#every time i make banana bread it's so tempting to just grab it with my hands and BITE
Text
we've seen videos of people making things and eating it nicely and that's great. i propose they demolish it instead. put ur whole face in it
#.txt#every time i make banana bread it's so tempting to just grab it with my hands and BITE#my art teacher once told me it was her childhood dream to take a bite out of a roast duck and she did it on her 30th bday or something#i have not been able to stop thinking about it... you just take it. and you bite like your forefathers did
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
there she goes
A/N: Soft boi has arrived! Literally only watched his episodes of the Mentalist because Patrick Jane, quite frankly, annoys/bores the absolute shit out of me.
Pairing: Marcus Pike/f!reader
Word count: 1.7k
Warnings: none that I can see but please let me know if you think something should be added!
+++
Standing in line at your favourite little café, you watch the rain pelt against the glass panels of the shop with disdain, cursing the bright sunny morning that tricked you into leaving your umbrella and jacket at home. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky when you woke and left for work this morning, and now it seemed like the dark grey clouds delivering the onslaught of rain stretched from horizon to horizon with no signs of a break any time soon. Typical, you thought to yourself. Like your day hadn’t been bad enough already.
Your landlord had dropped the bomb of a rent increase, your car had a flat, you had missed the bus and had to take a cab, your desk chair decided to die – leaving you practically on the floor trying to answer calls and use your computer and the office printer refused to print anything, no matter how many times you called it a piece of junk and kicked it. Suffice to say, you were more than ready for a strong hit of caffeine.
You’re dragged out of your inner grumbling when a finger gently taps your shoulder and you whirl to face the tapper immediately, sharp words of irritation dying on your tongue the second you meet their gaze.
Brown eyes, you notice instantly. Soft, soulful brown eyes. He was… nice. Understatement. He was gorgeous, with neatly trimmed facial hair and windswept dark hair falling just above his eyes.
He gestures towards the counter with a polite half smile, “Uh, you’re next.”
You blink in confusion before glancing at the young girl behind the register, seemingly waiting for you to step forward and order, and quickly apologise to them both. She smiles, making quick work of your regular order and then you’re stepping aside, throwing another apology towards the stranger before finding a seat and sitting with a deep exhale.
The rain comes down harder because of course it does. You mentally add embarrassing yourself in front of the first decent looking guy you’ve seen in a while to your list with a quiet groan. Melting back into the chair, you take a moment to fully bask in your somewhat dry clothes and shoes before inevitably having to end up running through the torrential downpour back to the office.
A to-go cup is placed gently in front of you, your name scrawled across the side, and you blink dumbly at it before following up along the arm until you’re looking at the man from the line. He’s smiling again, his own coffee in hand and the other now buried in his pants pocket.
“Someone’s away with the fairies today.” He notes light-heartedly, and then gestures over his shoulder. “They called your name – I hope it’s okay that I bought it over.”
You blink again, and only when his brow quirks ever so slightly do you snap out of your reverie.
“Oh God, I’m sorry. I’m not usually this spacey.”
His face softens, lips quirking into a sympathetic smile. “Bad day?”
“Yeah, you could say that.” You reply dryly, eyeing the rain as you stand. “Thanks for bringing my coffee over. It probably would’ve been stone cold by the time I came back to Earth.”
You’re rewarded with a deep chuckle and it sends a little flutter through your chest. You made the pretty stranger laugh – not a total loss of a day, after all.
“I could try and make it better, if you want.”
You raise a brow, smiling shyly. “Oh yeah?”
He nods with a small smile, “Yeah.” He looks over his shoulders and shrugs lightly. “I could get you a slice of banana bread, a muffin, maybe… a gingerbread man? He has mini marshmallows as buttons.” His voice is light, playful, and when his grin widens, you find yourself unable to resist returning it.
You hum in thought, “Sounds like you’re a big fan.”
He chuckles, looking down as he nods. “Yeah look, I may eat colourfully decorated marshmallow buttoned gingerbread men more than a fully functioning adult of my age should.” He admits, grinning as you chuckle. “We could grab a table... maybe talk for a bit?” He watches you check your watch, hope growing in his chest at the thought of getting to know the pretty distracted stranger a little better over coffee.
“As tempting as that sounds, my break is almost over and I’m pushing it for time.” His face falls a little and you mirror his disappointment, briefly wondering if your boss would let you off if you tell her all about the pretty stranger at the coffee shop. “Thank you for the offer, though…”
“Marcus,” he smiles, shaking your hand firmly. The encasing warmth of his hand is enough to send a thrill through you, and your heart flutters in nervous excitement. The feeling doubles as he murmurs your name, pointing to your cup before you could ask how he knows.
You duck your head, smiling warmly at him before turning to the door and bracing for the wet chill that’s about to take hold. A warm hand softly pulls your arm back, and you turn back to him in question. He’s looking at your empty hands with a frown.
“Don’t you have an umbrella? Or a jacket at least?” Marcus asks, frown deepening when you shake your head.
“No, it was sunny when I left this morning – bad day.” You explain, a smile still tugging at your lips despite the downpour bombarding the street. There was something about this kind and pretty stranger that had you unable to stop smiling, and your cheeks were starting to pay the price with a lingering ache.
“Well, you can’t go out there without one, here – have mine.” He reaches past you and grabs the dripping umbrella propped up by the door, holding it out to you expectantly.
You recoil instantly, “What? No!”
“Please. It’s bad out there!”
As if to cement his argument, a snap of thunder crackles overhead, the rain increasing, and you cringe instantly.
Still, you shake your head and push his hand away, “I can’t take your umbrella! What about you?”
“I drove here – my car’s around the corner. Please, take it.”
You weigh up your options, not wanting to leave the handsome stranger with nothing to keep himself dry, but ultimately, it’s his pleading puppy eyes that completely win you over and then you’re reaching out, taking the umbrella softly and desperately trying to get a hold of your rapid heartbeat.
“Thank you, Marcus.”
He shrugs, an easy grin stretching his features and your eyes fall to glance over it appreciatively. He had a damn good smile. “Don’t mention it.”
“My knight in shining suit.” You coo, chuckling at the flush of faint pink that washes across his cheeks. “I can’t tell you how much this has turned my day around.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” And he truly is.
You linger a moment longer, grinning as he turns slightly bashful under your heavy scrutiny. “It was really nice to meet you, Marcus.”
He beams, “You, too.”
With a small wave, you disappear into the rain and Marcus sighs softly, watching you go with a small flicker of regret at the missed opportunity. Umbrella and your number next time, Pike, he scolds himself solemnly.
His nose curls as he watches the rain for a moment and then sighs deeply, reaching for the lapel of his jacket. He pulls it over his head and briefly thinks about his car, still parked in the nice and dry parking garage back at the bureau. He’s not at all sorry for telling you a little white lie to get you to take his umbrella, you needed something in this weather and it was his absolute pleasure to provide. Knight in shining suit. It had him smiling to himself the entire run back to the office, despite the downpour that had him saturated in the first two minutes.
He keeps an eye out over the next few days, intentionally going for lunch at the same time as that rainy day in hopes he’d see you again. Every day, he was left walking back with a feeling of disappointment, but not letting it crush his hope for the next day.
It’s not until over a week later when he’s standing in line, the café busier than usual, when he hears a familiar voice pipe up from behind him.
“I’ve heard the gingerbread men here are pretty good.”
You’re already smiling when he turns to face you, a grin of his own creasing his cheeks.
“I’ve been keeping an eye out for you.” He admits, nodding when you tilt your head with a curious oh? “Just making sure you’re not holding up any more lines – people need their coffee, after all. Can’t be waiting around all day.” He teases, laughing when you softly shove him playfully.
Shaking your head, you step up next to him and lean in to his side, “So guess what?”
He chuckles softly to himself, looking at you expectantly. “What?”
“I took a long lunch. Well, actually, I’ve been taking long lunches all week hoping to see you.” You admit, somewhat shyly. Were you coming on too strong? You hope not. It’s only been a week and you had missed him like you had known him longer than five minutes. You weren’t sure whether to be slightly concerned that a literal stranger had you so caught up in a whirl or thrilled that you had finally met someone who seemed genuinely decent.
He smiles softly, relieved that this little thing between you both wasn’t one sided. “I’ve been hoping to see you, too. I actually –”
“Hey, move it along!”
You startle, turning to frown at the irritated man behind you when Marcus chuckles and offers a small apology over his shoulder, before reaching for your hand and gently pulling you the short distance to the counter to order. You barely take notice of him and the barista talking, instead focusing on your hand now wrapped up in his, his thumb rubbing softly across your knuckles, and how it’s making your body thrum with electricity. You smile to yourself, eyes flicking back up to his face to find him looking at you expectantly, brow firmly raised with a small smirk.
You blink. “What?”
420 notes
·
View notes
Text
universe of beaches Chp. 2
In which Anakin makes breakfast, Padmé ensure the boys are well dressed and there is a wedding. Read on AO3!
So honey take me by the hand and we can sign some papers
Forget the invitations, floral arrangements and bread makers
-Alvvays, Archie Marry Me
Obi-Wan woke up to the smell of bacon and pancakes. It took him a few moments to start wondering about it. The first thing to consider was the fact that he usually didn’t eat bacon or pancakes or anything really for breakfast. Secondly, nobody should be in his house cooking him breakfast. As slowly as Sloth, the memories of last night’s adventured trickled in so that by the time Obi-wan actually crawled out of Anakin and Padmé’s bed, at least fifteen minutes had passed. He sat up and stretched, attempting to shake his exhaustion from his limbs. When he turned around, he found Padmé still asleep. He vaguely recalled her slipping out of bed as the last one to get up for the twins during the night. At the thought of the children, Obi-Wan glanced at their crib only to find it empty.
If Padmé was still asleep, and the twins awake already, it had to be Anakin cooking in the kitchen and looking after them. Carefully, so Obi-Wan wouldn’t wake her, he stood up and headed towards the living room. He found the twins already sitting in their highchairs at the dinner table and cheerfully throwing their toys around. When they spotted him, they waved excitedly and babbled at him.
“Good morning to you too,” Obi-Wan retorted and went to retrieve the plush banthas. Ever since Anakin had become obsessed with Star Wars, more and more merch from it had found itself into the twins’ belongings. It should surprise Obi-Wan that these were their favorite toys. He set them down in front of them. Luke and Leia quickly took them from him and pressed them close to their bodies. The animals were almost the same size as the twins and so it all made a rather ridiculous picture that had Obi-Wan grinning.
Moving past them, he headed towards the kitchen where Anakin was standing at the stove.
“Pancakes, eggs, and bacon?” Obi-Wan asked, leaning against the doorframe. “What a nice surprise.”
Anakin threw him a look over his shoulder and grinned. “Well, yeah, have to spoil my future husband, don’t I?”
His smile twitched slightly, uncertainty taking it over for a moment.
“Of course, darling,” Obi-Wan returned easily, skipping straight over the topic. He had already made his decision, Anakin didn’t need to worry. “Tell me, do you have tea as well?”
“Of course. We even have your favorite.”
Anakin reached for the wall cabinet with his left hand. He hadn’t put on his prosthetic yet and Obi-Wan just hoped he hadn’t turned it to pieces as stressed as he had been. Anakin tended to tinker with it a lot because he was so pissed with the cheap model he had been provided with and had built his own out of scraps. It was a good aid usually, just a little too heavy still and there were some other fine motion issues that Obi-Wan couldn’t entirely recall. He didn’t exactly have the technical knowledge to do anything more than understanding the bare basics of Anakin’s ramblings.
Anakin set a box filled with bags of tea onto the counter. “Your favorite is in the very right corner.”
“Thank you,” Obi-Wan replied and got three cups out of a drawer. He put his favorite tea into his own cup and picked something calming for Anakin and Padmé.
He then started up the kettle and went to grab plates from the cupboards to lay the table. He also got a set of plastic ones for Luke and Leia and then put all on it on a tray he was fairly sure used to belong to him at one point. He carried his assembly of cutlery into the living room and distributed everything in a safe distance from the twins, already aware of the look they shot the new prospective toys.
He then returned to the kitchen to grab some healthy things to eat besides Anakin’s bacon and pancakes and the twins' fruit puree. Padmé and Anakin’s fridge was upsettingly empty and Obi-Wan was tempted to invite them to lunch and dinner today. It wasn’t like he didn’t have the money for it. He lived alone in a house that had been in his family’s possession for generations, had a steady income, and his inheritance if things got rough.
He still didn’t know how he had ended up as his grandfather’s favored grandchild – Feemor was, after all, actually the most mild-mannered of them all – but Obi-Wan had given up arguing with Dooku Serenno. If his grandfather wanted to throw money at him, he just let him. It was easier than forcing himself to sit through a six-hour argument that only ended with him agreeing to whatever his grandfather had thought of anyway.
After a few more minutes, Anakin brought in the eggs, bacon, and pancakes and set them on the table and, as if summoned, Padmé arrived in the living room.
“Good morning,” she muttered tiredly and gave Anakin a quick peck on the lips while then absolutely smothering the twins with kisses. Luke and Leia shrieked in delight and began to laugh. The sounds were probably the sweetest thing Obi-Wan had heard in a while. He wouldn’t even mind giving the awful Introduction to Literary Studies course for the next few semesters if he could get to see the twins every morning.
“What time is it even?” Padmé asked as she slipped into one of the chairs. “I didn’t check the clock.”
“Six a.m. We agreed to meet Quinlan in two hours.”
“Oh, that’s good. Then we still have enough time to dress you both up.”
“What?” Obi-Wan stopped right in the middle of pulling a pancake onto his plate. “What do you mean dress up?”
Padmé shrugged and smiled softly.
“My third and fourth favorite person in the world are getting married, you ought to be dressed up and look nice for your wedding. Even if it’s just pretending. We can show it the twins in a couple of years and be all ‘look at the time Daddy and Uncle Obi-Wan got married’ and then we’ll have a laugh about it.”
Obi-Wan wasn’t so sure if they were really going to laugh about it in the future, looking back at the horrible circumstances that got them here, but they could try at least.
“I still have the suit from our wedding somewhere,” Anakin brought up and spoon-fed Leia some mashed stuff that Obi-Wan couldn’t identify. Could be apples, could be bananas – the glass container didn’t say. “White, red and gold. Think you can match that color scheme?”
Obi-Wan honestly had no idea. The last time he had worn a proper suit had been a while ago as he hadn’t had to go to any super fancy events lately. If Anakin was going to drag out his very fine suit though, Obi-Wan should probably do the same, if only for the photos.
“I’ll have to take a look,” he finally replied.
“Great!” Padmé clapped her hands together and, of course, the twins immediately imitated her. “So first, we’ll stop at Obi-Wan’s place, then after go to the park, get married, submit the documents and then do nothing for the remainder of the day because I think the stress will kill me otherwise.”
“Kill you?” Anakin echoed and threw up his arms in a grand gesture. “I’m the one who’s getting married!”
Obi-Wan laughed at his ridiculous actions and exaggerating dramatics. He honestly missed eating a meal with the Skywalker-Naberrie household. The mornings here were never as boring as they were in his own home where it was just him on his own, pretending he was actually bothering to eat a healthy breakfast and wasn’t just grabbing a cup of coffee on the way to university.
That reminded him.
“Don’t you have classes today?” he asked Anakin. He was fairly sure that Wednesday mornings were one of the busier ones for Anakin.
“Already emailed my professor,” Anakin retorted. “Said it was a family emergency, he was very understanding.”
Of course, he was. Anakin’s teachers either loved or hated him – always had. Now that Anakin didn’t have to bother with any ‘useless subjects’ anymore but could pretty much do what he wanted, most of his teachers actually enjoyed having the genius in their class, if only for the bragging rights. Obi-Wan was sure that if not for the twins, Anakin could have been made a TA already.
“That’s good.”
They finished breakfast quickly and then got dressed right after one another. Obi-Wan picked his old clothes up from where he had left them last night and then grabbed some of the clothes he had left at their place when he’d still stayed there for more than just one night and put them on. When he was finished and left the bathroom, Luke and Leia were at least half dressed already, wearing green romper suits. They were then passed off to him with well-practiced ease as their parents got ready in turn.
Obi-Wan waited for Anakin and Padmé with the twins sitting in front of him on the ground. He had been there the first time they had sat up, just a couple of days ago. By now they seemed to have a better hang on it and were happy as ever.
Anakin emerged first from the bathroom, dressed rather casually compared to his wife who had taken the time to put on make-up and fetch one of her fancier dark dresses. After yet another few minutes searching for keys and purses and shoes, the three adults and the children were all washed, dressed, and ready to go.
“My car or yours?” Obi-Wan asked, unnecessarily as Padmé already took the twins’ car seats out of their car.
“Hey!” Anakin protested, but helped settle the children into Obi-Wan’s car anyway. “My car can drive us there just fine and safely.”
Anakin’s car, lovingly called twilight for all the times it had broken down, leaving them stranded in the twilight zone, was a safe car. Obi-Wan didn’t doubt Anakin’s mechanical skills. He just also knew that it wasn’t exactly up to street regulations anymore due to its street racing aimed modifications. If they were stopped by the police, they’d be in for a nice chat.
“You can drive it just fine, I’m not driving that,” Padmé jabbed.
The drive to Obi-Wan’s house was quick and filled with conversation, mostly pointing out random objects to the twins and saying what they were called or what their color was. The twins listened eagerly and contributed to the conversation as best they could.
Once they arrived at Obi-Wan’s house, Padmé and Anakin each took one of their children to carry them inside.
“I’ll just grab a suit then,” Obi-Wan said, already halfway up the stairs. “It shouldn’t take too long.”
Padmé and Anakin exchanged a look that honestly didn’t look all too promising and almost just a little threatening.
“Or you can come with me and help me pick one out?” Obi-Wan amended and was instantly rewarded by two happy smiles.
Obi-Wan’s bedroom was nothing special, ignoring that it was larger than Padmé and Anakin’s and also had a playpen since he had watched over the twins one time and he had just bought one on the way home so he didn’t have to return to Padmé and Anakin’s to pick theirs up. It had seemed like a good future investment at the time and proved to still be one when they sat the twins inside and they stayed peaceful.
“Alright.” Anakin flopped down on Obi-Wan’s bed, making himself at home. “What have you got?”
“Anything that matches this?” Padmé inquired and pulled Anakin’s wedding suit from a bag. It was still in pristine condition. The suit itself was white, but the hems of the arms and pants, as well as the pockets, had been embroidered by fie red and gold thread, Tatooine and Naboo tradition mixed apparently. Anakin had gushed about it for hours when he had told Obi-Wan about it and Obi-Wan probably knew more about it than any other living person on this earth. The only one he had talked about it to more would be Padmé, though Obi-Wan also felt like he was the person who knew the most about Padmé’s wedding dress and lace-making traditions.
“I should have something,” Obi-Wan said, eyeing the red color of the suit.
He disappeared into his walk-in closet, an unnecessary thing that was only half full at most really and began searching through his suits. He had plenty enough, black, grey, blue – standard colors. He just wasn’t sure if any of those were quite up to wedding level standards.
The thought of marriage made him stop, just for a moment. Of course, there was nothing exactly special about marrying Anakin. This was just a beneficial business arrangement and was meant to keep his best friend safe until they had figured the rest out. Obi-Wan hadn’t thought of himself as somebody who would get married, at least not anymore. There had been a time where he could have imagined it, with the right person, but that was years ago and by now he was content just spending time with his friends and their adorable children.
Obi-Wan ran his fingers over his selection of suits and hesitated over a dark blue one. He had bought it a while ago for a formal award ceremony that had never taken place because of some copyright scandal. He had kept the suit but never actually worn it, thinking he would someday. The suits buttons were golden and would match nicely with Anakin’s. Obi-Wan picked out a white undershirt and a dark tie.
“Have you found anything?” Padmé asked.
“Yes! Give a minute to put it on,” Obi-Wan replied.
Anakin and Padmé cheered with enthusiasm. Obi-Wan sighed with a silly smile and, for the second time within 24 hours, undressed for Anakin and Padmé. Despite it having been a while, the suit still fit snugly and well and when he looked at himself in the mirror, he thought he looked quite good. He threw his old clothes into the laundry basket and stepped outside.
“And?” he asked and did a little spin. “Does it fit?”
Padmé and Anakin studied him intensely, then nodded. “Yeah, this- uh, you look great,” Anakin said, stumbling over his own words.
“Have I rendered you speechless, dear one?” Obi-Wan asked, teased.
Anakin spluttered, earning himself a laugh from his wife.
“Absolutely stunning, Obi-Wan,” Padmé told him.
She stood up and circled around Obi-Wan, reminding him just a bit of a predator eyeing their target. If he remembered correctly one of her childhood friends – Eirtaé? Or was it Rabé? – was a designer and had frequently requested Padmé’s help on her amateur fashion shows.
“This will do just fine,” Padmé decided. “Alright, Anakin, your turn.”
“Wait what?”
“You need to get dressed as well, don’t you?” Obi-Wan said. “C’mon, big day.”
Padmé put the suit in Anakin’s hand so that he could change. Anakin returned after a few minutes, dressed in his white suit, his right sleeve hanging loose. He looked good as he had the day of his wedding, though his hair was a little longer now, which was a lot better than the god-awful haircut he had sported at nineteen.
“And? What do you say?” Anakin turned to the children. “Does daddy look good?”
The twins, distracted with their toys, didn’t even react, leaving Anakin hanging.
“You do look good,” Padmé said and helped him roll up his right sleeve.
“We’re all finished then, aren’t we?” Obi-Wan asked. “I’m dressed, so are you, the twins are wearing their nicest clothes, Padmé is outshining all of us. All that’s left to do is see if Quinlan is up yet and hasn’t forgotten about it.”
He probably should have called him first thing in the morning, but Quinlan likely wouldn’t even have answered that early.
Anakin rocked forward and backward on his heels. “Yeah, that seems to be about it.”
