches around him. it’s so hard to stay relaxed, especially when matty starts to grind his cock into your ass, careful to keep his movements shallow so he doesn’t tug at your poor stretched hole too much :(( and you whine n whimper at first but matt’s quick to tell you it’s fine, he’s just a little uncomfortable, ‘cause this hurts him too, after all, so wouldn’t you just try to relax already? and you’re trying real hard but every time his fingers brush your clit you can’t help the shiver that spasms through you, sharp like a shockwave up your spine, n you end up squeezing tight around his cock even as hard as you fight not to. Matty lets out this little rumble in the back of his throat each time you clench up like that but he keeps bullying your poor lil clit anyways, pinching n squeezing n rubbing at it until your pussy starts to drool n that uncomfy overstimulated feeling of his cock stretching your ass starts to give way to smth else. when he urges you back against his chest and kisses your neck from behind a fretful little moan slips out and you choke on a pleading matty, not exactly sure of what it is you’re even asking for. But matty’s good to you n he always knows what you need. “we’re gonna need lube if you can’t relax, sweetheart,” he whispers against your throat, his voice shallow and strangled as he grinds you against his cock and works your clit a little faster, breath hitching each time you clench down around him in response, “but don’t worry about that. i— oh, fuck— I think I got it covered.”. your head is spinning atp and your only coherent thoughts begin and end with matty n the feeling of his cock inside of u so it takes a second before u fully understand what he’s saying. and then he groans and tenses up and something warm and wet and hot floods ur insides and you clap your hand over your mouth—

“Oh my god, matt- what the hell?”

“sorry,” he replies, grinning, n even though you can’t see it his tone is vv much “not sorry” so you know precisely the shit eating grin he has on as he works his hands up under your thighs to lift you just a little, pulling out just a little and then pushing back in. anyway im literally blushing rn and cannot continue this bc im writhing n screaming n dying of shame. but basically ur big mad bc u didn’t get to cum :(( but that’s ok because now that matty’s got u all lubed up with his cum he can fuck u until ur shaking <3 i will see myself out. runs directly into traffic

STOOPPPPP GAAHHHHHH

…

when he can actually start thrusting into your little hole, he praises you with the MOST condescension, “good girl, sweetheart. taking my cock like a little champ.”

#you really are a champ though cutie #thank you for sharing your experience and turning into the highlight of my week #matt murdock x reader #notsfw #stepbrother!matt #tw stepcest

[scrapyardwarlocks]

The heaven in Supernatural disturbs me greatly

I was reading a post-finale Supernatural fic (as one does), and I literally couldn’t continue because of the implications of living in this heaven world. So, it’s just like living on Earth, but better? And literally forever? This idea has more holes than Swiss cheese, hold on, lemme get out my numbered list...

1. People from different generations are all living together in one place? The towns/cities are gonna have to change to accommodate newer people, so that’s gotta cause confusion and fear for the older folks. (1600s guy: “Yoooo, wtf are these METAL MACHINES driving around!? I'm scared now. This is hell.”)

2. Is new media created? Like... is Freddie Mercury releasing new heaven-exclusive tunes? Otherwise, you’d run out of stuff to entertain yourself with, right? UNLESS you’re in a room with someone who died much later than you and can experience their newer sources of entertainment through them or something? idk that’s just weird

3. If you fall in love and want kids in heaven... heaven babies? (ugh if periods still exist in heaven I swear to god) Do those babies never die/just stop aging? Wait, what if the kid turns out to be an evil psychopath, and now they’re in heaven and can’t die!?!?

4. Are other animals in heaven? That’s SO many souls of slaughtered animals. You’ll need buttloads of farmland to accommodate all of those poor cows and chickens, and don’t even get me started on the bugs...

5. What if the love of your life doesn't ever end up in heaven but you do, that’s gotta suck. That “what if we were together” will hang in the air for literal eternity

6. OH NO what if your first spouse dies and you fall in love and marry someone else, and then you’re all in heaven? The only possible good solution would be a throuple, every other outcome is just sad

7. Just the unlimited amount of choice and lack of real-world responsibility combined together sounds completely overwhelming

8. I know it’s cliché, but the highs of living don’t feel as fulfilling if you don’t also experience the lows, so every great moment would feel normal/mundane instead of spectacular

And yeah... I guess heavenly interference would prevent or avoid all of this discomfort somehow to make heaven enjoyable, but it doesn’t make my brain stop screaming at me

#supernatural #destiel #fanfic #jack im sorry my son you tried your best #just... do reincarnation or something

[lollybliz]

Rate everyone in the chaos gc's feral-ness? (You don't have too!)

o shit o shit what are 1-10 scales idfk here we go I guess

we gon go in the order they are in on the server screen rn cus my brain is made of swiss cheese and if I tried to remember everyone authentically id forget someone and whether they would tease me or not is questionable but *I* would never be able to let *myself* live that down.

@no-one-told-you-life-was-gay talks a lot of feral but I would say is mostly Big Protecc and sometimes a bit of a pot-stirrer. lotta steam and kettle whistling but xey’re mostly just warm and cuddly, sorry, I’m here to fuck up your reputation. big softy, big cares about friends and platonic spouses, does threaten murder or resurrection if relevant but most of the feral comes from the angst aus, and those tend to be more sad than feral. 8/10 high, 5/10 during sofd moments.

@riseoftherose is *b i g  s o f t* and sweet but also she’s the one who full name-drops and it *works* and that says something. not so Feral as just plain Powerful but there is a strength there and it is a thing to behold. mostly reactive to the feral behavior on the chat, not an instigator. i have seen her be feral, sorta, but its a rare occasion and usually has something to do with irl situarions. very interesting when it happens though! 2/10.

@p0p-r0x75 is a feral jack-in-the-box. silent for hours, no reaction. suddenly a pile of art appears out of the blue and the characters within are in amazingly angsty positions and all Rox will say is :))) and youre just left there spinning worrying about these poor Links and what the fuck have you done to them Rox what is vaati doing what have you d o n e??? and if you like the Zelda franchise and get him talking there is an absolute treasure trove of knowledge in that head and it is beautiful. 4/10.

@todorokitops is feral but like only from certain angles. like those 3d puzzles that when twisted suddenly become a bird. generally sweet and kind and gentle and fluffy and then BAM blizzard bakudeku pops up out of the blue, or fantasy spinner has had his wings and tails fucking chopped off for a lover who let him and you’re just like, wait, Wait, everything was ok and now i’m in emotional agony what the f u c k but also its beautiful and you *will* be back begging to be hurt again. also the sheer number of posts made with the shigaraki tupper has to count for some amount of feral. 6/10.

@ragingfangirl666 is a *b a b e y* and i want to hold her. she does get feral, and is a welcome member of owo jail from time to time! she also has, i think, 20 goddamn tuppers and you have to be a feral beast to keep up with that kind of nonsense. also somehow pumps out amazing quantities of fanart for the roleplays so fast its relevant to whats being actively written still and that's. that's godlike. 6/10

@jinx108 is subtly feral. stealth feral. quiet feral. its there, but you gotta look, and sometimes its v v secret. she likes to ask questions and make statements just to see what happens. she’s got a huge heart and when she gets excited about something she’s Really excited, and its so fun to watch her get going! 3/10.

