feed your gut!

I try to eat 30+ different plant foods per week because dietary diversity is good for the microbiome. Partner A is picking up weird produce to support my goals. Last week: a persimmon! Neither of us had ever had one; it was pretty good but with an astringent after-effect (possibly it was supposed to ripen longer). I was thinking it was weird that persimmons are a pretty well-known fruit given that Americans never actually eat them in my experience, and unlike figs they don't even have a famous cookie to help them out, but apparently they're used more in other parts of the country.

(MRI is supposedly being ordered)

I have had a headache for five weeks straight. It is miserable and unexplained. At four weeks, after I tried all the things, I saw a doctor and went on steroids. They only helped the headache for a day, but the general inflammation reduction was nice, giving me a few days of respite from my normal life. Is this how other people live? With 80% less pain? Able to do cardio without chest pain, excessive coughing, or debilitating post-exertional malaise? Able to go out in the evening and actually enjoy it? WILD. A few times my ears even unclogged and I could fully hear. Or course it caught up on me after three days (in part because it keeps me from sleeping) but it was nice, albeit bittersweet.

Plant foods week of 10/19/25

Chia seeds

Apples

Raspberries

Cauliflower 

Chick peas

Onions

Chili pepper 

Bell pepper 

Figs

Pear

Potato 

Almonds 

Green beans 

Lettuce 

Peas

Corn

Black beans

Pistachios 

Peanuts

Tomatoes 

Cucumber (pickle)

Flaxseed 

Soy

Staghorn sumac 

Coffee 

Grapes

Whole wheat 

Chocolate 

Broccoli 

Red beans

Blueberry 

Blackberry 

Spinach

Cranberry 

Pineapple 

Cantaloupe 

Watermelon 

Strawberry 

Honeydew 

Historical Expectations of Ouch

My mom posted an old high school photo on Facebook and thus I learned that Back In The Day, they did not wear shin guards while playing field hockey. Were they all covered in bruises all season, or do shin guards have a similar effect as football equipment, in that adding protective gear leads to harder hits?

Plant foods, week of 10/12/25

Peas

Persimmon

Mushrooms 

Whole wheat flour 

Corn

Chocolate 

Almonds

Tomato

Soy

Chick peas

Peanuts

Pumpkin seed

Flaxseed

Beet greens 

Cauliflower 

Brown rice 

Grapes 

Raspberries

Pears

Bulghur

Lentils 

Chia seeds 

Onion

Bell peppers

Black beans

Sesame 

Pistachio 

Fig

Spinach 

Mustard greens

read the room

The owner of a radical left-wing bookstore in London told the staff they needed to practice saying no. Anticipatably, they responded by occupying the store.

Mmmm, muffins

Recent post in a local church bulletin: "Mug and Muffin, a quarterly women’s gathering of reflection and fellowship (bring your own muffin!), is in need of a leader." 

"Bring your own muffin," depending on how one opts to define "muffin," is either very obvious (we bring our muffins everywhere!") or very sad (a gathering named after muffins does not provide muffins?)