“I’ll call him then.” Obi-Wan searched for his phone, found it in his pocket after an embarrassingly long time and then quickly dialed Quinlan. As he was the last person Obi-Wan had called, he should be the last number on his list. Instead, Obi-Wan was surprised to see that his father had called him while he had been asleep. Typically Qui-Gon, the man never did call to reasonable hours too stuck on whatever time zone he was in and not knowing about anybody else’s. Obi-Wan wasn’t too keen on calling him back. If it was something important, he would know it. His father could try again, Obi-Wan was sick of trying.
Quinlan picked up after the second ring, much faster than Obi-Wan had expected.
“Obi-Wan,” Quinlan greeted. “Good morning, my man. You ready for the big day?”
So Quinlan hadn’t forgotten it, that was good at least. Obi-Wan would hate to go through the whole spiel again. “Yeah, we’re ready. Is there anything you need to get done?”
“Nope,” cam ethe reply. “I’ve taken care of everything. Driving to the park right now. When will you be there?”
Obi-Wan exchanged looks with Padmé and Anakin.
“Twenty?” Padmé suggested. Anakin nodded.
“Twenty,” Obi-Wan replied.
“Sweet.” Quinlan then quickly rattled off how to get to the gazebo he was so in love with and then finished the call.
And that was it. Obi-Wan pocketed his phone and the trio plus children left his bedroom and finally his house. They went back to Obi-Wan’s car and drove to the park. As it was fairly early still, and a weekday, not many people were out. Obi-Wan parked the car, they took the stroller out of the trunk and settled the children in it. Recalling Quinlan’s instructions, they walked through the park. The only people that they met were fellow parents with small children and here and there what looked like a group of college students cramming.
Obi-Wan needed to get to work as well, he had been supposed to finish grading his papers by the end of the week. Oh well, his students would just have to live with him taking a little longer. He’d just let them off without homework.
Obi-Wan didn’t expect to find Quinlan in the distance, but his friend was for once dressed nicely and not just in his dark jeans, hoodie, and leather jacket. Quinlan spotted them soon after and waved at them, a motion the twins were happy to return. If Quinlan was confused by their presence, he didn’t show it.
“Obi-Wan!” He greeted and pulled Obi-Wan into a hug. “How are you doing, my friend?”
“Well, thank you,” Obi-Wan retorted. “And thank you for helping us out.”
Quinlan grinned and slapped Obi-Wan on the back.
“No problem, I’m honestly happy I get to do this for you. So, what’s the arrangement? Just you and Anakin?”
Obi-Wan blanked. He had actually no idea what Quinlan thought they were getting into. Last night it had just sounded like he was assuming that Obi-Wan was already dating Anakin, which couldn’t be further from the truth, but on the other hand… If the government had already gone such lengths to revoke Anakin’s citizen status, it was probably best this appeared as honest as possible.
“I’m marrying Anakin, yes,” Obi-Wan replied.
“Okay, okay, and dear Padmé? I got some extra paper if you want to involve her in any way too. Asajj reminded me about it.”
Obi-Wan suppressed a wince. If Asajj already knew about this, it was only going to get worse and the rumors were bound to start spreading any second. He just hoped she’d keep her mouth shut in front of his grandfather. Obi-Wan did not need Dooku breathing down his neck about this.
“No involvement from my side no,” Padmé said. “I am not brave enough to try to.”
She grinned and winked at Anakin as Quinlan laughed. “Wise choice, my lady. Those two have been making moon eyes at each other since, urgh, what? Way too long for sure.”
“Thank you for your input, Quinlan,” Obi-Wan said, rolling his eyes. “Can we get back to the topic at hand though?”
“Yes, of course.” Quinlan cleared his throat. “Have you two prepared anything or…?”
Obi-Wan shook his head. Honestly, when were they supposed to have prepared anything? “No, we haven’t, just take our signatures and-“
“Actually,” Anakin said with a shit-eating grin. “I have thought of a lovely vow I’d like to speak.”
“Now look at that, that’s how you do it, Kenobi,” Quinlan said. “Well then, Skywalker. Let’s hear it.”
“Right,” Anakin muttered, then took a deep breath. “Right, okay. Obi-Wan Kenobi, ever since I’ve first met you, you have been one of the most important people in my life. You were there for me when I had my best and my worst days. You’ve always supported me unconditionally and I don’t know where I would be without you. I love you more than words could possibly ever describe and so I just want to tell you that I hope I’ll have you by my side for the rest of my life.”
Obi-Wan’s throat closed up. With every word that fell from Anakin’s lips, he was thrown into another memory, another thought of all the times they had had each other’s backs.
“Dear one-“
Anakin held up his hand. “Not finished yet. I promise you that I will cherish you forever as every flower worships the sun. You are as precious to me as the very air I breathe and there is no other I’d trust more with my family.”
Now Anakin did smile a little embarrassedly. “And I’m eternally thankful for you. You, uh, don’t have to say anything back-“
“No,” Obi-Wan said, his heart overtaken with fondness for his best friend. “No, no, I want to. Just, give me a second.”
Obi-Wan thought back to everything he had already lived through with Anakin.
He loved him.
He really did love Anakin, his best friend was one of the few constants in his life that Obi-Wan could always count on. The more he thought about what he could say, the more easily did he figure out what he simply should tell Anakin.
“Anakin, dear one, I love you too. More so than I thought I could when I first met the scrappy nine-year-old blond kid who decided he’s going to talk to me about ships and cars in a language I couldn’t even speak. You mean the world to me and I will continually try to live up to the expectations you have of me. I will not betray the trust you have put into me and I vow to love you the same way you love me.”
A heavy silence followed his statement.
It was finally interrupted by Quinlan’s low whistle. “Always knew you were a romantic at heart. Well then, Anakin Skywalker-Naberrie, do you take Obi-Wan Kenobi as your lawfully wedded husband?”
Anakin looked into Obi-Wan’s eyes, serious all of sudden. “Yes.”
“Do you promise to always stay by his side?”
Anakin shot Quinlan a look. “Didn’t you just hear what I said?”
Quinlan only smiled and raised his hands in defense. “Alright, true enough. I think for the two of you, I can skip the questions. Well, then. Obi-Wan Kenobi, do you take Anakin Skywalker-Naberrie as your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do.” The words weighed heavier on his tongue than Obi-Wan had expected them to. He had never been someone to make promises haphazardly, or to break them easily. He had meant every word he had told Anakin and he would do his best to honor them.
“Then – skipping the questions you all have very sappy answers to – I hereby pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss.”
Quinlan’s words shook Obi-Wan out of his thoughts like ice water, reminding him of the greater context of this ceremony.
“We don’t-“ Obi-Wan started, but was interrupted by Anakin.
“Can’t be worse than senior year,” Anakin stated and then, with a speed Obi-Wan hadn't expected, leaned forward and captured Obi-Wan’s lips in a soft kiss. The world seemed to go quiet, all background noise fading out as he put his hands around Obi-Wan’s cheeks, the warmth welcoming, and deepened the kiss once more, stealing Obi-Wan’s breath away.
By the time they separated, Obi-Wan’s head felt a little woozy and he thought his lips had to be kiss-swollen as much as they were still chasing the aftertaste of Anakin.
“And how was that?” Anakin asked, his voice rather quiet and face flushed.
Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak, but no word would come out. All the many poems he had read, all the imagery he had destroyed and torn to shreds to built them up more beautiful and yet none of them seemed to be appropriate.
“It looked fun for sure,” Padmé spoke up and promptly kissed her husband as well, half laughing into their kiss of relief.
Right. Obi-Wan used their latch in attention to pull himself together and focus.
“Now you two just have to sign this,” Quinlan said and put the papers on the table. “Padmé can act as your witness as the twins are a little too young still.”
Obi-Wan looked down on the paperwork, which signified so much more than just a change of a relationship. Thinking more closely about this, Obi-Wan would have to change his tax forms for the year and they probably should also look into what the situation with the twins was like, but all of that could be deal with later. As long as they had this in hand, Anakin would be alright.
“Thank you, Quinlan, really,” Obi-Wan told Quinlan.
“No problem,” Quinlan replied and handed him a pencil. “Now make it official.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi accepted the pencil and signed right on one line, making his part of the contract official. He then passed the pencil to Anakin who put his messy signature right next to Obi-Wan’s. They stared at the paper for a few seconds, just letting it all sink in. They had done it, and that in such a short time too. It was only twenty past eight and it already felt as if the entire day had passed. Obi-Wan was glad he had the day off, he didn’t particularly feel like doing anything complicated at all today.
Glancing at Anakin, Obi-Wan could tell he was a little out of it as well. The realization that his life wasn’t about to get incredibly messed up within a week probably still had to settle in.
“So that was it?” Padmé asked. “They’re officially married?”
“As legal as can be,” Quinlan reassured her. “I’ll bring the paper to the office and you should get a notice within a few days. If you haven’t gotten it by next Monday, I’ll look into it.”
“Thank you, Vos,” Padmé spoke up again. “Is there anything we can do for you in return?”
Quinlan shook his head dismissively. “Nah, don’t worry about it. It was my pleasure, really. Now go and enjoy your honeymoon.”
Honeymoon, Obi-Wan snorted. The best they were going to get right now was a second breakfast.
“Off to Dex’s?” He suggested. “I could use something horribly sweet just about right now.”
And perhaps also something alcoholic.
32 notes
·
View notes
Text
Safe to Shore
AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24252283
Relationships: Paxton Hall-Yoshida/Devi Vishwakumar
Additional Tags: Pre-Relationship, Panic Attacks, paxton is a soft boy and i will die on this hill, no beta we die like non-honors students, Mutual Pining
Summary: Devi has a panic attack after falling into the pool. Paxton helps her through it.
A/N: This is my first NHIE fic, so let me know if I got their voices right! It’s also unbetad, so please point out any mistakes.
Paxton was leading her somewhere. She wasn’t quite sure where. He’d said something—about clothes, maybe—but her ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton. And the party continued to rage around them. The bass of too loud music thumped through her body, shaking her bones and forcing her heartbeat to match the racing tempo.
The breeze against her damp skin made her shiver. Made her keep shivering. Hadn’t they just been inside? Why was there a breeze? Where—
Paxton’s hand left her lower back, and she found herself suddenly swaying on her feet. She hadn’t even realized that his hand had been there until its support was gone. What was happening to her that she hadn’t realized that Paxton was touching her? Was she dying? Her chest hurt with every inhale. The air stabbing into her lungs, trying to cut her to ribbons. Her heart was pounding, about to break free from her ribcage. And the world around her seemed muted and muffled and blurry. Weirdly distorted like she was—
Underwater.
Oh, God.
“Woah!”
She felt distant hands grab at her. Pulling her out of the water? Or pushing her deeper? The breeze was ice against her skin. Her pulse thudded in her ears, everything else drowned out by its roar. She had to find the surface, but her legs were numb, useless, paralyzed. Her lungs were caving in—or, no, filled with water. The pressure unbearable. Ribs cracking under the strain. Her throat tightened. She was choking. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t breathe and—
“Devi! Devi, hey, can you hear me? I’m right here. I’ve got you.”
Paxton. Paxton’s hand in her’s. Paxton’s face in her field of view. His eyebrows drawn together, lips tight with worry. Worry—for her?
She managed to nod her head, motions jerky. The motion unbalanced her. Set her head spinning. The rip current threatening to drag her deeper.
Paxton squeezed her hand. A lifebuoy. “Ok, can you name five things you can see for me?”
The world was still swimming. She felt disconnected, trapped at the bottom of a pool while everyone watched impassively from above. She was still shaking. Why couldn’t she stop shaking?
“Devi?” Paxton prompted, voice so soft it made her ache.
“Right.” Forcing that single word out through the water in her lungs was exhausting. But she couldn’t let Paxton down. Couldn’t disappoint him. The last person still in her life. Five things. “Um. Your eyes. Your jacket. The ground. My dress.” With each word spoken, the next came a little easier. But still, she hesitated for a second. Her voice dropped, nearly whispering, “Your lips.”
Said lips curved into a small smile. “Good. Now, what are four things you can feel?”
Her breath hitched, and her vision abruptly went blurry. Her eyes stung—chlorine? She blinked rapidly. Her hand darted to her leg, pinching her skin roughly, nails digging in hard enough to draw blood. “My—my legs. I can’t—I can’t feel—”
Paxton caught her hand, gently prying it away from her leg. He replaced it with his own, palm burning her skin like a brand. “I got you. I promise, your legs still work. Do you think you can tell me four things you feel?”
Devi managed another approximation of a nod. His thumb started to rub little circles by her knee, the repetitive motion soothing enough that she managed to take a deep—shuddering and painful—breath. Still, progress.
“Your hand—hands,” she said. Paxton’s grip on her tightened for a second. She met his gaze and found herself shuddering for a new reason. “Uh, the breeze. The pavement. My awful, wet dress.” She was starting to settle back into herself. Unfortunately, that meant she was all too aware of the way the damp fabric clung to her.
“Good. You’re almost done, and then we’ll get you out of that wet dress. What are three things you can hear?”
Devi stared at him silently for a moment, but if he realized what he said, he didn’t show it. Perhaps she was still more out of it than she’d thought. Eventually, she answered, “Your voice. The music. My heart.” The last, she said softly, like it was a confession. Maybe it was. The fear was receding, leaving bone deep fatigue in its place, but her heart continued to race.
Paxton smiled at her. Had he been that close a second ago? “Two things you can smell.”
“Chlorine and…”—her nose wrinkled—“chlorine.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I’ll give you that one. It really covers everything up.”
Devi smiled back at him. They were still holding hands. Could he feel her pulse fluttering like a hummingbird’s wings? She hoped her hand wasn’t too clammy.
“Last one: One thing you can taste. Or would like to taste.”
You. “Chlorine, again,” she said, sticking her tongue out in feigned disgust.
Paxton chuckled softly, the sound punching her straight in the gut. They were both silent for a moment. His breathing was slow and deep, and Devi found herself unconsciously matching him. He was the metronome, demanding her to keep time. Her lungs twinged as they expanded fully, but when Paxton paused for a beat between inhale and exhale, she mimicked him, relishing in the ache after the suffocating feeling from before.
His voice was quiet as he asked, “Are you feeling better?”
She glanced away, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah. Thank you for that.”
“Of course.” His gaze was heavy when she looked up, and she nearly held her breath in anticipation. But she couldn’t afford to screw this up and lose yet another person. She slipped her hand out of his, making a futile attempt—mostly for show—to squeeze some of the water out of the hem of her dress.
“You said something about clothes?” Getting her out of that wet dress, to be specific. She pushed the thought away; she had to focus on being a good friend, not pining away hopelessly.
“Right.” He sounded—disappointed? Her head whipped up. He didn’t look disappointed. Wishful thinking, then. This “being a good friend” thing might be tougher than she’d thought. He gave her thigh one last squeeze—how had she missed the fact that his hand was still on her leg?—and stood, offering a hand to help her up. “I have some extra sweats in the car that you can wear.”
The thought of wearing Paxton’s clothes would have sent her into a tizzy any other day. Today, she was bone-deep exhausted. Which she realized when she stood and nearly face planted into Paxton’s chest. Her knees buckling threatened to send her spiraling again, but she could still feel them, feel the lead weights in all of her muscles and the throbbing from her ill-advised pinch.
Plus, Paxton’s hands were on her waist, saving her from breaking her nose on his sternum or tipping over backwards to crack her skull on his car. He was murmuring at her, not really saying anything, but tone and cadence soothing. It reminded her of someone talking to an injured wild animal they were trying to catch. These days, she often felt like a wild animal, cornered and scared and lashing out at the people trying to help her.
“Devi?”
She shook the thoughts off, starting slightly as she realized that Paxton’s hands were still on her waist and her hands were clutching his forearms. “Sorry,” she said, not moving her hands. “I kind of got lost in thought there.”
Paxton shrugged. “No worries. I should’ve realized that your blood sugar would be low. I’ve got snacks in the car. Think you can lean against the car and stay upright long enough for me to grab them?”
She nodded, albeit reluctantly. But only because his hands were warm and she was cold. Definitely not because standing like that made it very easy to fantasize about kissing him. She half listened to Paxton rattle off an implausibly long list of choices—was he running some sort of strange convenience store out of the back of his jeep?—eventually just letting him decide.
He’d returned quickly, snacks and sweats in hand and watched her like a hawk as she carefully lowered herself to sit leaning against the car’s tire. And thus, she found herself sitting on the ground outside Ben’s house—outside the biggest party of the year—in a wet dress, drinking a juice box and eating banana bread with Paxton Hall-Yoshida, the hottest guy in school. If her thigh didn’t still hurt, she’d be tempted to pinch herself again.
She was on her second slice—Paxton was on what seemed to be his second loaf—when the wind blew sharply, reminding her of the fact that she was still soaked. She shivered violently, and Paxton was on his feet instantly. “You should get changed,” he said, stepping around to the other side of the car. “Wouldn’t want to go to the hospital for hypothermia.”
She nodded and pulled his sweatshirt over her head so that she could maintain some amount of dignity while wiggling out of the clingy fabric. “Thanks for letting me borrow your sweats. This is so embarrassing; you keep having to rescue me at parties.”
“It’s not embarrassing for me.” He shot her a slight smile. “I always come out of it looking cool.”
#daxton#devi x paxton#paxton x devi#nhie#nhie netflix#nhie fic#my fic#my post#devi#paxton#paxton hall yoshida#paxton h y#devi vishwakumar
92 notes
·
View notes
Text
Eat Your Stress Goodbye with Healthy Foods
When you’re stressed out, the foods that you’re turning to are most likely going to be traditional ‘comfort’ foods – think big meals, take-out, fatty foods, sweet foods, and alcohol. Let’s face it – we’ve all found some comfort in a tasty meal and a bottle of beer or glass of wine when we’ve been stressed out or upset about something. However, this isn’t a good permanent solution.
When you’re turning to unhealthy foods you can feel better temporarily, but in the long run, you will feel worse. When your body isn’t getting the right nutrition, you can begin to feel less energetic, more lethargic, and in some cases less able to concentrate and focus. All of this can lead to even more stress.
Foods that Fight Stress
If you’ve been feeling more stressed out than usual lately, it’s important to know which foods are best to choose and which to avoid when it comes to combating stress and helping you to deal with feelings of stress and anxiety. The best way to fight stress is to have a healthy, balanced diet which includes a moderate amount of each of the different food groups.
Filling up on foods such as whole grains, leafy vegetables, and lean proteins as the basic staples of the diet is the best way to ensure that your body gets the optimum amounts of nutrients to fight both physical and mental health problems. When it comes to choosing the foods to eat, some have a range of great properties which help the body to combat stress. Choosing these stress-busting foods will help to heal and calm your mind permanently, rather than providing a temporary fix.
Some of the best stress-fighting foods include:
• Avocado – Avocados are a creamy and versatile fruit which can be eaten in a range of different ways whether you enjoy it raw, made into sauces, dressings and dips, or in a smoothie. These nutrient-dense fruits have the properties to stress-proof your body, thanks to their high glutathione content which specifically blocks the intestinal absorption of certain fats which cause oxidative damage. Avocados also contain higher levels of vitamin E, folate, and beta-carotene than any other fruit, which boosts their stress-busting properties. However, be careful with portion control when eating avocado, as it is high in fat. No Avocados? Keep this Avocado Oil in your Pantry. You can also try this Avocado Mayo by Primal Kitchen.
• Blueberries – If you’re feeling stressed out and reaching for the snacks, swapping chocolate or chips for one of the best superfoods is a great way to help you deal with your stress levels and achieve a higher level of calm. Blueberries have some of the highest levels of antioxidants, especially antho-cyanin, which means that this berry has been linked to a wide range of health benefits including sharper cognition, better focus, and a clearer mind – all of which can help you to better deal with stress. Keep these Chilean organic blueberries on hand. They are freeze-dried to protect their rich nutritional content and deep blue tone. This Blueberry Powder is great to mix our into yogurt, oatmeal, smoothies, or desserts, your health always wins!
• Chamomile Tea – Of course, it’s not all about what you’re eating when it comes to managing stress; what you’re drinking can also alleviate or worsen the stress you're feeling. Drinking liquids which are high in sugars and caffeine, such as coffee, energy drinks or soda, can actually increase your stress levels if consumed regularly. Chamomile tea has long been used as a natural bedtime soother, and it has also been used in clinical trials, which determined that chamomile tea is effective in reducing the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. I like these hot tea brands of Chamomile Tea: Yogi and Tazo.
• Chocolate – Although it’s usually seen as an unhealthy treat, there is an undeniable link between chocolate and our mood. Studies have shown that eating chocolate can actually make you happier. However, that doesn’t mean that you can start munching on chocolate bars every time you're stressed out – chocolate works best as a de-stressor when eaten in moderation and as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Dark chocolate in particular is best for you, as it contains more flavonols and polyphenols, two hugely important antioxidants which can help combat stress, more than many fruit juices. Try the Hu Chocolate Bars for taste!
• Beef – Grass-fed beef is not only kinder to the planet and to animals, it’s also good for people, too. Grass-fed beef has a huge range of antioxidants, including beta-carotene and Vitamins C and E, which can help your body to fight stress and anxiety. If you’re looking for more reasons to spend a little more money on organic, grass-fed beef, it’s also lower in fat than grain-fed beef whilst being higher in omega-3. Are you on the go? Try Chomps Grass Fed Beef Jerky Meat Snack Sticks.
• Oatmeal – Oatmeal is great in that it can be a filling comfort food, but also has a large number of healthy properties to actually make you feel better from the inside out. A complex carbohydrate, eating oatmeal causes your brain to produce higher levels of the feel-good chemical serotonin, helping you to feel calmer and less stressed. Studies have shown that kids who choose oatmeal for breakfast tend to be much sharper throughout the morning in school compared to kids who had alternative morning meals. I love Bob's Red Mill Organic Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats. Check out my Matcha Overnight Oats on the blog.
• Walnuts – If you’re looking for a healthy snacking option which will help you to stay better in control of your stress levels, walnuts are a great choice. There is no denying the sweet, pleasant flavor of walnuts and they can be a tasty snack for in-between meals or as part of a desert. A versatile nut, walnuts are great for salads and oatmeal toppings or add them to a sweet treat such as banana bread, coffee cake or walnut cake. Walnuts should always be a pantry staple, even if you just snack on them plain.
