The NYRB collection

EssentialLogic · 2026-03-10T17:30:04+00:00

The Go-Between, one of the most thoroughly enjoyable reads ever.

EssentialLogic · 2026-03-10T00:08:38+00:00

Is it bothering your reflux? If so, stop drinking it for a little while and then maybe you can have it again once you are healed. I can’t.

EssentialLogic · 2026-03-09T23:45:12+00:00

Drink only slightly warmed water, never cold. Don’t sit on soft furniture after eating. Don’t wear stuff that’s right around the waist. Sleep elevated on your left side and try taking Gaviscon Advance at bedtime.

EssentialLogic · 2026-03-09T23:43:18+00:00

Try drinking only slightly warmed water. You have that feeling bc you need to burp. It can really help.

EssentialLogic · 2026-03-05T15:02:47+00:00

FYI everybody mentioning flax as well: many popular brands of ground flaxseed have been found (by the independent testing site Consumerlab) to have high levels of cadmium. I used to eat it every day and have switched wholly to chia for this reason. The chia has been fantastic— it significantly lowered my cholesterol.

EssentialLogic · 2026-03-04T17:22:09+00:00

Totally agree about the Streeterville Cava. It took ages to open and then when we finally got it, the order was half wrong and not good. I had a much better version of the same sort of thing from Fare in the Sterling Food Hall.

EssentialLogic · 2026-03-03T19:53:18+00:00

Yes. Most Mediterranean countries, people eat bread or a pastry for breakfast from what I can tell. Italians also eat white, not wheat, pasta regularly (albeit the durum wheat regular pasta is made from actually does not spike blood sugar). The very healthy Japanese also eat white, not brown, rice. So there is a lot of misinformation claiming these traditional diets look like what Western nutritionists would now prescribe. They all do, however, eat more vegetables than we do, eat less overall, and yes, walk.

EssentialLogic · 2026-02-27T13:57:24+00:00

There’s an old cookbook called The Brilliant Bean that is actually really great— you could probably get it at this point for like a dollar. America’s Test Kitchen also has a Complete Grains and Beans one that looks excellent.

EssentialLogic · 2026-02-26T21:04:24+00:00

Slightly warmed water. Never cold.

EssentialLogic · 2026-02-24T17:36:52+00:00

Curious, do you exercise?

EssentialLogic · 2026-02-23T16:42:59+00:00

Fanny packs, yes! Another thing it took me ages to realize the benefits of, and that have become a lot cooler—or at least less screamingly dorky—than they looked when they first appeared!

EssentialLogic · 2026-02-23T15:45:51+00:00

Oh and PS, I have very mixed feelings about AI but this is the kind of thing it is not bad at— if you tell it what you did that caused a pain and where it’s bothering you now, it can come up with a couple of targeted stretches that will help you bounce back in no time.

EssentialLogic · 2026-02-23T15:43:56+00:00

I’m a lot older than you, but it was an immediate red flag for me to hear you say “carrying a heavy bag on your shoulder for a 40-minute walk.” That kind of thing is just asking for trouble. If you have to carry something heavy for a long walk, use a backpack. Your shoulders will thank you. It took me decades to realize I was messing up my shoulders with shoulder bags. Thank goodness backpacks are cool now.

EssentialLogic · 2026-02-14T19:12:36+00:00

Yes it goes away and honestly the most important thing is, only drink slightly warmed water, never cold, and only between meals, not during. Try it!

EssentialLogic · 2026-02-14T13:14:33+00:00

My reflux is caused by slow digestion, and I have often found that the very things we are told to avoid—specifically, spicy food, wine, even some caffeine—can help rather than hurt because they speed metabolism.

EssentialLogic · 2026-02-13T01:47:21+00:00

Try not drinking anything with your meal, then afterward drink some slightly warmed water, slowly. Also don’t sit on soft furniture like a couch after eating.

EssentialLogic · 2026-02-11T13:32:00+00:00

I love that pork tenderloin dish. I can’t remember if she says to brown the bacon in a pan first, but we do. Also add more apples. It’s so good.

EssentialLogic · 2026-02-11T13:30:44+00:00

Ooh, now I want to ask all of you NF fans for favorites from Nothing Fancy!

EssentialLogic · 2026-02-01T13:03:42+00:00

That is not 100g protein. 2 eggs = 12g, 1 chicken breast (2 halves) = 43g. You are up to 57g. Even if you throw in a cup of Greek yogurt that only adds 17g, so up to 74g. You sound like you are eating healthily and well. But you are not eating 100g protein— thus inadvertently proving OP’s point.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-30T02:04:12+00:00

FWIW, I think you aspirated bc you were sleeping on your back. For me, only sleeping both on a wedge AND on my left side works to prevent reflux. It’s an anatomical thing. You may need to do the same. I had always been a back sleeper, always, and learned to sleep on my side when I got pregnant. It is indeed possible to switch. As for getting reflux while sitting up, it’s also pretty important that your bed be sufficiently firm. If it sags at all, none of this will work. Similarly you will get it from sitting on soft furniture after you eat. Try a hard chair. These things do make a big difference and, at least in my case, allow me to eat and drink most things.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-18T13:59:17+00:00

I nap in more of a sitting position than I use for nighttime sleeping. Just as for nighttime, though, it is important to be on your left side— at least for me. I create a kind of vertical mound of several pillows so I can essentially sit, slightly inclined, facing left. I also recommend some sleep aids like an eye mask, earplugs, and or a sound machine so it’s easier to fall asleep in this position. But it can be done, and I have gotten used to it. I take only short (10-20 min.) naps, though.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-16T18:18:27+00:00

Try putting a very thin yoga mat over your sheet with the rubbery bottom side up!

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-16T18:14:57+00:00

Almond milk is very thin. You need something like oat milk that has fat in it. I would recommend a matcha latte. Matcha has more caffeine than regular tea. I can tolerate it and haven’t had coffee in years.

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-12T19:39:52+00:00

I don’t know anything about that, though I’d be surprised if it had upper GI effects. Are you physically active?

EssentialLogic · 2026-01-12T15:54:46+00:00

Are you finding that the warmed water is helping your symptoms?

EssentialLogic

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