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3laalhuda · 4 years

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Pandemic

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual.

Galileo Galilei

We live in amazing times! The world is put into quarantine, and fear and panic are being actively instilled into every mind through mass media and government activities. Yet, every person with a scientific background is scratching their head in bewilderment, because the cause of this 'pandemic' (the coronavirus) cannot be a real threat to humanity. In fact, it is not strong enough to be of any threat. Most deaths, assigned to this virus, are dubious to say the least: these are largely elderly people, who were ready to die anyway from a pre-existing chronic health condition, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and autoimmune illness. Many (if not the majority) of these people did not have any specific tests proving that they died from coronavirus; it was simply assumed that they died from this virus based on their symptoms. It is quite common for a gravely ill person to finally succumb to a common cold, flu or pneumonia, because their immune system is not working well and the body is naturally winding down. Everybody dies eventually, death is a fact of life, and there is a typical daily death toll around the world, fluctuating up and down with seasons. If one took all deaths, that happened in a particular hospital in one month, and blamed them all on a virus, then we can 'create' any pandemic.

What about young people and children? Healthy people without chronic health problems, if infected with coronavirus, have either no symptoms at all or go through ordinary symptoms of a common cold. Unfortunately, many young and middle-aged people in the modern world live on processed and low-fat foods, which undermine their immune systems. That is why we have some statistics of younger and middle- aged people getting seriously ill, because these people damage their health daily by their food choices. But these statistics to not amount to anything out of the ordinary; they are the same as any statistic of people dying every winter from common colds and flu. When it comes to older people, apart from poor diet, there is another factor to remember: majority of them are taking statin drugs to reduce their blood cholesterol levels. Statins make human immune system disabled, so it cannot deal with any infection properly.

Testing for viruses is expensive and not common. It is not clear what tests have been used in all the claims of 'coronavirus deaths', so we cannot say with absolute certainty what exactly caused those deaths. But, leaving all that aside, the numbers of people getting seriously ill or even dying do not justify the worldwide panic and hysteria we all find ourselves in the midst of. It is completely out of proportion! Has the whole world lost its sanity? The fear is palpable everywhere, particularly in any mass media outlet.

History shows that the biggest enemy of humanity is not a virus, or a bacterium, or any other microbe. Our biggest enemy is FEAR! Fear destroys our immune system, creates chronic illnesses in the body, destroys our relationships with other people and scares us away from Mother Nature. In short: fear destroys our lives! This 'pandemic' is one of the biggest exercises in mass fear whipped up in recent times, and it is bewildering just how successful it is!

There is no such thing as free media, all media is tightly controlled by those in power. Try to put yourself in their position: if you were in charge of a large population of people and you wanted them to behave a certain way, wouldn't you control media first and foremost? Of course, you would! Ruling people is impossible without controlling their minds. Every king, every emperor, every dictator and every government, worth their salt, have known this for millennia. The real facts about coronavirus are completely out of proportion with the mass hysteria, the pandemic of panic and fear created by the world media. Who is ordering the media to do this? Why are they doing this? What is the real agenda behind the coronavirus? These are the questions many people are asking.

Perhaps it is time for us to re-read Harry Potter by J. K. Rolling. If you only watched the films, please read the books, as films can never give full justice to the books. If reading is not to your liking, I invite you to listen to the audiobooks, recorded beautifully by a British actor Stephen Fry. J. K. Rolling has given a good description of what mass fear does to humans. The whole 'coronavirus pandemic' looks like a smoke screen. What real action is happening behind that screen, something we are not supposed to know? There are many opinions and conspiracy theories flying around, proposing different scenarios for that real action. Is there a 'you know who' or 'Voldemort' there, busy with his evil plans? Perhaps, there are several Voldemorts with their entourage of 'death eaters'? What are they up to? It may become clear at some point, but at the moment there is something more important for us to understand. Albert Einstein has observed with great sadness what was happening in Germany during the second world war. The atrocities of that war demonstrated clearly what frightened humans are capable off, and how easily they are manipulated. He summed it up with a phrase, that has become a famous quote: 'He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice.' Let us start thinking for ourselves, as the real truth always exists at grass roots, in the 'humble reasoning of a single individual'. 'Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.' - states another quote by Albert Einstein. Perhaps, it is time for us to stop obeying blindly and to start using our minds and our hearts? And, perhaps, we should teach our children to do the same?

So, what should we do at this bewildering time? Here is what I suggest.

Stop eating foods which destroy your immune system! These foods are: breakfast cereals, conventional bread, sugar, pasta, everything else made from flour and sugar, vegetable oils and everything cooked with them, Western soy products, all soft drinks and beer, all processed 'foods' and snacks, butter replacements, margarine and all low-fat 'foods', all pre-prepared and take away meals, all food additives and E-numbers. Instead, eat fresh eggs cooked in animal fat, bacon, fatty meats, oily fish, freshly prepared vegetables, liver pate and liver cooked any other way, other organs of animals (kidneys, tongue, tripe, lungs, brains). Make meat stock at home from gelatinous meats (feet, necks, heads, offcuts, skin, bones, joints, tails and other less-expensive parts of animals and birds). Make soups with this stock and eat all the meats on the bone, including the bone marrow. Make kefir, yogurt, sour cream and cottage cheese from raw organic milk. Eat plenty of raw organic butter and sour cream. If you cannot get raw milk, buy high-fat traditional cheeses, sour cream and natural butter. Make sure that every meal is rich in animal fats (beef, pork, lamb, duck, goose, chicken fat, butter and ghee). Eat fermented foods. Cook your food at home from fresh ingredients. These foods will keep your immune system so powerful and robust, that you will be able to forget about any infection and enjoy your life.

Stop washing your hands with antiseptic and sterilising lotions and potions! You are damaging your bodily microbial community, which is your most fateful ally against any infection! Instead get some soil on your hands! Dig up that useless lawn in front of your house and start growing vegetables and medicinal herbs. Lawns have become important contributors to the damage we, humans, are doing to our planet. Start taking part in reversing that damage! Get in contact with animals: cats, dogs, horses, cows, goats, etc. They are wonderful at maintaining a strong immune system in us, humans. And they are wonderful at taking us out of fear and into love!

Stop wearing a mask! It is not protecting you from anything! In fact, it is accumulating large amounts of microbes and creating a perfect moist environment for them to proliferate. Pathogenic microbes, growing on your mask, produce toxic gases, which you are breathing in. instead, spend more time outside in the sunshine, working in your garden. The beautiful spring has started! It is time to plant, to create new life. If you live in a city, get up to the rooftop of your building and create a roof top garden. There is plenty of know-how for creating such gardens (online and in books). Working outside with soil and plants will lift your spirit, strengthen your immunity, fill your blood with oxygen (which destroys any infection) and fill you with love instead of fear. And it will make your nose, sinuses and throat produce lots of virus-destroying mucous. Keep blowing your nose and clearing your throat, while working in the garden. Through mucous production your upper breathing passages clean themselves up (removing toxins, pollution and microbes), making you much healthier in the process.

Stop hiding indoors!The quarantine, imposed upon us, has given us a perfect opportunity to commune with soil, sunshine, fresh outside air and other humans in our households. Communing and sharing with other human beings is the biggest privilege of our lives! In 'normal' times we often don't have time for this privilege, because we are too busy working, earning, etc. Working together in the fresh air and in the sunlight with your loved ones is a joy! They are not going to infect you with anything dangerous. Instead, infect each other with laughter, enthusiasm, positivity and sense of humour!

And finally, do not allow fear into your life! Fear is nobody's friend! Instead, fill your life with kindness, gratitude and love. Just look at Nature: the infinite perfection of every leaf, every blade of grass, every hair on your cat, every feather on a bird and everything in a human body could only have been created out of energy of Love.

Become a carrier of this energy, an agent of this energy for yourself and everyone around you, and your life will transform! Where Love rules, there can be no fear, no hysteria and no panic pandemic.

Legal disclaimer: this blog is not a call for civil disobedience. I have expressed my personal opinion in this text, and invite the reader to think for themselves.

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The Panic Pandemic

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ceciliatan · 4 years

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Duck Day 2019 Menu and Recipes

Our thanksgiving-day extravaganza is done, and as usual I’m posting a blog entry for posterity and my own reference so I can find these things again if I need them. :-)

We’ve done “Asian fusion” many times–it’s kind of corwin and my culinary wheelhouse–but this is the first time we really incorporated more filipino flavors.

First, the menu:

2019 Duck Day: Tour of the Eastern Rim of the Pacific (Tokyo, Shanghai, Manila, Palu)

“Sinigang” Amuse Tomato Dashi & Sake (Kubota Hekijyu junmai daiginjo) with a dehydrated mushroom chip powdered shoyu powdered tamarind

“Pu-Pu Platter” with Scorpion Bowl Curry puff with curry mayo Lumpia (traditional filipino fried spring rolls) Chicken wings with candied ginger and orange Pickles: honshimeji mushroom, yuzu-pickled napa Assortment of dipping sauces

“Adobo” served with Sapporo Premium duck confit adobo style (with soy, vinegar, garlic and ginger) with a duck-fat crisped potato and adobo-style vinaigrette tossed peas topped with crispy garlic

Zhajiang Mian (fried sauce noodle) homemade chewy wheat noodle with ground duck and bean paste sauce With shochu oolong hi-ball

Duck a l’kalamansi (filipino bitter orange) with Trimbach Reserve Gewurtzraminer Rice two ways Steamed bok choy and a caramel vinegar gastrique

Palate cleanser Yuzu sorbet with finger lime caviar, served with Kikusui Perfect Snow unfiltered sake

Dessert Saikyo miso ice cream With almond brown butter Sablé cookies Puffed rice And hot chocolate

Tea, Coffee, and Mignardise candied ginger almond coconut mango-marmalade thumbprint cookies almond brown-butter-chocolate cookies

Every year there ends up being something we forgot to serve. This year it was the matchstick carrots and cucumber that were supposed to garnish the zhajiang noodle! Ah well.

“Sinigang” Amuse

Tomato Dashi & Sake (Kubota Hekijyu junmai daiginjo) with a dehydrated mushroom chip powdered shoyu powdered tamarind

This dish combines two things. One is the idea of sinigang, which is a filipino tamarind-flavored stew/soup that often has fish, tomato, and onion. The other is the technique of mixing sake with a hot, intense broth to delicious effect. We learned this trick one wet, cold rainy afternoon while out day drinking with a chef friend-of-a-friend in the Akabane area of Tokyo. One of the places he took us was an oden (stewed fishball & tofu) shop where you could buy a one-cup sake. When you drank half your sake, for ten yen you could get them to top up the glass with the oden broth.

corwin made the broth by starting with our home-canned smoked tomato water (already one of the most umami-intense things we have), simmering it with kombu and bonito flakes to make it tomato dashi, and then going over to a friend/s house to borrow his Spinzall (food centrifuge) to clarify it.

For the tamarind flavor we put tamarind powder on the plate for folks to rim their glasses with. We also gave them the soup and the sake separately to mix as they liked. And also some powdered soy sauce we got as a parting gift at one of the fancy restaurants we ate at in Kyoto: Shimogamo Saryo.

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Some of the delights of #duckday2019

A post shared by Regis (@rmd1023) on Nov 28, 2019 at 9:49pm PST

Curry Puff corwin made the curry puff (karipap), startingwith making his own curry powder. He didn’t use the karipap recipe in Asian Dumplings but instead used his own biscuit dough recipe and it worked beautifully.

Lumpia It was my first time making lumpia. Lumpia is one of those foods that was at every filipino party we went to when I was growing up, but my family was never the one that made them. (We brought the pancit or the dessert.) It was traditional for the aunties to complain about what a pain they are to make, though. Well, now I know what they mean, but it is SO WORTH IT.

This is by far the weirdest dumpling skin or wrapper I’ve made yet. Andrea Nguyen’s ASIAN DUMPLINGS is my go-to book–she hasn’t steered me wrong, yet. The technique for making these involved picking up the entire blob of wet dough in your hand and them blopping it onto a slightly hot pan, and the smear you leave on the pan IS THE LUMPIA WRAPPER.

What I learned is if the pan is too hot is that it just sears the ball of dough in your hand but it doesn’t stick to the pan. This is bad. And if the pan isn’t hot enough, then it doesn’t work either. So there is a very narrow window where it works. I had to turn the burner on and off between each one and also dribble a little extra water into the dough before each one. What would work is I would make one, and when the pan was the right heat, the wrapper would release, and this would mean it was now the right heat for the next one to be made. I would turn off the heat, make the next one, let it cool for a few seconds in the pan and then have to heat it back up again to release it and be ready for the next one.

Here’s Andrea Nguyen’s short video on how to do it:

youtube

The filling I used was similar to the recipe in Asian Dumplings, but I replaced the carrot and bean with water chestnuts (and the ground meat was duck). If I do it again I’ll probably use pork and up the intensity of the spices/salt/fish sauce. It could use dried shrimp in the sauce.

Chicken Wings with Candied Ginger and Orange This was one of those ideas I had one day while we were out and I made a note in my phone months ago: what if instead of just having a chicken wing that was honey-glazed and chewy you could take that to the next level by having actual bits of candied ginger and candied orange rind in the glaze? I tested it last week and was very pleased with the results.

Although I candied my own ginger for the mignardise in this meal, I used some that I had bought at Cambridge Naturals for this recipe, and the candied orange rinds were some fancy artisanal ones corwin picked up at Formaggio. But I think Trader Joe’s or whatever would work just as well.

The first step is oven-frying the chicken wings as detailed by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt at Serious Eats (as in this recipe: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/01/hot-and-numbing-oven-fried-xian-chicken-wings-recipe.html)

I ran tests last week where I tried both spicing them with a technique as described in the Serious Eats article (toss the crispy wings in oil and then in a spice mix) and also by tossing them in a glaze. Turned out the way we liked them best was tossed in the spices and THEN dipped in the glaze separately. That was a little impractical for a large dinner party so I settled for brushing them with glaze and then sprinkling the chopped bits of candied ginger and orange rind on them. By not coating them completely in glaze, they retain more crispness.

Glaze: 1 cup orange juice 1 cup water quarter to half cup yuzu marmalade or other citrus marmalade quarter to half cup apple cider vinegar 1/8 to quarter cup brown sugar powdered ginger minced garlic

I am a little loose on the quantities in the glaze recipe because I think it really depends on how sweet the orange juice is and how sour the vinegar is — you just have to taste it to see if it’s what you want.

