when i first started eating disorder recovery i found it really helpful to not say to myself, i have an eating disorder or i'm anorexic, because i found that i would use it as an excuse to not eat, like to skip out on the hard bits of recovery (eating). so i would, like, not put dressing on a salad because i was scared to but i was 'allowed' to skip the dressing because i had an eating disorder. but i really quickly figured out that you can't be half-in on that stuff. you have to be all the way in. you can't leave that door a little bit open, you have to shut it all the way and then tell yourself it doesn't exist. i had to picture the life i wanted to live and then just force myself to be that. fake it 'til you make it, et cetera. deeply uncomfortable, of course, but fortunately due to Fucking Up My Brain i don't remember a lot hahaha but it was so frustrating to be making all the 'right' decisions and still feel awful and still have all the compulsive thoughts, and i just found it so tiring to be doing CBT every time i ate something, like why hadn't i gotten better yet, when will i get better, et cetera. BUT recently (the last few months) i have figured out that it's much easier to be gracious about that (maybe not the exact word i'm looking for but you get the picture). if this is something that i have to do for the rest of my life - doing CBT at every meal and multiple times throughout the day (e.g., when i want to body check or exercise compulsively or skip a meal/meal component, et cetera) - then the best thing i can do for myself is to treat it like one of the many other tasks i complete on a daily basis. i can incorporate it into my routine. i wake up, i make coffee, i decide that i should skip breakfast, i tell myself to make breakfast and eat it, and so on. if i can clean my teeth every night before bed, i can make myself eat all my meals. i find it very easy to be robotic about a lot of things - and i would like to say that i find it too easy to be 'disciplined' and that's not always good because if my routine is interrupted unexpectedly i really spiral (i am working on relaxing more) - but this seems to be working for me. i can say, hey, don't fight this. if i go in with the expectation that at some point during this meal i will have to perform a brain operation on myself, i don't get so mad at myself when i do. if you resist it, it'll feel harder. fighting it won't change it. if i have to do this for the rest of my life then i need to make it as easy as possible. i'm 30. i'm too old to be fighting myself. i'm so tired of fighting myself. i just keep telling myself: you are doing nothing wrong. you are doing nothing wrong.

Part 1.

As a way to avoid frustration (about constantly failing my job) and stress (with freakingly stubborn almost-seven-year-old and thirty-five-year-old in the household) I decided to start this blog. Because, how else do I remind myself of what I _actually_ enjoy in life (except for dumb scrolling Facebook and getting even more frustrated).

Recently, I had a looooot to deal with, physically and psychologically. And, of course, the question of how to get some distraction was on the foreground.

I always thought, any given minute in life should be productive (in this way or other), and no grief and no life drama was an excuse. Even when I was procrastinating, it must have been creative. (Whatever it is: reading, cooking, painting, making shopping lists, learning new languages, making new friends, grooming the cats.) Did I really get energy and inspiration from escaping to these remote fields, or I was just hunting that satisfaction feeling (of how great I am) without getting an actual relief? I guess, both...

But this time I couldn't even start thinking of going back to watercolor painting (which I did a lot in the last months), even though one piece was still stuck unfinished to my desk. I couldn't do languages; and a bare thought of seeing ANY people would bring nausea.

I went to the local library. It was my last hope. I always get so light-headed when surrounded by books! I took two thrillers in British style by Charlotte Link, one Sue Townsend, and two cookbooks. I couldn't take more because of the give-away box on the ground floor, which offered stuff I just couldn't leave there (like biographies of random French poets and of Jacqueline du Pré).

Charlotte Link was okay for a page-turner (primarily because of a gloomy high moor English landscape), but, you know, you shouldn't read two books of the same author in a row. Even if I could literally NEVER guess who is the killer, in this case I didn't even want to know. But I finished it (because I already made an entry to my book-reading-list and because it just felt so good to be somewhere else than my reality).

My enthusiasm with the Easy British Cookbook didn't go unnoticed by the thirty-five-year-old. First, he said to put it to down while we are having such a nice summer Sunday breakfast on the balcony. We should be concentrating on Here and Now more, he said. (I seemed to be enjoying the book more than I was supposed to be enjoying the sun and the company.)

Then, I asked him to pick a recipe. (Actually, I wanted to make scones, but since it's not so easy to find any clotted cream in Berlin supermarkets, I decided to make something else.) So, I was peeling potatoes for a dull child-friendly fish-fingers-&Co lunch, and hoping for some desert to look forward to.

After browsing for approximately 20 seconds he picked "White and Black Puddings". At that moment, literally anything would be just fine with me. It said: "An individual white chocolate sponge pudding, baked with a hidden centre of molten chocolate and served with cream, is perfect for any special occasion. It is very important to use the best-quality white and dark chocolate you can find."

Ok, looks like we have all the ingredients, he said. And then he read: "melt the chocolate filling, stir in the cream, pour into the ice cube tray...hm hmhm... freeze for at least 1 hour...hmhmhm... melt the white chocolate as above, leave to cool...hmhmhmh... beat the butter, beat in the sugar, eggs, CAREFULLY FOLD IN THE FLOUR... hmmmmmmmm... spoon into the prepared moulds, put dark chocolate cubes into the centre....."

He stopped reading: "God, it´s just way too much work, you need to produce at least three different actions with hours of freezing in between. We will have to start cooking dinner by the time we are finished with this! No, I am out of it!" He stormed out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with my way too complicated British Cookbook.

Yes, mine, because I loved it so much I asked my cousin from London who was visiting shortly before to bring me a copy. German Amazon doesn't have a clue about British food (and I mean it!).

So I gave up. Usually, my husband is a baker and I am a cooker. I own more than 20 cookbooks and developed roughly about 10 dishes all my family members would eat without making a sour face. Not an awesome ratio, but at least I am allowed to add SOME chili pepper into SOME dishes. Ok, basically, there is an Indian cookbook (from which 8 dishes come) and all others cookbooks (which delivered no worthy recipes whatsoever). The 2 other dishes are lasagna and fish fingers.

My husband, to the contrary, has no cookbooks (Okay, he got a Jamie Oliver as a present once, but the amount of fancy ingredients in any recipe makes it almost impossible to use). Traditionally, he bakes two cakes, an apple pie and a cherry pie. But none of them my daughter would approve. She is not much of a cake-eater. Eventually we found out she might take one or two bites of a Norwegian carrot cake. So, Papa had to add that one to his repertoire.

There is this funny thing about the carrot cake: it can absorbe just that much of olive oil (which is normally enough for ca. 20 salad dressings) and taste heavenly moist, but if it is one teaspoon too much, it tastes like fat sauerkraut. By the way, where do Norwegians have the olive oil from?

And why do I never bake? It smells heavenly and even your stubborn kid is having good time helping and anticipating. Well, there was a try for her 4-th birthday. She wished a Pirate Party, so I browsed Internet for cake ideas, and among all those fancy Pinterest-glazed-nightmares the easiest thing I found was a Treasure-Chest-Cake. It just required cutting the ready piece on two and folding those two halves. Sounded easy, but... It looked so horribly disproportional, broken and just ugly... I was frustrated, but thankfully Grandma was visiting, and she suggested covering it with melted chocolate and decorate with Smarties. It went well, kids noticed only Smarties, but since then I am not baking.

So, I went to the bedroom and sat onto the bed. It cannot be that I am not able to bake a simple (ok, not simple, but fitting into one page of instructions) desert. I managed to graduate from four universities. I gave birth to a child. I buried two parents and a cat. Finally, I successfully cook dinner on a daily basis, and only salt is sometimes missing.

I am gonna manage those deserts.

Undertales of Friendship: Muffet and the Cakes

Normal life for Equestria will never be quite the same now that two worlds have united. The Monsters from the Underground of Earth, the human ambassador Frisk, both are eager to make friends with a new kind of being...the pony. And the ponies, in turn, are quite eager to welcome more friends into their lives, especially those who seem so willing and talented! What could go wrong? Well...actually a lot. But a lot can go RIGHT too, and this is a collection of stories done in collaboration with me and MisterEbony, to give to you, the reader, a peek into the best of two worlds. I hope you all enjoy them half as much as we enjoyed writing them!

--------------------------------------

"I JUST don't understand what the problem is."

The Earth ponies sighed quietly, shaking their heads back and forth as they tried to approach their new friend, Mr. Cake putting a hoof on her shoulder as she sighed. "I mean...presentation is everything and I put my heart and soul into these delightful dishes!" Their friend muttered sadly as she held up a plate full of tragically-uneaten donuts. "Why doesn't anyone want to try them?"

The answer was twofold. One, because Muffet, their cook, was a spider. And she wasn't just ANY spider. No, Muffet had maroon pantaloons, black hair tied in buns on her head, five large, piercing black eyes and six arms on top of that.  Muffet the Spider, the "Queen", the "Head Honchette", as it were, of the Spider Kingdom in the Underworld, may have been a big fish in the little pond she called home, but here? Here she was a minnow, and she was drowning. Sure she LOOKED kinda adorable if you could get past the distinct fangs, the overly thin and long legs and arms, and the piercing claws on her hands.

But then you read the sign that detailed what was in her pastries. You see, all the proceeds went to real spiders! And it advertised how you should come eat food made by spiders, FOR spiders, and WITH spiders!

Yeah, that last one was what turned the ponies of Equestria off. Sure, the donuts looked nice. A delightful chocolate glaze with pink and purple frosting, and black sprinkles on the top. But then when the inhabitants of Equestria had read what was in them?

Well, dear readers, I take you to the very first day of Muffet's attempted business venture with the Cake family.  It had been a delightfully bright Sunday morning in Ponyville, as soft, puffy clouds ambled over Sugarcube Corner. The swirly hair of Ms. Cake bobbed about as she swept the store carefully, Ms. Muffet sitting behind the counter and smiling broadly as a purple alicorn approached the store, a green-and-purple-scaled little dragon walking behind her. Mr. Cake was handing out some donuts Ms. Muffet had made to Pinkie Pie, that lovable pink Earth Pony rapscallion who was happily munching away on them. So far, so good!

Or at least, so Muffet had thought until she saw Twilight Sparkle's concerned face as the alicorn entered the store, Spike the dragon holding a clawed hand over his stomach, letting out an unpleasant, liquidy belch as Muffet stared stupidly back. "Um, however may I help you?" She asked Twilight. "You don't look well at all, deary." She added to Spike as he tried to speak, only to surpress another disgusting belch, a wooziness coming over his draconic features.

"Ms. Muffet, I'm aware you've entered into joint venture with the Cakes here at Sugarcube corner." Twilight Sparkle intoned as her horn sparked with faintly purple energy and one of the donuts from off of a nearby tray that was sitting to the right of Muffet on the purchasing countertop was hovered up. Twilight gestured at it with a hoof, speaking solemnly. "You've filled out all the right paperwork for it, but I have to talk to you about these...unique dishes you've made." She remarked, before concentrating some more as a croissant now hovered up from a plate to Ms. Muffet's left.  "If I may begin at the beginning?"

"Of course. I love talking about my work." Muffet remarked, resting her head on the back of her hands, nonchalantly tilting it slightly as she smiled a bit. "So whatever is the matter?"

"First, there's your croissants. Now these are incredibly nasty. They taste too thick and you added far too much flour. But we can't prosecute you for that." Twilight remarked, sticking her tongue out in disgust before tossing the croissant into the nearby trash bin, Muffet nodding a little.

"Agreed."

"But then we get to this. Your "number two" on your menu, the second best seller after your cider. "Number Two: Crumby Spider Donut". Crummy...is right. It's very, VERY crunchy, and am I right in thinking..." Twilight hesitated. "That there are REAL SPIDERS in here?"

"Yes, some little ones."

Pinkie Pie, who HAD been halfway through eating another donut, suddenly stopped, visibly turning a bright shade of green before slowly opening up her mouth, going "Gaaaaah' as the half-eaten remains of the donut slid down, down, to plop onto her plate, pushing it far away from her with her hooves.

Twilight tried to go on. "...what SORT of spiders?"

"Dead ones."

"Were they at least COOKED before they got put into the donuts?" Twilight asked in an exasperated tone, holding a hoof up to her head, purple mane shaking back and forth as she groaned, Muffet shaking her head.

"No."

"What, RAW SPIDERS?" Twilight asked, scarcely able to believe her ears.

"We choose only the finest, juciest baby spiders  carefully chosen and brought from the Spider Kingdom's specialized webs, cleansed in the finest quality spring water, lightly killed, and then promptly sealed within a divinely delicious,  quintuple-smooth, treble-milk chocolate glaze envelope after being lovingly frosted with powdered sugar and put into the ready-to-be-fried-in-cooking-oil donuts. A time-honored tradition going back centuries to my grandmother Shelob!" Muffet remarked in a dramatic way, gesticulating with her many hands as Twilight smacked her forehead and tugged it downward.

"That's all well and good, but they're still SPIDERS!? Isn't that cannibalism?"

"My dear, the Dogaressa and the Dogamy that are part of My Majesty King Asgore's Royal Guard have been married fifty six years and they're brother and sister. This kind of thing happens with our species all the time. A spider's favorite food...is spiders." Muffet reasoned with a smile and a wink.

"Don't you at least take the legs off?!" Twilight mumbled out, now turning a little green herself as Pinkie Pie was now beginning to inch her chair further and further out of the door, going BUMP-BUMP-BUMP with every little jump.

Muffet shrugged. "If we took the legs off, they wouldn't be CRUNCHY, would they?"

"Spike ATE one of those!" Twilight remarked, gesturing at the long-suffering Spike as he rushed off for the bathroom, now turning greener than the scaly crest atop his head before the sounds of vomiting could be heard echoing through Sugarcube Corner. "I have to protect the public, Muffet! Ponies aren't going to think there are REAL spiders in this thing! Spike thought it was a type of candy! You have to make sure the words "Real spiders" are included on that warning outside!"

"...it's not a WARNING, it's an advertisement..." Muffet said, now looking genuinely hurt as she pouted slightly, arms hung at her sides.

"Not to mention there's no indication of what goes INTO your food. You need to have nutritional information laid out like the Cakes do." Twilight added as she gestured at pamphlets on the wall, Muffet scratching her head. "So is there anything else that goes into your donuts I should know about?"

"Oh, wait! I made a pamphlet like that!" Muffet remarked cheerily, reaching into her pantaloon pockets and whipping out a pamphlet, giving the bright red and purple thing to Twilight as she poured over it. "See? All the nutritional information."

"Hmm. Wait, what's this at the bottom? WEBBING?!" Twilight gasped out, the alicorn's mouth hung open just as Spike re-entered the room, wiping his mouth only to hear his dear friend's next words. "You use webbing?! And it's at the bottom under "monosodium glutamate"!" She proclaimed. "Why is there webbing in your croissants? No WONDER they taste so odd! They ought to get a big red label on them that screams "WEBBING"!"

"Well I have to keep the consistency of the biscuits strong somehow." Muffet remarked with another shrug.

"Why don't you just use NORMAL ingredients!?" Twilight groaned. "Croissants are supposed to have flour, water,  active dry yeast, milk, melted butter, cold unsalted butter and SALT! Not...not webbing and SPIDERS and...I mean...where's the pleasure in eating webbing?! Who wants to eat something that came right outta your butt?!"

"Heyyyy." Muffet said with a frown. "Which one of your ponies looked at a cow's udders and said "I'm gonna drink whatever comes outta these things when I squeeze 'em"?"

"Oh come on, I've got nothing left to throw up but my nuts-GUUUHHHLAAAAUUUGGHHKKK!" Spike screamed out, barely making to the nearby trash can in time, emptying the contents of his stomach out once again as he sobbed in agony.