• Pistachios – another food which is great for snacking on and can also help to combat stress and anxiety in the long term is pistachios. Studies have found that simply eating two small, snack-size portions of pistachios per day can lower vascular constriction when you are stressed, putting less pressure on your heart by further dilating your arteries. Along with this, the rhythmic, repetitive act of shelling pistachios can actually be quite therapeutic! I like the Wonderful Pistachio Brand. Add them to a bowl for guests to snack on or have these amazing nuts showcased on a charcuterie board.
• Green Leafy Vegetables – leafy, green vegetables should be a pivotal part of anyone’s diet. Along with helping to combat stress, leafy greens are full of nutrients and antioxidants which help to fight off disease and leave your body feeling healthier and more energized. Dark leafy greens, for example spinach, are especially good for you since they are rich in folate, which helps your body to produce more mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which is a ‘feel-good’ chemical. Making leafy greens a part of your diet will help you to feel happier and less stressed out overall. If you don’t have time to grab some fresh produce, I recommend keeping Amazing Grass Green Superfood: Super Greens Powder in the pantry so you can grab it when you need some greens.
• Fermented foods – last but not least, eating fermented foods such as yogurt can help to keep your gut healthy, which actually in turn will help to improve your mental health and reduce stress levels. The beneficial bacteria which are found in fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi or yogurt actually have a direct effect on your brain chemistry and transmit positive mood and behavior regulating signals to your brain via the vagus nerve.
Putting Together Your Diet Plan
Planning your meals wisely is key to not only staying physically fit and healthy, but also to staying mentally strong and being able to best manage your levels of stress. Knowing which foods to avoid and which are the best to reach for to snack on when you’re feeling worried and anxious is important to helping you get control over your emotions and fears.
When you’re feeling stressed, you may be tempted to reach for classic ‘comfort foods’ – usually foods which are laden with sugar, very starchy, or greasy. However, although these foods can make you feel momentarily better, they will actually make you feel worse in the long run.
Having stress-busting snacks such as fresh berries, dark chocolate, yogurt, walnuts or pistachios, or even a fruit smoothie with avocado and leafy greens in it can help you to feel better in both the short and long term when it comes to stress.When it comes to combating and dealing with stress in the long run, it’s important to make sure that for the most part, you are eating a diet which is healthy and balanced.
In order to stay on track, it’s a good idea to make a meal plan for your week and plan ahead to make sure that you have a good selection of these stress-busting foods in your kitchen to make meals and snacks from when you’re feeling like stress-eating. Making sure that the majority of your meals include foods such as lean proteins and leafy green vegetables will not only make you feel healthier overall, but can improve your mental health and stress levels, too.
Stress Busting Menu Ideas:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with berries or a fruit smoothie with avocado and berries
Mid-morning snack: Natural yogurt with fruit or a handful of pistachio nuts
Lunch: A whole-grain pasta salad filled with plenty of leafy greens
Afternoon snack: Dark chocolate
Dinner: Grass-fed beef with vegetables
Before bed: Chamomile tea
Of course, you don’t need to stick to this menu – but it gives you a good idea! Remember to exercise good portion control when eating foods such as nuts, chocolate, yogurt or avocado! As the saying goes, you are what you eat – so make sure that first and foremost, you’re filling yourself up with foods which are good for your mental health.
XOX, Laura
https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/#laurasilsbee
0 notes
Text
Day 6 of Welfare Food Challenge - Monday
Welcome to almost last day of the challenge, Day 6!
I woke up today at 9:00am which was just enough time to make and eat my breakfast as well as get ready before heading to work at 10:30am. I didn’t want a repeat where I didn’t eat anything before heading to work, babysitting two energetic kids. For breakfast today, I had one piece of toast which I covered in banana to add a little bit of sweetness and two hard boiled egg - picture below is what I had:
I didn’t have that much time to savour what I was eating. At this point, they all taste the same to me. When I am eating, I normally like to take the time to taste the different flavours (if I am not in a hurry). But this week, it seems like I am just shoving the food in my mouth most of the time. I would savour it in the beginning but then once I get past the one bite, I wouldn’t do it again. And I would usually have lots of water - probably for every bite I take, I also drink water.
For lunch today, I didn’t have to think hard on what I was going to eat because I had a little bit of canned beefaroni left from yesterday. That along with two pieces of bread and water was not enough to keep me full until dinner which I didn’t get eat until 9:00pm, sadly. Picture below is what I had for lunch:
The kids today were having chicken and dumplings. It smelled so good that I was so tempted to dish up some for myself but I resisted it (thank you me for not forgetting to bring lunch). After I finished babysitting, I was a little bit tired but there's not much time in between my other job to rest. I would have stopped by at home for a little bit to grab something to eat but decided not to which was a mistake. After working for almost an hour in my other job, I was kind of hungry. It didn't help that I was surrounded by food and smell of food (I work at a restaurant so the temptation to eat food not in my budget was really high). By the time it was 8:00pm, I was full blown hungry (not hangry) and even had a slight headache. My co-workers noticed it because they asked me if there was something wrong. When I asked them why, they told me "you're not smiley like usual" which I replied, "I have a headache and I'm hungry." They told me to just order something like it is the most obvious thing but I told them about this challenge. They almost convinced me to order food since they would be the only ones to know about me cheating for the challenge but my conscious won't let me. My shift was also almost over so I just drank water, put on a fake smile, and carry on.
When I got home from work, I immediately opened the freezer, took out the vegetables and pork, then microwaved it. I almost forgot to take a picture of the food before eating it but it was a good thing that my parents reminded me. While I was eating, I didn't even mind that it didn't have any seasoning or taste. I just wanted something to eat and it didn't matter what it is. Picture below is that I had for dinner:
2 cups of Asian blend frozen vegetables and 1 small pork loin with a glass of water.
I'm sorry for shorter blogs this past few days, I kind of don't have the motivation or brain power to think about what to write anymore. It's the last day tomorrow though, so that is something to look forward to! See you then!
0 notes
Text
Everything a Paralympic Gold Medalist Does (and Eats) in a Week to Stay Fit
Sweat Diaries
Paralympic athlete Michelle Konkoly shares her Sweat Diary.
A class at The Bar Method. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
Welcome to Sweat Diaries, Be Well Philly’s look at the time, energy, and money people invest in pursuit of a healthy lifestyle in Philly. For each Sweat Diary, we ask one Philadelphian to spend a week tracking everything they eat, all the exercise they get, and the money they spend on both. Want to submit a Sweat Diary? Email [email protected] with details.
Who: Michelle Konkoly (@michellekonkoly), 26, from Midtown Village
What I do: Second year medical student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
What role healthy living plays in my life: Healthy living means taking care of my body by buying, preparing, and eating nourishing foods; getting plenty of sleep; and keeping my body strong, flexible, and conditioned by doing a diverse array of exercises. In 2011, I suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury that left me with a spine and heel fusion, and permanent weakness in my legs. Since my injury, I have learned never to take anything my body can do for granted — I had to start from scratch to learn to walk again, and lost 30 pounds of muscle during my recovery. After re-learning how to walk, I got involved in the Paralympics and won two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in sprint freestyle swimming events at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics! I’m proud of my muscle because I know how far I had to come to get where I am today. Now, I’m focusing primarily on school, but I still go to swim meets when I can.
Health memberships: I purchased the “New Client Special” at Bar Method Rittenhouse, which 30 days unlimited for $99. I also have a membership at the Jefferson Recreation & Fitness Center, which was included with tuition.
Monday
Michelle Konkoly trains in the Jefferson pool. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
7:10 a.m. — Alarm goes off, and I wake up and am out the door within five minutes to head to the pool at Jefferson. Fortunately, it’s only a three-minute walk!
7:30 a.m. — Swim at the Jefferson pool. It’s a 20-yard pool, which is shorter than most pools, but we make it work! One of my classmates swims with me and we do a tough 4000 yard aerobic workout. I swim faster than when we did the set last week so I am pumped!
8:45 a.m. — Showered, I walk back home and take my corgi, Ollie, out for a walk.
9:40 a.m. — Walk back to Jefferson’s campus for class and stop at dry cleaners on the way.
10 a.m. — Small group class. I eat my breakfast of papaya, pineapple, Greek yogurt, and chia seeds with a homemade latte (two shots and soymilk). Someone brought in Isgro’s cannolis so I have to eat half of a cannoli as well!
11 a.m. — Facilitate a group for the first year medical students, and have another cup of coffee. Swimming in the morning makes you a special kind of tired.
12 p.m. — Walk to the University Health Center to get the PPD shot I need for volunteering. While I’m waiting, I snack on two leftover paleo chocolate chip cookies I made over the weekend.
2 p.m. — I finally get home, and eat lunch of a kale salad with avocado, carrots, tomatoes, and homemade carrot ginger dressing, plus slice of whole grain bread and some chocolate-covered almonds.
3 p.m. — I head to the Jefferson Library to overview the material for the week. I have three clementines and half a bottle of kombucha I got from the new Sprouts Market last week.
5:45 p.m. — I get home and walk Ollie to Washington Square Park. I finish an almost-empty bag of Skinny Pop kettle corn before I head to barre.
6:45 p.m. — Barre class at Bar Method Rittenhouse.
8 p.m. — Barre doesn’t make me nearly as hungry as swimming, but I’m still excited for my dinner that I prepped yesterday: sushi bowls! I top some sushi rice with calamari salad my roommate didn’t want, plus some broccoli, edamame, pickled ginger, and nori strips. I also have some almonds and dates.
9 p.m. — Ok, the hunger caught up with me. I go a little overboard on after dinner snacks tonight and have a sundae of tahini squares with an Enlightened fudgesicle, half a banana and coconut whip, and a slice of chocolate pumpkin bread. I went on a baking spree over the weekend and now have all these goodies sitting around tempting me.
10:30 p.m. — Finish studying and head to bed.
Daily total: $0
Tuesday
Weight lifting to work on fast-twitch muscles. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
8:14 a.m. — Woke up without an alarm. I try to give myself one day a week to sleep in. Once out of bed, I take Ollie for a walk and then eat half a banana and half a slice of chocolate pumpkin bread.
9:15 a.m. — At the Jefferson gym, and I do a one-hour lift, focusing on upper body explosiveness. I have a swim meet coming up in December, and since I swim sprint freestyle, power and fast-twitch muscle work is so important!
10:30 a.m. — Come home, shower, and make a latte to drink as I listen to this morning’s recorded lectures.
A smoothie bowl for lunch. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
12:15 p.m. – Make a smoothie bowl for lunch! I’m obsessed with my Vitamix blender. I make a smoothie out of frozen bananas, peaches, and spinach, almond milk, and Orgain vegan peanut butter protein powder, topped with homemade granola, cacao nibs, chia seeds, coconut, and fruit. I finish off lunch with some chocolate covered almonds and salted almonds.
1 p.m. — I spend most of the afternoon continuing to work though this morning’s lecture material on dermatology. I walk into to Walgreens as a study break and buy tweezers and a pack of gum ($5.20).
2:45 p.m. — Finish the Sprouts kombucha, along with some more tahini bars (they’re so good!) and some fresh pineapple.
5 p.m. — I get ready for a Jefferson Gala event tonight at the Philadelphia 201 Hotel. I Uber over with some friends and the venue is gorgeous!
Cake for dessert. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
6 p.m. — At the reception, I have three pieces sushi and a glass of Champagne. For dinner, we’re served bread and salad, and I request the vegetarian entrée of risotto, carrots, and broccoli rabe. I’m not strictly vegetarian, but try to eat less meat whenever possible! Dessert is a beautiful chocolate mousse cake with fresh berries.
9:30 p.m. — Uber back home and walk the dog. I’m craving something crunchy, so I grab a few handfuls of Special K out of the box before getting into bed.
11 p.m. — Bed!
Daily total: $5.20
Wednesday
Michelle Konkoly has an unlimited membership at The Bar Method. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
7:10 a.m. — Alarm goes off and I’m off to the pool.
7:30 a.m. — Swim a 3200-yard workout by myself. Today I used parachutes that are tied to my waist to add extra resistance. It’s tough but really helps me increase my sprint speed and power. I shower at the pool and then come home to walk Ollie.
10 a.m. — Grab my backpack and head to class. I eat my yogurt with fruit and chia seeds and a latte — I make this breakfast the night before so I can just grab it and go.
12 p.m. — Class ends and I come home. I’ll never get over how hungry swimming makes me in comparison to other workouts! I grab a couple almonds and pieces of caramel corn before taking Ollie out.
12:45 p.m. — Lunch is a bowl of kale, sushi rice, tofu, carrots, broccoli, and pickled ginger, plus a bit of spicy mayo on top! I also have an apple from when I went apple picking with my mom and sister last week.
2 p.m. — I head to the library and have three clementines as a snack.
3 p.m. — Every Wednesday we have “Cookie Hour” with the applicants interviewing at Jefferson. Current students can come to mingle and of course grab a cookie! Today they have strawberries and mini cheesecakes too, so during my break from the library I head over and have one of each!
5 p.m. — Come back home and have a snack before walking Ollie: a small bowl of Special K with cashew milk and freeze-dried strawberries and almonds.
6:45 p.m. — Barre at The Bar Method. It’s been fun to have the flexibility to try new workouts, rather than having to focus 100% on swimming, like I was during the time leading up to Rio.
Homemade sushi for dinner. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
8 p.m. — Finally time for dinner! I use my sushi bowl meal prep ingredients to make two homemade rolls and have a glass of wine with them.
9 p.m. — As I’m sending emails and studying, I make a bag of light natural popcorn and mix in a few pieces of caramel corn.
10 p.m. — We still have Halloween candy lying around, so I have a couple pieces (Reese’s are my favorite!) before walking Ollie and heading to bed.
Daily total: $0
Thursday
Enlightened ice cream from Sprouts. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
7:10 a.m. — Alarm goes off and I snoozed it for eight minutes. I almost never hit snooze, but I knew no one was joining me for my swim this morning, so I wouldn’t be holding anyone up if I was a few minutes late!
7:35 a.m. — Swim a 2,900-yard workout. It’s certainly on the shorter end, yardage wise, but today I used a bungee tether that attaches me to the wall so I can swim continuously against the resistance for the length of my 50 free race (about 30 seconds). It’s a great way to simulate an Olympic length (50m) pool in our 20 yard pool! The tether is no joke — my arms are always burning by the end!
9 a.m. — Showered and walked home, then walked Ollie.
9:35 a.m. — Made my favorite smoothie bowl again.
10 a.m. — Head back to campus for class, and drink my latte. One of my classmates brought in candy, so I have two mini Kit Kats.
12 p.m. — Come back home and have a piece of chocolate pumpkin bread with pumpkin butter while watching lectures.
12:30 p.m. — Eat half of a GIANT apple, plus a kati roll from Masala Kitchen — one of my friends had some extras after an event.
2:30 p.m. — Spend most of the afternoon studying at home, and eat the other half of the giant apple.
4:15 p.m. — Have a pre-dinner snack of bowl of Special K with half a banana, freeze dried strawberries, dates, golden raisins, and soy milk. I also have a cup of pineapple spirulina kombucha.
6:15 p.m. — I take Ollie on a long walk, then have dinner: a kale salad with the rest of my sushi rice, tofu, bit of edamame, and a quarter avocado, plus a bowl of defrosted frozen mangoes, strawberries, and pineapple with coconut flakes.
7 p.m. — I have another event for the first-year med students on campus, so I walk back over. For some reason there’s so much candy around this week! I have two mini packs of gummy worms as I catch up with my friends at the event.
8:30 p.m. — Come back home and have a true dessert: chocolate! I love Enlightened ice cream, and found a new flavor — black cherry chocolate chip — at Sprouts last week. I eat the whole pint happily as I’m studying, along with a piece of chocolate and two more tahini squares.
10:30 p.m. — Bed!
Daily total: $0
Friday
Spaghetti squash pasta for dinner. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
6:38 a.m. — Alarm goes off and I grab a squeezable applesauce packet to eat on my walk to barre.
7 a.m. — Barre. It’s great to get my workout out of the way so early on Friday. I always feel like my posture is so great after barre, too!
8 a.m. — I walk Ollie and make my smoothie bowl. Today I use up some frozen strawberries instead of peaches, and get in some last minute studying as I eat it.
9 a.m. — We have short quizzes every Friday — this week was all about various skin conditions.
10 a.m. — Head back home and have two and a half slices of chocolate pumpkin bread with pumpkin butter as I do some chores and cleaning in my apartment.
11:30 a.m. — I make a homemade iced latte, and have a ThinkThin protein bar and a mini Rice Krispie treat as I do laundry. I’m heading out of town for a wedding this weekend so I’m trying to get ahead on my normal weekend chores!
12:15 p.m. — I walk Ollie to Washington Square Park and call my dad to catch up as we walk.
1 p.m. — I get a pedicure and gel manicure in preparation for the wedding ($42 with a coupon).
2:30 p.m. — When I get back home, I have a little bit of leftover tofu with a quarter avocado, kale, and edamame, plus the rest of the pineapple spirulina kombucha. I also finish up the final crumbs of a container of homemade granola, mixed with cacao nibs and golden raisins.
4 p.m. — I spend the afternoon prepping my study schedule for our exam week next week, and have a tiny apple and half a container of Greek yogurt with cinnamon and chia seeds.
6:45 p.m. — I start making dinner, which is really meal prepping for next week! I have four little breadsticks and a bit of olive tapenade while I roast a spaghetti squash. I make a chickpea/nutritional yeast “cheese sauce” for the squash, and mix it all together with some sun dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives. I also roast up some leftover veggies from a veggie tray.
7:30 p.m. — I pour myself a glass of white wine as I eat my spaghetti squash creation. The sauce turned out so creamy!
8:30 p.m. — My roommate offers me some of the red wine she brought back from Italy, so of course I have to try it.
9:30 p.m. — I finish up packing for the wedding and have an Enlightened fudgesicle and three pieces of candy for dessert.
10 p.m. — Bed! I have an early train to DC tomorrow, so I’m calling it a night!
Daily total: $42
Weekly Totals
Money spent: $47.20
Swim workouts: 3
Barre classes: 3
Strength workouts: 1
Smoothie bowls: 3
Glasses of kombucha: 4
Let’s get social! Join Be Well Philly at:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | NEWSLETTER | TWITTER
Source: https://www.phillymag.com/be-well-philly/2018/11/29/michelle-konkoly-swimmer-food-diary/
0 notes
Text
My trip to Lanzarote, Canary Island, Spain – Travel in Covid-19 Times
I’ve just returned from a trip to Lanzarote, an island located on the Canary Islands of Spain.
After self-isolation in Llandudno, North Wales for three months due to coronavirus, COVID-19, I was ready to travel again once it was safe to do so.
On Monday 6th of July, the Welsh Government lifted the 5-mile stay local rule, and I could finally travel outside of my local community again.
At this point, I would like to highlight that everything mentioned within this blog post is based on my personal experience, and you should seek government advice from the correct sources.
The reason why I mention this is because the rules are changing all the time and I wanted to share how my trip went to help paint a picture of what your trip could be like so you can make an informed opinion on if you should travel at the moment.
Why did I choose Lanzarote, Canary Islands
At my time of flying, Spain was on the list of countries you could fly to from the UK without the need to isolate for two weeks after returning from your trip.
Of course, this could change, but this was one of the reasons why I choose Spain.
I didn’t fancy flying to a Spanish city due to crowds, but Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands has direct flights from the UK and felt like a better option due to the current situation.
Plus the sound of the stunning volcanic landscape, hiking trails, sunny sandy beaches and locally sourced food all tempted me to visit the island of Lanzarote. It was just what I was looking for after being at home for so long.
With my bags packed and passport in hand (don’t forget your passport, it’s been a while!) I was ready to travel and explore the Canary Islands.
Around Lanzarote, not all businesses were open for tourism as visitor numbers are still operating on low capacity.
However, businesses are slowly opening up again for tourism, and many restaurants, visitor attractions, rental cars and a select number of resorts were open for visitors on the island.
You should book travel insurance before you travel around Europe
Please make sure you arrange suitable travel insurance for your trip before you depart. Some travel insurance providers have changed their policy to adapt to coronavirus COVID-19 so please read the small print and make sure that you have a cover.
Proper guidance is to check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website for up to date travel advice for UK travellers, and typically your travel insurance will follow along the lines of the FCO. So, if the FCO says not to travel, then your travel insurance usually is not valid, so please check the FCO website frequently for the latest travel advice.
Also, for those within the EU, make sure that your E111 card is up to date before you depart. For those within the UK, you can still travel and use your E111 card until the end of December. Remember that the E111 doesn’t replace travel insurance, but it’s good to have it with you at all times when travelling around the EU, especially at the moment.
Do you have to wear a face mask in Spain at all times?
Do you have to wear a mask all the time? This was a question I had before travelling to Lanzarote.
Of course, this advice will differ from other countries in Europe. But in Spain and on the Canary Islands, the simple answer is yes. You do have to wear your mask at all times.
After gathering some local advice, wearing a mask is not only to protect yourself from spreading germs but as a courtesy to protecting others.
Any situation where you’re unable to keep your social distance is when you should wear your mask in Spain.
This would be any place where social distancing is challenging, such as within shops, restaurants and public transport.
You can remove your mask when you sit down to eat or have a drink. You can withdraw your face cover while on the beach or when going for a swim in Spain, as long as you can keep your social distance.
Within your hotel room or rental car, you can remove your mask. If you’re going to the hotel breakfast buffet, you should wear your face mask.
I hope the above information clears up some questions you might have.
What is it like to fly at the moment?
It was a bizarre feeling only seeing five flights on the departure board of Heathrow terminal 5, usually the busiest airport in Europe. It did come as a shock.
Heathrow felt like a ghost town with limited passenger numbers flying on the day.
Throughout Heathrow, you will have to wear a facemask at all times from the entrance until you’ve exited at your arrival destination. It’s advised to swap your face mask every few hours, so you should pack a selection to use throughout your travels.
My temperature was checked as I entered Heathrow airport and I found hand sanitizer located all around the airport.
Check-in was rather swift, and many airlines are allowing free baggage check-in to free up space in the cabin, which is worth taking advantage of.
