Some subtly ableist but common phrases you should avoid.
“Get better soon!”
Should be, “I hope you feel better soon, or your symptoms decrease!”“I’m normal/healthy.”
Should be, “I am able-bodied.”“You’re differently abled/unhealthy/not normal.”
Should be, “You’re disabled.”“You’d feel better if you tried yoga/prayer/whatever.”
Should be, “What treatments have you tried?”“Oh my god! What happened to you?”
Should be, “How are you doing? May I ask, why you are using mobility device/brace/cast?”“I have headaches so I completely understand your chronic migraines.”
Should be, “I cannot understand your illness, since the worst I have ever suffered is headaches. Let me know if there is anything I can do to better understand you.”“You should get out more.”
Should be, “May I come over sometime to share a meal with you or relax?.”“It must be so nice not to have to work/go to school.”
Should be, “It must be difficult to not be able to have an income or continue your education. Let me know if there is any way I can help you pursue your dreams.”“It’s so tragic that [insert media character] is disabled.”
Should be, “I’m glad to see the media is portraying a character that represents 70% of the population.”“I would just die if I had your condition!”
Should be, “I don’t understand how you cope with your condition. Can you explain to me how you’ve accepted your disability?”“I’ve been praying that God will heal you!”
Should be, “Would you like me to pray for your healing?”“I wish I could take my dog everywhere with me!”
Should be, “I’m glad that you have the resources to use such a multipurpose mobility aid such as a Service Dog.”[First thing you say to the person] “I have been praying for you! God has your health in his mind!”
Should be, “How are you? Do you need any encouragement?”“You are such an inspiration because you are disabled and coping with it!”
Should be, any other compliment not having to do with their ability to cope with a disability.“I’m going to push your wheelchair now.”
Should be, “Do you want me to push you now?”“But you don’t LOOK sick!”
Should be, “All disabilities are different, do you consider yours to be an invisible illness? How does it affect you?”“Hey, at least it’s not Cancer.”
Should be, “It must be difficult to accept such a lifelong diagnosis. Is there any way I can help you?”Add more subtly ableist phrases or alternatives! Show people how to communicate with us without it being so awkward!
Tag: ibd
I’m trying to be good today. I’ve only had one caramel tea this morning and for lunch I had gluten-free cereal with milk and a packet of low calorie, gluten-free crisps. I know I said I shouldn’t really have crisps but I was still a little hungry after the cereal. Tonight though, I’ve got left over thin and crispy pizza and a fruit yoghurt. It takes me under my daily calorie count but given how much I’ve eaten recently, I’m sure I won’t starve.
My stomach has bloated a tiny bit but I think I’ll be ok. I’m trying to drink more today but my headache from this morning is threatening to return. I hope this afternoon goes quickly.
I’ve eaten too much again!
I did the stupid thing and had a big dinner instead of a smaller one. I think I’ll need to eat smaller meals for a while; my stomach has bloated and is a little painful and I’ve also had quite a bit of gluten over the last couple of days which doesn’t help with the bloat.
It’s annoying that I keep wanting to just eat the things that I know aren’t good for me! I’m trying really hard to avoid as much gluten as I can (although I know I don’t need to avoid it completely), as well as listen to my gut and stop eating when it tells me I’m full. Problem is, I think my appetite has increased more recently so I’m feeling like I’m hungry when I’m not. Maybe I should drink more and then I might not feel hungry for food as much. I have read that the feeling of thirst is usually mistaken for the feeling of hunger so maybe that’s it?
I’ve also developed a slight addiction to Arizona branded Iced Tea. It’s really refreshing and the cans last me a good few hours each. I think I’ll have to stock up on them and maybe invest in some low calorie/gluten-free snacks. I’ve found most crisps are gluten-free but are also high in calories/low in nutritional value so I probably shouldn’t eat too many. I haven’t made any gluten-free brownies for this week but I will likely make a batch next week when I have more time/spoons to do so.
Anyway, I think an early night is in order so I can digest all the rubbish I’ve eaten today and get enough sleep so I can get up for work tomorrow. It’s a good week off but I really wish I wasn’t going back to work yet; I just want a day where I don’t have to do anything; I’ve done something every day since I’ve been off work so it doesn’t feel like I’ve stopped really. I think the few hours I spent at the hospital, having my infusion, were the first I’ve spent not doing anything this whole week! Hopefully, it means I’ll sleep better. I can only hope.
My infusion is almost done but I’m feeling quite tired. I’ve eaten a fair bit already (they gave out sandwiches today as well as tea and coffee) so I don’t think I’ll want much for dinner tonight.