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Second course: “pu pu platter with scorpion bowl”. I reinvented the chicken wing for this, with candied ginger and orange rind. Curried duck puffs. And fried lumpia with ground duck and shrimp filling (Filipino spring rolls) which are the fiddliest thing I’ve ever made! But damn they came out great! #duckday2019

A post shared by Cecilia Tan (@ctan_writer) on Nov 28, 2019 at 10:18pm PST

“Adobo” served with Sapporo Premium duck confit adobo style (with soy, vinegar, garlic and ginger) with a duck-fat crisped potato and adobo-style vinaigrette tossed peas topped with crispy garlic

Adobo is a filipino dish that has more variations than there are islands. The common element seems to be the combination of soy, vinegar, and garlic. Some have curry powder, some have ginger, etc. Some stew chicken and pork together, some are just chicken. My family’s adobo was usually chicken, potatoes, and green beans, stewed together in soy and vinegar with garlic (and served over white rice).

To deconstruct it, corwin confit’ed duck legs sous vide with soy-vinegar-garlic-ginger in the bags. Then he shredded the meat and crisped it in cast iron, and served it with an adobo-flavored reduction, topped with crispy garlic. I boiled the potatoes in advance, then crushed them slightly to give them crisp edges roasted in duck fat. The beans in the dish I replaced by making a mix of bias-cut fresh snap peas and fresh snow peas tossed in a soy-vinegar-ginger-garlic vinaigrette.

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Deconstructed Filipino adobo. Confit duck with a soy-vinegar reduction and crispy garlic, duck fat crisped potato, and fresh snap pea in adobo-style vinaigrette #duckday2019

A post shared by Cecilia Tan (@ctan_writer) on Nov 28, 2019 at 10:21pm PST

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Poultry differently. #duckday2019

A post shared by Liz LaManche (@liz_lamanche) on Nov 29, 2019 at 10:55am PST

Zhajiang Mian (fried sauce noodle) homemade chewy wheat noodle with ground duck and bean paste sauce With shochu oolong hi-ball

Normally we do a lot of wine pairings, but a lot of wines just don’t pair with these strong and tangy flavors as well as other alcohols do.

For this one we made Chu-hi, which is the Japanese shochu high ball, using dark pearl oolong tea and a whiskey-like shochu called Gokoo that we first had at Momi Nonmi in Cambridge a couple of weeks ago. (It’s seriously great if you’re a whiskey drinker.)

For the wheat noodle we ended up borrowing a pasta extruding machine from our friends David and Diane. What was funny is when corwin ran our test, he made the dough way too dry, so the noodles came out very rough and odd-looking. But they were so tasty and the chewiness was really good, so we decided to just keep going and use them in the meal.

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Noodle extrusion experiment. I think the pasta is too dry….?

A post shared by Cecilia Tan (@ctan_writer) on Nov 25, 2019 at 9:53pm PST

The sauce I sort of improvised on some zhajiang mian recipes but I wanted something somewhat spicier to highlight the duck. (Among the ones I looked at: Woks of Life, China Sichuan Food.)

Sauce: 1 lb. ground meat — let sit in 1 tablespoon corn starch, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp white pepper, 1 tablespoon oil 15 minutes before starting

6 slices ginger, minced 6 cloves garlic, minced 6-10 fresh shiitake, chopped/minced

1/4 cup sweet bean paste 1/4 to 1/2 cup ground bean paste 1 tablespoon chili bean paste

1/3 cup dark soy sauce 1 cup water

Soften the ginger and garlic in the oil and then brown the meat. Add the mushrooms after a minute or two, and once the meat is no longer pink, add all the wet ingredients and stir together to combine. Let simmer 15 minutes. Then add 1/2 cup water with 1 TBS cornstarch dissolved in it to thicken. If still too thin, simmer 5 more minutes.

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Zhajiang “fried sauce” noodles – homemade thick wheat noodle with ground duck and bean paste sauce. So happy with how this came out! #duckday2019

A post shared by Cecilia Tan (@ctan_writer) on Nov 28, 2019 at 10:24pm PST

This was the dish where I forgot the garnish! I have all these matchstick cut carrots and cucumber and I forgot entirely to put them on the plate! There’s always SOMETHING that gets left off.

Duck a l’kalamansi (filipino bitter orange) with Trimbach Reserve Gewurtzraminer Rice two ways Steamed bok choy and a caramel vinegar gastrique

This is basically duck a l’orange, which we’ve never done in all these years of making duck. Typically this comes out too sweet because people use regular oranges instead of bitter oranges. corwin ordered a bunch of kalamansi (filipino bitter orange) online, though, when he was getting our now-nnual yuzu order. This is also when he picked up the finger limes for the palate cleanser.

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Duck a l’orange done Peking style with calamansi oranges for a Filipino touch. #duckday2019

A post shared by Cecilia Tan (@ctan_writer) on Nov 28, 2019 at 10:25pm PST

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Yin yang rice. One of the elements of one of the courses. #duckday2019

A post shared by Cecilia Tan (@ctan_writer) on Nov 28, 2019 at 10:03pm PST

Palate cleanser Yuzu sorbet with finger lime caviar, served with Kikusui Perfect Snow unfiltered sake

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Palate cleanser! Yuzu slush with Australian finger lime caviar! And an unfiltered sake

#duckday2019

A post shared by Cecilia Tan (@ctan_writer) on Nov 28, 2019 at 10:28pm PST

Dessert Saikyo miso ice cream With almond brown butter Sablé cookies Puffed rice And hot chocolate

This dessert was inspired directly by Chris Chung at Momi Nonmi, who serves a saikyo miso ice cream regularly and damn, it’s good. Saikyo is a sweet miso, but it’s also salty, and the result is sort of like a butterscotch or salted caramel flavor. corwin made the ice cream and I made the almond brown butter sable cookies, and crisped the rice.

The crispy rice topping was probably the most work. You have to cook it three times: first you just cook the rice. Then spread it in pan and bake it until it’s dry (around 45 minutes at 250 degrees, IIRC), and then you deep fry it in small batches and spread on paper towels to dry. It kept crispy in an air tight container with some silica gel packs for a few days just fine.

The brown butter sables took some experimenting but I settled on was not only incorporating brown butter into the sable dough, but brushing the tops of the cookies before baking. Otherwise the brown butter flavor was too subtle. I made these by rolling a quarter of the dough into a log shape, letting it chill, and then slicing the log into circles.

I then used the other quarter dough to make these almond chocolate mignardise. (And the other half is still in the fridge waiting for me to do something with…)

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Inventing cookie recipes when I can’t find the exact thing I’m imagining. #duckday2019

A post shared by Cecilia Tan (@ctan_writer) on Nov 26, 2019 at 7:32pm PST

Tea, Coffee, and Mignardise candied ginger almond coconut mango-marmalade thumbprint cookies almond brown-butter-chocolate cookies

Candied ginger: I used Alton Brown’s recipe. If I do it again I’ll cut the ginger thicker.

Almond coconut mango-marmalade thumbprint cookies (GLUTEN FREE!) — I based these on this recipe by Texan Erin: https://ift.tt/34ySMcx Using the Trader Joe’s Virgin Coconut Oil gives them a really strong coconut flavor and scent.

I made the mango marmalade by taking yuzu marmalade we already had, and a mango that corwin’s mother mailed us from her yard in Florida that we had in the freezer (she sends a whole box and we don’t always get to eating them all before they start to go too soft). The frozen mango flesh doesn’t even need to be pureed — it’s basically mush — so I just cooked it down with the marmalade and a little extra sugar to combine them and thicken up.

These stay soft. They might have been slightly crisp at the edges right from the oven but they soften as they sit. Still delicious.

That’s all I can think of! Now I can close all my recipe tabs!

from cecilia tan https://ift.tt/2q3BVzo via IFTTT

#cecilia tan

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food-and-nutrition · 3 years

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7 different combinations for weight loss

For optimal health and maintaining healthy body weight, it is necessary for the daily caloric intake to be in an appropriate ratio in relation to proteins, carbohydrates, and fats that are the main source of energy for the body.

The percentage of mаcronutrients in the daily menu should be balanced (20-35% fat, 20-35% protein, 30-50% carbohydrates). In one meal it is possible to replace fats with carbohydrates or proteins or to replace carbohydrates with proteins or fats, but proteins must not be excluded from the diet!

Protein, carbohydrates, and fats are the basic macronutrients that release different amounts of energy.

Energy value of macronutrients:

Macronutrients Energy density (kcal / g)

Fat 9

Protein 4

Carbohydrates 4

The quality of the diet is assessed by the balance of nutrients, not just the type and energy value of the food.

If you follow this menu within 7 days and you also have some minimal physical activity, say 3 days a week, 1 hour of physical activity, I guarantee that you will lose weight. A healthy diet should become part of our daily routine, not just a time of year when we want to lose 3-5 or 10 pounds (because summer is coming).

The quality of life directly depends on the diet, so that an individual with good nutritional status has better health, more self-confidence, more concentration and of course better physical appearance, which is often the first reason for changes in diet.

Listed below are 7 different combinations for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Foods to eat:

Meat (any, the suggestion is not to overdo it with chicken), homemade soups, fresh or roasted vegetables, seeds, oatmeal, whole grain bread, chamomile tea, yogurt, almonds, hazelnuts, avocado, salmon fish, spinach, chard, ginger, eggs, cranberries, broccoli, green tea, garlic, fruits with a lower percentage of sugars such as berries, apple but not every day (avoid bananas, grapes, figs, peaches, watermelon - they contain a lot of sugar).

Foods to avoid:

Spicy foods, all kinds of sweets and snacks, fatty foods, alcohol, a lot of caffeine, it is best to prepare food at home with less oil or steam, to avoid ready-made sauces such as ketchup, mayonnaise, etc., carbonated drinks, fried foods, salty foods, delicacies and fruits that contain a high percentage of sugars.

Suggested menu for 7 days:

Let your day start with freshly squeezed lemon juice and water.

If you drink coffee immediately after waking up, wait at least 20 minutes after drinking the lemon juice.

Do not sweeten the coffee and do not add any additives (do not overdo it with coffee, two coffees a day are enough).

Breakfast is best served 1-2 hours after waking up. There should be a minimum of 3-4 hours between each meal so that the food can be processed well, not to eat largely meals, snacks are fine but only once a day, but not sweet or chocolate, but 7-8 almonds or hazelnuts or some fruits with a lower percentage of sugars.

When breakfast is not to large , do not wait to starve, eat the next meal (lunch) after 2-3 hours or include the snack here.

Be sure to drink water, at least 2 liters during the day.

Breakfast:

Combination 1: 2 slices of wholemeal (rye) bread, 2 boiled eggs, cucumber salad, and spinach.

Combination 2: oatmeal with yogurt, banana, and seeds (4 tablespoons oatmeal, 1 teaspoon flaxseed, 1 teaspoon sesame, and 1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds dip in yogurt, leave until oat flakes soften, then add finely chopped banana)

Combination 3: 2 egg omelet with spinach and broccoli along with two slices of wholemeal (rye) bread and fresh salad of your choice.

Combination 4: 2 pieces of wholemeal (rye) bread with avocado spread (mash 1 avocado with a little olive oil, garlic, salt, and a little lemon), combine with cucumber and tomato.

Combination 5: banana with seeds, honey, and coconut oil (1 tablespoon flax, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 7-8 almonds, a little dry cranberry, 1 tablespoon coconut oil). Chop the banana on wheels and then add the other ingredients.

Combination 6: smoothie with banana, yogurt, frozen fruit if desired, and 1 tablespoon oatmeal.

Combination 7: sandwich with wholemeal (rye) bread, 1 piece of mozzarella, avocado and cucumber.

Lunch:

Combination 1:

stewed beef (quantity is not limited) + fresh seasonal salad

Combination 2: cooked rice with vegetables (broccoli, carrot, spinach, etc.)

Combination 3: grilled salmon with garlic and lemon along with a fresh salad of your choice.

Combination 4: vegetable stew of your choice (you can make it like a turkey pan with more vegetables, but everything should be cooked with a little olive oil), add a little meat if desired and combine with fresh salad.

Combination 5: roast pork in combination with grilled or oven-roasted vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, carrots, etc.)

Combination 6: baked potatoes in a circle oven, topped with olive oil, and sprinkled with a little sesame, combined with fresh salad.

Combination 7: stewed beef or pork in combination with cauliflower puree + fresh seasonal salad of your choice.

Dinner:

Combination 1: 2 boiled eggs with a glass of yogurt

Combination 2: fried mushrooms and zucchini in olive oil (very little) + fresh salad of your choice.

Combination 3: vegetable soup (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, etc.)

Combination 4: roasted fish together with a fresh salad of your choice

Combination 5: cooked peas + salad of your choice

Combination 6: tarator (cucumber, yogurt, and garlic) with 1 piece of wholemeal (rye) bread.

Combination 7: fresh salad with seasonal vegetables, avocado, 10 almonds, flaxseed, season with lemon juice, olive oil, and Himalayan salt

You can combine the combinations as you wish. For example, from the combinations for breakfast, you choose combination 1, from those for lunch 3, and from those for dinner 4.

If you decide to try this challenge, I will be glad to write me a comment. Write me about what weight you started with and how many pounds you lost in 7 days and whether this diet made you feel better.

Do not forget the physical activity!

Good luck!

If you like it take a look at 12 tips for proper nutrition

#food #nutrition #heathy food #proper nutrition #healthy habits #weight loss

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greaseonmymouth · 6 years

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Thank you for answering my question! I've never heard of horse being used as a meat animal before (I'm from the U.S. and the concept of eating a horse is like... a last resort type of thing and not something that's done now), and cows just being kept for dairy. I'm gonna have to learn more about your food system, it sounds very interesting.

