This topic contains 7,125 replies, has 64 voices, and was last updated by Barata 9 months, 1 week ago.
Jo,
If Psyllium worked doctors across the world would be advising the population to include it in their diet.
Take the advice of your GP and trying lowering your fat intake. If that doesn’t work then you have to decide whether to take statins.
I’ve been taking them for 11 years and not suffered any side effects. I’m not entirely convinced that they are necessary but not taking them isn’t a risk I’m prepared to take considering my family medical history.
Hello,
This is a very wet spring for us here. We also have lots of plants and of course my little vegggie garden is happy. I see already the salad row is sprouting.
Jo at this moment I can’t give you instructions on kimchi making yet. I need to make my own a few times. But you can make sourkraut. That’s my easier.
I am going to see a shoulder orthopedic doctor. I thing my knee still healing but my should hurts more.
Have a good day ☔️
Jo, you can steam your salmon, and if you steam it on a bed of greens eg pak choi, and some thinly sliced garlic and fresh ginger it’ll be delicious.
If you don’t have a steamer you can buy a bamboo one for a few pounds or use a metal colander over a saucepan topped with the saucepan lid.
Hi HCB,
We’ve had a very dry spring in London so I don’t mind the rain as it is much needed.
Sorry to hear you are still having problems with your shoulder and knee.
Hi jojo,
Cholesterol in and of itself is not a big problem if your inflammation levels are low. Have an inflammation marker test done. Something like hsCRP, there are other markers as well. If you are serious about lowering your cholesterol then I would seriously raise the level of cruciferous veggies you eat BIG TIME. Stop eating fruit or at the very least severely limit it. Fructose raises the level of cholesterol. Increase the level of fats such as olive oil, butter, avocado, cheese full fat yogurt. Nuts like almonds walnuts and brazil nuts. Ditch the processed carbs. I include porridge as a processed carb.
Get your bloods taken before you change your diet. Change your diet and retest after six months. Ask your doctor how many diet related subjects they did during their degree. The answer will be none or virtually none. Most rely on information that is 30 years out of date. How can I be so sure. Because I monitor my bloods every six months. I was never able to lower my cholesterol and my HDL/LDL ratio was poor. My HDL/LDL ratio has gone up and my cholesterol has come down. My CRP levels were below detectable limits.
By all means follow your doctors advice but get your bloods taken. If all your markers don’t go in the right direction following their advice GET A SECOND OPINION.
Morning/evening all,
Jo, I had never considered steaming fish until a friend cooked me a Chinese style recipe called Ginger Fish. It was cod steamed with lots of ginger, garlic, sliced red chilli and steamed greens simply dressed with a dash of soy and sesame oil and it was delicious. I’ve made it myself several times.
I often stir fry vegetables and when they are only part cooked, place a piece of tuna or salmon on top and put the lid on for 5 minutes as I like to dish up the veg with a whole piece of fish on top rather than sliced and stirred through.
First day of my 800 calorie experiment. I had kefir this morning and I’m going to fast until dinner. I have some pork fillet which will be served with steamed veg and a mustard based sauce. If I want anything else I can have some yoghurt 🙂
Sunny/cloudy/very warm/very windy today. Flat cleaned, washing on the line, feet up with a mug of cooffee and some fabulous tennis to watch.
Bliss 😎
Have a good one everybody 😜
Hi Fast Trackers and Hello World (You All know Who You ARE) 😉
Q: Why are all jokes about women one-liners?
A: So men can understand them
Q: What’s a man’s idea of honesty in a relationship?
A: Telling you his real name
Q: What does it mean when a man is laying in bed calling a woman’s name and gasping for breath?
A: She’s hasn’t held the pillow down long enough
Q: How many men does it take to screw-in a light bulb?
A: One… He just holds the bulb up and waits for the room to revolve around him
Q: Why do women really need men about the house?
A: Because they still haven’t invented a vibrator that can do the dishes, cut the lawn, paint the house
Q: What’s the most common sleeping position of a man?
A: Around
Q: What’s the difference between a man and a condom?
A: Condoms have changed – they’re no longer thick and insensitive
Q: Why are men like coffee?
A: The best ones are rich, hot, and can keep you up all night!
Q: Why are men like lawn mowers?
A: They are difficult to get started, emit foul smells and don’t work half the time
Q: Why don’t women blink during sex?
A: There isn’t enough time
Q: What should you give a man who has everything?
