Yummy in my Tummy

Here's a pic of my first (successful) sourdough batter bread. It's my second try, and I haven't worked out all of the kinks yet, but it's a great basis for further experimentation.


My mother dough is about 80% whole wheat and I'm using 100% whole wheat flour (no white flour at all!). This is the main reason for my choosing to do a batter bread instead of kneaded bread. Anyways, I will post a tutorial for this bread and for my mother dough soon. :)

Later!

What to do, what to do...

Wow, I really missed this postin' thing ;) I'm not sure what to do...should I just randomly post or what?

Well, there's a voice in the back of my head that says: "Do another challenge. Come on you know you want to. Do it, do it...DO IT!" So, I do have another challenge in mind, but this one is a bit more demanding (and, yes, challenging) than writing whatever I want to for 30 days.

So, here's the challenge (I cringe as I type this). I want to be able to read and write Korean at an intermediate level by my birthday (four months away). Right now, I'm still at a beginner's level. I can read and write, but I rely heavily on my notes and dictionaries. If you noticed, I didn't say "speak". That is only because I don't know any Koreans personally. I have made a couple of friends via FB, but it's not the same as having daily interaction with the language and the its people. No matter, though. When the time is right, I'm sure I'll find someone to speak with face to face.

And, there it is, my new challenge. I'll let you know how it's going. Wish me luck! I'm excited and soooo nervous! 히히히히 ^^ (heeheehee :))

Day 31 - The end is the beginning...

No recap post today. I just think that there are better things to do today. And, who knows, maybe I'll recap this experience in a later post.

So, I'll leave you with the following poster. I found it on FB and thought it was quite appropriate for the end of this challenge as well as the end of the year. Have a safe New Year's, everyone!

Day 30 - What do you mean it's not anxiety?

Today, I had my usual therapy session plus my second acupuncture session. I was a little apprehensive about having two therapy session in one day, but I tried to go with it. So, now I'm back from them both, and I must say that it has been quite an informative day.

I was told by both of my therapists that they didn't think that I had an anxiety issue. What? What do you mean I don't have an anxiety disorder? For the past three years, my entire world has been built around the fact that I, in fact, suffered from some type of anxiety-related problem. And now you're telling me that I have been fooling myself? Yes, that's exactly what they were telling.

So you might be wondering: How did that make you feel? And what is your "real issue."

Well, to tell you the truth, it didn't devastate me or rock my world. It actually made sense. I had been doubting the usage of the word "anxiety" for some time. And, I had eradicated the word panic a long time before that. It's just that I felt afraid of having a break down or panic attack in public, but I wasn't really panicked about anything else. I had started to describe my sensation more as "uneasiness" than "anxiety".

So, what is my "real" issue? It's actually more emotionally driven. And that certainly makes sense. I've said this over and over again: I think too much. That isn't a bad thing, but I've made thinking into such a habit, that I never let my emotions come out. They've been strangled inside of me for years. And they are fighting to get out. The anxiety - or rather - anguish comes from the constant struggle between my emotions and my thinking. And, boy, is it a struggle. It's like one of those epic battles from the recent comic book movies. No wonder I'm always to exhausted! There are other related topics, but this is the gist of it. I have to work on my emotions and tone down my thoughts. It's kind of a game changer, but it's a game I'm ready to play. ;)

Well, that's it for today. My last challenge post is tomorrow...see ya then.

Day 29 - New therapy regimen

Blech! I'm not all that excited about the things that my acupuncture therapist prescribed: some pills, a change in diet, a cleanse, etc. The only thing I'm actually on board with is the elimination of white foods: flour, sugar and salt. Since I'm now only eating fruits in the morning, I know that soon I won't crave sugar anymore. Backstory: I was on the anti-diet a few years back, and I practically eliminated sugar from my diet. I even spent a couple of months not eating processed foods (that was fANtastic!). So, that part of the diet is pretty darn great.

The part that is turning me off is the soaked chia, flaxseed and prune concoction I have to eat before breakfast every morning for one month. I don't need any more fiber in my diet. I'm dead serious. Eating fruits in the morning plus that additional salad at dinner is perfect for me. But, as I am an obedient patient, I'll tough out the gummy stuff...for a while, anyways. The gumminess comes from the chia and makes everything a flavorless tapioca-type gel. So, the flavor and texture ain't the problem (I actually like tapioca), it's the idea of it. The prunes help, but I'm not the biggest fan of prunes. I much prefer other dried fruits.

Anyways, hopefully I'll get over the yuck factor soon.

So, talk to ya' tomorrow. Good night for today.

Day 28 - Yeah, baby!

I forgot to tell you something about my acupuncture session yesterday. The therapist was gathering the usual info, and she asked my weight. Well, due to an increase in anxiety, I have lost a considerable amount of weight lately. I know this because I fit into clothes that are one to two sizes smaller that my regular clothes. But, in the past every time I thought I had lost a lot of weight, the scale registered one, two or three pounds. So, I was already prepared to hear that that was also the case this time.

Well, it was not the case this time. I've lost about 14 kilos (±30 lbs). Can you believe it?! I certainly can't. I'm ecstatic, and for the first time in my life, I appreciate it.

I know that you want to know exactly how much I weigh, but that ain't gonna happen just yet ;) Sufficed to say, I'm somewhere between a size 10 or 12.

That's it for today. I only have 3 of these left, so I'll try to make them count. Talk to y'all tomorrow!

Day 27 - New Therapy

I really love alternative therapies. I had been wanting a therapist who was half-way between a psychologist and a reiki therapist...and I found her. If ye asks, ye shall receive.

Well, today I had my first acupuncture session. Freaking A! It was really interesting. I never really was all that gung-ho about acupuncture before, but I heard that this lady did electro-acupuncture. And that reminded of Edgar Cayce. I had been wanting to do a Cayce-type therapy ever since I read about it. See what I mean, ask and ye shall receive. So, I decided to take a shot.

I had needles in my head, chest (heart chakra), wrists, legs and foot (between my first two toes). First off the one in the top of my head immediately stopped me from thinking. Seriously. I couldn't put two thoughts together. Second, the one in my heart chakra hurt as if someone had punched me in the chest. It seemed as if the wind had been knocked out of me. Third, the electrical current was slightly painful - think about the most painful injection you've gotten - but not bad at all.

The only "adverse" effect was that it got really anxious when I realized I couldn't think. I mean, I am constantly thinking, planning, re-planning and organizing. It is so out of my comfort zone just to veg out. It took me a couple of minutes, but I finally found my happy place. It was so weird to be in a trance-like state. I actually smiled a couple of times. When all was said and done, I was tired...more like ultra relaxed...stoned, maybe, hehehe. It took all my concentration to focus on the therapist's explanation.

Anyways, I'm going to start a detox diet, which I have been looking forward to for the past couple of week. I have another session Friday...can't wait.

Until tomorrow!