I feel like its obvious why, but why exactly was it seen as so weird that Shizuku kept miso soup in a thermos to drink during practice?

during that scene MMJ had just finished a dance practice and Minori spilt her bottle of water, so shizuku offered her drink to minori... only it wasn't water, it was soup. people found it so weird because not only is soup a strange thing to take with you to physical training instead of water or a sports drink, but also because shizuku was always marketed as a "beautiful idol who can do anything" when she was in CheerDays, and bringing soup of all things instead of a sensible drink isn't something that manufactured persona would ever do.

Waterboarding

Roach teaches a torture class. Major character death in this one. Also on AO3.

Roach always felt like he had a little bit of a duty to help out in the community. As he got older he taught young pirate cooks the best ways to make good food out of anything and everything that was at hand, he helped where he could teaching and passing on his medical knowledge. 

But most of all he liked to teach torture techniques. 

There was something about torture that was just so relaxing, especially when it was torturing the English. 

Roach had captured an English soldier on their last trip for supplies and had put out the call to some young pirates to head on to in to the inn for a lesson. 

“Welcome everyone, it’s so good to see you all again. Today I’ll be teaching you waterboarding!” 

There were some murmurs and few excited faces and Roach was pleased at that reaction. He had his teaching table, which doubled for both medical and torture teaching which was nice. 

“First, we’ll secure the victim,” Roach said tying the man to the table, having some of the students come up and practice good knot work. Once the victim was secure Roach tilted the table back with the man’s head facing downward. He made sure they knew they didn’t need a fancy table to do so though one was always a nice bonus. 

“Now we’re going to need a cloth to cover the face,” Roach said, “And we can start with it wet or dry, it doesn’t really matter.” 

“Can you piss on the cloth?” 

“That’s good! I like that!” Roach said and the student beamed. Roach showed the students how to pour enough water to get the victim truly distressed but hopefully not kill them because there was nothing worse than killing someone before you got your information or fun out of them. 

Roach let each of his dozen or so students take a turn and watch how demoralized the victim became after a while. 

“Now I’ll show you going too far,” Roach said and kept pouring water over the cloth long after the man had stopped moving, “Now it’s too late. You can end it like this once you’ve got your information or feel free to use any other method. Any questions?” 

“Is it really that scary?” 

“Yes, here let’s do a little exercise, we’ll just put wet cloths over our faces and try to breath, we don’t want to torture each other,” Roach said. 

Roach demonstrated how to do it safely and then watched the students mess around with it. As he talked with the students afterwards Roach felt a little ill. He’d been messing around with the chilly water all day, maybe that wasn’t a smart idea to do waterboarding in the winter, and in such an unusually cold winter at that.

` Roach packed up his things and headed back to the inn. By the time he had finished putting things away he knew he was getting sick. Playing around with the cold water had been a very bad idea indeed. 

Roach let the others know he was going to lie down and probably wouldn’t be up to cooking dinner. He made himself some tea and Lucius said he would bring Roach some soup later. 

By nightfall Roach was racked with chills, he was shaking and couldn’t get comfortable and it felt like he was burning up. His throat felt like it was on fire and his lungs felt heavy and fuck it was all coming on so fast. 

Days passed and things only seemed to get worse. Roach was in and out and hot and cold and could barely breathe. The fever would not break no matter how many remedies the crew tried. 

Roach was shivering again and felt so weak he thought he might shiver himself to death when he felt like someone was in the room with him. He looked up and at first didn’t see anyone then he noticed a shadowy figure in the corner.

Izzy. 

“Oh no…” Roach managed weakly. 

“I’m sorry Roach,” Izzy said. 

Roach went in and out and the next time he opened his eyes Jim was looking at him and trying to get him to drink. 

“Izzy,” Roach managed. 

“Ah fuck,” Jim said, “I’ll let everyone know.” Over the next few hours everyone came in and Roach tried to say something to every one of them. It was exhausting just to stay awake, it was exhausting to breathe. It wasn’t long before it was too much to stay awake and Roach fell unconscious. 

Roach sat up in bed with a gasp and looked around; everything looked the same and he wondered for a moment if he had dreamed about being ill. Then he heard a soft sniffle and saw Frenchie wiping away a tear. 

“Roach,” Izzy said and Roach looked over at the man, or the spirit. Roach hadn’t realized how young Izzy had been when he died, it didn’t seem like it at the time but it was jaring that Roach looked so much older. 

“Time to go,” Roach sighed.

“Time to go,” Izzy said and led Roach forward

Weight Loss Tips and Tricks Anyone Can Use

The most important element of successful weight loss is knowledge. This article can help you find the right tips to assist you in your weight loss regime. The key is to have some discipline, and keep focused on your goals even when you feel frustrated. Your weight loss exertions can be helped if you choose chunky soups. It is never wise to simply drink your calories. Soups with large chunks of healthy ingredients will keep you feeling fuller longer. Make sure you are purchasing yourself a solid multivitamin. Many of the foods that are eliminated while on a diet contain vitamins our bodies need. You can give your body the vitamins it requires when you take a multivitamin. A great tip to help you lose weight, is to drink a small protein shake whenever you feel a hunger pang coming on. Just mix some ice protein powder in your blender, add some fruit if you like and enjoy. Be sure to include a variety of food on your new diet. Eating the same thing every day is not only boring, but it is also unhealthy. Always eat a balanced diet. An easy method of dropping the pounds, one that you can do every single day, is walking up stairs. Although you may not think this will help much, you could burn a few extra calories by skipping the elevator and taking the stairs. Eventually, this adds up. When trying to lose weight, step on the scale regularly for progress checks. This is the best way to keep track of your weight loss performance. Track your progress with a journal or notebook. This will keep you motivated and makes it more likely that you will continue. Starting the day with oatmeal can keep your weight down. Oatmeal is really very good for you, plus it’s very filling and contains a lot of energy-giving protein. You can’t help but feel full afterward. One of the best ways to lose weight is to reduce your caloric intake of fatty foods. An equivalent amount of fat will have twice the number of calories that protein or carbs will. Avoid foods high in fat and reduce your dairy intake. Watch out for overusing oils, too. Increasing dietary fiber will help you feel full and minimize overeating. You should completely cut out soda from your diet. These beverages are loaded with carbohydrates and sugars and will sabotage your weight loss goals. Water is a great alternative to help you stay as fit as possible. You can lay out your menus in advance, making your healthy eating plan easier to stick to. This can help you avoid last minute junk food choices. Follow your meal plan closely. You can feel free to switch the meals you have planned for one day with another, though do not substitute a healthy meal with fast food if you need something fast. The actual act of cooking burns calories. Tell everyone you know about your choice to lose weight. You can let people know in person, or even let others know on a social network that you are a member of. This way, you will keep going since people will know what you are doing. When eating at a restaurant, tell the waiter to hold any complimentary chips or bread that comes with your meal. If they’re put on your table then it could make you want to snack and that will get in the way of a healthy diet that you’re on. Following a weight loss program does not mean you have to stay away from pizza. Blot each slice with a napkin to soak up the excess grease before you eat it. As you try to shed pounds, it is important that you get enough sleep. When attempting to lose weight, get seven smoothie diet or eight uninterrupted hours of sleep every night. Anything less or more than this lead to being overweight, which could also be caused by their lifestyle when awake. For instance, individuals that are extremely sad often sleep too much and eat too much. One key in losing weight is to find an activity that you love doing. This helps you burn lots of calories, and also gives you room to play with. Choosing an exercise activity you enjoy keeps you motivated and doesn’t feel like exercise – it feels like fun! Green tea is a powerful too to boost your weight loss battle. Green tea, brewed fresh with no added sweeteners is probably one of the healthiest things you can drink other than water. Green tea consumption can help you achieve weight loss goals. Not only can you pick up new skills and burn calories, but you may forget that you’re working out because the activity is enjoyable. Most cities offer affordable dance classes through the Parks and Recreation office. There are usually several styles offered. Going on a trip doesn’t mean you don’t need to be committed to the plan anymore. Take your own snacks with you. Walking a lot will help you burn off calories, and you will be able to save money on taxi fares as well. It might be very easy to say, “What the heck! “I want to enjoy my vacation!” “, but you will be very happy if you just stay with your diet when you are on vacation. An individual who is overweight as a child may very well carry that characteristic into adulthood. It’s not something a parents want for their kids. The best time to teach people about good nutrition is when they are young. Get your children interested by teaching them to read nutrition labels on foods. You should get their ideas for the meals you are planning as well. They will appreciate the education once they are old enough. It is likely that you know the difficulties that come with weight loss efforts, but success can be achieved. If you use this advice correctly, it will help you achieve the fitness level you desire. There will be times when you will feel like giving in, but eventually your determination will bring success.

IV: The Dinner

(Batgirl/Red Hood)

Brief note; per demand, this little trilogy will now be an ongoing series🥺thank u all for the support! i was not expecting it at all. ur comments make my day!! i hope u enjoy this chapter bearing in mind that i wasn’t intending on a full length fic, so i hope u can put up with any missteps in the plot or writing. i’m making it up as i go. kiss kiss

Description: Reader makes an ally, and attends a tense dinner. part one, two, and three.

A mild blue dawn was just beginning to flit through the blinds, and I sighed heavily, stretching a little, and running a hand across my face. My skin was cold to the touch. Rolling over stiffly, I glanced at the clock on my nightstand.

5:26a.m.

Nineteen minutes before my alarm. I was too cold to go back to sleep, I knew, as much as Alfred had requested I try and get more of it. Pulling myself up, the sheets slipped off my bare shoulders and folded onto themselves. Once in a blue moon, I would forego making it up again, usually accompanied by an excuse. Today, I didn’t have one. I put my feet on the floor, mind buzzing.

I was done tossing and turning, and decided to get up and shower. Afterward, I threw on my uniform, and got to work on my face. A little bronzy eyeshadow, some mascara and lip balm. I could’ve turned my face into a work of art, but I was tired from my sleepless night and doing much else seemed like a strain.

There was a knock on the door.

“Come in.” I was expecting Bruce or Alfred, but I caught Tim’s reflection in my vanity mirror.

“Hey.” He said.

“Good morning.” I replied tensely. He sat on my bed. Okay. Weird. Tim was a year younger than me- but always ordained himself something of an older brother. His brainpower made learned helplessness and easy state to slip into when he was around- always fixing my PS4, or recovering lost files from my laptop. When we first met, I used to use those things as a crutch to interact with him, as neither of us were particularly forthcoming. These days, we were as close as any pair of siblings.

“What’s up?” I asked, tucking away my mascara wand.

“Oh, I just thought I’d… check up on you. Before school started.”

I was the only one of the Waynes attending Gotham Academy at the moment. Damian was still at Gotham Prep, but by the time he would attend next year, I’d be graduated. I wondered if Tim ever missed it. He garnered his fair share of attention; mostly because of his attractive status and predisposition of agreeability. Before he dropped out, I used the be the subject of mediation for every eligible teenage girl that wanted to get to know my brother- no, the other one. With the soft hair. The chem tutor.

I laughed a little. “Do I seem like I need it?” Tim shrugged. I got up and plopped on the duvet beside him. My window was open a crack, filling the room with a chilly breeze and the scent of moisture and petrichor.

“Did Bruce make you get up for this?” I tried again, keeping my playful tone. He sighed and shook his head.

“Bruce isn’t the only one who’s noticed you lately.” He said, with contrasting seriousness that made my smile fall.

“What’s there to notice? Seriously.” I questioned.

He sighed again and twisted his lip. I knew what that meant. He was about to list everything different I’d been doing for the past three weeks, either alphabetically or by severity. “You look tired. You get home and go straight to your room. You keep fidgeting during briefings. You look distracted. You’re avoiding Damian- which, I get it- but like, more than usual. Dick said you haven’t texted him all week. You usually have something to say about your day at dinner, but-“

“Okay. I get it.”

A brief moment passed, where I watched him pull a looser string from the duvet.

“I know you went somewhere. On the 21st, when we were patrolling in Otisburg. You went somewhere for forty-two minutes.”

I blinked. “Oh.”

“I’m not accusing you of anything-“ He added quickly, looking at me. “Really, I have know idea why you left. I’m sure it was nothing, I just… you’ve been acting weird ever since. Where did you go?”

I swallowed, and my intestines felt like lead. Really, I was relieved. Here I was, in my room I’d decorated with Wayne money, with my brother who evidently cared enough about me to notice my typical word count at dinner, asking me what was wrong. And a lot was wrong.

So, I smoothed my plaid skirt and told him about the night of the 21st- and only that. From Red Hood, to Hoffman, to the warehouse. Every vivid detail I could remember. I decided to leave out my little truancy adventure, along with meeting him in the alley. Lifting up his mask. Having his exposed skin close enough to touch. His gunpowder smell. By the end, Tim was frowning. The following silence could’ve crushed a coke can.

“Shit.” He muttered.

“Yeah.” I echoed. “Shit.”

He didn’t asked why I didn’t tell Bruce. Or Anyone. He didn’t ask why it was so important to me to do this by myself. All he did was take in the information and start putting it together.

“Jesus- you could’ve died. But all that Hoffman stuff. Why you?”

“Exactly!” I breathed.

Another knock on the door, and Alfred’s voice carried through, telling me it was time to go. I got up. Tim nodded and followed suit, no doubt carrying my every last recounting in his piggy-bank memory.

“Please don’t tell Bruce.” I said, some amount of fear slipping into my voice. “I know it was a stupid thing to do and it was stupid not to tell anyone. But he’ll never trust me again.” Tim hesitated at the door.

“There’s nothing to tell.”

I climbed into the backseat of the car, and stared at the cityscape running past the windows. The anxiety had lifted. One of my growing number of secrets revealed. In its wake, the sudden absence left a sense of clarity. I remembered why I had kept it to begin with.

Dick was gifted. The first. The talented boy who could fly. Babs and Tim were brilliant; genius far beyond the confines of academia. Damian was skilled. Trained from birth, the blood son. It nestled here him neatly, right where he belonged. What was I? I wasn’t born with athletic ability beyond my years, or genius intellect. Without that information- without my secrets- I had nothing else to give.

