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Dear Reader,
Introduction
I hope you’ve had a good week. My week has been busy with this and that. On Thursday and Friday evenings, I had meetings (using Zoom) with international participants, which meant late nights.
How is the foot?
What’s happened this week?
My foot has been feeling uncomfortable this week. I think I’ve developed a pressure-related bruise around the heel and ankle. I’m hoping a pressure sore has not developed.
According to my care plan, I will have the cast removed this week and will be given a controlled ankle motion (CAM) boot. I hope this will allow me to be more mobile.
What have I been watching?
Star Trek — Kelvin Timeline
Friday was a gazetted public holiday, so I spent time sitting atop my bed watching Star Trek movies from the Kelvin Universe.
There are many Star Trek aficionados who do not rate these movies. They comment on social media that JJ Abrams’ movies were an abomination. I agree with some of the criticism; however, the themes of the movies are still Star Trek and still good. I was happy to watch the three movies over the course of the day. Watching the three Kelvin timeline movies again and watching them in a more focused manner helped me glean some insights I’d not understood before. While the JJ Abrams cinematography is not to my liking, the writing and story of these movies are authentic Star Trek.
Given a choice, I don’t watch many movies directed and produced by JJ Abram.
Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Voyager
I continue to alternate between the two series, one episode at a time.
I’m now in meatier episodes from both series. I’m enjoying them more and more.
Recipe — No recipe
I don’t have a recipe to share this week. My routine has become almost robotic.
I shared with Kathleen the other day, that I started thinking this week that my mindset may be moving from live to eat, to eat to live. I know the next time I see Kathleen, we’re going to enjoy many meals together, so for now, I’m eating to live so I can heal and recover.
While I’ll still be eating mostly meat with Kathleen, I’m looking forward to her company while we eat and enjoy the food.
My routine is basic, safe, and easy to manage on one leg.
Breakfast consists of eggs cooked in butter. There may or may not be some grated cheddar cheese added. The eggs vary from scrambled to an omelette.
Lunch may be a small tin of sardines in spring water or salmon or tuna in spring water. As a treat, there may be tinned corned beef or spam. If I feel like it, I’ll add some olives for a bit of variety.
Dinner has become a simple affair. Oddly, while I know some would use terms like mundane and boring, I find I’m enjoying the simplicity. I still have a sense of control over what I eat and how it’s cooked, yet it’s like having a ready-made meal in terms of speed and ease.
I’m buying thinly sliced scotch fillet steaks (known as ribeye steaks in North America) or lamb when I can get it. I usually seek lamb loin chops, but over the last couple of weeks, I’ve not been able to get any. I’ve resorted to lamb cutlets. The lamb cutlet is great for tender, flavourful meat but generally lacks fat. One of my favourite things about lamb is the fat. I like lamb fat rather than beef fat. I’d like to genetically engineer cattle to have lamb fat, and I’d be happy.
Cooking meat in an air fryer may not appeal to most people, but it’s very satisfying for me while on crutches.
Thoughts on the meal
All these meals are fine for what I’m trying to achieve. Minimal inflammatory food. Protein essential minerals and vitamins for connective tissue repair and health. Minimum carbohydrates for metabolic health.
You may wonder about vitamin C (ascorbic acid). The current thinking is that a diet low in carbohydrates doesn’t require extra vitamin C supplementation. There is sufficient vitamin C in meat.
Final thoughts
- Have you watched the Star Trek movies produced (and two directed) by JJ Abrams? What did you think of them?
- If you’re Australian-based, what did you do on the gazetted public holiday on Friday (26 January)?
Disclaimer and comments
This post and other posts on this blog are not medical or health advice. I’m sharing my personal experiences from my lived experience. My opinions remain mine.
For health advice, see your regular medical practitioner. For diet advice, consult with appropriately registered professionals.
These meals will definitely provide a lot of protein for healing! And they sound like they’re satisfying, too, which is the most important part. I hope all goes well at your next dr.’s appointment. Cheers!
Hi Cecilia,
Thanks very much. I’m feeling good, so hopefully everything will go well.
Am hoping you are incorrect about the pressure sore as that could lead to a longer recovery period. Have had to wear a CAM boot awhile- heavy and bothersome for sure – I was switched to a rigid ‘sandal’ with which it was much easier to manage everyday movements. As we by now disagree almost 100% on food requirements, 🙂 🙂 🙂 – no comments re yours . . . using Coles availabilities somewhat differently a very variable fun diet should be available . . . all the best! Hope you had the chance to watch the wonderful Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race today – the huge fun of that certainly pushed all my problems aside . . .
Hi Eha,
Thanks. I’m confident a pressure sore hasn’t developed, I’m careful with positioning.
Wearing the CAM boot will be interesting.
