#the unintentional color theme of this post is RED

[hamletphase]

feanorian sketches: feanor, nerdanel, maedhros (drawn before i updated his design), ambarussa, nerdanel and baby nelyo, bonus quick color palettes

#the unintentional color theme of this post is RED #feanorians #silmart #the silmarillion #feanor #maedhros #nerdanel #ambarussa #tolkien #my art #you can probably tell but maedhros is my little princess <3 my war criminal <3

[ferretinasweater]

Taylor Swift Eras Legacy Challenge

This challenge is inspired by my love of Taylor Swift. While each generation’s requirements are inspired by themes found in her albums, they are not meant to be a reflection of what I think of Queen Taylor. I have not play-tested, so please let me know if there are any problems! I know I’m not the only one to make a challenge like this, but I’m hoping mine is not too similar to anyone else’s. Any overlap is completely unintentional.

General rules: 

For each generation, complete the required aspiration, career, and skills.

The aesthetic and colors for each generation are not required, but I think they make it more fun!

Each generation can begin with starter funds, or 0 simoleons if you want to make it more challenging. If you have multiple generations living together, you can keep the household funds from each generation in the family.

Play on normal or long lifespan

If you get a self-discovery trait pop-up, you may accept additional traits, but you can't change existing traits.

Legacy challenges are about having fun! If changing any of the requirements will make your gameplay more fun, go right ahead!

If you post your gameplay anywhere, feel free to tag it with #tseraslegacy

This challenge requires:

Expansions: All except Island Living and Eco Lifestyle

Game Packs: Spa Day, Dine Out (can be played without), and Parenthood

Stuff packs: Nifty Knitting

Generation 1: Debut

From a young age, you’ve dreamed of having a big family and a loving spouse. You love to write songs and sing about your dreams for the future, and you’re determined to make your dreams come true. Your favorite thing in the world is spending time with your family.

Aesthetic/Colors: Country, Blue/Green/White

Aspiration: Big Happy Family

Traits: Proper, Romantic, Ambitious

Career: Gardener (use the work from home option once you have children)

Skills: Writing, Guitar, Parenting

Other Requirements:

Marry your high school sweetheart (preferably, have known them since childhood)- This requires starting the generation as a child. Skip this requirement if you'd like to start the challenge as a young adult

Have at least three children

Frequently join family members in what they’re doing

Generation 2: Fearless

You had loving parents who raised you to believe that you could do anything, so you’re literally reaching for the stars. While your career is important to you, you also make time for your friends and family and like to host dinner parties for them at home. You always keep your guest room open in case someone gets sleepy and wants to stay the night.

Aesthetic/Colors: Light Academia, Gold/Brown/White

Aspiration: Friend of the World

Traits: Jealous, Family-oriented, Geek

Career: Astronaut

Skills: Rocket Science, Logic

Other Requirements:

Have a high school best friend you’re close with your whole life

Host a dinner party once a week

Have a guest room in your house and accept any stay-over requests you get

Generation 3: Speak Now

Having such a successful parent led you to want the same success. The arts are your passion, so you make them both your career and hobbies. Whenever you’re not taking in beautiful art at a museum or good food at a restaurant, you’re making music at home. You want to instill the same values in your children, so you take them weekly to either a museum or restaurant.

Aesthetic/Colors: Artsy, Purple/Blue/White

Aspiration: Musical Genius

Traits: Overachiever, Good, Cheerful

Career: Critic (either branch)

Skills: Writing, any instrument

Other Requirements:

Have at least one failed relationship

Have a pristine reputation

Take your family on a weekly outing to a museum or restaurant

Generation 4: Red

You always looked up to your parent, and wanted to win their approval by making one of their passions your career, even though you weren’t very passionate about them. Throughout your first two (sort of miserable) careers, your two consolations were posting to social media and photography. Eventually, you realize that your parent is proud of you no matter what, and you follow your own path.

Aesthetic/Colors: Hipster, Red/Black/White

Aspiration: Renaissance Sim

Traits: Cat lover, Outgoing, Music lover

Careers: Fast food employee, Painter, Social Media (either branch)

Skills: Piano, Painting, Photography

Other Requirements:

Have one failed relationship with a sim at least one life stage ahead of you

Post to social media (Simstagram, Social Bunny, etc.) every day

Generation 5: 1989

You have always had a very strong sense of self, and knew from an early age that you were destined for superstardom. As an adult, you are quickly obsessed with the celebrity lifestyle, and become known for your amazing parties. People flock to you, and you have a large group of friends. You are very career-focused, so you don’t have a strong relationship with your child, even though you give them the best of everything.

Aesthetic/Colors: Preppy, Blue/Pink/Black

Aspiration: Party Animal

Traits: Insider, Party Animal, Clumsy

Career: Entertainer (musician branch)

Skills: Singing, Dance, Guitar

Other Requirements:

Become a level 5 celebrity

Have only one child

Go out with a group or throw a party twice a week

Gain the people person lifestyle

Generation 6: Reputation

Your parent didn’t spend much time with you during your childhood, so your relationship with them is tense. You have a strong sense of right and wrong, so you become a judge to bring people to justice (sometimes through mischievous means). Sometimes your commitment to justice makes you enemies, but that’s the job. Despite your relationship, you’re more like your parent than you think, and you love to go out and dance any chance you get.

Aesthetic/Colors: Rocker/Grunge, Black/Gray/White

Aspiration: Chief of Mischief

Traits: Self-assured, Dance machine, Hot-headed

Career: Lawyer (Justice branch)

Skills: Mischief, Dance

Other Requirements:

Have 3 enemies

Pull pranks on sims you see perform negative interactions

Go out and dance at a venue once a week

Generation 7: Lover

You share your parent’s commitment to public service, but you prefer to affect change at the ground-level. When you’re not sticking up for the underdog, you like to spend time with your spouse and children around a good meal. You often cook together with members of your household. Your love of your family means that you’re always ready to brighten their day with a joke.

Aesthetic/Colors: Twee, Pastel Pink/Blue/Purple

Aspiration: Soulmate

Traits: Foodie, Goofball, Loyal

Career: Politics (Charity organizer branch)

Skills: Charisma, Cooking, Comedy

Other Requirements:

Marry your first relationship

Have a weekly family meal

Frequently cook together with your family

Frequently tell jokes to your family members

Generation 8: Folklore

You’ve always loved making things and being creative. The only thing better is sharing what you’ve made with your large family. You love the bustle of your busy house, and often have other family members and friends over to visit.

Aesthetic/Colors: Boho, Red/Brown/Green

Aspiration: Lord/Lady of the Knits

Traits: Creative, Animal enthusiast, Bookworm

Career: Writer

Skills: Knitting, Writing, Baking

Other Requirements:

Be involved in a love triangle

Have a full household once you're an adult (Sims and pets)

Invite friends and family over to hang out at your house

Generation 9: Evermore

Growing up in such a big household, you were always trying to find some peace and quiet. You are most comfortable on your own, outside with your animals. You’ve designed your life so that you rarely have to interact with strangers in-person, so you grow and collect most of your food on your farm. You make and sell arts and crafts online, so you don’t need to interact with other sims outside your family.

Aesthetic/Colors: Cottagecore, Orange/Blue/Cream

Aspiration: Country Caretaker

Traits: Loves the outdoors, Loner, Perfectionist

Career: Freelance artist

Skills: Gardening, Painting, Cross stitch

Other Requirements:

Have at least one bad break-up

Skip prom (like Dorothea)

Have the simple living lot trait

Avoid interacting with sims outside your family

Generation 10: Midnights

You’ve always had a big personality and felt different than your quiet family. As a young adult, you become an actress to pursue a life of glamor, but you find that you miss the serenity of your childhood. You turn to Wellness to find a balance between the different parts of yourself.

Aesthetic/Colors: Polished, Blue/Black/Purple

Aspiration: Admired Icon (teen) and Inner Peace

Traits: High maintenance, Snob, Genius

Career: Actor/Actress

Skills: Acting, Wellness, Logic

Other Requirements:

Have a low or distant relationship with your family as a teen and young adult, but become closer over time

Break up with a significant other to focus on your career

Have a cat named Karma

#sims4 #tseraslegacy #simslegacy

[xoteajays]

That's fine. Everyone has their preferences.. But I thought I'd let you know if that might have been a story you could have been interested in. Since everyone has different types of stories, plots, themes, ships and character they would prefer reading. Everyone's different.

So I wasn't sure if that would've been something you may have read.

But most - if not all - of the High&Low fans who posted about it, even had accounts for the franchise.. Those accounts are inactive now.

Seems like only, like, what.. Three? Three people are in the fandom at the moment. If there are others, then I don't who those people are. So that might not be that helpful. But I tried. Maybe not a good attempt.

Maybe problem is.. Yes. Sometimes my dreams and fantasies distract me from actually doing any creative hobbies. But my other problem is that I'm most creative about art, reading and writing when I'm actively in that fandom. If I listen to a song, that song in that moment inspires me to want to write a story associated with that song. If I'm watching a show or movie, then I'm most inspired to write a story for that show or movie. Because I rewatched High&Low and Alice In Borderland, so I was inspired because of that. Which is why I'm really obsessively involved in my hobbies like music, shows, movies, and everything else. This is why I'm always fickle about my fandoms.

For me.. That depends on the fandom for me. Sometimes I might a story with one original character with multiple canon characters but not every character though, and other times I would have multiple original characters paired with a canon character - one on one type of relationships. And not every relationship is always romantic either.

And if we're only talking about my High&Low characters specific.. Besides the main original character. Don't include her. I have three, maybe four, other original characters for High&Low mostly because the face claims I have for them are color cordinated. Which was really unintentional on my part. But, because the SWORD gangs are color cordinated, those characters would be connected to those gangs.

The blue character would somehow be associated with Oya, orange character associated with Sannoh, red character with Daruma - just for those three. If I did have the fourth character, she could either be white for Rascals or green for Rude Boys. But part of me thinks that might be too many characters? I don't know. I'll figure out. Maybe.

Did I not message you? In instant message? Because I felt like I did a couple days ago. Maybe I should try messaging again.

it’s a shame there’s not a lot of activity, i thought it would have been a show from the ~back in the day~ when there were people that hung around and made content even years later. like the leverage fandom still went hard for years before the new show started up. sucks that fandoms die out so quickly now since h&l really isn’t that old.

if i had any sway here on tumblr, maybe i could bring it back to some popularity but alas. not a whole lot of followers here at xo.

GOD SAME!! i can think about plots and characters for months but not be able to put any of it down into writing and it sucks! even now, i’m too burnt out to actually do stuff, but my head is rolling with ideas.

i don’t think 3-5 overall characters is too many considering the fact that h&l has such a huge cast of characters. i think it’d be fine all in one fic or as separated oc-focused fics. my oc is mainly connected with oya and daruma (and technically kuryu), but does still interact with the other sword groups.

i think you did message me, im just very bad at looking at/replying to my messages agshdkgl

#tj talks #long post // #long post anon

[demonslayedher]

do you still take asks? if so, could you explain tanjirou's hanafuda earings? i've seen some people online (like insta and other such places) claim that the design is one of a flower, but i always thought it was of a sun since it was supposed to be like a token for the sun god or something (disregarding possible [and hopefully unintentional] symbolisms coming from ww2)

whenever these people say these, they go back on to the earings being called hanafuda cards, and that hana means flower. i'm not that smart when it comes to japanese things or hanafuda cards specifically, so if you could, can you explain the hanafuda cards and the design on tanjirou's earings?

thank you and i hope you're having a lovely day (love your blog, btw, esp the art and japanese trivia posts)

Hahaha.... my attempted answer to this met so many technical difficulties, this is my third version, I think, hahahaaaaaa. TwT We shall indeed endeavor to keep this related to the original Sengoku period design of the earrings and their relation to Hanafuda cards, though indeed this is a Heisei/Reiwa period production and it's unavoidable that the similarity would be read in a post-WW2 context. It's not that I don't have things I could say on that, but I prefer not to go in that direction either (and people who choose to use the alternate design have my support). Short answer, though: nope, not a flower design!

The sun symbolism and its representation of Japan supersedes Muzan’s birth by at least a few centuries, and in its earliest uses with a simple circle to represent it, it wasn’t even always defined by the color red. The bright color red has been, however, long since symbolic of the sun, so it’s unsurprising that at some point the two symbols came together. No one knows who to credit for its design as a symbol to represent the emperor, but it seems this started in the Sengoku period, same time Yoriichi and his mother Akeno were around in the 15th, 16th centuries or so (but hard to say). The imperial use is due to the Shinto mythology that the emperor is descended from the sun goddess, Amaterasu. (I’ve have heard some KnY theorists posit that certain characters represent different gods in the Shinto pantheon and that Yoriichi represents Amaterasu (who indeed has historical male representations), but I don’t buy into those theories.)

While’s it’s not to say Amaterasu couldn’t be beseeched for healing a deaf child, she doesn’t strike me as the first goddess you’d go to for help with that, so I had originally suspected Akeno might have been more of a practicing Buddhist seeking the help of Dainichi-nyorai (the Buddha that represents the sun, if we put it very simply), or that she might had been a follower of the Nichiren sect, which embraced syncretism with Shintoism and used the “Nichi” (sun) symbolism pretty heavy-handedly (that sect tended to encourage a devout following of women, too). That’s as far as I find relevant to read into this side of things, though, for a look at Akeno’s altar shows us a round mirror often used in Shinto worship (some scholars suspect the round shape represents the sun, too, but it’s not at all limited to being a sacred item to represent sun-related deities). However, religion is and always has been complicated, and Akeno may have been a follower of any pure or blended strain of Shintoism and/or Buddhism.

Tl;dr: Akeno has a profound faith in some kind of sun deity.

After all, Yoriichi says this very plainly on this page in Chapter 186, “My mother was a person of very deep faith.” In addition to her daily prayers for peace, she made the earrings for Yoriichi praying that the “god of sunlight” may shine on and warm his unhearing ears. We have no further definition of this “god of sunlight,” so it could be Amaterasu, Dainichi-nyorai, any possible unnamed sunlight god she might have had faith in (Gotouge tends to borrow heavily from a lot of different religious traditions without narrowing them too far into any particular sect or strain). We may not be meant to read this in such detailed historical context as Amaterasu because it is left so ambiguous, but the art representing the sun is pretty ubiquitous throughout Japanese culture by that period.

And would you look at that, little Michikatsu and Yoriichi were playing a card game! Hmm, I wonder what? While I cannot claim anything one way or another about how Gotouge and her editors saw it or what they may think of it being seen that way abroad, the rays inevitably make it seem similar to the 16-ray naval flag, and the earlier color illustrations did have red lines. However, at some point the design settled into using 11 thin black lines only, with an emphasis in Gotouge’s character design notes (from the first fanbook) on the pooling thickness at the ends of the lines. This feels to me a bit like inky brushstrokes, and there is also design emphasis on the thick lines at the tops and bottoms of the earrings. These details, as well as the notes (cropped out of the image below) about the movement and weight of the earrings around Tanjiro’s face make them seem to have the thickness of light cardboard, which altogether makes them very similar to Hanafuda cards. Most specifically, doesn’t it look like this card featuring pampas grass and the moon?

While Hanafuda does literally mean “flower cards” and there are designs grouped around certain themes (even if the theme itself isn’t a flower, the design will typically incorporate a plant), I feel fairly confident saying the design of Yoriichi’s earrings is not a flower, and indeed the sun.

Primarily because these earrings aren’t Hanafuda cards! Hanafuda technically didn’t exist until after Yoriichi’s time, and was adapted from a Portuguese card game. Said game was initially illegalized at the same time Christianity was illegalized, but the Edo public loved their card games, and reinvented it every time some previous version was outlawed for its use in gambling. Even today, there are many, many different versions or reiterations of Hanafuda under the same or different names. I have never played though, and will not attempt to explain it. ^0^;; (I have cousins who grew up playing the Hawaiian version, though.) It was finally legalized in the Meiji period, and the first fanbook even lists this as one of Zenitsu’s favorite games.

