The Off Topic Thread...

Renn

Bargain alert and all that but Holland and Barrett are doing a 'Buy One Get One For 1c' type offer thing.

Might interest some of you guys out there - Website

Renn

This is pretty much wrong but I availed of Holland and Barrett's deal by purchasing two of the below for a total of €27.

El_Dangeroso

*Slaps Renn on wrist*

Just came across this study:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WB2-512MH6P-1&_user=10&_coverDate=12/31/2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=55134e83bed9399326a5254c178c6864&searchtype=a

Twenty restrained and 20 unrestrained women consumed a drink preload 30 min before a test meal on four different days, with preloads varying in alcohol content (alcohol or energy-matched control) and drink context (alcohol-related – beer or alcohol unrelated – juice).

Significantly more energy was consumed following alcohol than no-alcohol, but this effect depended on the drink consumed: least was eaten after the alcohol-free juice drink, and most after the same juice drink with added alcohol.

There was no evidence that the effect of alcohol on intake was due to disinhibition of restrained eating, nor did alcohol increase liking for the test foods.

The change in energy intake at lunch was mainly due to greater intake of energy-rich foods on days when alcohol had been consumed. Alcohol also increased rated appetite once food had been tasted, suggesting alcohol may increase food-related reward.

Overall these data suggest that effects of alcoholic drinks represent a complex interaction between physiological effects of alcohol and expectations and associations generated by past experience of alcoholic drinks.

This confirms what I'd thought previously, alcohol doesn't make you fat through it's calories but it does make you hungry. Giving up the booze is a surefire way to improve the odds of sticking to a diet, a timely reminder given the season!

Also, lol at the term 'restrained women'.

rubadub

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

, lol at the term 'restrained women'.

sounds like a hen party in a kebab house in temple bar!

I was making popcorn and had no oil, made it with lard but think the heat was too high, and had lots of semi popped ones. Looked on line for any tips or how cinemas do it -turns out they are meant to use coconut oil! (with some sites warning about this nasty sat-fat secret) Another tip is to add salt to the oil when cooking it, they are meant to use powdered salt which I always thought would be good.

Anybody know where you can get powdered salt?, it is meant to be totally fine like flour.

Sapsorrow

I'm incapacitated with some miserable big here, chest infection, sore throat, sore muscles, streaming eyes, pounding headache from my sinuses and all my teeth are aching. Does anyone have any tricks they use to speed up recovery from winter bugs? I'm heading to the doc later to get an emergency prescription of antibiotics in case it doesn't start to clear up naturally soon but I like to try and compliment medical treatment with home remedies as much as I can. Some of my favourites are eating mega doses of raw garlic, thinly sliced between thick slices of raw apple (wierdly it tazstes pretty good),taking 1000mg of vitamin C every few hours and gargling with strong sage and thyme tea with a drop of tea tree oil in it. I'm also dosing up on probiotics. So any tips or tricks anyone?

El_Dangeroso

Sapsorrow wrote: »

I'm incapacitated with some miserable big here, chest infection, sore throat, sore muscles, streaming eyes, pounding headache from my sinuses and all my teeth are aching. Does anyone have any tricks they use to speed up recovery from winter bugs? I'm heading to the doc later to get an emergency prescription of antibiotics in case it doesn't start to clear up naturally soon but I like to try and compliment medical treatment with home remedies as much as I can. Some of my favourites are eating mega doses of raw garlic, thinly sliced between thick slices of raw apple (wierdly it tazstes pretty good),taking 1000mg of vitamin C every few hours and gargling with strong sage and thyme tea with a drop of tea tree oil in it. I'm also dosing up on probiotics. So any tips or tricks anyone?

I have an infection in my tooth at the moment, so if I had the magic cure I'd give it to me before you :P

I was on a business trip last week so crappy travel food (though did manage to stay GF!) + no sleep + freezing cold hotel room = **** immune system.

Reading about iodine there, supposed to be incredibly good at fighting throat infection when applied directly to the neck (3" diameter circle). Since it costs feck all from the pharmacy might be worth a try.


