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jmcbn

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I'm so happy for you.   Do you have a name for your mother? 

Okay - we have names........

<drum roll>

Please allow me to introduce....

HULK and HOGAN

IMG_2167.jpg

:D 

(Hulk will have the green/white fabric & Hogan will have the multi coloured)

 

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Okay - we have names........

<drum roll>

Please allow me to introduce....

HULK and HOGAN 

(Hulk will have the green/white fabric & Hogan will have the multi coloured)

 

Was it a family decision.  I can't wait for the first brew as you belly up to the bar/table. gargle-blaster-smiley.gif?1292867601 Tell all.  

 

I see by the label it's produced in an environment that's not guaranteed to be nut free.  My kind of joint.   

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So today is my Whole30 anniversary & what a year it's been.

I thought I was in a good place when I started this journey - training most days of the week & eating paleo/primal for some years, juggling work/life, etc... but I am in a GREAT place right now.

I didn't lose a single pound in my first 30 days. Not a one. I did however lose a substantial amount of body fat, and along with it I lost the tiresome cough I had after every meal, the irritating cataarh at the back of my throat, and the ever so annoying daily runny nose. I lost the desire to snack, the desire for nuts & nut butters, and the desire for SWYPO treats. I ditched 'Gin O'Clock', I ditched protein shakes, and I ditched smoothies.

I followed the template religiously, x3 times a day - protein, fat & veggies - I added pre & postWO meals where necessary and in return I was rewarded with substantially improved sleep, clear, glowing, 'balanced' skin - with particular improvement on my face & hands, strong nails, shiny, fast growing hair, stable moods, sustained energy, a happier, more positive outlook on life, a desire to learn, an inquistive mind, a better work:life balance, gratitude..... and my journey did not end there.

A year on I continue to see improvements in all aspects of my life & health. I choose to continue to eat mostly Whole30 with the odd brief but planned off roading session with some dairy, alcohol & sugar. Grains, legumes, sulphites, MSG & carrageenan have not been a part of my life for a very long time and I've no intention of changing that. I continue to trial FODMAPs  since they became a problem for me back in July (this week is leeks - again!), and I make efforts to try new foods when the opportunities present themselves - I've experimented with offal lately and been pleasantly surprised. Next on my list is kidney.

On this, my Whole30 anniversary, I find it fitting that I brewed my first ever batch of Kombucha, and made my first batch of fermented veg (brined carrot, apple & ginger).

And as I look forward I plan to continue to grow - emotionally, mentally, academically, ethically.... I plan to nurture my friendships, cherish my family, value my health & invest in it (& them) in every which way that I can.

1219739-260x390.jpeg aa78c8c0de46adda0a6aa925253f4ac4.jpg

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I NEED TO TAKE A LEEK....  ;) 

Okay - day one of the leek trial take two.

So the plan was to make an old traditional Greek pork & leek dish called Prasotigania - roughly translated as fried greens. When I looked at everything I wanted to achieve over the weekend I thought it best to make my food prep as simple as possible so I opted to use the slow cooker & changed the recipe up a little. I bought a pork shoulder about half the size I usually do, lined the pot with compliant bacon, set the shoulder in the center, added in about 5 chopped leeks over & around the shoulder, added in freshly ground salt & black pepper, some parsley, cumin & cinnamon, two whole chillis and cooked it all on low for about 12hrs. The fat in the shoulder & the bacon broke down over time & created the perfect liquid for braising the meat & the veg, and the aroma from the spices as it cooked was something else  :wub: 

That said, once I strained the pork & shredded it along with the bacon & leeks there wasn't just as much veg as I'd hoped so thankfully I'd added a few chopped leeks in with the mediterranean veg I'd roasted in some garlic infused oil, freshly ground salt & black pepper & a generous sprinkle of oregano. Hopefully between the two dishes I'll be able to get a decent enough serving of leeks to induce some kind of reaction if I'm 'leek sensitive' - or NOT preferably!!

I skipped the curry I'd planned to cook but did cook a HUGE whole chicken in the rendered fat from the pork/bacon, adding in some more salt, pepper, cumin, coriander & a few bay leaves, and I've plenty of mackerel & salad veg to keep me going for the rest of the week, although I may need to invest in some leeks for just plain old sauteeing to have along side my eggs/spinach some morning...

Leeks share many properties with garlic, shallots & onions and are packed with vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidant polyphenols. Unfortunately for some it is the sulphur containing compounds such as allicin which delivers it's therapuetic effects. Allicin is not only anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal, but research shows that as allicin digests in your body it produces sulfenic acid - a compound that neutralises dangerous free radicals faster than any other known compound.