*

Thursday night was dinner. The whole family. It was Bruce’s excuse to drag Dick out of his apartment in Blüdhaven, and for Alfred to exercise a new recipe, since everyone was on a strict lean-means and superfoods regimen every other waking day. Babs attended occasionally, when work didn’t keep her busy, and Tim was only allowed to pass if he promised to rest instead.

I met his eyes as everyone was rounded into the dining room by Alfred like a herd of sheep; he gave me some imperceptible knowing look that promised to keep my secret.

We sat down and sipped water from crystal glasses as the table was set with food, muttering amongst ourselves about our days. Dick was given a coffee with the wrong name (‘Nick’), Babs met up with her friend from high school (Olivia something or other), and Damian completed a group project with some incompetent classmates (they all were- even the professors). Vigilante talk wasn’t forbidden, but generally skirted around so as to offer a small reprieve of normalcy during the week.

There was an exception to this unspoken rule when there was a particularly exciting case on the table. Unfortunately for me and my anxiety, the case of the Red Hood was a very exciting one.

“Any new breaks with Red Hood?” Dick asked through miso soup. Bruce sighed.

“He made some movements in Robbinsville. Gone before we could get there. He’s got his men on a tight leash- we couldn’t get any of them to talk.”

“Course not. There’s rumors flying all over the department. One of the Ioveanu family branches payed out a huge security detail for their private mansion.”

“He hasn’t hunted anyone in their home, has he?” I asked. I pictured him standing in front of me- maskless, in my academy uniform.

“No, it’s not his MO.” Barbara answered.

“Not yet. It’s only been six months, and he’s progressing rapidly.” Bruce diagnosed grimly.

“Are you scared he’s gonna join us for dinner?” Dick joked, throwing a wink my way.

“Haha.” I muttered. Actually, I hadn’t slept because of the very idea.

“If you’re nervous, you could always stay home next patrol.” Damian suggested pointedly. To him, existing in the realm of crimefighting was a competition, and he was always looking for others to drop out of the race. I resisted the urge to fling a pea at him.

“I’m not nervous.” I said coolly.

“You’ve been practically trembling since we fought his pathetic lackeys.”

“Damian.” Bruce warned, from the head of the table. I flipped the smallest Wayne the middle finger. He resigned, but I swore I saw amusement on his lips.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Red Hood is very skilled and very prolific. It’s a daunting case.” Bruce continued.

“Thanks, but I’m okay. Really.” I said, trying not to sound annoyed, and feeling like a spotlight was over my head, operated by the ghost of Hoffman. I almost laughed as I pictured it.

“That’s good to hear. We’ve been concerned.” Alfred added.

“Wow. I’m the star of the show around here.” I remarked dryly.

“We can’t help it, Miss Independent.” Dick said teasingly. “You’re just a good mystery.”

“Reminds me of Talia.” Tim said casually. The silverware stopped clanging.

It was a shameless subject change. Damian’s mother was an inflammatory topic for all parties. Bruce’s moral contempt didn’t reach the likes of Talia Al Ghul and Selena Kyle, immoral though they were. Beauty makes anything charming- and when paired with an impeccable taste in dress, even murder and thievery can be minimized into something of a quirk. Bruce thought so, anyway.

As for Damian, he had grappled with his dismissal from Talia’s side for what was now a majority of his life, and still possessed this deep-rooted, inextinguishable attachment to his mother. It was the hollow soreness any young boy would have in his position. Tim called him mama’s boy until he finally displayed a frightening amount of disdain for the title and actually begged him to stop. Tim agreed to, and I agreed to pretend I never heard a thing.

Dick disagreed with both of those sentiments and viewed Talia as someone who wasn’t worth the trouble. His dismissal embarrassed Bruce and offended Damian, so I knew the dinner table had been sufficiently turned into a powder keg. Tim and I shared a look as I expressed silent gratefulness, and he resigned to inspecting a dumpling, while I picked around my haka noodles.

The rest of dinner was quiet. Somehow, somewhere in the silence all had been decidedly forgiven. First by Babs who asked me to pass the pepper. Then by Dick who said the vegetables were good. Thank you, Alfred. Damian still looked pissed, and Bruce kept stealing glances at the clock.

I texted Tim under the table.

Thanks for taking one for the team.

The reply: You owe me one. I think Damian’s gonna poison my food.

We both glanced at the youngest, who was darkly mesmerized by what appeared to be Tim’s soup bowl.

He quickly added, Wait, actually tho? And we both fought laughter like two kids in the back of the class. It felt good to have an ally. Even if he still didn’t know the whole truth.

Growing Stronger - Chapter Nineteen - Letting Me In

The high-pitched scream on the phone was like a clang in my brain. I quickly removed the device from my ear, afraid I would rupture an eardrum.

“And now I’m deaf. Thank you, Diane.”

I don’t know how I wasn’t expecting it. Diane and Goldman were pure activists in my reconciliation with Victor, chaining themselves to the figurative trees of our relationship. Especially Diane. For someone so quiet and wise, she was full of plots and schemes. And surprisingly enough, she had done it. Because of her latest idea, Victor and I were together again. I guess I should be grateful instead of annoyed, but at the same time, I felt like we were puppets in her hands. That girl’s resourcefulness was scary. A good scary, but still scary.

“Well, finally!” She added, in exasperation. “You guys are more stubborn than mules! It was plain to see you still had feelings for each other, but you were just dancing around it.”

“So you gave us a little push.” I teased. “Lost tiaras and whatnot.”

“Ain’t I great?” She gloated. “I’m the best, I know it. So… does that mean we can have our double date anytime soon?” She asked, a hopeful note in her voice.

“That means that right now Victor needs to fully recover.” I used my most serious tone, showing her I meant business. “And your husband better stop sending him work, no matter how much Victor asks. He wanted to reschedule PT and go to the office. So if you want a double date anytime soon, Goldman better behave.”

“I will tell him that, don’t worry.” Diane assured me. “So, the CEO is having Physical Therapy?”

“He’s getting evaluated as we speak. Not sure yet.” I spotted Phil, the PT in the doorway, signaling for me. “I’m being summoned. I need to go.”

“Go, he needs you. I will talk to Henry. And Andrea,” I could hear her perky voice again, all excited. “I’m really happy for you both. You two belong together. It’s written in the stars! Wedding next year!” She screamed. Again, almost rupturing my eardrum.

“Slow down, cupid.” I pretended to be annoyed, but couldn’t avoid the wide smile on my face. “One day at a time. And thank you, Di.”

I hung up, turning to Phil. He looked worried.

“Everything ok? How is he?” I didn’t like the look on the PT’s face.

“He is recovering well, and his movements are slowly going back to normal, so he probably won’t need additional therapy. But…” Phil grimaced. “I think we might have overdone ourselves a bit doing the exercises. He won’t admit it, but he seems to be in a lot of pain.”

Typical Victor, I thought. My biggest task in that house was to get him to admit anything was wrong. The worst patient ever is the one that never says something when anything is wrong. The previous night, I had found him in his bed, sweating profusely, in a great deal of pain. He never called for me, never asked for help, just endured it in silence. Naturally, he refused to take something to numb the pain. So after I helped him change, changed his sheets and gave him a good massage to lessen the pain, I couldn’t sleep again. I spent every waking hour of that night checking up on him, making sure he was sleeping soundly. Not wanting to be a burden, Victor was a handful. And it seemed this would be a tendency for the following days.

I walked the PT to the door and headed to Victor’s room, an upbeat look on my face. If I looked worried, he would immediately push me back. It was better to play dumb.

“The PT tells me you won’t need to do therapy. That’s good news.” I smiled.

I did not like what I saw one bit. Victor was sitting on his bed, his back turned to the door. His shoulders were slumped, his head down. He looked defeated.

“Hey…” I kneeled in front of him, lifting his chin with my hand to get a good look at him. His eyebrows were knotted, a grimace locked in his face. “What’s the matter? Are you in pain?”

“Yes.” His voice was strained. I was surprised at how easily he admitted to it. It had to be really bad.

I stroked his leg, noticing he was sweating. He leaned his head against my shoulder, searching for comfort.

“Andy…” He tried to speak, but perhaps his pride wouldn’t let him. Victor had never called me by my nickname, ever. The fact that he was doing it showed me something was very wrong. I pondered on the best course of action. I needed to help him fast.

“I need to get you in the shower first, ok? I’ll give you a painkiller afterward.”

Without a single complaint, Victor let me undress him. I half-carried him to the shower, noticing how careful he still was not to let his entire weight drop on me. He seemed lethargic, almost out of it, the pain making him act so out of character.

My heart was in a vice, hurt to see him so vulnerable. I turned the tap, and without a second thought, I jumped in the shower with him, still wearing my top and shorts, making sure the hot water fell straight on his body, helping his muscles relax. Victor held tight to me, his head on my shoulders, his face buried in the nape of my neck. The water must have worked, because, after some time, I could feel him relax in my arms. I watched him carefully, continuously assessing his state. After washing his hair and body, making sure I massaged his usual sore spots, I turned the water off, helping him walk to his bedroom.

“Feeling better now?” I asked him, while I helped him put his clothes on.

“A little.” His voice sounded a bit stronger now. “Thank you.”

“Let me get you that painkiller.”

He took the pill and let me quickly blow dry his hair. But the time Victor got in bed, I noticed his eyes starting to droop, a soft glaze covering them. The drug was starting to work.

“I know you hate to eat in bed, but it’s better if you have lunch here.” I explained. “What would you like to eat?”

“Do we still have some of that soup left?” He asked in an almost plaintive voice. My heart panged. I smiled softly at him, like a loving mother would.

“Yes, we do. Let me get you some.” I stroked his hair before leaving for the kitchen.

I prepared him a tray with a bowl of my Portuguese pork, bean and cabbage soup, a cup with mixed berries and a peanut butter, oatmeal, and fruit smoothie. Without asking, I grabbed the spoon and started feeding him, knowing he was probably so out of it he would barely be able to feed himself. He accepted it all, without a word, and even though this was a far cry from the Victor I knew, I was glad he was accepting my help. At last, I was able to take care of him.

By the time Victor finished his meal, he looked a lot better. It was clear that the drug was now on full effect and the pain was gone. Also, knowing how strong his meds were, I suspected Victor was high as a kite. He gave me a wide goofy smile, his eyes shiny and unfocused.

“You are a very good nurse.” He seemed to be in a much better mood.

“Why, thank you. Today, you were also a very good patient. How are you feeling?”

“Wonderful.” The way he rolled the word in his mouth made me chuckle. High Victor was bound to be fun.

“Ok, let’s get you in bed, then.” I removed one of the pillows supporting his back, so he could lie down. “Take a nap, get some rest.”

“I’m not tired.” He complained, taking my hand to pull me closer. “Lie with me, let me hold you for a while.”

Even high on pain meds, and after all the pain he went through, Victor kept his incredible strength. He kept a firm hand on me, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t release myself from his grip. After a short struggle, he managed to have me lying on top of him.

“Let me go.” I scolded. “You’re injured, I’m going to hurt you.”

“Bold of you to think I’ll let you go just like that.” He smirked.

“I mean it, Victor. You’re hurting yourself, making me lie on you like that.” I tried to break free, careful not to hurt him. He didn’t budge.

“Then be a good girl and come to my arms.” He let me go to pull the covers down for me to enter, opening his arms widely.

“No. You should rest.” I pulled the covers back up again.

“I won’t rest without you here.” He threatened, a mischievous look in his eyes. “Just for a while, come on.” He threw the covers down again. “Come ‘ere.”

Who was I kidding? I couldn’t resist him. I moved closer, letting him embrace me. Like he always would, he held me tight and buried his nose on my hair, taking a deep breath.

“I missed having you in my arms like this.” His voice was softer, as he relaxed with the comfort of my warmth. I sighed, happy to be there.

“I missed it too.” God, did I miss it.

“It hurt when you left.” His voice was strained. “I was all alone again.”

“Leaving you was one of the biggest mistakes in my life.” I felt my eyes prickle. It was truly one of my greatest regrets, walking away like that. It had been just as painful to me. “I will never leave you. I will always be by your side, as long as you want me.”

“Well, then it’s settled. We will be together forever.” He kissed my forehead.

“Sounds like a plan to me.” I smiled, caressing his chest. “Close your eyes now, let’s take a nap.”

It didn’t take long for Victor’s breath to steady and deepen, his grip on me slackening as his body became heavier with slumber. I didn’t need to look at him to know he was softly falling asleep, but not before I heard him mumble.

“One of these days, I’m going to ask you to marry me.”

It took a gigantic amount of effort not to wake him up and ask what he meant by that. Instead, I left his embrace carefully, getting out of bed to return to my work. I took a good look at the man in front of me, sleeping peacefully, a tranquil look on his face.

We had overcome so much, and there were still some things we needed to get through, but we were together. Part of me was surprised and anguished to see him so vulnerable, but that also meant he was truly letting me in his life. The world saw the impervious and invincible CEO, I was honored to see the man behind it. And I would be by his side, like he had always been by mine. We would get through this, it couldn’t happen any other way, we made a terrific team.

I understood Victor was probably too out of it to mean what he said, but still, I dreamed of the day he would pop the most important question of both our lives. And I knew exactly how I was going to answer it.

Hunger Games

In daily life, the hunger of the soul is often confused with the need to eat.” So said Dr Otto Buchinger, the guru behind a no-frills, therapeutic-fasting clinic in Germany. I am burnt out and my feeble attempts to fast for just two days a week on the regime du jour, the 5:2 diet, have proved futile, so I have decided that Buchinger’s 10-day retreat with strict routines and a 250-calorie-a-day fasting plan is the way forward.

On booking, the clinic advises that for a few days in the run-up to my visit, I refrain from meat, caffeine and alcohol. The day before I am due to fly out, I haven’t quite stuck to its pre-fast diet, so I swing by The Juicery in Marylebone to pick up some potent antioxidant green juice to see me through the next 24 hours.