I ended up eating quite a bit for dinner last night so I may have to be a bit careful for a few days incase I over eat and agitate my gut.
Infusion #3
I’m on my way to the hospital for my third infliximab infusion. It’ll be about three to four hours until I’m going home again but I’m sort of looking forward to it. I guess that’s a little odd but my sister said it’s probably because I feel better after.
I’ve remembered to bring food with me this time; my appointment is later in the day than my last one so I’ll be there over lunchtime.
And I’m home
Had a great few days in Lincoln with my sister but now I am home. Last nights dinner was really good; the restaurant didn’t have a separate gluten free menu but did mark which dishes were gluten free. However, just to be awkward, I didn’t choose one of those. Instead, I had a burger without the bun. It was really nice and meant I had room for a bubblegum ice cream and M&M sundae for after. I didn’t bloat but still had enough to eat to reach/go slightly over my daily calorie count.
Today wasn’t too bad either; we went to Toby Carvery for breakfast and left Lincoln shortly after. Even though I don’t normally eat breakfast, I enjoy going to Toby Carvery; they do a full cooked breakfast buffet (so things like bacon, sausage, beans, eggs, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes ect.) so you can go back as many times as you want, which means I was full after one plate. It also means I won’t be hungry for a while, so dinner tonight will likely be small.
Visited Lincoln Castle today. They had a farmers market in the grounds which made me quite hungry but I resisted the urge to buy a hot dog.
I’ve been having some stomach pain today so I’m thinking I should probably go easy at dinner tonight. Because I’m visiting my sister (and my parents have come up too), it means we’ll be going out for dinner tonight so I’ll need to see if wherever we go has a gluten-free menu so I don’t agitate my stomach any further. I go home tomorrow so I’d rather not be feeling ill; it’ll be a four hour drive which I don’t want to make any longer by needing to stop every five minutes for a bathroom break.
i never wanna see this BS again god
Listen, no matter what your fave youtuber/”health guru” says, the following things are absolute bullshit:
- Juice cleanses do not do anything health-wise! Except probably lead to you getting insufficient calories for the duration! There is nothing to “cleanse”, because…
- Your body does not have a “build up of toxins” you can detox away. Either your liver and kidneys are sorting shit out, or you’re experiencing severe health problems and should see a doctor. In particular, the idea you have a build up of heavy metal in your cells is ABSURD. Trust me. You’d know. “Toxins” is a word with no legal definition which is therefore not monitored in advertising. It means nothing.
- Detox/weight loss teas are just mild laxatives. I wish people would stop advertising these things. I know we’re all broke and want that sponsership, but they’re not good things.
- Something being vegan, gluten-free, “all natural”, etc. does not mean it cannot be bad for you. It does not necessarily mean it is better for you. It just means… it is those things.
- If you ingest more of a nutrient than your body needs, the rest is wasted. It isn’t used by the body. Unless you have a vitamin deficiency, taking supplements is useless. And expensive.
- Oh, and for the record, it’s not dangerous but you don’t need “eight glasses of water a day”. A lot of water comes from the food you eat. Also, any liquid that isn’t as strong a diuretic as, say, alcohol? Works to hydrate you. I mean, staying hydrated is good, but the eight glasses a day thing isn’t true. Just drink when you need water.
THANK YOU FOR THIS. I WAS JUST FIGHTING MY FRIEND ABOUT THIS THE OTHER DAY.
I know people who (try) drinking at least a gallon of water a day and that honestly gives me anxiety.
Thank you. It annoys me to no end when people insist “all natural” or “unprocessed” food is better when it’s not always the case. Also, there is no such thing as unprocessed food; if you cut up/skin/cook that carrot, it’s been processed!
I love self care so much.
like hell yeah, take your bubble baths. light those candles. moisturize your whole damn body. drink tea. take a four hour nap to recharge. put on cute socks & underwear. look at yourself in the mirror. think loving thoughts.
i should make a low-effort cookbook
like you get those ‘i hate to cook! 101: easy meals for the kitchen novice!’ and it still wants you to make a three-cheese spinach casserole
mine would be like
did you know you can put chocolate chips on a spoonful of peanut butter and obtain the perfect snack
did you know if you crack some eggs into your pasta sauce and stir there’s more protein in it so you can go longer without having to make another goddamn meal
did you know you can mix a cup of cooked rice to any condensed soup instead of water and now you have dinner and breakfast
also put cheese on it
put cheese on fucking everything
and finally here’s a list of things you can microwave in a short enough time that you won’t walk out of the kitchen, go back to bed, fall asleep for four hours, and totally forget you attempted a lunch
frozen pizza is expensive but! biscuits in a can + last dregs of jar of tomato sauce + some shredded mozzarella cheese = EIGHT MINIPIZZAS
dump all your chinese delivery into a hot pan and crack two eggs into it, stir, now it is soft and good
if you add a kraft single to mac and cheese from the box it’s magically more delicious (and if you also add hot sauce then it’s spicy)
nachos: chips + shredded cheese + salsa + rummage in fridge in case there’s other things? and then under the broiler for a minute or two. if it’s hot it counts as a meal! works good on stale chips.
