u/tvgirl48

It never ceases to amaze me how I see redditors absolutely revolted by the idea of practicing Pilates barefoot. Heck, even the toeless socks make people sick! I have seen very strong language (and several vomit emojis) used against practicing barefoot. The arguments seem to be that grip socks are the cleanest and safest way to practice Pilates.

And yet...my local independent studio I've been going to for years has never required socks. Maybe a third of people choose to wear them, but it's not required. And it got me to wondering, so I did a search of all the boutique studios close to me and found about 7 studios and not one of them requires socks. Their promotional photos are full of "icky, nasty, unsafe" bare feet.

I don't deny that there's the potential for a hygiene issue. But in the same way touching door handles is a risk. If you go to a clean, professional studio, the risk seems so inconsequential compared to the benefit of practicing barefoot. In working on our balance and proprioception, it seems odd to cover up the sensitive surface of our feet and diminish sensation and natural grip. Knock on wood, I've never seen anyone in my classes fall or injure themselves.

I have a hard time seeing grip socks as much more than a cash cow for chain studios. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-grip sock. I just think it's a personal preference and really, really wish redditors would tone down the rhetoric that human feet are inherently filthy and anyone practicing barefoot is disgusting. I mean, after all, what guarantee is there that someone else's socks are perfectly clean anyway?

There are a ton of subs for identifying a song, but I already know what song it is from Shazam-ing it. But I cannot find a copy of it outside of videos of the event where I heard it played (the audio isn't good enough to rip) and a short 20 second facebook promo. I cannot find a full, clean copy anywhere.

Is there a sub that could help me track down a copy of this song to stream or buy or anything?

I feel like in the US, when people hear the word 'cereal' they immediately think of boring old bowls of Raisin Bran or Cornflakes. But no, I'm not talking about a warm bowl of Cheerios. I'm talking about cereal grains! I think the British term would be porridge, the Russian term would be kasha...boiled grains is one of the oldest foods in the world and every culture eats them. But for some reason they've kind of dropped off in popularity in the US, aside from oatmeal. I massively prefer a hot breakfast and hot cereals are like a warm hug first thing in the morning.

You can make them with water or milk, you can make them on the stove or the microwave. They're mostly easy on the stomach and relatively bland when served plain, so they're perfect if you have a sensitive stomach in the morning. But that also means they're a perfect blank canvas to add on fruit, nuts, spices, etc to your tastes. They're great made sweet or savory or plain.

• Cream of Wheat is the US brand for farina. It's fortified with a ton of iron, like half your daily recommended amount. It has zero sugar, so it's an awesome alternative if you're concerned about the sugar in those flavored instant oatmeal packets. You can buy instant packets or a stovetop version which takes a little longer but has more of a textured mouthfeel to it.

• Malt O Meal is basically the same as Cream of Wheat, but with a delicious malted barley flavor.

• Cream of Rice is exactly what it sounds like, ground up rice. I've been eating a ton of this lately. It's a gluten free option if that matters to you, it's very easily digested, and I personally find it more filling than oatmeal or cream of wheat. Fortified with even more iron, 70%, so awesome for anyone struggling with anemia.

• 7-Grain Hot Cereal from Bob's Red Mill (they also do a 10-grain and I think a 5-grain). A mix of wheat, rye, barley, bran, flaxseed, some other stuff. Basically sounds and looks like birdseed, but cooks up to something very substantial and packed with fiber. 21% of your daily intake. If you're sick of oatmeal but still want the fiber and don't find cold chia pudding very satisfying, this one is perfect.

• Semolina porridge is I think the English term for mannaya kasha. Semolina is slightly different than farina, but still smooth and mild in flavor and texture. I actually prefer the flavor of this over Cream of Wheat. Just grab a sack of semolina flour and prep the same as the others. Pure comfort food. I sometimes even have this for dinner if I'm not feeling well.

And those are just a few of my faves in my regular rotation, I know I left off a ton.