A: A woman to show him how to work it
Have A Happy Weekend All You beautiful Losers 😆
Peace RT
Hello,
Wow! Here are the jokes. Another Friday for us again soon 😱 Thanks RT 😂😂😂😂
We didn’t have rain and actually the day was beautiful. I guess from now on is to get warmer.
This morning I had my delicious coffee w/ 2 tbsp of half and half and the only for the day and left to see the doctor. Actually not the worst I expected. Bursitis is the problem.
The options were: one steroid short, medication or PT. I chose the shot and see how I feel in 3 weeks. Actually I want to meet with the PT and pin point I I shouldn’t be doing over all and some home exercises.
Yesterday I went to a weight watchers meeting and today I started tracking food down. Parallel with it I went to Fitness Pal and checked my TDEE. I am heavier by the way.
I feel optimistic and at some point throw a FD and see how it goes. Fitness Pal is the one who suggests the most calories, 5:2 TDEE second and WW last. WW is not tracking most fruit and veggies.
I was for sure out of line with my daily food intake.
See you soon.
👗
HCB, are you any where near New London CT? There is a Keto Festival on there 15th and 16th July. Could be interesting.
http://www.ketofest.com
P ☺
I slept for ten hours last night, just so needed it after a horrible week. Thank goodness for my Fridays off.
Interesting times in the UK. Who would of thought Jeremy Corbyn would be there!?
Best of luck with the treatment, HCB 🙂 .
Reporting on my milk kefir – it’s been a week or so now, and the grains that Jo’s daughter so kindly sent are now one big blob! And not multiplying! However, having been home today I did notice that they were in the sun for a part of the morning, so have moved them. At least they are creating their output satisfactorily.
Have a healthy and relaxing weekend, all you dear people 🙂
Jo, my blob resists squashing. I think I need to take to it with a knife! No give-aways possible at the moment. I keep it in a glass jar with the lid loosely on, so any air movement is possible. And I don’t rinse it, just strain off the milk and then replace with new milk.
A new Brexit referendum, please!!
Barata, did you press the grains REALLY firmly into the plastic sieve with a plastic spoon? When I’m sieving mine each day, it gets squashed almost flat. Sort of scrape it over the surface of the sieve, and wide the “goodness” off the underside of the sieve.
I never rinse mine. Just pop it back in the fresh milk. I cover mine in muslin held with a rubber band. P
Damn. Lost my post looking at Jo’s new one!
Barata, it is very important to sieve very well. I think Amazon uses a metal sieve? The fermentation is governed by temperature. At least 24 hours in our cold now, but can be as little as 12 in a heatwave. Thickness is effected by the creaminess of the milk. P
No way that I am available to tend to the kefir on more than a 24-hour rotation, Jo. Otherwise it’s down the sink, too hard!! Some of us have to work. Full fat milk. Okay, I will squish as best I can, but the blobs are pretty resistant to squishing 🙂 Taste is okay – I either drink it straight or add it to my yoghurt on my muesli, days for which are reducing as I am trying to cut out breakfasts Tuesday and Wednesday to get rid of those 2kg which I am refusing to talk about any more! Time for bed!
Morning/evening all,
RT, thanks for your much needed weekly giggle inducing post 🙂
I do not use any metal when processing kefir. I purchased a kit from Happy Kombucha along with the grains and use the large plastic sieve provided. When I drain the liquid every morning the grains get a vigorous workout with a large flexible plastic spatula and are squeezed as much as possible to get all the good stuff into the liquid and the jar is scraped out with the spatula.
I keep the grains in a glass jar with a muslin lid. I’ve never washed the muslin and the jar is rinsed with warm water no more than once a week. The jar sits on top of the fridge freezer out of draughts and direct sunlight.
I never measure grains or milk just do it by eye, and I’ve thrown out at leat 10 times the grains I originally started with as I don’t know anyone who wants to make kefir.
Barata, any ordinary person (as opposed to MPs) who has more than a passing interest in UK politcs is not surprised by the success of the Labour Party and in particular Jeremy Corbyn. People are helplessly watching the government strangling the life out of the NHS, cutting social care, disability payments and cutting funding to local councils, education etc etc.
Public services salaries are so low that some nurses have been reduced to using food banks to feed their families.
The election and indeed the Brexit referendum were both IMHO unnecessary polls that were instigated in the interests of the government and not the election.
I always vote for the Green party and as they didn’t stand in my area I voted tactically as I feel it is my duty to vote.
My hope is that something good comes out of this.
The good news is that I’m alive and healthy and the sun is shining here in London.