By the Taisho period anyone would had been familiar with it, leading Muzan to describe Tanjiro to Yahaba and Susamaru as “the demon hunter who wears earrings that look like Hanafuda cards.”

While my research didn’t take me this far, I’m willing to bet card games with similar illustrations existed far prior to Hanafuda, and whether or not Akeno would had been influenced by them is anyone’s guess. But as she made them as religious items, that still makes them not game cards. I do assume she used high quality washi paper though, the finest she could afford as the wife of a high-ranking samurai. Good washi is strong enough to last for centuries, and even used to be used for making clothing because it’s so durable. But it’s also lightweight, she wouldn’t want to weigh Yoriichi’s little ears with precious metals or anything like that, I believe!

This all being said, I have most certainly noticed a trend of actual Hanafuda cards being used in accessories, everything from earrings to necklaces to charms to hang on facemasks to manicures. The only time I’ve seen this sun design has been in clear reference to Kimetsu no Yaiba, though!

This went in a lot of different directions, Anon, but I hope that clears things up about the sun and Hanafuda connections more than it clouds everything in unnecessary details. XD

#KnY fandom theories and meta #KnY nerdery #KnY reference #tsugikuni yoriichi #tsugikuni akeno #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer

[moved-builtintripping]

Setleth AU: Weathering With You

CONTAINS SPOILERS, MENTIONED MATURE THEMES, AND A LONG READ!!

(While I’ll be assigning both Byleths in my preferred roles for them here, feel free to switch Beleth and Beles if it’s your cup of tea!!)

F!Byleth as Hodaka. 15 yrs. A highschool runaway from a rain-kissed island town who desperately seeks the shy sunlight in the city. Her life will forever change when she realizes that somebody dear to her is worth so much more than the hiding blue sky.

Seteth as Hina. ‘19’/16 yrs. His strict expression doesn’t best describe his identity as a sunshine boy. Values Flayn above all else until a certain somebody enters into (and saves) his life. Used to only clear the sky whenever his little sister excitedly asks for it.

Flayn as Nagi. 10 yrs. Lives alone with only her big brother. She seems to gain a sort of situation where most boys in her school would swoon over her charm, which she is unaware of (yet Seteth knows nothing about this). Becomes instant best friends with Byleth.

Jeralt as Suga-san/Keisuke. ?? yrs. Head of the J&A ‘news’ site (that will eventually grow into its own company). Compares Byleth (whom he hired) to his own child, who’s taken away from him by his mother-in-law. Still loves his dead wife dearly.

Leonie as Natsumi. 25 yrs. (post-timeskip design) Jeralt’s trusted and loyal apprentice and (surprisingly) niece. She’s currently job hunting, but her impatience is one factor why luck hadn’t been so kind to her. Would probably make an excellent speed cop.

M!Byleth as Moka. Jeralt’s son, who shares the same name and almost the exact same look as the girl his father hired. Despite the many phone calls they’ve shared, he still misses his father very much and wishes to see him everyday.

Cyril as Ame/Rain. A stray brown kitten who stares with his red eyes and bears a scar by the left side of his forehead. Adopted and cared by Byleth and eventually spoiled rotten by Jeralt.

Solon as Yasui. (Tomas looks) An aged and experienced police officer, who’s tasked to look for the missing highschooler and wielder of a lost gun around the flooding Tokyo.

Thales as Takai. A younger police officer who’s assigned to assist Yasui on their shared mission. Manages to get ahold of Byleth, but his grip on her had slipped more times than he hoped.

Kronya as the Dude who’s offering Hina the strip club job. (idk his name, rip) Harasses Seteth into offering him a job, a naughty one. Is stopped by Byleth and the warning shot she was threatened by her face.

Detail Changes!!

Not everything in the movie will be covered as I haven’t thought up some changes yet, especially the part when Keisuke’s child, Moka, was shown the first time and they all were just bonding. This should still be a lot already! Hopefully I can add some more and fix this eventually~

Byleth’s Yahoo!Answer username was ‘TheAshenDemon’

During her first days in Tokyo, she was silent the whole time, not even uttering a single word since she could just nod, shake her head, and bow, not even when Jeralt saved her from the crashing rainfall nearly slipping her away from the boat.

Jeralt thought he saw his own son in grave danger, so he jumped to action. He didn’t realized how panicked he must have looked until a blue-haired quiet girl (almost) blankly stared up at him. He tried to brush it off with a shrug, but he swore his heart was beating fast.

She pointed to Jeralt the beer vending machine, which she plans to give him one as an exchange for sparing her from death. Jeralt politely declines, yet she insists only to realize the price to be much higher than her budget. She bought one anyway. “I told you you didn’t have to, kid...” “*bows and sweat drops*”

During her stay around the city, Byleth had been hearing news about a killer who leaves their bloodied victims lying in alleyways, always sprouting knife wounds around different part of their body, plus they’re dismembered. Byleth didn’t know she would eventually encounter the said-killer herself.

The lost kitten Byleth found by the alleyway stared up at her, but not meowing. He hissed when she offered him some candies, but eventually he ate it gratefully. This was the first time a smile bloomed on Byleth’s face since arriving.

When she woke up from her unintentional slumber, Kronya (plus two more grinning men lingering by her side) were staring down at her. “What’re ya doing here, girlie? This is no place for a street rat like you, so I suggest ya scram… Unless you want to join the fun with me and the boys. *winks and licks lips*” “*fuCKIN SCRAMBLES UP AND RUN*”

When Seteth laid down the burger, Byleth was so shocked she stared with large eyes up at the strange kind worker above her for a long time. “… Stop staring at me. It’s going to get cold if you don’t eat that soon, and my money would go to waste.” “… *blinks*” “… Just… Eat it.*walks out*”

Byleth still hadn’t said anything, but she cried for the first time for not only satisfying her empty tummy after so long, but for also kindness to miraculously come her way in this cruel city.

During the bus ride to Jeralt’s place, she silently pitied Flayn several seats behind who’s obviously oblivious from the two young boys’ mission to capture her heart.

The moment Leonie wakes up, she thought Byleth to be a theif. As she shouted threats at the intruder (and shrieked at her for staring at her chest), Byleth nervously held up the business card Jeralt gave her.

When Leonie confirmed that Jeralt indeed invited the kid over, she quickly welcomed her with open arms as if she never shouted exactly a moment before. She introduced their home as the ‘holy sanctuary of the proud journalists’.

Leonie was clearly passionate as a J&A journalist, possibly much more than the head himself, to the point that she would insist on Byleth to read every single article they had ever written. “Alright, kiddo! What article was written on June 15, 2021??” “*shakes head in resignation with a tired look*” “SILLLY! It’s the first one you helped me out with!! The title is ‘The Magical Wonder of a Sunshine Girl’, which discusses about the blablabla--” “*cries inwardly*”

The second time Byleth sees Seteth, he was gripping his umbrella hard as he tried to quickly walk away from Kronya, who was following, cat-calling, and basically harassing him. Eventually she slyly offers him to ‘work’ with her with a promised high pay, which made Seteth abruptly halt on his tracks.

Byleth rescues Seteth from Kronya by pretending to be his girlfriend (Funnily enough, “HONEY~!” was her first ever word on Tokyo and also a foreshadowing of their future relationship). She then attempted to drag a spluttering Seteth away as she cooed, “Come on, sweetie~ We can’t miss the big day!” “B-b-b-but- I thought you’re mute-” “I said *grips Seteth’s arm too tight* Come. On.”

Infuriated for taking away her potential partner, Kronya whipped out a knife and charged at the two. Seteth instinctively grabbed Byleth’s hand and together, they ran.

They eventually reach a dead end, which Kronya took advantage of by literally jumping over the two, then pinning Byleth down. “Move a muscle and I’m going to cut your girlfriends’ throat.” “SH-SHE’S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND! AND LET GO OF HER!”

Byleth struggled to reverse their position and had been successful. She pointed the gun on Kronya and, as the rain poured, blasted a warning shot by her left ear.

When Seteth snapped out of reality, he grabbed Byleth up who was about to shoot Kronya’s forehead (whose left ear was slowly bleeding). “GET UP! GET UP! LET’S GET OUT OF HERE! WE HAVE A DATE, REMEMBER!?”

Once they retreated to the abandoned building, they argued. “Did you really think you should just- just interfere just like that!? You have a gun, for god’s sake! We’ll get in serious trouble for that, or worse go to jail!” “You ungrateful- I just saved your damn life like you saved mine-” “Plus sh-she’s a woman! We shouldn’t have been too harsh with her-”“Look, you can be a prostitute for all I care, but that woman was harassing you and that’s just wrong!” “You listen here very well: I am a grown man, and I make my own decisions!” “Yeah!? Decisions to get yourself killed by that murderer! Can’t you see she’s the recently wanted person who had been killing off men in the alleyways!?” “I…! You…! *growls and shoves towel at Byleth* *stomps away*”

Believing it to be useful, Byleth was about to pick up the gun she previously threw out of frustration, but Seteth’s voice interrupted her. “I thought about what you said, and you’re right. I’m sorry. What can I give you in return?” “Er… Your… Apology, I guess?” “That’s already given! I meant something else, more than that!” “... Hmm…”

Byleth spaced out. She couldn’t really think of anything she wanted other than... “I’d like for the sun to stick around, but *chuckles dryly* I know you can’t just magically clear the sky…” “… Actually…”

Byleth silently (and comically) screamed when Seteth prayed to draw the curtains of the clouds and make way for the blue sky and the sun to smile down on them.

This is the first time Seteth clears the sky for somebody else other than for his little sister, so he smiled. There, they shared each other’s names and age.

While trying to appear mature, Seteth awkwardly rambles about how he was old enough to make his own decisions and do adult things, basically justifying his consideration on Kronya’s offer.

“Seteth, that’s... That’s nothing to be ashamed of. There must somebody you want to protect. That’s why you’d go to lengths to commit acts like that.” “… How did you know??” “*shrugs*”

Ever since meeting Seteth, Byleth began to speak much more frequently than before, but was still overall silent. She only says more whenever she’s around her new friend.

Seteth cooked a seafood dish for his guest when Byleth visited to discuss about their new business. As Byleth observed around the house, she saw lots of cute objects such as the colored fish-shaped glass curtain. She assumed Seteth’s little sister had wanted it.

When Flayn arrived home, she beamed that finally, her big brother had made a friend! Meanwhile Byleth recognized her as the oblivious girl who had a lot of boys to answer to, so she awkwardly greeted Flayn back, who was shaking her hand too rapidly.

Flayn had been more than willing to wear the teru teru bozu mascot. Although Seteth secretly thought it looked adorable, he simply didn’t approve of it.

After their first successful job, Flayn in her mascot told Seteth, “Onii-sama, won’t you lighten up?? You’ve finally cleared the sky for all the people! Isn’t that amazing???” “F-Finally? Flayn, how could you just forget the joy of just the two of us sharing our secret…” “Stupid brother! You’re the sunshine boy here, and sunshine boys should smile just like the sun! Look at Byleth-nee! She would make the perfect sunshine girl had she got your magic instead!!”

“Byleth?” Seteth wondered out loud and looked at the said-girl a few strides ahead of them, who was grinning ear-to-ear as she admired the sun. He tried to observe her enthusiasm like Flayn suggested. He ended up mindlessly gazing at the girl even when Flayn was already demanding for his attention.

When Byleth found out that Seteth enjoys writing, she suggested him to try working for J&A to earn extra cash. “Hm… I suppose I can give it a chance... Yes, this will make a great opportunity indeed.”

When Seteth visited Byleth’s place and found out that their intention and business were all a fraud, he backed out. “This is scam! I cannot feature my literary works in a shady manner such as this!” “WHAT THE FUCK!? YOU’LL CONSIDER PROSTITUTION, BUT YOU WON’T DO THIS!?!?!?” “…Uh. Language...”

During the firework festival, while Byleth hadn’t bother to fix her hair, Seteth smoothed his as well as tied a tiny pony. He almost frowned at her messy hair the first time he saw her, but held back when he saw the businessman standing beside her (i mean can u just imagine the beauty of him wearing a kimono while byleth in a formal suit omg im crying kjasdhjkhas--)

“Mr. Jeralt.” “Yeah, kid?” “If I am to give you a present, what will you ask for?” “Hmm.... Let’s be perfectly honestly: a good ‘ol beer is all I needed to remedy my past sins... Unless you can bring my wife from the dead, then *smiles sadly* I’d appreciate that.”

When someone on Yahoo!Answer suggested (jokingly) to gift Seteth a ring for his birthday, Byleth turned to Flayn for advice instead as they began walking home together while the love-strucked boys waved her good-bye. “Well, Mother told me that you shouldn’t limit your choices of gift just because your friend was born with the body they have. For example, even when society isn’t entirely ready to accept it, there are men who enjoy wearing dresses!” “.... OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH, SENPAIIIIII”

The next day, Byleth spent the entire day checking on every corner of the nearest mall to find the perfect ring, only to return empty-handed, exhausted, and bummed out. When an oblivious and excited Leonie shoved one of their old magazine copies (back when they could still afford printing their issues) on Byleth, she retreated to her room for the older girl to leave her alone.

Still tired, she flipped one of the pages and saw an article about a ring that can boost the wearer’s creativity and motivation to write many promising stories with the help of jewel’s powers. (aka, the ring in canon) Amused but resigned, Byleth shrugged and decided.

Byleth spent a much longer time looking for the tiny shop, which only had one branch, than looking for ring in the said-shop itself.

Meanwhile, police officers Solon and Thales had captured Kronya. Both are interrogating the criminal for what exactly happened when the missing girl, the one both officials were looking for, threatened to shoot Kronya.

Leonie nearly punched Byleth for accidentally staring at her chest again as the she struggled to sink in the information that Jeralt and Leonie are related and absolutely not 'lovers’.

Byleth lend her jacket (aka, her cloak in canon) to Seteth when he was nearly whisked away by the wind.

When the police were questioning the runaway kids, Seteth tried to ward them off with a slight glare all the while remaining polite. “Our family will continue to worry if we remain longer in the rain, so if you will please let us carry on...”

“Happy Birthday, Seteth!” “*inwardly: OH MY GOD IT’S A RING IT’S A RING HOLY SHIT DOES SHE ACTUALLY WANNA-- NO NON ON  THAT CANNOT BE IT, THIS IS TOO SOON-*” “This ring is supposed to help you write good, boosts your creativity and all. Not that I believe it, nor care, but I hope you like it~” “.........................................................Oh.”

“I... *clears throat* Th-thank you. I-I appreciate it.” “What’s with that stupid look though? Did you really think it was a proposal? Seriously, no way. I doubt it... *lies down, stares at ceiling, blushes* Unless you wanna...” “W-W-WHAT!? NONSENSE!! AND EVEN IF IT IS, YOU AND I BOTH KNOW VERY WELL THAT WE ARE TOO YOUNG FOR- FOR THAT!!” “You don’t say, you old geezer ;)”

“But Byleth... What are you doing? Oh no. No, this cannot be. I was even fully prepared... But if you were to part me with a gift, I’m going to leave with regrets...” “Regrets? Leave? What’re you talking about?” “Don’t you understand!? Back when we were walking our way home and you saw my skin? Don’t you see- *shuffles for robe*” “OH MY GOD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU PERVERT!?” “*reveals chest, skin magically distorted* I’M DYING!” “...Huh?”

Like her first days in Tokyo, Byleth didn’t speak the entire time when she and Flayn were caught and escorted to the police car. When Thales mentioned Seteth’s real age to Byleth (16), Byleth shouted, “SIXTEEN!?” much to the police’s shock since they thought the girl was mute or refused to ever speak.

“*inwardly: ... Seteth, you damn liar.*”

Flayn’s borrowed disguise from her male friends was a cap, hoodie and baggy pants. “Flayn, I thought he was your ex! What’s he doing here stealing you away from me?” “Ex? Stealing? Whatever do you mean; I thought you two are wonderful friends! And please hurry up!”

“I’D MAKE AN EXCELLENT SPEED COP!!” “... No, you won’t.” “I HEARD THAT!!”

