[Harriet]

This is part three of a year that I am setting aside to try to heal from chronic exhaustion and demotivation. There are four aspects to lifestyle healing magic: food, stress, movement, and sleep. This module is for fine tuning the food aspect.

 

Last challenge I started keto, and saw a massive reduction in anxiety, and some other mental benefits. This challenge I will experiment with different variations on the ketogenic diet to increase my knowledge about what works. I have some improved mental energy, and hope to spend it on writing and painting. But I won’t push it if I don’t feel like it. Motivation must come from an un-inflamed and adequately fuelled mind, not from desperate attempts to whip up willpower out of the watery gruel of fatigue. A loose sort of schedule does seem to be developing on its own, so I’m just going to let that continue.

I haven’t really recovered my physical strength and energy since the last trip to Munich (now some weeks ago damnit) so exercise will be advised but optional. (We have proven to our satisfaction the inefficacy of forcing the lab mouse to run when exhausted).

 

Lifestyle Healing Magic: Ketonics Module I

 

Potions (food)

Lesson One: Do Not Ingest Poison: no sugar, caffeine, or alcohol

(Ke)Tonics general instructions: eat at or under 20g net carbohydrates per day.

(Ke)tonics specific experiments: Zero week will be no chocolate and no live sauerkraut, to see if this helps with my current heartburn. I must also undergo the trial of the Silberhochzeit, in which I must endure some periods of foodlessness on the train, and evade all attempts to poison me with celebratory food.

 

Weeks 1-5 I will adjust other parameters. Possible experiments could be increasing and decreasing the plant content of my diet, which will probably mean decreasing and increasing the dairy content, since those are my two sources of carbs, and they compete for space. I might also try cutting eggs and processed meats and really going all in on fresh meat, green things, and water. I might add fasting or save it for next challenge. Or maybe I will devise a diet inspired by Artio the bear goddess and eat salmon, berries, meat, and (*googles bears*) herbs, pine cones, hikers, and 20 000 calories worth of moths??? (*note to self: check carbs in moths*).

 

Defence Against the Dark Arts (stress)

 

Occlumency (meditation) is suspended so that its anxiety-lowering effects may be trialled separately from the ketonics. It shall be reintroduced next challenge.

 

Enspiriting Runes: I shall aim to do a little art every other day.

 

Sparking Sigils: I shall aim to write a little every other day.

 

Transfiguration (movement)

 

Hypertrophy Charm: any form of strength training, if energy allows. I seem to be losing weight from the keto, and I don’t really like what I see—my weightlifting over the last few years has added thickness to my legs, arms, and waist, but not to my chest, upper back, or glutes. I seem to be in a slightly longer term tired phase, so I will simply do some exercises for these areas whenever possible, until moderately tired, at home or at the gym. Recommendations for isolating the glutes without the hamstrings welcome. Current ideas include swings and single legged glute bridges. Recommendations for hitting the chest without the arms also welcome. So far, the barbell bench has added weight to my arms only.

 

Spell of Ambulancy: at least one short walk daily.

 

Charms (sleep)

 

Somnolence Ritual: screens off at 9:30

 

Hmmm. This entry looks kind of dry without any gifs or pictures. Here, have an experimental scribble. And share gifs of mead, honey, and other beautiful liquids, please.

 

 

[Harriet]

I bought an entire guinea fowl, without knowing what it was. (Perlhuhn sounds much less threatening, because it just sounds like a variant of Huhn, chicken). I have dry brined it, carelessly shoved some herbs and lemon in its general direction, and placed it in the oven with foil and a metal thingy to elevate it above the stock which was recommended because guinea fowl are leaner than chickens. Let us see if it comes out edible.

[fearless 2.0]

love that we both are on keto! This means endless inspiration and food porn for me! One little side note: maybe dont do too many experiments so early on in your keto life. I have read a lot about it and most sources ask you to wait a little bit before making major changes. Its cool to leave sauerkraut or do minor changes, just not go carnivore too soon. Count in time for your body to get used to different eating styles.

 

did your strength suffer during the beginning of keto? I used to feel a bit weak when starting...

 

love the drawing!

 

enjoy your Perlhuhn!  

[Salinger]

Hey Harriet, here to follow !! Hope your food is tasty xx

[Happienumber]

5 hours ago, Harriet said:

Or maybe I will devise a diet inspired by Artio the bear goddess and eat salmon, berries, meat, and (*googles bears*) herbs, pine cones, hikers, and 20 000 calories worth of moths??? (*note to self: check carbs in moths*).

