From time to time, it’s good to change things up a bit. Instead of going with a traditional curtain rod, why not try one of the following alternatives for a more creative option?
Rod-Free Curtains
Curtains don’t have to be hung with rods. Instead of using a store-bought or homemade rod, hammer a line of nails across arched and straight windows. Evenly space the nails and paint them to match the walls or the curtains. Once the paint is dry, loop the curtains over the nails or hang them with ribbons or large hooks. Another unique option is to space old door or cabinet knobs about 12 inches apart along the top of the window; use wood screws or nails to secure them in place. Cut holes in the curtains or use tab top panels and loop them over the knobs. If you’re using brass or metal knobs, paint them to ensure that the curtains won’t be stained should the knobs tarnish. Source:EHow
Coat Hangers
You can use coat hangers as another alternative for curtain rods. Put the coat hooks on the window frames. You can simply attach the curtain to the rods. Or, if you want something really eye-catching, you can use a ribbon to tie the openings of the curtain to the rod. This will add a whimsy appeal to your curtains. This style goes best in the living room or children’s room. You can even paint the coat hangers to make it stand out or blend with the colors of the walls. Source:DoItYourself
Branching Out
Sometimes the perfect object for a lightweight drapery rod may be sitting right outside your window. Branches can make for excellent, sculptural drapery rods with a few simple do-it-yourself updates. Search for a branch with the proper length and width to fit above a window and handle the weight of the chosen drapery panel. Next, cut it to size and spray-paint it in a color which contrasts well against the wall. Lastly, secure standoffs, ready-made drapery rod brackets or L-brackets directly to the wall using plastic drywall anchors, then attach the branch with screws or bailing wire. Source:HGTV
Tell us your creative plans! We’ll try our best to help you out. Contact us!
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
Having a hard time looking for faucets that best match your bathroom style? Luckily, we have some tips for buying bathroom faucets, such as: knowing the different styles, choosing the quality and matching with the number of mounting holes.
Below are 3 tips for buying bathroom faucets:
Knowing the Different Styles Widespread: Most commonly found on pedestal sinks, widespread faucets are made for sinks with three pre-drilled holes that are 8″ apart. When purchasing a widespread faucet you’ll receive three individual components: two handles and one spout. Vessel/Single-hole: On single hole faucets, the handle is attached to the spout and is for use on a sink with 1 pre-drilled hole. If you are in the market for a vessel style faucet but have a sink with 3 pre-drilled holes, it’s sometimes an option to purchase an additional deck plate to cover the existing holes on the sink. Contact the faucets manufacturer to see if that is an option before buying. Wall-mounted: Ready for it? Wall-mounted faucets are mounted to …the wall! Normally, your water supply lines come up from the sink, but in this case they’ll need to be installed into the wall. One thing to be aware of when purchasing these types of faucets is that the spout is actually long enough to reach from the wall over the sink basin. 4″ Centerset: These faucets are found on sinks with 3 holes set at 4″ apart. The components sit on a deck plate that connect the handles with the spout body, and can also be found with single handle components.
4″ Minispread: Similar to centerset, these faucets fit 4″ configurations on sinks with 3 pre-drilled holes. But instead of purchasing a faucet with a 4″ deck plate, a minispread faucet looks more like a widespread faucet with three individual components: two handles and one spout. Source:ApartmentTherapy
Choosing the Quality
You’ll have to pay for it up front, but buying quality now means you won’t be paying during the life (or lack thereof) of your faucet. Look for an all-brass body, as opposed to brass- or chrome-plated. And keep in mind that the tub faucet has a larger flow rate than other household faucets, which means you can’t use a kitchen faucet or your tub. Bathtub faucets should have a 3/4-inch supply line, as opposed to 1/2-inch for the rest of the house. Some tubs hold up to 60 gallons of water, so you’ll want a faucet that can get the job done in a timely manner. Source:HGTV
Matching with the Number of Mounting Holes Most sinks come with mounting holes pre-drilled for faucets and accessories such as side sprays or soap dispensers. If you’re keeping your original sink, you’ll need to match what you have or get a base plate to cover any extra holes. The base plate sold with your new faucet can be used to cover holes in your countertop, but don’t buy a faucet that requires more sink holes than your sink has; it’s not a good idea to try to drill additional holes in an existing sink or countertop. Get additional information on how to best match sinks and faucets. Source:ConsumerReports
Coming soon to Port Coquitlam is Park East by Trillium Developments. Park East will be centrally located on the corner of Atkins and Shaughnessy, a short walk to the Main Village with its all it shops and services, as well as the West Coast Express.
Park East will be consist of 57 condos consisting of one bedroom, one bedroom plus den, two bedroom, or two bedroom plus den, with size ranging from 446 square feet to 1077 square feet. Each suite at Parc East will be designed with quartz counters, stainless steel appliances, and large islands in the Kitchen, with laminate flooring throughout.
Amenities include a gym, furnished amenity room that includes a lounge area with kitchenette, and an outdoor entertaining space, as well as outdoor play area for the kids (little kids, not the big kids, thats what the lounge is for 🙂
Sales expected to start in the late winter of 2017 or early Spring with price to starting the mid 200’s. Register with us to be kept up to date with floor plans, and vip sales.
E. & O. E. This is not an offering for sale. An offering for sale may only be made after filing a Disclosure Statement under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act
The Arden is coming soon to Port Coquitlam The Arden will be a boutique building with just 22 executive size suites with Quartz countertop, stainless steel appliances and laminate flooring. The Arden will sure be a great spot for first timers or down-sizers.
Pricing is expected to be:
1 bedroom from high $200’s
1 bedroom + dens from Low $300’s
2 bedroom 1 bathrooms from Mid to high $300’s
2 bedroom 2 bathroom over $400,000
Completion anticipated to be Fall of 2017. Previews start soon, register with us today to get access to this development and many others
E. & O. E. This is not an offering for sale. An offering for sale may only be made after filing a Disclosure Statement under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act
Much like Maplewood Village and Lions Gate Village, Lynn Creek/Seylynn is undergoing a transformation into a walkable, transit oriented hub. Brooklynn by Wanson Developments will be the next development to come up in the Lynn Creek/Seymour Village centre. Brooklynn will be a mixed use building consisting of ground floor retail and 63 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom condos.
More information and sales are expected to be released in March of 2017, register with us today to be kept up to date on this development and may others like it coming to the North Shore.