Jeralt always compared Byleth to his own son due to how dangerously similar they looked and acted. He tried not to see her as a sort of child to him since the girl was not his son at all. However, Jeralt does end up acting like a father-figure to her, especially when he saw Thales pin her down as she repeatedly and desperately shouted her loved one’s name. Who knew that quiet kid had it in her to fall in love, just like Jeralt himself?

As Flayn ran towards Solon to pin him down, her cap flew away and her hood fell to reveal her long green hair. “It’s not your fault, Byleth-nee... Neither of us has foreseen this... But I will always trust you no matter what... SO PLEASE! BRING MY DEAR BROTHER BACK!!”

While Seteth did jump to reach for Byleth out of instinct (and love, coughcough), he tried to pry away from her as they fell no matter how much she desperately confesses her love for him. “The people would no longer have sunshine! Isn’t that what everybody wants, you included!? It’s why we even made that business! It’s best I leave this world for all of your sake!!”

In her fury, Byleth reached out to Seteth with more effort than ever all the while muttering, “Come here- Come here you stupid old geezer--” When they finally held hands, she slapped him hard.

“DON’T YOU GET IT, YOU DUMB IDIOT!? FLAYN AND I DID NOT GOT ARRESTED, NARROWLY ESCAPED, HAD TO BE RESCUED BY LEONIE, RAN ALL THE WAY TO THAT BLASTED BUILDING, ALMOST STOPPED BY JERALT, AND NEARLY GOT SHOT BY FOUR DAMN PEOPLE TO RESCUE YOU FOR NOTHING! SETETH, I LOVE YOU!”

“*giggles* You look gross when you cry.” “Shut it, Byleth. Seriously, at a time like this... Let’s... Let’s just go home.” “Yeah...”

When Byleth returned to Tokyo, she had her hair dyed into light green since she felt like it (and reminded her of someone dear to her).

Jeralt happily showed Byleth the photo of Flayn (who barely grew an inch), his son Byleth (who’s almost reaching Flayn’s height), and Leonie, (wearing a cop’s uniform imean they should have seriously made natsumi a speed cop too, jeezus).

When she and Seteth reunited, his first words to her (other than, “Byleth!”) were, “Your hair...” “*grins* I know what you’re thinking, it doesn’t suit me.” “No, not at all. *touches Byleth’s hair with the hand wearing the ring* You look beautiful.” “*tries to pout, but melts into a winder grin* Not before?” “You always have been.”

Yay, it’s done!! I’ve had this AU for a long time now actually, but only got to post it now that the movie’s out on the west!! Now watch me ignore this shit for the next years, rip

Again, every detail in the movie isn’t covered here since I haven’t seen their potential setleth au differences yet, but the overall plot remains the same! Note that I haven’t actually finished the other routes yet other than the beagle one, so there might be a lotta ooc stuff here. Maybe when I’m done with them all, ima get back to this and fix it and add some more.

As you can see, I made their dynamic more on the teasing side unlike hodaka&hina’s, mainly because i interpret byleth to be playfully sly and ofc seteth’s distrust on her on the start of the game. I personally enjoyed them to be a bickering old couple, so they’re like that xD

Honestly, i’m torn in between assigning rhea as either the two green peas’ mother or jeralt’s mother-in-law. the former for obvious reasons, the latter since rhea sorts of ‘hides’ away the little kid from jeralt like in canon, but for another reason.

As for the taki and mitsuha cameo, I feel like that would be a completely different thing, so I didn’t include them here. But for sometime now, I’ve been imagining them as ferdinand & dorothea, manuela being their okudera. but this au isn’t house biased (leonie’s there cause of jeralt), so i didn’t include them.

Huge thanks to my sister for helping me shape this au!! Actually half of these ideas belongs to her, even more perhaps. Hope I can link ya’ll to her accounts once she’s done fixing ‘em so ya’ll get see how much of a genius she is!! <3

I wanna make a manga/fanfic outta this one day, but for now, here’s the idea compilation of my setleth au nobody asked for!! Thank you for reading!! :D

#fire emblem three houses #weathering with you #setleth #au #weathering with you au #seteth #byleth #flayn #jeralt eisner #leonie pinelli #fire emblem #fe #fe3h #fe16 #ファイアーエムブレム #ファイアーエムブレム風花雪月 #tenki no ko #天気の子 #headcanons #my art

[malachi-walker]

Rhythm & Blues Worldbuilding: Magicats

Since I finally got the rock star au up here and I'm working on the next chapter, I thought I'd share some of the worldbuilding ideas I've incorporated or plan to incorporate regarding how a world shaped by hybrids in addition to plain old humans would differ from our own. And since Catra of course is the protagonist along with Adora, it'd behoove me not to start off with the Magicats. ;) Though I do plan on making a post later covering the other kinds of hybrids as well (also for the love of God, crew-ra, please give me names for their individual races so I don't have to come up with shit like "lizard-kin". I'm begging you.)

World building goodness under the cut.

Quick note: although I do draw some indirect inspiration from real world cultures (specifically the clusterfuck that was colonial condescension to anyone who wasn't them) I do deliberately try to avoid taking customs from any real world culture. Because that has... Unfortunate implications. So most of what I discuss here is stuff I came up with on my own, but if something does match up with the real world it is unintentional on my part and feel free to let me know.

Standing with the other races

Out of all the hybrids the Magicats tend to be the most isolationist and closed off to outsiders, partly because they have a very small population size to begin with and partly because they along with the lizard-kin got hit hardest with the animal/predator comparisons. Although the current world has mostly gotten over that bullshit apart from some racists (note: I specifically use the term racist instead of speciest because writing speciest makes my memories of my editing teachers screech in the back of my head, but also because a running theme in the rock star au is that hybrids are still PEOPLE and should be treated as such, and drawing attention to it with words like "species" kinda defeats that purpose.) the average person on the street still doesn't know a whole lot about Magicat culture, and most of what they do know likely comes from old stereotypes or really suspect sources rather than actual Magicats. This is improving as more Magicats make their way into the public sphere and the internet has opened up new pathways for their voices to be heard, but it is still a work in progress.

Biology

General rule of thumb for Magicats for me is finding good middle ground between cat characteristics and people characteristics. Good example is that unlike cats, Magicats can eat chocolate, but too much of it in a short amount of time can build up to toxic levels. There are apps available that let them keep track of how often they can indulge. Same thing with alcohol; alcohol and Magicats is similar to a person with a very mild, non-lifethreatening allergy, i.e. they can get shitfaced very quickly on a comparitively low amount and it takes a bit longer for their body to metabolize out of their system. This is actually based on personal experience with my dad, who only drinks once in a blue moon and is thankfully a very mellow/happy drinker, so watching him get sauced on one-and-a-half rum and cokes is a pretty fun time. XD

Other dietary considerations: they're not complete carnivores, but they do have a greater meat to other food groups proportion than humans. Like sixty-forty percent, and heavy carbs and starches make up the smallest percentage of their diet because it's harder for their digestive system to process. Their front two molars are pointed like a predator's but their back molars are flat like humans'.

Like Catra has demonstrated in show, they possess phenomenal reflexes and agility, as well as heightened senses of smell and hearing--the hearing in particular is their primary dominant sense alongside vision. Speaking of vision, like cats they are red colorblind and shades of yellow are washed out compared to what we would see, but they see the rest of the color spectrum just fine. But like humans, they have a sharper clarity of vision than a cat would and aren't nearsighted.

Oh, and while it probably won't come up in the series itself, they do experience a heat cycle about once per year, but unlike in most fanfics they are still fully in control of their faculties and decision making capabilities. A Magicat in heat is no more likely to be sexually attracted to someone than they would be outside of heat, and it really pisses them off when people imply otherwise. It's kind of like when a human woman has her period but also feels horny. So if they don't want to get with a partner they should be left alone or treated like any loved one dealing with a rough period: patience and warm blankets.

Cultural Stuff

We're getting into the fun stuff now, though some of it will be saved for a future fic where Catra takes the time to learn about her own culture during her three years of homelessness. (Also please note that a lot of these are just general touchstones and actual viewpoints may differ from Magicat to Magicat.)

1. Magicat culture is an interesting mix between interconnectedness and individuality

And by that I mean that as a culture, Magicats do consider themselves to be an interconnected unit and to have a responsibility towards one another to assist as needed. However, they also have an emphasis on the individual as a complete being in and of themselves. This shows up most prominently in interpersonal relationships: unlike humans, who place a great emphasis on things like monogamy and marriage and the solidity of family units, it's not uncommon to see Magicats who are single parents of any gender, or never have kids, or maybe have a lifelong partner but never get formally married. That's because their culture makes it clear that one person is already whole on their own, and while having a partner or family is always nice it's not a requirement. It's up to each individual Magicat to decide what they want out of their lives, and there's usually no judgment whether they decide to get married and have kids or just stay single for their entire lives.

With that said, if a Magicat decides to get formally married (as in making an actual declaration of "this is the person for me") it is a BIG DEAL. Because again, culturally speaking it isn't a requirement, so making that commitment is a huge deal for them, and they often make that permanent. So if a Magicat decides to settle down completely with a partner, they use freeze branding to permanently turn a section of their fur white in a way that look similar to a quarter sleeve tattoo in a very distinct geometric pattern*. That basically tells every other Magicat on sight that this person is wholly dedicated to their chosen beloved. Younger Magicats will also use cold branding to replicate tattoos like other races, but the marriage brand is always distinct, both due to the particular geometric design work and because it is always on their dominant arm, to signify that they are offering their strength to their beloved for the rest of their lives. If their partner is another Magicat they will also get a matching brand, otherwise it depends on the particular race (humans typically get tattoos.)

*My personal mental image of what this resembles is similar to Maori or Pacific Islander forearm tattoos, but not a 100% match because 1) cultural appropriation is gross and 2) the logistical practicalities of doing that via freeze branding would be insane. So that general vibe but simplified. Feel free to flex those imagination muscles.

And before anyone asks... This may or may not come up later in the au. ;) ;) ;)

2. They have certain social rules dealing with other Magicats.

These will be explored in greater depth during the fic, but basically a lot of Magicat etiquette centers around who the other Magicat is to you and stuff like location. For example, they'll typically use honorifics to refer to Magicats who have been teachers to them or assisted them in some way as a show of respect.

The most obvious rule of etiquette to outside observers is that whenever two Magicats meet for the first time and wish to demonstrate respect for each other, the one who approaches the other will come forward slowly until they are just a bit beyond arm's reach. They will then take a half step forward with the leg that corresponds to their dominant hand and then offer that arm to the other. This is the cue for the Magicat being approached to mirror the pose regardless of what their dominant hand is (up until then they will remain in a straight and relaxed position and wait for the signal.) Once this is done, the two will clasp forearms and briefly dip their heads forward into the other's space for a single shared breath before breaking apart. This is a sign that they are now free to move closer to one another and can now interact in a way that is indistinguishable from what outsiders would consider normal conversation between new acquaintances. The purpose of the greeting is for the one approaching to demonstrate their respect for the other and ask to be let into their space; telegraphing which arm they favor symbolizes showing someone a strength of yours and is a sign of trust.

Again, this doesn't apply to all Magicats and the younger generation in particular tends to eschew or pick and choose what etiquette they follow, but in general they do like it when the old traditions are observed, especially by younglings. They don't use this system of etiquette with other races and usually instead adapt their behavior to the person they're interacting with.

Other Misc. Details

I was originally going to have Catra be a motorcycle lesbian because duh, but while doing my due diligence in researching motorcyle safety I ran into a few reasons why that isn't a good idea.

The first is that part of the reason why motorcyle helmets work in the first place is because the evenly curved surface provides an equal distibution of force when striking something. This is why novelty helmets like ones with cat ears or stuff of that type are considered dangerous; they break up that curved surface and thus can't redistribute that force as evenly. So not only would a motorcycle helmet like ours be uncomfortable for a Magicat and disabling to one of their primary senses, trying to design one to accommodate their ears would increase the danger to them in case of an accident.

The second is that I've already established in the au that overheating is a constant concern for Magicats, and proper protective clothing for human motorcyclists already carries a huge risk of overheating us without the added consideration of having fur. So it would be a trade off between solid protection at heavy risk of personal discomfort and overheating or eschewing that protection and increasing the chance of serious injuries. And yeah, Magicats have good enough senses that they could probably backflip or throw themselves clear if they're about to crash, but just getting off the bike isn't gonna do much if you then smack into another vehicle at 60 mph.

And that's kind of a shame, because otherwise Magicats would be ideal safe motorcyclists. Their spacial awareness and sense of balance is phenomenal, and they'd be great at anticipating and reacting the movements of other drivers. I just couldn't make it work with rock star!Catra because she's a lot less reckless. Canon!Catra I could see taking the risk. Don't get me wrong: if you wanna make Catra a sexy, motorcyle riding catgirl you have my full support. I just couldn't justify it in this au.

Honestly, there'll probably be more later, but I'm tapped for now. Would love to hear what if any of you have any thoughts. And of course, if you like what you've read and haven't already, check out my rock star au under the Rhythm & Blues tag or the masterpost list. ;)

#my fics #worldbuilding #rhythm & blues #the catradora rock star au #magicats yo! #mildly nsfw? #in the sense that we talk about sex from a biological level #did I just write an entire essay on fanfic worldbuilding? #yes. because I wanted to and it makes me happy.

[mysticsparklewings]

Are Mew Feline Lucky

Happy April Fools' Day to me, because it was not until a couple of days ago that I realized that while I had made a mandala to post and celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, it had completely slipped my mind that I've gotten in the habit of making themed kitty drawings for special days... After I got over my surprise, I decided to recon this issue by making a drawing for today, but with a twist. It's funny, I've been lacking a lot of good artistic motivation and inspiration lately, but as soon as I started thinking about what to do for this drawing, I had a pretty immediately strong mental picture of what I wanted: A white kitty in a little "Fool's Outfit" rolling in some clovers. The outfit for, of course, April Fools' Day, and the clovers for the, unfortunately, overlooked Saint Patrick's Day. The only things I wasn't totally sure about were the exact pose the cat would be in, and whether I wanted the eyes to be blue or green. (I had also previously thought to title it "Luck of the Fool" after my own mistake, but then when I sat down to actually title it I could not resist the urge for puns.) I figured out the pose when I went to look up references for the cat, and the sketch came together pretty quickly once I had my feline friend drawn in. All I had to do was put the fool costume on and then draw a bunch of tiny clovers. (Most are three-leaves, but there are some with four hiding in there. ) Even the inking process went fairly smoothly and quickly, though I did have to transfer the sketch once before to a different piece of paper so I could transfer it into the sketchbook I wanted to use and then hold the sketchbook at an odd angle to the get the far left side near the spine with my lightbox. But even those things weren't huge inconveniences. And then, of course, came the coloring. And like I said, the only thing I was sure about was whether the cat's eyes should be blue or green. Otherwise, I already knew I wanted to do the shadows for the white in very light purple, the ruffle collar in light blue, pink ears and nose, the fool outfit in yellow and red, and the clovers green (naturally). In the end, I opted for green to tie in better with the green clovers. I believe my brain got the color scheme for the outfit from Blanca, from Animal Crossing, who conveniently is the April Fools' Day special character in the game. (Or at least she was in New Leaf, I suppose we'll see about New Horizons soon enough...and by soon enough I mean probably sometime today) That started out as an unintentional reference, but I ran with it since it fits so well. Once I had everything colored and shaded, I did add in the spots you see around the clovers because I accidentally made one and decided that was the best way to deal with it, as is also fills out the space. I also added some in a much light green that I used in her eyes, and then for a little extra ambiance, I dotted on a little yellow Pan Pastel. I had a green, but it was a little too cool for my taste, and I like the warmth from the yellow more for this piece. It's very subtle but kicks up just the tiniest bit. That's really all there is to it. And you know, after going for a while and struggling a bit with full finished pieces like this, I have to say it does feel really good to have made this one with so few problems. Now, let's see if I can accomplish putting things together for NaPoWriMo with at half as much ease. ____ Artwork © me, MysticSparkleWings ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble |   Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram

[drlaurynlax]

How to Test for Mold Illness in Your Body 

Do you have mold illness?