"In any case, you need to make changes to your offerings." Twilight sighed as she gently patted Spike on the back, stroking him softly to calm him down. "The fact is that if you don't, people just won't eat your food."

"But I've been doing it this way for so long!" Muffet complained, slightly tugging at her hair with her many hands. "I don't really KNOW how to cook with "normal" ingredients! And besides, nobody complained about my food before! The monsters love it!"

"Is that really true?" Twilight asked, looking surprised as Muffet headed out the door, pouting visibly. She'd just have to ask her fellow monsters to back her up, she was sure once they told everyone else about how good her food tasted, they wouldn't MIND what went into the donuts and the cider and the croissants. Yes, she was so, so sure.

How well did that work out?

...

...

...

..."And so then she says "People just won't eat your food"!" Muffet complained to Toriel, Queen of the Monsters as she sat in a cafe in Ponyville with the Queen as she munched on a grass pie. The white-furred, goat-like, well-groomed female monster calmly nibbled away on her piece, horned head peeking back up from her plate to look back at the distressed Muffet before cutting off another piece of the pie.

"I see. It must be quite hard to adjust to a new business venture, a new life." Toriel remarked. She was wearing a very nice-looking white and purple robe, with the "Delta Rune" insignia displayed over her chest. A flying circle and triangles below, the triangles representing monsterkind, with the circle representing an "Angel", the Lord of Resurrection who would give the Monsters new life by freeing them from the Underground. Or at least that's what they'd thought. The old language of the Monsters was something hardly anyone remembered. The word "Lazarus" had been used to describe the Angel in the Ancient Monster Tongue, and true! It did mean "Resurrection".

But it also meant "Death", so many monsters had feared that their "salvation" from the Underground would be that of an "angel" that would "free" them with the gift of Death. Luckily, it had been more metaphorical. The "Resurrection" had really meant "new life", not death, for their sweet little angel had freed them from the Underground and given them a new life on the Surface.

Hope had filled their hearts upon seeing it after so many eons. And now that hope had turned to excitement upon coming across Equestria. But you had to temper the audacity of hope with the reasonable expectations of reality. And the reality was change would be hard.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly lacking for money thanks to that wonderful little human child of yours." Muffet admitted as she put a hand on her chest and chuckled slightly. 'Frisk was positively wonderful in how much he donated to our cause. He's a true spider fanatic! But still, it'd be nice if these ponies understood how wonderful our food was!"

Toriel's face showed a very visible flinch, and Muffet suddenly stared, as if truly seeing Toriel for the first time. She bit her lip, and then looked deep into the queen's soft eyes.

"Y-You...don't think I need to change my ingredients...do you? You like my food, right?"

It had been the same question she'd asked of Sans the Skeleton, his brother Papyrus, Undyne, Head of Asgore's Royal Guard, Asgore the King of Monsters himself, Asriel, Toriel and Asgore's son...

And they all gave what would best be described as a "Concerto of Discomfort"."

"Um..."

"Well..."

"I..."

"So..."

"Uh..."

"HA!"

"Er..."

"I've..."

"UH..."

"See..."

"Uhhhh..."

"HAA!"

"Er..."

"That is..."

"WELL..."

"Maybe..."

"Errr..."

"HA...HAAAAA."

And then, finally...an answer repeated over and over again. Muffet, in desperation, decided to go to the one person she never, ever, EVER thought she would ask.

...Burgerpants, the Cat-like vendor of "Mettaton-Brand-Food" who had opened up a Mettaton store in Ponyville, not too far away from the delightful and snazzy Ms. Rarity's botique. The faint brown-skinned cat was smoking a cigarette, on his lunch break as a soft wind blew about him, ruffling his pink t-shirt as he leaned against the store's back walls. Seeing Muffet, the brownish/red-eyed cat nonchalantly took out the cigarette, blowing a perfect ring of smoke through the air that slowly puffed right over Muffet's head before he spoke.

"What would you give me if I blew a smoke puff and it landed right between your breasts?"

"A concussion. Now tell me something." Muffet demanded, one set of hands on her hips, another crossing her chest and the remaining ones gesticulating with a faint air of desperation. "My food, my cooking. Do you think I need to change it?"

"...oh...my...GOD." Burgerpants remarked, his dry witted tone changing to one of pure, unadulterated glee. "Y-you wait so long to hear a question like that and when it finally comes, y-you're...oh my God, I wanna wrap this moment up like a big ol' present! Happy birthday to ME!" He laughed. "You FINALLY asked me after all these years?! This is too good! So I'm gonna savor it."

He took in a long, deep breath, wafting in the air around him with his hands before finally smirking at her. "The answer is an unequivocal, never-been-so-sure-of-anything-in-my-life YES. And the fact you came to me means everyone else thinks so too. Am I right?"

Muffet hung her head.

"Now...if you'll excuse me, I gotta get back to work. Maybe you should start marketing your food to people trying to lose weight. One whiff of your croissants will make ANYONE lose their appetite."

"Go to HELL." Muffet snarled, black eyes flaring as Burgerpants gave her a wry smirk.

"Sorry, Muffet. Can't. I'm all outta vacation days."

...

...

...

... "You don't think I need to change my ingredients...do you?" Muffet asked Frisk as the Cakes watched the two talking in Sugarcube Corner's kitchen, the brown-haired Asian-American youth giving a spider a sugar cube which it eagerly took, scurrying off to go join its friends on a nearby countertop. Frisk sighed, then nodded.

"Definitely."

"But I thought people LIKED my food." Muffet sighed as she bit her lip, leaning back in the chair she had.

"People "liked" it because it was one of the few genuinely sweet things down in the Underground. So they overlooked the little problems it had because there wasn't that much food to begin with." Frisk admitted. "They kinda...just sucked it up. But it's different now." He said as he gestured around Sugarcube corner. "Equestria takes gold just like the Underground does. Everyone can just buy a normal donut or a lollipop or the like and they don't have to feel creeped out about eating spiders."

"I guess I just don't understand why people don't like the taste of spiders." Muffet mumbled as she hung her head, Mrs. Cake getting an idea as she walked towards her, the blue Earth pony putting down a piece of cake in front of her. "Huh? What's this?"

"Try it, honey." She remarked with a small smile, Muffet munching away at it before cringing.

"YECCCH. It's so thick and...blaaaah!" She practically spat out the contents, barely able to repress her gag reflect as she waved her hands in front of her mouth. "EWWW. What in Heaven's name is this?"

"It's called "carrot cake". Lots of ponies eat it. So do many humans, from what Frisk's told me." Mrs. Cake said as she gestured with a hoof, Mr. Cake's skinny frame ambling into the room as well as he put down a cookbook right in front of Muffet, pointing at recipe after recipe.

"Restaurants and shops like ours know how make grass donuts, hay cakes, flower pie...all of these are big favorites of ponies, big staples of people's diets in a lot of ways. But when we have the occasional Changeling customer, or a Minotaur or a Dragon or a Gryphon, well, we know they like something more meaty. So we'll make them things like this."

He flipped the page, showing off a dish that Muffet hadn't considered. Number Four on the page...Crunchy Frog.

"Is that a real frog?" She asked, pointing at the chocolate-covered frog on the page as Mr. Cake nodded.

"Yes, we also make chocolate-covered insects, flavored crickets, those are a BIG seller..." Mr. Cake read onward. "And the occasional meat pie. Sometimes the Applejack family will donate cow meat to us because they know occasionally we need to provide for other customers who's tastes are different than the rest. Everyone's different."

"And it was hard to learn how to handle it." Mrs. Cake admitted as she slightly cringed. "I remember the first time I made a meat pie for a Gryphon. I was shaking, holding the meat in my hooves, trying to cut it up on the table..." She went on, her voice getting lower. "And all I kept seeing was a cow's face right in front of me, I couldn't bring myself to do it at first. But then I thought about how hungry my customer was, and how they just wanted a little something to remind them of home, and what they ate there. So I focused."

She tapped the side of her head with a hoof, eyes closing. "I focused on their face. And I began cutting the meat, and I made the pie. And the customer, Gilda, loved it!"

"When you try to make the customers happy, it helps make YOU happy. But you have to be willing to try new things. Even if it occasionally might make you uncomfortable, you have to be open to trying new things. To adapt." Mr. Cake explained. "You gotta get with the times."

"Because the times, they are a-chaaaangiiiiin!" Frisk sang out, head bouncing slightly back and forth as Muffet giggled a bit.

"You are just too cute." She giggled. "But I guess you're right." The spider lady remarked with a sigh. "It'll just take me a while to learn how to cook without my usual ingredients. But how am I going to sell off all the other donuts and things I've made with spiders?"

"Hmm." Mrs. Cake paced back and forth, biting her lip thoughtfully. "...I think I have an idea."

...

...

...

... "Oh...oh my."

Twilight could scarcely believe it. But it couldn't be denied. A long, LONG stream of Changelings was now lining outside of Sugarcube Corner, and Queen Chrysalis was stuffing her face full of spider donuts, belly hung over her legs almost like a giant bean bag as she sat on a clearly-about-to-fall-apart chair just outside the shop. The Changelings were buzzing about excitedly, many exiting the store and guzzling down Spider Cider by the gallon as Chrysalis let out an unladylike belch.

"Ohhh, that is just so, SO good! It's been ages since I enjoyed a meal like that."

"You actually...LIKE eating spiders?" Twilight inquired, looking rather intrigued by this. Sure, the Ponies might have crafted a truce treaty with Chrysalis, but that didn't mean she really LIKED her. This was hard to swallow...no pun intended.

"Spiders and other creepy-crawlies were the first meals we ate after our species's birth. There's not a lot else to eat down in damp, dark caves." Chrysalis remarked with a wave of a hoof before letting out a belch. "Besides moss and the occasional fish in dark mountain lakes. So it was that, or spiders. And we chose spiders. Now insects are a regular staple of our diet when we're not dining on emotions!"

"So spiders are, like...comfort food to you." Twilight reasoned, scratching her head as Muffet walked out of the shop, bringing Chrysalis a large jug of golden spider cider to wash her meal down, Muffet also bringing out a small little pink donut that she held up for Twilight, a grin on her face. "What's this?"

"It's for you! Take it." Muffet said with a smile. "I'm almost utterly sold out of my spider ciders and donuts thanks to these fine folks. But they can't be my ONLY customers, so please. Tell me what you think."

Twilight nervously eyed the pastry before levitating it up with her horn, popping a chunk of it into her mouth before her eyes went wide as saucers. "It's...it actually tastes...GOOD." She murmured. "Nice and sweet, just the right amount of frosting, not too dry and not that sticky, I...I LIKE it!" She gasped out loud. "You made this? You?! Made THIS? Really?"

"Took me hours to get it just right, but I did it." Muffet said with a grin and a thumbs up. "Luckily Frisk helped me get the recipe juuuust right."

"Thank GOD for Save Points..." Frisk moaned out loud, dragging himself away from a nearby golden glow that faintly glittered behind him, having reset to a previous LOAD state precisely 76 times thanks to Muffet's trial-and-error cooking, the taste of aborted and badly-cooked donuts still lingering on his mouth.

But hey. It was better than spiders. Still...

He never wanted to see another donut as long as he lived.

Why Bother With Breakfast?

They say ignorance is bliss but there are occasions when ignorance of individuals makes me sad. One instance is when people do not think breakfast is essential and chose not to add it within their routine. It is said that certain should eat such as a king for breakfast, queen for lunch and popper for dinner. Unfortunately for many individuals, for reasons of their own, dinner is the greatest meal and breakfast is the first anyone to be skipped. I have always thought that to a sizable degree, you are what you eat so I think food plays an essential part in one's life,Honest Oats especially the quality of life. That's among reasons why I take time and effort never to just prepare good food but in addition to publish a whole lot about it so I spread some awareness in whatever little way I can. Reason I say it makes me sad is basically because the results of skipping breakfast might not be seen immediately. But over time one will have to face the consequences. When some of my friends say they do not have breakfast I'm bad as they are not doing any good because of their body. In this informative article I really hope to summarise what I have read and understood in regards to the importance of breakfast and also some simple yet quick breakfast ideas to make it easier for you.

Let's look at the impact of having or not having breakfast to better understand just why work with breakfast

1. Weight management - many think that skipping breakfast so they really reduce calories would make them lose weight. It cannot be farther from the truth. Once we sleep during the night, our body decreases, so metabolism slows down. Once we have something to consume each day, we're effectively giving the signal to the human body that the afternoon has begun and metabolism should increase. However, individuals who skip breakfast deny their body with this signal so they feel sluggish because they continue until lunch with slow metabolism. When one feels sluggish and tired, one tends to work less, physically and subsequently burns fewer calories. Also, when the human body is deprived of food for a long while, cravings begin, especially sugar cravings. That is when we feel just like snacking on a chocolate bar or even a big fat muffin or cakes etc. This effectively escalates the calorie consumption. In summary, a slow metabolism, tired body burning lesser calories and high calorie/fat snacks effectively contribute to weight gain and not weight loss. We all keep hearing in regards to the numerous health problems that will have being overweight, especially danger of heart diseases and skipping breakfast can potentially cause being overweight.

2. Lowered cognition - studies have said to have shown that children who've breakfast fare better in problem solving than children who skip breakfast.

Remember that it's not merely the remaining portion of the body that gets energy from digested food but in addition the brain. Once the brain is low on energy, one cannot expect it to operate effectively. Some studies also reveal that children who skip breakfast are prone to have problems concentrating and also suffer with memory when compared with children who've breakfast.

3. Type 2 diabetes - skipping breakfast is said to boost the chance of developing type 2 diabetes. If one is diabetic, it is much more important to help keep sugar fluctuations low which means the human body must be fed at regular intervals. Diabetes is a state of the human body that's not particularly easy to handle as the complications of diabetes can be extremely serious from losing eye sight, heart attacks, having to be amputated. If one is overweight, the complications get even worse. The aftereffect of diabetes might not be known immediately but the human body is likely to be deteriorating gradually. Keeping the blood sugar levels in order is absolutely important while coping with diabetes and skipping meals, that too breakfast is likely to be highly counter-productive for diabetes management.

4. Menstrual irregularities - some studies are said to have shown that girls/women who skip breakfast will probably have irregular periods.

5. Poor mood - low glucose is believed to lead to irritability fatigue and tiredness. Some studies show that people who skip breakfast snap at others more easily.

If you ask me the chance of weight gain (and all associated health problems as a result of being overweight) and danger of diabetes alone are enough to make me run for my breakfast. In regards to children, it is essential to create healthy eating habit at an early stage and for that, having breakfast is important. With children getting less and less playtime and exercise nowadays it is much more important for them to eat healthy. There's no point in sending them to school to learn stuff if they can't concentrate and as parents, we need to give them adequate support to enable them to learn. Hopefully, by now you have reached least contemplating having breakfast.

I originate from a tamil Brahmin family and Brahmin meal plan is very well-known because many of them have a huge mid morning meal, later in the afternoon a tiffin or lighter meal is consumed while dinner sometimes is liquid intake or fruits or some cereals, if not curd rice. Reason I mention that's that while some people criticise them for having a heavy meal that early, what current day dieticians are advising is more or less similar - have a huge breakfast. The meal would normally include rice (carbohydrates), dal (protein), vegetables (vitamins and minerals) and ghee (fat) and unless I acquired everything wrong, this is exactly what takes its balanced meal. At today and age, we barely have enough time to make every one of these before we walk from the doors to work and neither would our working hours allow such a schedule. So, what are some quick breakfast solutions you might try.

1. Oats porridge - boil a few tablespoon of oats in water until it is performed (regular oats surpasses quick cooking and honestly does not take much time for you to cook anyway). If you want it sweet, add some milk, sugar or honey or some other sensible sweetener of choice. If you want savory, you can add some buttermilk and little salt and consume. In any event, have a banana or some other fruit of choice.