E. & O. E. This is not an offering for sale. An offering for sale may only be made after filing a Disclosure Statement under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act
After the very successful development of Loden Green by Guildford Developments and Maplewood Place by Anthem, as well as the Northwood Estates Rental suite and shopping centre, Maplewood Villages is rapidly becoming a hot spot in North Vancouver. Cedar Reach is the newest development coming soon to the area. Cedar Reach will be modern collection of homes featuring 163 One, Two, and Three bedroom homes in the heart of Maplewood Village. Within a short stroll to Northwood Shopping centre, including Strong’s Market, Deep Cove Brewing. banking and liquor store, Cedar Reach will be designed with West Coast architecture and storage space for all your gear to fully enjoy the outdoors its surrounded by.
If you’d like to receive more information on this development or any other coming to the North Shore, register with us today to be kept up to date.
E. & O. E. This is not an offering for sale. An offering for sale may only be made after filing a Disclosure Statement under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act
Lions Gate Village was approved under the new OCP a couple years ago, we are now seeing the changes coming with Park West slated to begin sales in the coming months, as well as Larco’s rental community, but Belle Isle will be the first ground oriented townhome development, when all phases are completed will include 164, 1, 2
, and 3 bedroom townhomes and garden flats.
Belle Isle will be centrally located in a new community within walking distance of Park Royal, a 15 minute drive to downtown and quick access to bus routes directly downtown, or anywhere on the North Shore
To be kept up to date on this development or any on the North Shore register with us today.
You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” ― R. Buckminster Fuller
Something is happening right now, on this planet. Can you feel it?
It’s like we are in the death throes of a way of living, a way of being that is no longer working, in politics, education, economics, and medicine. The cracks in the institutions we have always held sacred are growing and the structures are being toppled. But like a phoenix from this ash, a new story is emerging.
This story is about second chances. About radical healing. About the body, mind, and spirit as a web of near infinite complexity. About shedding labels. About freedom from ritualistic dependency on doctor priests and their sacramental prescriptions. The ambassadors of this new story are speaking out. We are brimming over with enthusiasm for what is possible. For the beauty, depth, and radiance that can emerge from the most painful wounds.
I used to practice conventional medicine, and when I was prescribing, I perceived only two options: scary disease (inborn chemical imbalance) or responsible medical management (pharmaceutical chemical correction). I never cured a single patient and I considered a good outcome to be a patient who was no longer in active crisis, but who had achieved a state of resumed “functionality.” In fact, built into our assessment methodology as psychiatrists is the GAF — the Global Assessment of Functioning. Because apparently that’s all someone with mental illness can ask for, right? Simply functioning, not living.
And, of course, now even that treatment expectation has been revealed by the escalating disability rates to be a direct consequence of the very treatment that claims to support functionality.
Now, it is my passionate belief that every person on earth has the capacity to transform their human experience. To shed diagnoses. To come into contact with their souls, find their gifts, and experience the mysterious magic of this human experience. Without medication.
What I have found is that tapering off of psychiatric medication has become the initiatory ritual of our time. We no longer take our young men out into the wilderness for a vision quest. We have lost our elders and are ever more susceptible to the tactics of a society that seeks to control its populace through fear. We have lost our compass, lost our way, and we have been lead to believe that it’s better to be safe than sorry — safe being the illusory promise of pharmaceutical medicine, sorry being the potential for your own mind and body to drive you straight to death if left to its own devices.
There is a way to leave this temple of fear and subservience, however. And it begins with your experience.
This is N of 1 medicine, where randomized trials, piles of curated medical papers and statistics are rendered secondary to your personal, individualized experience. Your experience can be cultivated through a deep commitment to self-care predicated on the essential belief that you can heal — that you have a second chapter to your life still in you.
I have found that, since I put down my prescription pad after reading Anatomy of an Epidemic (and healing myself from Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis), decades of medication injury, processed food, and toxic thinking can be undone in the space of one month.
This is how forgiving our bodyminds are. My patients have trashed themselves for decades, and after one month of dietary change, daily meditation, detox, and psychospiritual support, they are reborn.
But don’t take it from me.
Meet Rose. She spent 25 years on 5 medications, suicidal the entire time. She was bed-bound after her medication discontinuation and further injured by an antibiotic exposure before we met. She discusses the tools that she implemented and that we augmented to bring her to a place of expressing how much joy she feels, simply waking up and being alive today. Watch her here.
Meet Ali. My office was Ali’s last stop. She and her family were looking for residential facilities because her symptoms were so disabling, chronic, and unresponsive to conventional treatment. She had collected numerous diagnoses over her lifetime, including Eating Disorder, Premenstrual Dysphoria, Depression, Generalized Anxiety, and Bipolar Disorder. She made five real suicide attempts, had been hospitalized multiple times, and was delusionally agitated for several days around her period every month.
What unfolded in two months defies everything that I learned in my conventional training. We tapered her off of medication, and she was not only symptom-free, but reborn.
Ali’s case is pending publication in a peer-reviewed, indexed journal. Watch Ali here.
Meet Shauna. Shauna’s healing and redemptive recovery from years of disability, suicide attempts, and near homelessness makes clear one simple message: healing and recovering from mental illness and psychiatric medication injury are possible for anyone. Shauna was not a patient of mine, but she participated in my online program, Vital Mind Reset, which I created to cut out the middle man and put the tools of healing directly into the hands of individuals.
Learn about how she did this program on food stamps, why she thinks volunteering was a major element in her process, and how she now is med-free and has had the diagnosis of Bipolar scrubbed from her medical record. Also get ready to watch me cry beginning with the introduction, because Shauna’s experience was living proof of everything I always believed was possible. Watch her here.
Meet Stephanie. A physician who has been awakened by the truth about the body’s capacity to heal. Tapered off of medication, feeling vital, and revived through lifestyle changes, she will be paying this forward in her own pediatric practice. Watch Stephanie here.
These are only the women that we could get on camera! We are cataloging more reclamation narratives on my website, and my passion project has been the dissemination of these healing tools through my book A Mind of Your Own and our online program and community. No doctor required.
The power of one person healing is that they create the morphic resonance for others to then occupy. When it happens once, it becomes more likely to become a reality for another.
At a time when people are being euthanized for depression because they believe it to be a life sentence to mental illness and chemical management, it has never been more critical to spread the truth that healing is possible. Share the light of these stories and know that we are building a new model that makes the old one obsolete.
