The knitting is a hat for my Meggie. It's a more colorful version of this one, which we both love, but the white one is mine. I'm using a bamboo yarn that she picked out because it was soft and colorful. I really don't care for bamboo textiles----even though bamboo is fast-growing and invasive, it takes a lot of chemical processing to make it a satisfactory fabric. A more compelling reason never to use it again is that my wrist is extremely sore from it. My hands ache a little, but the right wrist is really Not Happy! I've been knitting constantly for the past month or so, and it was only after starting this hat, and working on nothing else, that my wrist started hurting.
Anyone want to buy a ball of white bamboo yarn?
~~~
I borrowed Grain Brain from a friend after hearing Dr. Perlmutter on a podcast. I've been hearing bad things about wheat for years---first from the low-carbers and primal/paleo crowd, and I experience(d) first hand it's addictive qualities, then there's Wheat Belly explaining those addictive qualities, and the fact that it's so hybridized as to be a completely different plant from the one Jesus had experience with. Now, neurologist Dr. Perlmutter pulls together all the studies that show the negative effect of wheat and sugar on the brain, and gives us his own clinical experiences of patients whose problems are frequently improved or completely eradicated by a low-carb, no wheat, high fat diet.
There are a lot of people pushing this type of paleo/primal/LCHF (low carb/high fat) diet for various reasons. Hmmm...Could they be on to something? I think so. At my house, we still eat wheat, and way too much at that, but we eat a very whole foods diet with lots of meat, eggs, veggies, whole milk, real butter, coconut oil, etc. There is absolutely no attempt to avoid fat in this household (except tranfats), and all the bloodwork for me and my DH is excellent.
It's definitely worth a read if you have any kind of health issues that are mysterious or affecting your brain health. Personally, my brain fog disappears when I eat/drink/ingest 1/4 c. of coconut oil every day! Being able to think clearly and express my thoughts disappears if I remove it from my diet for a few days. And after my mother dying of a neurodegenerative disease that was pretty horrific, I'm all for doing what I can to avoid any of that!
~~~~
Happy reading and knitting! Stop by Ginny's to see what everyone else is up to!
Dark and cold. The sound of school buses turning around in my cul-de-sac.
I am thankful...
...for a good weekend.
From the school table...
We are still getting our work done by noon every day! So much so that I'm going to have to create assign more work so they're not slugs all afternoon. Pip and I are taking a tour of a hybrid homeschool tomorrow to see what their high school program is like.
This gelato. Katie discovered this gluten-free gelato last week. Check out the ingredients. I think they're all gluten-free except for the ones that contain actual cookies. It's a little pricey, but it's nice to have something with quality ingredients. I used to be a Breyers fan, but their ice cream isn't as pure as it used to be.
Pulled pork and cole slaw for the Big Game. Paleo BBQ sauce from here. Aside from chips, of which I had only a few, and gelato, everything was sugar free. We were very restrained. I was using crispy squares of cabbage as a salsa and guacamole vehicle---because that's all chips really are.
I am wearing...
Workout clothes. The big excitement yesterday was going to Target to buy Just Dance 4. I played with Meg and Pip for a while, until their friends came over, and we all would have been embarrassed for me to continue dancing! It was fun and tiring, so I got up to "Just Sweat" this morning. The workout routine wasn't nearly as fun as dancing to songs that I choose myself, so I turned it off and did that. I danced for about 35 minutes! Who knew what fun we were missing out on all this time!
I know some of the songs can be inappropro (as Meg says), and that was confirmed when I heard them dancing to Britney Spears "Not So Innocent." I was happy to hear Pip say, "Let's not ever play that one again!"
I am knitting...
This beret in black, which is totally the wrong color for such a pretty hat! But, I'm using the yarn I have and that yarn wanted to be a beret. ;-)
I am going...
To be a little busier this week planning for an AHG Board meeting, making appointments, and working on paperwork. All stuff I've been avoiding conveniently forgetting!
I am reading...
The Year of Learning Dangerously by Quinn Cummings. It's very entertaining. The Perfect Health Dietby Shou Ching and Paul Jaminet. I think it's a pretty big book, but I'm not dismayed by that because it's on my Kindle, so I don't really know how big it is. I just know that however much I read my percentage doesn't change very quickly!
I am hoping and praying...
For a lovely lady named Laura who is pregnant with Baby #6 (16 wks.) and has been diagnosed with cervical cancer. She already has a heavy cross to bear with a severely disabled child. Please pray for her!
I am looking forward to...
lunch with a friend this week. A sleepover with the American Heritage Girls.
I am hearing on my ipod...
The ipod has been fairly quiet this past week or so in favor of rosaries while I walk, and The Lord of the Rings on CD. I'm on The Two Towers now.
Around the house...