@sergeantpurrito is mom. she is mum. she is the mother. she is not the feral, she cares for the feral. she is Good and Stable. lil bit of a fellow dice gremlin though, so little bit of feral cus Dice. 1/10

@pufftheminidragon is mai owo pawtnew in cwime and ai wowouwd defewnd ‘dem to da deaff! my wowondewfuww jaiwmate, my excewent fwiend, da one who maed da au wiff da fouw bad ends and da two good ends and we aww picked bad ends. Puffle da magnificent weed dwagon is a sowid 8/10 when peaking, and a 4, maybe 5/10 most of the time.

@friendly-neighborhood-pan is my child and i love them with my whole heart and i will defend them forever and ever and they are blessed and they are such a cryptid holy shit. all the feral in this baby is the mystique surrounding them, are they there? do they see you? are they lurking? are they working on a masterpiece to stealthdrop at three am? who knows! a mystery, all the time. but also babey. but also completely baffling. 8-9/10.

theres a couple more i could add but theyre kinda on the edges so like. i’ll add them later if asked? maybe? if i know them well enough?

#bliz rambles #asks #answers #anon #chaos gc #chaos mafia #rating feralness

[yoongicuteaf-blog]

What and how to feed the baby?

The schoolboy is growing rapidly - there are complex changes in the metabolism, the load on the central nervous system is increasing. On the other hand, eating habits that are established in childhood will accompany the child all his life. So, parents need to do everything possible to teach their children to eat properly.

You need to eat regularly. The best option for a child is four meals a day, in this case, the correct interaction occurs between the food centers of the brain with gastric secretion. And most importantly, this approach will be an excellent prevention of gastritis and peptic ulcer, which are so often found in schoolchildren recently.

Watch for calories. Children 7-11 years old need 2300 kcal per day, 11-14 years old - 2500 kcal. The need for adolescents 14-18 years old increases to 3000 kcal. Children who study in specialized schools with increased loads (math, language, sports) need 10% more calories.

Proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In a child, protein from milk and fish is best absorbed. Low-fat meat is recommended (turkey, rabbit, beef). Healthy fats are found in vegetable and butter, milk cream and sour cream. And do not forget about complex carbohydrates - they are found in grain bread, cereals, dried fruits, honey.

Exclude from the diet of the child: pastries with cream, chips, popcorn, caramel, soda, canned and uncooked smoked meat products, chewing gums, sauces.

Do not teach children to seize stress. According to VTsIOM statistics, more than 16% of adults in Russia admit that they eat more in stressful situations. It is not surprising that we say to the children: “Eat, and everything will pass!” If your child is upset or worried, don’t offer a cake, but help deal with the cause of stress.

Examination diet. When a student is faced with increased stress, nutrition should be monitored especially carefully. Offer him freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, whole fruits. The fructose contained in them stimulates the activity of the brain. Useful is alkaline mineral water, but always natural. And if the student is worried and does not sleep well, make herbal tea .

First breakfast. Offer your child dairy products, cereals (buckwheat, rice, oatmeal), butter, cheese, eggs and fruits.

Lunch. The student’s performance after 3-4 hours of study begins to decline, so he needs to compensate for the energy expended. It is good if at this time the child eats a sandwich (cereal bread with a slice of lean meat or cheese and a leaf of salad), yogurt, fresh fruit. See here forhealthy recipes for your child to take with them to school .

Lunch must consist of soup, a second course of low-fat meat or fish and a side dish. From sweet, you can recommend juice, compote, jelly, fresh fruits. Ideally, if before the first meal the child eats a salad of fresh vegetables or vinaigrette.

Dinner should be hearty, but easily digestible so as not to overload the gastrointestinal tract with excessive work during sleep. Fish, dairy products, omelettes, pasta with vegetables  - these are all good options. Do not eat later than 2 hours before bedtime.

Vitamin Products

Vitamin A is found in fish, seafood, apricots, and liver. It provides the normal condition of the skin and mucous membranes, improves vision and resistance of the body as a whole.

Vitamin B1 is found in rice, vegetables, and poultry. It strengthens the nervous system, memory, improves digestion.

Vitamin B2 is found in milk, eggs, and broccoli. It strengthens hair, nails, improves the condition of nerves.

Vitamin PP  - in whole-wheat bread, fish, nuts, vegetables, meat, dried mushrooms, regulates blood circulation and cholesterol levels.

Vitamin B6  - in whole grains, egg yolk, brewer's yeast, beans. Beneficial effect on the functions of the nervous system, liver, blood formation.

Vitamin B12  - in meat, cheese, seafood. Stimulates growth.

Folic acid  - in savoy cabbage, spinach, green peas, is necessary for the growth and health of the blood.

Biotin  - in yolk, tomatoes, brown rice, soybeans. It affects the condition of the skin, hair, nails and regulates blood sugar.

Vitamin C  - in wild rose, sweet pepper, blackcurrant, sea buckthorn, is useful for the immune system, connective tissue, bones, and promotes wound healing.

Vitamin D is found in the liver of fish, caviar, and eggs. Strengthens bones and teeth.

Vitamin E  - in nuts and vegetable oils. Protects cells from free radicals, affects the function of the genital and endocrine glands.

How to reduce stress at schoolHow to reduce stress?

Neurosis is one of the first places among the most common diseases of schoolchildren. The most important rule for parents is to dose your time for study and rest.

Take time out for a walk. Ideally, the child should be in the air every day for at least 2 hours. If the high school student is very busy, try to take him outside for half an hour before going to bed.

Encourage physical activity. A schoolchild vitally needs movement, because he has to sit while studying and doing homework! It is good when a child visits a sports section 2-3 times a week, and on weekends, along with his parents, rides a bicycle or goes camping. Take the test to find out which sport is right for your child .

Do not forget about water procedures. Cool baths, for example, help relieve tension: hands need to be immersed to the elbow in a basin of water for 30-40 seconds. Resistance to fatigue is also helped by douche and contrast shower. A warm relaxing bath at night relieves fatigue and improves sleep.

How much does a schoolboy need to sleep?

Marina Pakhomova, pediatric neurologist at the NIARMEDIK clinic network

7-9 years ... 10.5-11 hours

10-11 years ... 10 hours

12-15 years ... 9 hours

15-17 years ... from 7 to 8.5 hours

The need for sleep in a child depends not only on age, but also on the characteristics of the nervous system. It is important that the student falls asleep in the interval from 22.00 to 22.30. Late bedtime dramatically worsens sleep quality and reduces school performance. Often sick and weakened children can additionally sleep during the day from 40 to 60 minutes. If the child sleeps the prescribed number of hours, but still does not get enough sleep, wake him in the morning 15 minutes later. A study by Swiss scientists showed that with an increase in the duration of sleep by only a quarter of an hour, students are less tired and less sleepy during classes.

How to protect your eyes and keep your postureHow to protect your eyes?

If 10 years ago, nearsightedness in children appeared by the end of the first grade, now many people still have problems at the age of five. Parents are beginning to prepare their children for school earlier, teach them to read and work with a computer, which is too much for the eyes.

Dose the use of gadgets. Few of the parents can boast that their child complies with the recommended 20 minutes a day. If your children significantly exceed the limit, buy special glasses with filters for working at the computer. How to protect children from computer addiction, see here .