Security has never felt so fast; it was a swift experience and didn’t take much time at all.
Once airside, in regard to places to eat, I could only find one Pret open, which was enough to grab a coffee and a bite to eat before the flight.
Most airlines are not allowing food and drink service at the moment.
I did notice that a passenger requested a cup of water which was allowed but generally, nothing will be served on the flight unless you’re travelling business.
At the boarding gate, passengers were boarding individually based on row numbers, starting from the back of the aircraft towards the front.
At the check-in desk, the staff said to allow an extra hour due to additional boarding time. Be patient as it will take more time to board the flight, but you could always book your seat at the back if you wish to board sooner.
Once on the flight, cabin crew informed us that the aircraft used an advanced air flow filtration system that kills most germs. This, combined with a face mask and limited contact, helps to reduce the risk.
Once I was at my seat, I noticed that the airline had used empty seats to keep travellers at a safe distance from each other as best as they could.
They also blocked off and limited access to the number of toilets you could use. You can still use them but not as many so you might have to wait.
Generally, I found the flying experience rather relaxing and pleasant, indeed longer than usual, but the additional steps gave me reassurance rather than worry.
I wouldn’t want to take a flight with a connection due to the extra time it takes to board and go through the airport, but one direct flight wouldn’t be an issue.
What was your hotel resort like in Lanzarote?
I stayed at the Sands Beach resort located in Costa Teguise on the island of Lanzarote.
They had self-catering options for families with a large selection of swimming pools to choose from, which was great for social distance swimming.
Swimming is one of the things I missed the most, so it was a much-welcomed joy to have a few laps in the pool each morning.
The breakfast buffet was open, and you had to order each item individually. This will take some additional time, so be sure to arrive early to allow your choices to be accommodated.
I would visit the local supermarket and stock up on breakfast items to make in your room so you can relax in the morning and take the stress out of breakfast.
Not all resorts are open yet in Lanzarote, and some have chosen to stay closed until September so your choices will be limited.
The Sands Beach Resort chose to open early to learn about the extra steps needed to open up. The Spanish government have issued rules that resorts must follow to remain open to meet the health guidelines and create a safe environment for guests.
Another issue is staff. The resort is running at low capacity and it’s been tough getting the team back to work as some have chosen to wait until it’s safer to return to work while others are happy to get back to work again.
Rooms are required to undergo additional cleaning after each guest which is why I would recommend staying for 1-2 weeks.
Also, the stock has been an issue as the supply chain for resorts has not been open on the island since lockdown and resorts are having to use supermarkets to purchase items they need to operate.
It will take some time for resorts to open up again but those that have chosen to open up as soon as possible will learn from the experience and adapt to the guidelines, which will take time for some resorts to adjust to.
What is it like going to a restaurant on the Canary Islands?
After cooking for myself for three months, I’ve simply run out of hot pot recipes and I’m also getting a bit bored of baking banana bread.
Being allowed to visit restaurants again and not have to do the washing up was one of the most enjoyable moments from the trip.
Getting to taste the local flavours again was an absolute pleasure. Enjoying fresh seafood and a glass of white wine that’s made on the island was pure joy.
If you wish to dine out, it’s best to call in advance to book a table as space within the premise is limited due to schedules and social distance.
I noticed that temperature checks took place before entering the restaurant, and hand sanitizer was always found at the entrance.
You must wear a facemask until you have taken a seat at your table, then you can take it off to enjoy your food and drink.
Also, I noticed that the menu could typically be found by using a QR code to access on your smartphone. Make sure you have your Roam Like at Home data turned on while travelling around the EU as it will come in handy.
If you can pay for your meal by using contactless payment, this would be the best method rather than using cash.
Do you need to fill out health forms before you travel?
Spain requires you to fill in a health form before you arrive. Once the form is completed online, you will get a QR code which will be scanned on arrival.
You must be checked into your flight and have your seat number before you fill out the form. This information helps with track and trace, and you will be contacted if needed.
Also, when returning to the UK, you must fill in a form explaining where you’ve been and where you will be going to in the UK.
After filling in the UK form and placing my address in Wales where I will be, I instantly got an email from the Welsh government asking me to quarantine and stay at home for two weeks. I was not aware that the rules in Wales required two weeks quarantine, but not a problem as I have been home for the past two weeks and will follow the guidelines as instructed. Something to think about as I was also aware that those from Scotland had been advised not to travel to Spain altogether. So, the rules are different depending on where you live.
Did I enjoy my trip to Lanzarote, Canary Islands?
The most important question. Did I have a great time going to Lanzarote? Were all the extra steps worth it?
My answer is for the most part yes. I do have mixed opinions about it though, as I enjoyed the trip, but travel is no longer normal like it used to be and some fun has been sucked out the experience.
But I do understand that this is for my own and others’ safety to allow tourism to open up again so I would say that it was worth it.
My issue was the length of the trip; I wish I could have stayed longer to justify the extra time you need to go through all the additional safety steps.
So, If I were staying in Lanzarote for two weeks, I would have said that it was worth it.
My advice at the moment to make travel safer during COVID-19
I would recommend only taking one direct flight to reach your destination. Avoid having to take connection flights as this increases your risk of a possible infection.
Stay in one resort and try to find a self-catering option so you can prepare breakfast and lunch from your room as buffets are not a safe environment at the moment.
Book ahead to reserve your table if you wish to dine out at a local restaurant.
Book a rental car to explore your surroundings and avoid public transport.
Use contactless payment and avoid cash when possible.
Stay for 1-2 weeks. Travel to your destination will take more time so you should allocate this time into your holiday to make it more rewarding.
Don’t forget to relax and enjoy your holiday. You will have to go through many additional steps to make your holiday safe so please have patience, remain calm and take your time.
For this reason, a weekend city escape might not be ideal at the moment as you won’t have enough time to enjoy the actual holiday.
Thank you for reading my blog post about my trip to Lanzarote
I hope all the above information helps you understand what travel and tourism are currently like in Europe at this moment in time, and I wish you a pleasant future trip!
This blog post was put together in collaboration with the UNWTO and the Canary Islands as part of the #RestartTourism campaign to help tourism recovery on the islands. I hope you’ve found this blog post informative.
Travel tip shared by Dave
Source link
قالب وردپرس
from World Wide News https://ift.tt/3jQQUUs
0 notes
Text
Do Aphrodisiacs Really Make You Sexually Aroused?
By Athena Nassar
You are sitting on a picnic blanket with your lover. You feed her strawberries dipped in dark chocolate, because you think she enjoys them. Or maybe you are hoping that she will embody the spirit of Persephone and swallow them like pomegranate seeds. Either way, she is sitting in front of you with strawberry juice dripping down her chin onto her floral dress. She calls you to taste her, and her spaghetti strap tastes like the cherry stem at the bottom of an Old-Fashioned, but what are your intentions? She might sleep with you in a few hours, but will it be because of the chocolate strawberries that you so purposely fed her earlier that day? According to a recent study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, the chocolate itself certainly doesn’t have enough phenylethylamine to make her jump your bones. Although it may feel as if you are closer to the Promised Land of unclothed women after a few cocktails, aphrodisiacs do not actually play a hand in his/her sexual arousal, and here’s why.
The movie 9½ Weeks, also known as the genesis of all S&M movies, lays out this utopia solely comprised of food and sex. In a scene that occupies a fat ten minutes of the film, Mickey Rourke feeds Kim Basinger an assortment of foods that I never knew could taste good together. The camera is zoomed in on Basinger’s mouth while she consumes a jalapeño pepper followed by a maraschino cherry. Just when I think things couldn’t get any worse, she downs a diced egg before the jello has the chance to get all the way down her throat. To top it all off, Mickey Rourke rubs honey on her breasts, and I just know that can’t be comfortable. Besides Kim Basinger being all too compliant, there is a critical misconception that this scene perpetuates. The visual of Basinger eating a variety of condiments while blindfolded suggests that she is being stimulated by the food itself, but Bettina Pause, a psychologist at Heinrich Heine University, claims that “a lot of our communication is influenced by chemosignals.” Considering the fact that humans have a pheromone nerve running from the nose into the brain, Basinger was most likely drawn to Rourke’s individual odorprint rather than his odd selection of petit fours. According to Pause, the aroma that emanates off of breastfeeding women encourages other women without infants to reproduce.
Now, I’m not arguing that aphrodisiacs don’t bring us any pleasure at all, just not the kind of pleasure that might first come to mind. The Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation confirms that the scent of banana nut bread has the power to arouse women more intensely than any regular old banana, so there must be some truth to this aphrodisiac claim after all. My guess is that this boost of sexual arousal is due to the nutmeg, especially since the scent is amplified in the process of baking the banana nut bread. According to The National Center for Biotechnology Information, herbs and spices such as red ginseng and saffron are the only scientifically proven aphrodisiacs. Surely there is a certain satisfaction that we feel when we bite into a succulent piece of watermelon, but does this trigger some sort of sexual longing or are we just content with the fact that we fulfilled a strictly nonsexual craving? As humans that need food to survive, it would make sense to say that our brains feel pleasure when our stomachs are full. A study by The Journal of Neuroscience seems to agree with this assumption, concluding that “eating prompts the brain to release feel good hormones known as endorphins.” Of course, overstimulation of these endorphins can lead to obesity, or in other words, too much of a good thing is ultimately a bad thing. Although some sugar-filled foods generate more pleasure than others, this is not to be confused with a titillating sensation.
If I were to ask Google about the sexual enhancements of any food, the internet would surely find a way to muster together numerous articles about how that food makes you better in bed, so where do we draw the line? Does every food magically make you better in bed? What do we classify as aphrodisiacs? In the middle ages, people determined whether a food was an aphrodisiac or not based on the doctrine of signatures. Coined by German philosopher Jakob Böhme, the doctrine of signatures is defined as “the belief that natural objects that look like a part of the body can cure diseases that would arise there.” Similarly, foods that resembled human sex organs such as oysters, asparagus, and sea cucumbers were thought to heighten passion. Foods that were warm or moist such as chili peppers or curry were thought to provoke a similar feeling. Of course, we know that this theory is drastically wrong, and many classic pieces of literature have been written on the basis of this flawed ideology to further the belief that consuming oysters will contribute to vaginal wetness. In Bradley C. Bennett’s essay “Doctrine of Signatures: An Explanation of Medicinal Plant Discovery or Dissemination of Knowledge?” Bennett advises us to not try to cure a heart disease with a heart-shaped leaf, because there happens to be 2,584 leaves with the same exact shape. In my opinion, we shouldn't try to cure heartbreak with erotic food either.
The romance novel Like Water for Chocolate illustrates a new Mexican recipe for every month. Although her true love Pedro asks for her hand in marriage, Tita, the youngest of three girls, cannot marry, because she is forced to care for her aging mother. In the month of December, the heartbroken Tita makes chiles in walnut sauce for her niece’s wedding. Upon ingesting these chiles, the guests cannot resist the urge to make “mad passionate love wherever they happen to end up… some under the bridge between Piedras Negras and Eagle Pass… the more conservative, in their cars, hastily pulled over to the side of the road” (Esquivel 242). Tita, overwhelmed with lust, grabs Pedro’s hand, and they both go into a dark room. The room is so saturated in passion that it drives the doves, the pigs, and the chickens to flee the ranch. Tita is described as “experiencing a climax so intense that her closed eyes glowed, and a brilliant tunnel appears before her,” and suddenly, she opens her eyes to Pedro lying beside her, dead (Esquivel 243). Although Like Water for Chocolate depicts two lovers who die naked in each other's arms from the effects of a single chile smothered in walnut sauce, the United States Food and Drug Administration does not recognize any chemical in particular as a natural aphrodisiac. For these results, you would certainly need an abnormally large dose of sildenafil, also referred to as viagra.
In fact, one of the most popular aphrodisiacs, the Spanish fly, causes a very non-sexual reaction if it is consumed. Cantharidin, a chemical which is secreted by blister beetles, can cause a rash to form on the urethra, as well as a painful erection that can potentially last for several hours known as priapism. In extreme circumstances, ingesting this so-called aphrodisiac can even lead to death. Although chiles and diluted pomegranates won’t influence your libido, they are definitely a safer option than any version of the Spanish fly, whether it be emulsified, powdered, filtered, or so on. Marketing companies continue to advertise the Spanish fly as a love potion, either not knowing or not caring that it causes an allergic reaction. The Spanish fly is advertised on Amazon as “the number one aphrodisiac” in a bottle labeled “LOVE SEXPLOSION” with the price of $99.99, and that is not including shipping. Around fifty percent of the reviews say something along the lines of “did not work at all,” “not what I was hoping for,” or “will return later.” The customers were unsatisfied with the results to say the least, but when they are purchasing products that look like the image on your right, who is really to blame?
When you think about it, it isn’t that difficult to believe that aphrodisiacs are completely buried in mythology. After all, aphrodisiacs did earn their name from the goddess Aphrodite who emerged from the stomach of a large scallop shell, hence seafood being rumored as a sexual stimulant. Oysters, among other shellfish, are considered to be a natural aphrodisiac due to their supply of zinc and amino acids. According to Michael Krychman, a gynecologist at the Southern California Center for Sexual Health and Survivorship Medicine, “there is a very large placebo effect” that occurs in the experience of eating oysters. Sex is laced in the action of slurping something gooey down your throat, and often times, the experience itself can produce adrenaline. Oysters do contain zinc which increases testosterone levels and male sperm count, but the quantity of sperm produced by the testes has absolutely nothing to do with attraction. Barry R. Komisaruk, a professor of psychology at Rutgers University, presents an interesting question: “Could oysters possibly satisfy sexual deprivation?” The answer is most likely no, unless you happen to have a wet and messy fetishism or any other fetish pertaining to food.
Food and its correlation to sex is a major component of many films and works of literature, and the bible is no different. In the story of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman are unashamed of their nakedness until a serpent tempts Eve into eating an apple from the tree of knowledge. This depiction of the forbidden fruit as a temptation results in a further sexualization of these fruits beyond the biblical meaning. Circling back to Komisaruk’s question of sexual deprivation, do we only yearn for things that we are deprived of? If the bible had placed sloppy joes instead of apples in the Garden of Eden, would we sexualize that too?
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Laura Esquivel for writing Like Water for Chocolate.
Works Cited
9½ Weeks. Directed by Adrian Lyne, performances by Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1986.
Ansari, Shahid (et al). “Exploring Scientifically Proven Herbal Aphrodisiacs.” National Center for Biotechnology Information, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/
Ault, Alicia. “Are Oysters an Aphrodisiac?” Smithsonian, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/are-oysters-aphrodisiac-180962148/
Bennett, B.C. “Doctrine of Signatures: An explanation of medicinal plant discovery or Dissemination of knowledge?” Economic Botany, Vol. 61, 246–255 (2007).
Böhme, Jakob. The Signature of All Things. Giles Calvert, 1651.
Dallas, Mary. “Eating Feeds ‘Feel Good’ Hormones in the Brain.” WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20170831/eating-feeds-feel-good-hormones-in-the-brain
Eplett, Layla. “When Sparks Fly: Aphrodisiacs and the Fruit Fly.” Scientific American, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/when-sparks-fly-aphrodisiacs-and-the-fruit-fly/
Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate. Doubleday, 1989.
Hadhazy, Adam. “Do Pheromones Play a Role in Our Sex Lives?” Scientific American, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pheromones-sex-lives/
Like Water for Chocolate. Directed by Alfonso Arau, performances by Lumi Cavazos and Marco Leonardi, Miramax, 1992.
“LOVE SEXPLOSION Spanish Fly.” Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Fly-1-Natural-Aphrodisiac/dp/B073NPY7VF. Accessed 31 March 2020.
O’Connor, Anahad. “The Claim: Chocolate Is An Aphrodisiac.” The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/18/health/18real.html
Puri, Ravi, and Raman Puri. Natural Aphrodisiacs: Myth or Reality. Xlibris Corporation, 2011.
Rupp, Rebecca. “Sex and the Celery: Ancient Greeks Get Busy With Help From Veggies.” National Geographic, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/food/the-plate/2014/05/20/sex-celery-ancient-greeks-get-busy-help-veggie/
Sage, Jessie. “Forget sexy-time foods, the best aphrodisiacs come from the real relationship work.” Pittsburgh City Paper, https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/forget-sexy-time-foods-the-best-aphrodisiacs-come-from-the-real-relationship-work/Content?oid=16090770
Shaw, Gina. “Aphrodisiac Foods: Real or Placebo Effect?” Berkeley Wellness, https://www.berkeleywellness.com/self-care/sexual-health/article/aphrodisiac-foods-real-or-placebo-effect
Te, Faith. Eggplant No. 2, Philippine Islands.
Magee, Elaine. “Aphrodisiacs: Fact or Fiction?” WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/sex/features/aphrodisiacs-fact-or-fiction#1
Malmed, Alexandra. “Love Potions: A Brief History of Aphrodisiacs.” Vogue, https://www.vogue.com/article/what-foods-are-aphrodisiacs-history
0 notes
Text
Paleo Diet Beginner Guide: 7 Things You Should Know Before Eating Like a Caveman!
New Post has been published on https://dietguideto.com/awesome/paleo-diet-beginner-guide-7-things-you-should-know-before-eating-like-a-caveman/
Paleo Diet Beginner Guide: 7 Things You Should Know Before Eating Like a Caveman!
So you wanna learn about the Paleo Diet, aka” the Caveman Diet ,” eh?
This is one of the most popular diets on the planet right now( up there with the Keto Diet ), and I bet you have questions.
Well I got answers, sucka!
And lots of LEGO photos.
In this massive guidebook, I’m going to give you the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to the Paleolithic Diet( click each link to go right to that section ):
What is the Paleo Diet and how does it run ? Will I lose weight on the Paleo Diet ? What can I eat on the Paleo Diet ? What foods CAN’T I eat on the Paleo Diet ? Can I eat grains on the Paleo Diet ? Can I eat dairy on the Paleo Diet? Can I eat cheese on the Paleo Diet ? Paleo Diet Shopping Guide: List of foods on the Paleo Diet What does a typical day look like on the Paleo Diet ? Is the Paleo Diet dangerous ? Paleo Recipes& Paleo Resource . Who shouldn’t do the Paleo Diet ? How to do the Paleo Diet safely .
Now, this guide is SUPER long, we are therefore took the liberty of converting it into a nicely designed guidebook for easy consumption( not literal intake, unless you print it on bacon ).
Grab your Beginner’s Guide to the Paleo Diet free when you sign on in the box below: Get the FREE eBook! The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Paleo!
Discover if Paleo is for you
The one simple trick to know if your food is Paleo-friendly
Easy Paleo recipes for beginners to get you started
I identify as a:
Woman
Man
If you can actually apply the standards of the the Paleo lifestyle, you can get some pretty solid results.
As the great Mr. Flintstone once said, “Yabadabadooooo!”
What is the Paleo Diet and How does it Work?
Oh lord, another “diet.”
I know, it sounds like a fad/ marketing gambit, but The Paleo Diet isn’t really a “diet,” and it’s actually quite logical when you think about it.
It’s also the most time-tested diet ever.
Here’s the ENTIRE diet in a nutshell :P TAGEND
” If a cave person didn’t eat it, neither should you .”
As the theory runs, tens of thousands of years ago, before Nike, Cap’n Crunch, and Healthy Choice snacks, our ancient ancestors thrived as hunter-gatherers.
Although it’s been a really long time, our genetics haven’t changed that much since then.
And yet…these days we’re overweight, out of shape, stressed out, unhappy, sleep deprived and dying from far too many preventable diseases due to lifestyle choices.
So what the hell happened?
Agriculture!
And then delivery and Netflix.
A few thousand years ago, humans discovered farming, the agricultural revolution took off, and we advanced from hunter-gatherers to farmers.
We resolved down, formed societies, and the human race progressed to what we are today. Which is obviously great for a number of reasons :P TAGEND
Not get eaten by wild animals Electricity Automobiles Nintendo
The problem is that our bodies never adjusted properly to eating all the grains and sugar that we’re now consuming.
As paleo guru Robb Wolf sets it, think of a 100 -yard football field :P TAGEND
The first 99.5 yards are how long Homo-Sapiens spent as hunter-gatherers. As they became Really good at hunting and collecting our bodies adapted to that lifestyle over thousands of years.
That last half-yard represents our species after the agricultural revolution, where our diet has changed( but our genetics haven’t ).
So, instead of loading up on meat, vegetables and seasonal fruit, we’ve become a species “dependent” upon grains- bread, pasta, rice, corn, and so on.
66% of us are overweight, 33% are considered obese, and those numbers are only getting worse.[ 1 ]
Clearly something’s not right, and we need to fix it.
The Paleo Diet is an effort to go back to our ancestral roots.
To start eating how we’re biologically designed to eat, allowing us to tap into our genetic potential and start living healthier immediately.
To recap the rules of the Paleo Diet :P TAGEND
Only feed foods a caveman would eat See Rule# 1
Note that it doesn’t mention calorie counting or meal period or macro tracking. That’s part of the popularity of this diet: feed paleo approved foods when you’re hungry, and that’s it.
Will I Lose Weight on the Paleo Diet?
This is the question we get above all else :P TAGEND
” Will the Paleo Diet assistance me lose weight ?”
Probably. If you can actually apply the standards of the the Paleo lifestyle, you can get some pretty solid results.
It’s helped many people attain jaw-dropping transformations, including my friend Saint,( whose narrative you can read here ):
Or Staci from Team NF, our lead female trainer in our 1-on-1 Coaching Program ):
The Paleo Diet will work for you, if you do it right.
You need to have the right mindset, you need to focus on the right foods, and you need to structure your environment so that you’re not tempted to backslide and abandon the Paleo Diet after a few days.
However, it has nothing to do with what Fred Flintstone ate or didn’t eat.
It comes down to science and thermodynamics.
As I point out in our article on How to Lose Weight: What’s the Perfect Diet( For me ?), if you want to lose weight :P TAGEND
Eat fewer calories than you burn every day. Wishing to also be healthy? Eat mostly real food.
Want to KEEP the weight off?
Add# 3: Do those two things consistently for a decade.