Im cracking up because I went to find a funny gif to go along with this and it turns out there are not just one, but TWO diet fads called “eat like a bear” where people seriously try to eat like bears…🤣

 

the funniest one had a book called “eat like a bear! How humans should actually eat” and it just seemed so ironic that I laughed out loud. (Perhaps we should eat like humans? Lol 😂🤣😆)

 

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

6 hours ago, Harriet said:

And share gifs of mead, honey, and other beautiful liquids, please.

Ask and ye shall receive:

[Harriet]

5 hours ago, fearless 2.0 said:

love that we both are on keto!

 

Me too! But I'm not sure how inspiring my meals will be, as I am a creature of habit, not innovation, in this realm.

 

5 hours ago, fearless 2.0 said:

One little side note: maybe dont do too many experiments so early on in your keto life. I have read a lot about it and most sources ask you to wait a little bit before making major changes. Its cool to leave sauerkraut or do minor changes, just not go carnivore too soon. Count in time for your body to get used to different eating styles.

 

That's a good point. I've gone low-plant not out of some clever plan, but really just to fit in dairy and dairy and chocolate, because I find life so bleak without milchprodukten. I'll be minor with the tweaks but I really need to solve the heartburn.

 

5 hours ago, fearless 2.0 said:

did your strength suffer during the beginning of keto? I used to feel a bit weak when starting...

 

It's suffering at the moment, yeah. I'm in a very low physical energy stage, and have ongoing sinus troubles. I'm not sure if it's keto or something else, because it's within the normal range of my energy fluctuations. I went to the gym once in the last few weeks and it was terrible. Much lower endurance, and I was low to start with.

 

5 hours ago, fearless 2.0 said:

love the drawing!

 

enjoy your Perlhuhn!  

 

Thank you twice! It tasted very like chicken.

 

4 hours ago, Salinger said:

Hey Harriet, here to follow !! Hope your food is tasty xx

 

Thanks, Sal!

 

3 hours ago, Happienumber said:

Im cracking up because I went to find a funny gif to go along with this and it turns out there are not just one, but TWO diet fads called “eat like a bear” where people seriously try to eat like bears…🤣

 

Now, now, it hurts my feelings when you call my spirituo-nutritional philosophy a fad*. Also, thank you for the book recommendation 😁

*not really though

 

3 hours ago, Happienumber said:

the funniest one had a book called “eat like a bear! How humans should actually eat” and it just seemed so ironic that I laughed out loud. (Perhaps we should eat like humans? Lol 😂🤣😆)

 

Well, that's begging the question. What do humans eat like? Alas, I am but a poor omnivore aburdened with choice in excess and confounded by deceitful foodlike mimics.

 

2 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Ask and ye shall receive:

 

Thank you! Is that honey? Or car oil?

 

Only you read the whole thing and followed the instructions! I'll have to continue the collection myself:

 

[Harriet]

Today was fine. I did some swings and bridges, did the tiniest amount of drawing (not much, though, because the thing I was trying didn't work out. I need a new project or theme). I walked. I met the catsitter I arranged for this weekend. The heart clamping anxiety only began 45 minutes before the meeting and was limited in frequency. Usually it would be one to two days. It was like being stabbed three times instead of 72 times! It was great!

My experiment without chocolate lasted one and a half days. So this week I am just testing the absence of sauerkraut to see if it helps. I'll try to keep to 24-35g though. 70g cannot be good for heartburn.

 

The perlhuhn guinea fowl tastes like chicken, more or less. It had some super fatty bits, and some rather lean chewy bits. I made the steaming solution into an extremely salty gravy. It was fine, but I think I prefer chicken just for the familiarity and consistency of fat coverage.

[Elastigirl]

Interesting on the guinea fowl. I'm not sure if they sell those around here.. I'm sure that chocolate wasn't causing your heartburn anyway (because that just wouldn't be fair)

[MezzotheLefty]

 

I love how you structure your challenges. Following!

 

So excited for you that keto is helping. Anxiety is a jerk and I'm glad it's bothering you less!

 

PS, Happy Anniversary! 

[Harriet]

1 hour ago, Elastigirl said:

Interesting on the guinea fowl. I'm not sure if they sell those around here.. I'm sure that chocolate wasn't causing your heartburn anyway (because that just wouldn't be fair)

 

Yeah I just found it at the shop and took it because why not. And I'm sure you're right about the chocolate.