No problem, I'm happy to talk. :)Here in Denmark, where I live now, eating horses is pretty taboo so it's next to impossible to get hold of horse meat at all. (That horse meat scandal the UK had a few years ago? Yeah, we had that too.) mutton is expensive because Danes apparently hate nice food, and fish is expensive because...Danes don't like fish unless it's pickled herring, ugh. (I can't stand herring.) so what I eat meat-wise here is actually 90% chicken, 5% processed pork (chorizo, bacon, etc) and 5% beef on sale. When not eating meat, I get my protein from eggs, dairy, and beans/lentils w/rice. I could get pork, it's cheap, and Denmark is Pork Country, but I don't like pork, so.Icelanders eat a LOT of dairy. You *can* get beef and it's not like it's not produced at all, but when you already get much better meat from e.g. sheep, there's just no point in optimising beef production when you can put that effort towards dairy instead. (And tbh the best goulash is made with horse meat, not beef. Horse meat is much more tender than beef. Mutton does nicely as well.) And man, we eat and drink so much dairy. Even adults drink milk with their meals, not just kids. Milk, yoghurt, cheese, ice cream, butter, cream, skyr... like...I'm lactose intolerant, always have been, and as a child I laughed in the face of that and kept stuffing my face with ALL THE DAIRY EVER. A bowl of skyr with cream (or milk) on top with some blueberries if available is an entire meal in its on right, and we'd often just get that for lunch. Hell, I still just grab a bowl of skyr for dinner sometimes if I don't feel like cooking. I definitely have milk with my meals. I don't know what the statistics say, but it'd be difficult for an Icelander to not consume a single dairy product on any given day.Looking at the food history, all the traditional meat dishes that turn up are primarily mutton, pork and horse, and they're usually salted, smoked, pickled (in whey), or fermented. My favourite meat dish ever is actually salted horse meat (just...boiled, and served with boiled potatoes. You know that bit from CA: TWS when Steve says to Sam "we used to boil everything"? Yeah. We too.), and my second favourite is split pea soup with salted meat (the usual is salted pork but I prefer salted mutton. I've never been a big fan of pork.)And I talked specifically about livestock before, but hunting is still a pretty big deal - whale*, reindeer, fowl such as ptarmigan, goose, duck, and puffin are all meats eaten on the regular, though it varies from family to family and region to region. My mum's brothers A and Þ and my cousin S (A's son) usually go hunting once or twice a year, once for reindeer and once for ptarmigan. In some families ptarmigan is the main course for Christmas. (In mine it's smoked ham and a cut of mutton I don't remember the name for in English. It's a section of the sheep's back.) my dad's family don't hunt. I come from a family of fishermen (in Iceland, who doesn't?) so fish was always, always a staple. I like it best fresh, not salted or smoked (too strong flavours) and boiled and served with boiled potatoes, or minced into fish balls (meatballs, but with fish) and fried, or just filleted and fried in breadcrumbs, or in various types of gratin, etc. Cod, haddock, that big ugly looking fat "eel" with TEETH (what the fuck is it called in English? Wolffish? Anyway in icelandic it's ROCK BITER, that's how hardcore it is), those fishes that are like salmon but aren't salmon, are staples. Actual salmon is not, I guess there isn't much of that around? Idunno. I never had salmon in my life until I moved to Finland, where it (and other salmon fishes) are easily available and not all that expensive. Lobster (well, we call it lobster but I think in English it might be crayfish?) is pretty cheap and easily available as well. Shrimp too. Many kinds of seafood, really. In Denmark I don't get a fraction of the seafood I used to eat on the daily in Iceland because here it's rich people food, not poor people food.Like...look, back in the day when food was more scarce in Iceland and people had to be creative with what they had and utilise every single part of the animal, you just didn't slaughter the cow for the meat if the cow was still giving you milk. You instead ended up with dishes like cod cheeks (I think usually salted? I'm not sure, it's been literally decades since last I had cod cheeks), singed sheep heads, blood pudding, liver pudding, smoked cod roe, meat jelly made from boiling a pig's head, pickled ram testicles, fermented skate and the one that the Internet always likes to bring up every now and then: rotten shark. Well, I'm here to tell you that it's not actually rotten, but fermented. Not the same thing. Etc. Lots of different kinds of meet dishes that all come from sheep, horse or pork, plus lots of dairy + whey byproduct from dairy production that was used to pickle half those meats. So there just isn't much tradition for beef in the first place? We had all these sheep for eating (and bonus: wool + toys made from the bones and horns, leather from the skin, etc)! and practically, sheep are much much cheaper to raise than cows. Half the year you don't have to provide for them, just let them loose on the mountains and they'll fend for themselves and return in the fall super tasty from eating all sorts of grasses and plants. The texture of the meat is also fantastic, no doubt because the sheep get to actually...like...do stuff. Work those shanks. The rest of the year they're eating hay that you cut from the fields around the farm. (I'm no expert on this, so idk if Icelandic livestock gets fed other stuff in addition to hay these days? And sheep are really the overwhelming majority here.)WELL, ALL THIS FOOD TALK HAS MADE ME REALLY HUNGRY SO I'M GONNA GO MAKE DINNER. *(Please leave all whale hunting discourse in the bin where it belongs, please, I'm not interested. If you want to know: yeah, I do eat whale meat when given the opportunity (it's similar in texture to reindeer meat and not that different flavour wise either. If you're being served whale meat that smells/tastes of fish, it's gone bad and you shouldn't eat it) and I don't have anything against whale hunting.)

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psychonedashone · 4 years

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Group 5 (Petrache, Galuyo, Viaña, Torrejos, Acierto, Exconde, Bajade) part 2/2

Brgy. Malitlit, Sta. Rosa, Laguna

Centro De San Lorenzo Subdivision, Barangay Malitlit was very clean, spacious, and there were just a few people who lives there way back 1995. It is divided into four subdivisions: Phase 1-A, Phase 1-B, Phase 1-D and Phase 1-E. Back then, this subdivision only has one terminal for tricycle, and it is in Phase 1, that is why some residence in other subdivisions necessarily walk so far just to get from the commercial places like Enchanted Kingdom, Balibago, etc. We do not have much food restaurants inside the community as well as hospitals, so they needed to go to Bayan’s. The only hospital that is so close to the subdivision is the St. James Hospital located near Dita.

In Phase 1, the Casa Del Niño Montessori Santa Rosa is the only school inside our subdivision so many children’s and teenagers goes to Saint Michael’s College of Laguna in Biñan. Also, they do not have much food restaurants inside the community as well as hospitals, so they needed to go to Bayan’s to buy some essentials. The only hospital that is so close to the subdivision is the St. James Hospital located near Dita.

However, after five years, our community gradually improved up until now and it became better than before. There have been schools, primarily number one private schools throughout the subdivision – the Emmanunel Christian School. There is also a food stalls within each subdivision especially in Phase 1 and Phase 1-C. In the past, every feast, the clubhouse in Phase 1-C has a perya, but they had to remove it due to the complains of some people because there were a lot of fights that is happening before.

Most food stalls, dining and small cafes are built on Phase 1c and Phase 1, due to their large subdivision and are often visited by people because all the delicious foods and dining places were there, there are also mini groceries and much more. I'll mention the popular sites here in San Lorenzo Subdivision. First are the food stalls in the clubhouse, which is one of the best places to eat snacks, such as fishball, squidball, kikiam, kwekwek, turban, bananaque and other street foods like isaw, barbeque, etc.

Second are the fish markets – people usually go here early in the morning because they want to buy some fresh fish, porks, beef and the pig’s blood for dinuguan. Especially in Phase 1C because there are many fish markets in line. Third stand out places in our subdivision is what we called here carenderya or lutong ulam – it is very famous here because of its delicious recipe especially when it is 12 o’clock noon. Many people were buying and eating here and some of them were tricycle drives in the terminals, they really have a delicious dish.

The fourth famous spot here in San Lorenzo is the Phase 1C - Clubhouse. There is always a bunch of people there because of the basketball court, while some of them are playing volleyball. Sometimes, people rent the clubhouse for events like pageants, concerts, talent portions and graduations that is why there were so many people especially when there are events.

Fifth one is the clingy café in Phase 1C, they sell some nachos, fries, smoothies that is so very delicious. They also have a free card games that is why many people go there to hang up with their friends.Their foods are somehow pricey, but it is worth it. Also, there were milk tea shops nearby and the famous diner in 1C, the Pares ni Julas – bunch of people ate there every night because of its delicious beef pares.

Sixth is the Mini stop – this is the first big convenience store built inside the San Lorenzo Subdivision. People sometimes go here to hang up and eat with someone especially when it is in the middle of the night because the people inside our community love road trips and you can see it in Phase 1. And then, the unlimited buffalo wings, a lot of people go there because of its saucy chicken and spicy unli wings – it is located in Phase 1 main road near mini stop.

Lastly, the computer shops. Group of people always go there to play games such as DOTA, Rules of Survival, LOL, etc. Especially the boys, they even spend their whole day just to play games and some of the computer shops here in Centro De San Lorenzo do have a ps4 – “play station 4.”

Brgy. Concepcion, San Pablo, Laguna

Immaculada Concepcion Parish

It symbolizes the faith of the people living in Barangay Concepcion. It has a very peaceful ambiance to it. The church also has different organizations, like Youth for Christ which encourages the youth to join activities that’ll help them establish a deeper relationship with God.

St. Peter’s College Seminary

It used to be a killing field before it became a college seminary. Also, the reason why the land where the seminary is situated was donated was because of its bad luck. The seminary was named St. Peter’s College Seminary in order to emphasize the bond of faithful obedience that the diocese has always rendered to St. Peter the Apostle and to his successors. Back then the seminary only has one building for the college seminarians when there is no Senior High School yet, however, now they build another building for the Senior high that’s why they’re expanding. They used to accept senior high school students under the HUMSS strand but they will no longer be accepting senior high school applicants this year because of so many conflicts in the system.

Cusina de Sabang 602

It is a restaurant that serves “putok batok” cuisines such as lechon and patatim, what makes this restaurant a hit is that its location has an overlooking view of Bunot lake. The place was also windy that actually makes it the best place for wedding receptions, family gatherings, reunions and many more.

ABS-CBN Film Production chose this place for Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla’s movie, Barcelona: A Love Untold. It is said that many productions are asking for their consideration to film their movie in the place, however they declined it because they don’t want the place to be destroyed

Ella Isabelle’s Restaurant

It is a Filipino family style restaurant that serves a “lutong bahay” dishes so that eventhough you are not in your own houses you can still feel the vibe of a home when you eat

The inside of the restaurant is wonderful but the outside at night is marvellous. The lights are everywhere that will make you feel comfortable in any way.

This is just outside and near the St.Peters College of Seminary, that’s why most of the families go here after the mass because its’s near and more convenient.

Rizal, Laguna

When we hear the word Rizal, the first thing that comes into our mind is our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. What most people don’t know is that there is a small town in the province of Laguna, which is named after him. A small town with very few people, and lots of coconut trees.

The town of Rizal is known for various practices, but its most popular and oldest tradition is celebrating Christmas on January 6 and not December 25. Most Rizaleños do not wake up at 12 midnight of December 25 to eat their noche buena because they are used to celebrating Christmas at 12 midnight of January 6. During this time of the year, Rizaleños are accustomed to celebrating in the streets and drinking with their peers, and one drink that is famous among Rizaleños is lambanog.

Lambanog is a traditional Filipino drink made from coconut sap. Aside from being accessible, it is also very affordable that’s why it is loved by Filipinos especially by the masses. But recently, just before Christmas, several people from Rizal died because of methanol poisoning due to drinking lambanog. Because of this incident, the town went under the state of emergency and was banned from drinking lambanog.

Another tradition of Rizaleños is to hike the town’s most famous attraction, the Tayak Hill, during Lenten Season. Every Holy Week, locals and even tourists gather up the hill and stations of the cross are placed specifically for those who are willing to do it. In addition, families hike the hill during that time of the year as an annual rite or as the locals like to call it, “penitensya”. It takes about an hour and a half to get to the summit. At the top is a large white cross, a Noah’s ark, and a viewing deck where you get to see a very picturesque view that is perfect for selfies, groufies, and even photoshoots. The trail up to the hill is safe and child friendly for it has barriers that will prevent someone from falling.

Rizal may be a small town, but it is full of people who are very warm and welcoming. Their old traditions are what make the town and the people unique and different from others. So do not miss the chance to visit our small yet amazing town, Rizal.

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paulpowder2-blog · 5 years

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Episode 420 – Q&A with Robb and Nicki #13

We’re back with Robb and Nicki for Q&A #13. Listen in as we answer some of your submitted questions!

We’ll be switching to doing mostly Q&A episodes from now on, so hope you guys like these!

Show Notes:

1. [1:58] Electrolytes the whole time?

Rob says:

Question for you that I can’t seem to find an answer to anywhere else: do I need to continue to consume the high levels of electrolytes entire time I’m on keto? I am still doing it twice a day drink mix with about 2300mg Na, 350mg Mg, 1200mg K.

2. [4:14] Genetic Testing

Joseph says:

Robb and Nikki

I was wondering which genetic testing brand you recommend.

Joe

3. [6:00] FTO Polymorphism

Justin says:

Hi Robb and Nicki!

My wife and I both did our 23andme years ago but just recently ran it through Dr. Rhonda Patrick’s Genome Analysis Tool.

We both have FTO polymorphisms that put us at highest risk of obesity specifically from saturated fat consumption and it looks like high levels of saturated fat by itself even causes insulin dumps with this polymorphism.

I did not even realize this was possible I thought this could only happen with refined carbs. This is something that varies population wide but since we know we in particular have this polymorphism I have some questions about how to tackle this to feed my family of 4 with foods that are right for us.

At current just doing a paleo diet I have lost 40lbs, currently I’m down to 198. I run about 5 miles a week there isn’t a particular goal weight or strength level but for my height (5′-10″) it seems appropriate to be closer to the 160-175 range. Since we’re trying to do this as a family and I have young kids I’m not trying to put anyone on a “diet” just make sure they’re eating good foods when we’re at home where we have the most control of what’s around.

The Paleo template is working very well for us but with this new information I want to make sure we’re optimizing our food choices. My question comes in with foods I thought were very healthy and now I feel like may be healthy or benign for the general population but likely should be avoided by my family for example:

-Coconut oil

-MCT oil

-Pastured Beef (85/15)

-Pork

-Dark Chocolate

So three questions,

Should we be avoiding the above mentioned foods and shoot for higher levels of mono and poly unsaturated fats mixed with fish/chicken/turkey/93\7 beef?

What is a good target number of saturated fat in a day with this gene polymorphism for an adult to keep insulin levels healthy?

Since cutting those saturated fat levels down is going to cut a lot of calories should we be increasing carbs, mono/poly unsaturated fats, protein or a mix to make up the difference?

Thank you for your time and the work you do,

Justin

4. [12:50] Keto Masterclass/Labs

Chris says:

Hi Folks,

As a 38 year old male, I was curious your thoughts on a free T3 and Testosterone plummet on a low carb or ketogenic diet. My thoughts were not enough carbs? Or, because of the appetite suppressant effect of the diet, possibly not enough calories? I know tracking might shed light, but curious if there was an obvious solution and common finding here.

Many Thanks.

PS- all other markers have markedly improved.

5. [19:44] Omega-6 from nuts and avocados

Roberto says:

Hey Robb, just wanted to say that I am a huge fan of your work, and I have been following your podcast and blog since 2011. I really appreciate the research and information you are putting out there. Anyways my question is regarding Omega 6 from healthier sources such as nuts, seeds, egg yolks and avocados. I use to consume a large amount of almonds and Olive oil to maintain my weight but stopped after reading Dr. William Lands work on Omega 6 and Omega 3. I started going down the internet rabbit hole and before you know it I am at a Ray Peat forum where everyone claims any amount of Omega 6 will send you to an early grave! Since I am a follower of popular opinion, I switch most of my fat intake to highly saturated and almost instantly felt worse. After about a year on a high saturated fat diet my glucose was constantly higher, cholesterol levels increased and I looked like shit. I wasn’t as lean anymore and felt sluggish throughout the day.. I am really tempted to switch back to more of a mono/poly fat type diet, but there seems to be so much biochemical evidence against it. Walter Willet, seems to think it is not a problem, but Dr. Lands, Peatarians, Chris Masterjohn, Jaminet, etc., make such good cases. Although one could argue that most studies vilifying Omega 6 are actually showing the negative impacts of industrial seed oils instead of natural sources of Omega 6. Thoughts?