Have a good weekend everyone 😜
Not a problem Purple, I just thought I would give everyone an idea of my somewhat laid back approach that produces lots of grains and gallons of kefir 😎
The one thing that has made me very angry is (successive) governments wilful destruction of the NHS, and that is as you know an opinion formed by over 40 years as an NHS worker on the coal face of caring for the sick, injured and dying.
The amazing thing is that staff are still giving exemplary care as I’ve witnessed first hand recently when accompanying a friend to hospital for consultations and treatment.
I’ll get off my soapbox now and watch the tennis 🙂
Hello,
I did have a great night sleep. Didn’t wake up with pain.
I was late up because I wanted to hear the news in the U.K. That has a lot tô do also with Teresa May and Trump. Here so far nothing significant has happened. The FBI director has the testemoby in regards to information leaked to Russia. They are all crooks in my books.
Purple New London is about 3 hours drive from here. I am in the most South and NL is North. Thanks for the info.
When I made my kefir I only needed: sieve (metal or plastic), spoon (metal or plastic) and a glas jar with a tight lid.
The owner of the business told us that there was no problem with the grains and metal.
I produced lots of grains and kefir.
Give Sasha a cut and bath 💋
Glad you slept well HCB. I guess 3 hours is a bit far to hang with yhe ketosis folk. 😉😉
Excellent meal Amazon. ☺🐡🌱
I’m planning something warm and Mediterranean today with fish, chorizo and the veg in the fridge. You can tell it’s 6am here and I’ve been awake for ages (sore throat). I always plan food in the early hours 😑
Warm cider vinegar and a friend’s local honey in hand. 🍵 P
Warm cider at 6 in the morning inspiring stuff Purple that’s living right there time to get my walk on Crows found some form last night and the bye next week…..this came in the email this morning just sharing the love
I got the sense of humour nailed so for sure a century here I come hope you ditch the dodgy throat and have a good weekend. Enjoy
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/10/longevity-secrets-from-centenarians.aspx?utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20170610Z3&et_cid=DM147280&et_rid=2038694088
RT
Barata,
When I first started my milk kefir grains they just turned into a big gloopy lump. Several weeks later, and having discarded (OK, fed to the hens) overgrowth, the grains are now finer, sort of cottage cheesy. I also cover the jar with muslim/ cloth.
I’m with you, I work, 24 hours is the minimum I can be doing with! You’ll get the hang of the right ratio of grains to milk for a 24 hour cycle.
I’ve never rinsed the grains. I do wash the glass jar out nightly, but we’re on a private water supply so no chemicals to kill the grains.
Amazon,
I see Jeremy *unt kept his seat. Unbelievable. And May having the nerve to tell a nurse who’s pay hasn’t gone up since 2010 that “there’s no magic money tree”. Like she was talking to a 4 years old!! Well there’s been money for MPs pay rises….
I’m not going to get started. I’m not strongly affiliated to any one party, although I am strongly opposed to one or two….! Suffice it to say I’ve raised a glass or two to Terry May losing her majority 😀 And another glass or two to applaud Jeremy Corbyn for running a principled civilised campaign and for rising above the unpleasant negative and hateful campaign of the Nasty party (apologies to Tory sympathisers, but May herself referred to her party as the nasty party…..)
For the first time, my water kefir has grown in quantity. Perhaps it is just a matter of patience. You give me hope with the milk kefir, Happy. I went to hunt out the muslin, but not wanting to cut into a large piece have settled on topping the jar with a doily! Remember those? 🙂 . I have been rinsing the jar out with tap water – that could be a mistake, too.
Strange how so many of us have similar political leanings. We have a general election coming up in September, and it’s currently looking as though the ruling right-wing party will get a fourth term 🙁
Brandy is my go-to for a sore throat, P. Stay well. And good that you were pain-free overnight, HCB.
As I’m doing ADF, Barata, and today is a feed day, I had mushrooms, an egg and bacon. I cooked it and took it back to bed to pretend I had servants 😉😉
Lunch was mackerel, chorizo, red cabbage, onion, garlic, rosemary, turmeric, coriander, celery leaves, kale, black beans and faro in a passata sauce. And a glass of red. Fresh strawberries with black coffee afterwards. Dr M would have approved.