an incomplete list of vegetables that won’t instantly rot on you: anything frozen, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes (they get wrinkly but u can still eat them), carrots, onions…i throw away a lot of veggies that have gone soft 😦
i love parchment paper. $4 for a roll but lay it down on ur baking sheet and know you’ll never have to scrub cheese or cookie crumbs off it again. perfect for cooking with low spoons. nothing sticks to it!
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT
also: mug cakes
also also: if you cook rice you might as well dump some canned tomatos and canned beans in it. TADA NUTRITIONALLY COMPLETE MEALS
in the list of foods that last: apples. apples can last an entire fucking winter.
also also also: cottage cheese + bell peppers + crackers = what I ate for dinner for like a year
1. You cook the rice in a pot. No spices, no nothing, just water oil and rice.
2. Just before it’s ready, when there’s about a pinkie fingernail’s worth of water on the top, add in a tablespoon of peanut butter.
3. Stir. Cook the rest of the way.
4. It’s a meal! It has carbs and protein, it’s filling, it tastes good and it looks and feels like a legitimate dish, which is great for lifting the spirits a bit.
5. If you feel fancy, add a teaspoon of honey or a handful of crushed peanuts.
Alt., mix the rice with lentils. Cereal (rice, wheat) + legume (lentils, beans) = complete protein. Most people’s bodies will accept that in lieu of animal products.
Since no-one explained how to cook rice: (1) put bit of oil in pot,
heat up on medium flame, (2) add 1-1.5 cup rice, mix up and add a bit of
salt (you may need to reduce flame), (3) while you’re doing that, boil
water in an electric pot, (4) add 2 cup water for each 1 cup rice;
reduce flame a few seconds before you do that and mind the steam won’t hit you, (5) cover and set a 20min timer.Pasta: (1) boil water, lots of water (covered pot goes fast; you can also use an electric pot for a shortcut and bring to a full boil on the stove – experiment), (2) up to 100 gr pasta per 1L water will work, but the more water per pasta the better, (3) reduce flame to medium (light bubbling), add pasta, set time to 10min, (4) check and add time as necessary – you may not need to.
Egg or bean noodled cook faster than pasta – like, half the time.
Easiest pasta sauce: 20-50gr of butter, melt; 1-2tbs lemon juice,
homogenize; dump in pasta (and possibly peas, boiled from frozen). Taken
5min or under and will liven up pasta that’s been sitting in the
fridge.Easiest cream sauce: 1 standard (250ml) cream carton, 1
tsp shredded cheese (keeps well in freezer) or more, 1 tbs cottage
cheese, spices to taste. Heat in a small pot on a small-to-medium flame
while stirring constantly (if it’s too hot to stick a finger in, it’s
too hot). Takes maybe 5-10min. Will keep in fridge up to 1 week.Rice freezes well. Pasta doesn’t. Plain pasta (and most noodles) will last for up to a month in the fridge, though, and just dump it in the pan with some ketchup/tomato paste(+oil + water) and you’re good.
…nobody said that dry onion lasts? Dry onion lasts. Fried onion freezes well and keeps forever. So does diced garlic. If you
like ‘em but worried about them going bad/don’t always have the time or
spoons to deal with ‘em, there you go.Fresh bread freezes well. Keep emergency bread
in your freezer, sliced. It’ll thaw in the fridge/on the counter
overnight, or you can stick a slice as-is in the toaster (just turn it
up 1 notch relative to your usual preference).Potatoes in their peel are the single most nutritious food. (You can, actually, survive on mashed potatoes.) A boiled potato will stay good in the fridge for a couple days. Boil partway (should still somewhat resist a fork), turn over/toaster oven on 150C (350F) or higher while you do the rest, slice potato(s), spread like deck of cards, brush oil over (with the sort of silicone brush one uses for eggs – costs next to nothing and you’ll be glad you got it), bit of salt, stick into oven and come back 20-40min later. Will re-heat well.