6. [24:58] Question about evolution to Nicki 🙂

KZ says::

Hi Nicki and Robb

Always love to listen to QA podcast, I can’t stop notice how Robb likes to geek out.

So how did you guys actually meet? What was Robb’s pick up line!

I am sure there is story there!

Where you can find us: YouTube Facebook Submit questions: https://robbwolf.com/contact/submit-a-question-for-the-podcast/

Download a copy of this transcript here (PDF)

Nicki: Are we still calling this the Paleo Solution Podcast?

Robb: Are we rolling?

Nicki: We are rolling.

Robb: We are noodling on a rebrand and part of the reason why we’re noodling on a rebrand is that we’re shifting probably 99.99999% of our stuff to Q&A. The author interview stuff, people generating books like I think we’ve really mapped that experience and folks were okay with it. It’s cool, but what we found is that people have specific questions about their individual needs and that that’s probably the place that we shine the most. Every once in a while if we find somebody that has some really cool stuff, like there are a couple of researchers have some amazing work that they’ve done that I definitely want to interview at some point. So we’ll weave a little bit of that in but mainly we’re shifting this around to a Q&A format and so we are thinking about some sort of rebrand. So we’ll think about that. And I do have my cup of happy.

Nicki: It’s my cup of happy. But you’re using it. That’s okay.

Robb: Well you won’t let me use the cup that I usually use because of what’s on it.

Nicki: All right let’s get going with question number one. It’s a question from Rob. Electrolytes the whole time. Rob says, “Question for you that I can’t seem to find an answer to anywhere else. Do I need to continue to consume the high levels of electrolytes the entire time I’m on keto? I’m still doing it twice a day, drink mix with about 2300 milligrams of sodium, 350 milligrams of magnesium, and 1200 milligrams of potassium.”

Robb: Yeah so in general if you’re on a ketogenic diet, and this is one of the features like if childhood epilepsy, ketogenic diet kind of scenario, they will be on a sodium enriched diet in particular and then try to get the magnesium of potassium as much as possible from dietary sources but the sodium is really the linchpin to that. I will say that over the course of time usually those needs decrease to some degree but there’s just a ton of variability built into that. Somebody on a low card or ketogenic diet needs more sodium. Period. But then anyone who is exercising, exercising in heat and humidity, the american council support medicine guidelines put the sodium needs between seven and ten grams per day for an average size person. So what we’re finding and this is completely self serving because we’re selling LMNT and so yeah it’s a completely self serving statement. But a ton of people are really under supplemented in sodium. And so that’s the longer answer. The short answer is yeah if you’re on a lower carb diet, you’re generally going to need to supplement over the long haul.

Nicki: Especially if you’re training.

Robb: Especially if you’re training or doing any type of. And again heat and humidity. I just got back from doing a training camp, Brazilian jiu jitsu down in Costa Rica. It wasn’t blazing hot but it was 85, 90 degrees non air conditioned facility.

Nicki: Three hours of training at a time.

Robb: Decent humidity three hours. And the folks that were not staying on top of the electrolytes supplementation specifically sodium were having bad cramping issues. And then when they addressed that not only was their cramping decreased but their fatigue and whatnot was improved so. Yeah.

Nicki: All right. Next question is from Joseph on genetic testing. “Rob and Nicki, I was wondering which genetic testing brand you recommend.”

Robb: Man I’m honestly not super well versed in this stuff. I know that 23 and me has been selling our data to like the FBI and CIA or something like that.

Nicki: Is that real?

Robb: Yeah it’s real. It’s a non fake news deal. But I figure at this point I mean just coming back into the country, like they scanned me and like body cavity searched and everything so I don’t know that I can.

Nicki: No escaping anything.

Robb: There’s no escaping. I think just a basic 23 and Me is pretty legit. I think that they generally do a good job and then there’s going to be a question here I think next on FTO polymorphisms. Once you get that basic report out of 23 and Me and it’s kind of cool for the ancestry and stuff like that. Like I’ve connected with some second cousins and some cool stuff like that. But then you can export that data into different platforms like Ronda Patrick’s Found my Fitness, DNA Fit is really quite good also. That one definitely looks more at kind of sports and performance metrics like are you fast or slow twitch. Do you tend to oxidize fatty acid or carbohydrates better. It goes pretty deep on that and does a reasonably good job. So I would start with just 23 and Me. Or if there’s another option out there that they are not selling your information to the government, and you’re into that tin foil hat kind of gig and trying to protect your individual identity and information, then search out one of the others but 23 and Me is just nice API. It’s easy user interface. All that type of stuff. So yeah.

Nicki: All right, so this next question is from Justin on FTO polymorphisms. He says, “Hi Robb and Nicki, my wife and I both did our 23 and Me years ago but just recently ran it through Dr. Ronda Patrick’s genome analysis tool. We both have FTO polymorphisms that put us at highest risk of obesity specifically from saturated fat consumption. And it looks like high levels of saturated fat by itself even caused insulin dumps with this particular polymorphism. I did not even realize this was possible. I thought this could only happen with refined carbs. This is something that varies population wide, but since we know that we in particular have this polymorphism, I have some questions about how to tackle this to feed my family of four with foods that are right for us. Currently we’re just doing a paleo diet and I’ve lost 40 pounds. And I’m down to 198. I run about five miles a week. There isn’t a particular weight or strength level but for my height, 5’10 it seems appropriate to be closer to the 160 to 175 range. Since we’re trying to do this as a family and I have young kids, I’m not trying to put anyone on a diet. Just make sure they’re eating good foods when we’re at home where we have the most control of what’s around.”

Nicki: “The paleo template is working very well for us but with this new information I want to make sure we’re optimizing our food choices. My question comes in with foods I thought were very healthy and now I feel like maybe healthy or benign for the general population but likely should be avoided by my family. For example, coconut oil, MCT oil, pastured beef, pork, dark chocolate. So three questions, should we be avoiding the above mentioned foods and shoot for higher levels of mono and poly unsaturated fats mixed with fish, chicken, turkey, and 93.7% beef? What is a good target number of saturated fat in a day with this gene poly morphism for an adult to keep insulin levels healthy? And finally since cutting those saturated fat levels down is going to cut a lot of calories. Should we be increasing carbs, mono poly unsaturated fats, protein, or mixed make up the difference. Thank you for your time.”

Robb: Holy smokes that’s a lot of stuff to unpack. So the first one should we be avoiding the above mentioned foods. One thing that’s important to take away with this stuff is although so like this FTO polymorphism definitely has some implications for like lipo proteins, the potential saturated fats don’t benefit insulin sensitivity, all of the studies that have been done are still typically within the context of a mixed western diet. Nobody is pumping folks with paleo type foods through this process. So do we get the same gene expression under those circumstances? And I think that that’s a valid question to ask although we do see some folks whether on the low carb side of paleo or straight into keto they have some squirrely stuff happen. Some elevated inflammatory markers. What I would do with this is actually get a baseline of what your lipo proteins and your lipo protein insulin resistant score is and we’ll put a link to that in the show notes. You can get that ordered through specialty health folks that we work with here in Reno.

Robb: But if you are insulin… let me back up with that. Doesn’t really matter where you are. But within that insulin resistance score, the lipo protein insulin resistance score in general lower is better in this regard. So but if you’re already 20 then like cutting it to 10 isn’t really going to be that big of a deal. But if you have an LPIR score of 80 then yeah we want to really look at stuff. But what I would do is get that as a base line so that then any tinkering that you do we actually can know that it’s benefiting you or potentially not benefiting you. You’ve already lost a bunch of weight which we know for a fact regardless of everything else that’s improved your insulin sensitivity. It’s decreased inflammatory markers, like that’s just a guarantee. But if we’re going to do additional tinkering then I would strongly recommend getting that LPRI score as a baseline. And again we’ll plug that into the show notes. I don’t remember off the top of my head so I would use that as a baseline and then all of these recommendations from there the good target for an amount of saturated fat for a day… I wouldn’t even know where to go with that.

Robb: I guess some of the even Cordain backed guidelines are somewhere between like eight to twelve percent of total calories and if you’re reading on the leaner side of the protein spectrum, more fish, more monounsaturated fats. That should be reasonably easy to get and yeah I mean if you are cutting so the third question if you got the saturated fat levels you probably will need to replace those calories to some degree. And just play with that again. Maybe you add some more paleo type carbs. Maybe you add more mono unsaturated fats. I probably about 60% of my calories from almonds right now. Blue Diamond Smokehouse almonds no less because I love the smoky saltiness. But again I would make the case that the tinkering is less important than having a baseline so we can assess what the tinkering does. Because that LPRI score again you will know what your LDL particle count is which is critical in that kind of cardiovascular disease story even though it’s not straightforward and simple at all.

Robb: It will tell you help us your insulin resistance score and then based off of everything that you do then we can assess that. And I think that this is one of the really dangerous things that happens where people say go do this. And it’s like well how are we going to assess whether or not that does anything for us, either good or bad. I’ve always liked how do you look, how do you feel, how do you perform. And then look at bio markers of health and disease. And we’ve been recommending that since like 2007 when we first started going on the road doing things and over the course of time our ability to do that under the hood look at specific bio markers that give us some good feedback has really improved. So the things that you ask Sarah are great questions. I don’t know which one specifically to do. All of them are fair game. Increasing monos, increasing carbs, decreasing the saturated fat levels, the saturated fat in coconut oil will almost certainly provide a different stimulus on that FTO gene versus say like the 85% lean beef. And certainly different than butter and cream.

Robb: So those are all things that you can tinker with and once you have that baseline then we can actually do some good assessment.

Nicki: What effects they’re having.

Robb: Yeah.

Nicki: Okay. Next question is from Chris on keto and labs. “Hey folks, as a 38 year old male I was curious your thoughts on a free T3 and testosterone plummet on a low carb or ketogenic diet. My thoughts are maybe not enough carbs. Or because of the appetite suppressant effect of the diet possibly not enough calories. I know tracking might shed light but curious if there was an obvious solution and common finding here. P.S. all other markers have remarkably improved.”

Robb: Tracking, that’s madness. Why should we know where we are to figure out where we want to go. That’s crazy talk. So you know the drop in T3 and just T3 in general is not surprising on a low carb or ketogenic diet. It may not in some situations we’ve seen that it may be consistent with some clinical problems. But also again self servingly to some degree we’ve noticed that a remarkable amount of the problems that pop up related to low carb and ketogenic diet is whether it looks like kind of hypothyroidism or adrenal fatigue like HPTA axis dis regulation is inadequate sodium and inadequate electrolytes. And then once people address that, three years ago I would have been much more reticent to recommend low carb or ketogenic diet to a various cross sections of people and just working with Tyler and Louise at keto gains. They just don’t experience all these crazy problems that everybody else does because they are neurotic on having appropriate calorie levels so to Chris’s point we don’t want to be low carb and hypo caloric which is why we do actually need to track and that’s why it says keto master class/lab. So if you’re doing the keto master class we tell you to track that damn stuff at least for a while.

Robb: So we do need to establish a baseline but then they are neurotic in tracking electrolyte levels. And I think that that ends up addressing most of the issues. So if we drop carbohydrate intake we don’t need as much thyroid because the thyroid is critical in carbohydrate processing. So whether or not that is manifesting in what we would characterize as like hypothyroidism like being cold, dry brittle nails, dry brittle hair, all that type of stuff. That’s something that we need to keep an eye open for and then similarly with the testosterone levels, we find that a lot of people the testosterone levels may drop but then it appears that the androgen receptor sites improve in efficiency so you may not need as much. So this is again where I would default back to some clinical manifestations like are you still waking up with some wood. Are you frisky? Do you maintain muscle mass? Like all that type of stuff. And for women, kind of the analogous thing. Like is libido okay? Are you feeling fatigued and lethargic? Or do you have good energy and you’re motoring along? But again I wouldn’t immediately ascribe problems to the low carb diet. I would ascribe problems first to potentially having inadequate sodium and electrolyte levels and then kind of going from there.

Robb: And if at the end of all this unwinding and tinkering, the person legitimately is just not functioning as well as they would like on a low carb diet. Like they have clinical manifestations of like low thyroid and low testosterone. Then by all means start reintroducing some carbohydrate into the mix. 50 grams a day is a start. Run with that for a couple of weeks. Maybe add 20 more grams a day. And play with that and usually that addresses things. But again I’ve been surprised and this is why it’s good to have a coach and why I work with Tyler and Louise with my stuff because they’re very knowledgeable with this stuff particularly on the coaching implementation level. I really under valued how important the sodium and electrolyte story was. And when I address that then a bunch of the problems that I had were addressed.

Nicki: But bottom line tracking.

Robb: Tracking.

Nicki: So we know that you’re getting enough calories in the first place like Rob said under eating calories and low carb.

Robb: Low carb plus low calorie is a great mix for breaking someone.

Nicki: And if you’re doing, you didn’t say whether or not you’re doing much training. And if you’re training hard and if you’re not supplementing with sodium that can get you in some hot water.

Robb: And again within all the stuff what is keto so for me throughout the course… and still going to work on my training update for year 47. I still have that in the works but I’ve been noodling on some pieces to that and one of them is that I just kind of naturally periodize my carbohydrate intake throughout the week. So Monday tends to be a pretty low intensity day as far as training. I might make it to the gym and do some low level cardio. I mean literally it’s like 140, 145 beat per minute type stuff. I might lift some weights but it’s low volume, low intensity. So on Mondays I’m pretty low carb. Like probably around 50 grams max for the day because I just don’t need more. Tuesday I coach jiu jitsu but it tends to be a very skinny class and so that day also tends to be pretty low carb. Wednesday I will either lift weights or do some conditioning and it usually is a little bit friskier on that day. It just kind of naturally plays out that day and also Thursday can be a pretty hard day of training. I coach that class but it seems like more people more big people, more crazy people show up for that day.

Robb: So Wednesday I start ratcheting things up, maybe about 75 grams of carbs. On Thursday it will vary as to how much I have based on the training day. But Friday and Saturday are like get after it days. Those are my hard training days and those days the carb intake may hit 120, 150 grams for those days. And then Sunday is kind of recovery day and I actually drop the carbs on that because I find I recover better on the lower carb side of things because it’s not a glycogen issue. It’s kind of a systemic inflammatory issue. So I kind of naturally periodize carbs throughout the week. But I’m still always in ketosis. So even this notion of what a ketogenic diet is, people need to be more flexible with that. And I do find spots where I need more carbs to kind of have that low gear and to not feel kind of systemically blown out afterwards.