Check out my top recommended testing methods to find out, including:

  Mold Toxicity Checklist

Mycotoxin Urine Test

Bloodwork

Gut Testing

Liver Function Testing

DUTCH Cortisol Hormone Test

Visual Contrast Sensitivity Testing

Mold Illness Refresher

Let’s briefly review Mold Illness 101 before diving into my top recommended tests to know what we are looking for in the first place.

  Mold illness or “mycotoxin illness” is a serious condition that is commonly referred to as “CIRS”—Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome.

  Unlike a disease—which is condition typically with a specific known cause and similar symptoms (such as insulin resistance, frequent urination and weight gain in people with diabetes)— a syndrome, like CIRS, is a much broader “collection of signs and symptoms” that may present differently in different people.

  Signs & Symptoms of CIRS

Common signs and symptoms of mold illness or CIRS include

Respiratory difficulties (difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, asthma)

Neurological symptoms

Sinus congestion and stuffy nose

Hair loss

Anxiety

Brain fog, confusion or memory loss

Difficulty concentrating

Morning stiffness, joint pain

Light sensitivity

Skin rashes

Red eyes, blurred vision, sweats, mood swings, sharp pains

Feeling lightheaded or dizzy

Appetite swings

Poor body temperature regulation,

Gastrointestinal problems (cramps, abdominal pain)

Weight loss or weight gain (unintentional)

Unusual skin sensations, tingling and numbness

  You may have several of these symptoms—or just one or two. The amount of symptoms don’t matter as much as the unrelenting poor health experienced because of them.

  Although these symptoms are also synonymous with other conditions often talked about in functional medicine—from “adrenal fatigue”, thyroid disorders to gut dysbiosis—the key distinguisher in mycotoxin illness or CIRS is often times, these are often the patients who do not “get better” once commencing a protocol.

  Buttttt….how do you know if you really have “mold illness” or CIRS—or you’re just feeling out of sorts? What tests can you do to reveal true illness

  There are a handful…

  Mold Toxicity Checklist

Aside from identifying your symptoms, answer “Yes” or “No” for the following questions (adapted from Environmental Health Center).

  Yes or No?

Do musty odors bother you?

Have you worked or lived in a building where the air vents or ceiling tiles were discolored?

Have you noticed water damage or discoloration elsewhere?

Has your home been flooded?

Have you had leaks in the roof?

Do you experience unusual shortness of breath?

Do you experience recurring sinus infections?

Do you experience recurring respiratory infections and coughing?

Do you have frequent flu-like symptoms?

Do your symptoms worsen on rainy days?

Do you have frequent headaches?

Are you fatigued and have a skin rash?

  If you answer “yes” to 4 or more, your CIRS-like symptoms may have some more merit.

  Mycotoxin Urine Test

Mycotoxin urine testing is a relatively newer form of testing that can reveal the release of toxins in the urine. If you really suspect mycotoxin illness from molds to be at play, this test can yield highly insightful information for putting your puzzle together.

  Some key detected mycotoxins include:

Ochratoxins

Aflatoxins

Trichothecenes

Glicotoxins

  Recommendation:

Great Plains Urine Testing (Order Here on behalf of Dr. Lauryn Lax, OTD).

  *Note: Sometimes false “negatives” can occur with urine testing since some patients are unable to detoxify in the first place. In order to get the most accurate results, I recommend using high dose glutathione + NAC for 5 to 7 days prior to conducting your urine test in order to encourage elimination and detoxification.

  My preferred formula is Trizomal Glutathione by Apex Energetics, which includes both NAC and glutathione. Take 1 tsp 3 times per day for 5 to 7 days.  It is tough to find online, but if you call the company directly at 949-251-0152, request a bottle be sent to you on behalf of Dr. Lauryn Lax.

  Bloodwork

Bloodwork doesn’t always tell the whole story of CIRS or mycotoxin illness, but certainly can point to markers of inflammation and immune dysregulation.

  Unfortunately, many patients consult with their conventional medical practitioners and are told, “Your lab tests are normal”, but have not ordered more specialized tests that help look deeper into mycotoxicity and inflammation.  Helpful markers and their normal ranges for assessing mycotoxin illness include:

  Specialty Mycotoxin Blood Tests

Elevations in the following markers point to mold toxicity

VIP (normal range: 23-63, only available by ARUP Labs)

MSH (normal: 35-81)

MMP-9 (normal: 85-332)

C4a (normal: 0-2380)

TGF-beta-1 (normal: <2380)

Leptin (Male: 0.5-13.8; Female: 1.1-27.5)

HLA-DR (the gene that 25% of the population has, making them more susceptible to mycotoxicity; can only be run by LabCorp)

    OTHER LABS

Other labs that may be “off” on general lab work include:

  Complete Blood Count

Red Blood Count low (normal: 4.40–4.90 x 106/µL)

White Blood Count low or high (normal: 5.0–0 x 103/µL)

  Methylation Markers

MMA high (ideal < 300 nmol/L)

Folate low (ideal > 8 μg/L)

  Bloodsugar Markers

Glucose low or high (normal fasting: 75-85, normal 1-2 hours post-meal: 110-140)

HgbA1C high (normal 4.6–5.3%)

  Liver Enzymes

AST high (normal: Male: 0–25 IU/L; Female: 0–23 IU/L)

ALT high (normal: Male: 0–26 IU/L; Female: 0–20 IU/L)

  Nutrient Markers*

Zinc (often low)* (normal: 81–157 µg/dL)

Copper* often high (excess copper can lead to low zinc) (normal: 81–157 µg/dL)

Iron high or low (ideal: 40–135 µg/dL)

Ferritin high (Male: 30–200 ng/mL; Female: 30–100 ng/mL)

Vitamin D low (normal: 35–60 ng/mL)

  *Urine testing via NutraEval (Order Here and search for “NutraEval FMV by Genova)

  Inflammatory Markers

Total Cholesterol high (normal: 150–220 mg/dL for males; 150–230 mg/dL for females)

LDL Cholesterol high (normal: 0–140 mg/dL)

C Reactive Protein (CRP) high (normal: 0–1 mg/L)

BUN high or low (normal: 13–18 mg/dL)

Creatine low (normal: Male: 0.85–1.1 mg/dL; Female: 0.7 – 1.0 mg/dL)

  Hormone Markers*

*Hormone markers can be a sign that something more is going on “under the hood.” Inflammation from mold toxicity and CIRS can drive hormone imbalance. Since hormones are the “key messengers” made by our glands to regulate body functions, if our hormones are “off”, they may perpetuate the symptoms of CIRS.

  PTH elevation (normal: 10-35 pg/mL

T3 (Thyroid Hormone) deficiency (normal: 2.5–4.0 pg/mL)

Testosterone deficiency

Progesterone deficiency

Estrogen dominance or deficiency

  Bloodwork out of the norm in several of these areas may indicate imbalance.

    Gut Testing

A bi-directional relationship exists between mycotoxins and gut microbiome—mycotoxicity can impact and worsen our gut health, just like poor gut health can make one more susceptible to mycotoxicosis (1)—creating the “perfect” storm.

  On this note, it’s critical to realize, “mold illness” does not just happen from mold alone. Other pathogens that cause the same symptoms as mold illness include:

  Bacteria & bacterial infections (like Babesia and Borrelia)

Fungi

Mycobacteria

Mold

Mold spores

Endotoxins (aka lipopolysaccharides, or LPS; cell wall components of gram-negative bacteria)

Inflammagens (irritants that cause inflammation and edema)

Beta-glucans (sugars that are found in the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, algae, lichens, and plants)

Hemolysins (toxins produced by bacteria that can destroy cells)

Volatile organic compounds

  The key theme behind all of these? They affect your gut!

  Your gut microbiome is home to 100 trillion microorganisms (gut bacteria). The healthier your gut bacteria, the healthier you are! The sicker or more pathogenic your gut bacteria, the sicker you are!

  It’s no wonder that candida (fungal overgrowth) and sinus congestion (from fungi and mold growth in the nose—part of the nasal microbiome) are common in those with suspected mold toxicity or CIRS (2).

Given that approximately 80% of your immune system is produced and housed in your gut, a “strong” gut filled with diverse, healthy gut bacteria helps boost your immune fighting defenses to weather the storm of mold and mycotoxin exposure. However, if your gut is infiltrated by pathogens—and not enough “man power” to weather the storm, eventually your gut microbiome profile can shift, resulting in an unhealthier gut…and an unhealthier you.

  Recommendation:

Comprehensive Stool Analysis + Parasitology x 3 (Doctor’s Data) (Order Here)

  Liver Testing & Symptom Checklist

In addition to your gut, your liver—your body’s “chemical processing factory” and recycling system—also plays an important role in guarding against mycotoxin and mold illness. Consider your liver your “defense” for mycotoxin and mold exposure. A sluggish or overworked liver can equally wreak havoc on your health and make you susceptible to mycotoxin illness

  Liver Checklist

The best way to assess for liver dysfunction is a combination of blood markers and symptoms. Common liver malfunction indicators include:

  Nausea

Sensitive to chemicals (perfuma, cleaning agents, etc.)

Bitter/metallic taste in mouth

Headache over the eyes

Easily motion sick

Itchy skin

Jaundice colored skin/eyes

Swelling (abdomen, legs, ankles)

Light or clay colored stools

Greasy or shiny stools

Constipation

Easily intoxicated

Hormone imbalances (PMS, PMDD, irregular menses)

Glucose/blood sugar imbalances (hypoglycemia in particular)

Brain fog

Nutrasweet/artificial sweetener consumption

History of antibiotics, birth control or long term medications

  Liver Function Blood Markers

ALT: High

AST: High

GGT: High

LDH: High

Alkaline Phosphatase: High

    Cortisol Hormone Testing

Your CNS (central nervous system) is your “stress response system.” When functioning properly, your body is able to overcome stress. If malfunctioning, chronic illness and uncontrolled inflammation happens. Swelling of the brain and “stress response” system can lead to changes in nerve endings and interfere with the electrical signaling to all functions of the body. Enter: The unrelenting CIRS symptoms that persist for those who suffer from mycotoxin illness.

  Cortisol hormone testing can give you a clearer picture of where your “stress hormones” are at, along with neurotransmitter function that play a role in controlling inflammation and stress in the body as well—such as dopamine and serotonin.

  Note: NOT all hormone testing is created equal. While bloodwork is great for assessing sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone), it is not great at cortisol testing.

  Cortisol is a constantly changing hormone throughout the day. Therefore you need to collect multiple samples in a given day via urine and saliva in order to see an accurate pattern for your body. In addition, not all urine and saliva tests are created equal! Most tests measure either one or the other—leaving you with only partial results. Most tests also only measure “free cortisol”—NOT metabolized cortisol. However, free cortisol only makes up less than 3% of all cortisol in your body.

  For these reasons, to date, the gold standard for cortisol hormone testing is the DUTCH test—which uses both urine and saliva testing, and measures both free and metabolized cortisol.

  Recommendation:

DUTCH Cortisol Hormone Testing (Order Here)

  Visual Contrast Sensitivity Test

  Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker, creator of SurvivingMold.com and a “father” of mold toxicity recovery invented the “Visual Contrast Sensitivity” test  to measure of one of the neurologic functions of vision called contrast.

  In his years of work with patients recovering from mycotoxin illness, Dr. Shoemaker realized a key theme his patients shared was poor “contrast sensitivity” in their vision.

  His online test can help individuals further identify potential exposure to neurotoxins, biotoxins, and nutritional deficiencies in the body. These compounds have been implicated in diseases such as ADHD, CFIDS, fibromyalgia, mold illness, and Lyme disease.

  It’s not the “end all, be all”, but can be part of a comprehensive work up.

    Beyond Testing

While testing can be a helpful piece of the puzzle to identifying and confirming CIRS and mycotoxin illness, it’s vital to remember, testing is not the “end all, be all.”

  As a functional medicine practitioner, I treat and empower individuals based on the person, not the numbers, and if empirical findings—such as your symptoms or lack of health improvement despite “doing all the things” (i.e. eating clean, working out, sleeping) are still present, then it is safe to assume that something is not right “under the hood.”

  Check out the next post on my top ways to “treat” for mold and get rid of it! (So you can get on with your full, amazing life).

    References

Winnie Pui Pui, Liew & Sabran, Mohd Redzwan. (2018). Mycotoxin: Its Impact on Gut Health and Microbiota. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 8. 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00060.

Brewer JH, Thrasher JD, Hooper D. Chronic illness associated with mold and mycotoxins: is naso-sinus fungal biofilm the culprit? Toxins (Basel). 2013 Dec 24;6(1):66-80. doi: 10.3390/toxins6010066. PubMed PMID: 24368325; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3920250.

  The post How to Test for Mold Illness in Your Body  appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

Source/Repost=> https://drlauryn.com/wellness-knowledge/how-to-test-for-mold-illness/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/

#Holistic #Nutrition #Therapy #Recovery #Functional #Medicine #Dr. Lauryn Lax #Dr.Lauryn

[fletcherfletcher3-blog]

Looking To Boost Your Wordpress Expertise? Attempt These Pointers!

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[meetmeatthecoda]

New fic: Hallow

Hey guys! :D I wrote some fluffy, Halloween-themed fanfic! Is there plot? Nope. But who cares? :’D It’s more of a drabble than anything else, I guess. Just some fun and fluff. Rated T, I guess, if you’re being generous. Just some smooching, nothing serious :) I just tried to make it cute! :D It’s also posted on my Ao3 and FF.net profile if you prefer reading on there :) So yeah, enjoy, and feel free to let me know what you think!! :D Much love and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! :D <33

“Trick or treat!”

A giggling group of young children stand in a huddle in front of Red and Lizzie’s apartment door, smiling brightly in their costumes, candy buckets extended.

“Well, hi there, guys! Wow, you all look great!” Lizzie showers the happy children with praise, straightening the princess's tiara and adjusting the ghost's sheet, while Red tries not to stare adoringly at her and instead offers the big bowl, decorated with ghosts and filled to the brim with candy, to the children.

This is Red and Lizzie’s first Halloween living together as a couple in their adorable, new apartment which is appropriately adorned with flickering, battery-powered candles, plastic pumpkins, and fake cobwebs. (But Lizzie had firmly ousted any form of spider, fake or alive.) They had also spent yesterday afternoon baking orange and green cupcakes and cookies for no other reason than to enjoy some sweet treats and each other’s company.

(Lizzie had gotten particular enjoyment out of repeatedly dotting his face and neck with bright orange buttercream frosting – “It’s a lovely color on you, Ray, really.” – and then licking it off. He couldn’t find it in himself to protest. And he made sure to pay her back in kind later.)

So, they’ve spent the last few days in wonderful companionship, Lizzie taking off work and Red cancelling his appointments, celebrating the holiday with food and scary movies. And Red simply couldn't be happier. Certainly, every day with Lizzie is a gift that he doesn't feel he deserves but the holidays are truly something special. Especially since these are their first ones together.

Red now glances at Lizzie out of the corner of his eye, watching as she makes sure that every child’s candy bucket is filled at least half way, and tries not to look obviously love-struck. But he can’t help but find her absolutely adorable in her costume.

Lizzie had decided to keep it simple this year and opted for the wildly popular, yet somehow not overdone, ‘kitty cat’. She is dressed in all black in thick leggings, a mini skirt, and a soft sweater and her feline look is completed with black cat ears. She also took great pains in front of the mirror earlier in applying cat eye makeup and whiskers. (Red loves how the extra black makeup accentuates her baby blue irises.)

Red manages to break his gaze away from her, not without difficultly, and turns to look out the window at the black night sky, his thoughts turning to past Halloweens. He has never made a big deal out of the holiday and he certainly never put much effort into costumes. The only joy he has ever gotten from this day was taking Jennifer trick-or-treating. He always took much more care with her costume then he ever did with his own. He would spend hours trying to get her hair just right and go to every store to find all the components for an authentic costume. He himself would only dress up if she needed a costume partner. (One year, they went as salt and pepper and it is one of Red's most cherished memories.)