Provide regular exercise. The more the child moves, the better.

Properly equip the workplace, adjust the lighting.

Take breaks between classes to give your eyes a break.

Include foods rich in vitamins and antioxidants in your diet: nuts, blueberries, vegetable oils, fruits.

Visit your ophthalmologist regularly. Check your vision at least 1 time per year.

Keep track of your child’s general health. Sick teeth, adenoids and tonsils, as well as frequent SARS - all this weakens the immune system. The more often the child is sick, the more likely it is that he will have myopia.

Avoid eye strain. Games that require eye strain, the wrong posture when reading or writing, small or poor print - all this can have a deplorable effect on the health of the child.

Do gymnastics for the eyes:

look up, then down;

look right, then left;

look, looking diagonally, left and right;

“Draw” a circle with a look;

tighten your eyes tightly for 3-5 seconds, open for 3-5 seconds.

Each movement is recommended to be repeated 10 times. And after gymnastics, ask the child to close his eyes with his hands and sit for 2-3 minutes. More exercise for the eyes .

How to maintain posture?

Most often, problems with the spine begin in children during periods of rapid growth. The first peak occurs at 6-7 years, the second - at a transitional age. It is believed that the cause of scoliosis can be both weak muscle development, and the habit of sitting in the wrong position (the child likes to fall apart in a chair or tighten his legs), and a hereditary predisposition.

Arrange a home inspection. Ask the child to undress and stand upright - heels together, arms along the body. Carefully examine the spine from the back of the head to the tailbone. The processes of the cervical vertebrae and the coccyx should be on the same vertical line. The blades are on the same level, symmetrical and equally convex. Something is wrong? Do not drag a visit to the orthopedist.

Check your calcium level periodically. You can take a blood test, but it is better to conduct a special study - densitometry. If there is a lack of calcium, the doctor will prescribe medications to strengthen bones and vitamins. Calcium rich foods .

Properly equip the child's workplace. The table and chair should correspond to growth: when the student is sitting on the chair, the angle between the hip and lower leg should be straight. Elbow - 5-6 cm below the table top.

Provide good lighting. The lack of light makes the student lean toward the notebook as low as possible - "write with his nose."

Do not buy sofas. You need to sleep on a hard orthopedic mattress and a flat pillow.

Do not overload the spine - too heavy knapsacks or tiresome sports.

How to protect from diseasesHow to protect a child when everyone around is sick?

With the first cold, children begin to get sick. Among the reasons - sudden temperature changes, high school load, reduced immunity. It seems that it is almost impossible to protect oneself from infections: only the class got sick with one virus, another one certainly appears.

Begin prophylaxis in advance. A dangerous period usually begins in the first half of September. But the tempering procedures and the intake of vitamin complexes should be started back in August, so that the body has time to grow stronger, and beneficial substances are absorbed.

Do not confuse the child. Do you think that a warm sweater and jacket will protect him from the common cold? This is an illusion. Children are sensitive to any discomfort. Most likely, a too warm jacket will immediately be unbuttoned or removed during games in the schoolyard - as a result, it will cause hypothermia. Choose clothes according to the weather and find out if the heating works in the school and at what level the air temperature is maintained. Dress your child in a multilayer fashion so that you can remove excess or warm up.

Try to fight the spread of viruses in school. Do not forget that not only their parents, but also the school administration are responsible for the health status of students. If your child’s class has many colds who continue to go to school, this is an occasion for a serious conversation with the teacher. According to standards, if more than 30% of students are absent from classes due to illness, this is the reason for quarantine. The teacher does not have the right to send home cold students who came to classes without a fever. But the parent committee or council of the school may strongly recommend that parents treat their children well before sending them to school.

Watch for hygiene. Explain to your child how important hand cleanliness is. Few students will run to wash their hands before eating, but this simple rule can reduce the likelihood of infection. Approximately 30% of those with a runny nose become infected due to the virus being introduced into the body by touching their hands to their nose or eyes. Moreover, it is not necessary to even touch a sick person. Viruses on smooth surfaces (for example, on a door handle or handset) remain viable for 3 hours, and on a damp cloth they can last up to two days.

Create a “blockade” for bacteria. To prevent a runny nose, use a simple remedy. Cut the peeled cloves of garlic or onion, put on a plate and leave in the room: volatile substances with antibiotic effect will be released into the air. You can use an aromatic lamp with pine essential oil. Ventilate the rooms more often and do wet cleaning.

#cleaning #feed #baby

[starsandsquids]

His Husband’s Ghosts

Surprise! Here’s more writing! I just posted this story for class which means I can post it here now too! Echo is a newer OC so here’s my way of introducing you all to him. I know it’s a day late for Halloween but still!

Also if you want character art going into this, here are Echo and Chad, and here’s chad with his brothers!

The End of The Cadiz Crew: Notorious Criminals Dead in Botched Bank Heist

    Philip Coulter (31), Devon Strand (32), Caesar Silva (31), Tyrel Woodside (30), and Lucas Wakowski (26), a band of notorious criminals commonly known as The Cadiz Crew, have finally been brought down, releasing their stranglehold over Los Cadiz, CA. An attempted robbery of the 6TH Street branch of Acotane Bank ended in a bloody shootout with Strand, Silva, and Wakowski killed on site. Though Woodside was apprehended, Coulter is still in the wind […]

Correction: Woodside has since died in police custody of apparent suicide.

           The newspaper clipping hung in a frame on the bedroom wall, where it could be read from the leather armchair.

           “So I don’t forget them,” Chad had explained the first time Echo asked. “I couldn’t do that. They don’t deserve it. It’s my job to remember them.”

           Echo never knew what to say when his husband got like this, almost wistful for the years he’d spent as a career criminal.

           He was like that now, staring off at the newspaper clipping, and all Echo could think to say was, “You don’t look like a Philip.”

Chad grinned.

           “I know,” he said. “That was the idea. When I filed all the paperwork so they’d stop calling me a chick on legal forms, I changed my name to something stupid. That way the criminal record wouldn’t be under my name.” He laughed. “I told the boys if they ever called me Phil I’d punch ‘em in the nuts.”

           “They didn’t, did they?” Echo asked.

           “Caesar did, once,” said Chad. “He was drunk. Sobered up pretty quickly afterwards, though.” Echo could still see the sadness in his eyes, creeping up behind the laughter like it always did when Chad talked about his brothers.

           “Tell me a story,” Echo said. “Not one of the robbery ones; you’re a good man now. Don’t tell me a story about the crew, tell me one about the family.”

           Chad looked at him with so much love.

           “Of course, doll,” he said, flopping down beside Echo onto the plethora of pillows that lined the headboard of his bed. He was shirtless and Echo found himself staring at the four names of Chad’s brothers tattooed over his heart, just above the scars on his chest. “So I’ve told you how Lucas was the baby, right?”

           “Many times,” said Echo.

           “So yeah, Lucas was our kid brother. We babied the fuck outta him. So we were casing this bar—okay, who am I kidding, the place was a club, swanky one at that—because we’d been hired to rob the place that weekend by some guy with a beef with the owner—”

           “Honey,” Echo whined. “I said no robbery stories.”