The Green Super Suit we call it, because after testing severalJackets and Pants combos we have found back to overalls this winter. And as it just dumped some 30 cm of snow and the winter holidays start here in Pohjanmaa it is time to shed some light on the Reimatec Stavanger Overall and why we love it!
Last December the Reimatec Stavanger Overall arrived at the Hiking in Finland HQ and was immediately declared awesome by our son and very relieved parents (because they in a moment no longer needed to help dressing him up =). To understand this one needs to know that our son always needed a little assistance when he needed to put on the Jacket and Pants when it was time to go out. While he could put them on himself he prefrred to that mom or dad help him get dressed for the cold. As we have a one year old who can’t yet dress herself up this meant we were at once dressing up two kids, plus ourselves, before we could go out. This can get tedious to say the least, so when we saw that he was happy to put on the overall (in less than a minute, including hat, Buff and the Reimatec Suunta mitts) we were very happy parents indeed!
So, now the kid has dressed himself up to go out into the cold, but how does the overall stand up to the use & abuse a 5 year old can throw at it? Very well, we’d say. We were ice skating, building igloos, climbing on rocks, had running competitions and played hide & seek, in temperatures from 0°C to -20°C. The waterproof & breathable outer shell material has taken all these activities in stride and hasn’t failed us yet, keeping wind, snow and wetness at bay. It’s pretty durable, too - climbing on rocks with the knees and then sliding them back down hasn’t donw any damage to the material.
And it’s easy to clean, too - just throw it into the washing machine (add a suitable detergent) at 40°C and an hour later you can hang it up to dry. Because of the insulation it needs around 12 to 16 hours to thoroughly dry, so keep that in mind.
Warmth-wise the overall is toasty and is sufficient on its own up to temperatures of -5°C with our son. When it gets colder than -5°C we add a fleece jacket and fleece pants underneath the overall, and that’s no problem as there’s room to spare without restricting movement. Speaking of movement, snow angles, climbing on rocks and at the play ground, skiing and ice skating all were easy to do as the overall does not restrict the freedom of movement.
Also otherwise we really like the Stavanger Overall: The inside suspenders are great when dressing up and in breaks as our son can undress the overall but with the suspenders still over his shoulders he’s able to walk around without that the top is hanging on the floor. The width of the overall can be adjusted via two inside elastics, making it as wide or narrow as you need it. There’s only two pockets on it which is just the right amount, and the insulated hood with a fur collar can be removed (the fake fur, too). The leg cuffs can also be adjusted in width, while the elastic cuffs keep wind and snow from getting into the sleeves. The reflective details are easy to overlook, but there’s plenty of them, from top to bottom, which makes the wearer very visible on these dark winter nights and morning.
Some words on the Reimatec Suunta mitts, too. We got these at the same time than the overall but they haven’t been used as much - simply because it was way too warm for them most of this “winter”. Now that the thermometer has shown beautiful double digit minus degrees it was time to put them on, and for playing in the snow and walking to the kindergarden or to town these were great to keep the little hands warm. These mitts have a very warm fleece lining and a snug cuff which goes high, and they’re best from temperatures over -10°C in our experience. Anything above that and our son would run very hot & sweaty in them. Because they’re so long it’s best to put the gloves on before the overall, this is simpler. There’s some help needed to get the hands in the gloves through the elastic cuffs of the overall, but compared with dressing a kid up completely it’s a minor thing!
The Bottomline is that with the Reimatec Stavanger Overall we have a happy son that can dress up alone at home & in the kindergarden, allows him to play outside in the cold winter weather, be visible in the mornings and evenings when it gets dark, and it is easy to undress when going inside for a hot chocolate! A happy son of course means also happy parents, so the Stavanger gets from us six thumbs up! It’s a very durable and well-designed kids overall and we just hope our daughter will be fine with the green colour once she is big enough to wear it in some three years =)
Disclaimer: The overall and gloves have been provided by Reima for review. This did not influence the article as I maintain full editorial control of the content published on this site. There are affiliate links in this article. Read the Transparency Disclaimer for more information on affiliate links & blogger transparency.
Contrary to popular belief, depression is not the result of ‘low serotonin’ levels, nor is it an imbalance that needs to be fixed with antidepressant drugs.
Antidepressants are an 11 billion dollar a year industry.
Pharmaceutical companies have 625 lobbyists, and underwrite more than 70% of FDA trials.
There are no studies that show a better outcome in those prescribed antidepressants long-term, while side effects are well documented.
Prior to the widespread use of antidepressants, the National Institute of Mental Health told the public that people regularly recovered from a depressive episode, and often never experienced a second episode.
Why I Put Down My Prescription Pad
When I see new patients, I do not prescribe medication for them. Patients who come to me know that I plan to help them understand “why” they are experiencing “what” they are going through.
Once I have tapered patients off of medication, we use alternatives if symptoms crop up again.
Knowing my basic orientation around the issue of psychiatric prescribing doesn’t seem to stop some patients from asking for what they believe will be a quick fix in an antidepressant pill. Where did they learn to make these treatment requests of providers?
Perhaps they are a reflection of the 49% of requests for drugs prompted by “direct-to-consumer” (DCA) advertising by pharmaceutical companies.i 7 out of 10 times, doctors prescribe based on requests made by patients who learned from advertising that they have an “imbalance” that must be fixed with a pill.
In a 10-year period from 1999 to 2008, DCA tripled from 1.3 to 4.8 billion dollars devoted to educating patients about their need for psychiatric medication.
The “mass provision” of SSRIs to the public is not a reflection of their well-understood mechanism, of their efficacy, or of their safety. In fact, it flies in the fact of all three. As stated by Professor of Neuroscience, Elliot Valenstein:ii
“What physicians and the public are reading about mental illness is by no means a neutral reflection of all the information that is available.”
Reasoning Backwards: What Are We Treating?
If you were to ask the average person on the street what the biology of depression relates to, they would very likely parrot, “serotonin deficiency.” This hypothesis, referred to as the monoamine hypothesis, grew out of observations of mood-related side effects in the treatment of tuberculosis patients with iproniazid,iii which has some inhibitory impact on the breakdown of monoamines.