However, those times are long gone and Red has long since accepted that. But Lizzie and her boundless enthusiasm have done much to renew his vigor for the holiday in a different but still wonderful way and he is grateful for that. So, in a moment of tenderness – or perhaps foolishness, he thinks ruefully – he had told her that she could pick his costume this year.

The resulting squeal of delight had been deafening and he had smiled good naturedly, happy to have pleased her. And anything that made Lizzie that happy, he was sure he would enjoy too.

She had taken several days to mull over his costume, putting a lot more serious thought into it than he expected, going through several different ideas and hours of internet searches, before finally settling next to him on the couch one evening last week and announcing her decision: Superman.

He had simply blinked at her. “But why, Lizzie?” he had asked, quite perplexed because no costume, as far as he was aware, could be more unsuitable for him.

“Because I couldn't find any suits of armor.” She had answered simply, smiling at him in a way he didn’t understand.

So, Red had continued to stare at her, starting to worry a little for her sanity, before she sighed and moved to perch herself on his lap, looking deeply into his eyes.

“You're my knight in shining armor, Ray, even if you don't see yourself that way.” She had whispered to him, eyes full of warmth and sincerity. “And, in the absence of a welder to make a suit of armor, I think Superman is a pretty good alternative.” She had smiled in that way again and he found himself smiling back, overwhelmed with love for her. “And it’s a chance to see that fine ass in some tights.” She had added, pecking him on the lips.

“Lizzie,” he had stated firmly, letting her slip off his lap. “I refuse to wear tights. No one can want to see that, even you.”

“I beg to differ!” she had gasped, turning back to him and pressing a hand to her heart. “And, besides, you said I get to pick your costume and that means all of it!”

“Evidently I should have laid down some ground rules.” He had said. “I’m drawing the line at tights, Lizzie. No ifs, ands, or buts.”

She had struggled for a long moment, mouth twitching, before losing the battle and bursting out in giggles at his unintentional pun. He had chuckled along with her and, with some effort, managed to ignore her wide, pleading eyes, which she knows are usually his undoing. Eventually she had given up, sighing dramatically but accepting that she was essentially fighting a losing battle. She had consented to Red’s ‘no tights’ rule but made sure to ensure full jurisdiction over every other aspect of his costume.

(And she had ‘ensured’ such privileges by distracting him with kisses and touches until he didn’t have the presence of mind to say any word other than ‘yes’. An effective method, he must admit.)

But thankfully, she didn’t have anything nearly as humiliating as tights in mind because here is Red, handing out candy to excited young children dressed in his favorite pair of comfy blue jeans, a soft t-shirt with the Superman emblem on it, and a red cape Lizzie had bought and carefully attached to the shoulders of his t-shirt.

(Lizzie learned how to sew in high school. And if it means that Red can learn little facts like this about her, then he will wear any manner of ridiculous costume that she requests.

Except tights.)

He privately thinks that he makes a pretty pathetic Superman but, earlier, when he came out of the bedroom in his costume, Lizzie’s eyes had lit up and she’d moved in close, draping her arms about his shoulders, cooing over how handsome he looked and kissing him with enough abandon that he really couldn’t complain.

He is shaken out of these pleasant memories by Lizzie calling good bye to the gaggle of trick-or-treaters and he quickly waves after the children, who are skipping happily down the hall with their spoils.

“This is fun, isn’t it?” Lizzie closes the apartment door and turns to him, all smiles.

Red can’t help but agree. His favorite part of the night so far has been seeing Lizzie interacting with the children. She’s so wonderful with them, kind and motherly but firm and strong when she needs to be. He feels an all too familiar pang of remorse.

Lizzie would be such a wonderful mother, the perfect balance to his parenting style of ‘spoil like crazy’. She would gladly be the sensible parent but would also take every opportunity to shower their child with praise and love and affection whenever she could.

He sighs. Sometimes he wishes so desperately that they could have children together. And they could, of course, but they both know it would not be wise with their situation and his criminal status. Neither of them could live with the knowledge that they put their child in danger.

He sighs again.

“You all right, Ray?” Lizzie murmurs, rubbing his arm. “Do you wanna call it a night?”

Red pulls himself together. He won’t let these morbid thoughts ruin their first Halloween together.

(Besides, if Red’s learned one thing in life, it’s never say never.)

He turns to Lizzie.

“Call it a night?” he repeats incredulously. “Lizzie, please, it’s barely seven. I’m not that old yet, thank you very much.” He teases her with a smile on his lips and tickling fingers at her waist.

She laughs and squirms in his arms and he laughs a deep laugh before she smothers it by enthusiastically pressing her lips to his.

(Of all the wonderful aspects of their relationship, working and romantic, this part is the most effortless.)

They kiss until they are interrupted by the doorbell ringing again. They pull away reluctantly, gazing at each other wordlessly for a moment before they come back to themselves. Lizzie giggles and wipes some of her lipstick off his face and Red smirks and adjusts her sweater to cover her midriff again where he pushed it up a little too far.

They smile at one another.

After a final smoothing of her hair, Lizzie opens the door, revealing another group of trick-or-treaters, this time including a vampire and a mad scientist.

“Trick-or-treat!”

The night goes on like this, the influx of trick-or-treaters reaching its peak around eight-thirty and starting to taper off somewhere around ten. Red and Liz share intermittent moments in between trick-or-treaters behind their closed door, kissing or talking or snagging their favorite treats out of the candy bowl.

(Black licorice for her and sweet tarts for him.)

When they hear the doorbell or a knock, Lizzie opens the door and greets the children while Red makes sure everyone gets at least one piece of their favorite candy, though he can’t help but sneak an extra piece to any with a particularly creative costume.

(His two favorites were a young girl dressed as a ballerina and an older boy dressed in a suit and fedora. He’s not exactly sure who the boy was portraying but if nothing else he should be credited for his outstanding fashion sense.)

“Well, I think that’s about it for the night, don’t you?” Red sighs as Lizzie closes the door on a Frankenstein and a werewolf hurrying down the hallway with some Milky Ways.

“I think so,” Lizzie agrees, stretching her arms above her head. “We sure went through a lot of candy, didn’t we?”

“We certainly did,” Red glances at the empty bags littering the floor and then peers into the mostly empty bowl. “Still have a few things left though.” He plucks out a Three Musketeers.

“Got any milk duds?” Lizzie asks, peeking over his shoulder.

Red shakes the contents of the bowl. “One left,” he hands it to her and can’t resist lidding his eyes at her. “You’re a lucky girl.” He murmurs.

She opens the small box and shakes a few milk duds in her mouth. “I’ll say.” She hums, eyeing him up and down suggestively.

He rolls his tongue.

She stares at his mouth for a moment before tossing the rest of the milk duds back all in one go, chewing and swallowing in record time.

“Right then,” she says hastily. “I’m gonna go get into my costume.”

Red frowns, glancing up at her head. Her cat ears are still firmly in place. “Costume? Aren’t you already in it?”

“My public costume, yes.” She says easily. “But I have another for our…private enjoyment. It’s decidedly more…adult.”

Red’s mouth drops open.

Oh my. Well, this is a surprise.

“What is it?” he asks hoarsely.

She smirks and heads back to their bedroom, hips swaying a little more than usual. “Let’s just say it rhymes with the word ‘purse’ and…I had to buy a stethoscope.”

Red carelessly tosses the candy bowl on the counter and stalks after Lizzie, growling playfully, sending her sprinting down the hallway, laughing all the way.

Oh, happy Halloween indeed.

#The Blacklist #Lizzington #mine #fanfic #hallow #halloween #i couldn't help myself #just something cute and fun i hope #i hope you guys like it! #please let me know what you think! #much love! #:D #<3

[veeavii-blog]

The Great Red Cup Fiasco: How Starbucks won

It is the moment the whole world awaits!  We’ve been on our toes, biting our nails, and in pure suspense over it!

… Okay well at least some of us have…

… Okay well I have.

Starbucks holiday cups are back; and back with a vengeance they are.

It’s tough sometimes isn’t it?  When you’re an established brand, making millions of dollars every year by selling $5 cups of coffee to millennials who fall into the Instagram-worthy drinks business.  And the one thing that can possibly ruin it is how offended this generation has become.  

For the past 20 years, yes since 1997, when Starbucks had been expanding outside the United States; it started creating holidays cups which only subtly changed every year.  Along with these holiday cups to kick off the busiest retail and consumer season of the year, Starbucks also kicked off with its festive holiday drinks to be poured into each holiday-themed cup in order to spread that “Christmas cheer”.  In the next few years the holiday red cups became a trigger to the end of the year and especially Christmas.  And if Starbucks isn’t part of social currency normally, the holiday cups sure are!

Though, through the expansion outside the United States, came a certain unity Starbucks wanted to achieve.  In 2015, Starbucks unveiled that year’s holiday cup and it looked a little something like this:

What! It’s just a red cup?  The audacity!

Well this is how most of its consumers reacted and deeply expressed their concerns across many social media platforms.  This issue became so viral, that even public figures such as Ellen Degeneres and Stephen Colbert, were talking about it on their shows and social media.  

Wait a minute, your brand is being talked about, something of your doing has gone viral, and you even have influencers talking about you without pay… shouldn’t this be good thing?  Isn’t all publicity good publicity?  Why, YES. You are correct.  Although consumers were divided; some were enraged and accused the brand of removing Christian imagery in pursuit of political correctness, and others with so indifferent by this issue that the hastag “#ItsJustACup” started trending on Twitter.  In producing their most minimal cup, and with so much controversy surrounding it, Starbucks’ sales increased 11.9% than the previous year.  

So why exactly did this happen for Starbucks?

Some factors:

PUBLIC

The red cups were made public.  The exposure and visibility was out there.  Everywhere.  On every social media platform, most of television networks and even news programs.

EMOTION

Political issues always bring out emotions in people.  The fact that people took this red cup issue as a strong political preference was enough to implement an emotional factor into it.

SOCIAL CURRENCY

It was the thing to talk about, it was the big holiday controversy, and it was a top trending topic on social media.  Anyone who bought one was obviously going to want to post it on social media to show they have one of them in hand.

This was an unintentional but successful accident on Starbucks’ behalf.  Though it is not recommended that something like this happens to a brand because of the high risks, having these types of factors in any campaign may lead to success.

The following year, many people wondered what Starbucks was going to do in order to mend some of their consumers’ broken caffeinated hearts.  The brand chose wisely by getting 13 of their lucky consumers involved.  Again, UNITY.  Though this was a wise decision on the brand’s part in that they made it seem as if it were the people who chose.  Their loyal customers were the ones who made the red holiday cups that year.  Safe road right?  You bet after that debacle. There were 13 varieties of the cups in 2016 and they were all created by different artfully-gifted people.  Some of the designs included snowflakes, reindeer, ornaments, evergreen trees, and some with merely geographic shapes.  All with “winter-y” elements of course, but surely fairly neutral.  Not too much talk about it, but sales again increased, though the differential was not as dramatic as the year before with the controversy. Perhaps there was a long-term effect because of 2015’s great controversy.

Now this year, Starbucks is two years out of its controversy and has recently announced its newest line of holiday cups for the 2017 season.  The red cups are a new concept in that they are “color-in” cups with white space for consumers to enjoy.  They also come with a message this year: Give Good. The design contains a set of hands holding what is supposed to be red cups from years past, connected with ribbons and scenes of the holidays like snow. It is all in white and red with the brand’s logo being of course its iconic green color.

Although it happened accidently, the Starbucks red cup controversy is a great example of the natural phenomenon of public and social currency.  The sales, social media presence, and long-term effects of the holiday red cups are evidence of how contagious content gets shared and becomes memorable.

#marketing #marketing strategy #content marketing #strategy #Social media #socialmediastrategy #Business #coffee #coffetime #holiday #holidays #starbucks #redcup #givegood #pumpkinspice #christmas #itsjustacup #contagious

[broadwaybydesign]

Forever Beautiful: Costuming Patti Lupone in “War Paint,” Part II

Welcome back! Last time, I took a look at some of the overall outfits that were worn by Patti Lupone in her role as Helena Rubinstein in War Paint. Costume designer Catherine Zuber did a fantastic job in creating outfits that matched both Ms Lupone’s fiery personality and the spitfire character of Madame Rubinstein, who was the more sharp and snappy of the two main characters in War Paint. This time, I want to look at some of the detailed accessories that Ms Zuber created for this production. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do the same with Christine Ebersole in future posts--though Patti Lupone has the lion’s share of the promotional stills.

I left off on the white and blue outfit worn by Helena, noting that there were accessories that needed to be discussed. Withour further ado, here’s a great image of what those accessories are: a bright red scarf and our first up-close taste of the jewelry created for the program (as ever, thanks to Playbill and Broadway.com for the stills in this review):

I noted that this dress as a whole is rather pale, almost pastel, in quality and that the fabric is designed to be light and airy. As a result, to make it “pop” a bit more, Ms Zuber needed to accessorize it and make it a little more memorable. Without jewel work or beadwork (and not every costume needs or should have those elements!), there’s freedom to mix and match a couple different styles. Here, Ms Zuber has chosen a rich red scarf that perfectly matches Ms Lupone’s lipstick for this scene--and in a musical that is about cosmetics, it is impossible to believe that this was unintentional. It draws the eye in a way: the human mind naturally seeks out patterns and similarities when we process what we see, so having a matching colored scarf and lipstick would help make the overall appearance a little more memorable.

The jewelry, on the other hand, is something else. Everything that Madame Rubinstein wears in this musical is heavy, beaded or jeweled, and a bit clunky--and that last point is not an insult! It’s no surprise that Helena Rubinstein, who considered herself quite plain in life, had a preference for big, showy jewelry that had some heft to it. Ms Zuber has done her homework here. With credit to helenarubinstein.com (the home of Madame Rubinstein’s company, now a division of L’Oréal), have a look at the real Helena and some of her jewelry:

The jewelry the actual person being depicted preferred was heavy and a little unwieldy, designed to draw attention to it rather than the woman herself. Here, Ms Zuber has done the same thing with a series of heavy beaded necklaces, a large Maltese cross badge on the waist of the dress, matching heavy bangles on Ms Lupone’s wrists, and a heavy pendant hanging at the top of her bust. What these items of jewelry do is exude a sense of style--not necessarily a sense of fashion, but they give the audience the idea that Madame Rubinstein is a woman of some character who doesn’t necessarily jump straight for what’s trendy, and that when she does, she wants a lot of it.

This is carried over into other outfits as well, and not just the white outfit I’ve spent so much time on here. There is another white outfit during the performance, and it shows off some different jewelry in another style, but showing a similar theme: large and eye-catching.

Have a look at the older style in use here. This is a little more refined a set of jewelry, but with a large and a little clunky styling to it. Once again, we see the giant bangle on Ms Lupone’s wrist, while this time the eye is drawn immediately to the large emerald (though almost certainly not real emeralds in a costume, no matter the production values!) earrings that dangle from each earlobe. They’re big and a little clunky, far from the dainty earrings that the modern eye would expect to adorn “women of a certain age” as the theatre trope puts it. There is also the rather large jade ring that she wears on her left hand. But once again, there is some nice historical precedent for this choice on Ms Zuber’s part. Have another look at the real Helena Rubinstein:

(Photo credit in lower left corner)

Helena was clearly always a fan of large rings, and while without a color sample to match it to, it seems possible that the ring on her right hand is the one that Ms Zuber has tried to replicate in style if not in exact design. This is important when designing a costume for a character who existed in real life and not just in the imagination of a theatregoer. 