Day 1

An hour’s drive from Zurich, the clinic is a complex maze that’s one part sanatorium, two parts John Pawson-esque minimalism, with incredible views of the majestic Lake Constance (pictured above) – obscured by a colossal grey cloud that spits rain until noon. After being shown to a sparse, white room, I have my welcome consultation with Dr Drinda. It lasts 30 minutes and comprises a blood-pressure check, weigh-in and a lengthy interview on my emotional and physical state, followed by a lecture on my overenthusiasm for my favourite source of resveratrol (quelle surprise). My last supper is rice and vegetables, which I have in my room, looking out at the still, dark lake. I practise 20 minutes of transcendental meditation and hop into bed.

Day 2 

I head to the nurse’s office – pot of urine in one hand and cup of Rooibos tea in the other. She sets out my schedule for the coming days: “The body likes routine, so you will see me every morning at 8am to check your blood pressure and weight. At 11am you’ll have apple-skin tea and every other day this will be accompanied by an enema. From noon, you can go to the main house for your first of two daily vegetable broths, and by 1pm I would like you to do a liver pack in your room.” As I look at her with confusion, she explains that a liver pack is a damp cloth and a hot-water bottle placed on the abdomen to increase the circulation, draw out toxins, and kick-start the metabolism. 10am It’s time for my personal-training session with Mrs Veit, a diminutive lady with a no-nonsense attitude. TRX bands hang from the ceiling, while medicine balls, bosu balls, weights and an array of cardio machines line the glass windows that look out over the lake. We embark on a challenging set of circuits: squats, lunges, burpees, Russian twists, planks and mad dashes on the treadmill. It’s hard, especially with only tea with lemon for breakfast.

11.15am – I was feeling fragile when I arrived, but as I collapse into the chair for my consultation with Dr Van Houten, tears of exhaustion well up. She is not surprised: my lifestyle is wreaking havoc on my insulin levels and hormones. “I want you to do virtually nothing while here. Your prescription is just fasting, mountain air, rest, plenty of hot tea and the daily hike [pictured top right] – Otto Buchinger was a firm believer in mountain walks.” After some persuasion, she agrees to a personal- training session each day.

1pm – After taking Glauber salts (to help with bowel cleansing), I eat the tasteless vegetable broth with a few leaves of fresh coriander in my room. Next, I head for the lobby, where the assembled group is divided into advanced, intermediate and beginners, for a two-hour hike in the surrounding countryside and through the town of Überlingen. I opt for the advanced group and pace up the hills ahead of the pack. The stunning views do a marvellous job of calming my mind. Back at base, I have a Thai massage with Dr Kuhner, during which I keep my clothes on and lie on a soft mattress on the floor while he performs a combination of acupressure, gentle twisting and stretching out of my limbs. His pressure is perfect. I meet my nurse back in my room for the liver pack. She lays it on my stomach and I lie back and meditate, which is enormously relaxing.

7pm – I spend half an hour in the sauna. It is mixed sex and everyone is naked. I am not sure that makes it the most calming of experiences. 9pm The hunger pangs are so intense I head into the corridor to see what I can scavenge. I plead for another portion of soup and but am adamantly told no – the next best thing is the apple-skin tea. I purloin several pots.9pm – The hunger pangs are so intense I head into the corridor to see what I can scavenge. I plead for another portion of soup and but am adamantly told no – the next best thing is the apple-skin tea. I purloin several pots.

Day 3

After a terrible night’s sleep, I wake to a thumping headache, a typical side effect of detoxing. As I sip my herbal tea, I tell the nurse that I am starting to feel weak. She takes my blood pressure, which has plummeted, and hands me half a cup of apple sauce with a dollop of honey. “Days two to four are always the hardest,” she says. “Let’s get you back in bed.” But not before an enema. Afterwards, I have some soothing apple-skin tea, the nurse brings me a hot-water bottle and I curl up under the covers.

1pm – I make my way to my Ayurvedic massage with Mrs Spitz. It’s an almond- and sesame-oil treatment, which is wonderfully gentle and relaxing. At lunch, because of my low blood pressure, I’m allowed two bowls of broth. It doesn’t feel like quite enough sustenance for the optional daily walk, however. We hop in a bus and head for Haldenhof for a brisk four-mile woodland hike. It’s invigorating but tough – and completely wipes me out for the rest of the day.

Day 4

I wake with a thick, bitter-tasting residue on my tongue, another sign of detoxing. My energy levels appear to be on the rise. Ketosis has kicked in – my body has switched to a more efficient way of burning its fat reserves to satisfy its basic energy needs. The mirror shows that my once-bloated face looks leaner, my skin is glowing and my eyes are bright. A visit to the nurse reveals I have lost 1.8kg. She says that most of it is water. My blood pressure is stable and I’m looking and feeling better.

9am – My one-on-one personal-training session with Mrs Dohner, the most sought after of all the workout leaders, is hard: more circuits with some plyometrics. She has no mercy – there’s hardly a second to catch my breath and by the end I am exhausted.

2pm – After vegetable broth in my room, I set out for another group-guided, 90-minute hike to a neighbouring village, which takes us through forest, farmland and fields of cows. I am starting to feel pretty good. My stomach grumbles aggrievedly, but I feel alert. I round off the day with a liver pack and a traditional Thai massage from Mr Kuhner.

Day 5

My trip to the nurse gets the day off to a good start: she is impressed at the rate I am losing weight (the total so far is 2.2kg) and by my positive attitude.

9am – Today’s 55-minute gym session focuses on isometrics – tensing my muscles without moving any part of my body. It’s great for targeting specific muscle groups, such as the core abdominals with the plank and obliques with side planks. I do 10 minutes of planking in total, holding and resting for alternate minutes. I’m smiling through the pain.

10.30am – I’m well and truly into the swing of things, and my body is no longer crippled by hunger pangs. I stop by the garage, collect a mountain bike, set my workout playlist and bomb around the lake for 90 minutes. I have my pre-lunchtime broth, then it’s time for some pampering in the salon. I opt for a two-hour gold anti-ageing facial using Deynique products. It is top-notch and leaves my skin glowing and firmer. I feel amazing. Supposedly when patients fast, the stress hormones decrease and serotonin levels rise, resulting in a “fasting high”. When I arrived, my brain was whirring, but now I have clarity. 

5pm My deep-tissue massage takes place in the building that houses the wet spa. Sadly, I don’t think the 50-minute session even touches the sides when it comes to my stiff back, neck and shoulders. Nevertheless, it is pretty thorough – more medical than pampering. Since I arrived, my sleeping has improved, although the excess of liquid makes it quite hard to have a night uninterrupted by loo breaks.

Day 6

I wake up full of energy. Despite the meagre diet of herbal tea and two daily bowls of broth, my gym sessions and the daily walk are getting easier. My skin blemishes have also cleared and my face is radiant. In the evening I even add a yoga class into the mix. But it is for beginners, so doesn’t tax me enough.

Day 7

Again I wake up feeling sprightly. I decide to switch my daily gym session for a swim in the outdoor heated pool, followed by a stretch in the sauna. My hunger pangs have really died down. I am a lot less peckish than on any other detox I have ever done.

Day 8

So begins a two-day reintroduction to food – key for a smooth re-entry into normal life. The first meal is a large portion of apple purée. It seems vast. Lunch and dinner are a selection of rice, potatoes and grilled vegetables. The day’s intake only comes to 800 calories, but after a week of not eating, the portions seem enormous – a few bites and I’m full.

Day 9

Breakfast now includes a choice of yoghurt or porridge, while lunch extends to tofu and crudités. I am also allowed some chicory coffee with almond milk – a real treat. Filled with energy, I am buzzing. Before my personal-training session, I run for half an hour on the treadmill. Then I cycle round the lake and top it all off with a group Pilates session – which is significantly better than the yoga class. In the afternoon, it’s time for the signature Buchinger walk. The combination of good old-fashioned exercise, mountain air and organic food (when I get it) is simple but incredible.

Day 10

I make one last visit to the nurse, for a weigh-in and check-up. She is impressed by my weight loss and when she reruns the checks she did on the first day (on my thyroid and hormones), everything is as it should be. We finish up with a vitamin A and B intravenous drip, which gives me a final pep-up. I am raring to return to the urban jungle.

The Bottom Line

By day two, I was in tears and dying to go home. I felt cold, dizzy and frankly a little depressed – I missed the textures and flavours of food but, more importantly, those rituals that come with eating. But as it turned out, the fasting allowed me to appreciate the joys of meals afresh. By day four, the benefits of the detox started kicking in and I was on a “fasting high”. The dark cloud lifted, as did the bloat from my face and midriff. Over the next few days, my mood and energy soared and, without meals to punctuate the days, I found myself meditating regularly, and enjoying the long walks.

Rarely have I been on a detox where lack of food was so bearable, nay, enjoyable. As my hunger pangs evaporated and my euphoria soared, I experienced no cravings for sugar or wine and my passion for physical exercise was restored thanks to energising, inspiring hikes around that magnificent lake. My final weight showed a loss of 5.5kg. But far more valuable is the sheer lightness in body and mind that came as a result of the process – I felt like a new person. Ten days was a perfect reboot. Would I go back? Absolutely: I’ve already booked in for a fortnight in five months’ time.

Batwoman: How Housing and Homelessness Shape Ryan’s Heroism

https://ift.tt/3omZdIO

From the very first promo, where we saw Kate Kane give first money and then her gold watch to a young woman panhandling, Batwoman has concerned itself with homelessness and housing. In Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie), however, Batwoman has a new protagonist with lived experience of homelessness. Unlike a lot of television shows that use homelessness as a shorthand to demonstrate that a main character is a good or bad person, Batwoman meaningfully incorporates Ryan’s housing struggles into her long-term character arc and how she approaches her time in the cowl.

In that first teaser back before season 1 premiered, the audience was meant to learn both that Kate Kane was incredibly wealthy and that, unlike the jerky anonymous member of the Crows, she actually cared about doing something to change Gotham’s notoriously tough streets, and not just in a “lock ‘em up” kind of way. As the first season unfolded, heiress Kate became more aware of how gentrification and the lack of affordable housing was squeezing low-income Gothamites out of their own city, thanks to her one-time girlfriend, Reagan.

At a press event before the start of season 2, showrunner Caroline Dries shared that incorporating housing policy wasn’t some kind of strategic goal, but she did always see Gotham as a kind of Los Angeles 2.0 – except even bleaker.

“From a creative point of view, I think that happened a little bit subconsciously. Living in LA the homeless population has just exploded in the last seven years or so,” Dries says. “It’s everywhere you look, and it’s such a huge problem, and it feels like there’s really no solution to it.”

For Dries, fiction allowed her a measure of wishful thinking: “When I was offered the opportunity to write Batwoman and to write Kate Kane, it seemed like: Oh, at least maybe there’s some way that I can have control over this seemingly like endless pandemic of homelessness in our city.”

After hearing about Reagan’s grandmother’s housing struggles – and how common they are across Gotham – Kate went on to form Gotham Pride Real Estate, her way of improving her city by day, under her own name. Kate bought and renovated apartment buildings and rented them at reasonable rates as a way to lock in long-term affordable housing. In some cases, Gotham Pride bought buildings in Gotham’s wealthiest neighborhoods and still rented them at very low rents, pushing back against the extreme wealth segregation that the show has hinted at and that is a reality for much of America.

As Dries says, “It was just like a little bit of hopefulness that I was trying to put out into the world.”

Kate also created The Hold Up, an LGBTQ bar that seems to cater specifically to the sapphic set, which is its own form of business activism. Nationwide, lesbian and queer bars for marginalized genders (women, trans people and nonbinary folks) are an endangered species. As we saw when Kate and Sophie got kicked out of Allesandro’s for holding hands, having spaces where queer folks can simply exist safely and openly isn’t a given, so creating one matters. By owning real estate and using it to make safe, affordable spaces for vulnerable populations to live or to gather socially, Kate Kane has leveraged her wealth to help various communities reclaim Gotham so it can belong to everyone, not just the wealthy few.

With Ryan Wilder stepping into the spotlight for the second season, housing takes on more urgency. The premiere showed how squatters from Alice’s Wonderland Gang killed Ryan’s mother in her own apartment. That made Ryan an orphan and forced her out on the street. She’s been living in her van, and as of the end of the second episode, our Batwoman is still marginally housed, meaning that while she can stay in her van, that’s neither a permanent solution nor is it a sufficient one.

How many other superheroes have experienced homelessness in the present tense – and not as part of going undercover or in some kind of training exercise, but because they literally had nowhere else to go? Dries intentionally pivoted to a different kind of Batwoman in a number of ways, and Ryan’s housing status is one of them.

“With Ryan, it was part of the overarching goal that I had in creating a character who is nothing like Kate Kane, and Kate is a billionaire who never will have to worry about being homeless, she can work to help homelessness,” Dries says. “So it just made sense to me that in creating Kate’s foil, more or less, that maybe Ryan came from a more troubled background where she was part of this problem in her city.”

While Kate was an excellent hero for her city, in many ways she was still a privileged one. Ryan’s experiences, including her time navigating what it means to be unhoused, open up a whole host of possibilities for the ways in which her Batwoman could best serve the people who need her most, because she knows their needs acutely. A common critique of Batman is that many of the people he physically brutalizes are in need of mental health services and/or are at the mercy of an unjust criminal legal system and a city with no social safety net that has pushed them toward a life of crime. Just as Kate’s queer Batwoman before her, Ryan’s Batwoman poses the question: What does a radically reimagined Batwoman look like? How can she better serve the people of Gotham with the greatest need, while pushing back against the authoritarianism of the Crows and the demands of the wealthy elites who hire them?

Toward the end of the second episode, “Prior Criminal History,” Luke Fox offers Ryan a warehouse to draw the poisonous bats away and then detonate a bomb to take them out, away from innocent civilians. On the city plans he has access to back in the Bat cave, the warehouse looks abandoned. But Ryan does a double-take and tells him no, they have to find somewhere else – that’s actually a homeless encampment. Luke immediately starts looking for a new locale, and Ryan comes up with the idea to use the Crows Security bus, resulting in a great little set piece.

