11-02-2025 MY FAVES: advice for your period brain, thrillers, and psychedelic rock of croatia

 books of the week

this week i finished reading the period brain. it's interesting to see how the two phases in our lives affect our productivity, our sex drive, our self-esteem, and i appreciate the tips on how to weather the waves when they come and go.

here's some helpful takeaways:

things you can do today to support your luteal-phase sexuality:

- track your sexual desire across the cycle

- if you have a partner, communicate

- do health and relationship checks

- fight the good fight (or don't!) against feeling unsexy

- get outside of yourself by dropping into a fantasy

- investigate supplements or dietary changes to improve sexual function

supporting ovulation and resilience to hormonal changes

- be well nourished

- be well rested

- be active

- manage stress well

- have meaningful connections with other people

- avoid chemicals that fuck up our hormones

from bad to worse: chronic conditions, pain, and luteal phase worsening of symptoms

- changes in pain perception

- changes in the immune system

- relaxation of our smooth muscles

- changes in neurotransmission that:

    a) increase that perception

    b) dampen pleasure

- metabolic changes

- changes in respiratory drive

nutrition

- limiting/avoiding refined starches (flour)

- limiting/avoiding added sugars

- limiting/avoiding processed foods

- emphasizing whole, plant-based foods

- if animal protein is included, focusing on:

    - lean red meats

    - fish

    - eggs

    - poultry

    - seafood

raised eating native diets and living conditions similar to their natural habitats

recommendations for improving cramping:

- take magnesium

- apply heat

- stay hydrated

- prioritize anti-inflammatory foods

- try herbal teas

- exercise regularly

- talk to a doctor

i also read the teenage magazine ok je ok!, which i bought for nostalgia and research purposes. it was a sweet throwback, especially while reading through spooky stories to sib, and doing quizzes like "are you a pro at handling embarrassing situations?"

movies of the week

we watched the gift a thriller starring jason bateman and rebecca hall. it was pretty scary and tense, but the end was unfulfilling. jason bateman is so good at playing douchebags. i've been wanting to see christine, starring rebecca hall, so perhaps when i come back to ohio i might...

we also watched the equalizer starring denzel washington. is this what kevin mccallister grows up to be?

music of the week

went out with boyfriend to a local gig organized by our alternative cultural group vlajter-ego. the performers were melewai and lhd (previously known as the bambi molesters).

melewai's work can be found on bandcamp. both bands are surf rock/psychedelic rock. we had a blast enjoying the vibes that transported us far from the small town, and it was great to reunite with some amazing people from hometown. 

also, toward the end of the week i am diving into some italo disco vibes. more about these discoveries might be next week...