Relationship challenge.

No, we're not having marital troubles.  :~)  A friend of mine on Facebook (and in real life, from my home town) challenged us to post photos of an early time in our relationship and the most recent.  I don't usually follow such stuff--challenges and reposts are not for me.  But this one sounded fun.

It made me realize, as I searched for photos, that either Phil or I one is always behind the camera, and thus are seldom in a photo together.  I might just have to make a point of getting shots of us more often.

The first photo is us in 1994, the year we married.  We were up in Heber, Arizona at the time, on a trip west from Texas to see his folks.  Yes, I was rockin' the mom jeans--only then they were just jeans.

The second is last year's, maybe in May.  Again, we were at his folk's house, and maybe that's the key to getting photos of both of us!  We've been married twenty two years in April, and we still like each other a lot.

Carnivore Update.

I guess I should have done this on my one year anniversary (or "carniversary" as they say on the forum).  An update on how this "meat only" thing is going.

Let me start by saying I have asked my doctor specifically, and she said my diet is not responsible for the health problems I've had over the last year--when another doc started messing with my thyroid meds a year ago, there was a domino effect that trashed the adrenals, the thyroid uptake system, and the electrolyte pattern that affected my heart.  I can say there are lots of things that have gotten better, and I'll focus on those. 

First of all, I got my blood tests back and my cholesterol dropped 20 pts, and it wasn't high to begin with.  Triglycerides are in the middle of the range, and my weight is coming down after an initial gain-and-hold pattern.  Joint pain, gone.  (I had been seeing a physical therapist for recurring shoulder pain.)  Gut troubles gone--after five years of troubles surrounding diverticulitis and a 2010 colon resection.  My thyroid is finally evened out on natural desiccated thyroid meds, and I'm losing weight verrrrry slowly.  Which is how it should happen, really.

You might not even know what I'm talking about with this "meat only" thing.  Back in March of 2015, I decided that after five years of Low Carb, I was tired of still struggling with food issues (cravings, sweet tooth, and digestive troubles) and started exploring options.  I was shocked to discover a group of folks who eat only from the animal kingdom.  No plants--ever.  I figured, "Well, I've tried everything else under the sun, so...why not?"

A year and ? months later, I am still eating only meat, eggs, cheese and animal fats--and thriving.  I don't take vitamins, and have not over this year.  According to conventional wisdom, I should be curled up with rickets and scurvy by now, or dead of a heart attack!  My skin is clear and smooth, my joints are supple and the inflammation is gone.  I heal quicker from cuts and bruises than I have in years, my moods are stable and I feel calm even during crises, because the blood sugar is so stable.  After getting some hormonal stuff worked out (if you're eating soy, stop now!), I sleep really well all night and wake rested.

The best part?  I never think about food.  If you could know the hell I've been through in my life, with thirty five years of dieting and never being able to stick to anything more than a month without screwing up, you'd know what a miracle this is. Candy and pastries?  They're as edible as office supplies to me these days--I avoid the bakery at the grocery store now because it smells awful.  Who knew?

Of course, I'm the Supply Officer in our house, so I have the job of meal planning, but since the hubs and I only eat meat, that's pretty simple.  I don't think about food unless my belly is growling!  I don't crave sweets, or salty crunch things, or "comfort foods".  Holidays, celebrations, commiserations, etc., have all lost their connection with food for me--I eat to fuel the body.  Period.  I do eat out with friends, but I have burger patties and bacon or a steak or a couple pork chops.  It's pretty easy to eat out carnivorously.

I don't work out, but I do walk the dog and do some light gardening.  Depending on my activity level at the time, I eat between 2 and 4 lbs of meat daily.  I don't eat by the clock, either; if I'm hungry, I eat.  Usually it works out to a late breakfast and an early supper.  During times when I had a lot going on that needed healing (the thyroid stuff, the adrenals, etc.,) I was easily eating 4 lbs a day, and sometimes more.  All I did was pay attention and eat as much as I was hungry for.  Eat meat, drink water, and go live life.  It's deceptively simple.

So that's how this "meat only" thing is going.  I've been playing with recipes, because the inner Wife says I should provide variety for the hubs, but honestly, if left to my own devices, I could eat ground beef patties, bacon, ribeyes, and roasted chicken legs pretty much all the time.

I hope you all are healthy and happy, and enjoying a lovely summer.
Cheers! 

A Carnivore Food Pyramid!