Strength Training With Ankylosing Spondylitis & Rheumatoid Arthritis
This short video shows part of my journey and some of the factors that may have contributed to the development of ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis.
It also shows part of my strength training program — not to achieve fitness goals, but to maintain mobility, strength, and freedom of movement while living with autoimmune disease.
For many people, movement becomes something to avoid. For me, it became a necessity.
Arcadia — an early table grape variety with high productivity.
Arcadia is one of the most well-known and widely grown table grape varieties, cultivated both in private vineyards and on commercial plantations. The variety is valued for its early ripening, high productivity, large clusters, and pleasant, harmonious flavor with a light muscat note.
This is an early-ripening variety, reaching full maturity in approximately 115–125 days from bud break (depending on vine load). It forms large, attractive clusters with fleshy, juicy berries of a light color.
Advantages of the Arcadia variety
Large clusters and berries Arcadia produces massive, conical clusters with an excellent market appearance. The berries are large, uniform, and have dense flesh — exactly what is appreciated in table grapes.
Harmonious flavor The taste is sweet, with a light refreshing acidity and delicate muscat notes. When fully ripe, the berries accumulate sugar very well.
High productivity The variety is known for its strong yield potential. With proper vine training and crop load regulation, Arcadia delivers consistently high harvests.
Berry and cluster characteristics
Berry color: light green, turning yellowish at full ripeness
Taste: sweet, harmonious, with muscat
Flesh: fleshy and juicy
Skin: medium thickness, almost unnoticeable when eaten
Clusters: large, conical or conical-cylindrical
Growing features of the Arcadia grape variety
Planting location Arcadia responds very well to sunny, warm sites. The best choice is a south or southwest-facing location protected from cold winds. Good sunlight directly affects berry flavor and proper vine ripening.
Soil The variety grows well in light to medium soils with good drainage. In my conditions, on loamy soil, I additionally improve soil structure with organic matter and sand.
Watering Moderate, as needed, depending on weather conditions and soil type.
Crop load regulation Arcadia requires mandatory cluster thinning. An overloaded vine may lose berry quality, and the shoots may fail to ripen properly.
Disease protection The variety has medium resistance to fungal diseases, so the following is recommended:
preventive treatments (at least two per season);
good vine ventilation;
control of shoot density.
Who this variety is suitable for
Arcadia is well suited:
for beginner grape growers;
for family consumption;
for growing for sale due to its attractive appearance;
as a reliable early base variety in the vineyard.
Want to grow grapes yourself?
If you’re interested in practical advice on planting, summer care, disease protection, variety selection, and seasonal work — I’ve prepared a series of eBooks based on 15+ years of hands-on experience with vineyards in central Ukraine.
Browse the posts in this section for practical materials and videos about each grape variety, and follow new updates — there’s a lot more coming: variety overviews, practical videos, recommendations, and seasonal tips.
In the video, you will see a fully ripe cluster on my vine — the berries reach their rich color and peak sweetness.
🍷 Homemade Port-Style Wine: Making Natural Wine with No Added Sugar
Making homemade wine is a natural continuation of working with grapes after the harvest. When grapes are grown by hand, without excessive chemicals and with proper care, they become excellent raw material for natural homemade drinks.
In this video, I show the process of making homemade port-style wine — an aromatic, rich wine made without any added sugar, exclusively from homegrown grapes. The video is short, but it clearly conveys both the process and the atmosphere of this stage of winemaking.
🍇 Raw Material: Grapes as the Foundation of Quality Wine
The quality of homemade wine begins in the vineyard. For a port-style wine, well-ripened berries with high sugar content, dense pulp, and expressive aroma are ideal. That is why it is so important to:
choose the right grape variety;
wait for full ripeness;
harvest in dry weather;
minimize damage to the berries during harvest.
Homegrown grapes allow full control over the quality of the raw material even before winemaking begins.
