This Is What I Need..

Borrowed from Z&M..

Babu

Hey all.  I'm gonna write real quickly to debrief you on Babu.  You may or may not know, but he's come down with a case of fatty liver.  This can be fatal in cats - easily and quickly.  Their livers can shut down and stop working, which means end of Babu.  I have to force feed him by syringe, and it's challenging at best.  I could be wrong, but I think cats are the worst to force feed; they like to do everything on their own time, never mind eating.  And never mind having someone force food down their throat.  Anyways... yesterday was semi-successful - despite protest, he accepted the force feedings and ate some chicken on his own.  Today, he's not doing anything and he brings up what he consumes.  He's going too many hours without food and I'm worried.

Just wondering if y'all could send positive thoughts and prayers this way - we need 'em!  Thanks!

Quotes

Quotes

Every person is a precious gift, and we are all like little children who yearn for acceptance, safety and unconditional love.
~ Bryant McGill

Gluten Free/Dairy Reduced... FAIL

Ugh.. I completely suck at this.  I mean, you have no idea.  I'm almost failing on a daily basis.  Not big things (usually), just little things mind, but still, a failure.  Tonight's dinner was a classic example; went out for sushi with a friend tonight (I've had mad cravings for it and I thought ahead - as long as I order my handrolls and sushi, I'll be fine, i.e - no tempura.  Mmm... tempura).  Anyways, I make my first order, start eating.  Oh hell.. soy sauce (has gluten in it, if you weren't aware).  Well, might as well keep going (poor mentality I imagine, I should have stopped) and tried to keep it at a minimum.  While I was at the soy sauce, I caved and had the tempura.  Sigh.  I'm hopeless.  Dude, don't judge.  Most days I'm okay, like 95% GF, but I find when I go out, I suck at it.  Even if I try to plan.  Even if I choose a meal that I don't think has gluten in it until after I get it (ordered a salad at the pub.. caesar, with a chicken breast on it.  What does caesar have in it?  You got it, croutons.  Epic fail.  Didn't eat them, but still).

So.. this whole diet change comes with a learning curve.  And discipline.  Lots, and lots of discipline.  That I don't have.  But... I'm honestly trying anyways.  A lot of other things I buy are GF; snacks, granola bars, stuff for breakfast, dinner at home, etc.  I've baked GF chocolate cupcakes (gross) with icing (Duncan Hines, which already comes GF, actually - and yum).

Anyways, just wanted to make a quick status update on the GF.  Going to bed early tonight.  Hella tired.  Having a close friend from out of town come visit tomorrow night and I can't wait.

Happy Saturday!  Don't do anything I wouldn't do ;)  (probably not a far stretch, compared to my GF adventures.. lol)

Toronto now has a Garlic Festival

Toronto now has a Garlic Festival

Yum... A Must Try

Sweet baby Jebus.  Yes, please.

Chef Michael Smith's delicious dark chocolate peanut butter cups.

Ahh.. That Time Of Year

peach crème fraiche pie with a thyme butter crust | Sassy Radish

Must try this. It's on "the list"...

peach crème fraiche pie with a thyme butter crust | Sassy Radish

Emotions, Emotions, Everywhere

I haven't wanted to write about personal stuff for a while.  I've been working through some things (ugh..self work can be SO draining) and I just haven't felt in a sharing mood.  I feel my short-comings have been amplified and picked apart and judged (why is everyone so concerned with MY well-being lately?!  Honestly, I'm fine!  Or at least, I will be)... so I've been going into a sort of cocoon mode (I don't always want to talk about me!  Shocker, I know).  Besides, quietness grants more introspection.  Not always a bad thing.  When I need a time-out from my emotions, I know how to separate myself.

So.. let's talk about other stuff.  Health stuffs.  A lot has changed the past couple weeks.  After going off the antibiotics (only took half the prescription, they were making me *way* too sick otherwise) I also around the same time adapted a Gluten Free and reduced dairy diet (no more cows milk; now drinking almond milk, have very little cheese, but still eat yogurt every day).  Things I've noticed so far..

- decreased appetite (snacking has gone down)
- no sugar spikes
- in 12 days, a loss of 6lbs
- no cravings for breads at all (except a piece of toast.  I would KILL for a single piece of toast and butter)
- I'm medication-free aside from days/moments that I'm leery/want to do a preemptive (if I'm going out, etc)
- increasing fruits by far from previous intake, also veggies a bit

All in all, pretty damn good things!  The first few positives I've seen in a long time.  I'm going to try to use this motivation to get more walking in (so if you're local, hit me up) if I'm still feeling okay.  Especially with the nice weather.  Oh also, thanks to a talk with a friend tonight, I'm speculating I might have a sulphite sensitivity.  I'm going to test this moving forward; I'm interested to see.  Already, the theory has potential (as I look back at some of the things I've eaten and how I've reacted).  Will post more on this later.

Alright, keeping this short tonight.  Still recovering from tonight's endeavors and the Jazz Festival and Nuit Blanche last weekend (I lasted until 03:30 :) ).  Let me tell you, some of the BEST music is heard in back alleys or coffee houses in the wee hours of the morning.  For which I'm thankful.  I felt in my element.

Quotes

I, with deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage, or my toughness, who does not believe me naive or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman.
~ Anais Nin