Primal Journal **Greensprout** page 132

[Greensprout]

Yesterday:

slept in, woke up feeling very sluggish and with a headache. Too much wine, was I trying to make up stupidly for abstaining during the week?? At least it didn't take too long to feel human again, though hubby doesn't make the morning coffee as strong as I like it.

Poked through a few shops and had some great primal finds:
Organic market - red garnet yams, local free range eggs (the source from summer's farmer's market is now supplying some independent markets), kombucha.
Asian market - purple asian yams, shiritaki (yam flour) noodles - no idea what I'll do with these yet, but couldn't resist! Frozen beef tendon, which I'll throw into my next bone broth batch. I remembered the MDA blog post from last month about the "odd bits". I still have 2 bags of frozen bison bones to use.
And the regular grocery store had Arroy-D coconut milk with no preservatives/stabilizers on sale. Score!

Eats:
black coffee (lots)
a larabar from the organic market (decided I was too hungry to wait till getting home)
half a pepperoni stick, spoonful of hazelnut butter, one dark chocolate square, 3 strawberries
D: most of a grilled t-bone, grilled asparagus, sauteed mushrooms, baked purple yam with butter. I really liked this, the flavour was not too sweet, and the texture was closer to a white potato than a sweet potato normally is, so I would get these again. It was the sort with the purple flesh throughout, not yellow inside like some I've seen. A rum & zevia, shared one bottle of shiraz.

Stayed up way too late watching a movie, consequently a big sleep in morning. I've been doing some online research about more tea stuff. Might go out and pick up some new stuff, though maybe I should work through the rest of what I have with all my little samples first!

[Greensprout]

I did go out and picked up small amounts of 3 new loose leaf teas. 2 green (mint and fruity) and an herbal blend. More jojoba oil, which I use for a face moisturizer at night and occasionally put on the ends of my hair, which has become a bit dry since growing out so much. Browsed winter boots, but undecided if I want to spend a lot of cash on a really good pair or less for something that will do for a couple of seasons.

No exercise. My hand is sore today, the thumb and wrist. I haven't done a lot more with it, but am perhaps not favoring it as much. It's actually a bit swollen tonight too. I've not taken the antiinflammatories all weekend, which I have been using regularly for the past month, so maybe that's part of the problem, so I took one tonight. I start physio for the hand tomorrow afternoon with a hand & wrist specialist physiotherapist.

Eats:
although I have leftover steak, I strangely didn't feel like steak & eggs today. Will save that for another time.
B: black coffee
L: 3 soft boiled eggs, 4 large strawberries, tsp of coconut oil/ghee stuff
2 mugs of green tea
8 raw almonds
one small glass of red wine, to finish the bottle
D: pork tenderloin medallions, last of the purple yam browned in coconut oil/ghee, broccoli
one vodka soda with lime.

My belly is noticeably less bloated than it has been in recent weeks. I think that the cutting out alcohol during the week plus being a bit more reasonable on portion sizes is starting to make a difference. I've been sitting in the same 3 lb weight range for a while now (a long while), but it seems to be starting to "dip". And that's even with just ending a period. I'll see how it settles out over the next week.

[Greensprout]

Some strange kid drama here tonight, but not my kids. Hubby went to pick up son #2 from his buddy's girlfriend's house, along with buddy, seems some other kids had picked a fight with buddy. Police had been called, but all is okay there. Then after they left, the girlfriend was apparently kicked out by her parents, who are according to her alcoholics and abusive (??). Who shuts out their 15 year old daughter on a winter night?? Anyway, buddy was dropped off at grandparents home where he lives, and buddy's girlfriend is staying here (??) tonight, will head off to school in the morning. Very odd indeed. She seems like a nice kid. She'll stay on the couch in the mancave in the basement.

Yeah, having teenagers is a neverending adventure.

[Greensprout]

As far as I know, the aforementioned girl went home after school today. She was very polite this morning and thanked me for letting her stay. Still very odd. Apparently, according to son #2, her folks have done this before.

I saw the new physiotherapist today, my hand wasn't swollen today, but still aching quite a bit. She agrees there's a good bit of decreased range of motion and inflammation in the thumb. Probably from using it more than I had been the past few days. Massaged some tight areas, and did some ultrasound. Now I'm taped up to restrict the motion a bit, mostly to remind me to not use it as much. Of course, I came home and hacked up a couple of not quite thawed whole chickens with my trusty chef's knife, probably not such a good idea. Hubby's too squeamish to take on the task, and well, I wouldn't trust the boys to not lop a finger or hand off. Anyway, still not going to be back to yoga class or lifting for a bit yet.