🍷 The Process of Making Homemade Port-Style Wine
The video shows one of the classic home approaches to making port-style wine:
separating grapes from the stems;
crushing the grapes and obtaining the must;
natural fermentation without added sugar;
separating the juice from the pomace (solid grape residues consisting of skins, pulp, and seeds);
stopping active fermentation with alcohol (approximately at a sugar level of 16%);
settling the wine;
double racking of the wine — removing it from sediment (decanting), which involves carefully transferring the wine to separate it from natural sediment (wine stone, dead yeast) and to oxygenate it for purification, stabilization, and flavor development;
transferring the wine to an oak barrel for aging and flavor formation (alternatively, glass or clay vessels with added oak chips can be used);
final bottling of the finished wine (a separate video about bottling and corking is also available on the website).
This approach helps preserve the natural character of the wine, the aroma of the grapes, and a balanced taste without artificial additives.
🌿 Natural Approach and Process Control
Home winemaking is not about haste. It is about attention to detail, clean tools, temperature control, and understanding the processes taking place at each stage.
That is why even a short video can be useful — it shows the real process without embellishments or “secret ingredients.”
🍇 Want to Grow Your Own Grapes?
Although my books do not yet cover winemaking directly, they provide a solid foundation for anyone who wants to grow their own grapes and later use them for homemade products.
If you are interested in practical advice on:
grape planting;
summer care and green operations;
protection from diseases and pests;
choosing grape varieties;
seasonal vineyard work,
I have prepared a series of eBooks based on more than 15 years of personal experience working with vineyards in Central Ukraine.
The eBooks are also available in Ukrainian and Russian on my website: 👉 https://danilive.org/
🔔 Follow Updates
In this section, I regularly publish videos and practical materials from the vineyard: variety reviews, seasonal work, short videos, and recommendations based on personal experience.
There is much more useful content ahead — from growing grapes to working with the harvest 🍇
Bottling Homemade Wine from an Oak Barrel — a Short Vineyard Video 🍷
Autumn and winter are a great time not only to plan the next growing season, but also to calmly work with the results of the previous harvest. This period includes one of the final stages of winemaking — bottling the finished wine.
In this short video, I show how homemade wine is bottled directly from an oak barrel: the bottling process, corking the bottles, and the atmosphere of winemaking at a country vineyard.
This is a natural, aromatic, homemade port-style wine — with no added sugar, made from grapes grown by hand in my own vineyard.
The video is short, but it clearly conveys both the process itself and the mood of this important stage of working with wine.
Do you want to grow your own grapes?
Although my books do not yet cover winemaking directly, they provide a solid foundation for anyone who wants to grow their own grapes and later use them to make homemade products.
If you are interested in practical advice on:
planting grapes;
summer care and green operations;
protection against diseases and pests;
choosing grape varieties;
seasonal work in the vineyard,
I have prepared a series of eBooks based on more than 15 years of personal experience working with vineyards in Central Ukraine.
The eBooks are also available in Ukrainian and Russian on my website: 👉 https://danilive.org/
Follow the updates
In this section, I regularly publish videos and practical materials from the vineyard: grape variety reviews, seasonal work, short videos, and hands-on recommendations based on real experience.
There is much more useful content ahead — from growing grapes to working with the harvest 🍇
Kishmish Moldavsky — Variety Overview and Why It’s My Autumn Favorite
Kishmish Moldavsky is one of those varieties that pleasantly surprises me every year. It ripens later than most table grapes and keeps its flavor when other berries have already lost their freshness. That’s why this variety has become the “final chord” of my grape season.
This is a late-ripening seedless variety (about 155 days from bud break to full maturity), known for its harmonious sweet taste, firm flesh, thin skin, and excellent suitability for making natural homemade raisins.
Advantages of the Variety
Late ripening — when other varieties are already gone
Its main advantage is the ability to harvest deep into autumn. This extends the fresh grape season long after most other varieties have finished.
Stores well
Clusters can hang longer on the vine or be kept in cool storage for a short time. The berries remain firm and retain their flavor.
Ideal for homemade raisins
Its high sugar content, seedlessness, and thin skin make it one of the best varieties for drying. It produces natural, aromatic raisins without added sugar or preservatives.
Stability and reliability
With basic care, this variety tolerates autumn weather well, isn’t afraid of temperature drops, and consistently provides good yields.
