Quest Bars, Coconut Milk Hazards, and More

I used to love Quest bars. They were an easy snack or even a light meal replacement with low carbs and no junky ingredients. Those ingredients have changed, though. They now contain erythritol (sugar alcohol) and corn fiber. Since I'm one of those people who can't eat erythritol without getting stomach cramps, I won't be eating any more Quest bars. 

Likewise, certain brands of coconut milk. Several brands contain guar gum, a thickener, which also gives me a stomach ache. Emulsifiers like guar gum can thin the mucus in your gut, allowing things into your bloodstream that don't belong there. I was feeling bloated and getting facial edema after having coconut milk with guar gum. Since changing to a brand without it (Native Forest), the problems have disappeared. 

Oddly, Splenda (sucralose) doesn't seem to bother me. 

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A friend who gave me a little bit of a hard time about being unvaccinated just got COVID. Fortunately, he's doing OK. Three years ago, I thought that if a bad flu-like pandemic hit, it would surely kill me since I'm prone to respiratory illnesses. Yet here I am--no shot, no COVID, and as of last year, no antibodies. I'm one of the few people at work--maybe the only one--who hasn't had COVID. I credit Dr. Davis's Undoctored program. Hardly anyone on the program who chats on the Inner Circle site has mentioned getting a bad case of it, even though many members were at high risk.

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Lately I've been binge-watching videos that have a ring of truth to them, even if they aren't that relevant to me. I've watched a designer whose sense of style I don't share discuss the shortcomings of various trendy items. I've watched screen writers discuss why movies today are so bad. I've watched doctors I don't always agree with give their honest opinions about COVID based on available data. I especially liked an English gardener discuss the pros and cons of what to do with a shady corner (there are no easy answers to this). 

Granted, most entertainment now is completely unwatchable, so YouTubers with some talent and skills don't have that high a bar to clear. But most of their appeal is giving honest, well-considered and constructive opinions. The screenwriters describe several ways movies and shows can go wrong, so maybe that's why I can't put my finger on why almost all of them now are so bad aside from characters not acting like real people. The news is mostly crazy-making and pot-stirring. 

So just as I did two years ago, I unsubscribed from a bunch of crazy-makers. I spent some pleasant hours making plans for my garden. I cleaned my house and played with my dog. I'm happier.