           “It’s not a robbery story, doll,” said Chad. “But we’d already paid the entrance fee, so when our work was done we said fuck it! Let’s get smashed. Except Lucas, because no matter what his fake ID said, he was still eighteen. So Tyrel bought him a Sprite and called him designated driver, we said he could get wasted at home. So imagine all our surprise when little Lucas hits it off with this chick at the bar who’s clearly also there with a fake ID. I mean, Lucas was cute but in a ‘I wanna pinch your cheeks and give you a cupcake’ kinda way, not in the way that you wanna give your him number and take him home. But I’m biased, he was our baby. So when we found out shit, apparently the kid’s got game, we were legally obligated to embarrass him.

           “At least for his sake we all did this at once instead of coming up to the poor guy four individual times to give him the same god-awful spiel. Basically, we decided we were gonna give him the worst sex talk ever. Like high-school-health-class-that-doesn’t-give-a-shit bad. We’re reading off Wikipedia pages, we’re pulling up diagrams, Tyrel’s showing him how to put a condom on a banana because he’s the fucking team Dad and of course he brought fruit to a nightclub in his man-purse, and anyway the poor kid’s dying. Like he’s hiding under the table and yelling that he’s gonna leave us there to walk home and the girl thinks the whole thing’s hysterical. It was all in good fun and he still got her number so I guess we didn’t fuck up his chances too badly.”

           “You guys had a lot of fun together, didn’t you?” Echo asked.

           “They were the closest thing I had to family from the time I was fifteen on. They’ll always be my brothers.” He kissed Echo’s forehead and turned off the light. “Get some sleep, alright?”

           “Can do,” said Echo.

           And sleep he did until some ugly, remote hour of the morning just south of three a.m. when he woke up needing a glass of water. Having grown up in small town Kentucky, Chad’s massive house had seemed like a TV millionaire’s mansion to Echo when they first met almost three years ago. Even living there hadn’t really accustomed him to the sheer amount of space. He’d always felt like something might be lurking down a dark hall at night and he remembered that now as he slipped down into the kitchen.

           “It’s Echo, right?”

           He just never thought he’d actually see one of those somethings face-to-face.

           “Please don’t scream.”

           That was easier said than done, considering what was standing behind him didn’t have a head.

           Not all of one, anyway. His left eye was still there, most of his too-big nose, his mouth, but the entire right side of his face was gone. What was left of his auburn hair clung to his head, matted with blood, and when he smiled his mouth pulled at the skin in a way that Echo’s brain couldn’t quite make sense of. What was perhaps scarier than the gaping hole in his skull was the fact that Echo knew his face. He looked so young. He always looked so damn young in Chad’s photo album. “Cute like I wanna pinch your cheeks and give you a cupcake.” He was supposed to wait in the car that day, Chad had said, but panicked when he saw all the police cars, only to get killed by a SWAT sniper as soon as he ran through the bank’s front door.

           “Hi,” the ghost said. “I’m Lucas.”

           “What the actual fuck,” was all Echo could think to say, even though he didn’t like to swear.

           “Sorry,” said Lucas. “I know I look pretty bad.”

           “Uh, yeah,” Echo said, steadying himself against the kitchen sink. He was vaguely aware of his Kentucky accent coming back in full; he always got especially southern when he was nervous. “What do you want? Are you trying to possess me or—?”

           “Oh, shit, no, nothing like that. I don’t even know how to do that. I can’t even touch you.” He tried to clap Echo on the back only for his hand to fall through his arm.

           “Please don’t do that again,” Echo said with a shudder.

           “Really now,” came a deadpan voice from the direction of window. “We told you not to go say hi. You’re missing half your face, you shouldn’t be the one to introduce yourself.” Echo couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment he realized there was a tall, skinny man with an obviously broken neck sitting on the kitchen table.

           “Oh, come on, Tyrel, I just wanted to say hi to him is all!”

           “And you’re scaring him.”

           “So what the hell kind of name is Echo anyway?” said the man with slicked back hair half-leaning through the kitchen wall. Out of all of them so far, he looked the most alive, save for the bullet wound right through the heart. “Been wondering that for a while. Isn’t that a girl’s name?”

           “My parents are kinda hippies?” Echo said, though it came out more like a question. “I have a twin sister who’s a few minutes older, they thought it would be funny. What do you mean a while?”

           “What Caesar means,” said the one sitting on the table, Tyrel, “is we’ve been looking after Chad for several years now. When you came along that included you. So yes, we’ve been wondering ‘what the hell kind of name is Echo anyway’.”

           “Well, there’s your answer?”

           “Sweet.” The last of them stood in the doorway to the kitchen and briefly Echo wondered how he fit through the narrow kitchen entryway with his broad shoulders before remembering he wasn’t actually alive. The bullet wounds across his torso that’d reduced him to Swiss cheese were all-too-obvious indicators of that. “Caesar thought it was because you must’ve parroted stuff back at your parents as a kid and I said that was bullshit, nobody waits until their kid starts talking to name them.”

           “Devon, I’m gonna come over there and kick your ass!” said Caesar.

           “Then get out of that wall and make good on that!”

           “Am I dreaming?” Echo interjected.

           “Do you want to be?” said Tyrel. He shrugged and it made the horrible angle his head hung at look worse.

           “Can I ask what all this is about?” Echo asked. “Because I just wanted to get a glass of water and go back to bed.”

           “Chad always gets so down this time of year,” said Lucas. “On the anniversary of…yeah.” He awkwardly scratched at what was left of the back of his head. “We wanted to check in, I guess.”

           “So you’re talking to me and not him because…?”

           “We can’t show ourselves to him,” Caesar said like it were obvious. “As much as he misses us, it would kill him if he found out we were still hanging around. We don’t want him wallowing, trying to talk to us again. He’s still got a lot of living to do.”

           “I killed myself so he could get away and live,” said Tyrell. “We’re not letting him waste that, no matter how much Lucas may want to talk to him sometimes.”

           “He’s just so mopey,” Lucas said. “But yeah, he has a life to live.”

           “We don’t want to be seeing him again for a very long time,” said Devon. “But actually we have shit to tell you.”

           “Me?” said Echo.

           “Yes, you, white boy,” said Devon. “You’re married to our brother.”

           “Devon means well,” said Tyrel. “That’s just how he shows affection.”

           “What he’s trying to say is thanks for taking care of Chad,” said Caesar. “You remember what he was like when you met, right?”

Echo nodded.

           “He was so…cold,” he said softly, remembering that day. Chad’s brothers had barely been dead a year, though Echo wouldn’t find out about his dark past for months. He’d just seen an attractive, well-dressed man sitting across from him in a too-crowded coffee shop, and, blushing like a giddy teen girl, Echo had worked up the nerve to ask that attractive man for his name. He’d brushed him off and Echo had wilted under his cold expression and that had been that—until he ran into him again.

           Brushing him off had made Chad realize how lonely he was, as he’d finally told Echo after a few dates, and apparently Echo had a very cute face. Echo had gone redder than his hair at a compliment like that from someone so handsome, but even now he still blushed when Chad called him cute.

           “Yeah, he was a sad sack of shit,” said Devon, interrupting the trip down memory lane.