But there is one more piece of jewelry that is absolutely gorgeous and fulfills one of the great rules of accessories when they possess detail: memorability. In the final numbers of the musical, Helena Rubinstein is in an old fashioned outfit (the top of which was seen as the second photo in this post) with one heck of a set of necklaces (courtesy of Playbill):

Look at the sheer heft and weight of this piece. This necklace set is meant to be remembered and committed to memory, and even people in the nosebleeds of the Nederlander Theatre would be able to see and remember this fantastic example of costume jewelry. According to Catherine Zuber herself, this piece even had input from Patti Lupone, who wanted a memorable piece in which to finish her role as Madame Rubinstein. And when your actress makes a request, as a costume designer you have a duty to at least try and make it work. We as the audience are richer for having been exposed to this one, and it gets quite a bit of stage time during “Beauty in the World” and “Finale,” as it should. But like all the other accessories, it doesn’t distract from the actress herself. It complements the figure of Ms Lupone and reminds us of who her character is, and once again acts as a kind of eye-drawing element--important because the diminutive Ms Lupone is next to Christine Ebersole (who is quite tall by comparison) for the entirety of the final number.

One final set of accessories deserves some analysis, and it includes the Blue Hat I’ve mentioned a few times. I’m not sure quite what it is that enraptures me so about this outfit, but it really has caught my attention since I first became aware of War Paint coming to Broadway from Chicago. (Thanks once again to Playbill):

According to Lindy Woodhead’s book War Paint, upon which the musical is based in whole, as Madame Rubinstein got older, her choice in fashion became more and more eccentric, and that is on full display here. While eye-catching, the set of heavy stone-and-bead necklaces is clearly wild and a bit uncontrolled. Ms Lupone is also costumed in a heavy, almost velveteen fabric that allows the jewelry to stand out even more. The brooch on her right shoulder is another Maltese cross (similar to that in the white outfit at the top of this post) and is designed to show off the large star-sapphire element at its heart--but it does something else very important.

Remember what I said in my last review about how accessories tie in with a costume in order to accentuate certain elements? Look between the brooch and the hat, and specifically the small gold-and-blue badge that acts as an anchor for the velvet flares and the feather emerging from the top of the hat. Rather than simply duplicate the design, Ms Zuber used a fleur-de-lis design to give just a touch of delicacy to an otherwise very heavy costume design. That’s pretty neat, especially since the color scheme and stone still tie it in with the rest of Madame Rubinstein’s jewelry.

When considering costumery, I think there is a misconception that it is just about the clothing, and that someone else is charged with designing the accessories. Nothing could be further from the truth. Ms Zuber worked closely with a New York jeweler in designing each of these pieces, and consulted with the actress originating the role of Madame Rubinstein in order to be sure that the pieces would match the needs of the production and the personality of the person who would be wearing them.

This last point is one of the reasons that I think the right costumes can make a good production into a truly spectacular one or, on the other hand, drag down a decent production and mark it as less wonderful than its Broadway competitors. In the case of War Paint, I think that the costumes for Patti Lupone to wear in her guise as Helena Rubinstein definitely fall into the former category. As an eccentric character with a forceful personality and compelling storyline, she demands to be costumed in style and with gusto. On both those counts, Ms Zuber has achieved a resounding success.

Next, we’ll take a look at the much more subtle but no less magnificent costumes that Catherine Zuber designed for Christine Ebersole to wear in her role as Elizabeth Arden, the other doyenne of the cosmetics industry.

Stay tuned!

#war paint #patti lupone #catherine zuber #broadway #musicals #theatre #helena rubinstein

[elizabethbgrimes]

How to Test for Mold Illness in Your Body 

Do you have mold illness?

Check out my top recommended testing methods to find out, including:

 Mold Toxicity Checklist

Mycotoxin Urine Test

Bloodwork

Gut Testing

Liver Function Testing

DUTCH Cortisol Hormone Test

Visual Contrast Sensitivity Testing

Mold Illness Refresher

Let’s briefly review Mold Illness 101 before diving into my top recommended tests to know what we are looking for in the first place.

 Mold illness or “mycotoxin illness” is a serious condition that is commonly referred to as “CIRS”—Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome.

 Unlike a disease—which is condition typically with a specific known cause and similar symptoms (such as insulin resistance, frequent urination and weight gain in people with diabetes)— a syndrome, like CIRS, is a much broader “collection of signs and symptoms” that may present differently in different people.

 Signs & Symptoms of CIRS

Common signs and symptoms of mold illness or CIRS include

Respiratory difficulties (difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, asthma)

Neurological symptoms

Sinus congestion and stuffy nose

Hair loss

Anxiety

Brain fog, confusion or memory loss

Difficulty concentrating

Morning stiffness, joint pain

Light sensitivity

Skin rashes

Red eyes, blurred vision, sweats, mood swings, sharp pains

Feeling lightheaded or dizzy

Appetite swings

Poor body temperature regulation,

Gastrointestinal problems (cramps, abdominal pain)

Weight loss or weight gain (unintentional)

Unusual skin sensations, tingling and numbness

 You may have several of these symptoms—or just one or two. The amount of symptoms don’t matter as much as the unrelenting poor health experienced because of them.

 Although these symptoms are also synonymous with other conditions often talked about in functional medicine—from “adrenal fatigue”, thyroid disorders to gut dysbiosis—the key distinguisher in mycotoxin illness or CIRS is often times, these are often the patients who do not “get better” once commencing a protocol.

 Buttttt….how do you know if you really have “mold illness” or CIRS—or you’re just feeling out of sorts? What tests can you do to reveal true illness

 There are a handful…

 Mold Toxicity Checklist

Aside from identifying your symptoms, answer “Yes” or “No” for the following questions (adapted from Environmental Health Center).

 Yes or No?

Do musty odors bother you?

Have you worked or lived in a building where the air vents or ceiling tiles were discolored?

Have you noticed water damage or discoloration elsewhere?

Has your home been flooded?

Have you had leaks in the roof?

Do you experience unusual shortness of breath?

Do you experience recurring sinus infections?

Do you experience recurring respiratory infections and coughing?

Do you have frequent flu-like symptoms?

Do your symptoms worsen on rainy days?

Do you have frequent headaches?

Are you fatigued and have a skin rash?

 If you answer “yes” to 4 or more, your CIRS-like symptoms may have some more merit.

 Mycotoxin Urine Test

Mycotoxin urine testing is a relatively newer form of testing that can reveal the release of toxins in the urine. If you really suspect mycotoxin illness from molds to be at play, this test can yield highly insightful information for putting your puzzle together.

 Some key detected mycotoxins include:

Ochratoxins

Aflatoxins

Trichothecenes

Glicotoxins

 Recommendation:

Great Plains Urine Testing (Order Here on behalf of Dr. Lauryn Lax, OTD).

 *Note: Sometimes false “negatives” can occur with urine testing since some patients are unable to detoxify in the first place. In order to get the most accurate results, I recommend using high dose glutathione + NAC for 5 to 7 days prior to conducting your urine test in order to encourage elimination and detoxification.

 My preferred formula is Trizomal Glutathione by Apex Energetics, which includes both NAC and glutathione. Take 1 tsp 3 times per day for 5 to 7 days.  It is tough to find online, but if you call the company directly at 949-251-0152, request a bottle be sent to you on behalf of Dr. Lauryn Lax.

 Bloodwork

Bloodwork doesn’t always tell the whole story of CIRS or mycotoxin illness, but certainly can point to markers of inflammation and immune dysregulation.

 Unfortunately, many patients consult with their conventional medical practitioners and are told, “Your lab tests are normal”, but have not ordered more specialized tests that help look deeper into mycotoxicity and inflammation.  Helpful markers and their normal ranges for assessing mycotoxin illness include:

 Specialty Mycotoxin Blood Tests

Elevations in the following markers point to mold toxicity

VIP (normal range: 23-63, only available by ARUP Labs)

MSH (normal: 35-81)

MMP-9 (normal: 85-332)

C4a (normal: 0-2380)

TGF-beta-1 (normal: <2380)

Leptin (Male: 0.5-13.8; Female: 1.1-27.5)

HLA-DR (the gene that 25% of the population has, making them more susceptible to mycotoxicity; can only be run by LabCorp)

  OTHER LABS

Other labs that may be “off” on general lab work include:

 Complete Blood Count

Red Blood Count low (normal: 4.40–4.90 x 106/µL)

White Blood Count low or high (normal: 5.0–0 x 103/µL)

 Methylation Markers

MMA high (ideal < 300 nmol/L)

Folate low (ideal > 8 μg/L)

 Bloodsugar Markers

Glucose low or high (normal fasting: 75-85, normal 1-2 hours post-meal: 110-140)

HgbA1C high (normal 4.6–5.3%)

 Liver Enzymes

AST high (normal: Male: 0–25 IU/L; Female: 0–23 IU/L)

ALT high (normal: Male: 0–26 IU/L; Female: 0–20 IU/L)

 Nutrient Markers*

Zinc (often low)* (normal: 81–157 µg/dL)

Copper* often high (excess copper can lead to low zinc) (normal: 81–157 µg/dL)

Iron high or low (ideal: 40–135 µg/dL)

Ferritin high (Male: 30–200 ng/mL; Female: 30–100 ng/mL)

Vitamin D low (normal: 35–60 ng/mL)

 *Urine testing via NutraEval (Order Here and search for “NutraEval FMV by Genova)

 Inflammatory Markers

Total Cholesterol high (normal: 150–220 mg/dL for males; 150–230 mg/dL for females)

LDL Cholesterol high (normal: 0–140 mg/dL)

C Reactive Protein (CRP) high (normal: 0–1 mg/L)

BUN high or low (normal: 13–18 mg/dL)

Creatine low (normal: Male: 0.85–1.1 mg/dL; Female: 0.7 – 1.0 mg/dL)

 Hormone Markers*

*Hormone markers can be a sign that something more is going on “under the hood.” Inflammation from mold toxicity and CIRS can drive hormone imbalance. Since hormones are the “key messengers” made by our glands to regulate body functions, if our hormones are “off”, they may perpetuate the symptoms of CIRS.

 PTH elevation (normal: 10-35 pg/mL

T3 (Thyroid Hormone) deficiency (normal: 2.5–4.0 pg/mL)

Testosterone deficiency

Progesterone deficiency

Estrogen dominance or deficiency

 Bloodwork out of the norm in several of these areas may indicate imbalance.

  Gut Testing

A bi-directional relationship exists between mycotoxins and gut microbiome—mycotoxicity can impact and worsen our gut health, just like poor gut health can make one more susceptible to mycotoxicosis (1)—creating the “perfect” storm.

 On this note, it’s critical to realize, “mold illness” does not just happen from mold alone. Other pathogens that cause the same symptoms as mold illness include:

 Bacteria & bacterial infections (like Babesia and Borrelia)

Fungi

Mycobacteria

Mold

Mold spores

Endotoxins (aka lipopolysaccharides, or LPS; cell wall components of gram-negative bacteria)

Inflammagens (irritants that cause inflammation and edema)

Beta-glucans (sugars that are found in the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, algae, lichens, and plants)

Hemolysins (toxins produced by bacteria that can destroy cells)

Volatile organic compounds

 The key theme behind all of these? They affect your gut!

 Your gut microbiome is home to 100 trillion microorganisms (gut bacteria). The healthier your gut bacteria, the healthier you are! The sicker or more pathogenic your gut bacteria, the sicker you are!

 It’s no wonder that candida (fungal overgrowth) and sinus congestion (from fungi and mold growth in the nose—part of the nasal microbiome) are common in those with suspected mold toxicity or CIRS (2).

Given that approximately 80% of your immune system is produced and housed in your gut, a “strong” gut filled with diverse, healthy gut bacteria helps boost your immune fighting defenses to weather the storm of mold and mycotoxin exposure. However, if your gut is infiltrated by pathogens—and not enough “man power” to weather the storm, eventually your gut microbiome profile can shift, resulting in an unhealthier gut…and an unhealthier you.

 Recommendation:

Comprehensive Stool Analysis + Parasitology x 3 (Doctor’s Data) (Order Here)

 Liver Testing & Symptom Checklist

In addition to your gut, your liver—your body’s “chemical processing factory” and recycling system—also plays an important role in guarding against mycotoxin and mold illness. Consider your liver your “defense” for mycotoxin and mold exposure. A sluggish or overworked liver can equally wreak havoc on your health and make you susceptible to mycotoxin illness

 Liver Checklist

The best way to assess for liver dysfunction is a combination of blood markers and symptoms. Common liver malfunction indicators include:

 Nausea

Sensitive to chemicals (perfuma, cleaning agents, etc.)

Bitter/metallic taste in mouth

Headache over the eyes

Easily motion sick

Itchy skin

Jaundice colored skin/eyes

Swelling (abdomen, legs, ankles)

Light or clay colored stools

Greasy or shiny stools

Constipation

Easily intoxicated

Hormone imbalances (PMS, PMDD, irregular menses)

Glucose/blood sugar imbalances (hypoglycemia in particular)

Brain fog

Nutrasweet/artificial sweetener consumption

History of antibiotics, birth control or long term medications

 Liver Function Blood Markers

ALT: High

AST: High

GGT: High

LDH: High

Alkaline Phosphatase: High

  Cortisol Hormone Testing

Your CNS (central nervous system) is your “stress response system.” When functioning properly, your body is able to overcome stress. If malfunctioning, chronic illness and uncontrolled inflammation happens. Swelling of the brain and “stress response” system can lead to changes in nerve endings and interfere with the electrical signaling to all functions of the body. Enter: The unrelenting CIRS symptoms that persist for those who suffer from mycotoxin illness.

 Cortisol hormone testing can give you a clearer picture of where your “stress hormones” are at, along with neurotransmitter function that play a role in controlling inflammation and stress in the body as well—such as dopamine and serotonin.

 Note: NOT all hormone testing is created equal. While bloodwork is great for assessing sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone), it is not great at cortisol testing.

 Cortisol is a constantly changing hormone throughout the day. Therefore you need to collect multiple samples in a given day via urine and saliva in order to see an accurate pattern for your body. In addition, not all urine and saliva tests are created equal! Most tests measure either one or the other—leaving you with only partial results. Most tests also only measure “free cortisol”—NOT metabolized cortisol. However, free cortisol only makes up less than 3% of all cortisol in your body.

 For these reasons, to date, the gold standard for cortisol hormone testing is the DUTCH test—which uses both urine and saliva testing, and measures both free and metabolized cortisol.

 Recommendation:

DUTCH Cortisol Hormone Testing (Order Here)

 Visual Contrast Sensitivity Test

 Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker, creator of SurvivingMold.com and a “father” of mold toxicity recovery invented the “Visual Contrast Sensitivity” test  to measure of one of the neurologic functions of vision called contrast.

 In his years of work with patients recovering from mycotoxin illness, Dr. Shoemaker realized a key theme his patients shared was poor “contrast sensitivity” in their vision.

 His online test can help individuals further identify potential exposure to neurotoxins, biotoxins, and nutritional deficiencies in the body. These compounds have been implicated in diseases such as ADHD, CFIDS, fibromyalgia, mold illness, and Lyme disease.

 It’s not the “end all, be all”, but can be part of a comprehensive work up.

  Beyond Testing

While testing can be a helpful piece of the puzzle to identifying and confirming CIRS and mycotoxin illness, it’s vital to remember, testing is not the “end all, be all.”

 As a functional medicine practitioner, I treat and empower individuals based on the person, not the numbers, and if empirical findings—such as your symptoms or lack of health improvement despite “doing all the things” (i.e. eating clean, working out, sleeping) are still present, then it is safe to assume that something is not right “under the hood.”

 Check out the next post on my top ways to “treat” for mold and get rid of it! (So you can get on with your full, amazing life).

  References

Winnie Pui Pui, Liew & Sabran, Mohd Redzwan. (2018). Mycotoxin: Its Impact on Gut Health and Microbiota. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 8. 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00060.

Brewer JH, Thrasher JD, Hooper D. Chronic illness associated with mold and mycotoxins: is naso-sinus fungal biofilm the culprit? Toxins (Basel). 2013 Dec 24;6(1):66-80. doi: 10.3390/toxins6010066. PubMed PMID: 24368325; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3920250.

 The post How to Test for Mold Illness in Your Body  appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

Source/Repost=> https://drlauryn.com/wellness-knowledge/how-to-test-for-mold-illness/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/ How to Test for Mold Illness in Your Body  via https://drlaurynlax.blogspot.com/

#Elizabeth B. Grimes #ElizabethGrimes #Holistic #Nutrition #Therapy #Recovery #Functional #Medicine

[brian-cdates]

How to Test for Mold Illness in Your Body 

Do you have mold illness?