 

1 hour ago, MezzotheLefty said:

 

Oooooooooh lovely!

 

1 hour ago, MezzotheLefty said:

I love how you structure your challenges. Following!

 

So excited for you that keto is helping. Anxiety is a jerk and I'm glad it's bothering you less!

 

Thank you!

 

1 hour ago, MezzotheLefty said:

PS, Happy Anniversary! 

 

It's not my anniversary, it's my mother-in-law and step-father-in-law. I have been married... let's see now... 8 years.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

1 hour ago, Harriet said:

Thank you! Is that honey? Or car oil?

I googled "pouring mead" so I suspect it's raw honey, finished mead, or something in between.

[MezzotheLefty]

11 minutes ago, Harriet said:

It's not my anniversary, it's my mother-in-law and step-father-in-law. I have been married... let's see now... 8 years.

 

Oops! That's what I get for not double checking with Google! I saw hochzeit and inferred anniversary instead of the much more specific Silver Anniversary... 😬 Sorry!

[Happienumber]

3 hours ago, Harriet said:

Now, now, it hurts my feelings when you call my spirituo-nutritional philosophy a fad*. Also, thank you for the book recommendation 😁

*not really though

 

😂🤣😆

 

3 hours ago, Harriet said:

deceitful foodlike mimics.

 

This is the problem with our current food climate. 

 

3 hours ago, Harriet said:

It was like being stabbed three times instead of 72 times! It was great!

 

 

 

[Harriet]

21 hours ago, MezzotheLefty said:

Oops! That's what I get for not double checking with Google! I saw hochzeit and inferred anniversary instead of the much more specific Silver Anniversary... 😬 Sorry!

 

Not to worry! Hochzeit is wedding.

 

19 hours ago, Happienumber said:

This is the problem with our current food climate. 

 

I know, right? I am currently defending myself quite successfully from processed foods, however. With a meat shield.

[Harriet]

Keto continues uneventfully apart from the acid reflux thing. It happens even on an empty stomach. I walked, did some narrow incline pushups and discovered the push press for chest. I edited a little. I would like Mr Harriet and my brother to read my draft and give me feedback, because I kind of lack confidence that my work is reasonable. Then again, maybe I should be more like the person I want to be and just have the spirit to publish without their approval. I picked out an outfit for the silberhochzeit. The pants I intended to wear are now too big, but I found some older ones that are okay. They're dark purple. I wrote a list of things I need to take care of before I go. I will need to buy some vittels for the trip. It's difficult to peel boiled eggs on the train, so it will probably be salami and quark. In terrible news, I bought a different brand of quark and it tasted bad. I am devastated. I will never stray from my Bavarian brand again.

[Aquarii]

On 10/19/2021 at 11:35 AM, Harriet said:

My experiment without chocolate lasted one and a half days

 

Lol, this would be me. A diet without chocolate is just....no. Lol.

[Jupiter]

13 hours ago, Harriet said:

I would like Mr Harriet and my brother to read my draft and give me feedback, because I kind of lack confidence that my work is reasonable. Then again, maybe I should be more like the person I want to be and just have the spirit to publish without their approval.

 

I don't know, it never hurts to have a second (or third) pair of eyes. I always have someone look at my work before I submit, as they tend to catch things I miss. 

[Harriet]

4 hours ago, Aquarii said:

 

Lol, this would be me. A diet without chocolate is just....no. Lol.

 

Yes, it is most difficult. I guess I'll test the foods in the order of least to most emotional attachment. Dairy last, chocolate second to last.

 

1 hour ago, Jupiter said:

I don't know, it never hurts to have a second (or third) pair of eyes. I always have someone look at my work before I submit, as they tend to catch things I miss. 

 

True! I will ask them.

[Harriet]

Heartburn update: digestive details...

 

Spoiler

Well, four days without sauerkraut didn't help yet.  I don't think it's low or high acid or inability to digest high fat, because I've figured out the main symptom seems to be air--belching. When I lie down to sleep, it can't escape and pushes acid up. This even if I sleep six hours after last eating and my stomach feels empty. So something is obviously making trouble and air in the upper GI tract. I wonder if it is eggs. In the past, I have sometimes felt really truly sick after eating eggs, but *only* if I ate too many of them, too regularly. I could have a very slight intolerance/inability to digest. That could explain why it took a few weeks for the heartburn to start. I feel it's super unlikely that it's dairy, because there has never been a period of my life in which I didn't eat a lot of dairy. My vegan period probably lasted a week, I can't remember exactly.