Nicki: Okay. Let’s see. Our next question is from Roberto on Omega six from nuts and avocados. “Hey Robb, just wanted to say I’m a huge fan and I’ve been following your podcast and blogs since 2011. I really appreciate the research and information you’re putting out there. Anyways, my question is regarding Omega six from healthier sources such as nuts, seeds, egg yolks, and avocados. I used to consume a large amount of almonds and olive oil to maintain my weight, but stopped after reading Dr. William Land’s work on Omega six and Omega three. I started going down the internet rabbit hole and before you know it I am at Ray Peat’s forum where everyone claims any amount of Omega six will send you to an early grave. Since I am a follower of popular opinion I switched most of my fat intake to highly saturated almost instantly felt worse. After a year on a high saturated diet my glucose was constantly higher, cholesterol levels increased and I looked like shit. I wasn’t as lean anymore and felt sluggish throughout the day. I’m really tempted to switch back to more of a monopoly fat type diet but there seems to be so much biochemical evidence against it.”

Nicki: “Walter Willet seems to think it’s not a problem, but Dr. Lands.” What do you?

Robb: Pedatarian.

Nicki: Pedatarians. Chris Master, Jaminet, et cetera make such good cases although one could argue that most studies vilifying omega six are actually showing the negative impacts of industrial seed oils instead of natural sources of Omega six. What are your thoughts?”

Robb: Man it’s a really good question. And it pops up a lot and Roberto kind of hit it with that I really think that the studies are basically showing that industrial seed oils suck and other sources of Omega six are just really not, how do they say it, person of concerns. A molecule of concern. I talked to Matt Aland about this episode a lot and where this really becomes a big deal is if you have an adequate EPA and DHA as a baseline. Then these issues become a bigger problem. But then beyond that, and you know it’s funny because I vilify epidemiology on the one hand and then jump in and use some epidemiology but consuming nuts and seeds just like whether you’re paleo or vegan or fucking whatever, like nuts and seeds are pretty darn good. I think getting a variety of those and not being really super set in consuming too much of one variety even though I ate a shitload of Blue Diamond Smokehouse almonds. I eat the pants off those things. But I am just so unimpressed with the clinical and this again like we’ve talked a fair enough about labs and John Welbourne has looked at this where if he’s followed more of the super high saturated fat, low polyunsaturated fat intake and he feels like shit.

Robb: His blood values go kind of sideways. His good friend, Tom Inkladon which Inkie is kind of crazy. He’s crazy dude, super smart, but again and again he’s found that people that are really top heavy on the saturated fat like they end up just systemic inflammatory deal and like bad glucose disposal and everything. And so yeah I’m unimpressed with the argument to avoid nuts, seeds.

Nicki: Clearly you’re not feeling good. You’re not looking good. So clearly for you it makes sense to make shift. And try to get to where you’re feeling great in the morning. Your body composition is where you want it to be. Your numbers look good. I mean that in equals one scenario.

Robb: Yes, yeah, yeah. I think that there’s a lot to be said with that and again you know a way that you could get a really nice baseline on this is looking at that LPIR score which provides a marker of systemic inflammation called Glyc A which is so much better than a sea reactive protein. I’m going to have Dr. William Cromwell on. He will be one of the people that will probably interview a serially. Something I’ve noticed like Mike Rousha, there’s just a couple of people that provide so much value for folks when they listen because they’re just fucking on point and people always get something. So instead of a random grab bag, like in the interviews. I’m noodling are going to be more a curated process of people that just consistently provide value to the listeners and are really on point with stuff. So William Cromwell is going to be another person that will come on and talk about specifically why a glyce is so powerful as a marker of systemic inflammation. And again this is something that you can experiment with maybe you take a baseline out of your ray pedian kind of scenario and then alter it for a month, two months.

Robb: And then get a reassessment and I’ll go out on a limb and say that if you’re LPIR score improves, if your insulin sensitivity dramatically improves, if your gylce A improves, if you look, feel, and perform better I’m going to go out on a limb and say that that’s probably a net win all things considered.

Nicki: Okay. Let’s see. We got a question from Casey. A question about evolution to Nicki. “Hi Nicki and Robb, always love to listen to the Q&A podcast and I can’t stop noticing how Robb likes to geed out so how did you guys actually meet? What was Robb’s pick up line? I’m sure there is a story there.

Robb: We’re going to have to fire [inaudible 00:25:20] for letting this one make it in the Q&A.

Nicki: Okay. Let’s see here.

Robb: Do you want me to give the run down on this?

Nicki: How did we actually meet? So I was working in a coffee shop in Chico. Has finished school in San Diego, moved back closer to home to Chico. And the first time I met Robb the door to the coffee shop, the little bell on the door jingled and I looked over and in comes this guy with a tank top on with big muscly arms and.

Robb: Yeah because I’m huge. Just as a reference she was vegan at the time so anybody that had an ass, legs, or the remotest amount of muscle looked like some sort of body builder.

Nicki: So yeah, tank top, muscly arms, and then tapered acid wash jeans.

Robb: The tapered acid wash jeans were standard jeans and they look tapered because again I add ass and quads. And so I actually fill them up instead of just these Popsicle sticks walking around in hemp baggy pants like the rest of the guys you hung out with.

Nicki: So yeah so he comes up to the counter and says, “Do you guys roast your own beans?” So I guess that wasn’t really the pick up line but that was the first sentence.

Robb: Hey I’m just moving here from Seattle, and I literally I drove more or less non stop other than getting gas. I peed in a bottle. Went from Seattle to Chico. Chico was where I did my undergrad and I was moving down there to open a group in the fourth cross fit affiliate gym in the world. And that’s where I met John Frankel. And so the very first human being that I exchanged words with after being out of Chico for nearly seven years. Was my future wife, Nicki. Those are big arms Violetti.

Nicki: He asked if we roast our beans and I said no.

Robb: Well she said no. And then she went back to talking our other misanthropic friends.

Nicki: And then he asked do you know where.

Robb: No I said do you know who else in town roasts their own beans. And she said Cal Java. And then went back to talking to her misanthropic friends. I said do you know where they’re located and she said across the other side of town.

Nicki: Now I was not that big of bitch. Just saying.

Robb: Former clients and former employees would argue with you.

Nicki: Robb’s version of the story. Yeah. So anyway so that was our very first meeting. That summer, and that was like in April. And that summer I kept getting emails from Robert Wolf. I had signed up for this group mailing list because I had done some [inaudible 00:28:03] in San Diego and was wanting to get into it also. And Chico so I started getting these emails all summer long and then one email was talking about the mystery from Seattle coming down to do a big workshop. So I show up at this workshop and Robb is there. And turns out he was co teaching the classes with one of our friends Jeff OG. So started doing [inaudible 00:28:27]. And then I guess I invited you to the first thing, right?

Robb: Nicki invited me to a vegan pot luck which I ate before attending that. And then.

Nicki: So we went to a vegan pot luck.

Robb: And not long after that, maybe about six hours after that Nicki was pretty sure that I was a serial kiler and so you’ll have to meet us in real life and focus more on the rest of the background on that.

Nicki: We won’t go into it right now but.

Robb: You’ll have to play us with some margaritas.

Nicki: It was, I had good intuition based on the circumstances that this was not a normal guy.

Robb: Nicki has commitment phobia.

Nicki: That I should run far far away. And when I told all my close friends they said oh yes run far far away.

Robb: Nicki has commitment phobia.

Nicki: No it has nothing to do with that. There might be a shred of truth to that.

Robb: The commitment phobia was a multiplier applied to some very non deft actions.

Nicki: Not deft is a very smooth way of saying it.

Robb: Yeah.

Nicki: So yeah.

Robb: So yeah there was nothing cool or slick or anything about my MO. Really the thing that I had going for me is in Chico there are about five women for every one to two men. And that’s really the thing that I had going for me. So but yeah KZ if you want the rest of the story, or other people want the rest of the story, couple margaritas and we’ll unpack the rest of the story. But guess sorry that we’ve been gone bit. I’ve been working on two books simultaneously. The first keto book is off to the publisher under the first draft. I’m working with Diana Rogers on a sustainability book which I am going to be riding away on that. So we’ve been pretty pretty hopping.

Nicki: So keto master class students and just anyone in general, we’re turning all of the material in that course into a book and it’s going to be super super cool.

Robb: We have a massive amount of additional information and so for keto master class students if you’re kind of like why wouldn’t I buy this thing. I did… I’ve been thinking about a longevity book for a long time. And I actually took the bulk of what I’ve noodled on putting into a longevity book and put it into that because writing two books at once made me decide I never want to write a damn book again in my life. So it really digs into M tor, fasting, like the pluses and minuses like I don’t want to toot my own horn too much but nobody has dug into that stuff on both the molecular level and also on the kind of macro application level. I haven’t seen anybody do it. So I think it’s going to be a very good book, very practical. But then also for the geeks out there, if you’re kind of like well I’ve checked all this stuff out. Like I put a ton of arterial into the cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, implications of a low carb ketogenic diet and I went really deep on that. And then I also got into M tor, IGF, the pluses and minuses of autophagi and fasting and all that.

Robb: I feel like I did a very thorough treatment on that. Those are in an appendix. So even the flour map of the book is a little bit different. We kind of jump in with the how to and then we cover the more technical science at the end in the appendix. I’m hoping that that will lead to not a massive pissing match with my publisher so hates the science and technical stuff and just wanted everything to be like eight days to paleo lab. And so I’m hoping the fact that the technical stuff is in the back that they’ll kind of give a little sign off on that. It won’t be a shit fight on that. But that’s what we’ve got going on.

Nicki: Yeah. So that’s coming out early next year and then the sustainability book with Diana.

Robb: More like June, July.

Nicki: Summer of next year. So that’s kind of.

Robb: Cool. Yeah. So keep the questions coming in. We’re back in the hot seat to do this. Love the questions and thank you all for your support. We’ll talk to you soon.

The keto diet is one of the most effective ways to shed fat and improve your health. Keto Masterclass helps you start keto right, step-by-step, so that you can be successful long-term.

Learn More

Don’t forget, Wired to Eat is now available!

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, iBooks

Robb Wolf

Robb Wolf, author of The Paleo Solution and Wired to Eat, is a former research biochemist and one of the world’s leading experts in Paleolithic nutrition. Wolf has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of people around the world via his top ranked iTunes podcast and wildly popular seminar series.

Source: https://robbwolf.com/2019/03/22/episode-420-qa-with-robb-and-nicki-13/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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katedangworld-blog · 5 years

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ATKINS DIET - LADY’s CHOICE for a SLENDER SHAPE

As a woman, I always want to keep my body in good shape. Unfortunately, these days I was so busy with studying and working so my dining times were unstable and dinners often had lately at night (9:00 -10:00pm). As a result, I gained weight slightly, especially my belly had accumulated rather thick fat. Therefore, I decided to try Atkins Diet aim to control my weight within 7 days. The Atkins Diet is a well-known low-carbohydrate eating plan was designed by the cardiologist Robert C. Atkins in the years 1960s. This diet limits carbohydrate and encourage protein and fat.

A standard Atkins includes four phases of diet:

· Phase 1 (induction): daily carbohydrate consumption limited under 20g within 2 weeks. High-fat, high protein and low-carb vegetable should be eaten in meals.

· Phase 2 (balancing): gradually supplement nuts, low-carb vegetable and some fruits in meals.

· Phase 3 (fine-tuning): once dieters are close to their desired weight, more carb can be add into meals to slow down weight loss.

· Phase 4 (maintenance): at this period, eaters can enjoy more beneficial carbohydrates with toleration of body without weight regaining.

Nevertheless, it is impossible for me to follow these complex procedures, therefore I have obeyed basic requirements of this diet: Foods to avoid vs. Foods to eat as well as some of acceptable beverages as below guideline:

*Food to avoid:

1. Sugar: Soft drinks, fruit juices, cakes, candy, ice cream, etc.

2. Grains: Wheat, spelt, rye, barley, rice.

3. Vegetable oils: Soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil and a few others.

4. Trans fats: Usually found in processed foods with the word "hydrogenated" on the ingredients list.

5. "Diet" and "low-fat" foods: These are usually very high in sugar.

6. High-carb vegetables: Carrots, turnips, etc (induction only).

7. High-carb fruits: Bananas, apples, oranges, pears, grapes (induction only).

8. Starches: Potatoes, sweet potatoes (induction only).

9. Legumes: Lentils, beans, chickpeas, etc. (induction only).

*Food to eat:

1. Meats: Beef, pork, lamb, chicken, bacon and others.

Fatty fish and seafood: Salmon, trout, sardines, etc.

Eggs: The healthiest eggs are omega-3 enriched or pastured.

Low-carb vegetables: Kale, spinach, broccoli, asparagus and others.

Full-fat dairy: Butter, cheese, cream, full-fat yogurt.

Nuts and seeds: Almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.

Healthy fats: Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocados and avocado oil.

*Beverages

1. Water: As always, water should be your go-to beverage.

Coffee: Many studies show that coffee is high in antioxidants and quite healthy.

Green tea: A very healthy beverage.

(Healthline, Kris Gunnars, 2018)

As the guideline, primarily grains (like wheat, rice) and high-sugar content vegetables/ fruits are prohibited in Atkins meals. This is definitely a huge challenge to me because rice is consumed every day in Asian cuisine, I must say it is vital ingredient account 60% in our meals portion as it provides half of energy source for one shot of dining. If we do not have rice, bread can be replaced sometimes but here bread is not allowed, too. To tackle this problem, I increase the amount of protein (fish, meat), fiber (vegetable, low-sugar content fruit) and drink more than 2L of water every day to fill up my stomach and reduce the feeling of hunger.

My typical daily menu in general:

- Breakfast: A glass of milk, nuts.

- Lunch: I eat much more than breakfast. One main course of meat and some vegetable added

- Dinner: Same dish as lunch but smaller portion, some fruits are added. I have less demand for dinner because at night from 7:00pm, the body will slow down its metabolic process and surplus energy will be accumulated as fat layers.

My menu during a week as following:

*Friday 21 Jun:

Main courses: Lyonnaise Salad + Pan Broiled Garlic - Sweet Fish Sauce Chicken Wing.

Dessert: Peach, almond, walnut

Supplement: 2% skimmed milk

In first day, I still use some slices of bread to substitute rice aim to let my body get along slowly well with this diet and milk is drunk to supplement nutrients and make me full.