From this accidental observation and double talk about reserpine’s role in inducing and treating depressive states, a theory was born. Six decades of subsequent studies in never-medicated depressed patients have been conflicting, confusing, and inconclusive, and a critical review of the hypothesis concludes:iv
“ … there is no direct evidence of serotonin or norepinephrine deficiency despite thousands of studies that have attempted to validate this notion.”
Similarly conclusive is a New England Journal of Medicine review on Major Depression,v which stated:
“ … numerous studies of norepinephrine and serotonin metabolites in plasma, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid as well as postmortem studies of the brains of patients with depression, have yet to identify the purported deficiency reliably.”
Even in the pursuit of this appealingly reductionist idea of a chemical deficiency, we are unable to measure central nervous system quantities to account for the inner workings of 14 different types of serotonin receptors. The same applies for the vast projections of serotonin trafficking neurons, and for the delicate interplay between the 100 some neurotransmitters that we know to be active in the brain. Dr. Daniel Carlat, author of Unhinged, writes:
“We have convinced ourselves that we have developed cures for mental illnesses…when in fact we know so little about the underlying neurobiology of their causes that our treatments are often a series of trials and errors.”
How Do These Meds Work?
Even if we were to accept the premise that these medications are helpful, extrapolating a medical etiology from this observation would be the same as saying that shyness is a deficiency of alcohol, or migraine a deficiency of codeine.
And to my holistic and integrative colleagues who are very excited about tryptophan and 5HTP in medication-naïve patients, I will remind them that the only time that tryptophan depletion has correlated with low mood is in those patients previously treated with SSRIs.
We have been taught to associate serotonin with feeling good, but the fact is that high serotonin has been associated with feeling bad, including carcinoid syndrome, Alzheimer’s, autism, and schizophrenia.
Low serotonin metabolite (5H1AA) is indicative of turnover of serotonin, and is the eventual result of increased serotonin in the synapse. This has been associated with suicide, violent crime, alcoholism, bulimia, and exhibitionism! Clearly, we are not dealing with a simple “more is better”, or even a “looking for the right balance” type of scenario.
Chasing this pattern and seeking to alter “levels” is like trying to connect a pile of scattered dots into a long straight line – you have to ignore the ones that don’t fit.
What About Genetics?
“Wasn’t I born with this defect?” Despite the continued efforts to identify “the gene,” a false start in 2003vi which suggested that those with a variant in the serotonin transporter were 3x more likely to be depressed, was later mowed over by a meta-analysis of 14,000 patients that denied this association.vii Dr. Insel, head of the NIMH, had this to say:
“Despite high expectations, neither genomics nor imaging has yet impacted the diagnosis or treatment of the 45 million Americans with serious or moderate mental illness each year.”
Carlat goes on to say:
“And where there is a scientific vacuum, drug companies are happy to insert a marketing message and call it science. As a result, psychiatry has become a proving ground for outrageous manipulations of science in the service of profit.”
Pharma Weaves an Irresistible Tale
Facts About Pharma: Eleven billion dollars are spent each year on antidepressant medications,viii pharmaceutical companies have 625 lobbyists,ix and they underwrite more than 70% of FDA trials.
In most countries, pharmaceutical companies are banned from practicing direct-to-consumer advertising. But not in the United States. And Big Pharma takes full advantage of this permissiveness, as you may have seen in the onslaught of ads that accompany most daytime and nighttime prime viewing hours.
But the drug-pushing doesn’t stop there. They court physicians,x giving free drug samples. Ads tell patients to “ask their doctor”, and time and again, they do. Pharmaceutical companies pay consultants to speak at scientific meetings. They advertise in medical journals, fund medical education, and ghostwrite presumably scientific articles. They cherry pick and redundantly submit data for publication.
Psychiatric studies funded by pharma are 4x more likely to be published if they are positive,xi and only 18% of psychiatrists are disclosing their conflicts of interests when they publish data.
Their studies allow:
Placebo washout (getting rid of those who are likely to respond to placebo before the study to strengthen the perceived benefit)
Replacement of non-responders
Breaking blind protocols when using inert placebos, so that subjects know they have received the treatment and not the placebo
Use of sedative medications concurrent to study medications, blurring the lines of effect from the study drug
A now famous 2008 study in the New England Journal of Medicinexii by Turner et al sought to expose the extent of data manipulation. Through valiant efforts to uncover unpublished data, they determined that from 1987 to 2004, 12 antidepressants were approved based on 74 studies. These studies show:
Thirty-eight were positive, and thirty-seven of these were published.
Thirty-six were negative (showing no benefit), and the following occurred:
Three of these were published unaltered
Eleven of these were published with a positive spin (always read the data not the author’s conclusion!)
Twenty-two went unpublished
Since two studies are required by the FDA for approval, you can see how these companies are tossing the coin repeatedly until it lands heads-up, and hoping no one is looking when it’s tails. Per Robert Whitaker, author of Anatomy of An Epidemic and Mad In America, these practices undermine the accuracy of data and deliver information that corrupts physician’s delivery of care and endangers patients.
The cost of this manipulation of information is the loss of true informed consent – physicians cannot adequately share with patients the risks and benefits of a course of treatment if the benefits are fabricated and the risks are not uncovered (by 5-6 week trials) or are unacknowledged.
Placebo Effect – Why They “Work”
Despite Pharma’s efforts, the truth about these brain bombs is emerging. In 1998, Dr. Irving Kirsch, an expert on the placebo effect, published a meta-analysisxiii of 3,000 patients who were treated with antidepressants, psychotherapy, placebo, or no treatment and found that merely 27% of the therapeutic response was attributable to the drug’s action.
This was followed up by a 2008 review,xiv which invoked the Freedom of Information Act to obtain access to unpublished studies, finding that, when these were included, antidepressants outperformed placebo in only 20 of 46 trials (less than half!), and that the overall difference between drugs and placebos was 1.7 points on the 52 point Hamilton Scale. This small increment is clinically insignificant, and likely accounted for medication side effects strategically employed (sedation or activation).
Kirsch found that severely depressed patients were less placebo responsive, generally, potentially accounting for the impression of some increased benefit, such as that found by Fournier et al.xv When active placebos were used, the Cochrane databasexvi found that differences between drugs and placebos disappeared, giving credence to the assertion that inert placebos inflate perceived drug effects.
In response to the 2005 recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, that SSRI medications be first-line treatment recommendations for depression, Drs. Kirsch and Moncrieff pointed outxvii that the NICE data itself, demonstrates a 1 point difference on the 52 point Hamilton Scale between placebo and drug groups, and that it was not in more severely depressed patients that this was found.