It may seem like a small moment, but this demonstration of how Ryan’s knowledge and therefore actions as Batwoman would be completely different is spot-on and an absolute game-changer. In every city in America, there’s a complex infrastructure that people who are currently homeless or marginally housed must navigate in order to get through their day to day. Just out of sight from housed people, there are encampments, shelters, and an array of social services all requiring completely different paperwork, hours, and counselors. Ryan would know the safest places to park her van, the hours for the best soup kitchens, where the women-only shelters are, and the places that stay open latest, in case it gets so cold late at night that she has to go in.

Just before she detonates the bomb, Ryan sees a young woman sheltering in a tent nearby. She runs over and shields them both with her cape. Afterwards when the coast is clear, the young woman looks up at Ryan in the batsuit with admiration.

“Batwoman?”

“Oh no, not really,” Ryan says, hesitantly.

“Well,” says the young woman, “you are to me.”

Read more

TV

Batwoman Season 2 Episode 2 Review: Prior Criminal History

By Nicole Hill

Comics

New Batwoman Ryan Wilder Gets Surprise DC Introduction

By Kayti Burt

Just as Kate Kane helped many more people see themselves on screen as heroes, Ryan Wilder is now doing the same thing, in-world, and I suspect, irl. For Black women and queer Black folks, but also for anyone who has experienced homelessness. For the people who have couch-surfed for months on end, lived in their cars, lost their housing through no fault of their own, or who struggle to keep their head above water because of a record – even if it’s one they got unfairly, like Ryan.

Leslie speaks about how with the character of Ryan, the show gets to bring in a firsthand story to show what it’s like to actually live through these experiences, rather than having characters observe or comment on them from afar.

“I think that what’s really dope about what we’re doing this season is you get to see Ryan’s story and how she ends up where she is,” Leslie says. “And a lot of it is just, it’s the system and being lost in the system and not having support in the system. So I do think that that’s another way it’s being addressed.”

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Batwoman has long taken on serious social issues that other superhero shows lack the moral heft to consider, whether that means police corruption, racism within the legal system, American’s broken and inadequate healthcare, or discrimination against LGBTQ people. The show’s diverse cast of characters speak about these issues firsthand, and Ryan Wilder is no exception. Her backstory as someone who has struggled with housing insecurity isn’t a throwaway line but rather a current aspect of her life that sets the tone for who this new Batwoman is, and how the show will be moving forward.

Subscribe to Den of Geek magazine for FREE right here!

(function() { var qs,js,q,s,d=document, gi=d.getElementById, ce=d.createElement, gt=d.getElementsByTagName, id=”typef_orm”, b=”https://ift.tt/2sSOddM;; if(!gi.call(d,id)) { js=ce.call(d,”script”); js.id=id; js.src=b+”embed.js”; q=gt.call(d,”script”)[0]; q.parentNode.insertBefore(js,q) } })()

The post Batwoman: How Housing and Homelessness Shape Ryan’s Heroism appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3a6fuwp

15 Underrated Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work | Eat This Not That

New Post has been published on https://weightlosshtiw.com/15-underrated-weight-loss-tips-that-actually-work-eat-this-not-that/

15 Underrated Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work | Eat This Not That

Keep it simple, stupid. The polite version of this saying, known as Occam’s Razor, basically says that the simplest path forward is usually the best. You can apply this theory to everything, even quick weight loss.

What’s simpler than identifying your existing daily habits and then making tiny tweaks that can help tip the scale in your favor? By taking advantage of the more underrated parts of your daily routine, you could toss the rice cakes and running shoes once and for all. In fact, a swing of just 10 calories a day—about as many calories as you burn in 3 minutes of standing still—will make you a pound slimmer by this time next year.

So, before you sign up for a complicated diet plan or commit to an expensive personal trainer, make sure you’ve taken advantage of these simple, effective, and underrated ways to strip off the pounds. And to lose even more weight, you won’t want to miss The Best Ways to Lose Belly Fat for Good, Say Doctors.

A striking new study published in the journal Diabetes suggests that simply blasting the air conditioner or turning down the heat in winter may help us attack belly fat while we sleep. Colder temperatures subtly enhance the effectiveness of our stores of brown fat—fat keeps you warm by helping you burn the fat stored in your belly. Participants spent a few weeks sleeping in bedrooms with varying temperatures: a neutral 75 degrees, a cool 66 degrees, and a balmy 81 degrees. After four weeks of sleeping at 66 degrees, the subjects had almost doubled their volumes of brown fat. (And yes, that means they lost belly fat.)

Drinking coffee may help you lose weight and lower body fat. In fact, drinking four cups of coffee daily could reduce body fat by about 4%, according to a recent study. You just have to make sure you’re not using the 7 Things You Should Never Add to Your Coffee. A cup of coffee has nearly zero calories. A cup of coffee with cream and sugar has 80 calories. If you drink two cups a day, learning to take it black will save you 14 pounds in a year!

Go Full Fat

Not around your waist, but on your plate: A new report from the Credit Suisse Research Institute found that more and more of us are choosing whole-fat foods over skim, lite, fat-free or other modern monikers of leanness. And while many health organizations like the American Heart Association still want us to cut down on fat—particularly saturated fat—this full-fat trend may be a healthy rebellion against those decades-old credos, according to recent studies. Click here to discover The 20 Best Full-Fat Foods for Weight Loss!

They’re the best fruits for weight loss. That means Pink Lady apples, watermelon, red grapes, and raspberries. The higher levels of nutrients called flavonoids—particularly anthocyanins, compounds that give red fruits their color—calm the action of fat-storage genes. For example, research conducted at the University of Western Australia found that the Pink Lady apples had the highest levels of flavonoids, antioxidants which are thought to keep the body in tip-top condition.

Steep Pu-Erh Tea

This fermented Chinese tea can literally shrink the size of your fat cells! To discover the brew’s fat-crusading powers Chinese researchers divided rats into five groups and fed them varying diets over a two month period. In addition to a control group, there was a group given a high-fat diet with no tea supplementation and three additional groups that were fed a high-fat diet with varying doses of pu-erh tea extract. The researchers found that the tea significantly lowered triglyceride concentrations (potentially dangerous fat found in the blood) and belly fat in the high-fat diet groups. Although sipping the tea could have slightly different outcomes in humans, we think these findings are promising enough that it’s still well worth your while to fix yourself a steaming hot cup.

Make Every Day Casual Friday

Wearing jeans to work wears away your belly. University of Wisconsin researchers found that people who wore denim to work took almost 500 more steps (about a quarter mile) throughout the day than they did on days when they wore more formal attire. Sure, you may feel more dapper in your suit, but losing extra belly fat is sure to make you see jeans in a different light and feel more confident—no matter what you’re wearing.

Smelling fresh green apples and bananas curb appetite and make sugary desserts less appealing, studies have shown. The scientists suggest this is because the produce makes you subconsciously think about making healthier choices. If a fruit basket on your desk attracts too many flies, try a simpler idea, like a shea butter-based scented lotion, which will have the same effect. (If you’re eating your apple instead of sniffing it, go for the red one.)

Become a Cereal Killer

Does your crazy-busy morning routine leave you with little time to do more than scarf down a bowl of cereal before running out the door? If so, put down the spoon and listen up! Research has found that eating oatmeal is more satiating than the cold stuff and can help you slim down. Since the instant varieties aren’t always nutritional champions, it’s better to use the slow-cooking variety.

Take a Candy Daydream

A recent study found that fantasizing about eating an entire packet of your favorite candy before indulging may cause you to eat less of it. For the study, researchers asked participants to imagine eating 3 or 30 M&Ms, and then invited them to help themselves to some of the candies as a “taste test.” Those who imagined eating lots of M&Ms actually ate the least.

Schedule a Workout Date

It’s hard to squeeze in a workout before meeting friends for drinks, so you blow off…the workout, of course. A better idea: Tell your bud to meet you at the gym. You can socialize, get fit, and still hit the bar afterward. This trick works with spouses, too: A recent JAMA Internal Medicine study of nearly 4,000 couples found that people are more likely to stick to healthy habits like exercise when they team up with their partner.

Host a Melon Banquet

While all fruits are healthy, a handful of them reigns supreme when it comes to frying fat and de-bloating your belly. University of Kentucky researchers found that eating watermelon can lower fat accumulation, while another group of great minds discovered that honeydew can banish water retention and bloating. Spend ten minutes chopping up these slimming fruits for the week ahead. Enjoy them solo as a snack, throw them into yogurt or add them to salads. Watermelon is also one of these 50 Best Foods for Him—in Bed—share them with the man in your life.

While it may sound counterintuitive, eating before going to a work dinner or happy hour can actually take off pounds. A series of studies out of Penn State published in the journal Appetite found that noshing on an apple or a broth-based soup prior to sitting down to a restaurant meal can reduce total calorie intake by 20 percent. With the average restaurant meal weighing in at 1,128 calories, saving 20 percent once a day could help you lose up to 23 pounds this year.

Get Yourself Some Fish Oil

Need a little help jump-starting your weight loss (or fending it off entirely)? Your best bet may be to turn to the sea. It may sound a little unappetizing, but fish oil is one of the best nutrients for the human body. According to NIH, fish oil (which can be consumed by eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, and sardines or by taking supplements – whichever fits best into your lifestyle) lowers triglycerides in those with diabetes and heart problems by as much as 20 to 50 percent. That’s not all these fish can do for your figure. Research suggests fish oil can also help boost weight loss by helping you feel full, according to a study published in Appetite.

Make a Breadless Sandwich

In seconds: Lay a slice of Swiss cheese on a cutting board. Top with a slice of deli turkey and a spoonful of hummus or guacamole. Wrap like a jelly roll and eat. You’ll save no fewer than 200 calories compared to your typical lunch.

With ancient grains trending, this one will battle quinoa and teff for space at your table. Native to the Middle East, kamut, also known as Khorsan wheat, is rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, high in protein and low in calories. A half-cup serving has 30% more protein than regular wheat (six grams), with only 140 calories. Eating kamut reduces cholesterol, blood sugar and cytokines, which cause inflammation throughout the body, a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found. Kamut is a good source of zinc, iron, and B-vitamins, all of which will help keep your energy levels high so you can burn more calories throughout the day, aiding your weight-loss efforts. Toss it into salads or eat it as a side dish on its own. A quick tweak like that can have you melting fat fast—along with these secrets on 14 Ways to Lose Your Belly in 14 Days.

This content was originally published here.

My relationship with food, previously living with M.E. and recovering practicing an ancient, traditional self cultivation way.

I feel I need to write about food. This is a personal account. Here is a short video we made yesterday - an introduction into something very complex made simple - I hope this may help others -My relationship with food has always been healthy and I would consider it pretty traditional, in that I eat the way I was brought up to eat. I remember fondly watching my grandfather cooking the way I do now, standing in his kitchen under the clothes airer chopping up onions, carrots and potatoes for a stew and folding the vegetable peelings in newspaper to go in the compost.

Recently, under a lot of extra pressure and external stress I find myself becoming increasingly aware that I am comfort eating, and a lot of this involves sugar, and extra weight around my midriff! I’m not so concerned about how I look, but it is beginning to become an issue when I actually feel the extra weight when I am moving around, lifting myself up off the floor, tying my shoe laces and when I lie on my side it is like another body lying in front of me! I reckon I’m carrying and extra 2 stone - I don’t weigh myself, I can just grab it with two hands and at the front it is actually hanging over the waistband of my trousers.

My attitude towards food is also different to what I believe is the main narrative people are being sold (pushed) in mainstream media, be that on TV programmes, news, magazines, newspapers, food packaging, marketing… we are constantly being bombarded with different, quite often conflicting messages -

We are constantly being told - eat this and you will feel great; this is the magic pill to lose weight; the magic pill to heal everything; you need to eat this; you don’t need to eat that; omit this from your diet and you will feel great; you are glucose intolerant; have intolerances…. buy our vitamin supplements, processed foods, nitrates, phosphates, our food has been so tampered with it has additives, MSG, artificial sweeteners, flavourings, there is GMO food, monoculture farming, nutrient depleted soil, pesticides, we’re told all the bees are dying, the world is dying, our food is not nutritious any more; there is intensive farming, we need to eat organic, eat local, food shipped is across the globe, chicken from China is been sold in the US, we are eating bleached chicken scraped off the floor, inhumane practices, vegetarian, vegan, you are not human if you eat meat, if you don’t eat meat your body will be unwell, you’re a Hippy if you don’t eat meat, eat more greens, don’t take salt, or eggs, or pate if you are pregnant, or shrimps, drink vinegar if you’re losing your hair, you need this, you need that….. it is endless………

…….you get the idea. Even writing down what flew into my head just then illustrates the overload and chaotic mess we have been bombarded with for as long as I can remember. There must be some thread of truth running through all of this and this is what I am trying to discover. To strip away and break free from all the, what I perceive as, nonsense and social conditioning. It’s like one huge big experiment has been playing out to take us away from what is natural, God given, native, regional, locally grown or reared and to lead us to mess and experiment and with nature, overly rely on technology and science instead of the all the nourishing information and wisdom handed down to us over eons from experience. I personally find it disrespectful and ungrateful in some ways. Has this modern obsession with manufactured and processed food actually improved or enhanced our lives? If you ask me, I’d say no - return to tradition! Thankfully I have friends on this same quest.

In a nutshell - to see where I’m coming from - I realise that I enjoy everything I eat. There is nothing I won’t eat other than raw meat, raw fish or raw eggs. I don’t drink alcohol or take any drugs. I’m not vegetarian or vegan. I eat what I perceive as nourishing and healthy. I don’t drink enough water. I drink too much caffeine. I don’t take any supplements. Or medication. I don’t have set times when I eat and I sleep or exercise. I have little routine. Some weeks I eat loads and loads and some weeks I eat very little, and have been like this all my life since childhood. I tend to follow my instincts. I’m aware we need to eat a variety of foods and to have a balanced diet and not gorge on too much of the same thing - and I’m also aware that there are many people who are not as fortunate as I, who eat and survive on what they have available even if it is only a small amount of rice or millet and nothing else. The human body is incredible. The human mind and resilience is incredible.