Eats:
B: black coffee
L: the last of my t-bone steak & mushrooms, raw celery and red pepper. 4 dates (I bought only 4 semi-fresh ones at the organic market on the weekend to make up for the really good ones that hubby stole. Not as good.)
cup of white and fruity tea, 8 almonds
D: we each had a half chicken - I ate the wing, leg & thigh, and most of the crispy skin. Creamed kale.
Herbal tea - the apple/hibiscus/rosehip one.

It was funny when son #2 came to eat and saw the pan of kale. I had used 2 full large bunches, he peered at it and said "I'll take half of that". Doesn't care for it other ways, but he does love the creamed stuff. I'll take it!

[NourishedEm]

I love those purple-inside sweet potatoes, they're always so hard to come by here. As soon as they come in they're gone. In the Asian delis here they have bags of sweet potato chips made from them, so pretty! Fried in palm oil too which makes them an acceptable occasional indulgence I think. The purple skin/yellow flesh ones are more readily available but they really are sweet aren't they? Delicious with butter though.

Yeah - teenage drama is bizarre. I'm so not looking forward to that!

[winencandy]

Lots of kid drama at your house!
I can't IMAGINE kicking my 15 year old daughter out like that!!!
Very good of you to let her stay

Too much wine, was I trying to make up stupidly for abstaining during the week??

It happens

I saw the new physiotherapist today, my hand wasn't swollen today, but still aching quite a bit. She agrees there's a good bit of decreased range of motion and inflammation in the thumb. Probably from using it more than I had been the past few days. Massaged some tight areas, and did some ultrasound. Now I'm taped up to restrict the motion a bit, mostly to remind me to not use it as much. Of course, I came home and hacked up a couple of not quite thawed whole chickens with my trusty chef's knife, probably not such a good idea. Hubby's too squeamish to take on the task, and well, I wouldn't trust the boys to not lop a finger or hand off. Anyway, still not going to be back to yoga class or lifting for a bit yet.

It's good that you started physio. Maybe the taping will slow you down a bit??? I guess you "win" on the injury. My toe doesn't hurt anymore.

[Greensprout]

The purple skin/yellow flesh ones are more readily available but they really are sweet aren't they? Delicious with butter though.

I've found those ones too, and they are sweeter. I wonder if those are the ones Robb Wolf refers to as tasting like cake?

Yeah - teenage drama is bizarre. I'm so not looking forward to that!

Yup. Once the hormones kick in, it seems anything goes.

Lots of kid drama at your house!
I can't IMAGINE kicking my 15 year old daughter out like that!!!

I could do without such drama!! Yeah, I can't imagine doing that either.

It's good that you started physio. Maybe the taping will slow you down a bit??? I guess you "win" on the injury. My toe doesn't hurt anymore.

I hope it helps. I took off the tape before bed, as suggested. Today I made more of an effort to favour the right hand. It doesn't feel as achy tonight as the past couple of days. Physio said I could ice it a bit too, since there's still inflammation, but I'm not in the mood for ice. I'm sitting near the fireplace with fleece jammies and a big hoodie!

I may have "won", but feel like more of a loser at this point

[Greensprout]

Eats:
B: black coffee
L: salad of spinach & arugula, scallion, half an avocado, half a red pepper, pork tenderloin and evoo/lime vinaigrette.
after work: apple with almond butter, 1 1/2 pepperoni sticks.
D: lightly sauteed kale with chicken breast, all warmed in duck fat. Nice. The duck fat adds a lot of flavour.

Made it to the gym at lunch, walked an hour (4 miles), then some stretches, hip bridges and planks. Feeling the incline I used on the treadmill in my legs right now!

[winencandy]

Good workout!

[Greensprout]

I've managed to get about 7 hours of sleep the last 2 nights. I still woke feeling not rested enough and hit the snooze an extra time this morning. I know that 8 or even more would work so much better for me, but bedtime is still an issue. I'm often running out to pick someone up around 10, or waiting for someone to come home. And if I'm out, I don't feel quite ready to just jump into bed 10 min after driving out in the cold. Need to find a way around all this.

No gym time found at work today, and I was feeling sluggish and not interested when I got home. Fairly productive at work, at least. I had to find time to use up 5 more vacation days., which I have to use by the end of my term on March 2 as I can't carry them over. A bit challenging as I'll be away for 2 weeks late next month, then a week for my handover back to the gal I've been backfilling for the last year, and working around meetings, presentations, teleconferences, etc. Friday is off, regardless. No doubt that will mean no sleep in, as somebody will be begging for a ride to school.

Eats:
B: black coffee
green teas
L: salad of arugula, tin of tuna, half an avocado, celery, scallion, diced dill pickle, diced green olives, bit of avocado oil/lime juice. Had a craving for something sweet after, but I had nothing and wasn't going to buy crap from a vending machine.
after work: one dark chocolate square.
D: hot wings.

I gave in to a rum & zevia. I can live with that. Aiming for the gym tomorrow.