I've been putting clove oil on my tooth which is helping but it's just a stop gap until I can get to a dentist at 12:30. Actually went for a cleaning a week ago and he commented on the complete lack of decay bah! Just wish painkillers didn't mess with my stomach so much or I'd be mainlining them right now.:(

rubadub

I used to get tonsillitis around this time each year, now when I feel it coming on I sip beers all night -strictly for medicinal reasons:pac: -and I have not had it in years! it is pretty much the same as having mouthwash all night long.

You just reminded me about it and I must begin rinsing with salt water each day which is good for mouth infections or tonsillitis. Salt water can aid in toothaches, I had a tooth out a few weeks ago and am meant to still be rinsing with salt water anyway.

I have a temporary filling in now to last until January, I have seen kits on ebay, I must ask my dentist about them, it is like a paste or plasticine you just squish on the tooth which seals off the exposed nerves but can (hopefully!) be easily be removed by a dentist when you can get an appointment.

I eat more in winter to keep up my immune system, you will be expending more calories just keeping warm anyway.

I also drink hot water with lemon & honey.

Red Cortina

Sapsorrow wrote: »

I'm incapacitated with some miserable big here, chest infection, sore throat, sore muscles, streaming eyes, pounding headache from my sinuses and all my teeth are aching. Does anyone have any tricks they use to speed up recovery from winter bugs? I'm heading to the doc later to get an emergency prescription of antibiotics in case it doesn't start to clear up naturally soon but I like to try and compliment medical treatment with home remedies as much as I can. Some of my favourites are eating mega doses of raw garlic, thinly sliced between thick slices of raw apple (wierdly it tazstes pretty good),taking 1000mg of vitamin C every few hours and gargling with strong sage and thyme tea with a drop of tea tree oil in it. I'm also dosing up on probiotics. So any tips or tricks anyone?

Don’t have any advice I’m afraid but just wanted to say sorry to hear you aren’t well and hope you are feeling better soon:)

El_Dangeroso

Back from the dentist, it's a flipping abscess. Had one before and it was way worse than this, my entire face swelled up that time, so yay?

In any case have got a script for painkillers and anti-biotics. Dentist said should take at least a week to clear the infection, I'm going to see if I can't speed it up a bit.

So got home and have taken:

My first antibiotic and painkiller... ahhhhh..
50,000IU D3
2mg K2 and a teaspoon of cod-liver oil which in my drug-addled state I found to taste nice for the first time ever.mmm fish liver.
20cm^2 transdermal iodine painted on my wrist
Salt-water rinse (thanks rubadub)
and 3g of vitamin C disolved in water to be sipped over the course of the day.

I don't care what the hell helps but I'll be happy if I'm shot of it in 3 instead of 7 days.

Renn

Was that meant to read 5000IU?!

El_Dangeroso

Renn wrote: »

Was that meant to read 5000IU?!

Nope. It's using vitamin d as a medication, not a dietary supplement. I told the dentist I was going to as you never know what could interact with what. He seemed nonplussed.

metamorphosis

also with D3 - 100,000 IU single dose has proven more effective than therapy for depression and mood disorders. Must get the link again - it was referenced in Ronas the sunshine vitami but they have it on pubmed too

Sapsorrow

@ Renn: Those are the BEST jellybeans ever, totally worth the indulgence! I got a huge jar of them in the tourist centre of that big cave in Clare, made myself sooo sick.

@ Red Cortina: Thanks

@ Dangeroso: Oh nooo you poor thing that sounds horrible Best of luck with the recovery hope it's quick! There's nothing quite as a bad as toothache, wierdly one of my symptoms at the moment is aching in my teeth it's miserable.