Here’s WHY you’ll lose weight on the Paleo Diet:
You’re merely eating meat, fish, veggies, fruit, and nuts. These are foods that are full of nutrients, will build you feel full, but don’t have nearly as many calories as junk food. You are completely eliminating calorie-dense, often nutritionally insufficient, unhealthy foods. This means no grains( pasta, bread, rice ), no dairy , no beans. It also means no soda , no candy , no sugar.
And yup. When you merely eat real food and avoid all unhealthy food, you’re more likely than not going to run a caloric deficit- and thus lose weight.
Let me share a really obvious example.
200 calories of broccoli get you enough to fill up an entire plate :P TAGEND
Or … 200 calories will get you exactly 1/2 a Snickers bar :P TAGEND
Look at that: nobody can eat that much broccoli, and nobody merely fees half a candy bar!
My point is this: by eating Paleo-approved foods, you’re more likely than not to eat fewer calories than you did in the past automatically, which can lead to weight loss.
I dig into this in even greater detail in” Why can’t I lose weight ?” but it all comes down to” calories in, calories out .”
So YES, the Paleo Diet MIGHT help you lose weight.
You just need to eat fewer calories than you burn every day( Here’s how to calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure ). And that is easier when you are eliminating foods that people tend to overeat :P TAGEND
Candy Soda Pasta Bread Dairy
But that’s all about what we’re eliminating. What are we maintaining !?
what Can I eat on The Paleo diet?
In order to follow the Paleo Diet Lifestyle, here are the foods that are Paleo endorse :P TAGEND
Meat*- steak, ham, pork, bison, boar. Organs- liver, kidneys, heart. Marrows- considering a theme here? Eat ALL parts of the animal! Fowl- chicken, duck, hen, turkey…things with wings that( try to) fly. Fish- cod, tuna, salmon, and so on. Eggs- Look for omega-3 enriched cage-free eggs. Veggie- spinach, broccoli, kale, carrots, peppers, zucchini, onions, etc. Petroleum- minimally processed, derived from plants: olive oil, coconut petroleum, avocado petroleum. Fats: ghee, lard, or other animal fats. Fruits- apples, pears, bananas, grapes, strawberries. Nuts- almonds, walnuts, cashews, and their respective butters( almond butter is so good !) Tubers- Sweet potatoes and yams.
* If you can, aim for grass-fed beef and organic fruits and vegetables. But don’t go break the bank with your food purchases. Merely do the best you can.
As the Paleo Diet explains: Pick any of the foods from that listing and feed as much as you want of them.
You might have noticed that a lot of the foods above are loaded with fat. And depending on what your mom told you growing up, you might suppose fat is the devil.
So let me address that right away…
Do Eating Fat Make You Fat?
If you’re cut back on carbs, that means you’ll need to fill the void in your diet with the most controversial macronutrient :P TAGEND
Fat!
It’s gotten a bad rap over the past number of decades, so companies have been doing everything possible to stimulate everything low fat and “healthy! ”( while adding all sorts of preservatives, chemicals, and sugar ).
Yup…cut out the fat, increase the carbs….and appear where THAT has get us.
Why has fat been vilified? Rather than get into the politics of it myself, I’ll let Gary Taubes, writer of the incredibly thorough and well-researched Good Calories, Bad Calories take over.
As he discusses in an article he wrote for the New York Times a decade ago: [ 2 ]
These researchers point out that there are plenty of reasons to suggest that the low-fat-is-good-health hypothesis has now effectively failed the test of hour.
In particular, that we are in the midst of an obesity epidemic that started around the early 1980′ s, and that this was coincident with the rise of the low-fat dogma.( Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, also rose significantly through this period .)
They say that low-fat weight-loss diets have proved in clinical trials and real life to be dismal failings, and that on top of it all, the percentage of fat in the American diet has been decreasing for two decades.
Our cholesterol levels have been declining, and we have been smoking less, and yet the incidence of heart disease has not declined as would be expected.” That is very disconcerting ,” Willett says.” It suggests that something else bad is happening .”
” Low fat” foods were created to follow conventional wisdom that fat induce you fat( which as stated in the above article doesn’t stand up to scrutiny ).
When a company makes a low fat food, they remove the fat and have to replace the flavor with something.
That “something” is usually sugar( and often more calories ).
Crap.
So, according to Taubes and Paleo folks, fat has been vilified and the real focus should have been on sugar and carbs all along.
Because healthy fats are valuable additions to our diet.
Here are some examples of Paleo-Approved Healthy Fats :P TAGEND
Avocados Almond( and almond butter) Fatty cuts of meat Walnuts Coconut oil Olive oil
In the Paleo Diet, fat constructions up a large portion of one’s diet.
If you’re worried about consuming fat and how it will affect your cholesterol, read our Full Guide to Cholesterol
WhAT Foods Can’t I eat On the Paleo Diet?
If you are looking to strictly follow the Paleo Diet, then you can’t eat foods that did not exist back in” Caveman times .”
Why?
Because- as those in favour of the diet point out- cavemen couldn’t eat those foods because they didn’t exist. There was no way to create cereal and candy – you could only eat what you detected or hunted.
So, that’s what the Paleo Diet advocates as the reason for avoiding these foods. And it serves as a good mental model to check with yourself: “Could a caveman have eaten this dinner? ”
And when you start to answer this question, you specifying the foods that you’re not allowed to eat on the Paleo Diet :P TAGEND
Grains like pasta, cereal bread, and rice Dairy like milk and cheese Candy, cookies, ice cream, and other processed foods
The Paleo Diet also almost completely eliminates sugar outside of fruit. No candy. No soda. No powdered donuts. Yup, even the mini white ones from the grocery store where you can eat like 100 of them( accidentally, of course ).
Many studies have shown that an incredible number of diseases and lifestyle issues is also available reversed by cutting out sugar and processed foods.[ 3 ]
But I understand grains and dairy are a bit more complex.
Let me explain :P TAGEND Can I Eat Grains on the Paleo Diet?
Unfortunately , nope.
The Caveman reason why: Grain require some amount of processing, and thus Cavemen would not have feed them.
The science and psychological reason why: we have a tendency to overeat grains and the other ” no no” foods on the Paleo Diet. They are calorically dense, nutrient insufficient, and they can wreak havoc on some people’s blood sugar levels.
This leads to a sugar rushed be accompanied by a crash, which can lead to more emotional or hungry overeating…and the process starts again.
Rather than me explain that part with thousands of words, just watch this three-minute video-” Why You Got Fat :”
youtube
Let’s get into some more reasons Paleo proponents indicate avoiding grains: most contain gluten and lectins.
What are they and what’s wrong with them? I’m so glad you asked :P TAGEND
Gluten is a protein found in things like rye, wheat, and barley. It’s now being said that much of our population may be gluten-intolerant( hence all the new “gluten-free! ” items popping up everywhere ). Over time, those people who have gluten intolerant can develop a dismal array of medical conditions from ingesting gluten: dermatitis, joint pain, reproductive problems, acid reflux, and more.[ 4 ] Lectins are natural toxins that are present in grains to defend against consumption! Yup. Grain have evolved to keep themselves from being feed by us. These lectins are not a fan of our gastrointestinal tract, and they prevent the tract from repairing itself from normal wear and tear. This can cause all kinds of damage.
Long story short: many people cannot process grains properly, and they are usually the food that causes people to eat too many calories. So by eliminating grains from your diet, you’re more likely than not going to eat fewer calories without counting calories.
That’s a Paleo win!
Do I Need to Avoid Carbs on the Paleo Diet?
Not necessarily.
That depends on your goals and your body – you are a special snowflake!
Some people function well on a high fat, low carb diet.
Others function better on a high carb, low fat diet.
Personally, I function better on a higher carb, lower fat diet( which is how I lost 22 pounds in 6 months ).
I will say the Paleo Diet is USUALLY a Low Carb diet, and large quantities of carbs are not required for somebody to be healthy regular diet.[ 5 ].
After all, carbs aren’t evil- they’re just…carbs.
Here is the logic and psychology behind why the Paleo Diet is low carb :P TAGEND
On a typical Western diet, we ingest plenty o’ carbs, and our bodies convert those carbs to a sugar called “glucose.” This is our body’s preferred method of fueling itself.
In the absence of carbs to create glucose to fuel our bodies, we have to do a few other things instead :P TAGEND
Transform stored fat into glycerol and fatty acids( this process is called lipolysis ). Burn fatty acids for energy or transform the fatty acids into glucose for energy( this is called gluconeogenesis) In the absence of glucose( through fasting or following a Keto Diet ), your body are generating ketones for fuel( called “ketogenesis” ).
We’re going to focus on the forms of weight loss NOT related to ” ketogenesis .” Unless you are avoiding all carbohydrates while running Paleo, or you are doing long fasts, you most likely won’t be in ketosis while running Paleo.
We do cover Paleo vs Keto: Which is Better if you’re deciding between the two.
Back to weight loss and Paleo: when you cut back on carbs, and thus most likely Also cut back on total calories devoured, you are creating a caloric deficit in your body.
And eat a consistent deficit over a long enough time period, BOOM caveman weight loss.
So, fewer carbs= less glucose in your system, less sugar accidents, less “hangry” moments and smaller opportunity of overeating= fewer calories devoured on average.
If you’re worried about adherence to the diet, I understand – it’s the toughest part of Paleo- sticking with it!
Knowing what to eat is part of it, but following this fairly restrictive lifestyle in a modern surrounding surrounded by cookies and candy and bagels and pasta is really difficult!
If this whole” Paleo, Carbs, and Weight Loss” thing is stressing you out, you’re not alone!
In fact, people like you are the reason we created our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program!
We work with busy people like you to structure a complete life overhaul: handcrafted workout routines, accountability, mindset alters, and nutritional strategies.
Can I eat Dairy on the Paleo Diet? Can I feed Cheese On the Paleo Diet?
This also depends. Strict Paleo folks tend to stay away from it- a portion of the world is lactose intolerant, and those that aren’t usually have at least some type of an aversion to it.
Why? Because hunter-gatherers didn’t lug cows around with them while traveling- milk was ingested as a baby through breast milk from their mother, and that was it.
So as Paleo-stans will tell ya, our bodies weren’t designed for massive dairy consumption.
There is evidence that some adaptation to dairy has taken place throughout the years, specifically with people with pedigree in herding cultures, but this is not the majority of the population.[ 6 ]
Paleo purists will avoid dairy like the plague, while other paleo-ish people have found that eating dairy in its various sorts work for their genetics, objectives, and lifestyle.
“What about Cheese? Can I eat cheese on the Paleo Diet? ”
You do you, boo. But if you’re going Strict Paleo, then unfortunately cheese is OUT too.
If you’re just looking to lose some weight while following a “mostly Paleo” lifestyle, then adding some high quality cheese into some of your dinners can be okay.
Some cheese will tend to have lower amounts of lactose or casein- the parts of dairy that can cause digestion challenges.
So, if you’re not sure your body is processing dairy properly, remove dairy from your diet and only introduce it back in when you’re ready to see how your body responds.
If you’re not losing weight while eating a” Paleo+ Dairy” Diet, you’re still eating too many calories.
Consider cutting out dairy and see how your body responds.
Paleo Diet Shopping Guide: List of Food on the Paleo Diet
Because I like you as person or persons, I’ve generated a printable Paleo Diet Shopping List PDF you can bring with you to the grocery store to help you decide what to buy and what to avoid.
Simply right click on the image below and save as :P TAGEND
Feel free to publish this out and bringing it with you to the grocery store. If you happen to run into somebody else who has ALSO printed out this sheet, feel free to high five each other while singing Baltimora!
What is a Typical Day Like on the Paleo Diet?
Here is an example of a typical day on “The Paleo Diet” :P TAGEND
Breakfast: Omelet with spinach with fresh fruit. Lunch: Grilled chicken, kale, and avocado salad with vinegar and olive oil. Snack: Apple slicings and almond butter. Dinner: Steak with asparagus and sweet potato fries. Dessert: Strawberries and a piece of 85% darknes chocolate.
That doesn’t sound so bad, right?
Make sure you check out our Paleo Diet Recipes and Resources section too for more options.
Start with a good protein source with each dinner( eggs, steak, chicken, fish, pork) and then add a vegetable or fruit.
That’s it.
If you feel hungry constantly, understand that changing up a diet can cause a body a few weeks of adjustment.
Remember, your body is learning to operate on both fewer calories AND fewer carbs- depending on how low carb you go this could be a DRAMATIC change.
And this is often referred to as “carb flu, ” and it can be miserable! Your body might take multiple weeks to adjust to these new habits.
Going from a processed, high sodium diet to a paleo diet you will very often end up eating too little sodium, which is an essential nutrient.
So if you’re feeling tired all the time, try adding some salt to your food or consider an electrolyte supplement- this is what we recommend with our Keto readers too.
Is the Paleo Diet Dangerous?
The dismissive criticisms of the Paleo Diet generally fall into one of three categories :P TAGEND
Cavemen had short lifespans. So there. A recent article said that cavemen feed grains. So there. Eating that much meat is unhealthy. So there.
As I said at the beginning of this article, it doesn’t matter what cavemen or cavewomen ACTUALLY ate.
The reason this diet works has nothing to do with what our bodies are designed to eat or what cavemen feed 1,000 s of years ago.
The Paleo Diet CAN help you lose weight because it gets you to cut out junk food, focus on eating real food, and gives you a framework to evaluate speedily every food selection :P TAGEND
” Did a caveman eat this? Yes or no .”
That’s it!
By following this ONE rules, you’re likely to eat fewer calories than you used to, and thus you’re likely to end up healthier than before.
I personally don’t follow a Paleo Diet, but I do appreciate the fact that it’s easy to comprehend and gets people to take a more active approach in their food!
So, disregarding the fear mongering, tenet, and anthropological criticisms of what cavemen actually ate, what are the ACTUAL critiques of the Paleo Diet?
# 1)” Why is the Paleo Diet expensive ?”
Admittedly, while I recommend eating organic fruits and veggies, free-range chicken, and grass-fed beef whenever possible, these products can be more expensive in conventional stores due to the processes needed to get them there.
However, farmers’ marketplaces often have well-priced meat, eggs, fruits, and vegetables that are locally grown and incredibly healthy.
Even if you’re spending a little more money than before, when you factor in your overall health, spending a few extra bucks on healthier food now is a wiser investment than thousands later on costly medical expenses.
Also, if you’re really short on cash, feeing the non-organic or grain-fed version of a meat, vegetable, or eggs is still better than feeing bread, pasta, fast food, and the like.
Most people simply compare the cost of a paleo snack with ramen noodles or pasta and bread and determine Paleo is prohibitively expensive.
Sure, it’s more expensive than those foods, but if you are smart with your money you can eat a much healthier snack and do so pretty inexpensively. Check out this guide on” How to Eat Healthy Without Breaking the Bank” for some tip-off and tricks.
( This doesn’t even factor in the whole” if you eat inexpensive unhealthy food now, you’ll pay thousands in medical bills and hospital visits and drugs later” argument which is valid too ).
# 2)” But cavemen had short lifespans! Of course they don’t have the diseases we do. We live way longer now .”
I agree with you here, but only because you don’t have to deal with the dangers of living back then. Again we don’t really care to live like cave people!
This is SIMPLY a construct that can help many build more informed food choices.
# 3)” Plenty of societies around the world consume grains and aren’t fat and unhealthy like us .”
Awesome- it seems like those people have found a solution that works for them. Have you read our big ass guidebook to eating a Plant-Based Diet?
The China Study is frequently cited when blaming the Paleo Diet- are concentrated on a vegetarian diet and consuming rice is healthier than the Paleo Diet. I respectfully disagree with the conclusions drawn from that book but that’s awesome if you want to go plant-based! [ 7 ] I’ll leave you to induce your own conclusions based on your own self-experimentation.
You’re here to learn about the Paleo Diet though, so let’s keep the focus there.
# 4)” But this is just a meat diet, and eating all meat is bad !”
First of all, consider your sources and do your research before jumping to the conclusions.
Next, this is not an all meat diet like the Carnivore Diet or uber-low carb diets like Keto or Atkins. The biggest component of the Paleo Diet?
Vegetables!
Every meal in a true Paleo diet has a moderate amount of healthy( properly raised chicken, grass-fed beef, hormone free, etc .) meat combined with nutritious veggies or a moderate sum of fruit.
# 5)” The Paleo Diet is too restrictive and I can’t live like this .”
This is the most valid criticism I personally have of the diet, as the best diet plan is the one you actually stick with and be adhered to on! The goal shouldn’t be to go” full paleo” for a few weeks merely going to go to how you were eating before.
Instead, the goal here should be to rethink your relationship with food and develop a strategy that you can live with permanently.
There’s nothing worse than going on diets and gaining and losing the same 20 pounds over and over. The Paleo Diet, like other diets, WORKS ONLY IF YOU STICK WITH IT PERMANENTLY!
This attains sense after all: stimulate temporary changes, get temporary results, right?
# 6)” Steve, I hate veggies. How do you construct veggies taste better? HALP .”
I got you. Heres how to start liking vegetables and how to attain veggies savour better.
We know this all too well, and we have helped thousands of people slowwwwly transition their diet over a long period of time to make change less scary, more permanent, and thus attain the weight loss permanent too!
If you’re overwhelmed or scared of changing too much, or maybe you’re just sick of dieting and want to find a solution that works for your busy lifestyle and situation, schedule a bellow with us to gain a better understanding of our 1-on-1 coaching program :P TAGEND
Paleo Recipes and Paleo Resources
Here’s our full list of Nerd Fitness Paleo/ Healthy recipes, and here are my three favorites :P TAGEND
10 Minutes of Prep, 10 Easy Meals Paleo spaghetti: freaking delicious, I promise How to Make Mini Paleo Pizzas .
I’ve also compiled a list of my favorite sites and recipe books in various regions of the internet that can help you get started :P TAGEND
# 1) Nom Nom Paleo -~ ATAGEND Michelle Tam and her husband Henry are amazing people, and their Paleo Blog is absolutely phenomenal. Great photos. Well written. Organized intelligently.
Their “Nom Nom Paleo” cookbook is a fun resource too, and a great place to get started with cooking for your Paleo lifestyle. Oh, what’s that? You have children and a spouse and you’re all trying to eat healthier too? This book is perfect for that as well!
# 2) Mark’s Daily Apple– Easily the most comprehensive resource on the internet for the Paleo Diet- Mark writes an article every weekday about everything Paleo, and it usually blows me away. Some of the posts can get overwhelming, so I indicate starting with his Primal Blueprint 101.
The Primal Blueprint– If you want to read about this stuff in a volume rather than on a computer screen, Mark’s book The Primal Blueprint is a great place to get started on not only what to eat, but why you should be eating it.
It’s educational, funny, real-world applicable, and teaches you how to primalize( just made that up) the rest of your life too.
# 3) Robb Wolf– Another great resource, and a guy I’ve already referenced in this article multiple times. Check out his site for a comprehensive FAQ on all things Paleo, a shopping list pdf( right-click and save ), and plenty of humor.
The Paleo Solution– This article would have been finished 3 hours earlier, but before I wrote it, I read ALL of Robb’s new volume. It severely had me laughing out loud at certain phases- not bad for a book on diet!
This book is a little less forgiving than Mark’s book above, but it’s still a great read.
# 4) Loren Cordain– Loren is considered the leading expert on the Paleo Diet- Robb is actually one of his students/ disciples/ Padawans.
Dr. Cordain is probably the foremost authority on this type of eating, which is why I actually enjoyed read both of his volumes.
MORE RECIPE RESOURCES :P TAGEND
Ready or Not! 150 Make Now Recipes– The newer book from Michelle Tam of Nom Nom Paleo. It’s super fun. Plus she’s wearing a Nerd FItness t-shirt in some of her photos in the book, so I might be sliiiightly biased Mark’s Daily Apple– Although he sells the cookbook on Amazon, Mark also lists over 100 free primal recipes on his site. Pick something on the list, run buy the ingredients, and follow the instructions! So easy even a caveman can do it. Everyday Paleo– Great images, easy to follow recipes, and pretty interesting combinations. Click on FOOD in the Nav bar, and the meals are broken down into breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
If you’re curious about The Paleo Diet’s recent popularity and thus it’s criticisms, we’ve written two other pieces on Nerd Fitness that might be of interest :P TAGEND
” The Paleo Diet Debunked ??” where I address a few of the more recent criticisms that have popped up.
” In Defense of a Paleo-Ish Diet” where I encompass how to live a mostly Paleo lifestyle but still enjoy the modern benefits of society.
Who Should and Who Shouldn’t Do the Paleo Diet?
I’m a fan of the Paleo Diet for the RIGHT person:
I love mental models that help us make sense of the world, and I guess for SOME people, the Paleo Diet has certainly help them cut down on overeating.
I personally do NOT follow a Paleo Diet, but I do have regulations that I follow.
Do whatever makes you happy and fits in your schedule. I like this kind of stress-free eating.
Regardless of whether or not grains should be vilified, I love this diet because I know it WORKS. I know people that have lost incredible amounts of weight and changed their lives within a matter of months.
People like Staci :P TAGEND
Regardless of how you feel about grains, we can all agree that eating more natural foods and less processed foods is better for you.
YOU SHOULD DO THE PALEO DIET IF :P TAGEND
You struggle with section control( entailing you can’t eat merely one cookie, or you tend to keep feeing even when you’re full ). You can stick with the changes you’re making permanently! Remember, temporary changes create temporary outcomes. You don’t mind eliminating some of your favorite foods completely.
YOU SHOULD NOT DO THE PALEO DIET IF :P TAGEND
The notion of giving up non-paleo foods makes you want to cry. You don’t mind learning about calories and want to track your food. Another diet sounds like a better fit for you!
Consider some of these other options instead:
The Mediterranean Diet which still includes portions of things like pasta or bread( note: I said PORTIONS , not platefuls )! Our guide on healthy eating and slowly adjust your nutrition- which would be my recommendation. My paleo-ish dietary philosophy that holds me healthy and happy.
If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you need to attain permanent adjustments to your nutrition.
If you don’t see yourself being able to permanently follow a Paleo Diet, I would advise a more’ wade in from the shallow aim‘ approach to dietary change!