To go back a little into my past, as I mentioned, I was raised eating what I would regard as traditional home made food, things such as a Sunday dinner of meat, vegetables, potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and gravy. I eat fish, salads, pasta and sauces, soups, rice and stir fries, curries, pies, vegetables, cooked breakfasts….. I buy the odd ready-made meal like a moussaka or lasagne, frozen breaded fish, fries, tinned food, some processed food. I go through phases like making bread at home in a machine/buying it, making my own preserves, batch cooking from scratch and freezing it. I quite often live on left-overs and sometimes even add new ingredients to a huge stew done in a earthenware clay pot, or our slow cooker, made the day before, to transform it into another meal. I will even eat a take away curry the next morning for breakfast! I lived in Singapore for years and for breakfast sometimes I would have rice, fried egg, fish and chilli, I’m more of a savoury fan than of sugar. I will try new foods quite happily, and new fruits and vegetables I’ve never seen before. I’m not aware that I have any crazy habits other than my recent comfort eating - which has been highlighted this year, which includes eating Haribo jelly sweets just before I go to sleep and wriggling around uncomfortably, probably due to all the sugar and weird additives. Do you actually know what it is you are eating half the time? I can’t even pronounce half the ingredients.

In 2005 I had a serious accident on the motorway, which led me to being diagnosed with M.E, and on top of that when I was 18 I’d had a car crash and my sacrum was twisted through whiplash and lodged in my pelvis, which cause serious pains in my spine and back most of my life. Another accident on a jet ski in Malaysia in 1996 - which I believe also nearly ended my life, meant I had been bashed around quite a lot - I had actually ended up in a hospital in Singapore - where I lived at the time - on a traction bed for a week which was fun I recall - I could lift myself up and down and the push of a button! (I could do with that now to lift up my lard ass - oops!)

From 2005 - 2011 I really struggled with M.E. and my spinal injuries. I remember lots of pain, problems at different times walking as swinging my leg forward was very painful. Sometimes I couldn’t feel my legs. M.E. is horrible., I was absolutely drained, exhausted. Pain in my body and head was relentless. I looked ok, and had lo live knowing many people thought I was making it up, and because sometimes I was ok, and lived pretty normal life, I would get lots of remarks like ‘pull yourself together’ which I eventually began to ignore, and understood people really didn’t understand, so it wasn’t their fault.

I had spent years trying different things to help my back problems, radiotherapy, massage, keeping myself fit, in Singapore where I lived from 1995 - 2001, I went swimming almost every day and walked everywhere and I did yoga every day for about 15 years. I was fit and healthy up until 2005.

For those of you reading this with M.E., you will understand. It is very difficult to live with. You have to learn to pace yourself. I could do one small thing in a day and end up in bed for a week or two afterwards. If, for example, a wedding came up, to prepare myself I would sleep most of the time for 2 weeks before the special day so I could get through it on the day. It’s like being trapped in your own body, my mind wanted to do things, but my body just couldn’t cope. I didn’t have depression, but it was becoming increasingly harder to remain optimistic as there was no cure.

I was told my organs would probably deteriorate earlier than others and that it could lead to heart problems, and my fitness levels decreased so much at times that I found it hard to get upstairs, never mind out the house for a walk. But this was off and on. It is sneaky, when you think you’re ok, you do too much, and pay the consequences. In the worst times, the ringing in my ears, pain in my eyes in bright light, the ability to talk for 5 minutes before my head hurt, then shutting down and needing to lie down and slip into sleep, the only place it didn’t hurt, was unbearable. My life shrank. I stopped communicating with many people because I just couldn’t handle talking. I relied on my family and close friends and they were amazing, because sometimes I was ok, and it must have been very frustrating and baffling for them too. I couldn’t watch T.V, read a book, go on the computer, or do anything that needed any amount of concentration for longer than minutes at a time before indescribable pain in my head, my brain would make me shut down. I couldn’t breathe and my whole body felt like it was bursting.

Over 6 years, obviously I looked into cures, as you would, and tried lots of different things. Food being the one I focussed on the most. I tired different diets, eating one thing, omitting another. I tried omitting dairy, it didn’t work. Sugar, it didn’t work. Gluten, didn’t work. Meat, didn’t work………. this went on and on. I tried supplements, different combinations, different amounts and I rattled with supplements at times. It didn’t work.

A slight breakthrough came when I came across ‘Forever Living’ Aloe Vera. It was the only improvement to my general well being - I even signed up to them so I could buy it cheaper, and would drink some every day, and I also took bee propolis - a natural anti biotic. I was on no other medication - a saving grace when I look back as I never became dependant on any drugs or medication - my doctor said there wasn’t anything she could prescribe. I didn’t take pain killers either. Nothing.

In 2009 I signed up for a short course called the Lighting Process, which was ‘NLP’ and it did help me realise I had more control over my brain than I had realised, but it didn’t cure me, although it helped me to think about things slightly differently. I’d had to give up teaching in 2006 aged and over 6 years of living with this illness, I gave up any desire to conquer the world, my ambitions, the many adventures to continue my travels in the world, doing the great British Coast to Coast walk, achieving anything significant, working outdoors, a career, having children….. In 2008 me and my husband decided to go for it and fly to New Zealand and live in a van for 6 months, which we did, and it was amazing. I was in beautiful surroundings ill, instead of at home ill! We had hoped it would cure me. We even swam with a dolphin (who actually looked like it felt sorry for me as I floated on the surface of the water in my wetsuit with loads of lead weights around my waist because I couldn’t sink and I couldn’t breathe properly through the snorkel - not as romantic or life changing as I had expected!) Being in nature did make me feel a lot happier, but I didn’t recover. (If you’re wondering how I got there - I just got there like anyone else, but just slept anytime I could and suffered knowing at the other end I would be somewhere quiet) The trip taught me a lot, by this time, I had resigned myself the the fact that I would be living with this for the rest of my life I began to realise I could be happy with my lot, and appreciated how incredibly fortunate and lucky I was. I still really enjoyed the whole experience, the precious time with my husband - who is a diamond. He stood firmly by my side and still does. I let go of more attachments and expectations and found some level of contentment.

In 2011, I received a leaflet though my door to learn Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) a traditional Buddhist self cultivation practice, a mind and body practice free to learn in a local community centre, with 4 exercises that reminded me of Tai Chi and a sitting meditation. It said the teachings focussed on the Universal Principles of truth, compassion and tolerance. After trying everything else, I decided to go and see what it was and I took my husband’s mum along too.

And it’s no secret that it was in fact by practicing Falun Dafa that I made a full recovery. There have been numerous studies written about the healing effects of this traditional, ancient practice. I am testimony to it. It means I am working on myself, looking deep inside myself to figure myself out and it highlights any addictions and attachments I may have that are not beneficial to either myself or to others - so it is all good. It has highlighted my comfort eating is a deep rooted issue I need to unearth and overcome, and at the moment I think it is linked to grief or fear…..

Since I began the practice in 2011, I have been campaigning on a huge scale (I’ve organised briefings in Parliament, run local campaigns, coordinated art exhibitions screened films, spent thousands of hours on the streets handing out information and lots of other things) about the persecution of Falun Gong who are being targeted and killed by the CCP Chinese communist party in China for their beliefs in truth, compassion and tolerance, and forcibly harvested for their organs whilst still alive - I will add some links below. It has been traumatic, to say the least, and stressful and taken a tremendous amount of energy, effort and courage for me to stand up to this and not be afraid. Last year on top of this continuous effort I looked after my dying aunt who I loved dearly. It was very intense. And now, of course, we have Covic-19 which I ‘lovingly’ call the #CCPVIRUS and we are locked in our homes, not really quite knowing what is going on any more! We are truly living in times of uncertainty. Yet, I believe everything will come good and am optimistic and will carry on doing what I do the best I can. The CCP’s days are indeed numbered.

So back to today - bearing all this in mind - I have fortunately discovered for myself through my own experience that food alone cannot heal my body and mind. I conclude that food is like a tool, something needed to nourish the body and when it is out of balance I’m becoming increasingly aware of the subtle messages my body gives to me. For example, if I eat too much I can’t move; too much sugar, I feel tired; my joints hurt, because there is too much acid in my body, probably from eating too much meat; if I don’t drink enough water, my skin is dry; and other noticeable sensations or manifestations. And I have yet to overcome the deep emotional pain I carry with me to make me strong enough to overcome cravings and break free!

So, I have turned to my dear friends for support and advice - and this is where our Carry Forth Tradition Quentin comes in - he has years of experience with food, nutrition and diet and all sorts of other amazing things and experiences. And he has kindly offered to see if there are any tweaks he can suggest to improve my diet a little, maybe a healthy food to cure a craving instead of a sugary one, a change to my routine, the amount I eat (I have been so brainwashed I don’t even know what a healthy amount is to eat), to help me get more control back and balance my food intake. This in turn will help me face my deeper demons and overcome them. Some of our Carry forth Tradition writers may join in too! We will log my eating habits, and daily routines and see what we discover.

Get to know me tag(s)!

Tagged by: @hyunjinh  @felox-the-great @jaeffreyy @squishywoojin @welcometochanskitchen @dabkingfelix @mosquitofelix

Hi! I’m Summer btw (Ik it’s not in my bio), but I just go by Sum or other nicknames lol *I also just put multiple “get to know me” tags in 1 lol THIS IS A SUPER LONG POST IM SORRY However thank you for tagging me!! I Love you all soOoOo much!

Bold Thingy Tag

1ST RULE: tag 9 people you want to get to know better

I think everyone done this already fkjdjgb

2ND RULE: BOLD the statements that are true.

APPEARANCE: - I am 5'7 or taller - I wear glasses - I have at least one tattoo -I have at least one piercing - I have blonde hair - I have brown eyes - I have short hair (idk it’s growing) - My abs are at least somewhat defined - I have or had braces

PERSONALITY: - I love meeting new people - People tell me I am funny - Helping others with their problems is a big priority of mine - I enjoy physical challenges - I enjoy mental challenges - I am playfully rude to people I know - I started saying something ironically and now I can’t stop saying it - There is something I would change about my personality

ABILITY: - I can sing well - I can play an instrument - I can do over 30 pushups without stopping - I am a fast runner - I can draw well - I have a good memory - I am good at doing maths in my head - I can hold my breath underwater for over a minute - I have beaten at least 2 people arm wrestling - I can make at least 3 recipes from scratch - I know how to throw a proper punch

HOBBIES: - I enjoy sports - I’m on a sports team at my school or somewhere else - I’m in a orchestra or choir at my school or somewhere else - I have learned a new song in the past week - I exercise at least once a week - I have gone for runs at least once a week in warmer months - I have drawn something in the past month (Lucy wanted to be drawn for her bday and I did a watercolor portrait thing ig? for her) - I enjoy writing - Fandoms are my #1 priority- I do some form of Martial arts

EXPERIENCES: - I have had my first kiss - I have had alcohol- I have scored a winning point in a sport - I have watched an entire TV series in one sitting - I have been at an overnight event- I have been in a taxi - I have been in the hospital or ER in the past year - I have beaten a video game in one day - I have visited another country - I have been to one of my favorite band’s concerts

MY LIFE: - I have one person that I consider to be my Best Friend - I live close to my school/work - My parents are still together - I have at least one sibling (I have like 5)- I live in the United States - There is snow where I live right now - I have hung out with a friend in the past month - I have a smart phone - I own at least 15 CDs - I share my room with someone

RELATIONSHIPS: - I am in a Relationship - I have a crush on a celebrity (?) - I have a crush on someone I know - I’ve been in at least 3 relationships - I have never been in a Relationship (not a healthy one at least)- I have admitted my feelings to a crush - I get crushes easily (It’s disgusting, wtf is wrong with me. I don’t need feels) - I have had a crush for over a year (Umm kinda he’s just really really cute. I talked to Dain about this before) - I have been in a relationship for over a year (but not currently) - I have had feelings for a friend

RANDOM: - I have break-danced - I know a person named Jamie - I have had a teacher that has a name that is hard to pronounce - I have dyed my hair - I’m listening to a song on repeat right now - I have punched someone in the past week - I know someone who has gone to jail - I have broken a bone - I have eaten a waffle today - I know what I want to do in life - I speak at least two languages - I have made a new friend in the past year

Alphabet Soup Tag

A: Age - “I’m 19, you fight me?” B: Birthplace - Cali C: Current time - As I’m during this 1:26pm D: Drink you had last - Water, but also Thai Tea Boba E: Easiest person to talk to - F: Favorite song - None G: Grossest memory - My cousin’s and I were doing a auntie and niece day and went theMall and I saw this girl throw up on the second floor in Forever 21. I felt sorry for the workers...  H: Hogwarts house - G I: in love? - nah, never gonna happen J: Jealous of people? - It’s only a human aspect, you’re only truly horrible if you do something nasty to others because of that feeling K: Killed someone? - Not yet lmfao L: Love at first sight or should I walk by again? - No thank you M: Middle name - Summer N: Number of siblings - 5 O: One wish - None P: Person you called last - My mom Q: Question you are always asked - Idk tbvh R: Reason to smile - Idk things make me happy S: Song you sang last - The Unit No way (I dont remember the unit colors)  T: Time you woke up - 6:43am  U: Underwear color - White  V: Vacation destination - South Korea, Japan, & idk the other one, but honestly my goal is to visit all my mutuals before I died lmfaooo W: Worst habit - Not caring, sleeping in, getting distracted easily, being anixious all the time.  X: X-rays - Teeth Y: Your favorite food - I have a lot... Z: Zodiac sign - Gemini

🥛 Colour(s) I’m currently wearing: Black... Just a lot of black (I need to stop wearing sm black omg)  🍥 Last band t-shirt I bought: I don’t ever buy clothes for myself, idk when was last time? Maybe during the Got7 concert?  🥛 Last band I saw live: Got7 (Fly In LA: Day 1) and Paradise (A Hmong Band)  🍥 Last song I listened to: Rn I’m listening to The Unit’s Cherry on Top  🥛 Lipstick or chapstick: Idk... I wear lip tints.  🍥 Last movie I watched: Ever Wonder? (idk it’s a true story about the creation of wonder women)  🥛 Last 3 TV shows I watched: Wanna One Go, Wanna One x Aimgo TV, and The Unit 🍥 Last 3 characters I identified with: Kora, Steven Universe, & Ken Kaneki (idk for this part, I never thought about this fkdfdkgd)  🥛 Book I’m currently reading: Books for my classes njfdkjd 

What’s my name? (Imma just put my initials) 

M. S. L.

What’s my nickname?

