What's on your Tuesday Menu, RNYers?

Thanks, Jen.

My water bottle was completely frozen solid this morning. Just a big chunk of ice.

Congratulations on the Cross fit. But I'm with you on the sweat pants. I hate this weather I prefer bathing suit and flip flops.

Those are some pretty awesome stats--good job!

Grim drove me to the train this morning in short sleeves and shorts. Meanwhile, I was wearing a sweater, winter coat, large scarf and gloves...

Congrats!!

Congrats Jim!!

Feel better.

Even on Memorial Day, when the nation stops to honor and remember the fallen men and women in uniform who served in wars past and present, it is easy for the U.S. military to remain an abstraction. The troops toil at distant bases and fight far-away battles, becoming real to their fellow citizens mainly when they lug giant rucksacks through America's airports at the beginning and end of their leaves.

As a military reporter, I've had the chance to see them as they really are, in those odd moments between boredom and heroism, when they're waiting for a helicopter, killing time on outposts or starting to bump down a road that may or may not be laden with explosives. I witnessed one such snapshot last month, as I sat on one of the last U.S. helicopters preparing to fly into eastern Afghanistan's violent Korengal Valley. American commanders were only a few weeks away from shutting down the base there, ending a bloody five-year stalemate with the Taliban. It was just after 9 p.m., and streaks of lightning flashed against the black sky. Fifteen minutes passed. The copter was grounded. It was then that two of the soldiers from the 4th Brigade of the Army's 4th Infantry Division launched into a profanity-laced argument over a burning question:

Is Connecticut in New England?

The first soldier gamely insisted that Connecticut couldn't possibly be part of New England because everyone from Connecticut cheers for New York sports teams: the Giants, the Jets, the Mets, the Yankees, etc.

"Do you even [expletive] know where Connecticut is?" the other soldier demanded.

"I mean, could you even find it on an [expletive] map?"

The first soldier didn't answer. It was pretty obvious to all that he couldn't find Connecticut on an [expletive] map. Instead he reeled off the states that he thought were in New England: Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island.

A third voice from the darkness suggested that Long Island is also in New England. But the first two soldiers -- both from Boston -- told him to shut up, because Long Island is definitely in New York, and New York is not on anybody's New England list.

The lightning kept flashing. Still grounded. In about 90 minutes the moon would rise and illuminate the sky, making it far too easy for whoever shot the Chinook last time to hit it again.

The soldiers' geography debate shifted to another topic: whether Brockton, Mass., is more dangerous than the Korengal Valley, where more than 40 U.S. troops had died over the past five years. One of the New England soldiers insisted that five of his relatives had been killed in Brockton, so he was pretty sure it was more dangerous than the Korengal.

Julia, I am so sorry to see you post again about being congested. "Under the weather".

That way too much. 3 things to consider:

• Vit D level needs to be raised
• Or vit B12 needs to be raised
• Last one, Unfortunately from my experience - dairy sensitivity. Cheese, milk, yogurt can cause significant mucus production. Eventually, I had to eliminate dairy from my diet to limit that. Now if I chose to have some cheese- I always end up with sinus drainage, and feeling "like I was sick," and being really congested, drainage, coughing, etc..

I cried when I was told I need to eliminate dairy from my diet. I love cheese and that was one food I always picked up when challenged "if you have to eat only one thing for the test of your live, what would that be? Cheese".

Whey affects me much worse than casein. Yogurt, milk, cottage cheese - have more whey than casein. Hard cheese has mostly casein and fat. If I really really want some, and I don't mind stuffy feeling for a few days, I eat aged cheese.

Don't hate me for suggesting that, but you getting sick as much as you do, is correlated with you going full keto, that includes lots of dairy.

If I were you, I would try increase my D and get a B12 shot first, to see if that helps.

Sorry...

Thanks I will look into it. I am not sure how long it would take for symptoms to show up, but I hadn't eaten any dairy all day except for the whey in my protein coffee, but had a lot of cheese the day before...?

I am more included to think that I am building up an immunity to working in a cubicle farm with close quarters to lots of germy coworkers, but who knows... Either way, I need to build up a better immune system, so I am going to double up on all of my vitamins for awhile and see if that helps :)

I get the extra mucus symptoms within hours when I get more whey. Cheese -the very next day it often hits me. And can last 3-4 days total. I had some cheese on Thursday, Friday, and even yesterday I still had sinus drainage. But I am really sensitive.

When I had to give up all dairy (and it seams to be in everything) initially it took me 1-2 weeks to stop the drainage. But even a week offered real improvement.

Now - even small amount of whey can give me trouble. Cheese- it as not as bad. After 30 days, when I was "completely clean" - not having any dairy (not even butter, or bite of milk chocolate), I had a challenge day when I had hard cheese at an every meal. By the next day I knew I really react to that. I also tried whey (after I cleaned my diet again and stayed on completely dairy free for 3-4 weeks, I had some yogurt and app 1-2 hours after I had my 6 oz of Greek yogurt, I lost my voice, beside getting really congested.

The protein shake - if its whey - I know I react to that. But some protein shakes have collagen, and so far that is safe for me.

With so many food allergies, my doc suggested that beside trying to avoid that, I may chose to take allergy stuff, like Allegra in the day, and benadryl before bed. That works OK for me. In extreme cases - I may add Zyrtec to Allegra.

BTW - how was shopping yesterday? Did you guys find any cool exotic wood scraps? Just wondering...