How to Do the Paleo Diet Safely
Maybe you’re ready to try out this Paleo lifestyle, but you can’t commit fully. There are certain foods you refuse to give up, or you can’t afford to buy grass-fed beef at the moment.
That’s okay!
If you can even make a few small changes here and there( cut out liquid calories, switching out your rice for steamed vegetables, cut back on bread, etc .) you’ll start to see some changes.
Remember, 20% healthier is better than 0% healthier- as you get more comfy with the changes you can increase that percentage.
After all, I know how tough it is to stay loyal to a strict diet, especially without a plan to follow. It’s why we created free resources that can help you reach your goals faster without you also going crazy.
Get rid of the temptation: if you’re gonna go at this thing with a full head of steam, remove all the junk food from your house.
It’s going to take a few weeks for your body to adjust to burning fat instead of glucose, and you might want to eat poorly here and there. If there’s no food in your house to tempt you, it will be much easier to stay on target.
Now, it’s your turn.
Have you tried the Paleo Diet yet? What was your experience like? Have a criticism of the diet that I didn’t cover before? Do you have a favorite paleo resource?
Remember, one of the major Rules of the Rebellion is to question everything!
I hope this article gives you some food for thought( terrible pun, I know ), and gives you permission to question conventional wisdom and start addressing the issues in your diet!
In addition to this Beginner Paleo Guide, I hope you consider checking our 1-on-1 Coaching Program as well.
We have designed this program from the ground up to help people like you change their lives and fix their nutrition in a way that doesn’t suck.
Now, go forth. And feed like a caveman.
-Steve
PS: I’ll leave you with a mention of the Nerd Fitness Academy– it essentially gamifies your experience in transitioning into a Paleo lifestyle and diet, and provides you with specific instruction, snack plans, workouts, and a supportive community.
###
photo sources: cavemen elephant hunt, caveman cooking over flame, cavemen hunt paleo bear, milk truck logo, darth vader vendor, storm trooper tomato, lego cook, chef and lego pig, lego explorer, lego muffin, lego bread and carbs, frozen caveman grok lego, lego clock, lego caveman forge for food, caveman with wheel, darth vader and ostrich lego, easing into water lego, lego man with pasta
Footnote( returns to text)
Adult Obesity Prevalence Map CDC.gov
What if its all Been a Big Fat Lie ? Take a look at this time magazine article on cancer patients who switched to a zero-sugar diet and assured positive results. You can read our full guide on Gluten check out the Inuit Paradox for a great read on societies that exist without almost any carbohydrates If you want to nerd out about this stuff, go wild with this study This is the most well-researched critique I’ve determine of the China Study: Denise Menger- China Study- Fact or Fallacy
Read more: nerdfitness.com
0 notes
Text
New Post has been published on Health bolt
New Post has been published on https://www.healthbolt.net/blog/great-tasting-meals/
Great Tasting Meals
Contents
Healthy easy recipes
Healthy. delicious. — easy
Healthier alternative lean cuisine
Festival features tempting items
Congestive heart failure
If you’re an amateur or even professional chef, chances are you’ll make your fair share of mistakes, which can be great teachers … When in doubt, add a little and then taste your food. If it doesn’t …
Most Popular Recipe Sites Lean Pocket Calories Calories in lean pocket pepperoni pizza based on the calories, fat, protein, carbs and other nutrition information submitted for Lean Pocket Pepperoni Pizza. main content Live Healthy & Happy Lean Pocket Nutritional Lean Pockets® brand sandwiches: The flavors you crave, made with ingredients you can feel good about. Product Filters All products. Hot pockets. lean pockets. breakfast. high protein. Stuffed Pretzels. FILTER BY FEATURE FILTER BY FEATURE The pocket-sized device measures body fat percentage … That measurement allows the device to measure lean body mass. This i… this is the Lean Pockets variety, and it’s the closest to edible-without-shame the brand gets. These marvelous bastards are only 250 calories a piece, and while those calories don’t contain much of an… Calories, carbs, fat, protein, fiber, cholesterol, and more for Lean pockets (Meatballs & mozzarella). Want to use it in a meal plan? Head to the diet generator and enter the number of calories you want. Nutrious Meals Brainiac™ Kids Delivers First Food-Based Brain Nutrition, Reimagining the Yogurt Aisle – SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Ingenuity [™] Brands, the first company dedicated to food-based brain nutrition, announced today the launch of Brainiac [™] Kids, the first line of kids’ y… Foodnetwork Recipes love food network shows, chefs and recipes? Find the best recipe ideas, videos, healthy eating advice, party ideas and cooking techniques from top chefs, shows and experts. Put In Ingredients Get Calories But even as we enter the second month of the New Year, many of us are struggling to clean our diets out and get adequate workout … important to pick your meal ingredients very carefully, if you are … Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase … is a beverage that might be able to help. The formula utilizes ingredients naturally found in the b… Do you ever wonder exactly how many calories are in a serving of your favorite dish? I recently posted a recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread and someone posted a comment asking about how many calories are in a serving. … recipe calorie calculator. … and some sites that allow you to log in recipe ingredients and number of … Www Foodnetwork Recipes Love Food Network shows, chefs and recipes? Find the best recipe ideas, videos, healthy eating advice, party ideas and cooking techniques from top chefs, shows and experts. FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers’ best friend in food and is … Keep Recipe Recipe: Keep the romance alive with this chocolate ganache … – 8 days ago · Recipe: Keep the romance alive with this chocolate ganache cake Cuisiniers Catering & Events This chocolate ganache cake is a decadent bite courtesy of Chef Jamie McFadden of Cuisiniers Catering … Glow Recipe Launches the New Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist – Whether you stash one in your
The steaks got a great sear on the outside, but they stayed nice and pink on the inside." -Baby Duck. recipe Award Winning Chili "Wow! I think this is going to be my go-to recipe! … and this is the quickest, best-tasting bread you will find." -adrienne567. recipe Easy …
While the recipes below aren’t paleo or low carb or even low fat for that matter, they are all balanced, good-for-you meals that should help you stay away from the fried chicken. 1. Cuban Chicken And Black Bean Quinoa Bowls. Half Baked Harvest.
This is what I have learned from testing carrot soup recipes: Even folks who really like carrots sometimes … with no discernible coconut taste. I think it could even serve as a base for a minestrone …
Don’t Panic – Dinner’s in the Freezer: Great-Tasting Meals You Can Make Ahead [Susie Martinez, Vanda Howell, Bonnie Garcia] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Hectic lifestyles and over-full schedules make traditional cooking methods nearly obsolete in many families.
Really Good Healthy Recipes About BBC Good Food. We are the UK’s number one food brand. Whether you’re looking for healthy recipes and guides, family projects and meal plans, the latest gadget reviews, foodie travel inspiration or just the perfect recipe for dinner tonight, we’re here to help. Best Healthy Food Recipes The best food processors you can buy today – 20 Easy and healthy food processor Recipes CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page. It isn’t pretty (not even a little), but this $180 German food processor … Top 20 Healthiest Vegetables Jun 05, 2013 · You are what you eat, and if you eat these vegetables you are healthy! Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 vegetables. We rank the … Jun 05, 2013 · You are what you eat, and if you eat these vegetables you are healthy! Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 vegetables. We rank the … The prices of 20 grocery items increased … Because of its purported health benefits, consumption is projected to continue to climb in the future as Americans become increasingly health conscious. Ca… Jun 05, 2013 · You are what you eat, and if you eat these vegetables you are healthy! Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 vegetables. We rank the … Delicious And healthy easy recipes for Delicious Quick Meals. Spend less time in the kitchen – and eat better too – using my recipes for quick meals using mainly unprocessed foods. healthy. delicious. — easy weeknight recipes and fun … – Lauren Keating is a recipe developer and food photographer who shares easy weeknight recipes and fun weekend projects featuring fresh ingredients. easy breakfast egg muffins – perfect grab and go breakfast! So delicious! Bake scrambled eggs & veggies at 375 for 20 min. This easy breakfast egg muffins recipe is an easy grab-and-go option for busy mornings. We eat eggs pretty much every morning because … Lean Cuisine Carbs Nestlé called the healthier alternative lean cuisine, promising that every entree was under 300 calories and tasted good. 2. AN INSTANT HIT, IT SOLD OUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY. In its first year of busine… Foodnetwork Recipes love food network shows, chefs and recipes? Find the best recipe ideas, videos, healthy eating advice, party ideas and cooking techniques from top chefs, shows and experts. Put In Ingredients Get Calories But even as we enter the second month of the New Year, many of us are struggling to clean our diets out and get adequate workout … important to pick your meal ingredients very carefully, if you are … Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase … is a beverage that might be able to help. The formula utilizes ingredients naturally found in the b… Do you ever wonder exactly how many calories are in a serving of your favorite dish?
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Overnight Oatmeal in "Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs."
And they all offer some of the best tasting menus in NYC for under $100 … These are generous portions of excellent food without the typical prix fixe pretense. Deciding what to order at Mission Chin…
Unique Food Recipe Food And Wine Pairings At Disney California Adventure – The Disney California Adventure Food & Wine festival features tempting items for the whole family to enjoy, including unique food and … who will share their go-to recipes and insider tips … These zesty Asian meatballs are the perfect party food! They’re colorful, flavorful and delicious. What more could you ask for? Serve them at your next get together or make them without the spice for … Unique recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner featuring Kings’ fresh ingredients. Our gourmet recipes will be a hit at your next dinner party or family meal. … of unique, Chef Inspired recipes. … Share in our love of food. Sign up for Kings newsletter to stay up … Sliding into your morning like a champ. Get the recipe from Delish.. BUY NOW Pyrex Glass Baking Dishes, $16, amazon.com Really Good Healthy Recipes About BBC Good Food. We are the UK’s number one food brand. Whether you’re looking for healthy recipes and guides, family projects and meal plans, the latest gadget reviews, foodie travel inspiration or just the perfect recipe for dinner tonight, we’re here to help. Best Healthy Food Recipes The best food processors you can buy today – 20 Easy and healthy food processor Recipes CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page. It isn’t pretty (not even a little), but this $180 German food processor … Top 20 Healthiest Vegetables Jun 05, 2013 · You are what you eat, and if you eat these vegetables you are healthy! Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 vegetables. We rank the … Jun 05, 2013 · You are what you eat, and if you eat these vegetables you are healthy! Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 vegetables. We rank the … The prices of 20 grocery items increased … Because of its purported health benefits, consumption is projected to continue to climb in the future as Americans become increasingly health conscious. Ca… Jun 05, 2013 · You are what you eat, and if you eat these vegetables you are healthy! Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 vegetables. We rank the … Delicious And Healthy Easy Recipes for Delicious Quick Meals. Spend less time in the kitchen – and eat better too – using my recipes for quick meals using mainly unprocessed foods. Healthy. Delicious. — Easy weeknight recipes and fun … – Lauren Keating is a recipe developer and food photographer who shares easy weeknight recipes and fun weekend projects featuring fresh ingredients. easy breakfast egg muffins – perfect grab and go breakfast! So delicious! Bake scrambled eggs & veggies at 375 for 20 min. This easy breakfast egg muffins recipe is an easy grab-and-go option for busy mornings. We eat eggs pretty much every morning because … Lean Cuisine Carbs Nestlé called the healthier alternative Lean Cuisine, promising that every
This light and crunchy white fish dish is a great source of vitamin D. According to Science Daily, deficiencies in vitamin D may be a risk factor for heart attacks, congestive heart failure, …
Lean Pocket Calories Calories in Lean Pocket Pepperoni Pizza based on the calories, fat, protein, carbs and other nutrition information submitted for Lean Pocket Pepperoni Pizza. main content Live Healthy & Happy Lean Pocket Nutritional Lean Pockets® brand sandwiches: The flavors you crave, made with ingredients you can feel good about. Product Filters All products. Hot Pockets. Lean Pockets. Breakfast. High Protein. Stuffed Pretzels. FILTER BY FEATURE FILTER BY FEATURE The pocket-sized device measures body fat percentage … That measurement allows the device to measure lean body mass. This i… this is the Lean Pockets variety, and it’s the closest to edible-without-shame the brand gets. These marvelous bastards are only 250 calories a piece, and while those calories don’t contain much of an… Calories, carbs, fat, protein, fiber, cholesterol, and more for Lean pockets (Meatballs & mozzarella). Want to use it in a meal plan? Head to the diet generator and enter the number of calories you want. Nutrious Meals Brainiac™ Kids Delivers First Food-Based Brain Nutrition, Reimagining the Yogurt Aisle – SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Ingenuity [™] Brands, the first company dedicated to food-based brain nutrition, announced today the launch of Brainiac [™] Kids, the first line of kids’ y… Foodnetwork Recipes love food network shows, chefs and recipes? Find the best recipe ideas, videos, healthy eating advice, party ideas and cooking techniques from top chefs, shows and experts. Put In Ingredients Get Calories But even as we enter the second month of the New Year, many of us are struggling to clean our diets out and get adequate workout … important to pick your meal ingredients very carefully, if you are … Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase … is a beverage that might be able to help. The formula utilizes ingredients naturally found in the b… Do you ever wonder exactly how many calories are in a serving of your favorite dish? I recently posted a recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread and someone posted a comment asking about how many calories are in a serving. … recipe calorie calculator. … and some sites that allow you to log in recipe ingredients and number of … Www Foodnetwork Recipes Love Food Network shows, chefs and recipes? Find the best recipe ideas, videos, healthy eating advice, party ideas and cooking techniques from top chefs, shows and experts. FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers’ best friend in food and is … Keep Recipe Recipe: Keep the romance alive with this chocolate ganache … – 8 days ago · Recipe: Keep the romance alive with this chocolate ganache cake Cuisiniers Catering & Events This chocolate ganache cake is a decadent bite courtesy of Chef Jamie McFadden of Cuisiniers Catering … Glow Recipe Launches the New Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist – Whether you stash one in your purse or prefer
Meals & Cooking Jan 24, 2019 15 Healthy Soup Recipes That Will Help You Lose Weight. Eating healthy tastes better than you think. By Jolie Peters. Meals & Cooking Jan 21, 2019
Search Foodnetwork One chef describes food as conflict, while others claim that politics stay out of the kitchen. Those discordant opinions on what constitutes and who defines Israeli cuisine are what keeps Roger Sherma… Lean Pocket Calories Calories in Lean Pocket Pepperoni Pizza based on the calories, fat, protein, carbs and other nutrition information submitted for Lean Pocket Pepperoni Pizza. main content Live Healthy & Happy Lean Pocket Nutritional Lean Pockets® brand sandwiches: The flavors you crave, made with ingredients you can feel good about. Product Filters All products. Hot Pockets. Lean Pockets. Breakfast. High Protein. Stuffed Pretzels. FILTER BY FEATURE FILTER BY FEATURE The pocket-sized device measures body fat percentage … That measurement allows the device to measure lean body mass. This i… this is the Lean Pockets variety, and it’s the closest to edible-without-shame the brand gets. These marvelous bastards are only 250 calories a piece, and while those calories don’t contain much of an… Calories, carbs, fat, protein, fiber, cholesterol, and more for Lean pockets (Meatballs & mozzarella). Want to use it in a meal plan? Head to the diet generator and enter the number of calories you want. Nutrious Meals Brainiac™ Kids Delivers First food-based brain nutrition, Reimagining the Yogurt Aisle – SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Ingenuity [™] Brands, the first company dedicated to food-based brain nutrition, announced today the launch of Brainiac [™] Kids, the first line of kids’ y… Foodnetwork Recipes love food network shows, chefs and recipes? Find the best recipe ideas, videos, healthy eating advice, party ideas and cooking techniques from top chefs, shows and experts. Put In Ingredients Get Calories But even as we enter the second month of the New Year, many of us are struggling to clean our diets out and get adequate workout … important to pick your meal ingredients very carefully, if you are … Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase … is a beverage that might be able to help. The formula utilizes ingredients naturally found in the b… Do you ever wonder exactly how many calories are in a serving of your favorite dish? I recently posted a recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread and someone posted a comment asking about how many calories are in a serving. … recipe calorie calculator. … and some sites that allow you to log in recipe ingredients and number of … Www Foodnetwork Recipes Love Food Network shows, chefs and recipes? Find the best recipe ideas, videos, healthy eating advice, party ideas and cooking techniques from top chefs, shows and experts. FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers’ best friend in food and is … Keep Recipe Recipe: Keep the romance alive with this chocolate ganache … – 8 days ago · Recipe: Keep the romance alive with this chocolate ganache cake Cuisiniers Catering & Events This
Top 10 Cheap Dinner Recipes – Taste of Home – Top 10 Cheap Dinner Recipes. Julie Meyers June 21, 2018. … Taste of Home. Cassoulet for Today. Traditionally cooked for hours, this cassoulet recipe offers the same homey taste in less time. It’s easy on the wallet, too. —Virginia Anthony, Jacksonville, Florida.
0 notes
Text
Everything a Paralympic Gold Medalist Does (and Eats) in a Week to Stay Fit
Sweat Diaries
Paralympic athlete Michelle Konkoly shares her Sweat Diary.
A class at The Bar Method. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
Welcome to Sweat Diaries, Be Well Philly’s look at the time, energy, and money people invest in pursuit of a healthy lifestyle in Philly. For each Sweat Diary, we ask one Philadelphian to spend a week tracking everything they eat, all the exercise they get, and the money they spend on both. Want to submit a Sweat Diary? Email [email protected] with details.
Who: Michelle Konkoly (@michellekonkoly), 26, from Midtown Village
What I do: Second year medical student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
What role healthy living plays in my life: Healthy living means taking care of my body by buying, preparing, and eating nourishing foods; getting plenty of sleep; and keeping my body strong, flexible, and conditioned by doing a diverse array of exercises. In 2011, I suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury that left me with a spine and heel fusion, and permanent weakness in my legs. Since my injury, I have learned never to take anything my body can do for granted — I had to start from scratch to learn to walk again, and lost 30 pounds of muscle during my recovery. After re-learning how to walk, I got involved in the Paralympics and won two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in sprint freestyle swimming events at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics! I’m proud of my muscle because I know how far I had to come to get where I am today. Now, I’m focusing primarily on school, but I still go to swim meets when I can.
Health memberships: I purchased the “New Client Special” at Bar Method Rittenhouse, which 30 days unlimited for $99. I also have a membership at the Jefferson Recreation & Fitness Center, which was included with tuition.
Monday
Michelle Konkoly trains in the Jefferson pool. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
7:10 a.m. — Alarm goes off, and I wake up and am out the door within five minutes to head to the pool at Jefferson. Fortunately, it’s only a three-minute walk!
7:30 a.m. — Swim at the Jefferson pool. It’s a 20-yard pool, which is shorter than most pools, but we make it work! One of my classmates swims with me and we do a tough 4000 yard aerobic workout. I swim faster than when we did the set last week so I am pumped!
8:45 a.m. — Showered, I walk back home and take my corgi, Ollie, out for a walk.
9:40 a.m. — Walk back to Jefferson’s campus for class and stop at dry cleaners on the way.
10 a.m. — Small group class. I eat my breakfast of papaya, pineapple, Greek yogurt, and chia seeds with a homemade latte (two shots and soymilk). Someone brought in Isgro’s cannolis so I have to eat half of a cannoli as well!
11 a.m. — Facilitate a group for the first year medical students, and have another cup of coffee. Swimming in the morning makes you a special kind of tired.
12 p.m. — Walk to the University Health Center to get the PPD shot I need for volunteering. While I’m waiting, I snack on two leftover paleo chocolate chip cookies I made over the weekend.
2 p.m. — I finally get home, and eat lunch of a kale salad with avocado, carrots, tomatoes, and homemade carrot ginger dressing, plus slice of whole grain bread and some chocolate-covered almonds.
3 p.m. — I head to the Jefferson Library to overview the material for the week. I have three clementines and half a bottle of kombucha I got from the new Sprouts Market last week.
5:45 p.m. — I get home and walk Ollie to Washington Square Park. I finish an almost-empty bag of Skinny Pop kettle corn before I head to barre.
6:45 p.m. — Barre class at Bar Method Rittenhouse.
8 p.m. — Barre doesn’t make me nearly as hungry as swimming, but I’m still excited for my dinner that I prepped yesterday: sushi bowls! I top some sushi rice with calamari salad my roommate didn’t want, plus some broccoli, edamame, pickled ginger, and nori strips. I also have some almonds and dates.
9 p.m. — Ok, the hunger caught up with me. I go a little overboard on after dinner snacks tonight and have a sundae of tahini squares with an Enlightened fudgesicle, half a banana and coconut whip, and a slice of chocolate pumpkin bread. I went on a baking spree over the weekend and now have all these goodies sitting around tempting me.
10:30 p.m. — Finish studying and head to bed.
Daily total: $0
Tuesday
Weight lifting to work on fast-twitch muscles. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
8:14 a.m. — Woke up without an alarm. I try to give myself one day a week to sleep in. Once out of bed, I take Ollie for a walk and then eat half a banana and half a slice of chocolate pumpkin bread.
9:15 a.m. — At the Jefferson gym, and I do a one-hour lift, focusing on upper body explosiveness. I have a swim meet coming up in December, and since I swim sprint freestyle, power and fast-twitch muscle work is so important!
10:30 a.m. — Come home, shower, and make a latte to drink as I listen to this morning’s recorded lectures.
A smoothie bowl for lunch. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
12:15 p.m. – Make a smoothie bowl for lunch! I’m obsessed with my Vitamix blender. I make a smoothie out of frozen bananas, peaches, and spinach, almond milk, and Orgain vegan peanut butter protein powder, topped with homemade granola, cacao nibs, chia seeds, coconut, and fruit. I finish off lunch with some chocolate covered almonds and salted almonds.
1 p.m. — I spend most of the afternoon continuing to work though this morning’s lecture material on dermatology. I walk into to Walgreens as a study break and buy tweezers and a pack of gum ($5.20).
2:45 p.m. — Finish the Sprouts kombucha, along with some more tahini bars (they’re so good!) and some fresh pineapple.
5 p.m. — I get ready for a Jefferson Gala event tonight at the Philadelphia 201 Hotel. I Uber over with some friends and the venue is gorgeous!