Check out my top recommended testing methods to find out, including:

Mold Toxicity Checklist

Mycotoxin Urine Test

Bloodwork

Gut Testing

Liver Function Testing

DUTCH Cortisol Hormone Test

Visual Contrast Sensitivity Testing

Mold Illness Refresher

Let’s briefly review Mold Illness 101 before diving into my top recommended tests to know what we are looking for in the first place.

Mold illness or “mycotoxin illness” is a serious condition that is commonly referred to as “CIRS”—Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome.

Unlike a disease—which is condition typically with a specific known cause and similar symptoms (such as insulin resistance, frequent urination and weight gain in people with diabetes)— a syndrome, like CIRS, is a much broader “collection of signs and symptoms” that may present differently in different people.

Signs & Symptoms of CIRS

Common signs and symptoms of mold illness or CIRS include

Respiratory difficulties (difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, asthma)

Neurological symptoms

Sinus congestion and stuffy nose

Hair loss

Anxiety

Brain fog, confusion or memory loss

Difficulty concentrating

Morning stiffness, joint pain

Light sensitivity

Skin rashes

Red eyes, blurred vision, sweats, mood swings, sharp pains

Feeling lightheaded or dizzy

Appetite swings

Poor body temperature regulation,

Gastrointestinal problems (cramps, abdominal pain)

Weight loss or weight gain (unintentional)

Unusual skin sensations, tingling and numbness

You may have several of these symptoms—or just one or two. The amount of symptoms don’t matter as much as the unrelenting poor health experienced because of them.

Although these symptoms are also synonymous with other conditions often talked about in functional medicine—from “adrenal fatigue”, thyroid disorders to gut dysbiosis—the key distinguisher in mycotoxin illness or CIRS is often times, these are often the patients who do not “get better” once commencing a protocol.

Buttttt….how do you know if you really have “mold illness” or CIRS—or you’re just feeling out of sorts? What tests can you do to reveal true illness

There are a handful…

Mold Toxicity Checklist

Aside from identifying your symptoms, answer “Yes” or “No” for the following questions (adapted from Environmental Health Center).

Yes or No?

Do musty odors bother you?

Have you worked or lived in a building where the air vents or ceiling tiles were discolored?

Have you noticed water damage or discoloration elsewhere?

Has your home been flooded?

Have you had leaks in the roof?

Do you experience unusual shortness of breath?

Do you experience recurring sinus infections?

Do you experience recurring respiratory infections and coughing?

Do you have frequent flu-like symptoms?

Do your symptoms worsen on rainy days?

Do you have frequent headaches?

Are you fatigued and have a skin rash?

If you answer “yes” to 4 or more, your CIRS-like symptoms may have some more merit.

Mycotoxin Urine Test

Mycotoxin urine testing is a relatively newer form of testing that can reveal the release of toxins in the urine. If you really suspect mycotoxin illness from molds to be at play, this test can yield highly insightful information for putting your puzzle together.

Some key detected mycotoxins include:

Ochratoxins

Aflatoxins

Trichothecenes

Glicotoxins

Recommendation:

Great Plains Urine Testing (Order Here on behalf of Dr. Lauryn Lax, OTD).

*Note: Sometimes false “negatives” can occur with urine testing since some patients are unable to detoxify in the first place. In order to get the most accurate results, I recommend using high dose glutathione + NAC for 5 to 7 days prior to conducting your urine test in order to encourage elimination and detoxification.

My preferred formula is Trizomal Glutathione by Apex Energetics, which includes both NAC and glutathione. Take 1 tsp 3 times per day for 5 to 7 days.  It is tough to find online, but if you call the company directly at 949-251-0152, request a bottle be sent to you on behalf of Dr. Lauryn Lax.

Bloodwork

Bloodwork doesn’t always tell the whole story of CIRS or mycotoxin illness, but certainly can point to markers of inflammation and immune dysregulation.

Unfortunately, many patients consult with their conventional medical practitioners and are told, “Your lab tests are normal”, but have not ordered more specialized tests that help look deeper into mycotoxicity and inflammation.  Helpful markers and their normal ranges for assessing mycotoxin illness include:

Specialty Mycotoxin Blood Tests

Elevations in the following markers point to mold toxicity

VIP (normal range: 23-63, only available by ARUP Labs)

MSH (normal: 35-81)

MMP-9 (normal: 85-332)

C4a (normal: 0-2380)

TGF-beta-1 (normal: <2380)

Leptin (Male: 0.5-13.8; Female: 1.1-27.5)

HLA-DR (the gene that 25% of the population has, making them more susceptible to mycotoxicity; can only be run by LabCorp)

  OTHER LABS

Other labs that may be “off” on general lab work include:

Complete Blood Count

Red Blood Count low (normal: 4.40–4.90 x 106/µL)

White Blood Count low or high (normal: 5.0–0 x 103/µL)

Methylation Markers

MMA high (ideal < 300 nmol/L)

Folate low (ideal > 8 μg/L)

  Bloodsugar Markers

Glucose low or high (normal fasting: 75-85, normal 1-2 hours post-meal: 110-140)

HgbA1C high (normal 4.6–5.3%)

Liver Enzymes

AST high (normal: Male: 0–25 IU/L; Female: 0–23 IU/L)

ALT high (normal: Male: 0–26 IU/L; Female: 0–20 IU/L)

  Nutrient Markers*

Zinc (often low)* (normal: 81–157 µg/dL)

Copper* often high (excess copper can lead to low zinc) (normal: 81–157 µg/dL)

Iron high or low (ideal: 40–135 µg/dL)

Ferritin high (Male: 30–200 ng/mL; Female: 30–100 ng/mL)

Vitamin D low (normal: 35–60 ng/mL)

*Urine testing via NutraEval (Order Here and search for “NutraEval FMV by Genova)

  Inflammatory Markers

Total Cholesterol high (normal: 150–220 mg/dL for males; 150–230 mg/dL for females)

LDL Cholesterol high (normal: 0–140 mg/dL)

C Reactive Protein (CRP) high (normal: 0–1 mg/L)

BUN high or low (normal: 13–18 mg/dL)

Creatine low (normal: Male: 0.85–1.1 mg/dL; Female: 0.7 – 1.0 mg/dL)

Hormone Markers*

*Hormone markers can be a sign that something more is going on “under the hood.” Inflammation from mold toxicity and CIRS can drive hormone imbalance. Since hormones are the “key messengers” made by our glands to regulate body functions, if our hormones are “off”, they may perpetuate the symptoms of CIRS.

PTH elevation (normal: 10-35 pg/mL

T3 (Thyroid Hormone) deficiency (normal: 2.5–4.0 pg/mL)

Testosterone deficiency

Progesterone deficiency

Estrogen dominance or deficiency

  Bloodwork out of the norm in several of these areas may indicate imbalance.

Gut Testing

A bi-directional relationship exists between mycotoxins and gut microbiome—mycotoxicity can impact and worsen our gut health, just like poor gut health can make one more susceptible to mycotoxicosis (1)—creating the “perfect” storm.

On this note, it’s critical to realize, “mold illness” does not just happen from mold alone. Other pathogens that cause the same symptoms as mold illness include:

Bacteria & bacterial infections (like Babesia and Borrelia)

Fungi

Mycobacteria

Mold

Mold spores

Endotoxins (aka lipopolysaccharides, or LPS; cell wall components of gram-negative bacteria)

Inflammagens (irritants that cause inflammation and edema)

Beta-glucans (sugars that are found in the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, algae, lichens, and plants)

Hemolysins (toxins produced by bacteria that can destroy cells)

Volatile organic compounds

  The key theme behind all of these? They affect your gut!

Your gut microbiome is home to 100 trillion microorganisms (gut bacteria). The healthier your gut bacteria, the healthier you are! The sicker or more pathogenic your gut bacteria, the sicker you are!

It’s no wonder that candida (fungal overgrowth) and sinus congestion (from fungi and mold growth in the nose—part of the nasal microbiome) are common in those with suspected mold toxicity or CIRS (2).

Given that approximately 80% of your immune system is produced and housed in your gut, a “strong” gut filled with diverse, healthy gut bacteria helps boost your immune fighting defenses to weather the storm of mold and mycotoxin exposure. However, if your gut is infiltrated by pathogens—and not enough “man power” to weather the storm, eventually your gut microbiome profile can shift, resulting in an unhealthier gut…and an unhealthier you.

Recommendation:

Comprehensive Stool Analysis + Parasitology x 3 (Doctor’s Data) (Order Here)

Liver Testing & Symptom Checklist

In addition to your gut, your liver—your body’s “chemical processing factory” and recycling system—also plays an important role in guarding against mycotoxin and mold illness. Consider your liver your “defense” for mycotoxin and mold exposure. A sluggish or overworked liver can equally wreak havoc on your health and make you susceptible to mycotoxin illness

Liver Checklist

The best way to assess for liver dysfunction is a combination of blood markers and symptoms. Common liver malfunction indicators include:

Nausea

Sensitive to chemicals (perfuma, cleaning agents, etc.)

Bitter/metallic taste in mouth

Headache over the eyes

Easily motion sick

Itchy skin

Jaundice colored skin/eyes

Swelling (abdomen, legs, ankles)

Light or clay colored stools

Greasy or shiny stools

Constipation

Easily intoxicated

Hormone imbalances (PMS, PMDD, irregular menses)

Glucose/blood sugar imbalances (hypoglycemia in particular)

Brain fog

Nutrasweet/artificial sweetener consumption

History of antibiotics, birth control or long term medications

  Liver Function Blood Markers

ALT: High

AST: High

GGT: High

LDH: High

Alkaline Phosphatase: High

Cortisol Hormone Testing

Your CNS (central nervous system) is your “stress response system.” When functioning properly, your body is able to overcome stress. If malfunctioning, chronic illness and uncontrolled inflammation happens. Swelling of the brain and “stress response” system can lead to changes in nerve endings and interfere with the electrical signaling to all functions of the body. Enter: The unrelenting CIRS symptoms that persist for those who suffer from mycotoxin illness.

Cortisol hormone testing can give you a clearer picture of where your “stress hormones” are at, along with neurotransmitter function that play a role in controlling inflammation and stress in the body as well—such as dopamine and serotonin.

Note: NOT all hormone testing is created equal. While bloodwork is great for assessing sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone), it is not great at cortisol testing.

Cortisol is a constantly changing hormone throughout the day. Therefore you need to collect multiple samples in a given day via urine and saliva in order to see an accurate pattern for your body. In addition, not all urine and saliva tests are created equal! Most tests measure either one or the other—leaving you with only partial results. Most tests also only measure “free cortisol”—NOT metabolized cortisol. However, free cortisol only makes up less than 3% of all cortisol in your body.

For these reasons, to date, the gold standard for cortisol hormone testing is the DUTCH test—which uses both urine and saliva testing, and measures both free and metabolized cortisol.

Recommendation:

DUTCH Cortisol Hormone Testing (Order Here)

  Visual Contrast Sensitivity Test

Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker, creator of SurvivingMold.com and a “father” of mold toxicity recovery invented the “Visual Contrast Sensitivity” test  to measure of one of the neurologic functions of vision called contrast.

In his years of work with patients recovering from mycotoxin illness, Dr. Shoemaker realized a key theme his patients shared was poor “contrast sensitivity” in their vision.

His online test can help individuals further identify potential exposure to neurotoxins, biotoxins, and nutritional deficiencies in the body. These compounds have been implicated in diseases such as ADHD, CFIDS, fibromyalgia, mold illness, and Lyme disease.

It’s not the “end all, be all”, but can be part of a comprehensive work up.

  Beyond Testing

While testing can be a helpful piece of the puzzle to identifying and confirming CIRS and mycotoxin illness, it’s vital to remember, testing is not the “end all, be all.”

As a functional medicine practitioner, I treat and empower individuals based on the person, not the numbers, and if empirical findings—such as your symptoms or lack of health improvement despite “doing all the things” (i.e. eating clean, working out, sleeping) are still present, then it is safe to assume that something is not right “under the hood.”

Check out the next post on my top ways to “treat” for mold and get rid of it! (So you can get on with your full, amazing life).

  References

Winnie Pui Pui, Liew & Sabran, Mohd Redzwan. (2018). Mycotoxin: Its Impact on Gut Health and Microbiota. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 8. 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00060.

Brewer JH, Thrasher JD, Hooper D. Chronic illness associated with mold and mycotoxins: is naso-sinus fungal biofilm the culprit? Toxins (Basel). 2013 Dec 24;6(1):66-80. doi: 10.3390/toxins6010066. PubMed PMID: 24368325; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3920250.

The post How to Test for Mold Illness in Your Body  appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

Source/Repost=> https://drlauryn.com/wellness-knowledge/how-to-test-for-mold-illness/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/ How to Test for Mold Illness in Your Body  via http://drlaurynlax.tumblr.com/

#Brian C. Dates #BrianDates #Holistic #Nutrition #Therapy #Recovery #Functional #Medicine

[clarencebfaber]

How to Test for Mold Illness in Your Body

Do you have mold illness?

Check out my top recommended testing methods to find out, including:

 Mold Toxicity Checklist

Mycotoxin Urine Test

Bloodwork

Gut Testing

Liver Function Testing

DUTCH Cortisol Hormone Test

Visual Contrast Sensitivity Testing

Mold Illness Refresher

Let’s briefly review Mold Illness 101 before diving into my top recommended tests to know what we are looking for in the first place.

 Mold illness or “mycotoxin illness” is a serious condition that is commonly referred to as “CIRS”—Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome.

 Unlike a disease—which is condition typically with a specific known cause and similar symptoms (such as insulin resistance, frequent urination and weight gain in people with diabetes)— a syndrome, like CIRS, is a much broader “collection of signs and symptoms” that may present differently in different people.

 Signs & Symptoms of CIRS

Common signs and symptoms of mold illness or CIRS include

Respiratory difficulties (difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, asthma)

Neurological symptoms

Sinus congestion and stuffy nose

Hair loss

Anxiety

Brain fog, confusion or memory loss

Difficulty concentrating

Morning stiffness, joint pain

Light sensitivity

Skin rashes

Red eyes, blurred vision, sweats, mood swings, sharp pains

Feeling lightheaded or dizzy

Appetite swings

Poor body temperature regulation,

Gastrointestinal problems (cramps, abdominal pain)

Weight loss or weight gain (unintentional)

Unusual skin sensations, tingling and numbness

 You may have several of these symptoms—or just one or two. The amount of symptoms don’t matter as much as the unrelenting poor health experienced because of them.

 Although these symptoms are also synonymous with other conditions often talked about in functional medicine—from “adrenal fatigue”, thyroid disorders to gut dysbiosis—the key distinguisher in mycotoxin illness or CIRS is often times, these are often the patients who do not “get better” once commencing a protocol.

 Buttttt….how do you know if you really have “mold illness” or CIRS—or you’re just feeling out of sorts? What tests can you do to reveal true illness

 There are a handful…

 Mold Toxicity Checklist

Aside from identifying your symptoms, answer “Yes” or “No” for the following questions (adapted from Environmental Health Center).

 Yes or No?

Do musty odors bother you?

Have you worked or lived in a building where the air vents or ceiling tiles were discolored?

Have you noticed water damage or discoloration elsewhere?

Has your home been flooded?

Have you had leaks in the roof?

Do you experience unusual shortness of breath?

Do you experience recurring sinus infections?

Do you experience recurring respiratory infections and coughing?

Do you have frequent flu-like symptoms?

Do your symptoms worsen on rainy days?

Do you have frequent headaches?

Are you fatigued and have a skin rash?

 If you answer “yes” to 4 or more, your CIRS-like symptoms may have some more merit.

 Mycotoxin Urine Test

Mycotoxin urine testing is a relatively newer form of testing that can reveal the release of toxins in the urine. If you really suspect mycotoxin illness from molds to be at play, this test can yield highly insightful information for putting your puzzle together.