I hope my gut appreciates it. ☺P
Morning/evening all,
Barata, on the rare occasions I rinse my kefir jar, it is done under the tap. The sieve and spatula are rinsed daily in tap water. Relax and stop worrying, my grains took several weeks to become accustomed to their new home and start working efficiently 🙂
Happy,
I’m with you on our Prime Minister and on the impressive campaign Jeremy Corbyn has led. I’m incredibly impressed with the fact that he made it positive talking of the Labour manifesto and his vision for the country rather than insulting his opponents.
It would be great if that attitude could adopted by ALL political parties.
Talking of Jeremy *unt. There was a Tweet yesterday that said,
“I see we are sending a Conservative and Unionist Negotiating Team to Brussels.
I hope they can think of a suitable acronym”
I nearly spilt my wine 🤣
No more politics apart from saying that the election cost us £143m and got us nowhere.
It’s a lovely sunny morning and the plan is to get out in the fresh air.
As I’ve been having so many issues with sticking to FDs or sensible eating, I’ve spent this week gradually reducing my calorie intake and today is the first day of my 800 calorie experiment.
Fingers crossed I can stick to it.
Have a good one everybody 😜
Morning/Night,
Barata my husband is the one who likes brandy when he’s not feeling well. Purple back home we do vinegar honey and crushed garlic.
Amazon how long are you planning your 800 meals?
Good luck Jo with your bowls! I really admire how busy and fit you are.
When you make your steamed fish is that dressed with ginger and steamed or the dressing afterwords. Would salmon work too?
No rain this week and tomorrow will be nearly 90 o better keep an eye on my lettuce bed.
Stay warm down unders – Saty cool northnerrs
Have a great weekend.
Hi HCB
I’m planning on 8 weeks, similar to the blood sugar diet ie low carb, higher fat Mediterranean style.
When I make Ginger Fish I put vegetables in the base of the steamer eg Chinese leaves such as Bok Choi and yesterday I added asparagus spears, but you could use anything green and leafy and any seasonal veg you like. I sprinkle the veg with half of the finely sliced garlic, shredded fresh ginger and some finely chopped chilli. Fish on top followed by remaining garlic/ginger/chilli and steam for 5-7 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. I dress it with Tamari (gluten free soy sauce) and a splash of sesame oil.
I’ve only ever made it with white fish and tuna but I’m sure salmon would work well.
It is a good FD meal and can be made more substantial by adding more veg or for non dieters (or stubborn OHs 😉 ) steamed rice could be served with it.
Amazon, you’ve reminded me of what I used to make as our fd meal 4 years ago….I usually used salmon.
I’m branching out much more now, using all sorts of different fish. We have a marvellous local fishshop. Very fresh and a wide range. Today we were admiring their incredible display of whole fishes. We plan to keep experimenting with seafood. 😊😊
Sorry about Andy btw 😑😑
Purple,
Andy got much further than expected considering shingles, and elbow injury, a chest infection and a couple of other illnesses this year. He ran out of steam due to lack of match play/fitness training. I’m sure all will be well for the grass court season.
I have a good fish shop a bus ride away and there are several farmers markets that have good fish stalls. I now eat more fish than meat simply because there is so much I’ve not tried yet and am keen to do so.
I’m planning on buying some whole fish and cooking on the BBQ over the summer months.
Today’s dinner is warm spring veg salad, peas, broad beans, spring onions, asparagus, carrots all blanched then added to some charred lettuce with a lemon dressing. It’ll be served with alongside an avocado, tomato and basil salad.
I’ve also made a raspberry and strawberry fool using yoghurt rather then the more traditional custard or cream.
That leaves me enough calories for a glass of chilled rosé 😉
Jo, I wear skirts and dresses throughout the summer. I used to slop around in baggy t-shirts, leggings and scruffy clothes but now they’ve all gone (and there is less of me) I take great pleasure in dressing well even if I’m not going anywhere.
Well it’s poured down for most of the day here and been a balmy 14!
I really like wearing dresses. It’s such a good look with wellies! I have several in my wardrobe, and two new summer dresses this year, on hangers…unworn… waiting for suitable weather.
Jo,
I’m very jealous that your strawberries are ripening. Mine are at least a couple of weeks off. However, I do have broadbeans, courgettes and lettuce ready in the polytunnel, and should have cucumbers in a couple of weeks. Homegrown and fresh picked anything always tastes so sweet 😀
You must be logged in to reply.
Michael is touring Australia this September! Here's a link to dates and tickets. Hope to see you there.
Michael Mosley gives an update for 2019, current research in the field and announces a tour starting in February.
Michael looks at the Horizon special, "What's the Right Diet for You" and tells us which diet they say is best for him.
11:09 am
6 Jun 17