Cake for dessert. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
6 p.m. — At the reception, I have three pieces sushi and a glass of Champagne. For dinner, we’re served bread and salad, and I request the vegetarian entrée of risotto, carrots, and broccoli rabe. I’m not strictly vegetarian, but try to eat less meat whenever possible! Dessert is a beautiful chocolate mousse cake with fresh berries.
9:30 p.m. — Uber back home and walk the dog. I’m craving something crunchy, so I grab a few handfuls of Special K out of the box before getting into bed.
11 p.m. — Bed!
Daily total: $5.20
Wednesday
Michelle Konkoly has an unlimited membership at The Bar Method. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
7:10 a.m. — Alarm goes off and I’m off to the pool.
7:30 a.m. — Swim a 3200-yard workout by myself. Today I used parachutes that are tied to my waist to add extra resistance. It’s tough but really helps me increase my sprint speed and power. I shower at the pool and then come home to walk Ollie.
10 a.m. — Grab my backpack and head to class. I eat my yogurt with fruit and chia seeds and a latte — I make this breakfast the night before so I can just grab it and go.
12 p.m. — Class ends and I come home. I’ll never get over how hungry swimming makes me in comparison to other workouts! I grab a couple almonds and pieces of caramel corn before taking Ollie out.
12:45 p.m. — Lunch is a bowl of kale, sushi rice, tofu, carrots, broccoli, and pickled ginger, plus a bit of spicy mayo on top! I also have an apple from when I went apple picking with my mom and sister last week.
2 p.m. — I head to the library and have three clementines as a snack.
3 p.m. — Every Wednesday we have “Cookie Hour” with the applicants interviewing at Jefferson. Current students can come to mingle and of course grab a cookie! Today they have strawberries and mini cheesecakes too, so during my break from the library I head over and have one of each!
5 p.m. — Come back home and have a snack before walking Ollie: a small bowl of Special K with cashew milk and freeze-dried strawberries and almonds.
6:45 p.m. — Barre at The Bar Method. It’s been fun to have the flexibility to try new workouts, rather than having to focus 100% on swimming, like I was during the time leading up to Rio.
Homemade sushi for dinner. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
8 p.m. — Finally time for dinner! I use my sushi bowl meal prep ingredients to make two homemade rolls and have a glass of wine with them.
9 p.m. — As I’m sending emails and studying, I make a bag of light natural popcorn and mix in a few pieces of caramel corn.
10 p.m. — We still have Halloween candy lying around, so I have a couple pieces (Reese’s are my favorite!) before walking Ollie and heading to bed.
Daily total: $0
Thursday
Enlightened ice cream from Sprouts. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
7:10 a.m. — Alarm goes off and I snoozed it for eight minutes. I almost never hit snooze, but I knew no one was joining me for my swim this morning, so I wouldn’t be holding anyone up if I was a few minutes late!
7:35 a.m. — Swim a 2,900-yard workout. It’s certainly on the shorter end, yardage wise, but today I used a bungee tether that attaches me to the wall so I can swim continuously against the resistance for the length of my 50 free race (about 30 seconds). It’s a great way to simulate an Olympic length (50m) pool in our 20 yard pool! The tether is no joke — my arms are always burning by the end!
9 a.m. — Showered and walked home, then walked Ollie.
9:35 a.m. — Made my favorite smoothie bowl again.
10 a.m. — Head back to campus for class, and drink my latte. One of my classmates brought in candy, so I have two mini Kit Kats.
12 p.m. — Come back home and have a piece of chocolate pumpkin bread with pumpkin butter while watching lectures.
12:30 p.m. — Eat half of a GIANT apple, plus a kati roll from Masala Kitchen — one of my friends had some extras after an event.
2:30 p.m. — Spend most of the afternoon studying at home, and eat the other half of the giant apple.
4:15 p.m. — Have a pre-dinner snack of bowl of Special K with half a banana, freeze dried strawberries, dates, golden raisins, and soy milk. I also have a cup of pineapple spirulina kombucha.
6:15 p.m. — I take Ollie on a long walk, then have dinner: a kale salad with the rest of my sushi rice, tofu, bit of edamame, and a quarter avocado, plus a bowl of defrosted frozen mangoes, strawberries, and pineapple with coconut flakes.
7 p.m. — I have another event for the first-year med students on campus, so I walk back over. For some reason there’s so much candy around this week! I have two mini packs of gummy worms as I catch up with my friends at the event.
8:30 p.m. — Come back home and have a true dessert: chocolate! I love Enlightened ice cream, and found a new flavor — black cherry chocolate chip — at Sprouts last week. I eat the whole pint happily as I’m studying, along with a piece of chocolate and two more tahini squares.
10:30 p.m. — Bed!
Daily total: $0
Friday
Spaghetti squash pasta for dinner. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.
6:38 a.m. — Alarm goes off and I grab a squeezable applesauce packet to eat on my walk to barre.
7 a.m. — Barre. It’s great to get my workout out of the way so early on Friday. I always feel like my posture is so great after barre, too!
8 a.m. — I walk Ollie and make my smoothie bowl. Today I use up some frozen strawberries instead of peaches, and get in some last minute studying as I eat it.
9 a.m. — We have short quizzes every Friday — this week was all about various skin conditions.
10 a.m. — Head back home and have two and a half slices of chocolate pumpkin bread with pumpkin butter as I do some chores and cleaning in my apartment.
11:30 a.m. — I make a homemade iced latte, and have a ThinkThin protein bar and a mini Rice Krispie treat as I do laundry. I’m heading out of town for a wedding this weekend so I’m trying to get ahead on my normal weekend chores!
12:15 p.m. — I walk Ollie to Washington Square Park and call my dad to catch up as we walk.
1 p.m. — I get a pedicure and gel manicure in preparation for the wedding ($42 with a coupon).
2:30 p.m. — When I get back home, I have a little bit of leftover tofu with a quarter avocado, kale, and edamame, plus the rest of the pineapple spirulina kombucha. I also finish up the final crumbs of a container of homemade granola, mixed with cacao nibs and golden raisins.
4 p.m. — I spend the afternoon prepping my study schedule for our exam week next week, and have a tiny apple and half a container of Greek yogurt with cinnamon and chia seeds.
6:45 p.m. — I start making dinner, which is really meal prepping for next week! I have four little breadsticks and a bit of olive tapenade while I roast a spaghetti squash. I make a chickpea/nutritional yeast “cheese sauce” for the squash, and mix it all together with some sun dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives. I also roast up some leftover veggies from a veggie tray.
7:30 p.m. — I pour myself a glass of white wine as I eat my spaghetti squash creation. The sauce turned out so creamy!
8:30 p.m. — My roommate offers me some of the red wine she brought back from Italy, so of course I have to try it.
9:30 p.m. — I finish up packing for the wedding and have an Enlightened fudgesicle and three pieces of candy for dessert.
10 p.m. — Bed! I have an early train to DC tomorrow, so I’m calling it a night!
Daily total: $42
Weekly Totals
Money spent: $47.20
Swim workouts: 3
Barre classes: 3
Strength workouts: 1
Smoothie bowls: 3
Glasses of kombucha: 4
Let’s get social! Join Be Well Philly at:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | NEWSLETTER | TWITTER
Source: https://www.phillymag.com/be-well-philly/2018/11/29/michelle-konkoly-swimmer-food-diary/
0 notes
Text
New Post has been published on Jeremiah Andrews Photography
New Post has been published on https://jap.goodgallery.com/blog/top-10-off-the-beaten-path-but-right-on-the-money-must-try-restaurants-in-siem-reap-cambodia/
Top 10 Off the Beaten Path (but Right on the Money) 'Must-Try' Restaurants in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Our top ten pick of favorite restaurants in Siem Reap Cambodia off the beaten path
There are probably several hundred restaurants woven into back alleys, pouring out from driveways, and lining the main thoroughfares in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Some no more than a rusting push cart; others, proud, smooth buildings bursting with glitz and glamour … All of them vying for your tourists’ dollar.
“Where to Eat?” becomes a dizzying decision in an already potentially overstimulating environment. You could spend years attempting to sample every dining option in Siem Reap, but (truthfully) even locals get lulled into a routine of familiarity and fail to tap into the exciting and ever-changing canvas of food options merely a short scooter ride away. The unsuspecting traveler’s foodie experience is further stymied by the neon canopy of common franchises, tour provided buffets, and endless sea of identical, red, beer-touting restaurant placards.
So, for all of those times you really just have a craving for a particular spice, need a new budget-friendly Khmer go-to spot, would kill for good pasta, or must satisfy your hunger for quiche before you crack, here are our top ten picks to start the new year (based on overall value, quality, and variety).
PRICE POINT REFERENCE (USD$ per person) ($: 1-2; $$: 3-5; $$$: 6-8; $$$$: 9+)
AtMOsphere
PRICE: $$ – $$$
The moment we walked up to Mo’s I knew we’d hit something special. Friendly strangers graciously shared their table with us for a while (as the restaurant was already filled to the seams with lively chatter). Whether you choose Western tables and chairs over ground mats and cushions you are served a feast fit for a king. I was pleased by the wide variety of Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean dishes, fair prices and sharable dish sizes. We all left full and happy after capping the meal with a variety of spectacularly decadent desserts and herbal tea. At some time during your visit take a moment to chat with the owner, ‘Mo’. He is a colorful gentleman with an easy smile and quick laugh; you will quickly learn why this is already a happening place to be. As I write this, Atmosphere is celebrating its grand re-opening in a larger location. Great job guys!
Belmiro’s Pizza & Subs
PRICE: $$ – $$$
You are just a stone’s throw from famed ‘Pub Street’ when you belly-up to the well-stocked, mirrored ebony bar and burgundy walls of Belmiro’s. The pub’s great location as an exterior corner with patio perimeter is trimmed in hanging flags from the world over giving it a welcoming glow. But … if you are craving a little bit of a States-style urban pub feel, this is your place. The portions aren’t stingy, and daily drink specials are easy on the pocketbook. Boston-style pizzas are Belmiro’s specialty, although I do find myself craving their cheesy, meatball sub-sandwich regularly. Stuffed crust and deep-dish pizzas (for the carb-craver in the group) aren’t the only indulgent options. Weekly rotating chicken wing flavors on ‘Wing Wednesdays’ is always a family favorite. If you are a true Ranch dressing-loving American, get excited … This is one of a very select group of eateries in the entire city which carry the staple dipping sauce at all!
Chanty Grill Beef
PRICE: $ – $$
The ‘South End’ of Siem Reap is a fabulous business collective of Khmer and foreign trailblazers looking to foster the growth of this budding artisan community, empower the local workforce, and grow art appreciation in this already culturally rich hive. Needless to say, we are smitten with the vibe of the South End and are eager to unearth all of the lovely foodie gems within. Fortunately, we happened upon Chanty early in our search (and quite by mistake). We went looking for Khmer fusion and found the best value for chicken and beef kebob BBQ we know of in town. Shoulder to shoulder with its neighbor, this bare bones shop isn’t fussy and gets right down to the job of making outstanding food at a price even backpackers can afford. Chanty offers more than generous serving sizes (we ate so much we had to take home half of our order) and the staff is super friendly. Grab a plastic chair and belly up to the folding table, Chanty’s got the grill fired up and aims to please.
Curry Walla (both locations)
PRICE: $$$ – $$$$
Curry Walla owns two comparable restaurants on opposite ends of Sivutha Blvd. Being that Sivutha is like the spine of the most heavily traveled network of roads in the entire Siem Reap downtown area it could be easy to pass right by either storefront without a second glance. These no-frills dining halls aren’t heavy on ambiance, but don’t let their uninspired facade lead you astray. What Namaskar and Khmer Chef lack in tactile luster they make up for several times over in a savory curry flavor palate, the rich aroma of stewed Indian meats, and beautiful vegetarian dishes that restore my faith in humanity. We never choose individual dishes at this feast; If ‘sharing is caring’, then this is the meal of my family’s love language. A treat of a meal ,well-worth the incremental increase in cost per person.
Ivy Guest House & Bar
PRICE: $$ – $$$
We happened upon this tucked away gem on a quest for the camaraderie and mental stimulation of a good pub quiz. What we ended up with, was a fabulous all-ages evening out and a new favorite haunt. The ice-cream drenched, chocolate banana bread made everyone sit up and take notice right off. Upon further exploration of Ivy’s culinary vision we discovered many engaging flavor pairings not often seen in a town full of repetitive menus: a delightful Italian chicken cheesesteak sandwich, rich, spinach and feta ravioli in a complimentary al fresco sauce, and an extraordinary homemade chocolate mousse … to name a few. Imagine an Italian inspired kitchen hidden in the heart of a palm-thatched, traditional wooden Khmer village home, and dress the whole thing up as a Western-minded ‘chill pad’ (complete with free billiards and Cambodian memorabilia wall). If you get comfortable enough you can always get a room in the attached guesthouse and enjoy the Ivy’s cooking all day long.
Jungle Burger Sports Bar & Bistro
PRICE: $$ – $$$
Clayton and his happy little crew work hard to make sure you enjoy your experience at JB. From the pool table to the funky bike yard art, the vibe here is laid-back and playful. Cool beats play while the bar does it’s job putting on a sports-pub fare feast. Spot-on, gooey homemade mac & cheese are a strong stand-alone meal or a great side to share. Jungle Burger is unrivaled in my opinion for their burger and sandwich menu; no bad options here. The crown jewel of which is the ‘Burg Khalif burger’, easily a full meal for two people. You will find a surprisingly well-rounded salad selection, and all-around ample portion sizes for sharing. If you want to add a little (or a lot, if you ask nice) spice to your meal, order up a signature chili & mango margarita … it burns so good!
Mom New River (I & II)
PRICE: $ – $$
We have been eating at the Mom New River location in the alley at one end of Pub Street for five years now. We come back week after week, year after year, because the value and consistent quality this family-owned business offers just cannot be denied. This is another very modest and traditional Khmer restaurant on our list, and why not? After all, it represents a remarkable culture offering a myriad of signature dishes and almost as many family-specific tweaks to each one. Like the generational patterns woven into the precious, golden Khmer silk, recipes like: amok, lok-lak, prahok, and num ngov soup all have been honed to unique perfection by their Cambodian chefs. Laughably, Mom New River’s weighty menu resembles a homemade telephone directory riddled with inconsistent pagination and rife with fun English spelling errors, but the up-side is that you are bound to find something for everyone’s taste at a really great price. Again, you may be tempted to pass by in search of a more striking or familiar setting, but don’t. Pull out a seat, order any kind of lovely fresh fruit shake you can imagine, and just know that whatever you order will be made with pride, taste great, and give you a glimpse into the wonderful flavors Khmer food brings to the table.
Paris Bakery
PRICE: $$ – $$$
All the refined sweetness and splendid pomp of a fine Parisian bakery … a continent away from France. Plump breads and crunchy baguettes baked daily lure you into the boulangerie via a seductive olfactory trance. Delicate pastries and tarts crowned in sugary filagree dazzle the eyes like proudly displayed fine jewels. The unexpectedly keen selection of European deli meats compliments the bread offerings nicely, and a pleasant coffee/tea offering rounds out this quality experience. Don’t forget the quiche, glorious quiche! Admittedly, my unprecedented favorite guilty pleasures are their almond paste filled croissants. Ah, bliss! Not an everyday budge-friendly option, but a magnificent treat without breaking the bank. The bustling ‘street corner bistro’ vibe in a pedestrian-friendly metro area also lends itself nicely to a quick stop-in for take-away dining.
Peace Cafe
PRICE: $$ – $$$
A surprising number of vegan and vegetarian restaurants are popping up all over town, but this one effortlessly spans the gap from crepes to paninis. In between, it hits the mark on a wide array of lovely, body-nourishing, taste bud-tickling fresh juice concoctions. You are drawn into the spacious garden and the easy rattan lounge dining room for a respite from the surrounding city activity. Thankfully, these grounds are spared the worst of the periodically excessive Siem Reap heat. Sit a spell, catch up with yourself (or a friend) over a large pot of herbal tea; take a yoga class; peruse the artsy/craftsy trinkets made by local artisans for sale in Peace Cafe’s gift shop … it’s all good! Focused on civic and spiritual enrichment, Peace Cafe partners with several NGO’s to empower local Khmer people through education, vocational training, and employment. The fare doesn’t lend itself to over-indulgence by nature, but you will leave satisfied and feeling nourished.
Safari Sushi Bar
PRICE: $$$ – $$$$
Seen as how Siem Reap is nowhere near an ocean, I had been remiss to try sushi in my adopted town. However, on the occasion we get to put on our fancy Chacos and dine in style celebrating of a good friend, I must face my doubts about the quality of sushi available this far inland. I am here to say, happily, that Safari Sushi hit on all the marks: value, presentation, ambiance, quality, and service. The lush entrance draws you into a private garden oasis. Guests are greeted by the koi pond’s tranquil gurgling and encouraged to lounge on the patio before dining. Once inside the restaurant, the finishes are tasteful and guests are not crowded together. The space allows you to linger comfortably in conversation and the staff is helpful without hovering. We ordered an assortment of nigiri, sashimi, and even an impressive sampler roll to share around the table … no one left hungry. The fish was firm and fresh and the selection fair. Our little party enjoyed a decadent meal of sushi and sake (topped of with hot jasmine tea) at a fraction of the cost of the more flashy sushi restaurants in Siem Reap. Um, yes please! I know I will be voting for sushi on my next ‘date night’.
FYI, the restaurants listed here are in alphabetical order for the sake of satisfying my left-brain tendencies, by no means is the order in which they appear a ranking. Each place is uniquely wonderful, and there are, inevitably, countless similarly worthy eateries in Siem Reap … we just haven’t found them yet. If you have a favorite spot to grab a bite in Angkor-town, let us know! We are always up for a new foodie adventure and welcome your comments.
#angkor wat food#asian food#budget travel#cambodia#cambodian food#expat blog#foodie#foodie blog#siem reap food#southeast asia#travel food#world travel blog#World Adventures
0 notes
Text
I have read a number of brag blogs. I hope you don’t confuse this blog with them because I like to think my inspiration stems from a genuine love of travel. I make no pretensions about my financial capacity. I rarely go on a trip under my own steam; I am financed in one way or another by my work or my family. So what I am sharing here depicts the real struggle of someone who is blessed to travel, but limited by a very finite bank account. This what you call the Broke-ass Guide to Paris: Foodie Edition.
Ernest Hemingway wrote this quote in his book A Moveable Feast, which is a memoir of his life as a broke young man living in Paris. He wrote of days of not having eaten anything and then days of surprising bounty. In much the same way, being a foodie in Paris is also a moveable feast. There are the famed restaurants that will cost you your whole month’s salary for a dinner for two, and then again, there are the small cafes and bolt-holes that are equally, if not more, sumptuous and all for the cost of a few euros. Wherever you go, there will always be that feeling of being in a feast because in Paris, food is not just for your taste buds, it engages all your other senses as well.
My best tip is to look at your budget and decide how much you are willing to shell out per day for meals. Some days you can cut back on snacks and opt for a fancier dinner instead. For our own trip, we had a budget of €40 per day per person. Not shabby, but also not enough to go on a binge. We survived mostly on croissants, subs, McDonalds and sushi (because our hotel has an awesome sushi place beside it). But we also splurged a handful of times for a nice sit-down dinner in a proper café while people-watching. And all of them were delicious, McDonalds included. Must be the ambiance!
You should also download the app The Fork. It shows you the best-rated restaurants and cafes near your area, and you could even use it to reserve your table. Read more about The Fork here.
Foodie Level: Broke-Ass
Asians = Rice, right?
But you will be surprised how many days you could survive without it in France. Even if you barely have two cents to rub together, you are bound to stumble unto something that is both delicious and filling. If all you could really afford is a €10 per meal budget then I suggest you cast your sights on street food. (Hey, I did say I was a foodie, not a gourmand!)
Croissants
The ones we tasted in Manila (French Baker anyone?) has a chewier consistency. So imagine how heavenly the ones from a nondescript little bakery tasted — crumbly on the outside but melts like butter inside. And you could actually taste the salted butter in the mix! My son was wild about the chocolate and almondine ones. There’s no one place we could recommend since it’s the small unknown ones that seems to taste the best. Keep your eyes open when you’re out and about, there’s bound to be a boulangerie near you possibly harboring the best tasting bread you have ever tasted in your life. A plain butter croissant usally costs €1.45 to €2.00, while fancier ones can go as high as €3.00.
Crepes
The French are a bit snobbish about their crepes. There are a number of “best crepes lists” in Paris — so many in fact that I decided to just ignore all of it. You can, of course, try to line up at Café Breizh or swing by Creperie Broceliande. However, the crepes we ate were situational. We were simply hungry and holding out for a posher next meal so we decided to eat a crepe as a snack. My favorite one is from a small stall in Montmartre, because the sugar crepe was just the right sweetness, the edges a bit toasty, and the center was meltingly pure bliss. Yummers. Crepes were between €2.50 to €4.00 each.
Sandwiches, Wraps and Salmon
I found a new love for wraps in Europe. This is not your usual 7-11 or Ministop sandwich. The ingredients are fresh as heck. The lettuce always has crunch, the cheese always Brie or Emmental, the salmon always sinful. I am not a wrap snob and very happy to eat from Monoprix as much as in a café. Do not turn your nose up on those convenience store aisles. They contain treasure for the cost of only a few euros. Best for breakfast or lunch because the sandwich products are made daily and stocked every morning (except for the frozen section, obvs). you could grab a wrap for as low as €4.90.
Foodie Level: Middling
We were able to try a couple of sit-down restaurants or cafes which we consider as not fancy but respectable.
Le Malakoff
view from the side street c/o google maps.
Le Malakoff was just 5 minutes away from our hotel, and after traveling from Geneva all morning, we were simply famished. We ordered steak and fries, salmon, a chicken dish and a pasta dish for me. My son loved the “French” fries. My sister liked her steak. It was alright for the prix-fixe menu cost of about €15 each.
Paradis du Fruit
Paradis du Fruit at the corner, and right beside a kids’ bookstore.