*Saturday 22 Jun:

Main courses: Grilled Toro Beef + House Dressing Salad + Miso soup

Dessert: grapefruit, apricot, sunflower seeds

Supplement: 2% skimmed milk

*Sunday 23 Jun:

Main courses: Sauce marinated pork jowl + Avocado Salad + Miso soup

Dessert: strawberry, apricot, pitascho

Supplement: 2% skimmed milk

At weekend Sat-Sun, I treated myself by Japanese BBQ styles dishes. Grilled Toro beef and pork jowl are often combined to rice but I remove it out of meal and add a bowl of salad. Along with them are miso soup including tofu (plant-based protein) and seaweed (minerals and vitamins, fiber – supporting loosing weight by postponing hunger)

*Monday 24 Jun:

Main courses: Chick Breast Rice Soup

Dessert: strawberry, mandarin, sunflower seeds

Supplement: 2% skimmed milk

Dilute rice soup can calm down my body’s desire of rice. The chicken breast is less fat than other parts so used to add rice soup.

*Tuesday 25 Jun:

Main courses: Chicken Salad

Dessert: strawberry, almond, walnut

Supplement: 2% skimmed milk

I stayed home so energy is not required too much, I enjoyed my favorite chicken salad. You can see some brown saute’ shallot on top of salad, which aim to replace roasted peanut. Oil from shallot can balance the sour of salad as well as make body feel full longer.

*Wednesday 26 Jun:

Main courses: BBQ Pork Rib

Dessert: strawberry, peach, mandarin

Supplement: 2% skimmed milk

At this time, my body survived better without rice, a piece BBQ sauce pork rib could satisfy my hunger. Then I refreshed with some cool fruits.

*Thursday 27 Jun:

Main courses: Poached eggs, Grilled garlic butter sauce salmon & blanched bok choy

Dessert: apricot, peach, mandarin, pistachio

Supplement: 2% skimmed milk

The last day of diet, my body has less demand of energy which most generated from carbohydrate and it does not desire for rice like first days. So brunch was simply poached egg & blanched bok choy. Then I grilled salmon with garlic butter sauce cover on top, really tasty and yummy! Salmon is rich of nutrients and omega 3 which are useful for female’s skin.

I admits that I was crazily hungry as the amount of bread and rice got in the stomach too little, it seemed to shout every second that “Rice, please!” and I was almost exhausted when I worked at my restaurant, I ought to drink water constantly to overflow my stomach. If I could drink coke, my hunger would be satisfied (when the restaurant so busy and I have no time for break) but in this diet, soft drinks are not permitted.

One week probably is not enough to conclude this diet is suitable to me or not but generally I think this diet solution is good and healthy. It is not too strict about volume of foods and nutrients input therefore dieters might reduce weight gradually with less health troublesome. Lastly, I just lose weight slightly of 600g and my belly seems to be unchanged (I wish I could know why). Anyway, not bad for one week!

Among my dishes in my weekly menu, I would like to recommend you try to make Chicken Salad. It is easy to prepare and can be stored in fridge 3 days. The recipe as below:

- Chicken breasts: 2 pcs

- Cabbage: ½ pc

- Pickled carrot and daikon: 1 cup

- Garlic: 3 cloves

- Lime juice: 1 tbs

- Vietnamese coriander: ½ bunch

- Carrot: 1 pc

- Thai chilies: 2 pcs

- Shallot: 1 pc (saute’ until brown)

- Green mango: ½ pc

- Sugar: 2 tbs

- Fish sauce: 2 tbs

- Warm water: ½ cup

Step 1: boiled or steamed chicken breasts until tender.

Step 2: Slice cabbage, carrot and mango in stripes (1cm of width), collect coriander leaves and wash all vegetable. Strain them and put 2 pinches of salt to dehydrate water/moisture from vegetables and make them be crunchy

Step 3: chop and mince chilies and garlic -> put in a small bowl to make sweet fish sauce. Add sugar and pound hardly to mix well with chilies and garlic -> lime juice -> warm water -> fish sauce -> stir well.

Step 4: tear chicken meat in lardon -> mix with strained vegetable + pickle + sweet fish sauce + chopped coriander + saute’ shallot -> mix well and enjoy!

In my hometown, my sister often put roasted peanut into the salad instead of shallot. Peanut’s nutty taste helps to balance the sour of salad and encourage aroma and palate. Regretfully, when I arrived Canada, I had slight allergic symptom when I ate peanut while this had not happened in Vietnam. Therefore, I got rid peanut of my dish and change to shallot without changing the characteristic of the salad.

The Atkins diet is popular thanks to its weight-lost effectiveness and health benefits such as prevent or limit dangerous health conditions like metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, improve heart health. Nevertheless, every coin has two sides, some experts concerns Atkins has some negative impacts to eater’s body like headache, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, constipation. Low card input result in nutritional shortage or inadequate fiber – cause constipation, diarrhea and nausea.

Eating and tasting foods are the happiness of a cook or chef, therefore I would not follow any Diet solution. Just try to balance daily foods intake to body not exceed my body needs also do daily simple exercise like walking and stepping stairs (TTC subway is a good choice as we use it every day).

In point of view of a service provider – a potential cook, of course, I will study more about various Diet solutions and give advice to my customers. Also, adjust the formula to match well with their digestive demands is necessary.

References of data & sources:

Mayo Clinic. (nil). Atkins Diet: What’s behind the claims?. Retrieved June 27, 2019, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/atkins-diet/art-20048485

Healthline. (2018). The Atkins Diet: Everything You Need to Know. Retrieved June 27, 2019, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/atkins-diet-101

Healthline. (2018). 7 Surprising Health Benefits of Eating Seaweed. Retrieved June 27, 2019, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-seaweed

Right Shape. (nil). Atkins Diet. Retrieved June 27, 2019, from https://www.rightshape.com/atkins-diet/

Smile Delivery Online. (nil). 4 Foods that you should not eat while losing weight. Retrieved June 27, 2019, from http://smiledeliveryonline.com/food/4-foods-that-you-should-not-eat-while-losing-weight/

Health Fitness Revolution. (nil). 10 Good Reasons to Drink Green Tea. Retrieved June 27, 2019, from https://www.healthfitnessrevolution.com/10-good-reasons-to-drink-green-tea/

Manor Surgery. (nil). Healthy Lifestyle. Retrieved June 27, 2019, from https://www.manorsurgery.co.uk/healthy-lifestyle

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wanderrlex · 7 years

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Things to know about The Philippines

Hi guys! So I thought that the first major article I write should be about my trip to Manila and what I learned during the weeks I was there. The Philippines are a very diverse and exciting place, and I think it’s hard to make any generalizations about the culture of a country made up on 7,500 islands-- but I’m gonna try anyway! I had the time of my life while I was there and want to encourage everyone to consider the Philippines when planning a trip to South East Asia! So here it goes:

1. Karaoke is God

Filipinos LOVE Karaoke, an activity rumored to have been invented by a Filipino (or so the locals say), that I think needs no introduction. There are Karaoke bars everywhere, karaoke machines in restaurants/laundromats/hotel lobbies/general stores/EVEN IN CARS. Seriously. We rented a van to take on a weekend trip and the van had a karaoke plug in installed in the car. It’s incredibly fun, except if you live above a Karaoke bar like I did. Hearing young girls passionately butcher Kelly Clarkson songs until the early AM is a torture I wouldnt wish on my worst enemy.

2. You will gain weight, and you will have fun doing it

It should go without saying, but Filipino food is incredible. Amazing. Life changing. In the 5 weeks I was there I gained 10 pounds, no shame. I could and probably will write an article just on Filipino food alone. Most traditional dishes are based around rice and a protein, like chicken or fish or pork. Some things I tried that blew me away were Turon (fried crepe with banana, sweet potato, or other fillings), milk fish, adobo (all kinds), lumpia (spring roll type thing), chicken Afritada, halo halo (a korean dessert loved by filipinos), biko (sweet sticky rice, often served wrapped in grass husks) and lots more. Almost every restaurant you visit will have side dishes of vinegar and calamansi next to the napkins on the table, try both on everything. Calamansi is a small, bitter fruit that resembles a tiny lime.

In urban areas, you will find a lot of American style food, lots of Burger Kings/Mcdonalds/KFC’s/Jolly Bee’s- a largely successful filipino fast food chain. There are plenty of korean BBQ places as well, and honestly Korean BBQ changed my life. Most of them are all you can eat too, a phrase that is reversed to “Eat all you can” at most places in this country. Starbucks are also common place, but if you get the chance to try filipino coffee you should. There is a kind of coffee called Kopi Luwak, or Civet coffee, that is made in remote areas of the Philippines where monks will feed cats coffee, then harvest their droppings and use that to brew their drink. Yeah, you read that correctly. Cat poop coffee. Its a thing.

Try everything green tea favored, especially the kit kats. SO MUCH BETTER THAN NORMAL KIT KATS. Also try Queso Ice cream (cheesecake like flavor), Ube (purple sweet potato), and pretty much all desserts.

As far as street food goes, there are some things that I stayed away from. Balut is a delicacy that is consumed all over Asia, its a bird fetus inside an egg. Not my thing. Another delicacy is deep fried day old chicks, feathers and all, also not my thing. Other than that, the street food is amazing. Buko juice, or coconut juice, is sold everywhere and totally delicious- the perfect drink on a scorching island day. Be advised, not all street vendors are honest about where they get their meat or what kind of meat they are serving.

3. Pet the strays!!!

I made a mission to pet every stray cat or dog I could and let me just tell you, I only met like two mean stray animals my whole time there. This is partially because Filipinos treat pets very different than how Americans do. Many animals are treated as independent parts of the community, and specific ownership of cats and dogs is less common. It’s actually pretty cool, and because of this a lot of the strays are used to human interaction and though dirty, really nice. So pet the strays. Just wash your hands after.

4. Pretty much everyone speaks English

English is the second national language of the Philippines, and pretty much anyone with a scholastic education speaks it. English is everywhere, especially in urban and touristy areas. Don’t worry about not being able to communicate, 99% of the time someone around you will speak fluent English and will be more than willing to help translate things for you. The native tongue, Tagalog, is a really cool language with lots of english and spanish aspects in it.

5. You are Po, he is Po, they’re all Po, EVERYONE IS PO

“Hello-po” “Salamat-po” “Thank you-po” “Bye-po”

Po is a sign of respect that gets added at the end of words and phrases. Use it! It’s an easy way to be polite to the locals and incorporate some culture into your language.

6. For the most part, it is a VERY safe country

One of the biggest concerns I had before arriving was safety. American media likes to portray (for political reasons) this country as unsafe, and I think its a load of BS. Yes, the southern islands are very different than the north and central. If anything, the only real threats to safety are in Mindanao, which isn’t a very popular tourist or traveled area anyway. There isn’t a lot of crime, thanks to capitol punishment still being used by the government. The men are extremely respectful, like shockingly. I was the only white person in my volunteer group, and I went 3 weeks without seeing a single other white person- my point is that I stuck out everywhere I went. The men would stare a little longer than normal but the only things they would said to me were “hello ma’am” or “what is your name?”. Seriously. Not a single cat call or disrespectful interaction. I traveled alone pretty often and never once felt threatened. Just be aware of your surroundings and don’t be stupid.

7. It’s cheap, but not as cheap as you’d think

The current exchange rate is 49 Philippino pesos per 1 USD. Rural areas are a lot cheaper than urban ones, and Manila prices are pretty much equivalent to american ones. I spent wayyyy more than I thought I would, but I was living in central Manila near universities. Most personal services are much cheaper there, like massages/hair/nails/etc. I got an hour long massage for 600 PHP, which is close to $12 USD. I also got my eyebrows microbladed for around $100 USD, and they look amazing. Most hotels range from around 800 PHP a night to 2,000 PHP a night. So just do your research! I found a seven hour boat tour of Puerto Princesa for like $20 USD, it’s rad.

8. The fake bag industry is a blessing

In north eastern Manila, there is a mall called Green Hills, where you can find every designer you can dream. Every bag, every shoe, every belt, everything. And most items are under $100. The catch? The items are fake, but its next to impossible to tell on a lot of them. It is rumored that the high end fake bags even receive excess leather and materials from the designers themselves.

9. Manila Traffic is the worst traffic you will ever see

Manila, being the most populated city on planet, has a lot of traffic issues. Driving in the Philippines is driving to survive, I felt like. I have really bad anxiety in cars and I would just stick my head between my knees and talk to God during most drives. For short distances, walking is better than driving. Short being under 5 miles. Jeepneys are a very common form of public transit, also very cheap transit, but pretty confusing to try and figure out. I was there five weeks and still don’t understand jeepneys.

10. Download the “Grab Car” app before you go

SO, because transport is confusing, use Uber and Grabcar. The Grab car app is awesome, better than uber I think because if traffic is bad (it always is) they don’t charge you extra. It’s also used a lot more than Uber because of that reason. You can negotiate with Grab Car drivers too for longer trips, I got from Manila to Tagaytay for like $15 USD (740 PHP) several times!

Alright guys. That’s all I can think of for now. I know that was a lot of info, so if you have questions or want me to elaborate on anything just shoot me a message! Keep in mind, different islands have very different cultural standards and so I think keeping an open mind and observing eye is a good skill to develop- and that applies to all traveling.

#manila #philippines #travel #travel blog #travel tips #manila travel #philippines travel #luzon #palawan #filipino #bylex

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poolenick-blog · 5 years

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Thai food is famous for its spiciness, but in northern Thailand, especially in the district of Chiang Mai, influences from Burma and China are distinct. This results to milder curries and a more pronounced use of other ingredients such as ginger and turmeric. This may not sound appealing to some, but I tell you: it’s sinfully goooooood. ‘Rose of the North’ last October, surely I wouldn’t pass on the chance of going on a food trip — especially since Chiang Mai (and Thailand in general) is praised for its rich and flavorful dishes, more so for those that you find on the streets and public markets.

Now, there are a lot of night bazaars and market avenues in the city and it could get really dizzying; but you can go to

» READ: Top 10 Things To Do in Chiang Mai, Thailand

After you sort that out, continue down to this list to see the top 10 Chiang Mai street food dishes that you should absolutely try and not miss out! .title-bar:after, .title-bar:before, .title-bar:after, .title-bar:before, h2{ border-color: }

Chiang Mai Street Food

#1 – Khao Soi (Egg Noodle Curry)

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from Rachel Moon/Shutterstock You can choose from beef, chicken, or pork khao soi; obviously, I took chicken for this one.

A Burmese-influenced dish, though its name translates to ‘cut rice’, it is actually made up of deep-fried crispy egg noodles dipped in a coconut milk curry soup. It is always accompanied with a dish of shallots, cilantro, lime, pickled mustard, ginger, and chili paste.

This was rich and flavorful wherein the taste of the soup was akin to that of yellow curry; but of a thinner consistency and not so spicy. Apparently, khao soi comes in different types: some serve it in curdled blood, rice noodles, etc. but this one that we ate was a Traditional Lanna Style type of khao soi.