Sum, SumSum, SumShine, Summahh Girl, Tsumdere, Chee, 

How old am I?

“I’m 19, you fight me?”

What got me into Kpop?

SJ- Sorry Sorry, but Got7 made me offically stay and learning everything about the kpop fandom

What’s my favourite Kpop group?

Rn W1 (the most)

Who’s my ultimate bias?

Park Jihoon

What groups/artists do I stan?

Too many to count, you all can ask my personally if you want lol

What groups/artists do I casually listen to?

A lot, I try to be diverse, but what’s good music is good music to me. Feel free to suggest me some :D

What artists do I listen to that aren’t Kpop?

Ahh I’m lazy, but just good sounding music. Calvin Harris just popped up in my head. fknfkjskfnj 

Who’s my bias and bias wrecker from my ultimate group(s)?

Omfg

Wanna One: Park Jihoon & Kang Daniel

JBJ: Kim Donghan & ??? (They’re all messing me up rn)

SK: Felix & I think Hyunjin? Idk

What’s your favourite song(s) to sing/hum?

It’s recently been Chungha’s roller coaster lol and The Unit songs  

What are your favourite flower/tree/plant (all 3 or whatever you have an answer to)?

I really love plants and flowers in general, however Peonies are one of my many faves!! 

Favourite colour(s)?

Pink, blue, purple, black, white, and gray

What do you always doodle (if you ever do)?

Umm yeah I always doodling, but I try not to because I want to be able to focus in class haha. 

How do you take your coffee/tea? If you don’t like those what’s your fav warm drink?

It probably like 20% coffee and 80% french vanilla cream nfksjfgsbjg sometimes I add a lil milk too 

Favourite candle scent?

Anything flowery, but i really like sweet pea smell lol. I don’t any candles yet, so I don’t quite know which I like more yet. Soorrryy

Sunrise or Sunset?

Sunset! The colors are soo pretty and like it doesn’t require me to wake up from my sleep lmfao. The transitions of day and night it just so beautiful! and the stars that start peeking through the dark sky! 

What perfume do you wear if any?

I don’t wear perfume? I have them at home but in my opinion I feel like if you’ve showered and smell nice why try to mix more scents onto you?? and I don’t really need it? DONT WORRY I AM CLEAN NFJSNJF idk if I make any sense

What’s your go to dance move when you’re alone?

-

Favourite quote?

“The moon is friend for the lonesome to talk to.” ― Carl Sandburg 

&  “We ran as if to meet the moon.” ― Robert Frost  

& also 

“The moon and stars just for you my love” - Me lol 

Favourite self care thing(s) or routine(s)?

Umm... Drawing. Showering and putting a face mask afterwards. Painting my nails. It’s more like small things, especially like painting my nails and drawings are things I can’t do often because I try to focus on school, because ik I’m bad at focusing. Sleeping and reminding to just eat, when I get too busy and focused I tend to skip meals. njfkdsnfj s

Fuzzy socks or House slippers?

OMFG BOTH THAT’S LIKE THE BEST COMBO! I have these pinky and purple house slippers I got aND IT’S FUZZY KSFJ SK IT’S SOOO CUTE OMG!! I love. nfjdnfd 

What colour are your eyes? 

Dark Brown

What’s your favourite eye colour on others?

Hazel, black, and gray

Favourite season? why?

Autumn and Winter (Ik contradicts with my name) but I love the rain! and cloudy weather! The sound of rain is calming and being inside while hearing the rain is nice. I really love Spring too when the flowers begin to bloom and like it’s a fresh type of feeling when spring hits lol.

Cheek, neck or nose kisses?

SJFNKFS Honestly depends on my mood  (´•/// ω \\\•`) but I like cheek kisses because softtt

What does your happy place look like?

My room on a rainy day with my fairy lights flickering

Favourite breed of dog?

YO OKAY SO I SAW THIS FB POST ABOUT THIS DOG BEAR AND I WANT A DOG BEAR IDK WHAT THEY’RE CALLED JKFDFHKSF. My dad is a dog breeder as a side business, so I grew up with pitbulls, pocket pits, american bull dogs, frenches, and now ‘exotics’ are the trend atm. 

Do you ever want to be married? If so what colours would you pick for your wedding theme?

Umm yes and no? I’m not sure. If I have an American wedding I like to stick to a traditional white with maybe a peach and light pink here and there, but for sure I would love to do a traditional Hmong wedding. 

Silk or Lace?

Silk feels nice, but I like lace too :)

Favorite weather?

SF type of weather 

23 Weight-Loss Tips That Actually Worked For Women Just Like You

There's no question that employing a trusted registered dietitian is the means to go when you're attempting to make a big modification to your lifestyle.

But you understand that else has some pretty damn suitable ideas when it pertains to dropping pounds? Individuals that have really done it themselves.

Here, 23 various women share small tricks that helped them lose weight (and also keep it off).

1. Ditch your trigger foods.

Bags of chips. Tubs of crackers. Additional Halloween candy. Do away with anything that's a weak place, specifically any foods you've binged on in the past. 'If you understand you'll damage into the remaining birthday cake at twelve o'clock at night, throw it quickly,' states accountant Brandy Thele, that shed 130 extra pounds after she was detected with kind 2 diabetes mellitus.

Instead, swap 'restricted' foods for much healthier replacements. As opposed to swearing off treat completely, for circumstances, indulge in fresh fruit after meals. As well as if your partner or youngsters balk at your chucking the gelato, hide it behind the icy edamame so you don't glance it every single time you open up the freezer.

2. Hold on your own responsible ... for every little thing.

Keep a food diary as well as consist of everything (yes, that bite of your toddler's mac and cheese matters) so you can see where the calories come from. Day-care supervisor DJ Gray listed what she consumed and tracked her calories with the SparkPeople app on her way to shedding 115 pounds.

3. Produce an assistance system online.

Social media can be a powerful incentive to stick with your plan and make progress, Christina Donatella, now an individual fitness instructor, established up a Facebook page about her diet plan and workout routines and dropped 180 pounds.

Are you captured up on Jenna Jameson's weight-loss journey?

4. Take note of section dimensions.

So lots of dieters undervalue just how much they're eating. Devices and also devices can help: Teacher Jen Punda downloaded and install the MyFitnessPal app to help her gauge serving dimensions and also dropped 91 pounds, stay-at-home mother Krystal Sanders acquired a portion-control plate, which educated her to eyeball healthy and balanced portions of healthy protein, veggies, and starches.

5. Cook your own food.

Research reveals that individuals that prepare the majority of their own meals take in fewer calories, carbs, sugar, and fat than those who prepare seldom. If you insist you're also overloaded, try this method from paralegal Jessie Foss, who shed 100 pounds: On Sunday, work up a big batch of something healthy and balanced, like soup from a slow cooker, and also eat it throughout the week.

6. Do not nix the fiber or fat.

Fiber broadens in your belly and also requires time to digest, both of which aid keep you really feeling complete for longer. Great resources include entire grains, veggies, as well as whole fruit (not juiced). Healthy fats like olive and nut oils-in moderation-improve flavor, give you energy, and also help your body use specific nutrients. Alexandra Shipper included healthy and balanced fats, such as avocado, to healthy protein sources like eggs as well as fish on her method to going down 55 pounds.

7. Do not really feel required to go to the fitness center.

When you're at your heaviest, it can be frightening to step right into a health club and start running or lifting among the spandex-clad. Exercising in your very own space is likewise merely less complicated to schedule-you can lift weights while the child naps or very first point in the morning without dragging yourself out the door. 'I bought a stationary bicycle so I can function out whenever I want,' states Sarah DeArmond, who shed 100 extra pounds.

8. Job weights into your workout routine.

To drop significant lbs, you require the one-two strike of cardio exercise plus strength training. Resistance assists construct and also protect metabolism-boosting lean muscle mass while shedding fat and is particularly crucial when you hit a plateau. Amanda Eco-friendly lost 15 pounds in 2 months doing hour-long cardio DVDs, but it wasn't till she started running outside and training weights three times a week that she was able to ditch the last 15 of her 30-pound objective.

9. Difficulty yourself by enrolling in a race.

Jessica McMullin signed up for her first race, a 5K walk-run, hoping an obstacle would certainly help motivate her to shed weight-which it did, method greater than she could have pictured. 'I absolutely fell in love with running, it changed my whole life,' she states.

Not only did it aid her shed 60 extra pounds, yet making it a day-to-day practice also helped her overcome her depression. Now she stays motivated by remaining to challenge herself with brand-new race goals. To day, she's completed over 100 different races.

10. Do not promise off your favorite deals with for excellent.

Little treats keep you from feeling robbed, so everyday, allow on your own a little bit of something you enjoy (go for 150 calories each). This kind of small amounts is the distinction between a 'diet' and also a way of life you can stick to for life. For salon proprietor Caitlin Gallagher, who shed 125 pounds, that indicated changing her every night bowl of ice cream with a square of chocolate, social worker Brittany Hicks, that lost 100 pounds, started cooking mini variations of her favorite pies.

11. Always ensure you have a plan.

When going out to supper, follow the lead of law enforcement agent Larissa Reggetto, who dropped 105, and also look up the food selection ahead of time to prevent impulse buying.

12. Stick to a routine.

Too much selection in your diet regimen can tinker your satiation cues and also make you eat way too much, so include some (tasty) monotony to your routine. One easy way: Consume the exact same healthy and balanced breakfast and/or lunch daily during the week, and appreciate new tastes on the weekend break. The most effective feature of that strategy, claims 69-pound-loser (emergency room, champion?) Melanie Kitchen area: 'I really did not need to keep developing new dishes!'

13. Have a positive weight-loss rule.

When Katrina Plyler decided to take control of her weight, she chose to try the Whole30 as a way to reset as well as commit to her objectives.

' That initial day was so tough, I nearly caved and also grabbed the vending equipment at job yet I kept in mind a quote I carried my Facebook web page that claimed 'The only thing standing between you as well as your objective is the bullshit tale you maintain informing yourself as to why you can't attain it' which was enough to make me avert from the machine,' she says.

She completed the entire month of the Whole 30 and stuck to a clean Paleo-style diet regimen afterward. Within a year she was down 46 pounds. 'I always keep that quote close-by and also reread it when I'm really feeling weak,' she adds.

14. Search for things to include to your life, not deduct.

Starting a weight-loss journey can be hard, particularly if you're quiting a great deal of points you love. Shannon Hagen's key to remaining positive while dropping weight? 'I never ever consider it as giving points up, that makes me feel deprived,' she states. 'Rather I concentrate on adding in one little healthy change at a time, until it comes to be a practice.' Instead of being bummed over not having your normal dish of ice lotion before bed, attempt a new healthy dessert recipe to include to your file.

15. Focus on what you wish to acquire, too.

Chronic migraine headaches were what first inspired Amanda Tagge to begin working out. 'I was intending to discover some remedy for my frustrations as well as working out did aid however I realized that if I truly desired to really feel much better I required to overhaul my health habits overall and slim down,' she claims. The even more she transformed, the far better her frustrations obtained and she lost 70 pounds in the procedure which aided her feel even better. Concentrating on right her wellness was enhancing kept her going even when the range wasn't moving.

16. Track your fruits as well as veggies.

Snacking is the crucial to Mary Rogerson's 60-pound fat burning but it's not just exactly how usually she eats yet what. 'I intend to eat at least 7 portions of vegetables a day, in addition to some protein, every couple of hours,' she states. 'And also The finest component is that by the time she's filled up on her rainbow of fruit and vegetables, she's usually also full to eat much else as well as her yearnings for sweets have actually gone method down.

17. Consume something rejuvenating as quickly as you wake up.

' Every morning I consume alcohol a mug of warm water with half a lemon pressed right into it, a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, and a dashboard of cayenne pepper,' states Michelle Keough. This assists her beginning her time off on a healthy note while obtaining her moisturized after a long night. This technique, integrated with eating meals constructed around healthy protein as well as veggies, helped her lose 20 pounds and also keep it off.

18. Try establishing an 'consuming home window.'

Connie Jory advocates recurring fasting-eating during a certain window of time, like from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. consuming at all.

' In the beginning it was difficult to adapt to but I've found that if I stick to only consuming within my collection home window, the hunger pains vanish and I don't even think of food.' This intermittent fasting method has actually assisted her shed greater than 70 pounds.

19. Make treats a real treat.

' I have one hell of a wonderful tooth, therefore I have to decline to bring sweet, cake, or sweets right into the residence, period,' claim Lin Williams, who's lost 105 extra pounds. Rather, if she desires a reward she has to want it poor enough to get up, obtain in the cars and truck, leave her house, as well as go to the store-a procedure that rarely really feels worth it. As well as on the rare occasion she does indulge? 'I get specifically what I want as well as enjoy every bite of it!' she says.

20. Use a loved one as inspiration.

Finding the inspiration to work out as well as drop weight was difficult and as a busy mama Sabrina Winder can never appear to discover the time. When her son decided to do a biking value badge for Kid Scouts, unexpectedly helping her youngster indicated helping herself also.

' My reason made use of to be that I really did not intend to leave my kids alone to work out, however this assisted me see I can still do it and simply include them,' she states. Currently she's slimming down and obtaining trimmer while setting a healthy and balanced example for her children. 'It's a win-win for our entire family,' she adds.