My kitchen counters have stayed clean for several weeks now! Maybe now it's time to work on keeping the junk off the stairs---you know, that stuff that you put there just until you go up, and you never see it again? It's still there, but you don't "see" it! Well, I see it, and it makes me crazy even though sometimes it's my stuff.
One of my favorite things...
When my grown up girl comes home to do her laundry and hang out with us for a little while.
I was just going to listen to a podcast while I write my Quick Takes, figuring this is an easy post, but I'm learning that I can't multi-task as much as I would like! The brain doesn't function well doing too many things of that nature. I do wonder how teens manage to do their homework with music blasting in their ears all the time. I don't think I ever did that, nor could I now. They claim that it helps them focus. What do you think?
---2---
My baby is turning 10 next week. Double Digits. The reality of that keeps hitting me in the face. I look at the bookshelf and there are so many books that she hasn't read, or had read to her! There are PBS shows that the other kids grew up watching that she's not familiar with! Wishbone, anyone? I feel like I'm running out of time. At the same time, I'm getting to do more for myself than I have in years. I'm torn, but I do try to remind myself that in many ways she (and Pip) get more of me than the others did.
---3---
I am doing a little multi-tasking this morning....not NOW, but a few minutes ago....I was knitting while reading blogs. I'm trying to get a little progress done on Meg's birthay slippers which look like they might not get finished. It's a gazillion rows of garter stitch (constant, plain knittting, that is) to be sewn together and felted, so I can do it without looking, and I have my handy little counter on my phone to keep track for me. It even has a little alarm that goes off when I hit the "change color" row!
---4---
Yesterday I was reading a post at Mark's Daily Apple on contraception. Mark did a pretty decent article on laying out the problems with oral contraceptives, but then I made the mistake of reading the comments (or a lot of them anyway). A couple of people made a case for NFP, but they were pretty much shot down simply because people do occasionally get pregnant while using it. No one mentioned the unintended pregnancies from contraception. Or the possibility that the users were improperly instructed or ill-informed. STILL no one seems to understand the difference between "Vatican Roulette" the Rhythm Method and modern, well-instructed, NFP that is the Sympto-Thermal Method. I find it very frustrating.
---5---
More than frustrating, I find it incredibly sad that people are so blase about children and the gift that they are. So many people either have "absolutely no interest in ever having children" or feel they deserve one on their timetable.
---6---
In case you were wondering, the non-hormonal, copper IUD seems to win out as the contraceptive of choice for healthy people that want to do everything as naturally as possible for their bodies. Real food. Functional fitness. No babies. Makes perfect sense to me. (NOT)
---7---
And on that note, I will go awaken my 2 darling, still-at-home children so we can spend our rainy day together, doing schoolwork and curled up by the fire reading books. Maybe watching a little essential, vintage PBS.
I’m doing something a little (okay, a LOT) different today! Mark Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint, has a brand new book out called The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation.
It’s a practical, action-oriented guide for how to eat, exercise and live Primally – a step-by-step, “cut to the chase” resource to make a smooth and quick transition into a Primal lifestyle. In it he tells you exactly what to do every day for 21 days to take control of your health for the rest of your life. Mark explains what this new book is all about, what’s in it and who it’s for here.
I have his first book,The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram your genes for effortless weight loss, vibrant health, and boundless energy (Primal Blueprint Series) and I love it. It's a great explanation on how and why to eat primally in our modern world. And, let me tell you, I feel great when I follow his principles for daily living! I've been reading his blog for several years, and I wouldn't bother helping him promote this if I didn't feel very strongly about what he teaches. And, just so you know, though Mark has lots of stuff to sell, you don't need to buy anything to do his program. Absolutely everything he preaches is available for free on his website: marksdailyapple.com. The book(s) just give the essentials and the tools you need to get started today. There are hundreds of informative posts on his site.
Mark is looking to get his new book on the New York Times best-seller list to gain exposure for the Primal Blueprint message, so he’s put together a loaded special offer. Basically, you order 1 or more copies between October 18 and 24, email your receipt to a special email address and Mark kicks you back a bunch of freebies. It’s a win-win. You get a great book for less than 15 bucks, and a bunch of free gifts, and you and Mark both get to help take the Primal movement mainstream. Check out the details of Mark’s special offer below and pick up a copy of the book today.
What Do I Win for Helping Put This Book on the NYT Best-Seller List?
Order 1 Copy and You Get:
1. Access to the exclusive, password-protected ebook – “Primal Living in the REAL World”: In this 130-page eBook, hundreds of Primal enthusiasts share their challenges, solutions and practical tips for how they get – and stay – Primal. It’s like having the advice of 300 coaches. In it you’ll read hundreds of answers to these and numerous other questions: What is the first thing a person should do to kick start their Primal life? What do you think is the most important thing one should understand as they attempt to go Primal? What was the biggest hurdle you experienced when going Primal and how did you overcome it? And of course, the most important one, What do you usually eat for breakfast?