For this type of Chiang Mai street food, it is available in every food place, but we recommend you to try out a local favorite of Thais: Khao Soi Samerjai located at 91 Charernras, Fahharm, Mueang Chiangmai (beside restaurant Wat Fa Ham). In here, they also offer other various Thai dishes that if you fancy, you could absolutely try! #2 – Khanom Jeen or Khanom Chin

Photo from SAHACHATZ/Shutterstock While we were strolling around Warorot Market, we saw a LOT of these small dimly-lit sections in which a lot of Thai people are eating dinner. One thing we noticed distinctly is that they were mixing a lot of stuff from the veggies that were laid out in their tables. We wondered what it was, and here we discovered khanom jeen or khanom cheen, a very common and CHEAP but filling Chiang Mai street food made of thin rice noodles.

It first starts with you, choosing the kind of soup that you’d like. It could be (1) chicken in coconut curry soup, (2) fish balls in curry soup, or (3) pork blood soup. This will then be mixed with white noodles which are thin fermented rice vermicelli (it’s like spaghetti, but thinner — which makes a lot of people say that this is like Thailand’s version of spaghetti).

They will put this in a bowl, and then when you sit down, there are free vegetable ‘toppings‘ for you to use: raw string beans (I was surprised to see them eating this raw! I’m not used eating it raw…), basil, beansprouts, pickled mustard greens, shredded cabbage, and chili. Sometimes they include fried pork grind and eggs, but these eggs are not part of the free ‘toppings’ as this will cost you ฿10 baht for one.

Now I could not believe that I only paid ฿20 baht for this. I was already very full and yet it was only less than a dollar! Plus: it tasted VERY good too! It was insane, that you should just try it for yourself. #3 – Sai Oua (Grilled Spicy Herb Sausage)

Photo from LaysRock/Shutterstock A lot of street vendors sell different meat balls or pieces on a stick. Usually, beside those sticks are these ‘Northern Style’ sausages that are coiled around in a shape that reminds me of what else but… poo. But don’t let that stop you.

This can be piping hot and spicy since after taking a bite from it, it first gave me a tinge of herbs but then it was quickly followed by a sudden rush of chili — it was fiery! But still delicious and rich in its own way.

Made from ground pork, this sai oua is filled with spices such as lemongrass, cilantro, shallots, pepper, galangal, and dried chilies. As if that wasn’t enough, they mix in chili paste too! Sounds scary, right? But it’s worth a try!

Apparently, to mellow down the burst of spice, this is best paired with… #4 – Sticky Rice

Photo from wason yuyatmak/Shutterstock

This Chiang Mai street food was a JOY to eat. We have sticky rice back at home in the Philippines, but not in a way that’s prepared like this: mixed with sweet stuff!

There are different kinds of sticky or glutinous rice in Thailand and they’re usually wrapped around in banana leaves. Some are mixed with fruits (hence the famed Thai mango sticky rice as pictured above), with coconut, with violet rice, with beans, or with egg custard. Sometimes they even put artificial colors on the rice!

For me, I loved the egg custard the most! You can usually buy these sticky rice packs on the streets and #5 – Pad Thai

Photo from Victor FlowerFly/Shutterstock I bet you’ve seen this coming!

Aside from sampling curries across Thailand, pad thai is another dish that you shouldn’t skip on — its huge popularity speaks for itself in the first place! And as what you may already know, it’s a stir-fried rice noodle often with different toppings and sauces.

You might have already tasted it from the Thai restaurants near your hometown, but you should definitely try pad thai that’s from Thailand itself. It’s very tasty and savory! This was the first Thai dish that I actually fell in love with when I first had my taste of ‘Thai’ in a restaurant in Manila; and tasting it here in Chiang Mai was even better! #6 – Quail Eggs

Photo from Evgeny Ermakov/Shutterstock This is another one of those Chiang Mai street food stalls filled with people — so I had to try it out! For this, they are simply fried quail eggs that are mixed with coconut milk; but, there are other types that are mixed rather with fish and soy sauce.

They weren’t too sweet and they were very scrumptious in every bite. It was the perfect ‘dessert’ to cap one of the nights where we went ‘street food’ shopping in Chiang Mai. #7 – Som Tam or Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad)

Photo from Tortoon/Shutterstock This is basically made up of shredded green papaya. They would first pound the chili, tomatoes, garlic, and long beans into a mortar; and then they’ll add the papaya, bruising it well so as to incorporate the flavors of the former set of ingredients. What comes after will be fish sauce, lime, sugar, and some nuts.

I think if you ordered for the special that costs ฿5-10 baht more, they will add seafood to it!

At first I was scared that it would be really spicy — as with any normal initial reaction to a new Thai dish — but gladly enough, it wasn’t! There was a hint of spiciness of course, but everything was so well balanced that I wouldn’t mind having som tam for appetizers from now on.

So try it too, especially since it’s also one of the very popular Chiang Mai street food dishes. #8 – Kaeb Moo (Crispy Pork Rinds)

Photo from Regreto/Shutterstock This is much like chicharon from the Philippines so I was pleasantly surprised that it also exists in Chiang Mai! As such, kaeb moo are simply crispy friend pork rinds often mixed with salt and garlic. (Sometimes even with chili).

To date, it has different variations: (1) curls of just the crunchy skin or rind with a part of fat for added goodness and cholesterol, haha! Obviously, for those into healthy-eating, it’s fine to taste one or a few just to remember how delicious a pig’s fat can be. #9 – Grilled Pork, Fish, or Chicken

Photo from Evgeny Ermakov/Shutterstock Aside from the variations of small meat stuck on a stick, it’s also great if you could try the bigger portions: grilled fish, grilled pork parts, and grilled chicken.

They can be veeeery tasty! And sometimes, when you order chopped parts of these, it comes along with chili or some other seasoning. I personally think that this is a good Chiang Mai street food when you’re about to launch into a night of drinks with your friends. Prices for this vary, but often times, chopped parts of pork or chicken costs around ฿40 to 60 baht. #10 – Exotic Food!

Photo from Chaikom/Shutterstock Surely, Thailand has its own set of crazy street food too. I ate a cricket before in the Philippines and they had grasshoppers too — however, they were very small and the insects in Chiang Mai were biiiiiig.

I am not putting this on this list for its taste (though some will find it good; but all I taste is fear and crunchiness). I’m rather putting this on this list for the experience, as well as for you to have the ‘bragging rights’ of saying that you’ve ate one! Haha, and besides, Bear Grylls did say that these pack a LOT of protein and with no fat! So, why not?

Aside from crickets, there are ant eggs, silkworms, bats, dried lizard, etc. etc. etc.

» READ: My Experience Eating Insects in Chiang Mai

Other ‘normal’ exotic food that are NOT insects would have to be the usual Asian fruits: mangosteen, durian, lanzones, jackfruit, dragonfruit, rambutan, sugar apple, and basically every weird fruit that you see that you normally don’t see in your country. (Make it a challenge among your travelling buddies to make it more fun!). .title-bar:after, .title-bar:before, .title-bar:after, .title-bar:before, h2{ border-color: }

OTHER TOP CHIANG MAI ACTIVITIES

Chiang Mai Food Tour Dive into the food stalls at the Chiang Mai night markets!

Thai Massage Complete your holiday with an authentic Thai massage!

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Unique NO-riding interaction with these gentle giants!

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Overall

As per common sense, be mindful that street food is famous for its poor sanitation and health rating (not all, but some — or okay, most of them) so, proceed at your own risk. But I personally think that it’s totally fine, as long as it’s on moderation. And besides, it would be such a pity if you skip on these when they’re not only sooooooo yummy, but also incredibly CHEAP.

And surely, finding and spotting these Thai dishes is also very fun!

How about you?

What do you think of these Chiang Mai street food dishes?

Would you like to try them out? Why or why not?

Or have you tried any of these before? How was it?

Did you like this article? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube and be notified about my newest posts and updates!

The post Chiang Mai Street Food: 10 Dishes You Must Try appeared first on I am Aileen.

#>(Chiang #NightMarkets #>.#bxtitle_1808019876.box-title.box-title-line-middle #bxtitle_1808019876.box-title.box-title-line-around #ed2665 #ed2665;#><a #ffffff;#>2 –#878686;#>4 –#>night #>5 –#>7 –#>9 –#bxtitle_1993482837.box-title.box-title-line-middle #bxtitle_1993482837.box-title.box-title-line-around

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lagycart · 7 years

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relaxing trip at ko lanta, krabi, thailand.

with a few messages via whatsapp, this trip was decided and booked quite spontaneously with the four of us, and then went on with searching for a place to stay.. without any itinerary, we boarded the plane three weekend ago.. and ended up at krabi!

day 1

going through the immigration was a nightmare, the place is a mess without proper queuing system and there’s so many tourists yet so little officers. took us more than an hour to come out of the tiny airport, met with our driver and finally start our trip with a long journey to our villa.

as the sky was turning dark already, there’s nothing much to be seen, the driver took us to a jetty, then we switched van and went onto a car ferry, as ko lanta is on a separate island. the ferry journey is short but quite interesting, the ferry was run by kinda small engine powdered by diesel, lots of smoke when the ferry started to move, but it was interesting to see how the operator navigate in the dark at his room up high.

after reaching the other island, it took us quite a while to reach our accommodation - kulraya villas.. and it was breathtaking! our villa has two rooms, a living room, dining room, small kitchen, two bathrooms and a private pool! all the walls facing the pool are ceiling to floor glass, which makes the view soooo nice. it was so comforting to step into the villa after such a long and tiring journey.

we then went out for a late dinner, soooo hungry since the last we ate were during noon before boarding the plane. most of the places in town is already closed, and after checking a few places, our friendly driver brought us to this small local thai restaurant named rung ruang thai food. we ordered seafood tomyam soup, green curry chicken, thai omelette, stir fried minced pork with basil and thai fried rice, and not to forget.. chang beer.

after taking our orders, we saw the uncle went across the street, into tesco lotus express, a supermarket, and came out with a few bottle of beers! and then the beers were served to us. all of us is pretty surprised to see that.. and then noticed that the fridge at the restaurant is pretty empty. as the food was served, we saw the uncle went across the street again, and brought some eggs with him this time.. and after awhile, we got our thai omelette! hahaha.. it was really nice to see that the food ingredients are fresh. XD

and the food was unbelievably delicious! all four of us finished everything in no time.. yes, we were hungry, but seriously, the food was the best thai food i have ever eaten in my life. it was the most satisfying meal ever, and the best part is.. it was rather cheap! before we left the place, we asked the friendly uncle if the fish dishes will be available tomorrow, so that we could visit again to try and the uncle told us that the fish would be waiting for us. =)

went across the street to tesco lotus express to get ourselves a box of beer, lots of snacks and then went back to the villa for a night swim! my first time having cold beer inside a pool, with a sky full of stars, facing the sea. it was truly peaceful, relaxing and beautiful. we even play music from the outdoor speakers to enhance this romantic and serene atmosphere, could totally do this every day, all day..

day 2

after a night of peaceful sleep, woke up in the morning naturally to another breathtaking view.. morning sun, swimming pool, blue sky, some fluffy clouds, blue sea, lots of tress around. what more could a person ask for... friend cooked tomyam instant noodles and we had that for breakfast, with beer. XD and then it’s time for morning swim!!

we spend a lot of time taking photos, really funny underwater shots and just playing around, until the sun was really hot... then we lounge at the sun bed to rest before cleaning up and visiting the uncle at rung ruang thai food again.

this time, we ordered the three taste deep fried tilapia, massaman curry, tom kha, thai omelette (again!) and pad thai. the fish is fried till crispy, but the meat is so fresh and yummy, like the taste of sea! haha.. the sauce is also very appetizing. massaman curry is pretty good as well, it’s perfect with the fluffy thai rice. tom kha is tom yam with coconut milk, the spiciness is milder but the fragrance is super appetizing. i can’t remember the last time i finish a full bowl of rice, but i this time, i had two.. another super satisfying meal, washed down with thai iced tea, and concluded that the food in this restaurant is the best in the world. =D

we went shopping at tesco lotus express again.. for more snacks, and then went to 7 eleven as well.. and went back to our villa as the sun is scotching hot and all we can think about is our private pool. spent the entire afternoon until evening snacking and reading novel by the poolside, resting at the sunbed and playing inside the pool.

for dinner, we went to a seafood restaurant by the sea recommended by our taxi driver, reaun mai restaurant, and we were totally let down by the food quality and price here, it was clearly a tourist trap.

we ordered deep fried squid, steamed fish in lemon sauce, clear seafood tomyum soup, fried fish cake and pineapple rice. the squid was over fried and it’s too rubbery, the texture and taste was completely ruined. the batter wasn’t fragrant or anything. steamed fish was fresh, the fish texture is very mushy and the sauce is not appetizing at all. tomyum soup is pretty mediocre and the seafood in it is not fresh at all. fish cake was alright. and the pineapple fried rice was really horrible, overly sweet and the rice was mushy and wet.

we were super sad and disappointed, yet have to pay quite a hefty price tag for such subpar quality food. we noticed that all the other diners were mainly foreign tourists as well. end up with quite a lot of leftover, and went to the nearby 7 eleven for more snacks shopping lol.. why are convenient stores in other countries so much better than those in my country?

before going back to our villa, we stopped by tesco lotus express again, to pick up some stuff for breakfast and more drinks and snacks for the night. XD it’s our most frequent place during the entire trip.

we did another night swim with beer and snacks again, but the sky was cloudy and we didn’t manage to see any stars. i really really love night swim though, the water is warm and there’s no sun. the lighting also makes the place kinda romantic.

day 3

woke up to the same serene and breathtaking view after a restful sleep, i could totally live here forever lol.. this morning’s breakfast is western style with sunny side up, bacon, ham and beer. XD thanks to my friend who cooks for us again! and then back to the pool again, ehehehe.. and the sun wasn’t as hot since the sky is cloudy.

because of the disappointing meal previous night, we went back to visit the uncle for lunch, ehehe.. and he was really happy to see us! we ordered deep fried tilapia with red chili sauce, paneng red curry, stir fried vegetables, thai laab (minced pork salad) and thai omelette (it’s too good not to order!).

uncle and aunty (wife) taught us how to call each dish in thai and we had to repeat the word correctly before they serve this dish to us, it was really fun. and uncle did make a few trips across the street to tesco lotus express to pick up various ingredients, ahaha.. besides the time at the villa, spending time eating in rung ruang thai food restaurant is the best during the whole trip.

as the weather is bearable, we decided to visit lanta old town to do some sightseeing. (be a tourist for a bit! XD) the journey was pretty long, i fell asleep halfway even though the car is open air, the breeze is kinda nice and it was after a satisfying lunch, ehehe..

the town is pretty small, there’s a street with buildings from long long time ago.. the buildings are now cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, guesthouses, etc. it was pretty fun to see the different handiwork and crafty things there and some artsy decoration here and there. the street is also facing the ocean and there’s a pier. since it’s monsoon season, there isn’t much activity going on. just a few boats on the sea, some people spreading net by the pier.. it was peaceful.

