Tag Archives: Nutrition

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 32: New Job, New Temptations

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Pounds lost: 17

Breakfast and Lunch: Carol’s Kale Blueberry Variation; Snack: Mandarin cutie and a handful of popcorn; Dinner: venison stew with quinoa; Snack: popcorn, 1 small homemade chocolate chip cookie and seasoned nori; Bedtime Snack: 1/2 ruby red grapfruit

Today started my third year as a seasonal employee grading short answer type questions on state proficiency tests. I love the job. The pay is decent and the working conditions are pleasant. They do their best to make a tedious task agreeable.

One of these things is allowing quiet snacking at our desks. Another is encouraging team leaders to keep large bowls of candy on hand, and to even pass these around. They also keep several well-stocked vending machines full of junk food and a free coffee bar that includes hot chocolate (my personal bete noire). Some team-leaders even bake cookies and bring them in.

I’ve been thinking about this for several days, how to deal with this. I packed a bag with a cutie, several cups of air-popped popcorn, 2 apples, a serving of venison stew and some seasoned nori, along with several bags of green tea. Overkill, perhaps, but better than than succumbing to processed sugar.

I did fine before our break, slowly sipping on a cup of green tea. I did way too much nervous munching during the second half of our training. Mostly because our 15 minute break was not long enough to eat my stew. So my juices got going and I found myself nibbling away at my desk. Boredom also contributed as I waited for the presenter to review information I’d already grasped.

Today was a draw. I avoided the processed junk but ate too many carbs. My plan for tomorrow is to switch to a tuna salad sandwich on sprouted bread for dinner and toss in some celery sticks. Also some herbal tea-bags. One cup of green tea at 5:30 p.m. is okay, but after the break, I need something that won’t keep me awake all night. I think hot tea will satisfy more than the cold water I had after break tonight and cut down on the munching. As for the popcorn, I’m torn. Though it’s carby, it’s better than other options. But if I have it, I know I’ll eat it. If I don’t have it, will I succumb to other temptations? I don’t know.

Does this sound like a military campaign? It is. This is War.

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 31: Dr. Bob’s Smoothie Recipes

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Pounds lost: 17 pounds

Pre-Breakfast: apple Breakfast: Chocolate Cherry Banocada; Lunch: 1 Cup low-fat cottage cheese; Snack: ruby red grapefruit; Dinner: Venison Stew; Snack: none

I get a lot of hits from people looking for Dr. Bob’s smoothie recipes. I don’t post them here because I don’t have permission. ABC does, though, and they posted three of them (including his go-to Kale Blueberry Smoothie) along with a recent story about the Aztec Diet. Check them out here: http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/aztec-diet-focuses-ancient-superfood-120103048–abc-news-Recipes.html.

Meanwhile, keep checking this blog for my own culinary experiments.

I was brave enough to put on my old pants today. Yes they zipped up. Yeah! No, they were not comfortable. Boo! Soon, though, soon.

Nothing much else to say. I spent the rest of the day polishing a flute. And, no, I am not being euphemistic.


Chocolate Cherry Banocado

    1 avocado
    1 banana
    1/2 – 3/4 Cup frozen cherries
    2 TBSP raw cacao powder
    2 – 4 TBSP ground chia seeds
    Water to desired thickness
    Option: add a large handful of spinach and more water to create an all-day smoothie

“Banocado” is a term I coined to refer to any smoothie that consists of fruit added to 1 banana and 1 avocado. This will actually produce 3-1/2 cups of smoothie, so it’s perfect for two people. If you want to be more in keeping with Dr. Bob’s recommendations, you can use 1/2 avocado and 1/2 banana. The produces a smaller carb load. The problem isn’t the avocado, it’s the banana. I can just have never figured out how to keep 1/2 an avocado, so I reduce my carb load the rest of the day. The other solution is to only use 1/2 a banana. I have no problem with that.

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food, Lia Anderson Dog Park Mysteries

Aztec Diet Day 30: Field Trip

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Pounds lost: 17

Pre-Breakfast: apple; Breakfast: Mango Tango; Costco Samples: Chobani blueberry yogurt, romaine lettuce with ranch dressing and a single crouton, 2 bites of grilled salmon patty (yes, I know you’re only supposed to take one); Snack: Starbucks cafe mocha; Lunch: Miso Green, 12 oz water with 4 TBSP ground chia; Snack: cottage cheese Dinner: venison stew served with quinoa; Snack: none

The venison stew is lovely. Which is good, because it’s playing all week.

