@Mossy, yes, exactly! The right kind of novelty. Like you, I don’t love cooking or cleaning. I like eating and cleanliness, and proactivity—taking action, especially during times of crisis, is good for my morale, just as long as I remind myself that some things can’t or aren’t meant to be fixed, the blessing and curse of the eternal optimist.
Strained yogurt is great! I’ve used it in bread, too. Also as a gum-free substitute for cream cheese when making cheesecake and cream cheese and honey stuffed cinnamon bread finger sandwiches. I wasn’t a fan of yogurt until I tried skyr while following carnivore, discovered how satiating yogurt could be, and started straining it. Speaking of the carnivore diet, the fact that your brother was willing to try it tells me he’s open to change so I think you’re right to trust that he’ll modify his diet if he feels something is lacking. Plus, he now knows what it’s like to feel good after knocking at death’s door so I imagine that’s something he’ll try to hold on to.
Regarding thyroid, it was crucial both times my thyroid crashed, but not as crucial as reducing stress. I struggled to get my temp and pulse rate up, and my TSH down, prior to dedicating time regularly to decompress. Knowing your sensitivity to supplements and the tachycardia, I can understand your reservation. It’s likely that the tachy is caused by an excess of adrenaline that is compensating for low thyroid and Ray said that “there is usually an intensification of the effect of adrenaline” that can last up to two weeks when starting thyroid. Increasing magnesium intake—I used mag bicarb water but with your sensitivity to supplements, kale broth or mag oil applied transdermally may be better tolerated—and reducing all forms of stress as much as possible can help with that. Also, trialing different forms of thyroid. My mum and I experienced heart palpitations from synthetic thyroid, but not standardized NDT.
As someone who grew up with street lights, but has lived without them now for 21 years, I much prefer having them. Having nothing but moonlight for illumination sounds romantic until it’s evening and you’re forced to shovel a 300’ driveway during a snowstorm so you can get to work in the morning. lol With that said, I’ve only ever lived on the outskirts of town, near rural farming communities—cornfields were my playground…and that’s not creepy at all —even while growing up in the largest city in the state so street lights have never outshined the stars here. The majority of this area of the US has more trees (and ticks) than people so I imagine I’d have to be in Boston for that to happen.
Haha! Embrace the snobbery. Life is too short to settle if one has a choice not to. The only bread I ever really cared for is a French bread that comes from a bakery in the city. The bread is baked on the same pans as the pastries so it has a hint of cinnamon that, oddly enough, makes it outstanding even with the savory grinders the bakery uses the bread for. I’m curious about the heritage wheat you’re using and if it’s one I’ve tried. Do you mind sharing the variety? Of all the varieties I’ve tried, I like spelt as an all-purpose flour. I like its sweet and nutty flavor. If I’m not mistaken, akgrrrl and Rinse & rePeat from the old RPF like einkorn.