“And then you and your pretty face came along,” Caesar said. Echo wasn’t sure how to take a compliment like that from a dead man and just looked down at his glass of water. “And he actually started smiling again.”

“So thanks for that,” said Lucas. “For taking care of him. He’s a good guy these days, he deserves to be happy if we can’t.”

“Plus I don’t think anyone ever thought he’d settle down,” Devon added, somehow managing to lean against the wall without falling through it. “Like you should’ve seen him back in the day, dude could get it in any gender—”

“He doesn’t want to hear this about his husband, you idiot,” Tyrel said, rubbing his temples like he had a headache. Echo wondered how that worked with ghosts but thought it would be rude to ask. “But yes, thank you for looking after him. Keep him safe for us, keep making him happy.”

           “I’ll do the best I can,” Echo said. “Even if that’s just letting him tell his stories. It seems to help.”

           “It does,” said Caesar. “We can tell. We’ll always be looking after him and we can see what you’ve done for him.”

           “We’d try to hug you as a thanks,” Lucas said. “But…” He gestured to his gaping head wound.

           “Yeah,” Echo said. “I’d rather y’all didn’t do that.”

           “Fair enough,” Lucas said. Echo didn’t notice whether they’d faded out of sight or disappeared in a blink, but one minute they were there and the next he was alone in the kitchen once again.

           “If I’m dreaming, I have one hell of an imagination,” he said to himself, drying off his glass and returning it to the shelf.

           “Oh, and one more thing!”

           Echo jumped at the sudden noise from behind him. He was grateful he hadn’t screamed as he whirled around. The rest of them were gone but Caesar remained, having extricated himself from the wall he now sat on the kitchen counter. Echo knew that, of the four of them, he was the one Chad had been the closest to. They’d grown up together, their crew had started with the two of them and they’d built it from the ground up. Their birthdays were a week apart so the other three called them the twins, and he was the one Chad had the most stories about. Echo couldn’t imagine what he had to say to him one-on-one and suddenly he was convinced Caesar disapproved of him, that he was about to threaten to haunt him for the rest of his life for not being good enough, that—

           “He’d never say so himself, because he wants us to forget he was ever that stupid, but you can tell Chad that Lucas is sorry he stole a toilet brush that one time,” Caesar said. “I’m sure Chad’s told you that story—”

           “Caesar, I swear, don’t bring that up!” Lucas’ disembodied voice whined from somewhere Echo couldn’t quite place. “He doesn’t need to know how stupid I was back then!”

           “Yeah, yeah, sure he does!” said Caesar, turning back to Echo. “Alright, it’s late. We’re done now. You should go back to bed.”

---

           Echo woke up to the morning sun slipping through the blinds and Chad’s weekend’s-worth of stubble tickling his face.

           “Morning, doll,” Chad said when he realized Echo was awake. “You sleep alright?”

           “I did,” Echo said as he sat up, attempting to corral the tangled mess that was his hair in the morning. “I had the weirdest dream, though.”

           “You’ve always had a very active imagination,” Chad said, ruffling Echo’s hair and only making it fluff up worse. “That’s what makes you such a good writer. What was this one about?”

           “Your brothers,” Echo said. Chad paused and cocked his head like a dog listening to a far-off sound. “Your brothers were ghosts and they were in our kitchen. And they all wanted to hug me and thank me for making you so happy.”

           “Maybe I should stop telling you stories about the dumb shit we did right before you go to sleep,” Chad offered. Echo shrugged.

           “Maybe,” he said. “And…Caesar, it was Caesar who said Lucas was sorry for stealing a toilet brush? Whatever that means. My brain is weird.”

           “It’s cute, just like the rest of you,” Chad said before planting a kiss on his cheek. “You want coffee?”

           “Sure,” said Echo. “You make good coffee.”

           “I’ll bring it up then,” Chad said, not even bothering to put on a shirt before heading downstairs to the kitchen. His husband had always had a very active imagination and normally he would’ve written it off as just another instance of that, except for one little detail. It was such a trivial story and not even a funny one at that, which was how he was so sure he had never told Echo about the time Lucas stole a toilet brush.

           “If you guys are here,” he said to the empty kitchen, “you picked a dumb story to tell him.”

,

#Quinn's OCs and Things #Echo Kimble #Quinn's writing #Also for anyone confused by a few throwaway lines at the beginning: CHAD IS TRANS AS HELL

[jakehglover]

This Thyroid Condition Is a Top Public Health Issue

By Dr. Mercola

Iodine deficiency and the thyroid conditions related to it are a serious public health concern. Several studies published earlier this year suggest iodine deficiency is re-emerging. While about 40 percent of the world's population is thought to be at risk of iodine deficiency,1 residents of developed countries are increasingly found to be lacking this essential nutrient.

Your body cannot produce iodine so you must get if from your diet. Iodine is necessary to make thyroid hormones, which control your metabolism and other vital functions. Because your thyroid hormones also support proper bone and brain development in utero and during infancy, the proper intake of iodine is critically important for pregnant women, nursing mothers and their babies.

What Is Iodine and Why Is It Important?

As mentioned, iodine is an essential element needed for the production of thyroid hormone. Because your body does not make iodine, you need to be intentional to ensure you obtain sufficient amounts of this nutrient on a daily basis. Although iodine can be sourced from the foods you eat or through a supplement, many people eating a standard American diet generally get enough iodine simply by using table salt. I'll say more about salt later in the article.

When your body lacks sufficient iodine, it cannot make enough thyroid hormone. If your deficiency is severe, your thyroid may become enlarged, a condition also known as a goiter. Iodine deficiency can also cause hypothyroidism (low thyroid function). In some cases, lack of sufficient iodine can trigger intellectual disabilities and developmental problems in infants and children whose mothers were iodine deficient during pregnancy.2

According to the American Thyroid Association, iodine deficiency has also been linked to "increased difficulty with information processing, diminished fine motor skills, extreme fatigue, depression, weight gain and low basal body temperatures, among other things."3

Studies Highlight Iodine Deficiency as an Emerging Problem in Developed Nations

A 2018 study published in the journal Nutrients4 involving 1,007 mothers who gave birth to 1,017 children (including 10 twin pairs; multiple births other than twins were excluded), suggests iodine deficiency is a significant public health issue in Norway. After collecting data multiple times during pregnancy, at birth and during four follow-up points until the babies reached age 18 months, the researchers concluded:

"[T]his study adds to the increasing evidence that pregnant women in Norway are iodine deficient and that the diet of pregnant women does not secure a sufficient iodine intake. There is an urgent need for public health strategies to secure adequate iodine nutrition among pregnant women in Norway."

Another body of 2018 research, published in JAMA,5 implicated iodine deficiency as a factor associated with impaired fertility. The study included 467 American women who were trying to become pregnant during a four-year span. The researchers, who were associated with the National Institutes of Health, found:6

Slightly more than 44 percent of the women had urinary iodine to creatinine ratios (UI/Cr) of less than 50 micrograms (mcg)/gram (g)

Women with UI/Cr ratios lower than 50 mcg/g had a 46 percent lower chance of becoming pregnant in any menstrual cycle compared to women with normal iodine levels or those suffering from a mild deficiency

Those experiencing milder iodine deficiencies — between 50 and 99 mcg/g — also took longer to conceive than women with healthy iodine levels, although the difference wasn't statistically significant

An earlier study published in 20137 found children of women with a UI/Cr ratio of less than 150 mcg/g during pregnancy were more likely to have lower scores on verbal IQ, reading accuracy and reading comprehension at age 8.