2. Breakfast shake - milk shake or smoothies make great breakfast. Blend a banana sweetened with date syrup or some other natural sweetener (avoid synthetic sweetners or refined sugar) along with some milk. Top with crushed nuts and drink. Adding oat milk rather than cow's milk can reduce calories and fat and also lend to fibre intake. You may try the exact same with apple too. You might also make use of a spoon of wheat germ as topping.

3. Muffin - having a low sugar, bran loaded muffin is a good method to fill you up for the morning. Top a healthier muffin with berries and eat and also a glass of juice. Lots of healthy muffin recipes are available, try making enough on the weekend itself. I'd say it probably takes about 10 minutes to really make the muffin batter and about 20 minutes baking time and that might be your breakfast sorted for a week!

4. Breakfast sandwich - you will make these with leftovers too. Make use of chapattis or pita breads or wholemeal breads and stuff them with remaining sabjis or any vegetable of choice. Over the weekends I have a tendency to quickly sauté grated courgette, spice it with cumin, chilly and coriander powder and create a grilled wholemeal sandwich. This helps me get among my five a day vegetables as well. You can test the exact same with paneer or grated cauliflower, cabbage etc. Peanut butter sandwich is an excellent option as well.

5. Toast and beans - beans also contribute to one of five a day. This method is okay when you yourself have the time for you to sit down and have your breakfast.

6. Reduced fat flapjacks - I make my own, personal flapjack which really is a bit more chewy than regular ones. I use very little brown sugar but add dry fruits and dates syrup to sweeten instead. Believe it or not small portions of the oats rich very little added fat flapjacks really are a great begin to the day.

7. Multi grain porridge - back home it is common practice for moms to make a multi grain powder. It usually consists or wheat, barley, finger millet, sago, almonds and cardamom for flavouring. One can add handful of heaped spoons with this to water, bring to boil while stirring, add jaggery or sugar and milk.

8. Healthy pancakes - make your own pancake mix by the addition of either the above mentioned porridge powder or wholewheat powder along with some millet powder. Add mashed banana or pureed apple or blueberries, if you want it sweeter, add syrup like dates syrup to make a batter. I have a tendency to skip the baking powder or soda bicarb as it inhibits nutrition absorption. You may add little all purpose flour to ease flipping the pancake. Pour the batter on hot tava and drizzle oil/butter/ghee. Cook both parties, eat.

9. Bread omelet - beat an egg and add salt and required vegetables like tomato, onion, mushroom etc. and make an omelet. Grab handful of toasts and a glass of juice. Having protein earlier in the afternoon is reported to be much better than later.

10. Museli - combine wheat flakes, oat flakes, rye flakes, barley flakes with some dry fruits like raisins, currants, seeds like pumpkin seed. Serve with seasonal fruits and milk.

11. Quick French toast - cut handful of bread slices into four triangles each. Dip them in beaten egg (season it as needed) and cook on hot tava. Drizzle some oil or butter while cooking. Cook both parties and that is clearly a good breakfast on the go.

12. Millet gruel - Millet is generally considered poor man's food but the fact is many individuals who work hard physically have ragi gruel often for breakfast. It keeps them full for long although they are involved with intense work. One way of preparing is comparable to multi grain porridge mentioned previously. Another method is to mix it with some buttermilk and allow it to sit overnight. Next morning add little water if needed and cook while stirring, until it is shiny. Season with salt and drink. Millets are low fat protein sources.

I really hope a minumum of one or two of the above options suit your taste and timing. On weekends it's possible to indulge a bit more by making cooked breakfast and several such recipes are available on my blog as well.

Make healthy choices for your life, remember, prevention surpasses cure. One can skip any meal, although not breakfast regardless of whether one is hungry or not. For another meals you can go according to your system, eat when hungry but breakfast can be an exception. Don't watch for the'right'day to start having breakfast, there is no bad time to do the best thing. Live long, live happy, live healthy!

vegan chocolate cake

i honestly don’t remember when it was the last time i made a cake, of any sort. i remember that i baked a strawberry cheesecake with a friend before, during high school. and towards the end of my high school years, i made a very easy strawberry cake for my mom’s birthday.

and at one point, for christmas, i made some brownies that went awry (it turned out to be extremely hard to chew) and i had not made anything since.

to me, it seemed that making cakes is a very wasteful thing: the amount of sugar, butter, and eggs can definitely suffice for several meals for a single person, whereas a cake can at most only be a snack or a desert that is consumed very quickly. plus when i eat cake, i really like to eat a lot of it at once...yeah. 

during this global pandemic 2020, it really is best to limit the times you go to the supermarket. i try to go only once every week or every 10 days, whereas before the pandemic i went two to three times per week. so one day, i find myself really craving something chocolate-y. all i had at home was cocoa powder, and i needed my eggs to be part of my main meals (poached, scrambled, sunny-side-upped.) because i am slightly intolerant to dairy and i have the impression that consuming dairy may cause me to have allergic reactions to pollen, dust, etc, i also hardly ever buy any milk products.

and because only certain supermarkets that are further away from my home carry non-GMO soy-milk, i also had no soymilk at home.

what could you do with just cocoa powder?, i thought. chocolate cake...maybe.

so i googled “chocolate cake no milk no eggs” and came across recipes of vegan chocolate cakes, what a blessing!

 the vegan chocolate cake was not hard to make at all. on the contrary, it was extremely easy.

in one bowl, i mixed the dry ingredients:

- 1 & 1/4 cup flour

- 1/2  cup sugar

- 1/2 cup cocoa powder

- 1 teaspoon baking powder 

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

in another bowl, i mixed the liquid ingredients:

- 1 cup water

- 1 teaspoon white vinegar

- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (use one with a rather neutral taste. for example, i used sunflower oil)

(- 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar (dry) or vanilla extract (liquid), neither of which i had, so i left this out)

i mixed the ingredients until there were no more clumps and the batter was smooth. i was supposed to use a 8 x 8 inches pan but i had neither cake form nor any pan that was fit for the oven, so i used aluminum foil to form a cake form, which totally worked.

i preheated the oven at 350 degrees Fh ( 175 degrees Celcius), and baked for 30 minutes, and i was super surprised that after around 20 minutes, i could smell the heavenly delicious chocolate smell, and that at the end, the cake came out so well!

to be honest, i did not have any high expectations, i just wanted it to be edible, but this cake completely beat all my expectations by far. it was such a surprise.

i ate the cake while it was still warm, and the warmth, fragrance and richness of this cake enveloped me like a big loving hug.  To some degree, it felt like love. 

i am hesitant when it comes to doing something that i perceive is “risky.” i usually am indecisive, and have to think a long time before doing something that may not turn out that well. baking a cake for the first time in such a long time means investing the time, the resources, and accepting the risk of all of it going to waste. but i really, truly wanted to eat cake, and i truly wanted to try and see what would happen if i tried to make one. and i am so grateful for the websites that have posted this recipe online! and i am truly grateful to myself for deciding to make this cake and taking actions and a leap of faith.

i used to see making food as a very mechanical process: this much this and this much that, complete this action and then do that. 

however, it is actually not mechanical at all. it is actually extremely creative, and like all creative activities, it invites a lot of play, and play by definition means trying to do something untried for fun and delight. 

the cake was very rich, so, for the first time, i tried to pair chocolate cake with a more refreshing green tea ( i have had chocolate with matcha tea before, but not with regular green tea.) and it tasted really amazing.

i believe that limitations are conducive to creativity, and this experience is just an example of that.

i believe that often, too much availability and choice of resources will inhibit our creativity as it will delay our decision making, and that a smaller, confined number of choices will propel the decision making process and taking actions towards a creation.

even though a lot of what would be our “normal life” is limited now to staying at home as much as possible, this time can be a very creative one full of love and play, of appreciation for what we have, of confronting the self and our old ways, of reflection, and of coziness.

original recipe is from here.

KAT'S KETO STARTER GUIDE

a quick guide to starting keto easily and without worries!

⦁ intro ⦁ science ⦁ myths and misconceptions

⦁ breakfast ⦁ lunch ⦁ dinner ⦁ snacks ⦁ food list CHEAT SHEET:

⦁ intermittent fasting ⦁ what to do when you go out to eat ⦁ what to drink and when

⦁ "carb cycling", cheat days, and how tos: ⦁ things to avoid that are a waste of money

INTRODUCTION TO KETO Keto is an amazing diet and/or lifestyle that when paired with multiple other forms of healthy choices can be a quick way to lose a few pounds or a healthy way to live longterm allowing you to still enjoy life without estranging yourself from your friends and family.  It is very flexible and people that stick to keto find themselves in love with it and raving about their success, as long as they gave it the proper chance! I myself lost ten pounds the first week I did strict keto and I knew then I was hooked!

SCIENCE BEHIND KETO AND WHY IT WORKS The common american diet is very high in sugar, carbs, unhealthy fats, caffeine, sodium, etc. This recipe is a disaster waiting to happen, heart disease, obesity, cancers, diabetes, among a plethora of other terrible life stealing diseases that effect millions of americans. Whether you do a low carb, or low calorie, or low red meat and fat diet, the idea remains the same.  Reduce calorie intake vs output, avoid foods that cause inflamations or gastro-intestinal upsets, and eat filling whole foods that offer a lot of nutrient density. Now, the reason that keto works so good is the science behind the diet: When you reduce the amount of sugar (glucose)  your body intakes, which is its normal source of fuel, it panics, uses what it has, burns glycogen which is stored in the liver and muscles, and finally switches your body to KETONES (which burns FATS for fuel instead).  When your body is in Ketosis, it will burn your body fat and consumed fats for energy, to do normal body functions.  This sounds like a miracle, and I can honestly say it is.  Most average americans have anywhere from a 20%-50% body fat ratio, men usually on the lower end of that, where anything over 30% is usually considered overweight.   That being said, most people have a lot of fuel to burn that they would never have burned if they were eating a large amount of carbohydrates that the body prefers to burn first.  You literally have your own fuel just waiting to go, and you will feel awesome when you see the fat melting off your tummy, thighs, back, face.  :D

Myths and Misconceptions When I first started keto I thought I could eat as many hot dogs, burgers, chicken wings, ranch dressings, etc as I could stuff in my face.   Truth be told you can, but your body will be severely lacking vitamins and minerals that you need to be healthy so I would suggest making sure to vary your diet, always include a healthy fat (example: salmon, avocado, macadamia nuts) and lots of greens whenever possible.  If you absolutely cannot, taking a high nutrient density multi vitamin is really smart, as well as looking into electrolyte mixes or supplements. People will try to bully you or shame you for not eating "just one this" or "you have to try a bite" and after a little while, you absolutely can! But during the first month or so, til you become "fat adapted" it is best to be as diligent as possible, and you will be really proud of the results. Not all fats are created equal:  While dirty keto does exist and sometimes is necessary, try to remember that quality of your fuel will always dictate how you feel.  Will you feel better after a slice of greasy pizza or a big salad with lots of veggies and roasted turkey? Easy concept. You don't have to starve yourself.  This was the hardest part for me to learn at first.  Keto foods are filling, yummy, and full of flavor, so eat til you're about comfortably full and give the fork a rest.  You'll find you're sated for many hours! Not all people get the keto flu.  Some adapt to eating high fat really well with minimal issues.  If you are feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or stomach sick, make sure you have plenty of water and if you need to, have a shot of pickle juice or a sprinkle of salt in your water.  Vitamin water ZERO is also a decent way to get electrolytes without having to spend a lot on a supplement.  I'd avoid zero sugar gatorade though, the sweetener in it is sucralose which is bad for ketosis.

NOW TO THE FUN PART: THE FOOD! I do most of my shopping at a normal grocery store, and most of the things I mention can be bought at meijer, target, walmart, or whatever your local chain is. Buy organic if you want! But it isnt necessary.  Meats and dairy foods are best when bought all natural or organic if possible.  Look for words like grass finished, or pasture raised.

Breakfast ideas: Omelets - add whatever meats veggies and cheeses from list fit your choosing Cauliflower "hash" - sautee pieces of cauliflower with meats, veggies, top with cheese and let it melt :D keto "cereal" - 2 cups unsweetened coconut, sprinkle with cinnamon, stevia, coconut oil, pecans, macadamia nuts, whatever.  bake two minutes per side around 375 til toasted.  cool and serve with unsweetened hemp, oat, almond or soy milk and fresh berries if you want! Chorizo and eggs with avocado and sour cream - they do make turkey chorizo too! or make your own by adding hot sauce and spices to ground turkey.  :3 "Two Good" Makes a super low carb yogurt that tastes amazing  - i eat it with berries or a "Quest" brand protein cookie for breakfast! Chia pudding - 2 T. chia seeds, milk substitute or water, stevia, and whatever flavor you want to add! Peanut butter, cocoa powder for PB cup,  raspberry/almond,  blueberry/pecan.  Chill overnight, awesome grab and go Egg muffins  - mix up eggs like youd be making scrambled eggs, add some ricotta or cottage cheese (full fat only), add toppings, bake for 5-10 mins til middle is set (use a tooth pick).  Can freeze and pop in microwave or last a week in the fridge.  I like mine with pesto and mozzarella with tomato on top.

Lunch ideas: La tortilla factory low carb wrap "blt" - these tortillas are amazing and come in many sizes.  If you cant find those, find any brand that says "low carb" - look for net carbs under 6 for best choices.  Add avocado, turkey bacon, mayo if desired, lettuce, tomato, peppers, etc.  Eat with cheese chips (recipe in snacks) Soups:  Creamy chicken chili, broccoli cheese (substitute heavy cream and broth in place for milk in recipes) bone broth veggie soups (imagine PHO or Ramen with no noodles!) MAKE A BIG ASS SALAD WITH WHATEVER MEATS AND CHEESE AND VEGGIES YOU WANT   (that are safe on the list ofc) this is what i do a lot, and i put the dressing on the side so i can just munch on it throughout the day without it getting soggy.   If you find yourself picking certain parts out of your salad right away, try to focus on those more until your body is craving other things.  Some days i eat my meats right away, others i eat all my veggies.  Your body often tells you what you need without even realizing. If you're a grazer make a fruit and nut tray, or "lunchables" almost. There is a recipe for whats called CLOUD BREAD. It's basically like a fluffy meringue that is made with cream cheese and eggs. I dont make it a lot, I almost always would rather have those wraps.  They're that good and last longer :D Try to keep things with you that you know you will eat, rather than things you think you're supposed to eat, because cold fish sounds disgusting vs that yummy five piece chicken tender with hot sauce. >_>

Dinner Ideas: Dinner is my forte because for a long time I was doing OMAD keto, aka "One meal a day keto" where I would fast until dinner every day, except for coffee, tea and water.  During these times I dreamt up many cheat meals that I JUST HAD TO HAVE and went home and keto-ized em.  If there's a will there's a way, bahahaha. OMAD is not recommended at the start of ketosis because you may feel low on energy or dizzy sometimes and we want to avoid bad feelings during initiation so when you see the success you have you won't have a negative feeling as to why it happened.