 
Leeks also contain kaempferol - a natural flavonol also found in broccoli (which is a no for me), kale, and cabbage. Kaempferol is impressive in its broad but powerful potential to boost human health, with research linking it not only to a lower risk of cancer, but also to a lower risk of numerous other chronic diseases.

Consuming large amounts of vegetables containing allium has also been shown to significantly reduce the risk of gastric cancer as well as, potentially, colorectal cancer.

Lunch today then was some roast chicken with olives and a serving of mixed roasted mediterranean veg (peppers, courgettes, aubergines, leeks, & cherry tomatoes), followed by a tea of slow cooked pork with leeks and a few small baby potatoes (skins on) slathered in mayo. Breakfast was my new favourite of eggs scrambled with spinach & drizzled with Frank's Hot Sauce, with a side of sliced cherry tomatoes & pickled dill cucumbers - also slathered in mayo.

There were absolutely no ill effects following lunch, and having eaten tea I can say I feel 'full' but not stuffed, and certainly not bloated. There have been no stomach cramps, no digestive distress and no gas so far, and I thoroughly enjoyed each meal.

Stand-by for day 2...  :ph34r:
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You're not the first to look back to the leeks, onions and garlic of ancient Egypt.  

 

Have you been to the pyramids?  You're a Viking and something tells me our bloodlines have crossed paths somewhere along the line.  :D  Could be fig newtons in my imagination but maybe not. :lol: 

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My Dad has been to both the Egyptian pyramids & the Mayan ones - he said the Egyptian ones are nothing to write home about. The Mayan ones on the other hand he loved.

HIS bloodline is a bit of a mystery (we hit a bit of conundrum when tracing his family tree), but there is definitely some Viking on my Mum's side  :ph34r:

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HIS bloodline is a bit of a mystery (we hit a bit of conundrum when tracing his family tree), but there is definitely some Viking on my Mum's side  :ph34r:

 

Haha Jmcbn - it's the same for me!!!

 

My paternal grandmother's bloodline is a mystery - strange last name that isn't necessarily Dutch (both parents are Dutch BTW) and family tree stops at 1840ish or so.  Meanwhile my actual last name can be traced back to 1300's.  Everyone in my dad's family have a bit of a theory where the bloodline is from - considering they all the siblings are mostly darker skinned and have black hair - some have said possibly Indonesian, others have speculated possibly India..... That's something that probably will never be known... 

 

My mom's family were northerner's - which is where the Viking blood is generally found.  It would maybe explain why I'm built like a very sturdy stone house  :D (Tallish and stocky)

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Haha Jmcbn - it's the same for me!!!

 

My paternal grandmother's bloodline is a mystery - strange last name that isn't necessarily Dutch (both parents are Dutch BTW) and family tree stops at 1840ish or so.  Meanwhile my actual last name can be traced back to 1300's.  Everyone in my dad's family have a bit of a theory where the bloodline is from - considering they all the siblings are mostly darker skinned and have black hair - some have said possibly Indonesian, others have speculated possibly India..... That's something that probably will never be known... 

 

My mom's family were northerner's - which is where the Viking blood is generally found.  It would maybe explain why I'm built like a very sturdy stone house  :D (Tallish and stocky)

Oh my word - this is EXACTLY us!! Romany is the one that comes up most often in discussion purely because it's all so shady, but then the Romany stemmed from India too! 

I take after my Dad's family and am considered very swarthy. My sister is much more Viking like. And funnily enough my two sons are also opposites, with the youngest really embracing his Viking heritage  :D

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Have you taken your DNA tests for ancestry?   Bear and I have.   He's a Viking and I'm Paleoamerican. 

I didn't know that you could, or have no idea how much it would cost if it's available here.... I must have a look into it.

I think my Dad would love to know more than anyone.

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Oh my word - this is EXACTLY us!! Romany is the one that comes up most often in discussion purely because it's all so shady, but then the Romany stemmed from India too! 

I take after my Dad's family and am considered very swarthy. My sister is much more Viking like. And funnily enough my two sons are also opposites, with the youngest really embracing his Viking heritage  :D

 

Hmmm Romany never came up.... but I don't think the last name belongs.....My grandmother always said Spain or Italy - which could go - but again the last name doesn't belong.... My dear uncle (he passed last year) was doing all of the family tree stuff - he showed us his research before he passed, and I think one of my cousin's took it over - but I would love to get involved - it's so interesting!

 

I am a combo of both of my parents.  I have my mom's colouring, and my height comes from her family, but I have the build of my father/grandfather..... long torso, short arms and legs.  My nephew (my brother's eldest) takes after me in this regard.