Iodine Is an Essential Nutrient During the First 1,000 Days of Life

In a March 2018 study published in Nutrients,8 researchers from the U.K.'s University of Surrey and Spain's Hospital Riotinto observed the effects of a mother's iodine deficiency related to various stages of child development — during pregnancy, breastfeeding and the first two years of life. About the outcomes, Health.News noted:9

"[The researchers] observed iodine deficiency could lead to cognitive consequences such as impaired speech development, learning and reading skills. The negative cognitive outcomes caused by iodine deficiency also led to an increase in behavioral disorders. This was associated with abnormal serum thyroid concentrations during the early stages of pregnancy."

"Iodine is most critical in the early stages of development, as the fetal brain is extremely dependent on iodine supply and it cannot be replaced by any other nutrient," suggests study coauthor Dr. Ines Velasco from the pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology unit of Hospital Riotinto. "[A]n adequate iodine intake in pregnancy is needed to achieve optimal fetal neurodevelopment."

Iodine Deficiency: Its History and Causes

You may associate iodine with salt. There's a long-standing connection between the two mainly because beginning in the U.S. in 1924, iodine (in the form of potassium iodide) was added to table salt to address the skyrocketing rates of deficiency.10 Many residents of the Appalachian, Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest regions were plagued by goiters.

Due to the lack of iodine in the soil and the alarming rates of thyroid dysfunction found in local populations, these areas became referred to as the "goiter belt." At the time, the addition of iodine to table salt, which was an idea borrowed from the Swiss who were adding it for the same reasons, had a noticeably positive effect, reducing the prevalence of deficiency.11

Now, decades later, iodine deficiency is once again showing itself to be a problem. About the issue, Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, author and nationally recognized expert on chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, pain and sleep, asserts:12

"In the last 30 years, the intake of iodine in America has dropped by around 50 percent. Iodine's main role is to help manufacture thyroid hormones. That's why a subclinical iodine deficiency — enough to prevent a goiter, but not enough for optimal health — can cause hypothyroidism, an under-recognized condition that is epidemic in America."

Chemicals in Your Environment Can Block Iodine Absorption

While women have a greater incidence of iodine deficiency related to their hormone production, the bodies of both men and women are subject to the poor absorption of iodine and suboptimal use due to environmental contamination. Common contaminants that compete with iodine include:

Bromide: Bromides are known endocrine disruptors found in baked goods, pesticides and plastics, among other sources. Because bromide is a halide, it competes for the same receptors used in your thyroid gland and other body areas to capture iodine, thereby inhibiting thyroid hormone production and resulting in a deficiency.

Fluoride: Fluoride has long been known to displace iodine and studies involving both animals and humans have proven such. As cited by the Fluoride Action Network, Chinese researchers "have repeatedly found that an iodine deficiency coupled with fluoride exposure produces a significantly more damaging effect on neurological development than iodine deficiency alone."13

Mercury: Iodine may help detoxify your body of mercury, which is found in dental amalgam fillings and fish like tuna, as well as in consumer products such as antiques, batteries, electronics, light bulbs and pharmaceutical products.

Nitrates: While there are healthy nitrates, such as from vegetables, including beets, the nitrites found in processed meats such as bacon, hot dogs, lunch meat and sausage may interfere with your uptake of iodine, so be sure to avoid them. Nitrates from agricultural fertilizer, present in contaminated drinking water, have also been implicated as a potential cause of thyroid cancer.14

Perchlorate: A contaminant found in groundwater across the U.S. and in measurable amounts in milk, fruit and vegetables. In high doses, perchlorate may inhibit the function of your thyroid gland. Even in low doses, it inhibits the uptake of iodine by your thyroid gland, leading to hypothyroidism.15,16

How Much Iodine Do You Need and How Can You Get It?

According to the National Institutes of Health, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for iodine is:17

Age RDA for Iodine

Birth to 6 months

110 mcg

7 to 12 months

130 mcg

1 to 8 years

90 mcg

9 to 13 years

120 mcg

14 years and older

150 mcg

Pregnant women

220 mcg

Breastfeeding women

290 mcg

I always recommend you get as many nutrients as possible from the food you eat and your intake of iodine is no exception. Always choose fresh, organic fruits and vegetables and raw, organic, grass fed dairy. Below are some of the foods known to be rich in iodine:18,19

Cheese

If you are able to tolerate dairy, you'll be pleased to know raw, organic, grass fed cheese is high in iodine. For example, a 1-ounce serving of raw cheddar cheese contains about 10 to 15 mcg.

Cranberries and cranberry juice

Although about 4 ounces of cranberries contain 400 mcg of iodine, as with any fruit, I suggest you consume fresh, organic cranberries or cranberry juice in moderation due to their fructose content. To avoid added sugar, you may want to make your own cranberry juice or buy a brand containing 100 percent juice and no added sugar. (Avoid cranberries if you have urinary tract stones or take a blood-thinning medication like warfarin.)

Eggs

One large organic, pastured egg contains about 24 mcg of iodine.

Lima beans and navy beans

One cup of cooked lima beans contains about 16 mcg of iodine; one-half cup serving of navy beans contains 32 mcg. While beans are also a great source of fiber, be advised they contain health-damaging lectins. To reduce the lectin content, always soak beans overnight and change the soaking water a few times. Using a pressure cooker can help reduce lectins. Eat beans only occasionally.

Potatoes

A medium-sized baked potato contains about 60 mcg of iodine, making potatoes one of the richest sources of iodine among vegetables. Because potatoes are heavily sprayed with pesticides, be sure to purchase organic potatoes. Due to their high starch content, I recommend you eat potatoes in moderation.

Sea vegetables

Sea vegetables such as arame, dulse, hiziki, kelp, kombu and wakame are excellent sources of iodine. Kelp, which boasts 2,000 mcg per a 1-tablespoon serving, is the best source of iodine on the planet. At the low end of this group, wakame contains about 80 mcg per tablespoon, a level that outpaces many other sources of iodine.

You can read more about the restorative benefits of kelp in my previous article, "Kelp or Kale: Is Seaweed a Superfood?"

Strawberries

One cup of strawberries contains about 13 mcg of iodine. As with cranberries, be mindful that strawberries contain fructose. Because strawberries are sprayed with pesticides, always buy organic.

Yogurt

As a superb source of natural probiotics, a 1-cup serving of yogurt provides approximately 90 mcg of iodine. Choose yogurt made from raw, organic, grass fed milk and keep in mind that store bought varieties typically contain added sugar, artificial colors and flavors and other unhealthy ingredients. For the best yogurt, you may want to make your own. Check out my recipe "How to Make Fresh Homemade Yogurt."

Health Effects Associated With Iodine Deficiency

Even though the inclusion of iodine in table salt was an effective strategy used to increase iodine levels for decades, it is no longer having effects for a growing portion of the U.S. population. The main reason is that table salt has endured a major loss of popularity and many are choosing to forego this once ubiquitous staple, particularly in developed countries in which other salts have increased in popularity.