21. Don't really feel poor for saying 'no' often.

' My father resembles a food-pushing wizard, he's always pulling stuff out of his pockets or showing up with delicious food,' states Mary Mock. While the family members tradition of shock sugary foods was fun, when it came time to lose weight, she knew she needed to place a quit to all that lure. 'At first, he seemed hurt when I kept claiming no yet when I explained it was for my wellness, he hopped on board. Sometimes I still have to remind him though!' she says.

22. Discover ways to treat on your own without food.

Making the connection between her stress and anxiety and also her food desires was a game-changer for Kelly Pedestrian. 'I understood that by the end of the day, I simply wanted something to relax me down as well as so I 'd binge on delicious chocolate,' she states.

' Regarding a year ago, I started looking for other ways to handle my stress and anxiety besides consuming, like washing or doing acupuncture.' She's lost over 40 extra pounds but the finest component is that she feels extra unwinded than she's ever been. 'It ends up that eating all that sugar was making me much more distressed, making a ferocious cycle.'

23. Make your refrigerator a 'healthy and balanced treats just' zone.

Having a healthy option within your reaches when you're depriving can make all the distinction in between sticking to your objectives as well as providing in to temptation. 'I keep little containers of hummus and also carrots, pickles, nuts and dried out apricots, salsa and rice biscuits, and other healthy and balanced combos in the front of my fridge and also kitchen so they are literally the initial thing I see when I unlock,' claims Lita Moreno. 'I don't also offer myself a selection to rip off.' This little change has aided her decrease virtually 80 pounds.

coping skills for depression & anxiety (short term and long run)

heyo! I know it can be hard starting school if you’re suffering from anxiety and/or depression, so I made this list of things to do to help (hopefully)

find a therapist

get some meds 

exercise 

deep breathing (from your stomach, not your chest!) 

be in nature

take a walk outside 

be creative! write! paint! draw! sing! bake! dance! 

do the opposite of what you want to do (if you want to lay in bed listening to sad music try listening to upbeat music and dancing. fake it ‘til you make it, right?)

do an activity that involves your senses (lay in grass, shower, float in some water, swing in a hammock, close your eyes and notice what you can feel and hear) 

do something to improve someone else’s mood

focus on gratitude 

sunlight 

do something with people! 

journal (write, paint or draw your feelings!) 

avoid escapist activities (video games, sites that go on forever, binge watching. instead set a time limit for yourself or do something that has an end) 

cry!!! 

do it anyway. I know it’s hard when you don’t feel like it, but you feel so good afterwards. Brush your teeth! Make your bed! Wear your retainer! Take meds! Clean your room! Do laundry! 

Try to reframe the experience from one of anxiety to one of excitement 

be friendly 

explore your faith 

spend time with a pet (or go to a pet shop or a cat cafe!)

think beyond yourself (everything’s not always about you) 

reach out to other lonely people (win-win, then you’re both less lonely!) 

call people 

talk to someone you trust 

eat healthy 

drink and stay hydrated! 

sleep good (create a routine and stick to it! invest in some room darkening curtains, and take melatonin if you need ~or want~ it!) 

make a list of things you enjoy, try to do at least one a day! 

read/listen/watch things about depression/anxiety (not for everyone, but I personally like listening to poetry!) 

try new things, get a new hobby, take up a challenge!  

do things that get you movin’ and groovin’ 

be productive 

set goals & reward yourself! small victories are everything!

self love! encourage yourself! recognize your hard work! you go!

avoid being alone and cooping up (try to keep the door to your room open while you’re in it!) 

stay curious! learn about things that interest you! 

reach out to others 

get a mentor that is willing to meet with you regularly 

don’t seek pity, seek help and friendship 

think about what you want in the long run and what you can do today to get there

don’t spend too much time online 

Chinese Medicine - strengthen your spleen energy meridian (don’t know too much about this but) ~~ side note: sorry, some of this I’ve already said, but I’m going to say it again because this is specifically for your spleen energy meridian! ~~

avoid ice & cold foods (I’ve started doing this and I honestly love my drinks and water so much more without ice! and also of course you can’t always follow this because ICE CREAM) 

be mindful 

take on life one thing at a time

take a break 

chew your food well 

eat soup, especially soup cooked for a long time with lots of root veggies 

move and be active 

stop worrying (pffft easy, I know) 

self love

be compassionate 

avoid stress 

a little bit about it

set healthy boundaries 

hold your main neurovascular points (I haven’t done this before but it’s supposed to help with anxiety and stress!)

meditation and mindfulness 

yoga 

laughter (watch some comedies! read some funny comics! look at memes!)

I’m not a medical professional, I just have access to the internet, haha. I’m sure there are tons of other things to do, here are just some! 

song - Song for the Broken by Matt Jackson

Movement Control Order MCO #3 Diary

Day #42 Tue 2020/04/28

Today is the end of MCO #3

PSG Exercise 6.32 pm During 38 min of  PSG exercise my heart was working at near maximum capacity of the anaerobic level and even briefly touching the VO2 max zones whereas in 52 min of jogging the heart was operating mostly at the aerobic level. Duration: 38 min. Burned: 542 kcal. Steps: 0. Distance: 0 km. Max heart rate: 155 bpm. Average heart rate: 140 bpm. Heart rate zones: Relaxed: 0 min. Light: 0 min. Intensive 0 min, Aerobic 1 min, Anaerobic 18 min VO2 max: 18 min. Jogging 5.38 pm Duration: 52 min. Burned: 113 kcal. Steps: 6166. Distance: 4.24 km. Max heart rate: 130 bpm. Average heart rate: 117 bpm. Heart rate zones: Relaxed: 0 min. Light: 1 min. Intensive 4 min, Aerobic 40 min, Anaerobic 8 min VO2 max: 0 min. Weight 64.5 kg \ PSG \ Exercise \ Health \ Aerobic \ Anaerobic \ VO2 max.

In the current lockdown when you can't leave home and where non-essential businesses such as haircut service are closed and you hair is growing out of control looking much like sprouting a clump of shrubs on your head, the only way is to DIY. So with plenty of trust in my wife's judgement I must say that she did a fantastic job trimming my hair in the kitchen with just a pair of scissors and a plastic comb. \ MCO 3 \ Haircut \ First Time \

Day #41 Mon 2020/04/27

Stir-fried instant noodles \ MCO 3 \ Lunch \ Food \ Noodle \

Day #40 Sun 2020/04/26

According to Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Malaysia today Sunday (April 26) reported 38 more Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of Covid-19 infections in the country to 5,780. The death toll remains at 98. Let's pray that this positive development will further trend downward to single digit new cases before the end of MCO 4 \ MCO 3 \ Covid-19 Pandemic \ Updates \ 

Homemade pan mee \ MCO 40 \ Dinner \ Food \ Pan Mee

Savoury fried rice cooked with a mix of chicken sausage, carrot, tomato, cucumber, sweet corn, french bean, all cut and diced into small cubes.

\ MCO 3 \ Lunch \ Food \ Fried Rice \

Day #39 Sat 2020/04/25

Lunch of one dish meal. Potato patties. Very easy to make. Use simple ingredients such as eggs, flour, onion, carrot, salt, pepper, spring onion and minced meat. Fry lightly with cooking oil and moderate heat until golden brown

Day #38 Fri 2020/04/24

Breakfast of roti bakar, pandan kaya and butter

MCO 4 is on the way. The Star is already hinting on the new MCO extension on the morning of 2020/04/23 before the PM broke the news in his speech to the nation in the evening. MCO 4 to start on April 29 and ends on May 12

Day #37 Thu 2020/04/23

Tired of eating either Gardenia or Massimo bread? Try traditional roti. Toasts made from traditional roti with kaya or butter spread are not only crunchy but also tasty.

This evening the PM announced on TV that the MCO will be extended a further 2 weeks starting from April 29 to May 12

Day #36 Wed 2020/04/22

Baked a vanilla lemon flavoured cake in the air fryer. 

Many thanks to the merchant for the fast service. Ordered the new Astro remote from Lazada yesterday and received the item today. Tested it immediately and it works fine.

Day #35 Tue 2020/04/21

Stewed fish paste cooked with mushrooms and baby corn and stir-fried siew bak choy

Day #34 Mon 2020/04/20

Dinner. Mapo tofu, steamed oyster sauce okra, egg omelette and black bean arrowroot ( fun kok ) soup 

Very soon I will be running out of paper to fold these disposable and colourful paper trash boxes. Presently supermarkets are not as generous as before in printing and distributing their product brochures to the public.

Day #33 Sun 2020/04/19

In the evening did 35 min and 1,500 counts of of Ping Shuai Gong (PSG) hand swinging and knee bending exercise. Burned 430 kCal of energy. Average heart rate: 125 bpm. Max heart rate: 152 bpm. Immediately following the PSG exercise I continued with 1 hour of jogging, clocking 4.23 km and 6,152 steps. Average heart rate is 115 bpm and max heart rate is 127 bpm and burned only 112 kCal of energy. Comparing the two, my heart worked harder and I burned more calories in the shorter time of 35 min just standing in one spot on the floor doing PSG than jogging 4.23 km round the car porch for 1 hour. In the past when I didn't do any heart beat and calorie measurements for PSG I always assumed that as jogging is more dynamic than static exercise, running will work my heart harder than just doing static physical exercise, which I now conclude is not the case.

Day #32 Sat 2020/04/18

Did Ping Shuai Gong 平甩功 (PSG ) exercise. Did 40 min of the stand-up exercise consisting of 1500 arm swings in combination with 300 knee bending. Despite its simplicity this is a powerful static exercise that works the heart more vigorously than jogging. For eg yesterday jogging round the car porch for about 6.6 km in 90 min my max heart rate was 122 bpm and I burned 173 kcal of energy. In comparison today just standing and doing PSG for 40 min on the spot, I clocked the the max heart rate of 143 bpm and burned 445 kCal of energy. 

Dinner. Ordered a large hand-stretched crust Hawaiian Chicken pizza from Pizza Hut and delivery from foodpanda. The pizza is so big that we can save 1/2 of it for breakfast tomorrow. 

We have not visited Ellie in her parent's house since  MCO was declared. We imagine Ellie should be an adorable 63-day old baby girl today

Mashed potato patties made from grilling a mix of flour, carrot, garlic, onion and minced chicken meat in an air fryer. Add a dessert of red bean soup to make a complete and satisfying lunch time meal

Day #31 Fri 2020/04/17

Malaysia today Fri recorded 69 new Covid-19 cases taking the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 5,251. This is the second time this week that the country has recorded only double-digit figures of new cases in a 24-hour span. I hope that this downward trend will continue as an indication that the stay-at-home MCO is working to bring down the Covid-19 infection rate I went out to the local grocery stores in PUJ 3 town centre this morning to buy one week's supply of meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, bread, and other groceries. Other than at the grocery stores where you could see some people there, the normally busy streets at this early morning hour are practically empty of people and traffic.

Misua noodle cooked in clear soup with bits of shredded chicken meat

Day #30 Thu 2020/04/16

Dinner. Steamed red snapper ( ikan merah ), mixed vegetable and fried egg

Day #29 Wed 2020/04/15

Dinner. Chicken marinated and cooked with ginger, lemon grass, soya and oyster source and a little raisin wine. The other dish is stir-fried okra

Today is the 29th day of the partial lockdown and the first day of MCO #3. So beside eating how do you spend your time at home in the morning on the first day of MCO #3? As for me, my wife had practically decided for me what to do. She grouching that the floor is "sticky" I pulled up the mop and started to rub the floor with water and detergent which obviously made her very happy afterward with the cleaning and disinfecting chore.

MCO #3

tbh i think i posted this but i found it in my notes so ima post it bc its already written and college is literally consuming my life

buckle your seat belts mateys, this is gonna be a long one

yoosung - poor yoosung, he knew you had anxiety issues, but he never imagined them to be this bad - you two were out one day, just meandering around town, when all of the sudden you felt the anxiety bubble in your tummy - know full and well what was about to happen, you tried to get yoosung to take you home - poor babe thought you were sick or something - all of the sudden you could hardly get enough air, the space around you seemed to close - damnit. another attack. - after yoosung got over the initial shock of you just unraveling in front of him, he pulled the two of you into an alleyway so you could get through your attack without preying eyes. - held you hands, patted your back, smoothing back you hair, hushing you and whispering that you're alright, you're okay. - he wiped your eyes and once the thought you were okay enough to talk, he asked what happened - you explain, and he immediately get it. he's super supportive and also very keen to pick up things that could trigger an attack. - he soon becomes a pro at calming you down, his general presence being a comfort. zen - oh this poor babe. it was his fault. - there had been numerous times where you had an attack while with zen - but normally you'd lock yourself in the bathroom and ride it out. - but today, zen had surprised you by taking you to his most recent show. - it was great. front row seats, there were a lot of shirtless scenes, - until the veeery end - while all the actors were taking their bows, zen switched his mic pack back on - he started talking about how he would never have played this role if it had not been for a specific person. and that person was you. he talked about how before he met you, he didn't know love. called you up on stage to introduce you to the crowd, to finally put a face on zen girlfriend - your heart froze and you could hardly breath - he wanted you to go up there? in front of everyone? - he called you again, and you slowly rose from your seat. - you managed to make it through without launching into a full on attack - you get backstage before it hits - zen hardly knows what to do. he helps you to breathe, smooths down your hair etc - afterwards, you explain what happened and he feels horrible - from then on he's super careful to not put you in tough situations like that, and learns how to help you cope when you do have attacks jaehee - oooh man she gets it - she picks up in your little anxious habits and all the signs of an oncoming anxiety attack - breathing exercises through the roof - she's sooo super good at getting you calm - whenever you have an attack she's a freaking momma bear - she makes sure you're breathing in and out, she strokes your hair, whatever you need to get calmed down - afterward she fussed over you a loooot - gets you water, makes some soup or something, makes your lay down and take a nap (which you should do after panic attacks bc they're physically and mentally draining.) jumin - dear god he almost calls 911 the first time you have a panic attack - he get soooo worried - he just kinda makes sure you're okay but he hasn't the slightest idea what to do - after you are okay enough to talk, jumin asks you about 194472626 questions regarding your health - you explain that it was only a panic attack and he calms down slightly - he slowly but surely learns to help you cope with attacks, and always puts you 100% first - once he walked out on a super important meeting bc you called him in a panic. he drove himself home(!!!) and nearly caused 13 accidents along the way saeyoung - he gets it, and he gets them too - so he knows exactly how to get you to a better space - he takes you to a quiet place whenever you have an attack and just talk to you, tell you how much he loves you and is just generally there for you - he is fiercely protective of you, and whenever someone puts you in a difficult situation, or he gets the feeling that you're about to have an attack he swoops in and backs you 100% saeran - like his brother, saeran gets panic attacks too - unlike his brother, saeran is a lot more out of out touch with the emotions of others - he loves you to the moon and back, but he has absolutely no idea what to do when you have a panic attack - really, he just rubs your back and lets you lean on him - poor babe, he has no idea how he can help but he tries - eventually he gets better at it, and if your anxiety is caused by a person, he will 100% fight them regardless v - v is pretty well versed in dealing with mental illness by now - he can be a little stiff, but he untimely cares so so much - he tries really hard to make you comfortable while your having attacks, make sure that you know he loves you and everything will be okay - after you have an attack, he'll get you some water and snuggle up with you on the couch until you feel ready to go about your lives again

Full Ayurvedic Daily Routine

If you didn’t make my workshop on Ayurvedic Self-Care: Daily Routine (Dinacharya) at the Sukhava Bodhe Yoga & Music Festival you’ll find an outline below with links to resources. 