LITERALLY IMAGINE YOUR FAVORITE DINNER. Whatever you're craving.  You can hack it. We got this.   Chinese/Take out? Easy mode.  You can make stir fries, fried cauliflower rice, sweet and sour chicken (using parmesan for a crust!), peanut "noodles" or "zoodles", egg foo young, etc! American: Wings, burgers, brats/sausages, grilled chicken, etc - most cook out foods in whole form are totally safe. Pair with grilled veggies or a salad, or make a pasta salad from zoodles with homemade italian dressing.  YUMMMM bish Italian: Low carb tomato sauces and "noodles", Fat head Pizza (link to fat head dough recipe will be at bottom.  This shit is dope.  I never even liked pizza before this).  Chicken Parmesan, "Spaghetti and Meatballs", Lasagna: AND OMG GUESS WHAT. Alfredo is like totally fair game, and its really good with mushrooms and chicken. :P Mexican: HOLY FUCK I EAT THIS STUFF SO MUCH.  Like, pretty much everything but the chips and rice are totally gucci for keto.  Taco/Burrito bowls, fajitas, ceviche, salsa, avocado salad, guacamole, and for dipping I make cheese chips or thin slices of cucumber spritzed with chili lime and salt. Greek: Greek salad, schwarma, gyros (either without bread or use the low carb wraps), hemp seed "Falafel", tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, olives, etc. I have even made indian and thai curries, moroccan food, middle eastern We have made chicken tenders, french fries, chips, "nachos", fish fry, breaded mushrooms, mozz sticks, cheese curds.  All your craving foods! The internet is wonderful for this, just make sure you are paying close attention to how much a portion is, or if its higher in carbs than you're allowed for the day.

Above I posted a picture for a shopping list.

This is a nice shopping list but I find it is sort of strict.  Try to stick to these items to start but You can add in things like more nuts or avocados, almond and coconut flours (to make cakes and breads!), and higher starch veggies and fruits as time goes on.  I get down on some cantaloupe pretty often, and have a cupcake at least once a month.

Intermittent Fasting IF is typically considered an advance technique or body reset especially after big meal days or cheating, and while it has amazing health benefits, I would suggest you research it yourself and decide if it's right for you.  I had a lot of luck with it because I hate to keep track of my calories on an app so I knew if I ate whatever I could within a five to seven hour period that the chances that I would eat more than 1800 calories would go way down.   Each person is different, if you feel physically hungry, don't deny that feeling. Here is a link that describes and explains types of IF. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/intermittent-fasting-guide#methods

What to do when you go out to eat We live in a time where many people eat low carb, or restaurants are very willing to wiggle with ingredients or substitutions.  Remember that nicer restaurants appreciate this less, but if you know that it will be happening, you can always call the restaurant and let them know in advance.  Many chefs are reasonable and want your business and willing to help. Always check the menu for words like, naked, ask for sauces on the side, try to stick to things that are usually safe, blue cheese, ranch, vinaigrettes, mayos.  When a dish comes with a carb side, most places will double up on steamed or grilled veg for very little extra or no charge.  I get steak with a literal dick ton of broccoli or asparagus and lotsa butter and its good and filling. :D Burgers can be put on top of a side salad , or ask for a lettuce wrap.  Make sure wings and chickens arent breaded before frying or baking.  Chinese restaurants usually have a section that has all the same ingredients but sauce on the side and veggies steamed, good for when you go out.  Egg drop soup is usually ok as long as you don't eat a gallon of it. If something comes that you really want, but can't have, just have one small bite and cover the rest of it with too much salt or ketchup or something than you can handle, or trade it away.  This will prevent you from eating it all. There's lots of options and understand that whenever you go out, there is a chance that you might slip out of ketosis.  Don't be discouraged because a small slip is a lot easier to deal with than a big one, and you will feel fine within 12 hrs.

What to drink and when Coffee, espresso, unsweetened teas, club soda or la croix like drinks with zero fake sugars added (look for aspartame, sucralose, dextrose, erythritol, etc), pure liquors with no added flavor or sugar (vodka, gin, whiskey, rum, tequila), dry red wine (cabernet, merlot) dry white wine (sauvignon blanc, brut champagne, pinot grigo, chardonnay).  Keep in mind that alcohol still contains a lot of calories and while it will not likely bump you out of ketosis, it does delay your body burning calories because it is too busy trying to destroy the evil alcohol from your bloodstream (dramatic music) so limiting intake in the first month really helps you to get in the swing and feel good and hydrated :P. Side Note: Ketal One makes new no sugar added Botanical Vodka and the Peach one and the cucumber mint one are fucking amazing, the end.

"Carb cycling" cheat days, and how to IF YOU KNOW YOU'RE GONNA CHEAT mentally prepare yourself for that.  Know what you want to eat, what isnt worth it, and how to stop yourself when you are done.  Ever been on a bender where you drank like three days in a row and by the end you're like dude wtf happened all I wanted was to drink friday night and now its sunday where did it go".  This has happened to me lots with holidays and special occasion weekends, and the best advice I have for you is to pay attention to how cheating makes you feel.  Don't feel guilty unless you feel bad for your progress or your body.  Sadly, potatoes make me feel like garbage so I try to avoid them like the plague even when I do cheat. Try to not eat for as long as you can handle after you cheat to allow your body some rest and to burn the glucose and glycogen that may be still in your system.  If you feel good enough some cardio or lifting may help to get you back in faster. Ultimately, if keto is a lifestyle for you, remember that life happens and its ok to be human, and eat things that are unhealthy as long as its not the normal.  Remind yourself that you deserve to be happy as well as healthy and balance that in your mind.  Being positive and recognizing this will help you to not fall off the deep end either way, by being too strict or completely abandoning keto, which often in the early phase will lead you to gaining all that weight you lost back. Carb cycling is a form of keto diet for athletes or very physical people who benefit from a quick carb before intense activity in order to feed their muscles or whatever but as I am not one of those people, I just stick to my higher carb fruits and veggies when I think I might go for a run or walk, or drag my ass down the road, whatever you'd like to call it. >_>

Things to avoid that are a waste of money Don't buy "exo ketones" or "Keto drinks" or powders, anything "bullet-proof" is basically bullshit, you can make the same things for zillions of dollars less and it will taste better as well. Keto urine strips are pretty much just a waste of money, they aren't really indicative of where you are at. Expensive "keto" supplements aren't necessary, take your multi and drink your electrolytes and you should be good to go.  Keep in mind if you are an intense athlete I am not so like talk to your doctor or coach dude.

Feeling more and more at home.

9/19/17

It’s been a lovely week. I am a very happy study abroad-er right now. So many things have started clicking for me, and though it took a lot longer than I expected, I am very thankful that I feel this way. There are several reasons for this shift, or perhaps it’s better to say progress, and a lot of these reasons are from this past week.

1.      A group of friends and I took a little road trip on Friday to the Volta Region, which is the region just to the east of the Accra region (where I live). It usually only takes about an hour to drive, but there was a lot of traffic on Friday evening, so it took closer to 2.5 hours.

 We also got a very late start-- I’m not sure if I’ve blogged about this in the past, but almost everything starts late here, so consistently that people say Ghana has their own time system, GMT (Ghana Main Time). This usually does not bother me at all because I’m chronically late myself, but on this particular occasion, we planned on leaving at about 3 pm and ended up leaving our hostel at 7 pm, running some errands, and then actually leaving Accra at 8 pm. Wild.

 The drive was lovely, though—some of our Ghanaian friends have cars, so we didn’t have to take a bus, which was nice. About an hour outside of Accra, I looked out the window and saw stars. I hadn’t seen the stars in 5 weeks. It was beautiful. There is a bridge going over the Volta River that connects the main part of Ghana to the Volta region, and then you are surrounded by mountains and green and clear skies. Magical.

 The Volta region is full of natural beauty—I know I mentioned in my last entry that it’s been difficult adjusting from the easy peace of Minnesota to the city life here, but this weekend made me so excited to explore the rest of Ghana. We didn’t have time this weekend to go hiking at all, but I definitely will need to track down some trails. The mountains are calling, as they say.

 Because we got such a late start, the hotels we stopped at were already full, or didn’t have enough rooms for all of us. One offered us their conference room for free, so we hauled spare mattresses and sheets up the stairs (actually, the guys did, because god forbid any of the women show they have physical ability), and set up camp in the big open space. Not what any of us were expecting, but hey, it worked and it was FREE. (Normally, hotels are only about 100 cedis per room, which is about $25, but free is even better, right?)

 On Saturday morning, we got breakfast/lunch, which consisted of coconuts in the car and then rice and chicken 5 minutes later. But no one can say we skipped a meal. This was actually my first coconut experience here!!! We pulled up to a coconut cart (they are literally everywhere in Ghana), and then waited for the men running it to come to the car so we could order. Then, they use the biggest knife in the world to cut a little opening in the top, with one a piece of the hull hanging on like a lid. You drink the water/juice (delicious), and then hold your hand out the window with your drained coconut, and someone comes back to cut it open for you so you can eat the meat, using the aforementioned lid as a spoon. It was like a drive-through, only nothing I ordered was cancerous or just preservatives disguised as food.

 We spent Saturday at a hotel pool, lounging and swimming and reading. I fell asleep in the sun for a while, BUT did not burn at all, so I consider that a big win! Then, we headed home, stopping for snacks at one of the intersections, which was crazy—you pull up to an intersection, and your car gets SWARMED. 10 hands might be reaching in through one window—that’s 40 hands in one tiny car (plus our own hands!!!). It was a little overwhelming, but a very good way to run a business. The way back was much shorter, and it was nice to have the feeling of returning home.

2.      We went to the beach!!! I’ve been wanting to go ever since I saw the Google images of the beaches here, but for some reason it hadn’t worked out before now. Most mornings are cloudy here before the sun burns off the moisture, so we left at 2 pm for the trotro station. We took two trotros to get to the beach, which really was not that bad (probably about 45 minutes total). You pay 20 cedis to get into the beach on weekends, BUT you also get a free chocolate milk drink which was absolutely fabulous (I understand it was not really free, but I also understand that I really enjoyed it).

 As soon as you walk in, there are hosts waiting to usher you to various outdoor restaurants/ bars, men with horses offering beach rides, and various other business people who are on it—like they are good. One woman came up to me and started poking around my neck and found a knot in my back in about 3 seconds, and then said, “Sister, you need this” and continued to massage me and tell me about her collection of oils and butters and lotions. I am a sucker for massages, but I’m so used to saying no to people at this point that I politely brushed her off me. As soon as I did this, I thought, what have I done!!! That felt amazing!!! Come back!!! But alas, she was already gone, so I was left to live with my decision.

 Soon my spirits were back up—I drank all of my chocolate milk and I was ready to explore the beach. Ceci and I went straight for the ocean, jumping in and out of the waves, body surfing when possible, and feeling the current pull our feet out and then let go again. It was amazing. We were both grinning ear to ear—playing in the water is one of the most simple joys, and I hadn’t swam in natural water since camp, so I was over the moon.

 Then, we tossed a Frisbee around for a bit. I think some of you have played with me before, so you can probably imagine how it went on my end, especially playing with actual Frisbee players. They were kind to me, but I could feel my ego shrinking (I always claim I can at least throw, though I never can catch, but that didn’t even seem to be true on Sunday), so I bailed and walked back to our table to sit with the rest of the group.

 I was sitting there for a few moments, chatting, and then I heard a voice behind me say, “Hello again, my sister.” Oh my gosh. There she was. The masseuse! I was so excited. So I paid 10 cedis for 10 wonderful minutes, and she worked it. It felt amazing, even though the sand and salt acted as extra-intense exfoliators.

 On the way out, we grabbed Fan Ice, which is perhaps my favorite thing in the whole wide world, besides my cat, and a lot of other things, but it’s really good ice cream. The trotro rides home were damp but happy, and the shower to get all the sand off was even happier. It was a good day.

3.      I finally got to go to Tot-to-Teen, the school I’ll be working with for the rest of the semester. I met the head of the English department and the head of the upper school, and they both made me feel so welcome. I talked to them a little about expectations, and it sounds like because the age group I’d like to work with are preparing for an important test, I won’t be able to actually lead a class, but I can act as a teaching assistant, which I am more than happy to do.

It felt SO nice to be back around kids. I think working at the school will really help me feel more at home here. I’ve been missing camp so much, mostly because of the wonderful kids I got to work with every day. There is not much else that makes me feel as whole as working with youth, and I’m so glad that I had this summer to show me that. Now, I get to spend the rest of my life with youth, and that thought makes me so excited.

I start tomorrow officially (finally!), and I’m not really nervous, but maybe I should be. I’m not sure how different classrooms are here from the U.S., and I’ve never worked in a formal classroom before, so I only know my own experience as a student and all the skills I learned as a counselor this summer. I’m sure it’ll be enough, mostly because it has to be enough. Classic.

4.      The weather. I know this sounds crazy, but it’s actually been reminding me of fall weather at home, though of course it’s much hotter here. I just mean that when I get out of class in the afternoon, the sun is shining full on, it’s super warm, I have my backpack on, I get to go home and eat…It just feels familiar. I can’t really explain it, but I’m loving it, and I know it is never necessary to explain the things you love, so I’ll take it.

5.      It was a friend’s birthday last night, so we went out to a pretty fancy place in Accra called Coco Lounge. I don’t think any of us realized just how fancy it was—there was a dress code, and one of the guys in our group almost wasn’t let in. It was wild. There were mostly foreigners there, and it seemed like a lot of business deals were going on in dark corners.

 We had our own little area, sort of a round room that extended from the main dining room. It was beautiful. I’m glad I had already eaten, because the prices were definitely higher than I’m used to. Fortunately, beer prices are pretty much the same anywhere you go, so I sipped my Guinness and enjoyed the good company.

 The servers deliver a special cake if there’s a birthday, so out the cake came with an conga line of servers dancing to Danza Kuduro (apparently the birthday song the restaurant has chosen). It was pretty wonderful. Noah, the birthday boy, even got up to dance with the servers before sitting down to enjoy the cake. 

 It was just such a pleasant, normal, evening, you know? It made me very thankful for the people I’ve met here.