went back to the villa after our short exploration.. and enjoyed another dip in the pool as the sun sets. it was a tiny regret that we did not managed to catch the beautiful sunset during our stay as the sky was too cloudy. maybe next time~ ehehe..

and for the last night, we did some research to find a better seafood place and ended up in kaw kwang seafood. this place is also by the sea and there are tourist around, but the food is sooooo much better. we picked clams and squid from the fresh seafood area and my friend told the waitress that we do not want any western style cooking, only thai style. XD we ordered stir fried clams in chili paste, tom kha seafood, thai style steamed squid and pineapple curry chicken (was supposed to be duck, but duck meat wasn’t available).

the clams was huge, juicy meat and was really fresh, the chili paste is flavorful and so fragrant, goes extremely well with rice. tom kha is awesome too, the style has less coconut milk compared to rung ruang thai food, it’s super light and appetizing. the steamed squid is surprisingly fresh and bouncy, the cook have timed the steaming temperature and timing perfectly to maintain the texture while the chili and line sauce brings out the freshness. the curry was yummylicious as well, so so so appetizing and i enjoyed the fruity taste a lot. pineapple is fresh and not overly sweet, the after taste is rather refreshing.

even though rung ruang thai food is still the best, kaw kwang seafood restaurant is highly recommended for some yummy fresh seafood with rather reasonable pricing. the environment here is also better, more spacious and peaceful and the staff here is so much more friendlier.

on the way back to the villa, we did not forget to stop by tesco lotus express again, lol.. picked up some snacks to bring home as souvenirs, and food for next morning’s breakfast. and one last night at the pool.. i totally miss the place~

day 4

another sunny day (even though it was supposed to be the monsoon season), the morning view is so breathtaking, would never get tired of that at all. another western style breakfast, basically just finished everything we bought from the store. and one last dip in the pool before we shower and pack our luggage.

went to visit our favorite uncle and family for one last lunch, and the uncle gave us a drawing with heartful message as souvenir. this time, we ordered stir fried pork curry with long beans, green curry chicken, seafood tomyum soup and thai omelette.

we took a photo with the uncle and family before we left, thanking them for serving us great food over the past few days, hoping to return and visit again soon. we felt really content that we found such a gem in such an unplanned way, fate always has its way.

going back to the airport via the van is pretty much uneventful, but we did get to see a lot of the scenery we missed when we came. checking in at the airport is less painful this time, but we waited for quite a while at the airport for boarding, without wifi.. lol. and the tiny airport did not have much for us to sight see either.

finally on the journey home, didn’t want to leave this place though.. even though it’s a touristy place, small town like ko lanta does have its charms and it’s really nice to getaway from all the hustle and bustle and relaxing for a few days without needing to think or stress much. the breathtaking scenery and yummy food certainly makes me miss this town very much.

more travel photos can be found in my facebook album and my friend’s album.

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momof3grls · 7 years

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Punta Cana - Honeymoon

So, Everyone has been asking me. Where are the pictures? tell us about the honeymoon! I honestly feel like this is the first time all week I’ve been able to concentrate on something other then work or mother’s day. There was also the small problem of my phone breaking while we were gone so I had to get the pictures off of Jared’s phone. In fairness he did that on Wednesday, but like I said, it’s been a busy week. Anyway, enough of my rambling...Here are the highlights.

We woke up bright and early Monday morning excited to get to our destination. Our trip down was pretty mundane compared to the trip back to the states- but we will get to that later. When we landed we found out that it has been raining since Saturday there and many of the streets were flooded. Some of the airport was even under water. The good part about that was most of our trip was humidity free. The weather was really nice up til about Saturday when we could feel the humidity coming back.(pictured below the Punta Cana Airport)

We got to the Hotel around 3:30pm. We stayed at the Majestic Mirage. It is a great resort. It opened up in late December/early January. You wouldn’t know this by looking at their construction work - another country=shortcuts. But over all it was very nice. When we were looking at where we would want to spend our honeymoon I had joined a Facebook forum group for this hotel. It was very informative with pictures people have/do take and lots of information about the resort and things to do in Punta Cana. The staff was helpful when we needed questions answered and when people have asked if we would go there again I joke and say “well, if we every visited a place more then once yes we would probably go back”. Although I think I would want to stay at one of their other resorts just to be able to compare (they have three in Punta Cana).

The Resort:

Our room was HUGE! We had a one bedroom Suite. When you walked in there was a half bathroom and a small hallway that led into the living room area with a nice sized couch, entertainment center that contained the mini bar (which was all included), coffee pot, and nespresso machine. There was also a small table. Then you went into the bedroom which had sliding doors you could close to close it off from the rest of the suite. The bed was humongous. The bathroom had two sinks, a separate room for the toilet, and a walk in shower that had two showers. There was also a dressing area where you can keep all your clothes. Because of the facebook group I knew that the shower tended to leak water into the rest of the room because the door doesn’t reach the floor. We were prepared for this and used a towel to block the water. We were successful with keeping the water from over flowing every time(small accomplishment). The balcony on our room wrapped on both sides of the room and had a Jacuzzi tube (or as Jared ended up calling it a cajuzzi)

The resort is pretty big. There are four restaurants, two buffets (one located by the main building and one by the beach), a sports bar(which was open 24 hrs), and a coffee shop. They have a few shops, a theater for their night shows(which were great!), numerous bars and the pools run along side all the buildings on each side of the hotel. Our favorite restaurant was probably their steak restaurant. My favorite buffet was the one by the beach(for obvious reasons). The sports bar was where we ate the first night and it was also good for a quick snack in between meals or late at night(a lot of fried foods). The coffee shop was also good. They had great coffees and their pastries were good. My favorite was the fruit cups and Jared liked the “canoli”(cream filled pastry). The shops had a verity of things. Some of them were priced reasonably while others were a little expensive in my opinion. We bought a painting on the last night we were there to hang in the house (still trying to decide where to put it).

You also get a butler. Our butlers name was Serlano. We didn’t see him much but we were ok with that. They have an app that you can download to use to communicate with them and they also have a direct line. Everything you use them for (making restaurant reservations, getting drinks, booking excursions) you can also do yourself which we had planned on doing anyway. He did however get us a free dinner on the beach that ordinarily you have to pay for. All the staff is very kind. They almost always greet you when they see you and the wait staff was good at making sure you didn’t need anything (although we did have a few forgotten drinks at times). They work hard for their money and work hard to keep their jobs. The Dominican is a very poor country and people who have jobs count themselves lucky to have one.

Jared and I constantly compared things about this resort with things about the resort we visited when we went to Costa Rica ( a Riu resort) with his family a few years ago. I will say that by far one of the biggest differences was the amount of alcohol they put in their drinks. Here, you knew there was alcohol in your drink...we will just leave it at that. My drink of choice was usually a pina colada. Jared’s was the Coco Loco which was a lot like a milkshake. We also experienced the Dominican favorite “Mamajuana”. It is a shot that consists of Rum and Red wine. I also had what they call a mini beer ( its is a shot with 43 liquor and cream). Another difference we noticed is that the people of the Dominican are on their own time. Things run a little slower down there. It was something that us impatient Americans sometimes had a hard time understanding (LOL)

What we did:

When we got down there Monday we did not do too much. We ate at the sports bar because we had not had anything to eat since like 9:00 am and we were also pretty tired from not getting much sleep the night before. Monday was honestly a blur. (Pictured below: the sports bar)

Tuesday - We spent the day exploring the resort and sat on the beach. Your butler takes you on a quick tour of the resort while they walk you to your building when you get there, but we couldn’t remember much of it so we used the day to figure out where everything was. We did find a booklet in our room that also had everything in it as far as hours the restaurants were open. what their dress code was, what kind of food they served, etc. We also made our dinner reservations this day as well as booked a couple excursions. For dinner we ate at the steak restaurant - “Don Jaurne”. It was very good. Most of the restaurants have a three or four course meal. You definitely do not leave hungry(unless you don’t like the food). Tuesday night after dinner we watched part of the show( I don’t really remember which one it was). This night was when we tried Mamajauna. Our waitress was great. She kept bringing them to us even though we didn’t ask..we will leave it at that! LOL!

Wednesday - We went on our first excursion. Like I said earlier, we had done some researching before hand so we had a pretty good idea of things to do and what we might want to do. For this excursion we took dune buggies to a beach where we could swimming. Then we went along and they took us to a “house” where someone talked about things they make in the D.R. ( Coffee, Mamajuana and other natural products). After that they took us a cave that you could swim in. It was a fun half day excursion and we enjoyed seeing some of the country side. We don’t think the people liked us very much though because we did have to switch dune buggies 3 times through out our trip... in our defense they run these things at least 5 times a day as they do trips one right after the other. For dinner we ate at the Italian Restaurant, La Rinascita. This is definitely not your typical Italian food but overall it was good. They are also open for breakfast which we did a couple mornings. After dinner we went to the coffee shop while we waited for the nightly show to begin. The show that night was a Magic Show. It was not one of the better ones but it was ok.

Thursday - We did a full day excursion. It was so much fun! We went to Sona Island which is on the south side of the Dominican in the Caribbean. On this trip we took a Catamaran Party boat to the Island. The water was crystal clear and so shallow. On the Island we were served lunch. It was buffet style and they had chicken, beef and pork along with fruit, rice and some other sides. The food was delicious and this was really our only chance to have authentic Dominican food. After the island we took a speed boat to an area that is considered a national park. It was a sand bar where you could find star fish. After that we headed back to the marina. Then the bus took us to a market. Here we got something for the girls. The best part of this trip was our tour guide. His name is Raymond and he was wonderful! We were the only Americans on our bus. When he striked up a conversation with us we told him we were from North Carolina so the whole trip he would say “North Carolina...” and then continue with whatever information he needed to tell us. He told us his brother lives in New York and his dream is to move there one day. He said he took English lessons and he did a great job at making sure we understood what was going on. When our trip was done he gave us his email address so that we could continue to stay in contact with him and we also took a picture with him. we got back to the resort around 7:00 pm so we ordered room service for dinner. It was like any other typical room service and we ordered a lot of food for just two people. Although with as tired as we were we really didn’t finish it all.

Friday/Saturday/Sunday- These days we spent at the resort. We had considered doing another half day excursion but nothing really stuck out at as as something we had to do. Friday was spent at the beach for most of the day. Saturday was spent by the pool and Sunday at the beach. Friday night we ate at the Japanese Restaurant “Kabuki”. It is basically like Kanki. The chef was great and the food was good too. It was a four course meal with about 4 different main courses - and you get all of them! It was a lot of food! The night show was their Rock n Roll show. it was pretty interesting to say the least. Saturday was our dinner on the Beach. It was nice and we were lucky because we got a front table right near the water. We did some star gazing and Jared downloaded an app that tells you where all the constellations are. Sunday we ate at the International Restaurant (French) - “L’Essence” This restaurant was by far the most interesting for food choices. Jared thought for sure he would leave hungry but he ended up liking what he got. Again it was a four course meal. The pre- appetizer was a single shrimp! I had picked out a salad for my appetizer and when they brought it out it was been smoked so it was under a dome. Jared had picked out some sort of mousse thing. For our main course I had duck and he had lamb chops. For dessert we both got the “Havana Night” which was basically ice cream rolled up in chocolate and made to look like a cigar. It even tasted like a cigar. Jared wasn’t fond of it but I ate most of mine. The show this night was by far our favorite. I wish I had gotten pictures. It was a circus show. They did a lot of trapeze acts and flame throwing type things. It was really good!

Monday we headed back home. Jared was dreading this merely for the long day we had a head of us. We were picked up from our hotel around 10:00am. The airport is about 30 min from the resort. Our flight didn’t leave til 1:40pm and it only took us around 30 min to get through everything at their airport. Needless to say we had a lot of time on our hands. We ate lunch while sitting at the gate and I read a book Jared had bought for me before the trip about lighthouses. For no real rhyme or reason our flight didn’t leave til around 2:15 or so. Our flight back home took us to JFK first. When the pilot had come over the intercom to talk about the flight he said we would be flying by Wilmington. Jared and I said at the same time, “Can you just drop us off there?” I had taken a short nap on the flight and when I woke up I looked out the window. I tapped Jared's arm and said “Isn’t that our coastline?” He confirmed it was and I snapped a picture. It was kind of depressing flying right over NC and not being able to get off the plane. When we arrived at the gate we had exactly 1 hour til our flight left and 20 minutes before we boarded. If you have ever flown internationally then you know that international flights usually have their own part of the airport at one end and then the domestic flights are in another part at the opposite end. after rushing out of our plane (as fast as we could) we reached customs. It actually went fairly smoothly but then we had to get our luggage so that it could be checked back in. when we got to the luggage drop off the lady at the counter was like “Your flight is boarding you need to run!” So we did..3 feet later we ran smack into TSA. There were a good 30 people in front of us. Someone in front of us was talking about how they were going to miss their flight. A person from their group had gone and grabbed someone from Delta who then came and grabbed them to skip part of the line. I grabbed Jared and followed behind. Thank God for that woman because if we hadn’t of been able to do that we definitely would have missed our flight. Once we got through TSA we quickly found out that our gate was B49...we were at A1...Oh Boy! We both ran a few ways together before I was very out of breathe(I am NOT a runner). Jared took my shoes(yes I wasn’t wearing them because they were flip flops and no one can run well in flip flops) and our tickets which were in my hands. He said “Let me run ahead and just make sure they don’t close the door on us. I promise I wont leave without you.” I reluctantly agreed and he ran ahead. I finally got caught up after running/walking through the airport...with no shoes...the amount of looks i probably got! When I made it to the gate the guy said to me “You know he was going to get on with out you” I looked at him and said “He knows better then that.” the guy then asked how long we had been married. Jared replied “ A week and a day” The guy said “Well that makes sense. Give it a few years.” We got on the plan with about 8 minutes to spare. Jared told me after we were on the plane that when he reached the gate he asked them how long we had. They told him 2 minutes. Jared said I’ll give you 5. The rest of my party is on the way. They asked who it was and he said his wife. They asked Jared if he wanted to go ahead on the plane and Jared told them no. When they saw my shoes they said, “Wait, shes running through the airport with no shoes? Why didn’t you just carry her?”

When we arrived at RDU my dad was picking us up. Our luggage (which they didn’t tell us until we finally asked) had gotten put on to the flight that was coming in right after ours. My car battery went dead while my dad was waiting for us so he was waiting for AAA while we were waiting on our luggage. After it was all said and done we finally made it in our house at 11:30. We were done for the day.

Needless to say we had a great relaxing trip and it was very hard to come back to reality.

#Honeymoon #majesticmirage #puntacana

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