I hope nobody thinks I’m holding myself up as a model of dieting perfection. Mostly, I wanted to record my intake and recipes, and since this is the thing I’ve been most preoccupied with for the past month, it was natural to put it on my blog. Otherwise, I’d have nothing interesting to put in my blog unless I were to post spoilers to my current Work In Progress, and you all know THAT’s not going to happen.

I’ve figured out a few things about weight loss, none of them earth-shattering.

1. Persistence is more important than perfection. I’ve snuck the occasional guilty treat. I don’t beat myself up about it, I get back on the diet and keep moving forward. I do document it though, because it helps me pin-point my weak spots. It also keeps me aware of how often I’m cheating. It’s too easy to justify the “occasional treat” until it becomes so frequent, you’re not dieting anymore.

2. It’s important to choose a diet and modify it so that it suits your schedule and your chemistry. In the case of the Aztec Diet, I’ve included more healthy fats. This is critical to managing my TBI and my depression. Cacao is also beneficial for mood management, and is frequent addition in my smoothies. I’ve increased the focus on raw foods because I find them more conducive to health and weight loss. I often start my day with a piece of fruit because my mandatory morning trip to the dog park pushes breakfast back to 10 a.m. And I create my own recipes. It’s so much easier to stick with a diet that I enjoy. I may not be losing weight as fast as those who stick strictly with the diet as written, but I know I can stick with it long enough to reach my goal.

3. Celebrate progress (but not by eating). My lounge-around-the-house pants are getting saggy. I see the beginnings of a waistline. I’ve had three people in the last week tell me that I look thinner. And, during my monthly trip to Cost-co today, I ate the healthy samples and felt no pull towards the mac ‘n’ cheese.

Yes, I did get that cafe mocha at Starbucks afterward. Anna handed me her Starbucks card and told me to get whatever I wanted while she picked up a few things at Target. (Obviously, Anna is one of my dietary weak spots.) As I said above, I’m not perfect. But I also perused the pastry case with only mild interest, not desperate longing. I’m losing my craving for carbs. I can eat without having to nap afterwards.

These things are all worth celebrating. So I give myself an “atta girl” every time I have to pull my pants back up. I do not buy myself an ice cream cone.

There’s a lot I can improve. I’ve got to work on handling restaurants. I need to drink more water. And one day I WILL add exercise back into my daily routine. But today I am thinner than yesterday. And I am not as thin as I will be tomorrow.

After Cost-co and Target, Anna and I went to Dick’s Sporting Goods so I could ogle the crossbows for research purposes. It’s so important to have an acquaintance with one’s murder weapons. I have to say they are really ugly looking pieces of equipment bearing only a slight resemblance to their Medieval progenitors. The hunting arrowheads are much more elegant. I also looked for Howling Coyote Predator Lure. I was thinking of buying a bottle so I could smell it. No, I’m not a pervert. It plays a part in my book. Alas, only deer urine. Anna offered to take me to her place so I could sniff her prize schnauzer, Hillary, who is in heat. I declined. It wouldn’t be the same.

If anyone has ever smelled coyote estrus, feel free to post your impressions below. You will earn my eternal gratitude.

The factory next door was making a vilely pungent batch of artificial smoke, presumably for human consumption. We decided that our clothes had to be permeated with the stuff from our stroll through the parking lot. We considered taking a walk in the woods to see what kind of wild-life we would attract. Then we considered the ‘wild-life’ usually hanging around in Burnet Woods and changed our minds.

Mango Tango

    1 Cup Mango
    1 Cup Papaya
    as much baby spinach as you can hold in one hand
    1/8 Cup cashews
    1/2 – 1 TSP ground ginger (or use raw)
    4 TBSP ground chia seed
Aztec Diet, Diet, Lia Anderson Dog Park Mysteries

Aztec Diet Day 28: Empty Fridge Syndrome

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Pounds lost: 17

Saturday
Breakfast: Eggs scrambled with mushrooms, red bell pepper, broccoli and cheddar cheese; Lunch: Kale Apple Carrot (Aztec Diet) Snack: Mandarin cutie; Dinner: Marie Callender Herb Roasted Chicken dinner. No, this is not advised, but at least it is no longer in the freezer. I wish I could say I was virtuous and skipped the potatoes. I can’t.