So there you have it—my first week feeling more at home, 5 weeks in. I know this has been quite long, so thank you for taking the time to read! Sending you all good vibes this week.

chocolate covered katie black bean brownies

Mouth ceased moving mid-chew the moment I started to really taste the black bean brownies.  I was attempting to eat just healthy, whole food items, however a severe dessert craving had convinced me to unite black beans with flax seed, coconut oil, maple syrup, and chocolate chips to produce a brownie-shaped thing.  Now, standing on a hot oven and also a bowl of steaming material, I had been putting up with the impacts. The recipe also had stated you did not need to dwell at a "fantasy world" to consume certifiably healthy brownies, as those tasted "deep, dark, rich, fudgey, along with chocolatey" --??  Together with "no flour"  In fact they wore a brownish, gummy sponge using a couple of chocolate chips sprinkled at the top. I took a second snack in a futile effort to convince myself perhaps, yes, those did taste like dessert, even while I recorded the nutritious ingredients within my own mind, as though this may conserve the taste.  I'd only discovered the planet of "healthy" desserts --??  A universe in that a brownie is not only a brownie, also deception works from the service of health. After surviving in this odd universe for a couple of decades, I have realized that the terminology writers utilize within those recipes shows about our tenuous association with food, femininity, and joy since it can in regards to the deliciousness of black bean brownies.  Obviously, that's not stopped me by looking recipes, desperate to obtain a more "healthy" dessert which may match my cravings. I thought my sweet teeth could dissipate because I got old, however, mine has just gotten worse.  I desire to eat dinner for lunch, breakfast, and lunch.  At one point I started developing my own recipes with all the ideal rates of lean protein into fit fats and whole carbohydrates in a effort never to violate the scale.  "Perhaps you have been aware about chocolate-covered Katie?"  A fellow pudgy grandma asked me within the cookie cutter in a Jewish meet-up straight back  2011.  "It'll transform your life" Over anything else, these recipes show tenuous association with food, femininity, along with joy. And, the way it did.  On the web, I discovered that an whole globe of healthy dessert blogs and also the ladies who love them Desserts With Advantages, Ambitious Kitchen, Minimalist Baker, That Cake Chick.  However, the reigning "queen of healthy desserts" is Katie Higgins, that runs a site named chocolate-covered Katie.  She boasts nearly 20,000 followers on Twitter, 156,000 on Insta-gram, and a fresh novel that made Amazon's list of the greatest movies of 2015.  I guessed she'd to learn what she had been doing. After Higgins's information, I attempted "healthy" cookie-dough dip, whose recipe reassuringly was featured in Bon Appetit, Shape, Glamour, and much more.  I dutifully combined ginger, nut butter, almond honey, milkand baking soda, and salt along with chick peas --??  Wait, chick peas?!  It appears to be a toddler hauled his full bowl of baby food to some heap of specialization hummus and a chef made a decision to promote the endproduct.  But somehow, its own candy stickiness works.  I mightn't call it cookie bread, however: It is similar to compact nut-butter with lots of chips.  The very first time that I left it, then I licked the spoon, then and then your whole bowl. Higgins says that she does not wish to distinguish between healthy and indulgent, at a society obsessed with cutting back on refined sugar bad fats, and carbs that are simple, the nutrient part could be the largest fascination in these recipes: They are always sugar free, fermented, and vegetarian, and also typically the very widely used ones hide veggies such as spinach and beets.  Why?  We millennials wouldn't guzzle some thing like slim fast: The thought of putting artificial flavorings and chemical compounds inside our own bodies turns our stomachs.  As an alternative, you wish to consume whole what are beneficial for our own bodies but taste such as piecaken (cake with layers of dish baked in to it) and inhale things from scratch at one moment or 2. For individuals who register to healthy-dessert ingestion, it isn't about carbs;  it's all about entire well being.  As stories and studies demonstrate a calorie is not a calorie isn't a calorie: The high caliber of the calories you are eating things more compared to the dimension itself.  Higgins recently demonstrated that which she eats at one day: three healthy desserts and 3,000 calories.  "This green frosting takes three minutes to create, and in addition, it counts for inch of your everyday vegetables"  exclaims That Cake Chick about her three-ingredient avocado icing.  The recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Quinoa banana-bread on Ambitious Kitchen "No oil, butter, milk and made out of healthful gluten-free quinoa & oat flour!"  Shape magazine released "1-1 Crazy Delicious Desserts using Hidden well balanced meals," including beet-chocolate pudding, cauliflower rice batter, purple cabbage cake, along with eggplant brownies.  (Yes, even eggplant brownies.) These recipes are necessarily sugar free, fermented, and vegetarian, as well as typically the very well-known ones hide veggies such as lettuce and beets. "I will love more comprehending it is fantastic for mepersonally," Deborah Schipper, the founder of this Cake Cleanse diet writes her site, where she's motivates one to bypass the juice cleansing and eat healthful snacks (recipes)  Twice every day.  Schipper has expunged all processed sugar free and gluten to make the most of her energy and general wellbeing, writing, "Cake Cleanse is about making healthy foods taste good and makes it possible to with just how to take care of cravings" There is an inherent psychology for the preoccupation with healthy eating.  After taking a look at some of those recipes, food and nutritionist researcher guru Marion Nestle explained, "everyone loves desserts, also in the event that you're able to provide desserts a wellbeing Ha-Lo, you may convince your self which they don't have any calories, are still advantageous to youpersonally, and also you're able to gratify into the maximum."  (Taken too much, it offers a chilling name: orthorexia, or even a unhealthy fixation with eating.  Thomas Dunn, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Northern Colorado, says it is all about "treating the human system using only the purest nutritional elements.") However, in a variety of ways, our obsession with all goodforyou foods feels more social than human.  Millennials save money energy, time, and money on food than any generation before us It is this generation's stone.  A number folks are attracted to restaurants and chefs the others to recipes, but others for the most recent super-food.  However around the board, culturally, we are mesmerized by the nutritious chances of food.  It's too easy to spend time searching through food pornography around Insta-gram, specially if photos of coffee-fudge frosting made from cashews, espresso, stevia, along with walnut syrup seem to be creamy swirls of scattering beneath a luscious brownie.  Just as Dana on the Minimalist Baker exclaims, "Hooray for healthier deception!" Perhaps unsurprisingly, the majority of the recipes seem disgustingly counter-intuitive, which explains the reason on the blogs, there exists a normal story to demonstrate that the desserts taste great: Girl makes dessert.  Brings said dessert to bash, at which she leaves it upon the desk with out an indication.  Everybody else wolfs the dessert and can be shocked to learn it really is, in reality, manufactured from chick peas, lettuce, avocado, Greek yogurt, or oats.  "I can not inform you just how many girls said, 'Ugh I gotta stop eating the material,"" Higgins writes her site about the healthful cookie dough.  "After I finally confessed that the dip has been healthy (and that it comprised chick peas!)) , nobody could trust in me" Think about desserts whilst the grownup corollary to parents sneaking broccoli in their kiddies' mac and cheese. While I really don't love several of this terminology around healthy desserts --??  Occasionally, it appears to feed in to the societal anxiety that women feel to be lean, to withstand healthy food items, to be demure --??  Based in my adventures, I also do not see anything inherently wrong with all .  Think about these because the grownup corollaries to parents sneaking broccoli in their kiddies' mac and cheese.  For a number folks dessert-lovers, it is usually going to become a great deal more pleasing to eat a cake made from bananas compared to a genuine banana.  By eating some thing which resembles a decadent dessert we plan to meet this appetite whilst staying true to the health trope.  Since Higgins states, her recipes have been "a far healthy alternative, while tasting only as gloomy." After much trial and error, I will report that a number of these other recipes do taste good.  Simply take the microwaveable one-minute chocolate cake at a mug --??  Or, as I want to call it, the millennial production's soufflé.  It's essentially a flourless chocolate cake with a little bit of batter concealing at the midst and simmer at the shirt --??  An easy method to gratify guiltlessly, not just as the ingredients are beneficial to you personally and the recipe includes builtin portion controller but also since it's only enough for a single individual.  "Indulge, no strings attached!"  Says Desserts With Benefits writer Jessica about identical recipes on her website, using phrases commonly related to casual sex to eating supper. The thought of healthful decadence, or decadent healthiness, might seem weird for some, however only like Tinder and the thought of "swiping directly" have entered the main stream, thus possess any of these odd recipes and ingredients.  (The mug cake me-me is breaking up the internet because we talk)  Bakers and chefs are now using different flours and sugars so as to add depth and texture of flavor.  Untitled, the restaurant at the Whitney Museum, utilizes fermented bread to produce that which some have called the very best chocolate chip cookie from the big apple, also even Momofuku Milk Tavern has begun baking a cookie cutter with no butter, legumes, milk, or even extra sugar. "Instead of visiting because substitutions," says Claire Ptak, that uses rye, spelt, and buckwheat flours in addition to agave nectar and hands sugar in her London-based bakery Violet Cakes, "they've much to offer themselves.  I take advantage of them since the starting place and find what to match their own taste" I actually don't know if she would have the ability to obtain something to subtract the taste of black beans, but also for many years I have been ineffective, my experiments producing heaps of dishes of plaster, putty, or even plastic out of the oven.  Until this is, once I followed up a muffin recipe about Ambitious Kitchen which entails for dark beans, coconut oil, cocoa powder, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla.  I pulled off the muffin tin from this toaster, knowing to not expect much.  However, those were all different: cakey, dumb, yummy --??  Way over edible.  In reality, I ate three, and nearly did not need to feign in any way.  Eureka!  I am likely to premiere them at a friend's party in a few days: I would bet nobody will guess they are eating something healthy. Read the full article

Latest Post On https://momandkids.fun/2019/03/15/hey-mama-lets-cook/

“Hey Mama, Let’s Cook!”

Photography by: Cole Collective

I have this red apron that I only wear maybe one time a year. On the front it has a painting of me and my paternal grandmother along with some Christmas presents and a dog. My grandma made me the apron when I wasn’t even ten but the apron means nothing really without the smells and memories that it elicits.

I remember the warmth of the kitchen on a winter day.

Snow packed on the ground outside, house full of family and the pugnacious smell of chitterlings being cleaned and fried DEEP within the carpet, the walls and all throughout the air in the house. One whiff and your nose hairs just kind of curled at the ends and you never really got the smell off of you. On the stove top were six different kinds of pie and one icebox pie in the fridge (just in case you wanted to indulge).

Food was kind of the foundation upon which I was raised.

I was a regular in the kitchen from the time I could walk, searching for the crispy bits of the meat, the ugly end of the bread, the beater with the mashed potatoes/cake batter/frosting to lick before everyone came into the kitchen to eat. We started learning how to cook around the same time that we could write our name or do a basic mathematics table.

Cooking was as much a part of our home education as brushing our teeth or making up our own bed.

I recently went to Rubye’s school for a parent night and she showed me how she preps vegetables by herself in the classroom. My just turned three year old daughter went into the fridge for produce and got a cutting board and crinkle cutter knife and proceeded to rinse and chop her vegetables and offer me a snack! My mind was blown. She was so independent and self-sufficient! At that point I started wondering what else I did for her that she could do for herself. (And immediately we bought a crinkle cutter and a serrated spreader because there is no such thing as free lunch! A lesson for another day.) I realized that we were way beyond the stage of washing and sorting produce as a part of our food prep. I used to make cooking a counting or colors lesson as she poked her little nose over the edge of the counter top. She was now my sous chef and she took her job VERY seriously. Not only could she go into the fridge and identify and grab the vegetables or herbs that we needed, but she was actually learning how to prepare them for our dinners and lunches.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned when you are cooking with kids is that you can’t micromanage.

It’s going to be messy. The food may taste awful (or it might be really damn good). Their knife cuts won’t be perfect. They may throw in salt when its supposed to be sugar, but those mistakes are all a part of the learning process. Before we begin cooking, I talk to my daughter about food safety and using our kitchen tools properly. For some reason, the sharp side of the knife is really interesting for little fingers! I make sure that all of our ingredients are either laid out or easy for her to grab from the pantry or refrigerator.

I give her agency and empower her to try new things.

Its okay if your meal isn’t Pinterest quality or Instagram ready. Learning new things requires failure. I’ve eaten some pretty awful food in my days as a World Geography teacher during culture days. This Christmas, we made some sugar cookies that came out looking like little turds (but tasted like the sweetest shortbread you’ve ever had). It isn’t really about the appearance or the taste, it is about the experience. Some of my greatest memories with family and friends have been in the kitchen.

I don’t know how to properly put into words the importance of breaking bread with the people that you love. There is something about food that brings back the simplicity of relationships and love.

These meals that we prepare with our own hands and the helping hands of our future are the lifeblood of happiness. They nourish our souls and psyche just as much as they do our bodies. Teaching our children how to cook beyond the microwave ramen, strip steak on the George Foreman type of cooking- its an invaluable skill. I want Rubye and Solomon to know how to use a knife, make pasta perfectly al dente without having to throw it against a wall, cook eggs properly, make basic sauces and roast a chicken. I want them to be like Julia Childs chile! Lets create a legacy!!

These are some of our favorite recipes to make as a family:

Avocado Toast… because duh avocados plus toast is the greatest marriage since celery and peanut butter. Our Austin favorite is Irene’s because they slather the avocado on a fresh slice of Easy Tiger bread with evoo and feta cheese. We love to indulge so we usually throw some micro greens and a farm egg on top as well. This meal is quick, nutritious, easily customizable and I’ve never seen a kid not like it. For a fun alternative version, try egg in the hole avocado toast. When you break out the cookie cutters to make that hole a star or a dinosaur- it automatically makes this the best meal that your kids ever made for themselves.

2. Cacio e Pepe…. Lets get real. Pasta night could be every single night at our house. My kids are super spoiled because I like to make all my sauces from scratch but on a Monday night after working all day, rushing to swim lessons and then getting home at what would be our normal bed time nobody has time for reinventing the wheel. So many nights its Cacio e Pepe. So simple. So delicious and insanely quick. Our favorite in Austin is at this little trailer on the Eastside called Patrizis. Ask them to add the House Farm Cheese and a meatball for a complete party in your mouth.

3. Roasted Vegetables… Want to get your kid to eat vegetables? Have them paint them with olive oil and drizzle them in spices, roast them until the ends are a little brown and crispy. Call them “candied” and everyone wins. We roast veggies on the regular so that we always have snacks and side dishes readily available. Roasted veggies were both of my kids first foods so this could be great for children of all ages.

4. Beef Stroganoff… We love our Instant Pot and hearty meals like this stroganoff that can be prepped and done in about 30-45 minutes. We love our stroganoff with mashed potatoes but if there is leftover Cacio e Pepe from earlier in the week, this sauce tastes great atop that as well.

5. Shortbread Cookies… We make these every Christmas and sometimes just for fun at other times of the year. Instead of dipping ours in chocolate we usually make a fruit compote or macerated berries with whatever fruit we have in the fridge. Full disclosure- this was not the turd cookie recipe. Ina would never do that to me.

  We’d love to hear your favorite recipes in your home with your kiddos! Share in the comments. 

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About chalimarchieza

For over 30 years, Chalimar has called Austin her home. Inspired by the luscious Hill Country and sacred springs, Chalimar can be found most weekends wandering barefoot with her wildlings Rubye (2015) and Solomon (2017), showing them the beauty of nature and simplicity of life. Chalimar is married to her best friend and soulmate, Tatenda, a youth soccer coach. Her passions are photography, cooking and gardening. For the last 13 years, Chalimar has taught middle and high school History. After giving birth to her daughter, she also became a birth and postpartum doula with a goal of providing advocacy and eradicating the disparities in healthcare equality for birthing people. You can find Chalimar on Instagram (@chaliiib) and at MoonTribe Doula

A Healthy Diet - The Key to Health and Fitness

Is actually very stressing specifically exactly how whole lots of individuals put on their own in danger by simply being obese, not to mention there is just one factor behind a number of them being obese, and that's merely because they do not take in a healthy and balanced diet regimen strategy. With that said in mind, increasing varieties of people often tend to be starting to become wellness conscious these days, and also they are beginning to spend a lot more concentrate on their own diet regimen strategy in addition to their very own health and fitness level.

The important thing in order to a healthy and balanced diet plan plan

The very initial thing to think about worrying a healthy diet regimen strategy is actually that the diet regimen strategy will certainly consist of a few dishes with all the different dishes companies, in addition to a healthy diet regimen strategy must additionally end up being associated with regular workout. When the viewpoint related to medical professionals is in fact something to implement, then any problem. lots of people possess problem sticking with a healthy diet regimen strategy, though it does not inevitably require to be tough. The largest reason clearly, is in fact the truth that increasingly more individuals direct busy life designs these days, which normally brings about demanding conditions which will certainly make this hard to pay interest to taking in a healthy diet regimen plan.

The underside compilation nonetheless, is really that you might stick to a healthy and balanced diet strategy despite exactly how hectic along with busy your means of life is in fact. Keep in mind, must you actually wish to condition your body in addition to live a correct live after that there is absolutely nothing not possible.

For instance, healthcare experts suggest that an individual start by such as a multitude of meals in exactly what you eat, along with these kinds of should stem from all the various dishes companies. This certain on its own types a good basis when it come to keeping away from convenience foods, convenience food, as well as prepared meals, which can cause an individual obtaining extra pounds. A person ought to additionally concentrate on restricting your self in relationship to meals that have great deals of body fat, sugars, as well as salt. It's likewise recommended that you should consider your self routinely to be able to identify whether the body is actually acquiring every one of the nourishment it requires.

How can you Understand In instance your Diet regimen plan Is in fact Wholesome?

