Random Wednesday, the Detox Edition

1.  Today is the 5th day without a diet cola.  Also, without any artificial sweeteners.  After the phosphorous, that is the thing I want to eliminate most.  Well, those things plus the aluminum cans to send to recycling.  And come to think of it, the money I spend on the soda could probably be put to better use, also.  Right?  Right. 

2.  Yerba Maté is working wonders in this endeavor.  I have read so many great things about this wonderful drink.  Like here, for example.  Even if only half of the claims are true, we're 1,000% ahead of the diet soda drink.  BUT I will say that because the Yerba Maté has caffeine, I am not experiencing the headaches that I have experienced in previous attempts to get rid of the diet sodas.  Nor have I experienced the general malaise and weakness and just plain feeling crappy.  I feel strong and good and not craving anything. And I had an incredibly GREAT Bikram yoga class last night.  Coincidence? 

3. The BlackBerry weather app that my BlackBerry guy downloaded for me is this one.  And it works great.

4.  The knitting is still hurting my arms quite a bit.  I do try to be sensible about it, but I'm very excited about completing this sweater and starting the next one.  I think I'm caught in the draft behind those 12-Sweaters-in-2009 Knitters and am caught up in the sweater excitement.  I really do enjoy, I'm realizing after all these years, project monogamy, and I really do enjoy knitting sweaters, and knitting for myself.  I spent so many years largely knitting for others and getting sidetracked.

5.  The Garter Yoke Cardi body is very close to completion, with just the sleeves to go.  This sweater is going to be very close-fitting.  I wanted it to be tailored and fitted, but maybe not THIS fitted.  Let's hope that blocking is my friend.  I love the color and fabric.  Choosing buttons is going to be fun -- I can imagine lots of styles and colors of buttons that will look good with this sweater, and will have to choose just the right ones.  I could go casual and funky or understated, tailored and classic.   

6.  I did a lightning-fast rearrangement of my knitting queue when I saw Margene's gorgeous finished sweater yesterday.  That's, I believe, going to be my next sweater.  I just have to decide on the yarn.  I'm toying with Jo Sharp Silkroad DK tweed like I used in my recent blue gift sweater (look in my 2009 gallery if you don't know what I'm talking about). LOVED that stuff.  I am thinking a tweedy oatmealy color -- they have one called "Pulp" that looks great.  Or my always-favorite "Autumn."  Then again, that blue that has green flecks in it would be nice.  Or I have some lovely Italian merino DK in a burnt orange tweed that has been marinating in my stash since the beginning of time.  I started the Must Have Cardi with it, but it never went anywhere.  Margene suggested Silky Wool, which is a good idea.  Or I've always wanted to make a sweater in that most gorgeous shade of red (I can't remember the name of it, but it's a claret red with subtle tan shadings in it) Cascade 220.  That would be a true bargain sweater (as would the burnt orange merino sitting in the stash).  I do think red in that cardi would be fab, don't you?  Then again, if I could find the "right" periwinkle.....

 

Comments

[JudithNYC]

Norma, I don't know why the English spelling is yerba mate with an accent but in Latin America, where the mate is from it does not have an accent and the pronunciation is MAte, not maTE. I have always been intrigued by the way there is a whole way of drinking mate through a "straw" and the container is just passed around.

Did you read that the caffeine in mate has an effect in the muscle tissue instead of the nervous system?

Good luck kicking the can.

[gayle]

The accent is just a signal to pronounce the "e" as a long "a", not to emphasize the syllable.
Glad it's helping with the can-kicking, Norma.
The stash yarn sounds like a great idea - and you could start immediately! heehee...

[sandy]

I'm telling you, Yerba Mate is the new black. Srsly.
LX

[Carole]

I'm knitting more sweaters this year, too, and I blame it on those nanosweatermofuckers, too.

[Manise]

Loved the link with all the info to yerba mate, but was stopped cold by the last 2 lines with regards to lead. Maybe it's just me but it has me a wee bit worried. Good luck with finally kicking the can and yay to no headaches.

[Carol]

Well done on getting rid of the soda. I'm still skeptical of the mate. They were drinking that stuff EVERYWHERE in Argentina & Uruguay. I thought it must be addictive. Still, it seems like a healthier thing to be addicted to...

[margene]

Who knew sweater knitting was viral! Go grrls. However, you'll be glad you caught it. Don't push the knitting if you're in pain. Damn that's a drag. Good luck with the kick...it's a good thing to do.

[cindycindy]

I so need to do the same, but have so many other vices that I have to choose one at a time. Good luck and, as Margene said, don't knit if it hurts.

[Nora]

Does Carole eat with that mouth?

I think you need to knit a sweater in each of the colors you mention. I'll watch.

xo

[AnnaMarie]

Red, go for the Red.... that's the perfect kick in the pants for these blustery days.

[(formerly) no-blog-rachel]

I stopped drinking diet Coke over a year ago - and it wasn't easy. I had one about 2 months ago as a treat and after I drank it I felt like total crap. It made me kind of happy to know that my body wasn't used to ingesting all of those bad things any more, and now I rarely feel tempted to have any. I hope knowing you'll eventually stop craving it helps you along your way!

Hope to see you Saturday :)

[gale (she shoots sheep shots)]

There's something about Margene's sweaters, she's like the drugdealer of sweater patterns- you see her using and you WANT. That new cardi is beautiful.
ps I'm sure Pulp is a lovely color but for this time of year--something with some pigmentmight be needed- and a name that doesn't sound like slurry or swill.

[jodi]

Okay, but here's something nobody's talking about: doesn't yerba mate taste really mind-numbingly terrible? Or was the stuff my old roommate had just old, or contaminated or something? Because I remember trying it and nearly gagging on my own tongue as it scrambled to get out of the way of the awful stuff. Should I give it another chance?