Sunday
Pre-breakfast: apple; Breakfast: 2 Cups Papaya Blackberry Smoothie; Lunch: 1 Cup Papaya Blackberry Smoothie and 1 large pink grapefruit; Snack: air-popped popcorn; Dinner: wild-caught pacific salmon pattie on sprouted multi-grain bread with a 2 TSP Miracle Whip and 4 oz pomegranate juice in 12 oz water with 2 TBSP ground chia.

My stomach is getting smaller. Not only is my paunch shrinking, I’m finding I am full on less food. This is a very good thing.

Eating fresh food requires that you actually use that food before it spoils. Now I’m out of avocados, out of kale and spinach, out of blueberries, almost out of frozen fruit. I have a lot of bananas, romaine, carrots and tofu. An almost empty fridge invites experimentation and odd combinations. But, no, I’m NOT going to make a smoothie out of that.

Today I was busy causing problems. Peter and Brent were grilling poor Kitty about her illicit relationship with the deceased. Poor woman is alone, 1,500 miles from home and has no one to turn to. Lia is sympathetic, but Peter doesn’t want her mixed up in police business. Think she’s going to listen?

So Lia and Peter are grousing at each other and I was too busy to shop. This morning I discovered not all combinations are good ones. I thought cacao went with everything. It does not. I’m leaving it out of the recipe below, because adding it made the whole thing taste like mud. Which did decrease my appetite and made it last longer. You can add it it you must, but hey, it tastes like mud.

Papaya Blackberry Smoothie

    1-1/2 Cups papaya
    1 Cup blackberries
    1-1/2 Cups spinach
    1/4 Cup cashews
    4 TBSP ground chia
Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 26: Going off the Reservation

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Pounds lost: 16

Thursday
Pre-breakfast: 2 Mandarin cuties; Breakfast: spinach, feta, tomato and onion omelet, rye toast, small portion of hash browns; Lunch: cottage cheese; Snack: 2 Mandarin cuties; Dinner: Yellow Submarine; Snack: none

Friday
Pre-breakfast: apple; Breakfast and Lunch: All Day Blueberry Banocado Smoothie; Snack: non-fat cottage cheese; Dinner: grilled cheese – cheddar on sprouted grain bread cooked in 1 TSP coconut oil; Snack: none

Woke up this morning to a 16 pound total loss. I seem to be doing best when I have solid food early in the evening and am able to skip the evening snack. So I’m switching the program to eat solid food for dinner and smoothies the rest of the time.

Yellow Submarine

    1 banana
    2 TBSP cashews
    1 Cup tropical mix (mango, pineapple and strawberry)
    2 Cups baby spinach
    2 TBSP chia

All Day Blueberry Banocado

    1 banana
    1 avocado
    1 Cup blueberries
    2 TBSP cacao powder
    4 TBSP ground chia
    water to make 5 Cups
Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 24: Lucky Leucine

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Pounds lost: 14

Pre-Breakfast: apple; Breakfast: Dr. Bob’s Kale Blueberry Smoothie (Aztec Diet); Lunch: Hot Guac; Snack: granola with almond milk; Dinner: none; Snack: none

Today was a day of rest, so I kept things simple. No new recipes today. I wasn’t hungry, so I skipped dinner. So I’ll use this space to talk about an article I read last week.

University of Cincinnati researchers, Randy Seely, PhD and Karen Ryan, PhD, are looking at diets a different way. Rather than looking at fats, carbs and sugars, they are examining the role of micro-nutrients in weight-loss.

They note that that leucine, an amino acid not manufactured in the body, triggers brain pathways that reduce food intake and body weight. Leucine lowers elevated blood sugar levels. It is also necessary in healing bones, skin, and muscle tissue. Adults need 14 mg per pound of body weight, between 2 and 3 grams a day.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/241332-foods-containing-leucine/#ixzz2NVt97eWi

Foods containing leucine include: egg whites (a top source with more than 4 grams in a cup of egg whites) soybeans, lentils, some cuts of beef, Chicken, tuna, shrimp (a one ounce serving give you 3500 mg), fish, brown rice and cows milk. Cottage cheese is a terrific choice at more than 3500 mg per 200 calorie serving.

for leucine levels of specific foods, look here: http://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-000082000000000000000-1.html?