I know someone who had a tooth abscess recently so he took a double dose of morphine for the pain, fainted from the morphine, cracked his head on the ground, shattered the tooth, went to hospital to have it removed and there's a shard in the gum that they can't get out which is now infected. What a disaster lol :rolleyes: Your approach is infinitely more sensible

@ Rubadub: Ya I never normally do the lemon and honey thing but my boyfriend brought some home along with some fresh ginger root to make me hot drinks and it is seriously comforting! Totally forgot about the salt water, classic folk remedy and so simple.

I went to the doc today, started a course of Amoxicillin. Not happy about it at all but he said because it had progressed to my sinuses it would be impossible to shift without them. I hope it doesn't batter my immune system into oblivion, gods knows it was weak enough to begin with.

Sapsorrow

Lol sorry for the smiley face overload :pac:

El_Dangeroso

Thanks for that story sapsorrow that really cheered me up!

Ugh, still not able to eat anything but the most mashed up food, tonight is mashed up salmon with mashed potato.

Really feel like getting this fecker extracted tomorrow. Have an appointment for a week's time but don't feel like subsisting off painkillers and pureed food for a week.

rubadub

Saw this "lullaby milk" in the paper

http://www.ardrahancheese.ie/lullaby.htm

Ardrahn Lullaby is produced on the farm at Ardrahan.

This process is as follows at Ardrahan,

The cows are milked in our parlour in the morning before daylight. The milk is then piped through a plate cooler bringing the temperature down to 4 degrees.

It then flows through to the pasteuriser. It is pastuerised for 4 seconds at 73 degrees. It is then cooled to 4 degrees and bottlled.

It is kept in our cold room of 4 degrees. As it is a farmhouse produced milk it reaches the shop shelf much sooner than ordinary milk.

We test the milk regularly to ensure that we are always producing the highest quality milk that meets everyone's expectation.

It is created in the dark, as the animal sleeps, and has naturally higher levels of melatonin.

Melatonin is a natural substance found in all our bodies. The night time hours enhance the level of natural melatonin in the milk. It helps our bodies to regulate our sleep-wake cycles allowing our body clock to switch off naturally.

Ardrahan Lullaby Milk is pasteurised but not homogenised. Therefore, it retains all its natural goodness so shake well as the cream will settle on the top ot the bottle. Ardrahan Lullaby Milk can be enjoyed hot or cold.

On person in the paper claimed to have given it to their baby and swore by it, obviously no placebo on a baby -if it was true.

I think it is 1.99 a litre, might be cheaper to get melatonin supps.

Some links around 2005 online about the same place I would think I should have heard of it by now if it was so good.

Red Cortina

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Thanks for that story sapsorrow that really cheered me up!

Ugh, still not able to eat anything but the most mashed up food, tonight is mashed up salmon with mashed potato.

Really feel like getting this fecker extracted tomorrow. Have an appointment for a week's time but don't feel like subsisting off painkillers and pureed food for a week.

Wow, sounds like you are in bits! Hope you feel better soon...:)

El_Dangeroso

Ugh, tooth has been extracted at the crack of dawn this morning. Still very sore but ultimately feel a million times better. Was contemplating pliers in the wee hours of this morning.

Pureed food for the next week though, sob. Sipping some coconut water... mmm electrolytes.

Sapsorrow

Aw sh*te girlie, hope you're feeling better soon, some pumpkin soup might cheer you up!

rubadub

rubadub wrote: »

I was making popcorn and had no oil, made it with lard but think the heat was too high, and had lots of semi popped ones. Looked on line for any tips or how cinemas do it -turns out they are meant to use coconut oil!

I read up more on making perfect popcorn and made the my best batch of popcorn ever last night.

Put in plenty of coconut oil in the saucepan and put salt in from the start-I used a high dome pressure cooker with the lid loosely on unless shaking, the large volume allows it to breathe and shake easily. I started it with no lid on with the corn in from cold, swirling the corn around to heat it evenly, this allows excess steam to come off. Once 2 kernels popped I took it off the heat for 60seconds. This allows it all come to an even temp, then put it back on and a medium to high heat and it all pops.

