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The weather outside is //
As I look outside my window // The arrival of autumn is slowly making itself known around here – the leaves on the tulip poplars are falling and the morning air is crisp and cool. We’ve been chipping away at our farm’s winter prep list and the drop in temperatures is much appreciated!
As I look around the house // I’m excited to try out the FlyLady cleaning routine to see if it will help. My poor house has been neglected this year due to all of my other commitments and while it’s not a dump, it could definitely use a deep clean and declutter. I’m hoping FlyLady (in addition to my decluttering list) is the answer! I downloaded her free app (because I didn’t want the constant emails in my inbox) and love and appreciate the direction. Bonus points for the ability to check items off of the list.
Learning // a lot about cortisol and why it’s quite a bit more complicated than originally thought:
Our previous, and overly simplistic, view that “more stress = more cortisol = more belly fat” and “less stress = less cortisol = less belly fat” still holds true in some regards – and reminds us that we certainly do not want to have high levels of systemic cortisol. But our growing understanding of the role of the HSD enzyme in cortisol metabolism within individual cells alerts us to the fact that we really need to be focusing simultaneously on controlling cortisol exposure both outside of cells (blood levels caused by high stress and poor lifestyle) and inside of cells (caused by overactive HSD and suboptimal levels of GH and testosterone). – The Cortisol Connection: Why Stress Makes You Fat and Ruins Your Health – And What You Can Do About It, p.64
I’m not done with the book yet, but this revelation may be one answer to some of my current health issues! Eating foods rich in flavonoids is a natural way to control HSD activity, so I’m going to try to add more of them into my diet. I also need to look into a citrus bioflavonoid supplement, since the most potent is polymethoxylated flavonoids (PMFs), which is found in citrus peels.
On this week’s to-do list //
– continue putting the garden “to bed” (pulling out spent plants, weeding, etc)
– order hog panels for new permanent paddocks
– order straw
– wrap birthday presents
– buy cards for fall birthdays/celebrations
– clean and vacuum out the cars
– sell a few things on ebay/Poshmark/Pango
Currently reading //
- Fiction: Trickster’s Point by William Kent Krueger
- Nonfiction: We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria by Wendy Pearlman, Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara, Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story by Wilfred M. McClay, and The Cortisol Connection: Why Stress Makes You Fat and Ruins Your Health – And What You Can Do About It by Shawn Talbott, PhD FACSM
- Religious: The Catholic Mass: Steps to Restore the Centrality of God in the Liturgy by Bishop Athanasius Schneider
On the menu this week //
Monday: sheet pan roasted chicken with root vegetables
Tuesday: ground beef and gravy over mashed potatoes
Wednesday: homemade pizza
Thursday: chicken fried rice and egg rolls
Friday: breakfast for dinner TBD
The drop in temperatures is much apreciated here as well. Good luck with the cleaning routine!