In recent years, unprocessed salts, such as sea salt and mineral salts like Himalayan pink salt, which is a personal favorite, have become more popular. While mineral salts are wonderful sources of trace minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and vanadium, they may leave you short on iodine since it is not added.

In years past, iodine was also added to flour, but has since been replaced with bromide and chlorine, which only exacerbates the problem. As noted by Teitelbaum, chlorine further depletes your body of iodine.20 The most common symptoms/outcomes of iodine deficiency include:21

Cancer: Your iodine intake is directly tied to your breast health because this mineral provides a host of antioxidant benefits. Iodine deficiencies are linked to both breast cancer and thyroid cancer. The good news is iodine is involved in apoptosis — programmed cell death that is necessary for the development of new cells and the elimination of diseased cells.

Fatigue and weakness: Because iodine is important for your body's energy production, a lack of it can cause you to feel fatigued and sleepy. Its absence may also cause you to feel cranky and moody.

Goiter: Simply stated, a goiter is abnormal swelling of your thyroid gland due to insufficient iodine. Not only will a goiter cause a noticeable protrusion at the base of your neck, but more serious types may result in a cough and may even make it difficult for you to breathe and swallow.

Infertility: Given its importance for regulating your thyroid function and hormones, iodine also plays a role in infertility.

Other concerns: Because iodine is crucial for proper thyroid function, a lack of it can trigger hypothyroidism. An underactive thyroid gland can cause constipation, dry skin, fatigue, hair loss and unexpected weight gain, among other symptoms.

Given the increasing rates of thyroid deficiencies worldwide, especially in developed countries, you'd be wise to ensure you are getting sufficient daily amounts of iodine. While I do not recommend table salt because it has been stripped of many of its nutrients, there are plenty of healthy sources for iodine. If for any reason you are not able to consume any of those foods, talk to your doctor about taking a high-quality iodine supplement.

This vital mineral is much too important to ignore. If you have any symptoms of iodine deficiency, you can take one or both of the following actions to determine your iodine status:

As explained in the video above, conduct a simple skin test at home using an orange-colored iodine tincture

Ask your health practitioner to check your iodine level using an iodine-loading test or through bloodwork

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/07/23/iodine-deficiency-top-public-health-issue.aspx

[sherristockman]