The problem with the CAM boot is that one foot is so much higher than the other and heavier! One ‘wobbles’ from side to side walking and the ‘stone-hard’ on the affected side and the soft ‘ walking plop’ on the other are rather noticeable. I was born with bad cervical and lumbar areas – am afraid they took a beating. Am not trying to ‘frighten’ you but it might be wise to know where the limitations are 🙂 ! Also they are a bugger (sorry!) to put on and take off – the stone-hard flat ‘sandal’ with cross-straps was better.
Thanks for sharing your experience
During the last few days I have been reading up on the rather new ‘carnivore diet’ you are using. With my medical background and 30 years studying healthy nutrition i am obviously interested. Without starting a ‘conversation’ from where do you get your super important fibre, vitamins and minerals? ALL my univerities’ responses warn most about that ! ‘Unhealthy’ and ‘long-term intolerable’ are the most common phrases used across the world
Am aware you are busy! Your way of being happy, healthy and fulfilled has been noted widely – may we have a brief response please !
Friday afternoon – Dozens of professionals I know have tried to access you with relevant questions with no success. Sincerely hope you are alright . . .
Hi Eha,
I’ve not received any inquiries. The dozens of professionals you know who wish to contact me can do so via the contact page.
Hi Eha,
I am not eating a carnivore diet. Most of my food is from animals; however, I continue to eat low-carbohydrate plant-based foods. I also eat some berries and Queensland nuts (species within the genus Macadamia).
While animal-based foods are low in ascorbic acid (low but not absent, e.g., eggs and organ meats have ascorbic acid), those who have a low carbohydrate adapted metabolism do not need as much dietary ascorbic acid as someone who is eating a standard western diet where the daily carbohydrate consumption is often >100 grams.
Less glucose also means less competition with ascorbic acid, enhancing its absorption in a low-glucose environment.
The historical narrative for this comes from looking at the absence of scurvy in Inuit and Masai people and their traditional animal-based diet before contamination with processed Western foods. You can search for the studies in a search engine.
Those who consume inadequate animal-based food may have insufficient consumption of iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, vitamin A, and omega-3. While plants have vitamin D2, the vitamin D3 from animals is more effective. Sunlight converts cholesterol to vitamin D3, but you need sufficient exposure to the sun. Many plants have β-carotene, but converting that to vitamin A isn’t efficient in humans. It is better to get it from animal-based foods. It’s a similar story for Omega-3; some plants have a precursor to Omega-3, but it’s easier to eat beef and oily fish for Omega-3. You can search for the studies in a search engine.
Only carbohydrates contain fibre, and carbohydrates aren’t essential. Therefore, fibre is not essential. Humans do not need fibre. For good stool consistency and periodicity, a balance of fat and protein is necessary. Fibre is not needed. The literature is replete with the harm associated with excess fibre. You can search for the studies in a search engine.
One extensive, lengthy, randomised controlled trial was undertaken in 1989(Burr et al., 1989). It was conducted over two years and had 2,033 men in the trial who had previously had a myocardial infarction. The interventions were receiving advice on fibre or not receiving advice on fibre as well as fish in their diet.
One thousand and seventeen men were given fibre advice, and 1,016 were given no-fibre advice. There were 123 deaths in the fibre advice group. 101 (9.9%) in the no-fibre advice group. There were 109 deaths (10.7%) from heart disease in the fibre advice group and 85 deaths (8.4%) from heart disease in the no-fibre advice group. These results were not statistically significant. You can search for more studies in a search engine.
I don’t avoid fibre altogether because I still eat some plant-based foods. I’m not convinced I need it.
Burr, M. L., Gilbert, J. F., Holliday, R. M., Elwood, P. C., Fehily, A. M., Rogers, S., Sweetnam, P. M., & Deadman, N. M. (1989). EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN FAT, FISH, AND FIBRE INTAKES ON DEATH AND MYOCARDIAL REINFARCTION: DIET AND REINFARCTION TRIAL (DART). The Lancet, 334(8666), 757–761. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(89)90828-3
Thank you. By no means did I expect you to go to take time to write such a long ‘explanation – just a sentence or two would have sufficed. The individuals from my circles looked up your post but naturally contacted me as we had just been discussing liver, thyroid, adrenals etc re variable food consumption. Apologies for not being clearer in my expressions. I shall not take up your time re my rather differing perception of the current discussion. I hope your ankle has improved.
Hang in there.
Hi there
Thanks
Hopefully there’s no pressure related pain and you can move forward into the boot for extra mobility. I would suggest bone broth but you’re clearly getting enough goodness from your cooked beef/lamb. Australia Day was a simple home cooked hearty meal with plenty of gardening until the heat became unbearable outside.
Hi there
Thanks, I like making bone broth when I’m able bodied and will do so again when I can.
Sounds like you made the most of Friday. 😊