The finding of tremendous placebo effect was also echoed in two different meta-analysis by Khan et alxviii who found a 10% difference between placebo and antidepressant efficacy, and comparable suicide rates. The largest, non-industry funded study,xix costing the public $35 million dollars, followed 4000 patients treated with Celexa (not blinded, so they knew what they were getting), and half of them improved at 8 weeks. Those that didn’t were switched to Wellbutrin, Effexor, or Zoloft OR “augmented” with Buspar or Wellbutrin.
Guess what? It didn’t matter what was done, because they remitted at the same unimpressive rate of 18-30% regardless. Only 3% of patients were in remission at 12 months.
So what if it’s placebo effect? It’s working at least some of the time, so who cares? Here’s why I, and other concerned psychiatrists and practitioners DO care: I first became aware of the habit-forming nature of these medications when I tapered a patient off of Zoloft in anticipation of a pregnancy in the coming year. She experienced about 6 months of protracted withdrawal that began at about two months after the last dose. This was nothing I was prepared by my training, to deal with.
What are these medications actually doing?! The truth is, we have very little idea. We like to cling to simple explanations, but even the names of the various antidepressants: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors is misleading.
They are far from selective. An important analysisxx by the former director of the NIMH makes claims that antidepressants “create perturbations in neurotransmitter functions” causing the body to compensate through a series of compensatory adaptations which occur after “chronic administration”. This leads to brains that function, after a few weeks, in a way that is “qualitatively and quantitatively different from the normal state.”
Changes in beta-adrenergic receptor density, serotonin auto-receptor sensitivity, and serotonin turnover all struggle to compensate for the assault of the medication.
Andrews et alxxi calls this “oppositional tolerance,” and demonstrated through a careful meta-analysis of 46 studies that patient’s risk of relapse is directly proportionate to how “perturbing” the medication is, and is always higher than placebo (44.6% vs 24.7%). They challenge the notion that findings of decreased relapse on continued medication represent anything other than drug-induced response to discontinuation of a substance to which the body has developed tolerance. They go a step further to suggest:
“For instance, in naturalistic studies, unmedicated patients have much shorter episodes, and better long-term prospects, than medicated patients (Coryell et al., 1995; Goldberg et al., 1998; Posternak et al., 2006). Several of these studies have found that the average duration of an untreated episode of major depression is 12–13 weeks.” (Coryell et al., 1995; Posternak et al., 2006)
Since acute ADM management of major depression minimally requires several weeks to reduce symptoms, the duration of untreated episodes is much shorter than the recommended duration of ADM therapy. This suggests that ADM therapy may delay resolution of depressive episodes.
Harvard researchersxxii also concluded that at least fifty percent of drug-withdrawn patients relapsed within 14 months. In fact:
“Long-term antidepressant use may be depressogenic . . . it is possible that antidepressant agents modify the hard-wiring of neuronal synapses (which) not only render antidepressants ineffective but also induce a resident, refractory depressive state.”xxiii
Buyer Beware
Here we come to the little disclosed poor outcomes associated with long-term treatment. We won’t focus on the risk of suicide and violence, bleeds, or even suppressed libido, sexual dysfunction, indifference (or “medication spell-binding” as Dr. Peter Breggin calls it), or weight gain and dysglycemia. Let’s just focus on what the data shows on how your ability to function, long-term, in the world with depression is significantly sabotaged by treating that first episode of depression with medication.
This was famously explored by Robert Whitaker, and can be summarized with the following, as a primer:
Longitudinal studies demonstrate poor functional outcomes for those treated with antidepressant medication, with 60% of patients still meeting diagnostic criteria for depression at one yearxxiv (despite transient improvement within the first 3 months).
When baseline severity is controlled for, two prospective studies support a worse outcome in those prescribed medication:
One study in which the never-medicated group experienced a 62% improvement by six months,
Whereas the drug-treated patients experienced only a 33% reduction in symptoms,xxv and
Another WHO study of depressed patients in 15 cities which found that, at the end of one year, those who weren’t exposed to psychotropic medications enjoyed much better “general health” and their depressive symptoms were “much milder”, and they were less likely to still be “mentally ill” at the conclusion of the study.xxvi
I’m not done yet! In a retrospective 10-year studyxxvii in the Netherlands, 76% of those with unmedicated depression recovered without relapse, relative to 50% of those treated. Unlike the mess of contradictory studies around short-term effects, there are no comparable studies that show a better outcome in those prescribed antidepressants long-term.
Perhaps most concerning to a holistic physician is dataxxviii that suggests that long-term antidepressant treatment actually compromises the known and evident benefitsxxix of exercise! The studies show that benefits of exercise treatment for depression were comparable to Zoloft, yet those benefits were diminished when combined with Zoloft, resulting in patients relapsing at higher rates than they did with exercise alone.
Selling Sickness
Whitaker helps us to remember: Prior to the widespread use of antidepressants, the National Institute of Mental Health told the public that people regularly recovered from a depressive episode and often never experienced a second episode.xxx
Now we have skyrocketing rates of disability in the setting of skyrocketing prescriptions. Whitaker has compiled and analyzed data demonstrating that days of work lost are increased by medication treatment, as is long-term disability (19% vs 9%).xxxi Treating with medication results in 3-7 times the incidence of loss of “principal social role” and “incapacitation”,xxxii while 85% of unmedicated patients recover in a year, with 67%xxxiii doing so by 6 months – an enviable statistic!
What has happened here? Since its 1952 inception and notorious inclusion of homosexuality as a diagnosable syndrome, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual has now ballooned to more than 300 diagnoses in its fifth edition, all arrived at through general consensus of a committee consisting of practitioners with conflicts of interestxxxiv and pharmaceutical enmeshment. Allen Frances at Columbia states:
“Wholesale imperial medicalization of normality that will trivialize mental disorder and lead to a deluge of unneeded medication treatment – a bonanza for the pharmaceutical industry but at a huge cost to the new false positive patients caught in the excessively wide DSM-V net.”
We need to break the populace out of its spell, reject the serotonin meme, and start looking at depression (and anxiety, and bipolar, and schizophrenia, and OCD, etc) for what they are – disparate expressions of a body struggling to adapt to a stressor.