This Thyroid Condition Is a Top Public Health Issue Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Iodine deficiency and the thyroid conditions related to it are a serious public health concern. Several studies published earlier this year suggest iodine deficiency is re-emerging. While about 40 percent of the world's population is thought to be at risk of iodine deficiency,1 residents of developed countries are increasingly found to be lacking this essential nutrient. Your body cannot produce iodine so you must get if from your diet. Iodine is necessary to make thyroid hormones, which control your metabolism and other vital functions. Because your thyroid hormones also support proper bone and brain development in utero and during infancy, the proper intake of iodine is critically important for pregnant women, nursing mothers and their babies. What Is Iodine and Why Is It Important? As mentioned, iodine is an essential element needed for the production of thyroid hormone. Because your body does not make iodine, you need to be intentional to ensure you obtain sufficient amounts of this nutrient on a daily basis. Although iodine can be sourced from the foods you eat or through a supplement, many people eating a standard American diet generally get enough iodine simply by using table salt. I'll say more about salt later in the article. When your body lacks sufficient iodine, it cannot make enough thyroid hormone. If your deficiency is severe, your thyroid may become enlarged, a condition also known as a goiter. Iodine deficiency can also cause hypothyroidism (low thyroid function). In some cases, lack of sufficient iodine can trigger intellectual disabilities and developmental problems in infants and children whose mothers were iodine deficient during pregnancy.2 According to the American Thyroid Association, iodine deficiency has also been linked to "increased difficulty with information processing, diminished fine motor skills, extreme fatigue, depression, weight gain and low basal body temperatures, among other things."3 Studies Highlight Iodine Deficiency as an Emerging Problem in Developed Nations A 2018 study published in the journal Nutrients4 involving 1,007 mothers who gave birth to 1,017 children (including 10 twin pairs; multiple births other than twins were excluded), suggests iodine deficiency is a significant public health issue in Norway. After collecting data multiple times during pregnancy, at birth and during four follow-up points until the babies reached age 18 months, the researchers concluded: "[T]his study adds to the increasing evidence that pregnant women in Norway are iodine deficient and that the diet of pregnant women does not secure a sufficient iodine intake. There is an urgent need for public health strategies to secure adequate iodine nutrition among pregnant women in Norway." Another body of 2018 research, published in JAMA,5 implicated iodine deficiency as a factor associated with impaired fertility. The study included 467 American women who were trying to become pregnant during a four-year span. The researchers, who were associated with the National Institutes of Health, found:6 Slightly more than 44 percent of the women had urinary iodine to creatinine ratios (UI/Cr) of less than 50 micrograms (mcg)/gram (g) Women with UI/Cr ratios lower than 50 mcg/g had a 46 percent lower chance of becoming pregnant in any menstrual cycle compared to women with normal iodine levels or those suffering from a mild deficiency Those experiencing milder iodine deficiencies — between 50 and 99 mcg/g — also took longer to conceive than women with healthy iodine levels, although the difference wasn't statistically significant An earlier study published in 20137 found children of women with a UI/Cr ratio of less than 150 mcg/g during pregnancy were more likely to have lower scores on verbal IQ, reading accuracy and reading comprehension at age 8. Iodine Is an Essential Nutrient During the First 1,000 Days of Life In a March 2018 study published in Nutrients,8 researchers from the U.K.'s University of Surrey and Spain's Hospital Riotinto observed the effects of a mother's iodine deficiency related to various stages of child development — during pregnancy, breastfeeding and the first two years of life. About the outcomes, Health.News noted:9 "[The researchers] observed iodine deficiency could lead to cognitive consequences such as impaired speech development, learning and reading skills. The negative cognitive outcomes caused by iodine deficiency also led to an increase in behavioral disorders. This was associated with abnormal serum thyroid concentrations during the early stages of pregnancy." "Iodine is most critical in the early stages of development, as the fetal brain is extremely dependent on iodine supply and it cannot be replaced by any other nutrient," suggests study coauthor Dr. Ines Velasco from the pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology unit of Hospital Riotinto. "[A]n adequate iodine intake in pregnancy is needed to achieve optimal fetal neurodevelopment." Iodine Deficiency: Its History and Causes You may associate iodine with salt. There's a long-standing connection between the two mainly because beginning in the U.S. in 1924, iodine (in the form of potassium iodide) was added to table salt to address the skyrocketing rates of deficiency.10 Many residents of the Appalachian, Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest regions were plagued by goiters. Due to the lack of iodine in the soil and the alarming rates of thyroid dysfunction found in local populations, these areas became referred to as the "goiter belt." At the time, the addition of iodine to table salt, which was an idea borrowed from the Swiss who were adding it for the same reasons, had a noticeably positive effect, reducing the prevalence of deficiency.11 Now, decades later, iodine deficiency is once again showing itself to be a problem. About the issue, Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, author and nationally recognized expert on chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, pain and sleep, asserts:12 "In the last 30 years, the intake of iodine in America has dropped by around 50 percent. Iodine's main role is to help manufacture thyroid hormones. That's why a subclinical iodine deficiency — enough to prevent a goiter, but not enough for optimal health — can cause hypothyroidism, an under-recognized condition that is epidemic in America." Chemicals in Your Environment Can Block Iodine Absorption While women have a greater incidence of iodine deficiency related to their hormone production, the bodies of both men and women are subject to the poor absorption of iodine and suboptimal use due to environmental contamination. Common contaminants that compete with iodine include: Bromide: Bromides are known endocrine disruptors found in baked goods, pesticides and plastics, among other sources. Because bromide is a halide, it competes for the same receptors used in your thyroid gland and other body areas to capture iodine, thereby inhibiting thyroid hormone production and resulting in a deficiency. Fluoride: Fluoride has long been known to displace iodine and studies involving both animals and humans have proven such. As cited by the Fluoride Action Network, Chinese researchers "have repeatedly found that an iodine deficiency coupled with fluoride exposure produces a significantly more damaging effect on neurological development than iodine deficiency alone."13 Mercury: Iodine may help detoxify your body of mercury, which is found in dental amalgam fillings and fish like tuna, as well as in consumer products such as antiques, batteries, electronics, light bulbs and pharmaceutical products. Nitrates: While there are healthy nitrates, such as from vegetables, including beets, the nitrites found in processed meats such as bacon, hot dogs, lunch meat and sausage may interfere with your uptake of iodine, so be sure to avoid them. Nitrates from agricultural fertilizer, present in contaminated drinking water, have also been implicated as a potential cause of thyroid cancer.14 Perchlorate: A contaminant found in groundwater across the U.S. and in measurable amounts in milk, fruit and vegetables. In high doses, perchlorate may inhibit the function of your thyroid gland. Even in low doses, it inhibits the uptake of iodine by your thyroid gland, leading to hypothyroidism.15,16 How Much Iodine Do You Need and How Can You Get It? According to the National Institutes of Health, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for iodine is:17 Age RDA for Iodine Birth to 6 months 110 mcg 7 to 12 months 130 mcg 1 to 8 years 90 mcg 9 to 13 years 120 mcg 14 years and older 150 mcg Pregnant women 220 mcg Breastfeeding women 290 mcg I always recommend you get as many nutrients as possible from the food you eat and your intake of iodine is no exception. Always choose fresh, organic fruits and vegetables and raw, organic, grass fed dairy. Below are some of the foods known to be rich in iodine:18,19 Cheese If you are able to tolerate dairy, you'll be pleased to know raw, organic, grass fed cheese is high in iodine. For example, a 1-ounce serving of raw cheddar cheese contains about 10 to 15 mcg. Cranberries and cranberry juice Although about 4 ounces of cranberries contain 400 mcg of iodine, as with any fruit, I suggest you consume fresh, organic cranberries or cranberry juice in moderation due to their fructose content. To avoid added sugar, you may want to make your own cranberry juice or buy a brand containing 100 percent juice and no added sugar. (Avoid cranberries if you have urinary tract stones or take a blood-thinning medication like warfarin.) Eggs One large organic, pastured egg contains about 24 mcg of iodine. Lima beans and navy beans One cup of cooked lima beans contains about 16 mcg of iodine; one-half cup serving of navy beans contains 32 mcg. While beans are also a great source of fiber, be advised they contain health-damaging lectins. To reduce the lectin content, always soak beans overnight and change the soaking water a few times. Using a pressure cooker can help reduce lectins. Eat beans only occasionally. Potatoes A medium-sized baked potato contains about 60 mcg of iodine, making potatoes one of the richest sources of iodine among vegetables. Because potatoes are heavily sprayed with pesticides, be sure to purchase organic potatoes. Due to their high starch content, I recommend you eat potatoes in moderation. Sea vegetables Sea vegetables such as arame, dulse, hiziki, kelp, kombu and wakame are excellent sources of iodine. Kelp, which boasts 2,000 mcg per a 1-tablespoon serving, is the best source of iodine on the planet. At the low end of this group, wakame contains about 80 mcg per tablespoon, a level that outpaces many other sources of iodine. You can read more about the restorative benefits of kelp in my previous article, "Kelp or Kale: Is Seaweed a Superfood?" Strawberries One cup of strawberries contains about 13 mcg of iodine. As with cranberries, be mindful that strawberries contain fructose. Because strawberries are sprayed with pesticides, always buy organic. Yogurt As a superb source of natural probiotics, a 1-cup serving of yogurt provides approximately 90 mcg of iodine. Choose yogurt made from raw, organic, grass fed milk and keep in mind that store bought varieties typically contain added sugar, artificial colors and flavors and other unhealthy ingredients. For the best yogurt, you may want to make your own. Check out my recipe "How to Make Fresh Homemade Yogurt." Health Effects Associated With Iodine Deficiency Even though the inclusion of iodine in table salt was an effective strategy used to increase iodine levels for decades, it is no longer having effects for a growing portion of the U.S. population. The main reason is that table salt has endured a major loss of popularity and many are choosing to forego this once ubiquitous staple, particularly in developed countries in which other salts have increased in popularity. In recent years, unprocessed salts, such as sea salt and mineral salts like Himalayan pink salt, which is a personal favorite, have become more popular. While mineral salts are wonderful sources of trace minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and vanadium, they may leave you short on iodine since it is not added. In years past, iodine was also added to flour, but has since been replaced with bromide and chlorine, which only exacerbates the problem. As noted by Teitelbaum, chlorine further depletes your body of iodine.20 The most common symptoms/outcomes of iodine deficiency include:21 Cancer: Your iodine intake is directly tied to your breast health because this mineral provides a host of antioxidant benefits. Iodine deficiencies are linked to both breast cancer and thyroid cancer. The good news is iodine is involved in apoptosis — programmed cell death that is necessary for the development of new cells and the elimination of diseased cells. Fatigue and weakness: Because iodine is important for your body's energy production, a lack of it can cause you to feel fatigued and sleepy. Its absence may also cause you to feel cranky and moody. Goiter: Simply stated, a goiter is abnormal swelling of your thyroid gland due to insufficient iodine. Not only will a goiter cause a noticeable protrusion at the base of your neck, but more serious types may result in a cough and may even make it difficult for you to breathe and swallow. Infertility: Given its importance for regulating your thyroid function and hormones, iodine also plays a role in infertility. Other concerns: Because iodine is crucial for proper thyroid function, a lack of it can trigger hypothyroidism. An underactive thyroid gland can cause constipation, dry skin, fatigue, hair loss and unexpected weight gain, among other symptoms. Given the increasing rates of thyroid deficiencies worldwide, especially in developed countries, you'd be wise to ensure you are getting sufficient daily amounts of iodine. While I do not recommend table salt because it has been stripped of many of its nutrients, there are plenty of healthy sources for iodine. If for any reason you are not able to consume any of those foods, talk to your doctor about taking a high-quality iodine supplement. This vital mineral is much too important to ignore. If you have any symptoms of iodine deficiency, you can take one or both of the following actions to determine your iodine status: As explained in the video above, conduct a simple skin test at home using an orange-colored iodine tincture Ask your health practitioner to check your iodine level using an iodine-loading test or through bloodwork

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