My morning walk 7th Jan 2010

Just had a reminder that we can find beauty in everything and nature, raw, cold and just plain amazing! My walk this morning with CJ…he is the one in the blue coat!!

The new year bulge!

"On no" I cried, as I stood on the scales after Christmas. That half stone I lost has now reappeared. I suppose if I had not lost the weight before, I would now be a stone heavier....some consolation.....!
I think this is the most common issue of January, that and having to pay the credit cards. 
It's not that I ate too much, oh no...just sat about more. But in reality my carbohydrate consumption was up. More sugar, pastry…..all those lovely mince pies...roast potatoes and parsnips etc. It's no bad thing to have an occasional treat and lapse in good eating habits and I know that in a couple of weeks, being careful of course, that the extra few pounds will go again.
Fortunately I have a target to aim for, the workshop at The EFT Gathering at the end of the month. I don’t want to look bulging and fat; I wish to feel good about myself, my appearance as well as my skills. Self confidence and self esteem are hard won areas in my life and now, though I am content with who I am, I still wish to present a good image to the world. This is not being egocentric but being the person who practices what they preach.
For instance chocolate no longer has a hold over me, and I know that EFT helps me on more than those occasions. So being an EFT and natural health practitioner encourages me to walk the talk….so less input and more output….energy that is.
Welcome to a healthy 2010!

Changing perspectives and food waste

For my readers who have been asking about my change in diet which I wrote about in November, here is an update.  You may recall that I gave up all meat, fish and eggs (had already not eaten dairy food for a long time) and alcohol. This did me me a great boost, though I found that it was not easy to stick to as I am a busy person and often out and about. Over the last week or so, tiredness and the cold had started to get to me and the choice of vegetables (local and in season) were getting rather boring. Also to compensate I was eating far too much carbohydrate; bread...I love toast....fried potatoes and just more in quantity that was good for me.

So I introduced a little more protein in the form of organic eggs and sustainable fish into my diet, also allowing myself some imported vegetables. This seems to have done the trick and my energy level are returning. It seems that even at my age I do need some high quality protein; pulses and nuts just don't always hit the spot! Tofu is another blog...
It makes me wonder how my parents generation managed during the war, when boring food was the only food and they had no choice, plus quantities were always small and nothing was wasted. No wonder most people at that time were at their healthiest.

I am sure that food shortages will return, not because of war I hope but because there are too many people on earth to feed the way we in the west think we should eat. Therefore, when I come across waste it causes a real angst within me. This festive season please don't overbuy, use up leftovers and be thankful, for this bounty cannot last for ever.

Grandchildren and the passing of time!

My eldest grandchild, James is 20 today. I find this a little disturbing to put it mildly. He is a grown up (has been for a while really) goes to work and leads an interesting and young man about town type of life.
His father Simon was 23 when James was born, I was 21 when I gave birth to Simon. At the other end of the spectrum my daughters children are aged 6 and 2 so these little girls will continue to be children for a good few years yet. In the middle, Simon has another son, now into his early teens who at the moment fits with neither end of children in the family. Fortunately he is well adjusted and has many friends of his own age.

My sister and I are seven years apart and had many years with very little in common and in fact little contact. Then when time evened up our ages we met again, this time on a different level and became the very best of friends. Time changes our response to people of all ages, so if you are having a rough time with family or friends, just give it time.

The increase in anxiety as we count down!

Have you noticed that people are becoming more anxious than usual? It seems OK to most people that around this time of the year we build up to the festive season with the frantic round of shopping and parties, in most cases to drop and often succumb to illness during the time off.

Why not make this year different. Do it slower, spend less money and enjoy every day. After all for most people, Christmas or whatever you wish to celebrate during the winter solstice season, is just another day to survive. Think of the homeless, the jobless and children who will receive very little this year. Think of the planet and the waste that we will all be part of.

Let this year be the first one that we can all say "I tried to be a better person" rather than "I want". This very change of emphasis will reduce your anxiety, bring down your blood pressure and save you three weeks of worry.

Red Roses

I have just received a bunch of roses, red roses and not from a man! It's a late birthday present from an old girl friend, one I don't see much of but one I talk to every few days. We have a great friendship and as we both get older we value this highly.

This is just a reminder that not all friendships depend on face to face contact, coffee round the kitchen table or a bottle of wine over lunch, some long distance onces are just as important though sometimes it needs just a little more focus.

The one thing to remember is to listen. It's a good idea to take on the other persons news first, then have your say, or the temptation is to talk over each other and never 'hear' anything. Communication, that's all it is, but communication with love, patience and commitment.

Money saving & health promoting!!

Over a few months during the summer, I had started to feel my age a bit (not like me at all) so gradually I took myself in hand. First I cut out all food derived from animals; meat, fish, dairy and eggs (I was buying as much organic as possible) also alcohol which I had already reserved for weekends only. I lost half a stone over about six weeks and started to feel heaps better.

But the best thing is this....I am saving around £100 a month! I live alone with a small dog and my average monthly food bills were approximately £170, mainly due to paying the organic premium for meat and maybe the red wine! My food cost are now around £75 and I live very well. Vegetables and fruits in season are cheap, even the organic ones when I can get them. I eat pulses, my favorite meal is Dahl and rice with vegetables curry, nuts and a small amount of tofu for protein. I have not been a great dairy fan for years as I found it aggravated my lungs and created mucus, so this is no great loss.

Understanding the 'Save the Planet' argument for meat reduction also gives me a feeling of helping out; less pollution, less factory farming, less cruelty and much less additives and chemicals in my diet.

Next project is to get more exercise; may even join a gym again!

If you are interested in finding out more, please contact me....together we could change the world or at least get a bit healthier.