Should you generally remain totally free from any kind of conditions afterwards it is a good indicator that you are living a correct existence. If you are not actually exactly particular exactly what sort of dishes have the tendency to be wholesome in addition to those are not, after that you may wish to believe concerning a couple of concepts dispersed by health and wellness care specialists. A healthy diet regimen plan ought to essentially finish up being depending upon starchy dishes, for the factor that they offer the body making use of the power it requires, plus they in addition will provide you large selection connected with nutrition for instance calcium supplement, metal, nutritional fiber, as well as specific dietary vitamins. These food types include:

Grain Taters Cereals Breads Pasta

Your diet regimen plan additionally has to be composed of whole lots of clean vegetables as well as fruit. In fact, you are able to keep your entire body will certainly obtain an enough amount of dietary vitamins through eating a minimum of 5 servings every day which could have the succeeding:

Grapefruits Celery Celery Coffee beans Peas Broccoli

Seafood likewise needs to perform a crucial part in just what you consume, as well as whenever you could you should attempt to pick fish and shellfish that consists of lots of fish and shellfish vital oil. This can assure an individual that the is obtaining great deals of proteins, nutritional vitamins, along with a selection of mineral down payments that are absent in added meals.

Despite that it is alright in order to spoil your self every from time to time, you actually do need to watch your self in regard to fatty foods. Understand that particular foods that contain fatty foods additionally are generally full of sugars along with complex calories from fat. Meals in order to consider consist of:

Sausages Beef pies Difficult parmesan cheese Butter Lard Pastry Cakes as well as cookies Lotion Confectionery

Restrict your very own sodium usage - the real healthcare occupation offers prolonged due to the fact that already been caution individuals who salt might trigger higher blood stream stress, and also higher blood stream anxiety has obtained the possible in order to set off other coronary difficulties.

Just about all health treatment specialists recommend that an individual should eat around 6 to 8 sections of alcohol consumption water daily to make specific their very own entire body proceeds to be properly moisturized. Really, numerous healthcare professionals could allow you know which absolutely no diet regimen plan could be a healthy diet plan unless certainly you are eating the appropriate amount of alcohol consumption water.

Healthy eating: What young children need

Is your child aged five or under? Find out everything they should be eating for a healthy, balanced diet that meets all of their needs.

As a parent, the nutritional needs of your baby or toddler are obviously a priority, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of differing information out there. The food a child eats in their early years can influence their dietary habits later in life, so it’s important to instil good habits and a healthy relationship with food from an early age. Once your child is eating solid foods, you’re likely to find that some of the meals you so lovingly cooked for them are rejected. Don’t worry, this is perfectly normal, but it is wise to try to get into a good routine as soon as possible.

Ensure your child’s nutrient requirements are met by aiming for three balanced meals a day, containing a food from each of the five main food groups, plus up to two healthy snacks. Get into the habit of introducing a new protein regularly, as well as a couple of different vegetables alongside your child's familiar favourites.

Babies and milk

In the first six months, babies receive all of their nutritional requirements from a milk-based diet. Infant formula is the only alternative to breastfeeding for feeding babies below six months of age. Cow’s milk is not recommended as a main drink for infants until age one. However, from six months, children enter the stage of transitional feeding and progress from a milk-only diet to a varied, balanced diet of complementary foods from the five main food groups. The food groups that make up this balanced diet are: • Protein-rich foods such as fish, meat, eggs and pulses • Starchy carbohydrate foods, including potatoes and rice • Fruits and vegetables • Milk and dairy • Fats and oils

For more information, read our guide on everything you need to know about weaning.

Why protein is important

Protein is essential for a number of important functions, including growth, brain development and the maintenance strong, healthy bones. Of the 20 amino acids – or the building blocks that make proteins – children need to get nine essential amino acids from their food.

How to get protein into your child’s diet

Animal proteins such as lean meat, fish, eggs, milk, yogurt and cheese contain all nine essential amino acids and are considered the most valuable for growth. Plant proteins, such as beans and pulses, are incomplete proteins and need to be combined to achieve the full spectrum of amino acids. Aim to include fish twice a week, with one being an oily variety like salmon, trout or mackerel. Fresh or frozen are great, but remember that smoked and canned products tend to be higher in salt.

Baked dippy eggs

Cooking with kids: Fajitas

Cheeky chicken satay

Homemade fish fingers

Salmon nuggets with sweet potato chips

From-the-fridge omelette

If you're raising a family without meat or animal products, you'll need to be mindful of your child's protein intake. Read our guides on vegetarian and vegan diets for children.

Starchy foods supplying carbohydrates

Children need a source of carbohydrates in each meal. However, young children under two years of age may struggle to digest wholegrain varieties, and too much fibre can fill them up too quickly, compromising their appetite and their absorption of important minerals such as calcium and iron. Introduce these more fibrous foods gradually so their digestive systems adapt to the extra fibre.

How to get carbohydrates into your child’s diet

Some children manage wholegrain versions of bread and pasta better than others, so it’s just a matter of seeing how your child responds. Nuts and seeds are good sources of fibre, minerals and important healthy fats. However, whole nuts and seeds should be avoided until your child is five years old or over because of the risk of choking.

Wholemeal flatbreads

Bread in four easy steps

Squished tomato pasta sauce

Broccoli pasta shells

Fruit and vegetables

Aiming for five portions of fruit and vegetables is a good starting point for children. The poriton size depends on their age, size and physical activity, so there are no set rules. An easy guide is that a portion of fruit or veg is the amount that fits in the palm of your child's hand. Easy tips for keeping on track could be as simple as keeping a bag of frozen vegetables in the freezer or chopping up a piece of fresh fruit for dessert.

How to get fruit and vegetables into your child’s diet

Frozen fruit sticks with lime drizzle

More veg, less meat summer Bolognese

Chargrilled veg hummus with dippers

Easy beef stew with sweet potato topping

Pumpkin & bean spaghetti

Milk and dairy foods

Dairy foods including milk, yogurt and cheese are a useful source of calcium and iodine in the diet, as well as providing vitamins A, D and B12.

How to get dairy and calcium into your child’s diet

For children aged one to two years, choose whole milk, as it is important for growth and the absorption of essential vitamins. Lower-fat milks may not supply the calories or fat-soluble vitamins they need. From two years, you can make the switch from whole to semi-skimmed milk, provided your child is eating a wide variety of foods and is gaining weight normally. Lower-fat versions of milk and dairy foods contain just as much calcium as their higher-fat counterparts. Calcium is an essential nutrient for all children to help develop strong bones and teeth. Processed yogurts are often packed with sugar, colourings and sweeteners, so steer clear of the flavoured ones. Instead, choose natural yogurt and add your own natural flavourings such as fruit compote, stewed fruit or fresh fruit, such as grated pear.

Unsweetened, calcium-fortified milks such as soy, almond and oat may be given from the age of one year as part of a healthy, balanced diet. However, rice milk should be avoided in children under the age of five years because of the levels of arsenic in these products. Condensed, evaporated and dried milk do not contain the same levels of nutrients as whole milk and should not be given to children under one year. Infant formula is the only suitable alternative to breast milk for the first year of a baby's life.

Apricot yogurt fool

Nutty cinnamon yogurt dipper

Peanut butter date oat pots

Cheese, ham and grape kebabs

Cheesy corn cakes

What about fats and sugar?

While children need some fat to grow and develop, too much of any sort of fat is not recommended. Butter, spreads and oils contribute to the taste, texture and enjoyment of food. They are a source of concentrated energy for young children who are growing rapidly and are physically very active. Fats are also needed to aid the absorption of certain vitamins including vitamins A, D, E and K. There are some fats which are essential in your child's diet for a healthy immune system and for normal brain function. These omega-3 fatty acids are found in oily fish, nuts, seeds and their oils.

Soft drinks, sweets, confectionery, biscuits, sugary pastries and desserts are high in added sugars and often contain poor quality fats, as well as salt. Children should only eat these foods once in a while, for example, on special occasions. The over-consumption of snack foods high in added sugar, fats and salt is recognised as one of the major contributing factors to high rates of obesity.

Healthier sweet treats:

Sugar-free banana cake

Healthier flapjacks

Guava & passion fruit lollies

The ultimate makeover: Blueberry muffins

The best breakfast for your child

When buying processed cereals, read the labels carefully as they are seldom as healthy as they seem. Although manufacturers are taking steps to improve levels of salt and sugar, many contain higher levels than is recommended per serving. It’s best to choose an unsweetened oat- or wholewheat-based cereal and add fruit, such as a chopped banana or a small handful of raisins, to make it sweet and to add a nutritious boost.

If you have time to make a more substantial breakfast, there are a lot of healthy benefits, including a serving of protein through eggs, beans or a natural yogurts. Protein-rich foods will sustain your child's appetite through the morning and will help their concentration levels at school.

Some substantial breakfast ideas:

Cinnamon porridge with banana & berries

Wholewheat flatbreads with beans & poached egg

Veggie breakfast bakes

Blueberry & lemon pancakes

Super snacks and smoothies

Proper snacks (not constant grazing) are important to keep your child's appetite satisfied. The more you can help guide your child when they are hungry, the better able they will be to judge how much food they should be eating as they grow older. When children ask for food, check that they're not actually thirsty, as the two are sometimes confused.

Dried fruit, such as figs and raisins, are good snacks when children want a sweet treat, although they are best combined with other foods to minimise dental issues

Raw vegetables such as carrot, cucumber, celery, or cherry tomatoes are also a good option. Serve with a little pot of hummus, bean dip, guacamole, tzatiki or some cream cheese

Chunks of cheese with crackers

Wholemeal bread or oat cakes with wafer thin ham, cream cheese or nut butter

Pepper & walnut hummus veggie dippers

Smashed bean dip

Cheese & Marmite scones

Pea hummus

Smoothies and juices can be a great way to get children to top up their vitamin C and folate intake – both are important vitamins for the function of the immune system, energy production and for preventing anaemia. But, the natural sugar in whole fruit (fructose) can be better for children (and their teeth) than the sugars in juices and smoothies. That's because juicing releases the natural sugars of fruit, which then become 'free' sugars. It's these 'free' sugars we are advised to cut back on, because as well as aggravating our mood, they may lead to dental problems.

Water should be the main source of your child's liquid intake, with no more than one small glass of fresh, unsweetened fruit juice or smoothie per day. Don't forget to always dilute fruit juice with a splash of water.

Sesame Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sesame Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate, Cookies, Quick and Easy

I’m currently doing that thing on Netflix where you open the app and then look around for 30 minutes, debate what to watch and then give up and start internet-shopping for couches. I also sometimes put something on and then just look at my phone instead. 2018 can be depressing.

Sometimes I’m like, was life easier with regular cable? Things were more decided for us in some ways…anyways I decided to make a firm decision for us all.

To make this twist on our favorite cookie–the chocolate chip cookie.

This batch is simple. It has a healthy amount of sesame seeds and instead of tahini–I was going for more of a sesame flavor vs. tahini–I decided to use toasted sesame oil.

It’s delicious and noticeably there but not overpowering.

The sesame seeds add a nice nuttiness to them and give some pretty nice texture.

These are slightly flatter cookies than my normal ones. I wanted them a bit flatter because I was craving a thinner, chewier cookie…yet still soft.

I did this fantastic science by literally just decreasing the flour by about 1/3 and because of the sesame oil, I felt like it needed a bit more sugar–not a ton just a lil’ more.

This weekend, I’m going to Cinespia and watching BIG, my favorite movie ever. I made sure to freeze some of this dough so I can bake off a fresh batch for the picnic and a movie situation!

Here’s a link to some other chocolate chip iterations that are equally delicious:

1. Cozy Chocolate Chip Cookies 2. Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies 3. Chai-Masala Chocolate Chip Cookies 4. How to Freeze Cookie Dough

Sesame Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 36 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cups light or dark brown sugar

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3 tablespoons sesame oil

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup white sesame seeds

3 tablespoons black sesame seeds

Maldon or flaky salt, for topping

8 ounces dark chocolate chunks or chips

Directions

To a large bowl, add the melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar and sesame oil. Mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Pour in the vanilla extract and give it a mix.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sesame seeds and black sesame seeds. Mix the dough just until no flour speckles appear. Add the chocolate chunks or chips and mix once more. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and transfer to the fridge to chill for an hour or up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop out balls of dough. If it’s super chilled, you may need to push some dough into the scoop so it’s nice and compact and then release the lever. I like to add all the balls of cookie dough to a sheet of parchment versus scooping dough, as I bake.

Transfer 6 to 7 balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them a part because these do spread. Place in the oven and bake for about 7 to 8 minutes. If the dough is super cold, it may need up to 10 minutes to bake. They should be light to medium golden brown. Sprinkle with a few pinches of salt upon exiting the oven. Repeat until you’ve baked all the cookies.

To freeze, add the cookie dough balls to a baking sheet and stick in the freezer until very cold, about 20 minutes and then transfer to a freezer-safe plastic bag.

3.1

http://www.acozykitchen.com/sesame-chocolate-chip-cookies/

August 24, 2018 by Adrianna Adarme

Adrianna Adarme

A Cozy Kitchen is a blog written by Adrianna Adarme. Adrianna likes corgis, pancakes and cute things.

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Source: http://www.acozykitchen.com/sesame-chocolate-chip-cookies/

The Health Benefits of a Simple Egg Sandwich

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This is the typical conversation most mornings and sometimes at weekends during snack time, between my wife and my 4 year old daughter.

"Mum, I'm hungry." "What would you like to eat?" "Egg sandwich."

She wants a fried egg, cooked in a small dab of virgin olive oil over moderate heat with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper in a sandwich of freshly baked wholegrain homemade bread. I introduced her to eggs when she was a toddler. Eggs are easy to chew and should be part of a daily diet given to any child of one year old or older. I remember when my daughter as a toddler would eat the egg white first and then pop the whole yolk of a hard-boiled egg straight into her mouth. I still remember when I was a child and my mother used to give me a hard-boiled egg whenever I was hungry. What happened to the good old fashioned days when eggs were given as snacks?

Today, we live in an addiction-prone society. Of all the addictions out there, one of the most deadly is one that is most often overlooked: Junk food. We feed our kids junk food everyday without realising it. We are all guilty of doing this. It is easier to pull out a bag of crisps when a child is hungry rather than have them suffer pangs of hunger. This practice is acceptable for the rare occasions but the problem with our society is that we use this kind of junk food as a common everyday snack.

Did you also know that processed food is junk food? The first image that comes to mind for most people when they hear the term "processed food" is a wrapped burger and a sleeve of fries served over a counter at a fast food joint. But the truth is the very food you have in your cabinets is processed if it's boxed, bagged, canned or jarred, frozen or dehydrated and has a list of ingredients on the label. Processed foods have been altered from their natural state for "safety" and convenience reasons. Processed foods are more convenient, it's so much easier to bake a cake by opening up a box, pouring out a dry mix, and adding an egg and some oil than starting from scratch. Instead of making a dish with fresh ingredients, why not pick up a ready-made meal from the store? Isn't it easier to just pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes? No pots and pans, no mess! But processed food are laced with colours, those are often inedible, carcinogenic and harmful to the body. Studies have found that food colouring can cause hyperactivity and lapses of concentration in children. Chocolates, colas, flavoured drinks and snack are full of artificial colouring. These are not the only additives in processed foods. Don't forget the refined salt, sugar, preservatives, flavour enhancers and other so called "beneficial supplements". Children are especially vulnerable to these unnatural ingredients. Poor diets can slow growth, decay new teeth, promote obesity and sow the seeds of infirmity and debilitating disease that ultimately lead to incurable disease and death or worse make life insufferable.