My extremely effective, holistic approach to psychiatry has proven beyond doubt that there is a better way. We need to identify vulnerabilities, modifiable exposures, and support basic cellular function, detox, and immune response. This is personalized medicine, where these abstract disease labels become meaningless because they only address the “what” of the symptoms” in an impressionistic, non-specific manner. Like saying the fever is the disease, and Tylenol the cure! Psychiatry’s swan song has been sung…listen for its plaintive wail!
If you’d like to explore my alternative approach to healing depression without meds, check out my jaw-droppingly effective online course, Vital Mind Reset. This is essentially my virtual practice, where I put all of my accumulated knowledge and experience into an easy-to-access, affordable online platform that has proven itself beyond my grandest hopes. People are healing with these tools, and we can show you how.
Choosing a window treatment for a sliding glass door can be a challenge because you don’t want to hinder the usefulness of the door. Consider these 3 common window treatments as you dress up your sliding door.
Vertical Blinds
Sliding door blinds are the most common window treatments and provide the best solution for privacy concerns in a home where sliding doors and French doors are used. Sliding doors are attractive and efficient, but they need to come with the proper kind of treatment to preserve privacy and filter sunlight.
But choosing the wrong kind of blinds can ruin the beauty and efficiency of a sliding door. So in order to keep this from happening, you need to know the different choices you have when it comes to sliding door blinds. Sometimes having tons of choices can be overwhelming, but it is a blessing in this case if you know what options you have.
Blinds are commonly made of PVC plastic, Faux Wood, Real, Wood, and Fabric. They are constructed using slats or vanes that can be adjusted using a cord, a wand, or a remote control. Their slats slightly overlap, making the blinds and shades very easily adjustable. Because they are easily adjustable, blinds can provide privacy whenever you want it. You can also control the amount of light that can get in your home. Source:DecorSnob
Side-Mounted Panels
Purely decorative treatments, such as these side-mounted panels, are perfect for sliders that receive constant use or that frame unbeatable vistas so the view remains barrier-free. The panels don’t move, so go ahead and mount the rods out of reach (these are positioned 12 inches above the top of the door’s frame) for a design trick that visually adds height to a low ceiling. Source:BHG
Privacy Sheers
If you are looking for a classical, elegant look, Luminette Privacy Sheers are a good choice. The sheer facing resembles traditional sheer draperies, while the 180-degree rotating vertical fabric vanes give you complete control over light and privacy to create the perfect ambiance you desire. Source:HunterDouglas
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
The vanity is one of the first things you notice when you enter a bathroom. In addition to its aesthetic value, what’s also important is how the vanity will fit your needs. There are also many other factors to consider as you choose which one to buy. Check out these 3 tips to help you in your decision-making.
Determine the Number of Sinks
You’ll need to find a vanity style that can accommodate the number of sinks you want.
If they had their choice, most homeowners would prefer double sinks. Unfortunately, there often are space restrictions.
Vanities smaller than 60 inches wide usually have only one sink. The sink can be in the center, to the right or to the left. Your sink cabinet can have drawers or standard cabinet doors.
Vanities more than 60 inches wide can comfortably accommodate two sinks. However, if one sink is enough, you can use the extra room for additional counter space. Source:Forbes
Which mounting options are available?
Free Standing:Also known as standard, this is the most common bathroom vanity. It resembles a chest or buffet, and is your best option for maximum storage space.
Wall-Mounted: Most wall-mounted vanities hang or float on the wall without legs touching the ground. This modern style opens up floor space in a small bathroom.
Corner-Mounted:If you need to save space, this is the best option. Corner-mounted bathroom vanities have a 90-degree angle at the back so that they fit perfectly into a corner. Source:Wayfair
Plumbing
If you need to change your bathroom’s plumbing to install your new vanity, it’s going to account for a chunk of your budget. Even switching from a traditional floor-mounted vanity to a wall-mounted version will mean rerouting pipes and drains.
“Locating the vanity far from other bath fixtures requires a higher cost for rough plumbing,” says contractor David Lawson of Ironwood Builders. Source:Houzz
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
Ah yes, the life of luxury. That’s where it’s at! All you need is your very own steam shower – complete with aromatherapy dispenser and chroma lights. (Because, if you’re going to buy a steam shower, why not go all out, right?)
But, before you get to the part where you relax in your steam shower, you’re going to need to know something super important. There are 3 mistakes that can end up costing you a lot of money. Do your research now. Save some headaches and possibly money later.
Measure, measure, measure. Believe it or not, many of us think we know how large our bathrooms are. We walk into a store and buy a steam shower only to discover that it’s an inch or more too large for the space. Looks can be deceiving. But so can tape measures. Give us a call, and we’ll help you figure out exactly how to ensure that your steam shower will fit along with any electrical and plumbing needs that factor in. The delays and extra work can end up adding thousands of dollars to your budget
Know thyself. There really are a whole lot of different kinds of steam showers available to you. Consider whether you want it to include a whirlpool tub with a combo steam shower and bathtub. Do you want it to accommodate two people? How about accessories, like Bluetooth? Will pets or children use it, too? Once you start looking at all the possibilities, it really is easy to get carried away! Start with a firm budget. Then determine who will be using and how often. Talk with one of our experts to make sure you’ve covered all the bases.
Running hot or cold. Does your existing shower valve protect you from water temperature extremes? You’ll know the answer if you’ve ever turned on the spray only to be met with ice cold or scalding hot water. If you are building your own tiled shower to Make sure you ask the plumber to install a thermostatic valve. That little device will automatically mix hot and cold until the water is the perfect temperature. All steam showers sold at Perfectbath come standard with thermostatic control valve.
Is uncertainty something to fear or something to embrace?
At this point in history, the world is undergoing massive change that is shattering long held assumptions. From the election of Donald Trump, to the resurgent popularity of nationalism, to the rise of artificial intelligence, to Elon Musk’s mission to colonize Mars, our future looks increasingly unknowable and, in some cases, bleak. The question is, how should we prepare ourselves for the changes to come?
The knee-jerk reaction when facing uncertainty is to be afraid. The Ego (which is our reactive lizard brain) fears uncertainty because it perceives the world from a limited perspective and clings to what is known. But my new book, Sh#t Your Ego Says, explains that when we release the need for certainty, and trust ourselves in spite of the difficult circumstances we face, we discover opportunities beyond our understanding.
The war within.