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food, TBI

Aztec Diet Day 23: The Perfect Smoothie

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Pounds Lost: 12

Monday
Breakfast: Dr. Bob’s Kale Blueberry Smoothie (Aztec diet); Lunch: 5 oz tuna, a tablespoon of mayonnaise, 3 celery ribs, multi-grain crackers; Snack: none; Dinner: Blue Meanie; Snack: air-popped popcorn

Tuesday
Breakfast and Lunch: Raspberry Consolation; Snack: None; Dinner: Miso Green; Snack: air-popped popcorn

I haven’t been posting regularly for the past several days, I’ve been tied up with a research project which concluded yesterday. Monday night I was exhausted and wanted something super-simple for dinner, so I created the Blue Meanie. The name is ironic, since it’s very sweet. I’ve been on a Beatles kick lately, what with “Blackbird” running through my head at odd moments, so that’s what stuck.

Yesterday morning I was disappointed to find that A Shot in the Bark did not make the ABNA quarter-finals. Disappointment always puts me in the mood for chocolate. Normally, I would have a Chocolate Covered Cherry, but I was out of cherries. So I created Raspberry Consolation. It’s very rich. I used 4 TBSP chia and it had the consistency of a light pudding. This smoothie lasted me all day, with absolutely no hunger.

I get the most hits from people looking for smoothie recipes. I don’t think in terms of recipes. I’ve been writing these down to save them for posterity. Pretty much, I check in the fridge and see what looks good, and what needs to be eaten before it goes over.

Dr. Bob talks about creating your own smoothies, using a base, mixer, fruits and veggies, chia and sweeteners. My attitude towards these things is a bit different than his. I suffer from depression resulting from my TBI, so it’s important that I have a steady supply of healthy fats. This assists mood management and brain health. This means that I am losing weight more slowly. Still, 4 pounds a week is very respectable and I’m satisfied with my approach.

Dr. Bob’s go-to base is non-fat greek yogurt. I have nothing against yogurt, but I prefer other bases. Bases I use:

1 avocado and 1 banana (Avos have fantastic fats. This increases the size of your smoothie and is suitable for all-day smoothies.)
Flesh and water from a young coconut (incredible electrolytes)
Small handful of cashews (blends up nice and creamy)
Almond milk, unsweetened (fast and easy)
Miso (for savory smoothies)

For a Mixer, If I’m not using coconut water or almond milk, I use water. Except when I make Dr. Bob’s Kale-Apple-Carrot, in which case, I use carrot juice. And no, I don’t juice the apple. I cut it up and toss it in the blender. fruits should be eaten whole so the fiber offsets the sugar.

Every smoothie needs greens. This is the single most important veggie you can consume. Dr. Bob likes kale for it’s high nutrition profile and it’s bland taste. This is fine, however, no matter how expensive your blender is, kale remains a bit “chewy.” Swiss chard is close to kale in nutrition and blends easier, but has a stronger taste. Spinach is further down the list but still packs a nutritional wallop. It is mild tasting and blends easily, especially baby spinach. I buy pre-washed, organic spinach. It’s time-saving in the kitchen, which is important to me. This is my go-to green. Romaine is further down the list nutritionally. It’s the most nutritious of the lettuces. It blends nicely and has a bland taste.

Keep a variety in your fridge, each has a different nutritional profile, so change it up. When I say “grab a handful” I mean a big handful that expands to two or three cups when you drop it in your blender.

Fruits are what make a smoothie a smoothie. frozen fruit is very convenient and allows you to keep a variety on hand. I get my blueberries fresh. They are terrific brain food and I go through them like crazy. 1/2 Cup – 1 Cup is plenty, unless I am using a high water content fruit like papaya, in which case, I use more fruit and less water.

Extras:
I usually add some extras to my morning smoothie. Chia, of course, is mandatory in all smoothies. I rarely add sweeteners. When I do, I use raw honey. I add 1/2 TSP powdered ginger to most of my smoothies. It’s a terrific herb with many excellent properties. I’ve found it essential in preventing TBI headaches. Cacao is lovely brain food. And green powder for extra green power. If I’m adding green powder to a smoothie, I don’t make it an all day smoothie, the powder can get a bitter edge after a few hours.

Have fun inventing your own smoothies, and be sure to give them fun names. I think tomorrow I’m going to whip up a Yellow Submarine.

Blue Meanie

    1 cup blueberries
    1/2 – 1 banana
    2 cups spinach
    1 cup almond milk

Raspberry Consolation

    1 Cup raspberries
    1 avocado
    1 banana
    3 TBSP Cacao power
    2-4 TBSP ground Chia
    raw honey, to taste

Miso Green

    2 Cups baby spinach
    1 TBSP Miso
    1/2 Cup tofu, rinsed and cubed
    4 Cups hot water (I run mine through the coffee maker)

Place tofu in the bowl or glass you intend to use for your soup. Pour two cups hot water over it, let it sit. This will warm the tofu up. place the other 2 cups of water, spinach and miso in the blender and blend. Drain tofu, pour the miso soup over it.