2. Access to the exclusive, password-protected audio interview – “21-Day Total Body Transformation”: Download a 60 minute, free-wheeling Q&A podcast in which Mark discusses the 8 Key Concepts that everyone needs to know to go Primal. Among many other topics covered, Mark discusses why your body prefers burning fat over carbohydrates and how you can use this knowledge to become a fat-burning beast instead of a sugar burner. Also, listen to Mark riff on why grains are totally unnecessary and why 80 percent of your body composition is determined by how you eat.
3. $10 Gift Certificate to PrimalBlueprint.com: Spend it like cash and order whatever you want, perhaps a cookbook to go with the 21-Day Transformation book? This means for a net 5 bucks you can grab a copy of Mark’s new book today. (The coupon code is good for any single product at PrimalBlueprint.com and expires on 11/30/11.)
Order 3 (Or More) Copies and You Get:
1. All the aforementioned benefits – the $10 Gift Certificate, the exclusive eBook and podcast, plus…
2. Audio recording of the original Primal Blueprint(released in 2009) - Listen to The Primal Blueprint on your phone or MP3 player with this abridged, digital (MP3) audio book voiced by Mark Sisson. The audio book is four hours long, and covers all 10 of the Primal Blueprint Laws and then some. This is the book that started it all and retails for $26.99. Grab 3 or more copies of the the 21-Day Total Body Transformation and you’ll get it for free.
3. Plus an additional $10 Gift Certificate toPrimalBlueprint.com, bringing the total to $20.Maybe this is the perfect opportunity to try a PEK,Primal Fuel or Master Formula on for size!(The coupon code is good for any single product at PrimalBlueprint.com and expires on 11/30/11.)
Order 8 (Or More) Copies and Help Change The World!
Buy 8 or more books through mainstream channels and Mark will send you one book for every two books you buy! Buy eight and he’ll send you four more. Buy 80 and he’ll send you 40 for free – seriously…and he’ll autograph each one of these promo books! And, of course, you’ll get all the aforementioned freebies.
Do your holiday shopping early. One common frustration from Primal enthusiasts is how to get friends and loved ones on board. This book is the perfect calling card to introduce someone to the Primal Blueprint. Why not reduce the hassle of holiday shopping and give each of your deserving friends and loved ones the gift of life transformation?
100 copies – Personal Touch: A 30-minute private phone consultation wherein you and Mark discuss anything you want. (Well, almost anything.) Mark doesn’t one-on-one coaching anymore so this is a rare opportunity. Yes, you also get the 50 free signed books and all the aforementioned freebies!
1,000 copies – Executive Decision:Could you co-workers use some guidance and motivation to get in shape? Mark will fly out to your location, present his Primal Transformation seminar and spend the day helping get your co-workers/employees Primal!
How Do I Win?
1. Order your book(s) online or at your local bookstore before midnight Monday, Oct 24. Here are some online ordering options:
2. Email your receipt to the appropriate email address:
If you purchase 1-2 copies email your receipt to 1book@primalblueprint.com
If you purchase 3-7 copies email your receipt to 3books@primalblueprint.com
If you purchase 8 or more copies email the confirmation that your order has shipped to8books@primalblueprint.com
To reiterate, for 8 or more books, please email Mark the confirmation that your order has shipped (not your initial email receipt) to the appropriate email address above. Also, please include your shipping address so Mark knows where to ship your free books. Please allow 30 days for processing and shipping of your free books. Mark’s going to have a lot of books to sign!
Low-techies can fax receipt copy to 310-317-4424.
3. You will receive your e-gift certificate, eBook download instructions, podcast download instructions, and all other freebies by reply email. (Please be patient. The Worker Bees will be reviewing receipts and sending you instructions on how to access all of your freebies within 24 hours.)
If you have any questions about ordering, or this promotion, please call 888-774-6259 (or 310-317-4414).
Fine Print:
Unfortunately, Kindle and other digital books don’t count toward the NY Times best-seller list, nor this promotion.
Books purchased in physical locations (e.g. a brick-and-mortar Barnes & Noble) count, too. Just scan and email your receipt to the appropriate email address above, or fax it to 310-317-4424.
This offer only applies to book orders placed in the United States.
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and I love it. It's a great explanation on how and why to eat primally in our modern world. And, let me tell you, I feel great when I follow his principles for daily living! I've been reading his blog for several years, and I wouldn't bother helping him promote this if I didn't feel very strongly about what he teaches. And, just so you know, though Mark has lots of stuff to sell, you don't need to buy anything to do his program. Absolutely everything he preaches is available for free on his website: 