 

...So then I said to 'im, I said" 'ere's wat I fink of your "eggs"' and threw 'em and they bounced all the way up the street before hatching and the tiny little men wif feather 'ats got out and the geese all nodded solemn like, and went back to their abacuses. Abacusses? Abaci? Their little beady countin' frames, anyway. 

[fearless 2.0]

the heartburn thing is shit. I wish I knew something about how to heal it... but nada.

glad you're enjoying your Quark though

have a great day! ❤️

[h3r0]

5 hours ago, Harriet said:

Heartburn update: digestive details...

 

  Hide contents

Well, four days without sauerkraut didn't help yet.  I don't think it's low or high acid or inability to digest high fat, because I've figured out the main symptom seems to be air--belching. When I lie down to sleep, it can't escape and pushes acid up. This even if I sleep six hours after last eating and my stomach feels empty. So something is obviously making trouble and air in the upper GI tract. I wonder if it is eggs. In the past, I have sometimes felt really truly sick after eating eggs, but *only* if I ate too many of them, too regularly. I could have a very slight intolerance/inability to digest. That could explain why it took a few weeks for the heartburn to start. I feel it's super unlikely that it's dairy, because there has never been a period of my life in which I didn't eat a lot of dairy. My vegan period probably lasted a week, I can't remember exactly.

 

 

It sounds like a mild food intolerance / allergy. Bloating, gas pain, and heartburn especially when laying down to sleep at night. Same symptoms I was having forever until I did like you are doing and started removing things until I found the culprit. For me it turned out to be lactose / dairy. I've never had a issue with dairy products before in my life until I did. Very sad because I love me some cheese but feel so much better without it. 

 

[Harriet]

5 hours ago, fearless 2.0 said:

the heartburn thing is shit. I wish I knew something about how to heal it... but nada.

glad you're enjoying your Quark though

have a great day! ❤️

 

Thank you! ❤️

 

2 hours ago, h3r0 said:

 

It sounds like a mild food intolerance / allergy. Bloating, gas pain, and heartburn especially when laying down to sleep at night. Same symptoms I was having forever until I did like you are doing and started removing things until I found the culprit. For me it turned out to be lactose / dairy. I've never had a issue with dairy products before in my life until I did. Very sad because I love me some cheese but feel so much better without it. 

 

Good to know about your similar experience. But ohhhhh I really hope it's not a new onset dairy intolerance. I think the eggs is more likely, though, because I used to eat them only rarely, and introduced them into my diet in large quantities recently.

[Harriet]

Today was fine. I did a few pulling exercises and tried to walk but turned back because it is extremely windy and cold. I got groceries. I did some planning for the trip. I rang a rheumatologist repeatedly to try to make an appointment. I did feel strong anxiety about this, so that's sad (at least the anxiety got weaker with each new attempt?) But I have no ambient, targetless anxiety. And I think my skin is better? I waited to say anything because of course it fluctuates, but so far so good--virtually no blemishes. I have stopped picking at it because the constant restless agitation I used to have is gone (I didn't even realise it was a thing until it disappeared). And there's nothing to pick at anyway because apparently keto cures acne? But we should collect data for a couple more cycles before declaring victory. I did some painting. I read. I bought steak (first time in weeks. It looks so red and enticing) and lunch meats. Apparently Germans make itty cooked sausages that taste just like cheerios! I don't know what they're called in America (I tried typing 'tiny sausage' into cronometer, but no). But in Australia they are children's party food, and consumed with tomato sauce/ketchup. I tested the hypothesis that they would be equally delicious with a smidgen of mustard. I was unable to falsify and am satisfied with the proof, which was in the eating. Speaking of eating, the fat guinea fowl, cream-quark and now steak are helping me hit much higher calories (2000). I must not panic and try to artificially reduce this. This is fine, this is good. All is well. I might even add butter to the pan with my steak, to help collect the burnt salty bits and scrape them onto my plate.

 

ETA oh and I knew I wasn't going to be able to finish my knitted top (it's less fingering weight and more light fingering) so i decided to finish at hat instead:

Spoiler

 

 

[h3r0]

Nice hat! I want one. 

 

Tiny sausages the size of cheerios? I don't think we have that in the US. If we did I would eat them with a spoon and gravy out of a bowl like meaty cereal. 

 

Mmmmm meaty cereal...