All of the following are good in eggs, just (1) dump them in the pan before the eggs, (2) the more you fluff up the eggs the betters: cubed semi-boiled potatoes, sliced/cubed tomatoes, tinned garbanzo beans (<-legume), tinned/frozen corn. Tinned and frozen stuff lasts forever. A pre-boiled potato and a couple eggs will save your ass on a cold, miserable morning.
3 shortbread cookies + 2 glasses of milk = 500kcal balanced dinner. Or breakfast.
1 cup cooked pasta + couple fluffed up eggs + shredded cheese (from
frozen) to taste, in a stove-top pan or in the oven for ~20min = full
meal.Black lentils, cooked, will last nicely in the fridge – and
unlike other legumes, they don’t need a pre-soak and only take 20min to
cook. ½ bowl + 3 tbs oil + 2 tsp lemon juice + ¼ onion = dinner so
nutritious you won’t believe it.Cottage cheese and honey. No really. You only need a couple tsp honey for 250gr cottage tub.
1tbs peanut butter (flat as you can make it) + 3 tbs soy + 2 tbs maple/honey + 1 tsp vinegar = marinade for ~500gr of whatever. Takes ~5min to mix, 20min-2hr to soak, 5-10min to fry (non-stick pan and you don’t need oil). This + pot of rice (<-make while chicken/meat soaks) = lunch for a week. (Or dinner, if dinner’s your main meal.)
A tin of mayonnaise will last for months in the fridge. Hardboiled eggs last a nice while, too. 3 hardboiled eggs, chopped + 1tbs mayo + 1/3 onion chopped = 5min of work and egg salad for a few highly nutritious meals.
Ever make yourself hot chocolate? Make it with milk instead of water, for fuck’s sake. A large cup of hot chocolate is a legit small meal.
Buy broccoli and green beans frozen. For a couple dollars you can get a big enough bag of either to get at least 8-10 servings out of it and it keep for at least 6 months if you keep the bag closed. Buy a jar of chopped garlic in olive oil as well. That’ll keep in your fridge for months and adding a little bit to a handful of broccoli or green beans and sauteing(lightly browning them in a pan or pot on the stove) them together until everything is warm is a cheap, easy way to have a flavorful snack or meal.
Also, ramen, drop an egg and a handful of some kind of frozen veggie(the previously mentioned ones or even some mixed carrots and peas) it adds a lot of nutritional value to your ramen, makes it so much more filling, and makes it have way better flavor than plain ramen.
Buy a jar of Better than Bouillon. Amazon has them for as cheep as $2.99 a jar and one jar has enough in it to make a couple gallons of broth. Just one teaspoon of this stuff added to 1 cup of water will give you a deliciously broth for soup. Pick your flavor and drop whatever veggies or noodles you’ve got leftover in the fridge and you’ve got dinner. It’s also great to add to the water you’re cooking your rice in to give it some flavor as well.
Don’t buy boxed Kraft mac and cheese. It may seem like an easy approach but there is a cheaper approach. A 3 lb bag of macaroni noodles is only a couple dollars and you can get a 1 lb bag of the powdered cheese just like in Kraft for $10 on Amazon. I bought a bag of cheese powder that size and it lasted me more than a year and I made mac and cheese once a week. You can also mix it with milk and broccoli and you’ve got a great dinner of broccoli cheese soup.
My biggest tip for saving money on food is to make things that will freeze well. Say you make a pot of spaghetti. You could get 5 or 6 servings out of a full pot easily, if not more, but you’ll get tired of spaghetti before it’s gone. Stick servings in plastic baggies(which are fine to rinse and reuse!) and freeze them! Then you’ll be able to take out just the amount to eat for a meal and have some back up meals for when you’re loaded down with work, homework, etc and have no time to make a meal.
ALL OF THIS
fried rice: cook a ton of rice, get some frozen veggies, whatever you like. Fry the veggies in olive oil for a couple minutes, add the rice. whisk two eggs and about a tablespoon of soy sauce. Add in. Cook until no longer wet.
Tada – comfort food, you can freeze it, it tastes good, complete meal.
Also rice and pasta sauce is surprisingly good.
my low spoons staple: packaged tuna with a tablespoon of pickle relish (YMMV) and mustard, eat with fork or with crackers/chips. I eat the whole thing in the package (not cans) of tuna – ta da, low effort and no need to wash dishes
I buy individually frozen chicken breasts or tenderloins in the giant family size, and I’ll cut one up after microwaving it for a minute to defrost it and cook it with the store brand of those pasta or rice and sauce side dishes. My favorite is the broccoli and cheese. They use water and a little milk, cost about a dollar, and are ready in about ten minutes. Super yum.
Everything in this is good. Thank you!
What Can I Eat 