NST NOVEMBER

grandmanerd

I always let you and f0xh0les fight it out, apple, even if I'm here first. You both enjoy it so much

grandmanerd

Monday 2nd November 2026

Food Cravings (article and chart by empowered beyond weight loss)

Everyone has experienced cravings, commonly for foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fats. Often your body is trying to tell you it is deficient in some key nutrients. At other times the impulse comes from your brain's pleasure receptors - you body craves dopamine (dairy and chocolate will satisfy this in the short term)

Craving Meaning What your body NEEDS (the craving is a WANT)

Craving Chocolate and sugar. MEANING When you feel sad or depressed, your body needs nutrients like magnesium, carbon, chromium, sulphur and phosphorus WHAT To Do Eat dark chocolate, do sun salutations, eat almond butter brownies or banana ice cream

Craving salty foods eg crisps. MEANING You feel stressed and anxious. May be due to a chloride deficiency What To Do Do deep belly breathing, workout or go for a walk. Eat kale crisps or roasted nuts with seasalt.

Craving Breads and Pasta. MEANING Common at the end of your cycle. May signal a nitrogen deficiency. What To Do Eat nuts and seeds. Consume healthy carbs like fruit, rice, sour dough or sprouted bread

Craving Fried Foods. MEANING When you are frustrated. May be due to a calcium deficiency. What To Do Eat calcium rich food such as green leafy vegetables, seeds, sardines and yoghurt. Meditate

Craving Creamy Foods. MEANING When you crave comfort and connection. You may need to boost your dopamine and endorphin levels. What To Do Talk to a friend, Exercise, Eat dopamine producing foods like meat and dairy

(I have shortened this in places)

beanielou

Another loan payment down today. The clothes I put out for collecting have been picked up. Really pleased.

apple_muncher

Well done beanie. That loan will soon be gone!

Pip stated today that it is now time to be buying Christmas presents so there is time to buy something when you see it rather than rush in a few weeks' time! And has already sent me a link to something he'd like 🤣.

I had a lovely day (well, long morning really) at work in one of my centres, both the training and chatting with lovely lovely people. And this afternoon, I took Pip to a nearish shop that is licensed to sell fireworks all year round, and he bought 6 Catharine wheels for the weekend. Given that the law might change as regards who can let off fireworks, it might well be his one and only opportunity to do this!

Today I am grateful for working with fab people, for gluten free Tim Tams, for avoiding the worst of the rain, for dh being able to help a neighbour, for Pie in the Sky.

DawnW

School run afternoon today, but before that I need to go shopping and do some cooking. After collecting the GCs from school each Tuesday, we look after them till our daughter returns from work. They are invariably hungry and I end up cooking something for them. It will be much easier to take something with me and heat it up, so I will do a pasta bake. I will also make one for us for dinner tomorrow. I also need to make something simple for a dessert to take to our son's and dil's house this evening as they have invited us for beef casserole after babysitting 😊 I have got some fruit out of the freezer to make a crumble.

The builder will hopefully finish the rendering job on the front of our house today 😊

And hopefully the scaffolders will return before too long to remove the scaffolding so that we can put the front garden back together - the neighbours kindly allowed us to put our pots etc in their front garden so we had space for the scaffolding and nothing got damaged. The front gardens are small so there was nowhere to put them otherwise, other than carting them all round to the back, and some of them are really heavy.

Hope everything goes to plan!

Rowan9

@dawn I also look after my grandchildren on a Tuesday until my daughter comes home from work. I don’t do tea for them as their dad does before dropping them off but I do tea for her.
this is my first week of doing it since I retired. Already, just one week in, I’m thinking how did I have the energy for full time work? Haha.
little bit of food shopping today.
yesterday was a NSD! I was really chuffed.

beanielou

Happy retirement @Rowan9. A new chapter begins.

grandmanerd

Tuesday 3rd November 2026

Due to mixing my days up I now have an extra day. I also feel less guilty about binge watching 7 episodes of a new drama on Sunday and finishing it yesterday.

Habits that will make you happier

Tidy up a small area in your home or workspace each day to create a peaceful environment

Make an effort to smile, even when you don't feel like it

Spend some time each day doing something creative like drawing, crafting or writing

Speak kindly to yourself, especially when you make mistakes

Get outside for a few minutes each day to enjoy the fresh air and your surroundings

Do something kind for someone else each day

Dedicate time daily to read something you enjoy, whether it's a book, article or poem

Watch a funny video, listen to a comedy podcast or find something that makes you laugh each day

Each morning decide on a positive intention or focus for the day to guide your actions

Incorporate at least 15 minutes of physical activity a day whether it's walking, yoga or dancing

Take breaks from screens throughout the day, especially before bed (Urban library)

Rowan9

good ideas there thanks @grandmanerd Will do some!

And thanks @beanielou i am delighted to be retired!

apple_muncher

Today I have finally finished the garden, ready for Pip's friends coming on Sat. It has involved laying some part-sleepers, digging out turf and soil and changing a flat piece of lawn into an edged and turfed slope down to the patio. It was hard work! Then I shifted abut a dozen heavy pieces of purple slate to have them in front of the sleepers at the back of the garden, and dug out built up soil to level the area. I got my 15 mins of physical activity today!!!

I am grateful for the ability to change things in the garden on my own, for seeing gym buddies who I've not seen in aaaaages, for a wonderful shower and hairwash after the garden stuff, for dh prepping tea while I took Pip to a club.