The Ayurvedic daily routine balances the body, mind, and spirit. It serves as everyday preventative medicine to lower risk of disease, increase vitality, and promote longevity.

This is a basic routine. It’s important to identify your primary dosha (or primary imbalance) and adjust accordingly. You can see an Ayurvedic practitioner to do that, like me. Contact me to set up a free phone session to find out how I go about this in person or by phone/Skype. 

1. Vata Time (air + ether doshas): 2AM - 6AM

Ideal time for spiritual practice; always start with gentle pranayama and meditation like nadi shodhana to neutralize the doshas

Waking

Go to bed early (by 10PM)  in order to wake up early naturally

The best time to wake is between 4 and 6 AM.

It’s the most sattvic, or peaceful, time of day.

Hydrate

Drink a glass or two of warm or room-temperature water

This flushes toxins, wakes up digestion, and prepares the body for elimination

Add a fresh slice of lime, lemon (pH balancing) or ginger (warming, stimulating)

Elimination

Sit on the toilet first thing; this will stimulate your system to empty both bladder and colon.

Cleanse the senses

Nasya: later in the morning or before bed, anoint the inside of the nostrils with a nasya oil (here’s a great line of nasyas)

Splash face with cool or warm water (avoid harsh soaps) depending on the season

Spritz the face with a pure rose water spray (avoid synthetic fragrance), drop rose water and saline solution in the eyes 

Oil pulling: swish with sesame or coconut oil in the mouth for 5-15 minutes, spit out, and rinse mouth with warm water; optional: gargle with warm salted water, adding turmeric to cleanse the mouth and throat (I like this one)

Anoint body with oil (see Abhyanga below; don't forget to rub oil inside ears and nostrils using fingers)

Neti (nasal irrigation): use a neti pot with filtered water and neti pot salt 

Brush teeth and scrape tongue 

2. Kapha Time (earth/water): 6AM - 10AM   

Abhyanga (self-massage)

Vata-types: 4-5 times a week

Pitta-types: 3-4 times a week

Kapha-types: 1-2 times a week

Lightly brush the whole body with a soft body brush or silk gloves

Anoint the whole body with oil, starting at the head down to the trunk; begin again at the extremities and work towards the body; long strokes on the bones, circles at the joints; spend more time on head/face/scalp, hands, and feet.

Shower or bathe after the self-message (use a natural shampoo; only use a mild soap in “strategic” areas)

On non-abhyanga days, you can do a quick application with less oil and allow it to absorb before putting on clothes (5-10 minutes); or just focus on head/scalp, hands, and feet

You can use a dosha-specific oil or a seasonal one (links to some of my favorites below)

Vata = Fall/Winter

Kapha = Spring

Pitta = Summer

Tridoshic = All Seasons/ All Doshas

Exercise

Yoga (on an empty stomach)

Outdoor walk, etc. (a light breakfast okay)

Breakfast

Breakfast is usually the lightest, smallest meal as digestion is not very strong yet

Simple, nourishing foods like cooked fruit (avoid raw) or porridge

Kapha-types can skip this meal to boost their agni

Eat by 8AM

Try to focus on seasonal foods as much as possible with all meals. Check out these seasonal grocery list for summer and fall/winter. 

3. Pitta Time (fire + water doshas): 10AM - 2PM

Work

The most productive time of the day is from 10AM - 2PM. Use this time to get things done.

Pitta types may start to feel hungry by 10AM and may have a small snack.

Fresh fruit is the ideal snack or something with substance like nuts.

Raw fruit should be eaten by itself; otherwise, it may compromise the agni.

Avoid caffeine, sugary sweets, and salty crunchy snacks.

Lunch

The midday meal should be the largest one at or near noon. Vata and Pitta-types may like to eat a little earlier.

Hardest to digest foods are eaten at this time as agni is the strongest (meat, dense protein like beans, nuts or cheese, raw vegetables)

Sip small amounts of water with meals to avoid drowning the agni; the best time to hydrate around meals is 20 minutes before a meal

Afterwards, get some fresh air and go for a relaxed walk if you can (no devices)

4. Vata Time: 2PM - 6PM

A good time for creative pursuits, reflection, writing, and looking ahead

Energy starts to wane at this time

Make time for 4PM tea time; sit down away from work with a cup of herbal tea and a light snack like fresh fruit; get fresh air whenever possible

Restful, quiet, calm activities are best at this time

5. Kapha Time: 6PM - 10PM

If you exercise during this time, do so as early as you can, otherwise it can interfere with sleep.

Dinner

As the agni simmers down to embers, digestive fire is lowered and dinner is nourishing and lighter like soups or dal; one pot meals are easiest to digest

Easy to digest proteins are ideal; mainly plant or dairy based

Try to eat before sundown and at least 3 hours before bed

Go for a relaxed walk to aid digestion

For a nightly fast, try to abstain from food for 12 hours total (i.e., 7PM - 7AM)

Relaxation

Use this time to relax and create calm at the end of your day

Lower lights or use less lights so your endocrine system understands that the time for sleep is near; this helps the whole body to prepare for sleep

Avoid or limit screen time; turn off all devices to get at least 1 hour of uninterrupted quiet time

Prepare for the next day

This is when I get things ready for the next day like soaking grains, nuts, or legumes or preparing sourdough starter for the next day of baking. Why do this?

Bedtime

In/around bed:

Yoga stretching or gentle postures, tai chi, qi gong

Use calming nasya to aid in sleep. I love this one. 

Rub calming oil on soles of feet (ashwagandha, jatamansi, skullcap, Sleep Easy) or in scalp (bhringaraj or Healthy Hair)

I like to rub bhringaraj oil on my scalp on evenings before I plan to take a shower in the morning. It also helps to take the edge off of hectic mornings. Here’s the one I use. Or I will rub Sleep Easy oil on my feet. 

Go to bed by 10PM

9:30PM for Vata-types

10PM for Pitta-types

10:30PM for Kapha-types

Turn off and unplug all devices if kept at bedside; avoid electronics in bedroom if possible

6. Pitta Time 10PM-2AM

As the body rests during sleep, the body is busy doing many things and needs to be at rest to do these things well

Detoxing all the tissues of body starting with the liver

The brain eliminates toxic byproducts, saves new memories, and eliminates excess information

Blood pressure drops, body temperature drops (a cool room can help with falling asleep)

Growth hormones are released to repair damaged cells and create new ones.

You should feel rested in the morning when you awake; if not, you’re not getting enough sleep; you should wake naturally before your alarm goes off

Sleep loss increases the risk of health problems and causes hundreds of driving accidents

Good sleep will effect how well you function the next day: physically, emotionally, mentally. This is especially true for children. Find out how many hours your kids need here. 

Nighty night!

Colon Hydrotherapy/Colonic Irrigation in Udaipur, Rajasthan

Our body has an awesome built-in detox system.

Our skin pushes out sweat, our lungs expel carbon dioxide, our kidneys filter our blood, and our intestines remove and excrete waste out of the body.

Still, our body depends on us to take care of it so that it can function correctly. Naturopathy, Yoga and Pranayama, a nutritious diet, and a healthy lifestyle help it to detox properly, to keep toxins and bacteria out for good.

Because of the modern diets full of animal proteins, processed food, fat and sugar, and stress, with constant pressure and lack of exercise, the colon becomes the repository of accumulated waste and toxins which disable the body’s purification system. The toxic material ends ends up re-entering our blood stream and getting deposited in our cells. As a result of this auto-intoxication we feel and act far below our potential and can become susceptible to disease.

In this situation our detox system needs a little help. If you’re suffering from digestive issues like constipation, gas, or diarrhea, colonic hydrotherapy might be just what you need to get your body back on track so that it can do its job efficiently.

Does it hurt?

The  procedure is free from pain. A minor amount of discomfort can be felt during the insertion of the speculum but this only lasts for a few seconds.

Is it Safe?

Colon hydrotherapy at Kalp Naturo is very safe as it is  performed by qualified clinicians . We only use FDA approved medical devices for the procedure and all of the equipment used is sterilized or disposable and the water goes through an advanced filtration process prior to entering the colon.

How can it help?

Colon hydrotherapy can assist the body with healing a variety of conditions:

Constipation

Diarrhea

Irritable bowel

Bloating

Excessive gas

Indigestion

Allergies

Candida overgrowth

Skin problems

brittle nails and hair

abnormal body odor

Unpleasant breath

Backache

Stiffness

Arthritis

Fatique

Insomnia

poor concentration

headaches

What about “friendly bacteria” being lost?

Healthy intestinal flora are present throughout the small and large intestines and colon hydrotherapy helps to improve their habitat, facilitating their reproduction and multiplication.

What is the difference between an enema and a colonic?

An enema is the procedure of introducing liquids into the colon, causing a rapid expansion of the lower intestinal tract which results in a powerful peristalsis and evacuation. It can often result in uncomfortable bloating & cramping and put a strain on the anus possibly resulting in hemorrhoids. By contrast, colonics involves the gentle inflow and outflow or warm water that slowly dissolves accumulated toxic material and encourage release naturally, without any undue stress on your system.

Enemas only clean out the lower part of the colon, missing about four feet of the colon. To clean the entire colon, a colonic is necessary.

Will laxatives accomplish the same results?

Laxatives are an irritant to the body. Therefore, the body produces a thin, watery substance that goes through the colon and leaves behind impacted toxins and waste.

Is it embarrassing?

No. There is no odor from the bowel movements as the system is “closed” and your dignity is always maintained with proper draping in a private room.

How many treatments do I need?

Every person is different and changes in our lives create different stresses, so there is no standard number of treatments that are recommended. It depends on your personal health objectives. Even though a person feels relief even after an initial session, it is necessary to take additional colonics to sufficiently cleanse the colon. We suggest you book a single treatment initially and discuss with our experts at Kalp Naturo  during the consultation what their recommendations are.

How should I prepare for the colonic?

We recommend that you refrain from eating at least two hours prior to your appointment and ensure that you are well hydrated. If possible, a diet of vegetables and grains 2-3 days in advance rather than heavy foods will help prepare your colon for the treatment. Do not drink alcohol 24 hours in advance.

What happens during a colonic?

The procedure starts with the client lying on a comfortable therapy table. The therapist gently inserts a small disposable speculum into the rectum. (We only use completely sterile, disposable tools during the procedure.) The therapy begins with a gentle flow of filtered water using light pressure to allow the colon to be cleaned. The fecal matter and toxins are released into the colon. The therapist monitors the water pressure to ensure a relaxing and healing treatment experience. There is no odor and it is like a gentle colon massage.

After some time the colon therapist will advise you to go into a private bathroom to release.

Will one colonic completely empty the colon?

Typically, one colonic will not completely empty the colon. Many of us have a considerable amount of impacted feces in our colon. These are hardened, rubbery or wallpaper like material. Substantial work must be done to remove it. Moreover, there is a learning process that occurs when having a colonic. As you become more aware of what is going on in your abdomen, and as your body learns how to allow the cleansing experience, you are better able to enter into that process, and therefore more material is released. One colonic will move some of the stagnant waste in the colon. The second and subsequent colonics will remove more. How many you wish to have will depend on your personal objectives.

How will I feel afterwards?

Colonics have a “relieving” effect. There may well be a feeling of lightness and internal cleanliness. People are often energized following a colonic. Many clients have reported clearer skin. Once the colon has been thoroughly cleansed then diet, exercise and other health programs will become many times more effective. Make sure you drink plenty of liquids, avoid raw vegetables, reduce consumption of meats for a couple of days. Steamed vegetables, fruit and soups are recommended.

Will I have regular bowel movements after a colonic?

The most common post-colonic experience is to have a light delay in bowel movements and then the resumption of a somewhat larger, easier to move stool. Sometimes if the colon is weak and sluggish, there may be no bowel movement for several days following a colonic. However, this is not due to the colonic, but because of the weakness of the colon. Rarely is diarrhea or loose bowels experienced. This may be due to the extra water introduced into the colon. If it should occur, it is usually of very short duration.

Same thing can be done by “Laxative” also then why to go for “Colon Hydrotherapy”?

Laxatives are most dangerous way to clean gut. It will create inflammation in the intestine thus water releases and stool will pass. Laxatives also have many side effects and it will create addiction and gradually weaken your intestine.

For the latest health updates and your complete assessment, please call or visit us:

Address: Kalp Naturo Healthcare 27-E, बिग बाज़ार के पास, न्यू फतेहपुरा, सुखाड़िया सर्कल, उदयपुर, राजस्थान +91-9252545792 | www.KalpNaturo.com