My first experience with crippling uncertainty happened in 2012. I had recently traded a comfortable life and successful career in exchange for a one-way ticket to New York City, two suitcases, and the recollection of something Paulo Coelho had written – “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
After years in the corporate rat race chasing society’s definition of success, I had reached my breaking point. The creativity of my childhood had devolved into a life of spreadsheets, competitive ladder climbing, happy hours (which were not very happy), and late nights with drugs and women trying to forget my long days. I knew that if something didn’t change I would become cold and bitter.
So I took a leap of faith. I left everything behind to pursue my childhood dreams of being a writer. I had barely arrived in New York City, and was struggling to make ends meet, when Hurricane Sandy tore across Manhattan, leaving me, and thousands of others, homeless. I was devastated. Instead of being rewarded for my courage, it felt like I was being punished. Without a job, an apartment, and running out of money, the horizon held nothing but uncertainty.
“Who were you kidding?” my Ego told me. “The universe was never conspiring to help you. You have made a huge mistake, and now look at the mess you’re in.”
In the days following Hurricane Sandy, Manhattan was in a state of chaos, and so was my mind. With nowhere to go, I spent the last of my money buying another one-way plane ticket, this time to a small island called Culebra, where my friend had an empty cottage. Sitting alone on the white sand of Flamenco Beach, all of my doubts and insecurities came to the surface. I was at war with my thoughts, which told me that I was a failure.
Although the ocean was beautiful, I closed my eyes. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. I did my best to meditate. After awhile the voice of my Ego began to quiet and I heard another voice, a softer voice, in the distance of my mind.
“Don’t believe everything you think,” the voice said, “You are not your thoughts. Thoughts are waves on the ocean surface. You are the ocean of consciousness from which your thoughts arise. Instead of identifying with the waves, be the ocean, still and unmoving.”
At that moment I realized that my whole life there had been an argument inside my head pulling me in two directions. The argument was between my Ego and my Higher Self. My Ego was the voice of neediness and worry telling me that my life was defined by external circumstances – my job, social status, income, girlfriend, and how much control I had over others. Meanwhile, my Higher Self was the voice of intuition and creativity that reminded me that happiness and success have nothing to do with external circumstances. They are the result of trust in own inner purpose.
What began as my greatest failure became my greatest lesson. The uncertainty I had feared had created space for transformation. Sometimes, I realized, the universe wants us to pay attention to something that we are missing – in my case, the voice of my Ego – and will allow events to unfold that force us to pay attention. When we don’t resort to resistance and fear, we find purpose in every moment – the more difficult the moment, the greater the purpose. Think of your greatest struggle at this moment. How can this struggle make you stronger? What hidden powers do we hold that the presence of Donald Trump will force us to unleash?
Trust uncertainty. Trust yourself.
Just as nature takes every obstacle, every impediment, and works around it—turns it to its purposes, incorporates it into itself—so, too, a rational being can turn each setback into raw material and use it to achieve its goal.” — Marcus Aurelius
The story of Sh#t Your Ego Says begins on Culebra but goes on to examine the Ego’s relationship to every facet of our daily lives, including career, love, sex, creativity, failure, the pursuit of fame, and following our dreams. When we trust the hand behind the curtain of uncertainty, instead of fearfully resisting the unknown, we discover our true strength.
Change is uncomfortable. But being stuck is more uncomfortable. The key is to remember that even when the odds are stacked against us, our presence is our most powerful weapon. Even in the face of great uncertainty, it is inner courage, not outer circumstances, that protects us.
As the world tumbles further into uncharted territory, I ask that we use this time as an opportunity to trust ourselves and know that there is purpose even in chaos. Do not fear evil, but rather trust the goodness within yourself to be a force field in tumultuous times.
Take what you are given and turn it into art.
• • •
James McCrae is the Hay House author of Sh#t Your Ego Says and an award-winning strategist at the intersection of creativity, business, and mindfulness. He works with people and organizations around the world to unlock creative potential and turn imagination into results.
An avid supporter of basketball, burritos, and yoga, James lives in New York City. http://ift.tt/1D7UixS
A wee scandal, an emotional press conference, new gear and new partners - a quick re-cap of my 2017 ISPO.
I’m an Ambassador³
Well, actually that should be a four I reckon - because I’m already a Helsport Ambassador since last year. But I met with three companies which I really value and like a lot, and we had great discussion on how to work together in 2017 and onwards. Once contracts are signed I’ll announce it, but for now I can tease you that they’re brands you already have seen quite a bit here on the blog!
New Gear
Is this the most important section? Could be. It’s also the section which takes a lot of work and hence I will postpone this to another time when I have more time.
Greenpeace x Gore-Tex x Sympatex
Sympatex is already since last year working on a much more environmentally friendly membrane technology which is free of dangerous substances - and at the ISPO it launched its “guaranteed green” Sympatex membrane, which is produced in a completely climate-neutral way for the first time. In order to eliminate any contribution to global warming, the ecological alternative among functional textile specialists will compensate the CO2 amount of its entire yearly membrane production starting from 2017 through respective climate protection certificates in cooperation with the Munich-based consultancy ClimatePartner. Thus, Sympatex can compensate even the last remaining CO2 emissions that are released during the production of the membrane with the support of internationally certified climate protection projects. I already tweeted about this last year and am super-excited about this development, it’s a big step into the right direction. Add in that the Sympatex membrane is PFC free and is used by very environmentally conscious companies like Vaude and you know that this is a great shell membrane.
But Sympatex is sadly just a smaller player when it comes to membranes - it’s the giants which one needs to convince to become better. And while you may think of Greenpeace what you’d like, they managed to convince the giant to make amends and move into the right direction. Gore Fabrics will eliminate PFCs of Environmental Concern from its general outdoor weatherproofing laminates (corresponding to 85% of products made with these laminates) by the end of 2020 and from its specialized weatherproofing laminates (corresponding to the remaining 15% of products made with these laminates) by the end of 2023. The company will develop new, more environmentally friendly technologies for weatherproof membranes and water repellent coatings for consumer products, researching both fluorine-free and fluorinated options, and publicly document that no hazardous PFCs are released into the environment throughout the product lifecycle.