Our next culinary exploration was in Paradis du Fruit at Saint- Germain-de-pres near the Seine (and with a clear view of Notre Dame). My friend, L, took me and my sister out for lunch and suggested this place. It was only the end of August and the weather was still nice. The restaurant had set out tables and chairs out along the pedestrian lanes and we got seated outside. This one I loved. I think, if I live in Paris, this will be my go-to comfort food spot.
Mama Rosa Coco
L, sister and moi.
L had a salad. My sister ordered the Mamasköl which is chicken in vanilla sauce with bananas and raisins, with a side order of rice and salad. It sounds weird, but it is absolutely heavenly. I had the Mama Coco Rosè which is also chicken but stewed in coconut and red curry with a side order of rice and salad as well. The curry had apples in it, which was weird at first but it worked so well!! I did not regret my choice. I loved it so much, I have tried recreating the dish when I got home (to complete failure). Do try this one when in Paris. The dishes range from €13.90 to €16.00. Not bad, eh?
Café Chappe
When visiting Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, you will have to use the stairs. A LOT. Halfway down there’s a funicular which we tried out for fun, and even then, we still got hungry. So we parked our behinds at Café Chappe just one turn right after descending the Sacre Coeur stairs. We ordered our Cokes with lemon slices, and a number of pasta dishes. I got a lasagna and to be honest, I have quite forgotten how it tasted. What I remember is thinking that I wish there was more of it. Or maybe I was just really hungry with all the walking we did. The price range was somewhere between €12 to €16 euros. I will give this a skip next time though.
Yushi
Yushi on your left, Hotel Longchamp Elysees on your right.
Yushi has a proper sit-down place, and right behind it is the take-away section for pretty much all the sushi you can eat. For €8.00 for a medium tray of mixed sushi, it was our actual go-to place in Paris. It helped that it is literally beside our hotel! I love sushi, so you can imagine how happy I am that I can access them anytime between 11am and 8pm. We have had sushi for lunch and dinner a number of times because the variety changes but the quality is consistent. Now, I know that unless you are staying in our hotel, finding this place may be a bit of challenge. There may be decent Asian diners in other parts, but we just considered ourselves lucky we were living beside one. If you do check in to Hotel Longchamp Elysees (and I recommend you do), you won’t be hankering for rice because Yushi has got you.
Berthillon Ice Cream
Let me rephrase that, it’s The Berthillon Ice Cream. It’s famous and rightly so. This is the best Ice Cream in Paris. The shop reminds me of a Harry Potter set and I wouldn’t have been surprised if they have Butterbeer on the menu (I checked, they don’t). There are lots of flavors on the offer, but I made sure I got a Cafe. The true test of an ice cream shop is its Coffee and Vanilla ice cream. Very few out there actually tastes like real coffee without tasting like Nescafe. No surprises that Berthillon got it absolutely delicious.
Here are the flavors the day we went there:
And there is my order before digging in. I was tempted to get seconds, but I’m diabetic. The first cup was already too sinful. 😀 Do visit for desserts after dining in Paradis du Fruit (it’s just on the other side of the bridge), or after your walkabout at the Notre Dame Cathedral (just a couple of blocks down after the bridge). To avoid getting lost, Google Maps is your friend. 😀
Foodie Level: Modest Posh
Bistrot Paul Chene
We were supposed to try 2 posh restaurants (in Paris) but only ended up with just one. Bistrot Paul Chene was just around the corner from Hotel Longchamp and I had been eyeing it since Day One. On our last day in Trocadero (before moving nearer the shopping area and the Opera House), we decided to have our lunch here. The family had mixed emotions, but I happened to love all of it. Paul Chene was an institution that closed down about 3 years ago, but re-opened in 2017 under the new management of Sebastian whom we met and who personally helped us order from the menu. We got the prix-fixe meal costing €24.90 each, and we got a couple of steak sets and salmon sets (again). Did not disappoint because I found the salmon rich, tasty and flaky soft while the steak was perfectly medium rare. I think my husband’s dissatisfaction is mostly about the price (because so far, this had been the most expensive meal we had in Paris), but other than that, I found it faultless. Don’t believe me? Read the reviews here.
Salmon Fantastic
Steak Perfection
Cafe de L’Homme
The one that got away was our reservation at Café de L’Homme. This is THE café to go to with its amazing location facing the Eiffel Tower. The food, I was told by my sister who has eaten there in previous trips, was sumptuous. The price even more so. But worth it because as you dine, you see this:
photo from The Fork.
However, it has a reputation for having snobbish waitstaff, especially if you are not dressed in your finery. The dinner we reserved there was after our Versailles fiasco, and we were all bone-tired and irritable. It could have been amazing. But maybe, I could have ended up biting someone’s head off. If you have the budget and the patience, do make a reservation ahead of time.
Baby-Friendliness of Restaurants and Cafes
You have to be prepared for the fact that very few establishments in Paris are truly baby-friendly. Most of the petit-cafes are small and it will be a hassle to go to with a stroller. No baby high chairs to be found anywhere (unlike in Switzerland where we were always offered a seat for the petit-cherie). However, the menu itself almost always offers a Kid’s Menu (with the exception of Paul Chene). Usually fries with filleted sole, or fried chicken and waffles — at a slighter cost than the adult fare. The restaurants usually have their own washrooms, but small and cramped ones. No space to lay down a diaper changing mat for little “accidents.”
What worked for us is to train my son to wake with the rising sun. He found it easy to transition to Western hemisphere time, and his body functions followed. He usually goes #2 around mid-morning, and then late evening before sleeping. We just timed our foodie adventures in between that. At this point, may I just wax poetic about what a little champ my Dylan was? He is built for adventure like his mom, that one.
Dylan and his first ever taste of a Macaron.
I hope you found some good nuggets nestled in that long essay up there somewhere. And I would love to hear other mom’s recommendations about that fab café you and your family went to and just loved! Leave your story below!
Smell ya later,
Bee
A Broke Foodie in Paris I have read a number of brag blogs. I hope you don’t confuse this blog with them because I like to think my inspiration stems from a genuine love of travel.
#Eating out with baby in Paris#foodie in Paris#Kids in Paris#Paris#Paris on a budget#Travel with Baby
0 notes
Text
Maple creek
I had planned to leave Seattle sooner. But plans change. When the clutch burns out on the worse-than-expected car you were planning to drive across the country before you could have known that it was 105° in Montana near the Canadian border, and that the car doesn't have A/C... it's only wise to change plans. So this trip became more like my other trip to the west coast. Prowling seattle, Portland, and vancouver Craigslist for a ride to the bay area. I already told Tyler I won't be making it out to arryo hondo. Of course, Craigslist is Craigslist, so my July 11th ride flaked out. But before I could find a new SF ride, I found an ad for someone going to mount ranier. The chief problem with lacking a car on what's fundamentally a road trip is the number of destinations that aren't reached by other means. Given that I'll miss mono lake, lake tahoe, arches national park, mount zion, and probably also yosemite (though that remains to be seen), getting to go and camp in at least one national park is a chance I couldn't pass up. The fact that it turned out to be a free ride, from a fellow who loaned me camping gear, and free backcountry camping, that all just sweetened the deal. The driver, Patrick Gillette, turns out, like every other Craigslist rideshare I've had, to be a fascinating individual. A 15-year seattle transit bus driver, a former moped messenger (in the days before bike messengers on seattle streets), and having visited Saint Petersburg (leningrad, not tampa) in 1996. He also is the only person I've ever met who had spent time traveling Mongolia. He gives me a useful tip: "Go to Ulaanbaatar, to the big market. Not only is it something to see, but everyone who has taken their goods to sell,barter, or buy, has a sign in the window of their caravan, the village or town they're returning to. You can travel to any part of the country, for gas money, maybe $30. Just don't expect that you can keep going in the ame direction. The caravans are full leaving the market. I waited the whole day trying to go somewhere after my first ride out. I finally crossed the road, got a ride in 5 minutes to Ulaanbaatar, right to the market. I found my ride there. That's how you get around Mongolian style." I told him about the festival of San Antonio in Lisbon and crossing the Atlantic via repositioning cruise. "Repositioning crews? Like on an oil rig?" I also told him about my plan to circumnavigate the world without using an aeroplane. "So that'll definitely involve the trans-siberian [railway]. You might be tempted to get a first class cabin, but that door is actually a liability. Third - class is fine. There aren't seats on there, all berths. No short trips on the trans-siberian." Patrick's coming down to paradise inn, the national park's soon-to-be remodeled hotel, to spend a weekend with his 96 year old mother "could very well be her last chance." He's got a room type which soon won't exist, "the old kind, with the bathroom down the hall". It's a major cultural shift that's occurred in his generation, the rise of the master bathroom, the ensuite guest room, where "the bathroom" somehow became "my bathroom". I live in a three bedroom house with one bathroom. There's a parallel shift in my own generation's time, I remember when it was "the phone", not "my phone". When "work" and "home" were expressed in 7 digits and could be reliably used to contact anyone there, and no one in between. Reflecting the relative wealth and consumption of each generation, a bathroom is a five-figure capital expense, a personal and private luxury. A cell phone is a convenience to the broader world and a liability to its owner, an electronic leash. Along the way we talk a decent amount about generational differences. But it's not an adversarial conversation, as these so often are. It's a discussion of the fact that it used to be a perfectly middle class thing to own a lake house out in the county. The kind of thing a single earner with a high school diploma could not only aspire, but expect to have. I joke that a one-year lease is a status symbol for my generation. He correctly points out that the most recent iPhone is a more comparable touchstone. Of course, a lake house rents for more in a week than an iPhone costs. But I am not my generation. I do own a home. I have a reasonable expectation of a comfortable life ahead of me. And I don't have an iPhone. Patrick and I check in at the ranger station and I get setup for the camp that's available, maple creek. He drives me a good half-hour beyond his destination, stops a few times for pictures of the awe-inspiring glacier - capped volcano that poses a greater threat to seattle than any kim. Box canyon is the closest parking area to my campsite (a 3 mile walk from there), he gives me his gear, and we agree to meet back there at mid-morning Saturday. The hike over is radically pleasant. The shade of old-growth forest is simply unmistakable. The only place where sun reaches soil is where one of these ancient conifers has fallen- or been felled. The trail, a lone human trace, sticks out here like the an oil platform in open seas. I reach the campsite and it is simple. A patch of bare soil perhaps 4 meters long by two wide. The only maker is a metal number on a wooden pole "2", and the bear pole a few meters from the campsite. The rush of the nearby stream conspires with songbirds for an easy melody. Before I've even pitched a tent, it feels like home. -Day 2- Awakening, not to alarm or any human sound, but due to light, songbirds and the babble of the nearby stream is truly priceless. My body is, either despite or perhaps because of, sleeping in a sleeping bag over a simple mat, free of the aches or pains that regularly accompany my mornings. I half-expected the fetching blue-eyed ranger to be the first sight I'd see toady. But no, I am wonderfully alone. Foregoing my coffee for now, as well as kratom, I instead boil my water, pouring it over a pouch each of banana bread and cinnamon roll flavored quaker oats. The rest I plop a teabag into. I take time to breathe, and think of one of my favorite quotes from Thoreau's Walden. "We make ourselves rich by making our wants few". This morning I am a millionaire. The ranger does eventually show up, we exchange a few lines of pleasant conversation. Recommendations in hand I go for a stroll (hike seems to active of a verb). The stream, barely a trickle earlier, grows louder and fuller by the minute. Later, feeling delightfully alive, I eschew my clothes for a swim. The glacial water is glacially cold. I continue my stroll until I reach a fairly uninspiring trailhead parking lot, and so turn back. On my way back I see small examples of fauna, a frog, black squirrels, and a cute little snake. I return, grab my pack from the bearpole, and stick my Vinho Espumante (Portuguese champagne) a maelstrom of the creek to chill. I put a pouch of curry (Indian food in little foil patches beats soup for weight, noodles for convenience, and both for taste) to heat up, and steam a tortilla to dip into and eat with it. After the other components of my supper are ready, I go down to the water and grab my perfectly cooled beverage. The cork pops with celebratory ease. It is good.
0 notes
Text
My trip to Lanzarote, Canary Island, Spain – Travel in Covid-19 Times
I’ve just returned from a trip to Lanzarote, an island located on the Canary Islands of Spain.
After self-isolation in Llandudno, North Wales for three months due to coronavirus, COVID-19, I was ready to travel again once it was safe to do so.
On Monday 6th of July, the Welsh Government lifted the 5-mile stay local rule, and I could finally travel outside of my local community again.
At this point, I would like to highlight that everything mentioned within this blog post is based on my personal experience, and you should seek government advice from the correct sources.
The reason why I mention this is because the rules are changing all the time and I wanted to share how my trip went to help paint a picture of what your trip could be like so you can make an informed opinion on if you should travel at the moment.
Why did I choose Lanzarote, Canary Islands
At my time of flying, Spain was on the list of countries you could fly to from the UK without the need to isolate for two weeks after returning from your trip.
Of course, this could change, but this was one of the reasons why I choose Spain.
I didn’t fancy flying to a Spanish city due to crowds, but Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands has direct flights from the UK and felt like a better option due to the current situation.
Plus the sound of the stunning volcanic landscape, hiking trails, sunny sandy beaches and locally sourced food all tempted me to visit the island of Lanzarote. It was just what I was looking for after being at home for so long.
With my bags packed and passport in hand (don’t forget your passport, it’s been a while!) I was ready to travel and explore the Canary Islands.
Around Lanzarote, not all businesses were open for tourism as visitor numbers are still operating on low capacity.
However, businesses are slowly opening up again for tourism, and many restaurants, visitor attractions, rental cars and a select number of resorts were open for visitors on the island.
You should book travel insurance before you travel around Europe
Please make sure you arrange suitable travel insurance for your trip before you depart. Some travel insurance providers have changed their policy to adapt to coronavirus COVID-19 so please read the small print and make sure that you have a cover.
Proper guidance is to check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website for up to date travel advice for UK travellers, and typically your travel insurance will follow along the lines of the FCO. So, if the FCO says not to travel, then your travel insurance usually is not valid, so please check the FCO website frequently for the latest travel advice.
Also, for those within the EU, make sure that your E111 card is up to date before you depart. For those within the UK, you can still travel and use your E111 card until the end of December. Remember that the E111 doesn’t replace travel insurance, but it’s good to have it with you at all times when travelling around the EU, especially at the moment.
Do you have to wear a face mask in Spain at all times?
Do you have to wear a mask all the time? This was a question I had before travelling to Lanzarote.
Of course, this advice will differ from other countries in Europe. But in Spain and on the Canary Islands, the simple answer is yes. You do have to wear your mask at all times.
After gathering some local advice, wearing a mask is not only to protect yourself from spreading germs but as a courtesy to protecting others.
Any situation where you’re unable to keep your social distance is when you should wear your mask in Spain.
This would be any place where social distancing is challenging, such as within shops, restaurants and public transport.
You can remove your mask when you sit down to eat or have a drink. You can withdraw your face cover while on the beach or when going for a swim in Spain, as long as you can keep your social distance.
Within your hotel room or rental car, you can remove your mask. If you’re going to the hotel breakfast buffet, you should wear your face mask.
I hope the above information clears up some questions you might have.
What is it like to fly at the moment?
It was a bizarre feeling only seeing five flights on the departure board of Heathrow terminal 5, usually the busiest airport in Europe. It did come as a shock.
Heathrow felt like a ghost town with limited passenger numbers flying on the day.
Throughout Heathrow, you will have to wear a facemask at all times from the entrance until you’ve exited at your arrival destination. It’s advised to swap your face mask every few hours, so you should pack a selection to use throughout your travels.
My temperature was checked as I entered Heathrow airport and I found hand sanitizer located all around the airport.
Check-in was rather swift, and many airlines are allowing free baggage check-in to free up space in the cabin, which is worth taking advantage of.
Security has never felt so fast; it was a swift experience and didn’t take much time at all.
Once airside, in regard to places to eat, I could only find one Pret open, which was enough to grab a coffee and a bite to eat before the flight.
Most airlines are not allowing food and drink service at the moment.
I did notice that a passenger requested a cup of water which was allowed but generally, nothing will be served on the flight unless you’re travelling business.
At the boarding gate, passengers were boarding individually based on row numbers, starting from the back of the aircraft towards the front.
At the check-in desk, the staff said to allow an extra hour due to additional boarding time. Be patient as it will take more time to board the flight, but you could always book your seat at the back if you wish to board sooner.
Once on the flight, cabin crew informed us that the aircraft used an advanced air flow filtration system that kills most germs. This, combined with a face mask and limited contact, helps to reduce the risk.
Once I was at my seat, I noticed that the airline had used empty seats to keep travellers at a safe distance from each other as best as they could.
They also blocked off and limited access to the number of toilets you could use. You can still use them but not as many so you might have to wait.
Generally, I found the flying experience rather relaxing and pleasant, indeed longer than usual, but the additional steps gave me reassurance rather than worry.
I wouldn’t want to take a flight with a connection due to the extra time it takes to board and go through the airport, but one direct flight wouldn’t be an issue.
What was your hotel resort like in Lanzarote?
I stayed at the Sands Beach resort located in Costa Teguise on the island of Lanzarote.
They had self-catering options for families with a large selection of swimming pools to choose from, which was great for social distance swimming.
Swimming is one of the things I missed the most, so it was a much-welcomed joy to have a few laps in the pool each morning.
The breakfast buffet was open, and you had to order each item individually. This will take some additional time, so be sure to arrive early to allow your choices to be accommodated.
I would visit the local supermarket and stock up on breakfast items to make in your room so you can relax in the morning and take the stress out of breakfast.
Not all resorts are open yet in Lanzarote, and some have chosen to stay closed until September so your choices will be limited.
The Sands Beach Resort chose to open early to learn about the extra steps needed to open up. The Spanish government have issued rules that resorts must follow to remain open to meet the health guidelines and create a safe environment for guests.
Another issue is staff. The resort is running at low capacity and it’s been tough getting the team back to work as some have chosen to wait until it’s safer to return to work while others are happy to get back to work again.
Rooms are required to undergo additional cleaning after each guest which is why I would recommend staying for 1-2 weeks.
Also, the stock has been an issue as the supply chain for resorts has not been open on the island since lockdown and resorts are having to use supermarkets to purchase items they need to operate.
It will take some time for resorts to open up again but those that have chosen to open up as soon as possible will learn from the experience and adapt to the guidelines, which will take time for some resorts to adjust to.
What is it like going to a restaurant on the Canary Islands?
After cooking for myself for three months, I’ve simply run out of hot pot recipes and I’m also getting a bit bored of baking banana bread.
Being allowed to visit restaurants again and not have to do the washing up was one of the most enjoyable moments from the trip.
Getting to taste the local flavours again was an absolute pleasure. Enjoying fresh seafood and a glass of white wine that’s made on the island was pure joy.
If you wish to dine out, it’s best to call in advance to book a table as space within the premise is limited due to schedules and social distance.
I noticed that temperature checks took place before entering the restaurant, and hand sanitizer was always found at the entrance.
You must wear a facemask until you have taken a seat at your table, then you can take it off to enjoy your food and drink.
Also, I noticed that the menu could typically be found by using a QR code to access on your smartphone. Make sure you have your Roam Like at Home data turned on while travelling around the EU as it will come in handy.
If you can pay for your meal by using contactless payment, this would be the best method rather than using cash.
Do you need to fill out health forms before you travel?
Spain requires you to fill in a health form before you arrive. Once the form is completed online, you will get a QR code which will be scanned on arrival.
You must be checked into your flight and have your seat number before you fill out the form. This information helps with track and trace, and you will be contacted if needed.
Also, when returning to the UK, you must fill in a form explaining where you’ve been and where you will be going to in the UK.
After filling in the UK form and placing my address in Wales where I will be, I instantly got an email from the Welsh government asking me to quarantine and stay at home for two weeks. I was not aware that the rules in Wales required two weeks quarantine, but not a problem as I have been home for the past two weeks and will follow the guidelines as instructed. Something to think about as I was also aware that those from Scotland had been advised not to travel to Spain altogether. So, the rules are different depending on where you live.
Did I enjoy my trip to Lanzarote, Canary Islands?
The most important question. Did I have a great time going to Lanzarote? Were all the extra steps worth it?
My answer is for the most part yes. I do have mixed opinions about it though, as I enjoyed the trip, but travel is no longer normal like it used to be and some fun has been sucked out the experience.
But I do understand that this is for my own and others’ safety to allow tourism to open up again so I would say that it was worth it.
My issue was the length of the trip; I wish I could have stayed longer to justify the extra time you need to go through all the additional safety steps.
So, If I were staying in Lanzarote for two weeks, I would have said that it was worth it.
My advice at the moment to make travel safer during COVID-19
I would recommend only taking one direct flight to reach your destination. Avoid having to take connection flights as this increases your risk of a possible infection.
Stay in one resort and try to find a self-catering option so you can prepare breakfast and lunch from your room as buffets are not a safe environment at the moment.
Book ahead to reserve your table if you wish to dine out at a local restaurant.
Book a rental car to explore your surroundings and avoid public transport.
Use contactless payment and avoid cash when possible.
Stay for 1-2 weeks. Travel to your destination will take more time so you should allocate this time into your holiday to make it more rewarding.
Don’t forget to relax and enjoy your holiday. You will have to go through many additional steps to make your holiday safe so please have patience, remain calm and take your time.
For this reason, a weekend city escape might not be ideal at the moment as you won’t have enough time to enjoy the actual holiday.
Thank you for reading my blog post about my trip to Lanzarote
I hope all the above information helps you understand what travel and tourism are currently like in Europe at this moment in time, and I wish you a pleasant future trip!
This blog post was put together in collaboration with the UNWTO and the Canary Islands as part of the #RestartTourism campaign to help tourism recovery on the islands. I hope you’ve found this blog post informative.
Travel tip shared by Dave
Source link
قالب وردپرس
from World Wide News https://ift.tt/3fZsWEf
0 notes
Last Seen Blogs
techie-waterwitch
ask-Peri&Lapis
barbism
solar ✧ ˚. ᵎᵎ 🎀
dicentradire
MOVED ACCOUNTS
hornsbie
EvErThInGsEx
aaroncynic
As Above, So Below