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I didn't know that you could, or have no idea how much it would cost if it's available here.... I must have a look into it.

I think my Dad would love to know more than anyone.

It's available.  I'll float you an air mail...on a "wind" stream.   :D  :lol:  :D 

You'll be amazed at what surprises you'll find.  Bear was told he was german, scotch, irish, british....he is none of those things.  Families pass down think so's based on skin/coloring and so on.   DNA tells all. 

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Hmmm Romany never came up.... but I don't think the last name belongs.....My grandmother always said Spain or Italy - which could go - but again the last name doesn't belong.... My dear uncle (he passed last year) was doing all of the family tree stuff - he showed us his research before he passed, and I think one of my cousin's took it over - but I would love to get involved - it's so interesting!

 

I am a combo of both of my parents.  I have my mom's colouring, and my height comes from her family, but I have the build of my father/grandfather..... long torso, short arms and legs.  My nephew (my brother's eldest) takes after me in this regard.

I never believed the Romany thing myself, but when I saw my Dad in Sri Lanka and he completely blended in so completely with the locals it really made me think.

Again, this is just like my mum & my sister. They look tall when they're sitting - when they stand, not so much...!!

It's fascinating stuff. I was helping my Dad's eldest sister via email  before my eldest son was born - she lives in the US - but when we kept hitting brick walls our interest waned a little. I should give her a gentle nudge and get started again...

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I never believed the Romany thing myself, but when I saw my Dad in Sri Lanka and he completely blended in so completely with the locals it really made me think.

Again, this is just like my mum & my sister. They look tall when they're sitting - when they stand, not so much...!!

It's fascinating stuff. I was helping my Dad's eldest sister via email  before my eldest son was born - she lives in the US - but when we kept hitting brick walls our interest waned a little. I should give her a gentle nudge and get started again...

 

Oh I can believe it.  A few years back I had a few India - Sri Lankan co-workers - and I noticed the similar features between my dad's mom's family - The skin tone - the features - they all matched.  However this was after my dad mentioned that he thought maybe there was a link.  

 

Ha - yes this is like my brother and I - we are *almost* the same height when we are sitting - he's still a bit taller - When standing he is 6'4" and I am 5'9". He takes after my mom's family more. Still a very sturdy frame, but not as much as I am.  

 

I have heard that Mormon church (I think that's what my uncle said) keeps EXCELLENT records on family tree history. Maybe that is worth a look-see.

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http://www.ancestry.com/

 

You can join A.com and have access to LDS records.  To have direct access to LDS records, usually for LDS members on the roll, who go directly to SLC.  You can join without a DNA test but the test is the best. 

 

I worked on my tree for years with the A.com test and a blood test.  You can make your tree private.  I have 60,000 members in one of my trees.  I made my tree private because you do all of the hard work/research and then someone (lots and lots of someones) with only 10 members in their tree wants to copy everything you've done.  Nuh huh.  

 

http://dna.ancestry.com/?gclid=CM36_929jssCFQiJaQod9n0L8g&o_xid=55534&o_lid=55534&o_sch=Paid+Search+%E2%80%93+NonBrand

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Some will get downright indignant that your tree is private.   I see you have a large tree and I want to see it.   I used to respond but now I delete those messages...or those without a test..."I know I am, my family told me so"....let me see your tree.   :rolleyes: 

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I'm pretty sure we have a private tree on A.com - and maybe geneaology.com too if that exists? I'm sure there were two but it's been so long....... 

Carla, two of my dad's sisters are Mormon so the one I was helping had access to all the records but we STILL hit a wall  :wacko: And I know what you mean about the skin colour thing - we don't have that European olive skin tone - it's just different somehow.

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I'm pretty sure we have a private tree on A.com - and maybe geneaology.com too if that exists? I'm sure there were two but it's been so long....... 

Carla, two of my dad's sisters are Mormon so the one I was helping had access to all the records but we STILL hit a wall  :wacko: And I know what you mean about the skin colour thing - we don't have that European olive skin tone - it's just different somehow.

 

All I know my uncle was able to go fairly far using the church records (family is mostly part of the Christan Reformed Church)

 

Yes - it isn't like European dark skin.  Part of me is sorry I didn't inherit this part - I glow in the dark in the middle of winter cause I'm so pale... :lol: Spring / Summer I'm not much better.  But at least I don't burn like I used too.  For this I take after my paternal grandfather - he was a redhead and burned quite easily. I always remember him being red with a shock of very white hair.

 

Neither my brother or I inherited my dad's / grandmother's dark skin tone.  Although my brother has the darker hair and eyes like my dad.

 

It would be really funny if we found out we were related through our father's families....

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