When popping I leave the lid off a bit to allow it breathe, I read this is important to stop it becoming moist with steam. Putting salt in from the start means it is evenly coated and worked well, putting lots of coconut oil in means it heats evenly and gets coated sort of like putting on butter afterwards.

Only had a few unpopped kernels, and lovely fully expanded popcorn.

Also found this!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popcorn

A very different method of popcorn-making can still be seen on the streets of some Chinese cities today. The corn is poured into a large cast-iron canister- sometimes called a 'popcorn hammer'- that is then sealed with a heavy lid and slowly turned over a curbside fire in rotisserie fashion. When a pressure gauge on the canister reaches a certain level, it is removed from the fire, a large canvas sack is put over the lid, and the seal is released. With a huge boom, all of the popcorn explodes at once and is poured into the sack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VXPj_E9oJA

Sapsorrow

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/03/cancer-not-found-in-ancient-mummies-appears-to-be-recent-disease.aspx

What ye's reckon? As usual with Mercola as much as I agree with the over arching message the way they simplify things bothers me a bit. Using a daily mail story as the basis of an article also irks me. Thoughts?

El_Dangeroso

Sapsorrow wrote: »

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/03/cancer-not-found-in-ancient-mummies-appears-to-be-recent-disease.aspx

What ye's reckon? As usual with Mercola as much as I agree with the over arching message the way they simplify things bothers me a bit. Using a daily mail story as the basis of an article also irks me. Thoughts?

As crap as the Daily Fail is, they do seem to publisise studies that most other outlets won't touch, e.g. BBC news.

I find Mercola's site so annoying, not saying there's not good info buried there but it's so hard to find with all the spammy supplement and product shilling.

But regarding the article, that's interesting isn't it? I mean the ancient Egyptian health wasn't great, their teeth decayed at an alarming rate and because they all suffered so much gastro-intestinal bleeding they used to think that both men and women got menstual periods.

But they probably got loads of vitamin D, ate little to no processed food and definitely no modern wheat. Dr. Davis from heartscan blog is doing a great series on modern high-yield semi-dwarf cultivar wheat at the moment and how it differs from wheat we would have eaten 50 years ago. Could explain the meteoric rise in celiac disease and gluten intolerance we're seeing lately.

Sapsorrow

Ok had to stifle a giggle about the bleeding bit but anyway.... Why did theys suffer so badly from intestinal bleeding? Was it parasites or some dodgy folk remedies they were into?

Ya the Mercola site is uniquely irritating even though a lot of the fundamental principles they preach are bang on. It's just a bit sensationalist for my liking, they make such very broad statements and take quotations out of context to make them sound like unquestionable facts. Like saying "There is nothing in the natural environment that can cause cancer" (:rolleyes:) and then going on to say oh well radiation from sunlight is only carcinogenic when you get too much. Its like the pop music version of science. I'd like to look into the fossil records thing more though. I really gotta un-subscribe to their newsletter :pac:

Wow I didn't realise wheat had changes so much in the last fifty years! Have you a link to Dr Davis?

El_Dangeroso

Not sure for the exact reason for the bleeding, probably parasites alright. Pretty ew either way!

Here's the article on modern wheat:

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/put-lipstick-on-dwarf.html

It grows incredibly fast and gives a high yield but as a result is far less rich in minerals especially magnesium and copper.

Sapsorrow

Thanks El D

On and irrelevant and gloaty note, for breakfast I am having pears wrapped in streaky bacon with cinnamon and honey nuked in a pan full of butter, and Greek yoghurt with stevia, frozen strawberries from Lidl, 85% chocolate chips and flaked almonds for dessert. Sorry just had to show off, I love eating semi-caveman style sometimes :pac:

El_Dangeroso

Sapsorrow wrote: »

Thanks El D

On and irrelevant and gloaty note, for breakfast I am having pears wrapped in streaky bacon with cinnamon and honey nuked in a pan full of butter, and Greek yoghurt with stevia, frozen strawberries from Lidl, 85% chocolate chips and flaked almonds for dessert. Sorry just had to show off, I love eating semi-caveman style sometimes :pac:

Nom, jealous. I can barely eat solid foods still. Longing to gnaw on a steak.:D

Sapsorrow

Oh noooo totally forgot you're still stuck on pureed goo! Sorry

El_Dangeroso

Sapsorrow wrote: »

Oh noooo totally forgot you're still stuck on pureed goo! Sorry

Ha, that's ok. I'm almost healed. Stupid tooth was never right. Have spent over 1100 quid on the fecker over the past 10 years with root canals, crowns and posts, trying to save it. Wish I knew 10 years ago what I knew now, would have had it out on day one.

Slight silver lining, I have managed to heal a small cavity with high vitamin butter oil and D over the last year, dentist seemed pleased. Anyone interested in avoiding the fate of my tooth should read the book 'curing tooth decay':

http://www.curetoothdecay.com/Tooth_Decay/Cure_tooth_decay.htm

It's cheaper than a filling!

metamorphosis

out of curiosity, how did you find the 50,000iu d3 the other day?

El_Dangeroso

ULstudent wrote: »

out of curiosity, how did you find the 50,000iu d3 the other day?

Dunno if it made a difference tbh, your supposed to take 150,000IU a day for three days according to the vitamin D council. I was on pretty strong painkillers and antibiotics too. The dentist was able to extract the tooth the following day instead of having to wait for the infection to clear so something helped.

Sapsorrow

Ah that's great, glad to hear you're on the mend!

Just had a mega sunday morning brekkie: coconut flour + rose water pancakes topped with greek yoghurt, strawberries, 85% dark chocolate chips and flaked almonds and with crispy streaky bacon on the side

El_Dangeroso

Sapsorrow wrote: »

Ah that's great, glad to hear you're on the mend!

Just had a mega sunday morning brekkie: coconut flour + rose water pancakes topped with greek yoghurt, strawberries, 85% dark chocolate chips and flaked almonds and with crispy streaky bacon on the side

Thanks! Feeling human again at least. Brekkie for me was far less exotic. Fried potatoes and scrambled eggs.

Currently reading Chris Masterjohn's series on choline, wonderful stuff. I love that when he initially wrote his critique of the China study Colin T. Campbell dismissed him saying he wasn't a scientist. So he went off and got a Phd and became one! We have Colin T. Campbell to thank for his recent series of excellent posts on the benefits of egg yolk and liver.

metamorphosis

i made cocnut macaroons and am eating one in work right know - good old coconut macaroon - thank you xylitol

Sapsorrow

Posted this in another thread but thought folks here might find it useful..

Just finished making tomorrows lunch for me and the boyf..

Masses of cocktail sticks with various combinations of: garlic and herb gouda, feta, St Andre (a mild and very buttery creamy french cheese), german smoked ham, parma ham, cold streaky bacon, avocado, basil leaves, honeydew melon, gherkins, apple, red pepper, cucumber and tomato.

Easiest packed lunch in the world!

Oh did I mention that my severe intolerance to avocados has suddenly disappeared after years of deprivation!? I've been in a good mood for days because of my discovery and have eaten sooo many avocados... mmm... they make bacon even better! I mean, who would've thought that was even possible! :pac:

Renn

Just received the following in the post:

Natural Calm magnesium sup
Thorne Vitamin K2 sup

Nice.

El_Dangeroso

Oh oh! Take the natural calm right now and tell me you don't feel instantly more relaxed.

Renn

Took it five mins ago. If I'm not asleep in 15 mins this product is going back!

El_Dangeroso

Renn wrote: »

Took it five mins ago. If I'm not asleep in 15 mins this product is going back!

Ha! I hope that was a joke or else you'll be sorely disappointed! Are you at least relaxed?

brianthebard

http://iamglutenfree.blogspot.com/

some of you coeliacs/'faux' coeliacs might like this blog if you haven't seen it already.

Renn

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Ha! I hope that was a joke or else you'll be sorely disappointed! Are you at least relaxed?