Did you know that approximately 80% of mothers, who is usually the main parent controlling their child's diet, considered that their child's diet was 'very good/good/healthy' hence overestimate the quality of their child's diet. This is extremely worrying, since mothers who do not perceive that their children follow an unhealthy diet will not make the appropriate amendments to improve their child's dietary habits. Do not be one of these mothers, feed our children correctly and this can only be done by reducing your introduction of processed junk food into their diets. If you think you are one of these mothers who have already done this, think again. Do you feed your child bread from the bakery? Do you give them bottled "freshly squeezed" juice? Do you give them fruit yogurts? Do you spread their toast or sandwich with commercial butter or margarine? Do you use canned tomatoes to make your sauces? Do you feed them frozen sweet corn or peas? Worst of all, do you give them apples that you have not washed? This line of questioning could go on but if you answered "yes" to most of these questions already, your child has an unhealthy diet! (If you want to know more about the foods described above and why they are considered unhealthy read our research in "Is Your Food Killing You?").

How can a simple egg sandwich contribute to a healthy diet? A fried egg sandwich for instance, consists only of bread, egg and possibly butter and the oil used for cooking the egg. The benefits of homemade bread are described in our article "Wholegrains and their benefits". The benefits of homemade butter are described in our blog. The egg is a nutrient-dense food, containing high quality protein and a wide range of essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

As a whole food, eggs are an inexpensive and low calorie source of nutrients such as folate, riboflavin, selenium, lecithin and vitamins B-12 and A. Eggs are also one of the few exogenous sources of vitamins K and D. Furthermore, whole eggs are a complete source of proteins as it contains all the essential amino acids needed by the human body. Although, eggs were found to have lower amino acid content compared with beef, the biological value of egg protein is greater. The protein source from eggs are good for the development of skeletal muscle and egg protein is widely used by athletes to increase muscle mass.

We all know the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality from heart diseases. Low levels of DHA have been associated with Alzheimer's disease. Chicken feed is now enriched with omega-3 to increase the omega-3 levels in their eggs. Consumption of DHA-enriched eggs can greatly enhance current dietary DHA intakes from non-fish sources and help approach or surpass recommended intakes for optimal human health.

Eggs had fallen in and out of favour through the years mainly due to the perception of cholesterol-rich eggs as a "forbidden food" developed in response to the highly publicized 1970s recommendation by the American Heart Association (AHA) to restrict egg consumption and limit dietary cholesterol intake to 300 mg/d. The dietary cholesterol guidelines are similar in the most recent AHA report;however, their position regarding egg intake has become more specific. It was stated the intake of one yolk a day is acceptable, if other cholesterol contributing foods were limited in the diet. Although an egg contains 212 milligrams of cholesterol, dietary cholesterol has less of an effect on blood cholesterol than once believed. Also, cholesterol is a dietary component that has elicited much public and scientific interest in conjunction with CHD but extensive research has failed to establish a definite link between dietary cholesterol intake and disease progression. In fact, a recent review of years of research has concluded that healthy adults can enjoy eggs without CVD. Many conclusions can be made about the ill-effects of eating eggs but these have to be taken with caution. For instance, one study concluded that eggs were linked to increased risk of Type 2 diabetes but this was not the real story as the result of manifestation of this disease was the associated bad nutrition, mainly sausages and bacon taken with eggs in the individuals tested. The reality of the situation is that although egg intake has steadily declined since the original recommendations in the 1970s, CHD and Type 2 diabetes as well as obesity are still the leading causes of death in the U.S. today.

Eggs have been getting some attention for their role in maintaining eye health and potentially helping prevent age related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the United States. This condition develops from long-term oxidative damage caused by the exposure of the eye to intense light. Recent research has shown the value of lutein, a natural pigment or carotenoid in egg yolks. Lutein and zeaxanthin accumulate in the macularregion of the retina therefore, because of their chemical properties; these two carotenoids may function to reduce the risk for development of AMD. Epidemiological studies support the fact that those individuals who consumed a greater number of foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin had a lower risk for AMD. Even though eggs contain less lutein than leafy greens, the lutein in eggs is more easily absorbed. One yolk has been found to provide between 200 and 300 micrograms of these carotenoids. In a study that measured the total carotenoid content of several foods, lutein represented 15-47/100 parts of the total carotenoid found in various dark green leafy vegetables, whereas eggs were found to contain 54/100 parts. This suggests that one would benefit more by eating an egg than getting lutein from other sources. Lutein and zeaxanthin are also classed as antioxidants and their intake also may be associated with a decrease in the risk for rheumatoid arthritis, CHD and chronic diseases such as cancer.

Eggs contain many of the minerals that the human body requires for health. In particular eggs are rich in choline, an essential nutrient needed for the normal functioning of all cells. It is especially important for proper liver, brain and neural network, memory development and even in inflammation hence reducing risk of heart disease and breast cancer. The potential public health implications of not consuming enough of this essential nutrient have only recently begun to be examined. There is a significant variation in the dietary requirement for choline. When fed a choline-deficient diet, some men and women developed fatty liver and liver and muscle damage, whereas others did not. This brings in a genetic variability to the need of dietary choline. Nonetheless, it is strongly recommended not just for kids but also for moms-to-be as eggs are a concentrated source of choline without the added calories. To get the same amount of choline found in a single egg (125 mg/72 calories; most of the choline is in the egg yolk - 680 mg/100g), one would need to consume 3 ¼ cups of milk (270 calories) or 3 ½ ounces of wheat germ (366 calories).

Despite all their positive features, eggs sometimes are linked to food safety issues. They do need to be stored and handled properly. Eating raw eggs is not considered safe because eggs may contain salmonella, a type of bacteria that especially is dangerous for the very young, old and immune-compromised. In cases where raw egg is called for in a recipe, ensure that it is pasteurised.

If judged as a whole food, and not simply as a source of dietary cholesterol, the positive contribution of eggs to a healthy diet becomes apparent and far outweighs the myths about dietary cholesterol from eggs. Because eggs are a conventional food containing nutrients that play fundamental roles beyond basic nutrition, their promotion as a functional food should be considered. In conclusion, it is time is right to change the egg message. For the consumer,the most essential image is probably that eggs taste good. Taste is highly important to consumers. The second image needing change is that eggs be recognized as a nutritious food which also has health benefits beyond basic nutrition.The concept of eggs as a 'functional food' is new to many and requires a change in the perception of role of eggs in the diet. And finally, the evidence that eating eggs is unrelated to heart disease risk needs to be widely disseminated to health professionals and the public so that everyone can benefit from including eggs in the diet.

[ad_2] Source by Barrie McDowell

Originally Published Here: The Health Benefits of a Simple Egg Sandwich

Forbidden Foods For Dogs – Or Not?

LinkAKC recently asked me to do an online Q & A interview – but they weren’t really able to fully use my answers. So I thought I’d give you the unredacted version!

1. Is it OK to give your dog beer occasionally? I’ve had a dog or two in my life that liked the taste of beer! Is letting her have a few sips in her bowl OK? Should we avoid it altogether?

Here’s the problem: if I were to say it’s okay to give your dog a teaspoon of beer, pretty soon (depending on how many beers YOU have had!) one teaspoon becomes half a cup and your dog has alcohol poisoning. Dogs are far more sensitive to alcohol than humans are so the rule really has to be zero tolerance. [As for a dog liking the taste of beer, they also like the taste of anti-freeze and deer poop, so their culinary desires are not really a measure of what to offer them!]

2. I’ve heard/read that onions are poisonous to dogs. What should you do if onion falls on the floor and your dog eats it? Is a little OK? When should a dog parent be concerned that her dog ate too much of an onion?

It is truly hard to envision a dog grabbing an onion and running off to munch it under a bush, but we do know there are dogs who will eat anything (just because they can?). Onions (whether raw, cooked, powdered or frozen) are toxic to dogs because they contain thiosulfate and organosulfur, both of which can lead to liver damage and other physical problems if eaten in any quantity. If your dog ate anything more than a small bit, it requires calling/seeing your vet or after hours calling an emergency animal hospital or the AKC Poison hotline (which does charge a consulting fee).

3. I’ve heard that eggs are good for my dog’s coat. Is it OK for me to give him eggs? Should they be cooked or raw? Does it matter? Is it REALLY good for his coat?

Eggs are generally an inexpensive and excellent protein source for your dog – myself I feed scrambled eggs to my Weimaraners at least three times a week as part of their meals. Raw eggs are discouraged for people or dogs unless you have your own chickens producing them, but raw eggs don’t have any superior nutritional qualities anyway. Eggs are not more beneficial to a dog’s coat than any other protein – and it is a well-balanced diet with plenty of quality protein and quality fat that generates a beautiful coat.

4. My dog loves potato chips and popcorn. Is it OK to let her have a few when the humans in the house are eating these snacks? Is the salt bad for her?

Once again you have the problem well known to potato chip eaters: I dare you to eat just one! Where your dog is concerned, one potato chip isn’t harmful (salt is an important element for all of us to consume in moderation) but there’s no way your dog isn’t going to beg for more (and more) once he gets a taste. Before long, you wind up giving a total of a big handful of potato chips it is not in your dog’s best interest. At that point it isn’t just the excessive salt on potato chips, but also the empty calories and the greasiness (hey, maybe a good idea to think about for yourself, too!) Popcorn, on the other hand, can be a really neutral snack – if you don’t salt it you’ve got a delightfully crunchy snack for your dog. But again, I’m relying on your self-control to do so in moderation. Having said that, when I make popcorn for myself (with a spoonful of olive oil in the microwave) my girl Maisie demands completely equitable sharing, so it has to be “one for me, one for her,” which means definitely avoiding the salt for both of us!

5. Most dogs love peanut butter and cheese. Are these foods safe to give my dog as a treat?

These are delightful treats for your dog but really fattening. One fingerful is the right amount! People seem to think its okay to fill a whole Kong toy with squirtable cheese or peanut butter and give it to them to gnaw and lick out of the toy. In fact, it is too rich and too high in calories to be used as anything more than a tiny swipe. I actually eat peanut and almond butter on rice cakes for breakfast and my girls get to lick the knife afterward. It has about 1/8th teaspoon peanut butter on it, but they feel they’ve really scored big time!

6. Most people know that chocolate isn’t safe for their dogs. How much is too much? If she accidentally gets hold of (and eats!) a few pieces of chocolate, should I call the vet immediately?

Some people seem determined to have chocolate in their lives and homes and dogs are “chocoholics” for the smell and taste, too. If your dog gets his teeth into high quality dark chocolate and more than just a small bit, you absolutely have to call your vet after hours or an ER vet clinic to tell them how much the dog ate and how big the dog is. They may tell you to wait and watch the dog for signs of illness, or they may tell you to come right in. The smaller the dog and/or the larger the amount of dark chocolate, the greater the chance of the dog needing medical intervention. However, if you are speaking about the chocolate in most prepared cakes and cookies and even what we think of as “candy bars” they actually contain little or no real chocolate or cacao, which is what doesn’t agree with dogs.

7. Finally, are there any signs a dog may exhibit if he eats food that is making him sick? What should a pet parent look out for if one suspects the dog ate something he shouldn’t have?

Dogs are really good at throwing up when they eat something that disagrees with them – it must be an evolutionary survival mechanism since they seem to often hoover up the most amazing choice of items! If your dog’s stomach sounds like a washing machine and then her sides heave and she vomits, and then perks right up again, you’re lucky that she’s gotten rid of the offensive ingredient. When upchucking works effectively your dog clears her own system of the offending item and should bounce right back and seem like her normal self pretty quickly. But if the substance has entered her bloodstream or is causing harm internally, throwing up will not relieve her discomfort. When a dog’s system has been compromised by eating the wrong thing, she will usually act sick even after throwing up, or may throw up repeatedly. At that point waste no time in calling and going to your vet, who can do a variety of tests and then interventions to get your dog back in the pink.

Tracie Hotchner is a nationally acclaimed pet wellness advocate, who wrote THE DOG BIBLE: Everything Your Dog Wants You to Know and THE CAT BIBLE: Everything Your Cat Expects You to Know. She is recognized as the premiere voice for pets and their people on pet talk radio. She continues to produce and host her own Gracie® Award winning NPR show DOG TALK®  (and Kitties, Too!) from Peconic Public Broadcasting in the Hamptons after 9 consecutive years and over 500 shows. She produced and hosted her own live, call-in show CAT CHAT® on the Martha Stewart channel of Sirius/XM for over 7 years until the channel was canceled, when Tracie created her own Radio Pet Lady Network where she produces and co-hosts CAT CHAT® along with 10 other pet talk radio podcasts with top veterinarians and pet experts.

Tracie also is the Founder and Director of the annual NY Dog Film Festival, a philanthropic celebration of the love between dogs and their people. Short canine-themed documentary, animated and narrative films from around the world create a shared audience experience that inspires, educates and entertains. With a New York City premiere every October, the Festival then travels around the country, partnering in each location with an outstanding animal welfare organization that brings adoptable dogs to the theater and receives half the proceeds of the ticket sales. Halo was a Founding Sponsor in 2015 and donated 10,000 meals to the beneficiary shelters in every destination around the country in 2016.

Tracie lives in Bennington, Vermont – where the Radio Pet Lady Network studio is based – and where her 12 acres are well-used by her 2-girl pack of lovely, lively rescued Weimaraners, Maisie and Wanda.

from Halo Pets http://ift.tt/2rJY9pl via IFTTT

Call The Landlord... There's A Goomba Afoot!