Berry and Cluster Characteristics
Color: dark blue with a waxy bloom Taste: sweet and harmonious Flesh: firm, crunchy, seedless Clusters: medium, cylindrical-conical
Growing Tips Planting Location
A south-facing wall, well-lit and protected from northern winds, is ideal for full ripening of the berries and the vine in the climate of central Ukraine.
Soil
Light, fertile, well-drained soils. Loam also works well — this variety grows perfectly on my site.
Watering
Moderate. Excess moisture reduces taste quality and can soften the berries.
Disease Management
This is not a “super-resistant” variety, so I recommend:
at least 2 preventive treatments
proper crop load control
good air circulation
Want to grow grapes yourself?
If you’re interested in practical advice on planting, summer care, disease protection, variety selection, and seasonal work — I’ve prepared a series of eBooks based on 15+ years of hands-on experience with vineyards in central Ukraine.
Browse the posts in this section for practical materials and videos about each grape variety, and follow new updates — there’s a lot more coming: variety overviews, practical videos, recommendations, and seasonal tips.
In the video, you will see a fully ripe cluster on my vine — the berries reach their rich color and peak sweetness.
Video Collection of the Best Grape Varieties in My Vineyard
Autumn and winter are the perfect time to look back at the previous season, review your favorite photos and videos from the vineyard, and start planning the new grape-growing year.
In this video, I’ve gathered some of my favorite grape varieties (though not all of them 😊) that I grow myself: crisp, sweet, aromatic, seedless and seeded — each with its own character, flavor, and purpose.
This collection will be useful for anyone choosing a variety for planting, exploring grape diversity, or simply wanting to feel the warm-season mood in the middle of winter. It’s a short journey through my vineyard — all in just 59 seconds.
Want to grow grapes yourself?
If you’re interested in practical advice on planting, summer care, disease protection, choosing varieties, and seasonal work — I’ve prepared a series of eBooks based on 15+ years of personal experience working with vineyards in Central Ukraine.
The eBooks are also available in Ukrainian and Russian on my website: https://danilive.org/
Stay Updated:
Check this section for new posts with practical materials and videos about individual grape varieties, and follow the updates — there is much more useful content ahead: variety overviews, practical videos, recommendations, and seasonal grape-growing tips.
Let’s get to know each other in this video, and I’ll briefly tell you about myself, my experience in viticulture, and the eBook series “Grow Your Own Grapes”, which I created based on more than 15 years of working with vineyards in Central Ukraine.
These books are simple, practical materials for anyone who wants to learn how to grow grapes for themselves and their family — without unnecessary complexity or technical terminology.
In the series, you will find:
step-by-step recommendations for planting grapevines;
summer care tips: tying, watering, removing side shoots, green operations;
recommendations on disease and pest control;
preparation of the vineyard for autumn and winter;
notes and tips on selected grape varieties;
photos, diagrams, and videos from a real vineyard.
📘 Book One “Grow Your Own Grapes: A Practical Guide to Planting” The eBook is available in Ukrainian and Russian on my website: https://danilive.org/
📗 Book Two “Grow Your Own Grapes: Summer — Green Work, Watering, Disease & Pest Protection” The eBook is available in Ukrainian and Russian on my website: https://danilive.org/
Motivation for RA & AS: Lessons from Veterans and Ukraine.
An honest, personal talk about finding motivation to fight rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). In this new video, I share one of the most important lessons I’ve learned while living with autoimmune diseases — how to stay motivated even when everything feels impossible.
If you’re battling an autoimmune condition and feel like giving up — this video might be exactly the reminder you need.
It may relax you — but it won’t change your life. Many people with rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis turn to cannabis hoping it will help with pain. But does cannabis really make things better — or just numb the symptoms for a moment?
In my new video, I share my experience and explain why real progress starts not with cannabis, but with changing your daily routine and your mindset.
RA and AS don’t take days off — and our routine shouldn’t either.
Even a few days without the right routine can bring back stiffness, swelling, and pain. Daily stretching + walking isn’t optional — it’s what keeps your joints and spine moving. This simple sequence gives you control over the disease.
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