Slept it in for the first time in 3 years...

El_Dangeroso

Renn wrote: »

Slept it in for the first time in 3 years...

LOL! Is that a good thing? Law of unintended consequences and all that

rubadub

Speaking of sleep, I was reading more about the melatonin in that lullaby milk I mentioned. Seems 5-HTP is sort of related to it and looking up 5-HTP it did show results for helping sleep, also mentioned it helps alcoholics get better non-fragmented REM sleep. Also good for fat loss, not boosting metabolism but an anorectic.

I forgot I even had the stuff, had it last night and slept pretty well.

metamorphosis

5 - HTP has also been shown to be good for depression/SAD hasn't it? I think you have to get it online now as it's illegal to sell in shops here now, you need a prescription or am i wrong?

I thought horny goats weed was illegal to sell here too but then saw it in H&B last week.

El_Dangeroso

rubadub wrote: »

Speaking of sleep, I was reading more about the melatonin in that lullaby milk I mentioned. Seems 5-HTP is sort of related to it and looking up 5-HTP it did show results for helping sleep, also mentioned it helps alcoholics get better non-fragmented REM sleep. Also good for fat loss, not boosting metabolism but an anorectic.

I forgot I even had the stuff, had it last night and slept pretty well.

5-HTP is a pre-cursor to melatonin, you need a little insulin to get it across the brain blood barrier so needs to be taken with some carbs.

I've taken melatonin, you can get it in pharmacies in Italy but not over the counter here for some reason. It gave me ca-razy nightmares and made me unbelievably groggy the next day, which is probably a sign I manufacture enough of it already, though you do lose the ability to produce it as you age.

In any case, since it is a hormone and we don't really know the long term effects of supplementation, you wouldn't take testosterone or estrogen casually so I wouldn't use it for anything other than a short-term sleep aid.

Also, on the weight loss front, melatonin is more likely to make you gain weight rather than lose it. :eek:

So maybe 5-HTP would be a safer option as the body has a say in how much it converts to melatonin, unless of course the problem is with converting it in the first place.

rubadub

ULstudent wrote: »

5 - HTP has also been shown to be good for depression/SAD hasn't it?

Yes, it affects serotonin.

Not sure on its legality, got mine ages ago. It is on myprotein, and holland & barrett have info but no product is showing.

http://www.hollandandbarrett.ie/pages/categories.asp?cid=137&searchterm=5-htp&rdcnt=1

Renn

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

LOL! Is that a good thing? Law of unintended consequences and all that

Bad thing was that I was an hour late for work.

Good thing was that it worked

Sapsorrow

I lived on melatonin supps when I was doing my leaving cert, you could only get 5 or 6 hours sleep and wake up feeling amazing afterwards which suited me being in a noisy boarding school where everyone went to sleep at 3am every night The only thing is you have to be all ready and in bed as soon as you take it, if you're still up and about 15 or 20 mins after taking it it seems to have to opposite effect and give you a very wakeful, nervous nights sleep. I've taken 5HTP in the past, it's really nice if you're going through a stressful period and works as a mild anti-depressant too. My mum was feeding it to my dad for years whilst telling him it was a multivitamin, mellowed him right out (he's a grumpy old b*stard usually) which was funny :pac:

El_Dangeroso

On the weight gain front, I should add that this info is largely anecdotal, we have a few rat trials showing it might prevent weight gain, but there was a craze for taking melatonin a while back on forums I frequented that resulted in many alarmed 'WHY have I gained 5lb in a week?' posts. There were enough to make me suspicious that the melatonin was the culprit.

Sapsorrow, I love the lack of ethics in that story! I know on the clubbing scene a lot of people took 5-HTP a for few days after in an attempt to avoid 'Suicide Tuesday'.:D

itsallaboutheL

You people have no idea how to use an off-topic thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMa6u91Th5A

El_Dangeroso

Nah, we're just used to a more intellectual level of chit chat over here. Other -lesser- forums have clearly dulled your mind. :P