A fun (arguably speaking) mix of sweet and salty, moist and crunchy this time around! I'm still only about half way through all of the junk aligned on my counter top. Lots of crackers and chips and frozen treats and doughnuts to be reviewed at some point. My intent was to go sweet first, then savory/crunchy, but as it turns out, I care not about formulated decisions, and merely pounce onto whatever strikes my fancy when I feel like a snack. So dive in with me as we discuss... My dormant plumbing skills! Who knew? My Kitchen Sink Basket (it's a thing!) was old, faulty and leaking. I replaced it! I did it! It was rather simple, really, so don't call me for a real plumbing emergency, but for a guy who rents his abodes for the express purpose of never having to fix anything he didn't personally break, I'm quite pleased with myself that I decided to just be proactive this time. As a reward, I ate... -Firework Oreos! With popping candy! Well, if you're going to keep upping the ante on junk foods, this is certainly one way to do it. First off, no matter how you eat this, it will end up tasting of a regular Oreo, so if there's any fear about trying this one, fear not. In order to obtain the effect of the popping candy, it's best to just eat the cream on its own. It takes a small amount of time for the cream to give way, but the finishing notes are the fizz and pop you're looking for, and that's it. No other flavoring at play, and the fizz/pop is quite weak. If you put a whole cookie in your mouth and let it dissolve into a sludge consistency, the pop and fizz will show up at the very end after you've swallowed and if there happens to be some candy left on your tongue. Obviously, the cream and cookie parts get in the way of what the candy is supposed to do. Your level of enjoyment will depend on how much effort you want to put into it. I wouldn't say this one is a dud, as ultimately you're eating an Oreo, but it's certainly not as fun as one would hope. -Mountain Dew Spiked Lemonade from Taco Bell! I'm throwing this in here because of how yummy I found it to be. Grown men say yummy. Shut your mouth. I didn't know this was a thing until someone handed me one. If this were a permanent Dew flavor for mass market sale I'd probably keep a case on hand during the summer months. The Taco Bell website tells me it's a Dew lemonade spiked with Prickly Pear juice. It's lovely, and has a wonderfully tickling carbonation level. Grown men also say wonderfully tickling. Shut your mouth double. I had the soda version, but it also comes in a Slurpee like version. ***Quick addendum. I've just learned that this Dew lemonade, along with a raspberry version are available in singular, 16 ounce cans. Be on the look out! -Little Debbie Red, White and Blueberry Creme Rolls! It took me a moment to pin point exactly what the smell and flavor of these reminded me of. Then days after trying it, it finally dawned on me out of nowhere. The taste of the cream is very reminiscent of blueberry yogurt. Make what you will of the fact that part of my days were spent pondering a snack cake. Yogurt in a cake roll, though? Does it work? Yeah, it's alright. It's a cream consistency, though. I don't want anyone to think it's as runny as yogurt. The blueberry is a bit too artificial tasting, and it's not the best Little Debbie has offered, but as a weird little attempt to have a new item to offer, it's worth a purchase to try. This is a very solid item, too. It's thick, bulky, and surprisingly dense. One roll will definitely do ya. -Little Debbie Maple Buns! Whoa... quite an aroma to this one. Upon opening it your face is smacked with a cloud of cheap syrup smell. Taste wise, it's essentially a honey bun dipped in some cheap syrup, so exactly as promised. Your level of enjoyment will vary factoring in your appreciation of honey buns and cheap syrup. I wouldn't make this my go to choice, but if all else failed, I'd have no problem eating one again. -Little Debbie Peanut Clusters! A salted caramel and peanut cookie, covered in chocolate and halved peanut pieces. A nice sized cookie. A very dry treat, all things considered, but the cookie part maintains a pleasant crunch even though it's topped with caramel and chocolate. I won't dare scan the ingredients to see how many chemicals make this possible. I think this would be better if it were a caramel and peanut butter layering on the cookie covered in chocolate, but it still serves it's purpose, and I do find the crunch of the cookie satisfying. -Marshmallow Fruity Pebbles cereal! I have no clue how new or old these are. I had never seen them on shelves before, so it's a new product to me. Not much to say about them, really. It's Fruity Pebbles with essentially Lucky Charms marshmallows tossed in. I liked it, but I do think I prefer my Fruity Pebbles without accompaniment. What can/should be discussed is the marshmallow shapes... and what they actually look like. The Sharkasaurus looks exactly like a dolphin. Which when broken down, is actually a bit impressive. The Starfish... well, alright. It looks like a star, hard to muck that one up. The Giant Clam looks like a UFO or a kid wearing a helmet. You decide! The Jellyfish looks like a flower. The Shark's Tooth looks like a piece of broken off marshmallow dropped on the floor and found two weeks later. The Turtle looks like... I don't know, but distinctly not a turtle. And what this grouping of "shapes" has to do with Fruity Pebbles is beyond me. -Thomas' Banana and Chocolate Chip bagels! What type of tomfoolery is this? There is no banana taste, there is no chocolate chip taste, even when I decidedly take a bite that has chips in it! None of what's supposed to be here comes through in the flavor profile whatsoever. This tastes merely of a plain bagel. So much so, that I double checked the label, and inspected each of the bagels in the bag. All the same, all festooned with chips... but with NO FLAVOR! Luckily enough, I like any kind of bagel, so it's not a loss. All things being what they are, if a bagel complaint is the roughest my day gets, I should keep my fool mouth shut and enjoy this cushy existence. -Utz Sweet Corn potato chips! No weird or obnoxious smell upon opening the bag, just a normal chip smell. No corn flavor is really apparent either. They almost taste like a regular chip, but there is some sort of dusty coating to them that comes into play. I imagine this is supposed to be the sweet corn flavoring, but it just simply doesn't come across at all. We're left with a chip with a weird coating that neither adds or detracts from the chip. So... just buy a bag of regular Utz. This is just simply a dud, which makes me feel a bit bad, as it's not a failure that is revolting, it's just... a chip that inflated its resume and got caught. Tsk tsk. -Wise Grilled Cheeseburger potato chips! Smell of those microwaved one dollar burgers you can find in the frozen food section, which simply can't be anything but processed chemicals, right? Taste like a chip dipped in a weird sauce made of cheap ketchup and leftover burger grease. To my surprise, though, I found them to be okay. Not to the point where I'd eat a whole big bag, and there's something a little cheap about these, but they luckily weren't as disgusting as a chip that tastes like greasy ketchup could have been.   -Wise Korean Barbecue potato chips! Pretty big smell of old fast food restaurant ketchup wafting out of this bag. Taste wise, they merely taste like a salt and pepper potato chip, and if you try real hard you can sort of taste a wee bit of onion as well. Mix up at the factory, Wise? A little disappointed there's not something weirder to rave on about. Although I think I've learned I'm not a big fan of Wise potatoes. I think it's safe to assume most potato chips are made relatively the same, but there's something a little off about the Wise brand. Maybe its the kind of oil they use, maybe the soil their potatoes are grown in is a little more acrid (or whatever, I don't know agriculture, my junk food grows right on the grocery store shelf all packaged up as far as I know) but their chips just come across as weak and cheap. Still perfectly edible, of course, but not a brand I'll ever make my first choice. -Hostess White Fudge Ding Dongs! Sooo many puns and innuendos waiting to be made. I'll keep it classy, however. I don't know what all makes up the white fudge Hostess uses, but I think I'm a fan. The other treat utilizing the coating was a white fudge and marshmallow Twinkie, which was delicious. This Ding Dong is also quite tasty and very moist. It consists of a yellow cake mixture, whereas a normal Ding Dong is a chocolate cake. Maybe therein lies the secret to its tastiness. Come on now, Hostess, how long will I have to wait before you give me a regular, chocolate Ding Dong with a white fudge coating??? Oh me, oh my but that sounded salacious as hell. Why do I now want a wearing nothing but an apron Daisy Ridley to mix me up some cupcakes while I, uh, "watch?" -Let's end this one how it began... with cookies. Always cookies. Cookies and soda, the undeniable crutches that keep me teddy bear soft. But that also makes me cuddly. Come on, Daisy, put away the cupcakes and cuddle me. Wait... bring the cupcakes with you and cuddle me. What was I thinking? Anyway, we now have Waffle And Syrup Oreos! Hmm. These are actually quite tasty, although I don't think I could pin point waffles and syrup if pressed. They smell and taste a lot like the Cinnamon Bun Oreo. Or maybe even a little like the Gingberbread Oreo. Hmm. (two Hmmm's in one paragraph. These are a thinker!) I'm going to go with my first instinct and say these are right on par with the cinnamon bun one. So they're good, but not the flavor we were promised. Which sums up my life! Thus concludes another adventure-less adventure. Time now for a nap and a cuddle. Come on then, me, you lovable oaf.

10 Cancer Causing Foods

Written by Riva Cho

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by abnormal cell growth which can spread to other parts of the body. Most are aware of the toll it takes emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually. It is also capable of straining relationships with family and friends.

Eating carcinogenic foods on a daily basis is one of the minor causes of cancer we overlook, but can build up over time. Cancer causing meals and foods are more common than we realize. While you are less likely to catch cancer from eating, listed below are ten foods to avoid that are proved to increase the risk of getting cancer.

Canned food products:

Most of the cans are lined with a product known as bisphenol A (BPA). Studies carried out in rats showed that bisphenol A is involved in altering the cells of the brain. Most of the plastic goods, thermal sheets, water lines we encounter in day to day life are also lined by BPA. Research has surveyed that 90% of the Americans have BPA in their urine. In humans it is known to increase the risks of breast and prostate cancer.

To keep your family safe from the risks of cancer you should use frozen or fresh vegetables.

Genetic modified foods (GMO’s)

The pronto growing industry of genetically modified crops have gained much more popularity these days. These industries in fact are contaminating our food and crop supplies at an alarming pace. Experts and any professionals are in opinion that proper testing was not done before adding these genetically altered products to our daily use ingredients. Which means that both the producer and grower didn’t know the long term effects of GMO’s on human health. So always buy organic food or GMO labelled free foods (which manifest that a product is not genetically altered or modified).

Soda and carbonated beverages:

The topic “soda as a cancer causing food” has remained debatable for over two decades. Soda beverages are known to contain high fructose corn syrup and various other harmful chemicals. These carbonated beverages are worst for our health in every regard. Fructose is present in beverages; however, soda is known to be a real malefactor in causing and increasing the risks of cancer.

These drinks provide zero nutritional value and on the other hand they extract the nutrients we get from other food.

Pancreatic cancer studies have shown that persons who consume two soft drinks a week have an 87% increased chances of getting pancreatic cancer.

So, carbonated beverages and soda must be avoided to decrease the risk of cancer.

Hydrogenated oils:

After being extracted from the source, vegetable oils are processed chemically in laboratories. Other chemical are added to change the smell and taste. These hydrogenated oils are packed with omega 6 fatty acids that are notorious for destroying our cell membranes.

Microwave popcorn:

Popcorn contains more than just kernels, they also house perfluorooctanoic acid (a known carcinogen). Studies have shown that diacetyl (used in artificial butter) is known to lead to many diseases, including cancer. If you must indulge, making your popcorn at home will be the healthy option.

Farmed fish:

Farmed fishes are one of the common means for exposure to cancer. Salmon are commercially raised in large quantities, by fish farmers, where they are ministered to antibiotics, antivirals, pesticides and a lot of other carcinogenic chemicals.

These carcinogenic chemicals are used to prevent certain viral, parasitic and bacterial outbreaks which results when fishes are filled to brim in a small space.

It is also known that farmed salmon contains less amounts of omega 3 fats than wild salmon. Omega 3 fats are thought to fight against cancerous cells.

Refined sugar:

The major culprit in causing cancer by far is high fructose corn syrup HFCS and other refined sugars. Refined sugars spike insulin levels just after they are ingested and are known to feed the growth of cancerous cells.

Growth promotion causes the rapid proliferation of cancerous cells due to which they invade the normal cells at high rate. The consumption of cookies, pies, cakes, sodas and many other processed items explains the higher risks of cancer these days. So replace the refined and processed sugar with natural sweetener to lower the risk of cancer by several folds.

White flour:

Refining the flour removes all the nutritional value. This refined flour is further bleached with chlorine gas to make it appealing for the customer. This bleached flour has a high glycemic index which means that it is rich in carbohydrates. The foods having high glycemic index are known to increase blood sugar levels with in turn directly feeds the cancerous cells.

High carbohydrate concentration also spikes the insulin levels which may lead to insulin resistant.

Pickled, salted and smoked foods:

All these highlighted products contain preservatives like nitrates which are added to increase their shelf life. These additives are not dangerous in rare amounts but on accumulation nonetheless, they are toxic and harmful for the body at cellular level leading to diseases like cancer.

When smoked foods are cooked at high temperature the nitrates present are converted into harmful nitrites, increasing the risk of cancer .

Grilled red meat:

Grilled meat may taste delicious but researches have shown that cooking meat this way releases a carcinogen called heterocyclic aromatic amines. When grilling red meat to a well-cooked temperature, the molecular and chemical structure of the meat is altered. So, you are better off baking or broiling your meat, rather than grilling.

Tips regarding eating that could help prevent cancer:

Avoid using products labeled as diet, light or fat free because natural calories are replaced with synthetic chemicals to make them appealing.

Always eat organic food

Use sugars or grains in moderation

Include non-starchy vegetables in each of your meals and use high quality oil such as olive and coconut oil

Preventing all ten above mentioned foods not only lowers the risks of cancer but also makes you look better on the in and outside.

            via MicroHealth http://ift.tt/2pUNhk9 Riva Cho

Written by Riva Cho

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by abnormal cell growth which can spread to other parts of the body. Most are aware of the toll it takes emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually. It is also capable of straining relationships with family and friends.

Eating carcinogenic foods on a daily basis is one of the minor causes of cancer we overlook, but can build up over time. Cancer causing meals and foods are more common than we realize. While you are less likely to catch cancer from eating, listed below are ten foods to avoid that are proved to increase the risk of getting cancer.

Canned food products:

Most of the cans are lined with a product known as bisphenol A (BPA). Studies carried out in rats showed that bisphenol A is involved in altering the cells of the brain. Most of the plastic goods, thermal sheets, water lines we encounter in day to day life are also lined by BPA. Research has surveyed that 90% of the Americans have BPA in their urine. In humans it is known to increase the risks of breast and prostate cancer.

To keep your family safe from the risks of cancer you should use frozen or fresh vegetables.

Genetic modified foods (GMO’s)

The pronto growing industry of genetically modified crops have gained much more popularity these days. These industries in fact are contaminating our food and crop supplies at an alarming pace. Experts and any professionals are in opinion that proper testing was not done before adding these genetically altered products to our daily use ingredients. Which means that both the producer and grower didn’t know the long term effects of GMO’s on human health. So always buy organic food or GMO labelled free foods (which manifest that a product is not genetically altered or modified).

Soda and carbonated beverages:

The topic “soda as a cancer causing food” has remained debatable for over two decades. Soda beverages are known to contain high fructose corn syrup and various other harmful chemicals. These carbonated beverages are worst for our health in every regard. Fructose is present in beverages; however, soda is known to be a real malefactor in causing and increasing the risks of cancer.

These drinks provide zero nutritional value and on the other hand they extract the nutrients we get from other food.

Pancreatic cancer studies have shown that persons who consume two soft drinks a week have an 87% increased chances of getting pancreatic cancer.

So, carbonated beverages and soda must be avoided to decrease the risk of cancer.

Hydrogenated oils:

After being extracted from the source, vegetable oils are processed chemically in laboratories. Other chemical are added to change the smell and taste. These hydrogenated oils are packed with omega 6 fatty acids that are notorious for destroying our cell membranes.

Microwave popcorn:

Popcorn contains more than just kernels, they also house perfluorooctanoic acid (a known carcinogen). Studies have shown that diacetyl (used in artificial butter) is known to lead to many diseases, including cancer. If you must indulge, making your popcorn at home will be the healthy option.

Farmed fish:

Farmed fishes are one of the common means for exposure to cancer. Salmon are commercially raised in large quantities, by fish farmers, where they are ministered to antibiotics, antivirals, pesticides and a lot of other carcinogenic chemicals.

These carcinogenic chemicals are used to prevent certain viral, parasitic and bacterial outbreaks which results when fishes are filled to brim in a small space.

It is also known that farmed salmon contains less amounts of omega 3 fats than wild salmon. Omega 3 fats are thought to fight against cancerous cells.

Refined sugar:

The major culprit in causing cancer by far is high fructose corn syrup HFCS and other refined sugars. Refined sugars spike insulin levels just after they are ingested and are known to feed the growth of cancerous cells.

Growth promotion causes the rapid proliferation of cancerous cells due to which they invade the normal cells at high rate. The consumption of cookies, pies, cakes, sodas and many other processed items explains the higher risks of cancer these days. So replace the refined and processed sugar with natural sweetener to lower the risk of cancer by several folds.

White flour:

Refining the flour removes all the nutritional value. This refined flour is further bleached with chlorine gas to make it appealing for the customer. This bleached flour has a high glycemic index which means that it is rich in carbohydrates. The foods having high glycemic index are known to increase blood sugar levels with in turn directly feeds the cancerous cells.

High carbohydrate concentration also spikes the insulin levels which may lead to insulin resistant.

Pickled, salted and smoked foods:

All these highlighted products contain preservatives like nitrates which are added to increase their shelf life. These additives are not dangerous in rare amounts but on accumulation nonetheless, they are toxic and harmful for the body at cellular level leading to diseases like cancer.

When smoked foods are cooked at high temperature the nitrates present are converted into harmful nitrites, increasing the risk of cancer .

Grilled red meat:

Grilled meat may taste delicious but researches have shown that cooking meat this way releases a carcinogen called heterocyclic aromatic amines. When grilling red meat to a well-cooked temperature, the molecular and chemical structure of the meat is altered. So, you are better off baking or broiling your meat, rather than grilling.

Tips regarding eating that could help prevent cancer:

Avoid using products labeled as diet, light or fat free because natural calories are replaced with synthetic chemicals to make them appealing.

Always eat organic food

Use sugars or grains in moderation

Include non-starchy vegetables in each of your meals and use high quality oil such as olive and coconut oil

Preventing all ten above mentioned foods not only lowers the risks of cancer but also makes you look better on the in and outside.