Nothing like a good ole fashion invasion of an oil producing country to lift holiday spirits /s

Thanks for sharing. I had never even heard of sweet potato pie and just assumed pumpkin pie was a Thanksgiving tradition all over the US

Agree with many of the other commenters on the multiple causes of loneliness.

I’ve been fortunate to find community at my Unitarian Universalist church. UUs don’t have an expectation to believe any particular scripture, but instead share a common set of values, the first being every one has inherent worth and dignity. My congregation has people who identify as atheist, Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, and several types of pagan. So the focus is on being in community and helping each other grow and achieve their goals. I’ve made good friends through the choir and a young adult group that organizes social activities. UU congregations vary based on their membership, and many stream services virtually so you can check them out before going in person. Here’s a link to find a congregation near you.

A lot of classical music most people are exposed to are single movements within a larger composition. Listening to whole symphonies/concertos/suites/etc gives you a consistent vibe for 20-45 mins.

Some I like:

Violin Concerto in E Minor Op 64 - Felix Mendelssohn

Violin Concerto #5 in A Major, K219- Mozart

Symphony #2 in D Major - Jean Sibelius

Cello Suite #1 in G Major - J.S. Bach

Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven

Miserei Mei Deus - Gregorio Allegri (has an interesting story)

Don’t discount paying off a modest 6-7% car or student loan. That’s a guaranteed and tax free return on investment. Historically the stock market returns about a 7% annual ROI. Not having a payment every month can make a big difference for liquidity and peace of mind

In case anyone needs them here are some resources to help you quit from the American Lung Association . Quitting is hard and thankfully there are FDA approved therapies that can help like varenicline/chantix, bubpropion/Wellbutrin, nicotine replacement like gum, patches, and lozenges. If you smoke quitting is the best thing you can do to improve your health!

I also have flat feet (aka over pronation). I’m a big fan of Asics brand shoes for over pronation and they make it easy to put in insoles. I typically get black ones for work settings. Their website tends to have good sales around black Friday/cyber Monday.

Smoking cigarettes is the number one cause of heart disease and cancer globally. If you smoke, quitting is the biggest thing you can do to improve your health

Nicotine might help with short term anxiety symptoms, but addictions of all kinds tend to make anxiety worse overall and dependent on the addictive substance to not be anxious

Celery has vitamins which is helpful

Here’s some ideas:

• peanut butter or eggs with cheese on whole grain toast
• Soft boiled or fried eggs over rice with soy sauce and kimchi/hot sauce. The goey yolk makes the rice creamy. Can make the rice and boiled eggs the night before to save time in the morning. You can also marinade peeled boiled eggs in soy sauce and spices overnight in the fridge
• Add some fresh fruit, whatever is on sale/in season

You’re welcome!

That’s fine in the short term. Whole grains have essential amino acids that beans lack

I didn’t learn these tricks because I was experiencing obesity…

Try volunteering at your local food bank some time, they certainly need the help right now

To each their own. Brown rice comes in 20lbs bags too. The biggest benefit in my opinion is brown rice keeps me feeling fuller longer.

totally agree on chicken broth adding that extra something

Thanks for contributing. Some of your content on fat is not supported by evidence. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are the healthiest fats, and saturated fats increase risks of heart disease.

Here’s a great article from the Nutrition Source discussing these concerns head on. TL;DR

Given the above information, is commercially processed canola oil harmful?

Although care must be taken in handling and processing of canola oil and other vegetable oils, canola oil is a safe and healthy form of fat that will reduce blood LDL cholesterol levels and heart disease risk compared to carbohydrates or saturated fats such as found in beef tallow or butter.  Indeed, in a randomized trial that showed one of the most striking reductions in risk of heart disease, canola oil was used as the primary form of fat. [8] Whether using cold-pressed canola oil provides some small additional benefit is not clear.

In general, variety is a good strategy in nutrition, and thus consuming a variety of oils is desirable, for example using extra virgin oil when the special flavor is desired and canola oil or soybean oil for other uses. Both canola and soybean oils provide ω-3 fatty acids that are important to include in an overall diet.  Of course, avoiding overheating and burning of oils is important to provide the best taste and to avoid damaging the healthy-promoting fatty acids that they contain.

We should have a post of cheap foods!

Head lamp with both red and white light, a game changer for walking the dogs. Red light preserves night vision

Shark fins are sadly harvested on an industrial scale :(

Here’s an FDA report on a Romain lettuce E. coli outbreak that resulted in 5 deaths. There’s a couple of ways E. coli can get from cow intestines to lettuce: cow manure gets into irrigation canals/streams, and a downstream farm uses that to water their crops; manure used for fertilizer is not properly treated; cows get into farm fields that they shouldn’t be in. Lettuce is particularly susceptible because it is often eaten raw.