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 21: Singing in the Dead of Night

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Pounds Lost: 12

Saturday: Pre-breakfast: 2 Clementines; Breakfast: Avocado/Banana/Cherry Smoothie Lunch: 1 Cup cottage cheese Snack: none Dinner: Blackbird; Snack: none

Sunday: Breakfast: Blueberry Brain Booster (Aztec Diet) with spirulina and chlorella; Lunch: roasted eggplant hummus with multi-grain crackers; snack: none. Dinner: Spinach Portabella Smoothie Snack: air-popped popcorn

Looks like I’m moving into a modified Phase 2, or rather, a Phase 1-1/2. Meaning that I’ll eat a solid lunch sometimes. Life is getting busier, and I’m needing a more flexible plan. I know I need to add in exercise. Right now, it feels like one thing too many. Still, 12 pounds in 3 weeks is nothing to sneeze at. I’d previously spent 3 months fighting to lose 5 pounds, and that was with excercise.

I know the exercise plan I’ll use, I’ve done it before and I really love it. It’s called The Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth , also known as the “Five Rites” http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Secrets-Fountain-Youth-ebook/dp/B001334J14/

These are five yoga exercises. The poses use your own body weight to build strength. They are hard at first. You start with 3 reps of each pose and build up to 21 reps over 10 weeks. You’ll need a good yoga mat. I have a 4′ x 6′ carpet remnant and put my yoga mat on top of that. The book is short and easy to follow, with pictures. You can find YouTube videos demonstrating the five rites, but I found the book necessary to explain all the details of conducting the rites correctly.

Now that I’ve posted this, maybe I’ll be shamed into getting back to it.

I’ve named the smoothie below “Blackbird” because I got an ear-worm of that song while I was making it. There, now you have it too.

Blackbird

    1 cup blackberries
    1 cup papaya
    1 cup (packed) spinach
    1/2 cup yogurt
    2 TBSP Chia
    Optional: 1 TBSP cacao
    Water to desired consistency
Aztec Diet, Diet, Food, TBI

Aztec Diet Day 17: Brain Food

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Stats: Still holding steady at a 9 pound net loss.

Breakfast: Greek yogurt with 1 Cup blueberries, a mandarin cutie and a banana; Mid-morning: 20 oz water with 4 TBSP chia; Lunch: Hot Guac Salad, 16 oz water with 2 TBSP chia; Snack: 1 Cup cottage cheese, 40 calorie snack pack of seasoned nori; Dinner: Spinach/Papya/Mango Salad 12 oz water with 2 TBSP chia Snack: 1 oz air-popped popcorn

Yesterday the blade assembly on my blender fell apart. New blender is not due until tomorrow evening. All is not lost. I plan to eat the same things I’ve been eating, just not blended up. It will be a nice change.

I’ve mentioned before that I suffer from mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). For years the conventional wisdom has been that these injuries do not see improvement after two years. Due to the large number of head injuries resulting form the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, medical science is finally questioning this assumption.

People like me tend to fall through the cracks because, hey, we know what side of the toothbrush the paste goes on, and we can take a shower by ourselves. Those are the standards for being functional. Never mind how long it takes us to do these things, how stressful it is, or how exhausted we are afterwards. We may retain our level of intelligence, yet struggle to make decisions and complete simple tasks. We are often too fatigued to do more than get up in the morning and feed ourselves.

I’m very fortunate to have a group of fellow suffers to share experiences with. Aside from getting the validation and emotional support sadly lacking in the medical community, I have also learned much about managing my condition. We’ve had to learn to be our own doctors. I’ve had gains in both productivity and well-being, despite being years past the two year mark. The gains are very modest, but the impact they have on my life are enormous.

One area that needs more attention is the role of diet in treating TBI. It makes sense that the same foods which are beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients would also help TBI sufferers. Couple this with a diet that reduces carbohydrate induced brain-fog, and the possibilities are intriguing. This is the Aztec Diet in a nutshell. To further enhance these effects, I am researching specific foods that enhance brain function.