 Some key detected mycotoxins include:

Ochratoxins

Aflatoxins

Trichothecenes

Glicotoxins

 Recommendation:

Great Plains Urine Testing (Order Here on behalf of Dr. Lauryn Lax, OTD).

 *Note: Sometimes false “negatives” can occur with urine testing since some patients are unable to detoxify in the first place. In order to get the most accurate results, I recommend using high dose glutathione + NAC for 5 to 7 days prior to conducting your urine test in order to encourage elimination and detoxification.

 My preferred formula is Trizomal Glutathione by Apex Energetics, which includes both NAC and glutathione. Take 1 tsp 3 times per day for 5 to 7 days.  It is tough to find online, but if you call the company directly at 949-251-0152, request a bottle be sent to you on behalf of Dr. Lauryn Lax.

 Bloodwork

Bloodwork doesn’t always tell the whole story of CIRS or mycotoxin illness, but certainly can point to markers of inflammation and immune dysregulation.

 Unfortunately, many patients consult with their conventional medical practitioners and are told, “Your lab tests are normal”, but have not ordered more specialized tests that help look deeper into mycotoxicity and inflammation.  Helpful markers and their normal ranges for assessing mycotoxin illness include:

 Specialty Mycotoxin Blood Tests

Elevations in the following markers point to mold toxicity

VIP (normal range: 23-63, only available by ARUP Labs)

MSH (normal: 35-81)

MMP-9 (normal: 85-332)

C4a (normal: 0-2380)

TGF-beta-1 (normal: <2380)

Leptin (Male: 0.5-13.8; Female: 1.1-27.5)

HLA-DR (the gene that 25% of the population has, making them more susceptible to mycotoxicity; can only be run by LabCorp)

  OTHER LABS

Other labs that may be “off” on general lab work include:

 Complete Blood Count

Red Blood Count low (normal: 4.40–4.90 x 106/µL)

White Blood Count low or high (normal: 5.0–0 x 103/µL)

 Methylation Markers

MMA high (ideal < 300 nmol/L)

Folate low (ideal > 8 μg/L)

 Bloodsugar Markers

Glucose low or high (normal fasting: 75-85, normal 1-2 hours post-meal: 110-140)

HgbA1C high (normal 4.6–5.3%)

 Liver Enzymes

AST high (normal: Male: 0–25 IU/L; Female: 0–23 IU/L)

ALT high (normal: Male: 0–26 IU/L; Female: 0–20 IU/L)

 Nutrient Markers*

Zinc (often low)* (normal: 81–157 µg/dL)

Copper* often high (excess copper can lead to low zinc) (normal: 81–157 µg/dL)

Iron high or low (ideal: 40–135 µg/dL)

Ferritin high (Male: 30–200 ng/mL; Female: 30–100 ng/mL)

Vitamin D low (normal: 35–60 ng/mL)

 *Urine testing via NutraEval (Order Here and search for “NutraEval FMV by Genova)

 Inflammatory Markers

Total Cholesterol high (normal: 150–220 mg/dL for males; 150–230 mg/dL for females)

LDL Cholesterol high (normal: 0–140 mg/dL)

C Reactive Protein (CRP) high (normal: 0–1 mg/L)

BUN high or low (normal: 13–18 mg/dL)

Creatine low (normal: Male: 0.85–1.1 mg/dL; Female: 0.7 – 1.0 mg/dL)

 Hormone Markers*

*Hormone markers can be a sign that something more is going on “under the hood.” Inflammation from mold toxicity and CIRS can drive hormone imbalance. Since hormones are the “key messengers” made by our glands to regulate body functions, if our hormones are “off”, they may perpetuate the symptoms of CIRS.

 PTH elevation (normal: 10-35 pg/mL

T3 (Thyroid Hormone) deficiency (normal: 2.5–4.0 pg/mL)

Testosterone deficiency

Progesterone deficiency

Estrogen dominance or deficiency

 Bloodwork out of the norm in several of these areas may indicate imbalance.

  Gut Testing

A bi-directional relationship exists between mycotoxins and gut microbiome—mycotoxicity can impact and worsen our gut health, just like poor gut health can make one more susceptible to mycotoxicosis (1)—creating the “perfect” storm.

 On this note, it’s critical to realize, “mold illness” does not just happen from mold alone. Other pathogens that cause the same symptoms as mold illness include:

 Bacteria & bacterial infections (like Babesia and Borrelia)

Fungi

Mycobacteria

Mold

Mold spores

Endotoxins (aka lipopolysaccharides, or LPS; cell wall components of gram-negative bacteria)

Inflammagens (irritants that cause inflammation and edema)

Beta-glucans (sugars that are found in the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, algae, lichens, and plants)

Hemolysins (toxins produced by bacteria that can destroy cells)

Volatile organic compounds

 The key theme behind all of these? They affect your gut!

 Your gut microbiome is home to 100 trillion microorganisms (gut bacteria). The healthier your gut bacteria, the healthier you are! The sicker or more pathogenic your gut bacteria, the sicker you are!

 It’s no wonder that candida (fungal overgrowth) and sinus congestion (from fungi and mold growth in the nose—part of the nasal microbiome) are common in those with suspected mold toxicity or CIRS (2).

Given that approximately 80% of your immune system is produced and housed in your gut, a “strong” gut filled with diverse, healthy gut bacteria helps boost your immune fighting defenses to weather the storm of mold and mycotoxin exposure. However, if your gut is infiltrated by pathogens—and not enough “man power” to weather the storm, eventually your gut microbiome profile can shift, resulting in an unhealthier gut…and an unhealthier you.

 Recommendation:

Comprehensive Stool Analysis + Parasitology x 3 (Doctor’s Data) (Order Here)

 Liver Testing & Symptom Checklist

In addition to your gut, your liver—your body’s “chemical processing factory” and recycling system—also plays an important role in guarding against mycotoxin and mold illness. Consider your liver your “defense” for mycotoxin and mold exposure. A sluggish or overworked liver can equally wreak havoc on your health and make you susceptible to mycotoxin illness

 Liver Checklist

The best way to assess for liver dysfunction is a combination of blood markers and symptoms. Common liver malfunction indicators include:

 Nausea

Sensitive to chemicals (perfuma, cleaning agents, etc.)

Bitter/metallic taste in mouth

Headache over the eyes

Easily motion sick

Itchy skin

Jaundice colored skin/eyes

Swelling (abdomen, legs, ankles)

Light or clay colored stools

Greasy or shiny stools

Constipation

Easily intoxicated

Hormone imbalances (PMS, PMDD, irregular menses)

Glucose/blood sugar imbalances (hypoglycemia in particular)

Brain fog

Nutrasweet/artificial sweetener consumption

History of antibiotics, birth control or long term medications

 Liver Function Blood Markers

ALT: High

AST: High

GGT: High

LDH: High

Alkaline Phosphatase: High

  Cortisol Hormone Testing

Your CNS (central nervous system) is your “stress response system.” When functioning properly, your body is able to overcome stress. If malfunctioning, chronic illness and uncontrolled inflammation happens. Swelling of the brain and “stress response” system can lead to changes in nerve endings and interfere with the electrical signaling to all functions of the body. Enter: The unrelenting CIRS symptoms that persist for those who suffer from mycotoxin illness.

 Cortisol hormone testing can give you a clearer picture of where your “stress hormones” are at, along with neurotransmitter function that play a role in controlling inflammation and stress in the body as well—such as dopamine and serotonin.

 Note: NOT all hormone testing is created equal. While bloodwork is great for assessing sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone), it is not great at cortisol testing.

 Cortisol is a constantly changing hormone throughout the day. Therefore you need to collect multiple samples in a given day via urine and saliva in order to see an accurate pattern for your body. In addition, not all urine and saliva tests are created equal! Most tests measure either one or the other—leaving you with only partial results. Most tests also only measure “free cortisol”—NOT metabolized cortisol. However, free cortisol only makes up less than 3% of all cortisol in your body.

 For these reasons, to date, the gold standard for cortisol hormone testing is the DUTCH test—which uses both urine and saliva testing, and measures both free and metabolized cortisol.

 Recommendation:

DUTCH Cortisol Hormone Testing (Order Here)

 Visual Contrast Sensitivity Test

 Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker, creator of SurvivingMold.com and a “father” of mold toxicity recovery invented the “Visual Contrast Sensitivity” test  to measure of one of the neurologic functions of vision called contrast.

 In his years of work with patients recovering from mycotoxin illness, Dr. Shoemaker realized a key theme his patients shared was poor “contrast sensitivity” in their vision.

 His online test can help individuals further identify potential exposure to neurotoxins, biotoxins, and nutritional deficiencies in the body. These compounds have been implicated in diseases such as ADHD, CFIDS, fibromyalgia, mold illness, and Lyme disease.

 It’s not the “end all, be all”, but can be part of a comprehensive work up.

  Beyond Testing

While testing can be a helpful piece of the puzzle to identifying and confirming CIRS and mycotoxin illness, it’s vital to remember, testing is not the “end all, be all.”

 As a functional medicine practitioner, I treat and empower individuals based on the person, not the numbers, and if empirical findings—such as your symptoms or lack of health improvement despite “doing all the things” (i.e. eating clean, working out, sleeping) are still present, then it is safe to assume that something is not right “under the hood.”

 Check out the next post on my top ways to “treat” for mold and get rid of it! (So you can get on with your full, amazing life).

  References

Winnie Pui Pui, Liew & Sabran, Mohd Redzwan. (2018). Mycotoxin: Its Impact on Gut Health and Microbiota. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 8. 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00060.

Brewer JH, Thrasher JD, Hooper D. Chronic illness associated with mold and mycotoxins: is naso-sinus fungal biofilm the culprit? Toxins (Basel). 2013 Dec 24;6(1):66-80. doi: 10.3390/toxins6010066. PubMed PMID: 24368325; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3920250.

 The post How to Test for Mold Illness in Your Body  appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

Source/Repost=> https://drlauryn.com/wellness-knowledge/how-to-test-for-mold-illness/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/

How to Test for Mold Illness in Your Body via https://drlaurynlax.weebly.com/

#Clarence B. Faber #ClarenceFaber #Holistic #Nutrition #Therapy #Recovery #Functional #Medicine

[takenews-blog1]

#OnePlus 5T #Star Wars #Limited Edition Launched in India at Rs. 38,999

New Post has been published on https://takenews.net/oneplus-5t-star-wars-limited-edition-launched-in-india-at-rs-38999-2/

#OnePlus 5T #Star Wars #Limited Edition Launched in India at Rs. 38,999

The OnePlus 5T Star Wars Restricted Version mannequin was launched within the Indian market forward of the discharge of Star Wars: The Final Jedi, the most recent installment within the film franchise. The brand new OnePlus 5T variant is the most costly OnePlus smartphone within the nation but, and options just a few customisations that distinguish it from the usual model of the handset. These embody a white again panel with a Star Wars emblem on it, a purple Alert Slider, 10 preloaded wallpapers, and different software program customisations. The corporate has additionally bundled a rugged case with the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Restricted Version, one that’s designed after Kylo Ren’s helmet from the film.

Star Wars: The Final Jedi Spoiler-Free Assessment

Getting actually geeky, OnePlus explains the Sandstone White again panel of OnePlus 5T Star Wars Restricted Version smartphone is impressed by the white-coloured salt plains of the mineral planet Crait, featured within the film. The purple of the Alert slider relies on the red-coloured mineral mined on the planet. The field – which additionally options Star Wars branding – additionally incorporates Star Wars stickers, aside from the usual OnePlus ones. Lastly, there’s a customised theme with purple accent, black and white colors.  The Star Wars partnership for the OnePlus 5T Restricted Version is barely in India and some Nordic areas, OnePlus stated, akin to Denmark, Finland, and Sweden.

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The OnePlus 5T Star Wars Restricted Version value in India has been set at Rs. 38,999. The smartphone will solely be accessible in an 8GB RAM and 128GB inbuilt storage variant, with OnePlus selecting to forego the 6GB RAM and 64GB inbuilt storage variant. This makes it Rs. 1,000 costlier than its common version counterpart.

As for availability, the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Restricted Version went on sale from midnight (12am IST) of Friday, December 15 – the identical day that Star Wars: The Final Jedi launched within the nation – by way of Amazon India and OnePlusStore.in. It’s going to even be accessible by way of OnePlus Expertise shops in Bengaluru and Noida, whereas shares final.

OnePlus additionally stated it would maintain pop-up occasions in 9 cities throughout India. Customers will have the ability to expertise and buy the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Restricted Version on the pop-up shops throughout 6 cities in India on December 16 and 17 – Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Kochi, Mumbai, and Pune. Hyderabad and Kolkata may also have their very own pop-up shops. Venues can be detailed on the corporate web site.

Again panel of OnePlus 5T Star Wars Restricted Version

As for launch presents, and as part of the corporate’s anniversary celebration in India, all OnePlus patrons can be eligible for zero price EMI, Rs. 2,000 additional off on the alternate of any OnePlus gadget and Rs. 1,000 additional off on the alternate of every other gadget. Moreover, Axis Financial institution debit and bank cards customers are eligible for a Rs. 1,500 instantaneous low cost on buy of any OnePlus gadget, together with the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Restricted Version. Patrons may also be eligible for a complimentary 12-month Unintentional Harm Insurance coverage by Servify on downloading the Kotak 811 financial savings account and activating it with an preliminary deposit of Rs 1,000 within the introductory interval.

Thought customers shopping for the OnePlus 5T Star Wars mannequin will get 2GB knowledge per day, up from 1.5GB a day, on a recharge of Rs. 357. This provide can be relevant on 18 recharges. Prospects are additionally eligible for 1 yr of free membership of Zomato Gold — the newly launched premium subscription providing from Zomato. All of the above talked about anniversary presents can be found until December 19, 2017. Utilizing the Amazon Prime Video app on the handset will get patrons Rs. 250 as Amazon Pay stability cashback, whereas Rs. 500 can be offered as Kindle eBooks promotional credit on utilizing the Kindle app.

OnePlus 5T Star Wars Restricted Version specs The OnePlus 5T Star Wars Restricted Version is equivalent to the common version by way of specs. The twin-SIM (Nano) OnePlus 5T runs OxygenOS based mostly on Android 7.1.1 Nougat. It bears a 6.01-inch full-HD+ (1080×2160 pixels) Full Optic AMOLED with an 18:9 facet ratio, 401ppi pixel density, and a couple of.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 safety. The show additionally helps sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts. It’s powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 835 SoC, clocked at as much as 2.45GHz, paired with both 6GB or 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM.

The OnePlus 5T bears a twin rear digicam setup, with one being 16-megapixel Sony IMX398 sensor with 1.12-micron pixels, an aperture of f/1.7, and a focal size of 27.22mm, whereas the opposite is a 20-megapixel Sony IMX376Ok sensor with 1-micron pixels, with the identical aperture and focal size. The rear digicam setup is accompanied by dual-LED flash. OnePlus 5T’s entrance digicam sports activities a 16-megapixel Sony IMX371 sensor with 1-micron pixels and an aperture of f/2.zero.

The Kylo Ren helmet-inspired case bundled with the OnePlus 5T

The OnePlus 5T Star Wars Restricted Version comes with 128GB of inbuilt storage. Connectivity choices embody 4G VoLTE, dual-band (2.4GHz, 5GHz) Wi-Fi 802.11ac with MIMO 2×2, Bluetooth v5.zero with aptX and aptX HD, NFC, GPS/ A-GPS, three.5mm audio jack, and a USB Sort-C (v2.zero) port. Sensors on board the OnePlus 5T embody an accelerometer, ambient mild sensor, digital compass, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and an RGB sensor. It additionally bears a fingerprint sensor on the rear panel. It’s powered by a 3300mAh non-removable battery, weighs 162 grams, and measures 156.1x75x7.3mm.

#Amazon India #Amazon OnePlus 5T #OnePlus 5T Offers #oneplus 5t price in india 38999 star wars customisations limited edition launch offers oneplus 5t star wars limited edition #OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition #OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition Price in India #OnePlus India #Star Wars