So after two years of campaigning for Detox Outdoor we finally have convinced Gore-Tex that it is time to do something better - even if with Sympatex, Páramo & Nikwax (see underneath) there are already PFC-free options available. But as most people have likely never heard of Sympatex and a hardshell is for them a Gore-Tex Jacket, it’s a great sign that Gore Fabrics is excited about the opportunity to drive meaningful change in the outdoor industry by making a very significant investment in developing new technologies that are free of PFCs of Environmental Concern. If you are curious about Gore’s Roadmap to go PFC free, have a look here. Wondering what’s the raucous about PFC in the first place? Have a look at this article [in German] and if you want to know which brands offer PFC-free garments, take a look at this pdf.
Páramo Press Conference
I try to avoid Press Conferences because, as Björn writes in his excellent Páramo Press Conference article, they’re 97% useless for my work. Happily for us the Páramo Press conferences belongs the 1% which are fantastic, and hence I highly recommend that you direct your browser towards Björn’s great article and read the whole story about how Páramo’s partner, the Miquelina Foundation, became a member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) which means that Páramo garments are now Fair Trade verified - and not just that, it’s the first outdoor brand in the whole market which can use the WFTO First-Buyer Label. Add in that Páramo garments are PFC-free, long-lasting and can easily be re-proofed with Nikwax products and you have a real winner =)
Scandal!
And then there was that small scandal right before the ISPO kicked off. A fellow blogger, Andreas from Gipfelfieber, published an article which asked “Can an ISPO Award be bought?”. Well, basically you need to pay either way an entry fee to compete in the Award, so the short answer is yes. The long answer, and which was written about in an could-be-the-case-but-we-can’t-proof-it style suggested that a Jury member offered an ISPO Award entry company the possibility to buy an award. Sadly the article can not deliver any real evidence that this is really the case and as long as this evidence is missing it is an accusation which I wouldn’t take too serious.
Every time we look out a window, what we want to see is a pleasant view. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. The good thing is that there a number of things we can do to make it more bearable. Here are a few:
Double Up Curtain Panels
Pairing sheer and opaque curtains together will make your windows look dramatic, romantic, and high class. Hang heavy opaque curtains on the outside and on the inside hang light, silky and sheer curtains. You’ll be amazed at how good your windows look! Source:BetterDecoratingBible
Frame the View with an Adjustable Window Treatment
Like clerestory windows, the Roman shades on these windows bring in light from above while maintaining privacy. They might also help conceal an offending feature outside. Source:Houzz
Window Sill Flowers, Plants or Herbs
Get natural and use an array of lovely alive things to hide a view you don’t love. You can just use your window sill (though be sure you’re protecting the wood from leaking pots if you do) or you can build an extra ledge or box to plant in. Or you can just use a narrow table set in front of the window to arrange a lovely little garden in front of. Source:ApartmentTherapy
Install Stained or Etched Glass
If the window is in a prominent part of the room and if it is generously sized, consider using stained glass to block the outside view. Your stained glass should be precisely sized so that it can fit over or replace the existing glass. This way, you can still open the windows when you need to.
Just remember to choose an eye-catching design with plenty of transparent pieces if the window you are working on is the room’s major source of natural lighting. Make sure you use a temporary stained glass option and follow the proper steps to remove it if you end up moving out.
If you don’t like the stained-glass look, you can use etching to give the window a lovely design, while still letting in some natural light. Note: Etchings on glass windows can be removed with buffing or chemicals, but please get your landlord’s written permission just to be on the safe side. Source:Blog.Rent
To figure out which window treatment would suit your home the best, contact us!
Hello, it is I, the perpetually preoccupied food blogger.
The good news is that I’ve been busy busy getting my cookbook finished up and it’s now off to print (both the UK and US versions!) – thank goodness! There will be more info about it later but, as it won’t be out until late June there’s not much point talking about it now. I’ve also been doing some photography jobs here n there and working on a recipe for a very cool zine which Ruby Tandoh & her girlfriend are bringing together.
I’ve been cooking pretty random stuff at the moment – I ate pasta with garlicky broccoli, olive oil and parmesan literally 3 times last week because I was feeling v uninspired. But, after looking through some cookbooks and having a little trip down to London to see my fam, I’ve got some more ideas brewing.
Also there will be lots of cake coming soon because a) RHUBARB SEASON and b) it’s my bday next week! But for now, there’s these little pea pancakes. I had the idea for these literally 2 years ago – I know because of a note on my phone which I recently rediscovered. They’re pancakes only in shape, with the texture of mashed potato still and slightly crispy edges. Sweet pops of peas and leek with woody thyme amp up the flavour. I ate them for dinner one night and brunch the next day! You can keep the cooked pancakes or the batter in the fridge and just re-heat/cook some up when you want.
1 large leek, halved and sliced into 3mm thick strips
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying
100ml (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) vegetable stock or milk
2 eggs
black pepper
60g (1/2 cup) gram flour (chickpea flour/besan)
3 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 tsp baking powder
100g frozen petits pois (baby peas), defrosted
Instructions
Cut the potatoes into quarters then place into a pot and cover with water, salt the water well. Place over a high heat, bring to the boil then turn down to simmer until tender (about 15-20 minutes).
Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the leeks and a sprinkle of salt and turn the heat down to low. Cook for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened but not coloured.
Once the potatoes have cooked, drain them and return to the pot. Mash with a potato masher or, if like me you don't have one, the back of a fork until mostly smooth. Mix in the vegetable stock/milk, the eggs, black pepper, gram flour, thyme leaves and baking powder until smooth. Fold in the cooked leek and defrosted peas.
Wipe out the pan you were using for the leeks and return it to a medium-low heat with enough olive oil to lightly coat the base (it's helpful if you're using a non-stick frying pan here). Scoop a heaped tablespoon of batter into the pan to form one pancake. Spoon in one or two more puddles of batter, depending on the size of your pan. Leave to cook until dark golden underneath then use a metal spatula to swiftly flip each one over - this can take as bit of practice as the batter doesn't have the gluten to hold it together, thus you must be confident and quick when flipping! Leave to cook on the other side until dark golden too.
Keep the pancakes warm on a baking tray in an oven at 100 C whilst you cook the remaining pancakes as before. Serve them warm with a fried eggs (& bacon if you fancy) for brunch, lunch or dinner! They're also excellent with some Cheddar cheese grated on top or some ketchup as a lil snacky.
The cooked pancakes will keep well, covered in the fridge for a few days - just reheat them in a frying pan with a little bit of oil when you need them.
Notes
- if you have already got cooked, mashed potato use 260g or 1 cup