Some Goodies:

    Blueberries
    Walnuts especially touted as brain food. Other nuts are also helpful. It’s good to get a variety.
    Chlorella
    Wild Salmon tuna, mackerel and sardines are also good choices
    Avocado
    Dark Chocolate or Cacao
    Chia
    Coffee
    Green Tea
    Water
    Oysters
    Olive Oil
    Garlic
    Eggs
    Greens – Kale, Chard, Spinach, Romaine
    Flax Seed Also pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds
    Yogurt

Hot Guac Salad

    1 avocado
    1 TBSP lemon juice
    cumin, to taste
    1/4 Cup salsa (I used peach mango)
    1/4 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
    romaine lettuce

Mash up the avocado in a bowl. Mix in the lemon juice, then add the cumin, to taste. spoon salsa on top, then top that with the cheese. spoon this into romaine leaves. you can treat large leaves like taco shells. The small inner leaves make lovely little “boats” just big enough for one bite.

Spinach/Papaya/Mango Salad

    1 large handful baby spinach
    1 Cup diced mango
    1 Cup diced papaya
    1/8 Cup cashews

No need for dressing. The fruit moistens the spinach.

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 16: Get Your Chia Here!

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Stats: Still holding at 9 pounds net loss. Thank goodness Anna only has one birthday a year.

Breakfast: Chocolate Covered Cherry; Lunch: overpriced kim-chee soup with brown rice; Snack: blueberry muffin. I know, I know, Bad, bad bad! Dinner: 1 cup non-fat cottage cheese, 5 celery ribs and 12 oz. water with 2 TBSP Chia Snack: Carol’s Penance Special (1 cup of air. No popping, and no popcorn.)

I got a late start this morning. Then my Black and Decker blender blew up. It was excreting copious amounts of my lovely smoothie all over the counter. While I was chewing on the half-blended remains, I sent my Amazon wish-list to Tom so he could order me the Oster I’ve been eyeing. I’m a cash and carry kinda gal. I was going to hold off for a few more weeks, but I haven’t seen such a nasty pile of ooze since The Blob was in theaters. Enough, as they say, is enough. Meanwhile, I’ve got to figure out how to do a smoothie diet for the next two days with no blender.

As the day looked like it was on a downward trend, I decided to skip my support group, collect myself and prune my expectations for the day.

I had two very important items on my schedule today. The first was a tour of the Cincinnati Police Museum by retired Sheriff’s deputy Frank Vanderventer.

The first thing you see when you walk into the museum is a stuffed dog. This large terrier-type dog was a stray pressed into service by the department and long presumed to be Cincinnati’s first police dog. Frank tells me they have since discovered there was at least one earlier dog. Ironically named “Handsome,” this beloved mutt bears a strong resemblance to “Sandy” in “Little Orphan Annie.”

Another notable item was documentation that Harry Houdini escaped from the Cincinnati jail in 1899. I also met a former captain of District Five who was one of the first women to do actual investigative work. I can tell she’s full of stories. I am going to have to go back so I can properly ooh and aah over the guns, handcuffs and pipe-bombs. I see a romantic excursion to the museum in Peter and Lia’s future.

The second item on the agenda was a date with my mechanic to fix my brakes. If you live in Cincinnati and drive a Volvo (or any foreign car, really), Jim Stephens Automotive is the place to go. Dan is the best mechanic I’ve ever had. And, unlike the bozos across the street at city hall, he’s also an honest, sensible man who doesn’t waste your money and gets things done on time. I can’t say enough good things about him.

Due to the morning’s chaos, I did not bring my lunch with me. I had a chi-chi lunch that was good, but pricey. The place closed for the afternoon before it was time to pick up my car, so I wandered down to the library. I stopped in at the library cafe for a cup of coffee, when I was set upon by a blueberry muffin. I don’t regret the muffin. I do regret not coming to the library cafe for lunch. They had an overhaul since the last time I was there. They now have some lovely salads and sandwiches. And free wifi. All the trimmings of an urban coffee house at half the price.

I stopped off at Findlay Market on my way home. This is a farmer’s market surrounded by specialty food shops. Dean’s Mediterranean Market is one of the oldest shops there. They sell chia seeds for $5.99 a pound. This is the best price I’ve found. While I imagine there may be some marginal benefits to getting the pricy stuff, Dean’s chia works just fine. Here’s their website: http://www.mediterranean-imports.com/ I spoke with Dean today, and he assures me that while chia is not listed on the web-site, he would be happy to sell it mail order. Click on “Contact Us” and send them a message. Tell him I sent you.