[Kate]

Yerba mate is the drink of choice around here in the morning. :) We get it at Trader Joe's and when in Boston, we buy it at TeaLuxe. I love it with a little honey in it.

I give up soda for Lent each year. I always feel better when Easter comes around... now, diet coke is a 'treat' when I go out to dinner but usually b/c they don't have flavored seltzer.

[Vicki]

I've never heard of yerba mate. I shall have to go looking now. While I haven't kicked the can completely, I have cut my intake by half, at least, over the past year or so -- and am drinking more plain ol' water. My syrup of choice has been caffeine-free for a long time, so thankfully I don't have the issues associated with cutting that off completely.

[marianne]

As usual, I'm loving all your colour choices and really... given that 'Golden' is just one sweet classy little cardi, they'd all look great but oh, how I'm leaning toward red! but... yes, if you knit from your stash you can knit it NOW.
I'm just plain boring with my fluids, coffee in the mornings, water the rest of the day except for an occasional cuppa tea, that's it.

[Patti]

You can do it. I've kicked my own addictions, that will remain nameless, this late in life after hundreds of attempts. Tis possible. In addition to your list of beverages, try some lemon in the water for variety. Also, one of my favorite treats, a touch of fruit juice in seltzer water. Cool thing is, after you've detoxed, it will taste horrid.

[Marcia]

I think you're gonna do it this time, Norma!

As for the arms hurting, how the hell do you knit? I don't move my arms or shoulders or elbows or anything but a couple of fingers and maybe my wrists a little. Go check out Ask the Bellwether's video from....somewhere....where she shows the "lever action" style of knitting, which is what Yarn Harlot, Sally Melville, the second fastest knitter in the world and Spinneralla do! Seriously, if you can master it, you will never experience arm pain again.

[Melissa]

You can do it. And although it tastes like wet hay at first sip, yerba mate is King! Coffee has always held the key to my heart, but it seems that green/black/mate teas fare much, much better with me, just in terms of a consistent blood sugar level. I have plenty of habits I'd like to kick, but I'm with you as far as using more "pure" liquids to help balance everything out. Keep up the good work!

[Cookie]

Baby, you need to be rocking a sexy red cardi with a nice little pencil skirt and some sexy heels.

You know you want to...

[Sylvia]

My best friend Bethly the tango teacher drinks mate -- for me it has that not-food scent. I prefer Scharffen natural cocoa, but I am tame.

I ended up in the hospital after I drank my first (and only) diet pop. Bad juju. Aspartame does grievous things to your liver -- have you had your liver enzymes checked? You might need some polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine... Good luck!

[Kristen]

Just good old fashioned tea in all its guises. I swear it's what helped me kick the habit. Well, I hope so anyway--I'm working on my third time quitting diet Coke. It's been two years without, but my record is three, so I'm still in the not-quite-free zone as far as I'm concerned. I don't crave it though.

[kmkat]

Thanks for the Blackberry apps links -- I sent them to #2 son, who has a BB.

[Rebecca]

I know you can kick the Diet Coke habit! I did it by replacing diet cokes with seltzer water. I drink the Cascade Fresh Lime ones which only contain water, lime essence and carbonation. Additionally the sodium level is low, low, low. Now I have that instead of a soda and I'm happy. It was a hard thing to kick but now I only crave a diet coke when I'm really tired and run-down.

[JudithNYC]

Ok,Norma, ban me if you must, but it's not pronounced ma-tay but ma'-teh. I am obsessed with pronunciation of all things spanish since an english-speaking coworker corrected me on the pronunciation of flan, a word in my native tongue.

Again, Norma, good luck with your kicking the can endeavor. Last time you blogged about it, I joined you and succeded. Now I only want a diet Pepsi once in a while late at night and can usually forget about it by the next day.

[patricia]

Best of luck with quitting diet cola.

I've been a hard core mate drinker during and since Peace Corps, 10 years ago. I recommend Selecta or La Rubia; I think the latter is organic. I love the bitter taste! It's customary to add 'yuyos'- medicinal or other herbs- chamomile is really nice, as are the mints. In hot weather, go Paraguayan style and use cold water- then it's called terere and is quite refreshing

[Seanna Lea]

I should be kicking the diet soda habit as well, but I love the sweet taste as artificial as I know it is. And I'm not convinced that the diet coke is that much worse for me than my coffee with skim milk and splenda.

[Renee]

Looking forward to seeing which yarn you go with. :)

[Cat]

I feel where you are coming from. I too had it with regular soda and then Coke Zero. I drink seltzer water now, not club soda as that has a lot of sodium. I get my fizzy fix and it is better than soda. I will also add some Pomegranate juice or other non-sugared fruit juice for added flavor.

Hugs!!!

[elizabeth a airhart]

good night and good luck

[LeeAnn]

I'm working too on kicking soda...it's a tough one! Good luck. I'll look into that drink...does it taste dreadful?

[Anne-Marie]

I agree about kicking the diet soda. I'm having cravings now with stress at work. It is tough. trying to stick with the water!!!

[Angie]

Claudia asked us to come over and encourage you about the diet soda. Having drunk tanker loads of the stuff over the years and then stopped, I can tell you it's insidious (and another thing on which my father was right--he always said we should have sugar instead of the artificial sweetener. How did he know??). The hook was, you can drink as much as you want because it has no calories. Yes, but it's poison. My conclusion is, you will stop when it's time for you. And it seems to be! Congratulations.
And btw, I thought Verizon had the best service, in the quality-of-call sense, of the wireless companies although I have roundly cursed them on the landline front. T-Mobile's people are nicer but the coverage is less.