There are so many self help books. You could go crazy if you read them all...
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Health
My Thoughts On 5:2
I have not written in a while. I won’t post just for the sake of posting.
I did feel like posting something today because I have been doing the 5:2 diet for a little over three weeks now and I am so surprised by the effects.
I decided to do this after a trip to the US left me clinging to a tiny sink in an airplane toilet on my way home. It probably had something to do with the massive slab of pineapple upside down cheesecake I tried to consume at Cheesecake Factory (evidence submitted below!)
For the record, I am against diets so the way I am approaching this is to think of it as a ‘holistic’ change to my nutrition.
If I think of diets, I associate it with deprivation and that just makes me reach for cakes and roast dinners!
I heard about 5:2 after some of my friends started in January, and when I mentioned it at work it turned out there were other people I knew also doing this. It was also not just women, but guys too.
Mostly, the results have been mixed with some people saying they have lost weight to others saying they have more energy, better skin and generally feel good.
I can say that after three weeks, I am seeing and feeling all of these results. For example:
Silver Linings Playbook
I am reading the book right now, but I saw the movie on Saturday.
I don't like rom coms, and whilst I like Bradley Cooper, I was not a die hard fan like the rows of giggling girls who packed the afternoon showing. I only stayed because I had just seen Argo, and this was on after.
I was also not keen on seeing how Hollywood was going to portray a story about love and mental health on the big screen.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The acting was first rate from the cast and issues were handled really well whilst still managing to stay light-hearted.
I will definitely see this again before it leaves the cinema for DVD. I identified with many parts of this, and it gave me hope for the future. I left the cinema feeling as if I had been given a big hug and told "everything will be okay".
Baking is my therapy
I have a friend who recently started making his own bread. He uses a bread machine and all the usual ingredients. I have lovely memories of my mum making bread on Saturdays and the smell filling the house. There was nothing nicer than just baked bread with butter (not margarine!).
Baking in general is my therapy. I feel a real sense of calm being in the kitchen. I wanted to try my hand at making bread but I have the tiniest kitchen ever and not much room to make tons of mess (believe me, Rachel Khoo’s kitchen in Paris is probably bigger than mine!).
I decided to try making a really simple soda bread with spelt flour rather than normal wheat flour, and no other frills like caraway seeds or raisins. Spelt flour has a different gluten structure to normal wheat and I don’t seem to have any of the stomach problems I have if I use it.
My ingredients were as follows:
450g white spelt flour
1 tsp salt (I like using Cornish rock salt)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
350ml of buttermilk
That is it. No more frills, no fuss and I got this yummy loaf.
Here’s how I made it:
To make your own buttermilk
If you can’t find buttermilk in your local shop, you can easily make your own. I just squeeze a lemon and add the juice to a glass of milk. Let it sit for a few minutes.
The technique
Preheat the oven to 230˚C/gas mark 8. Sieve the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the 350ml buttermilk, all in one go. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix in the flour. Add a little more buttermilk if you need to.
Turn your ball of dough onto a floured board. Wash and dry your hands, then knead the dough lightly for a few seconds – just enough to tidy it up. Flip the dough over on to a large, heavy baking sheet, and pat into a round, about 2.5cm deep.
Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200˚C/gas mark 6 for another 20 minutes or until cooked.
Test by tapping the bottom of the loaf – it should sound hollow. Eat it on the day you bake it, preferably still warm, cut into thick slices and smeared with butter. It is also amazing with strawberry jam and oddly enough, goes really well with houmous!
Transformation Is Not A Future Event
I set myself a goal, and it started yesterday. I am doing the ‘Jillian Michaels Ripped In 30′ challenge.
There is a point in my life I feel I am reaching and Jillian says something that made perfect sense.
“Transformation is not a future event. It is a present activity…
I sent a message to a friend recently where I said “you are at a turning point, you have realised something is changing and this is the catalyst for transformation in your life”.
I am hoping to change many areas in my life, this first 30 days is just the start.
I am 37, and I am hoping I can reward myself with an awesome body to make up for the bad food, fat butt, big belly, lack of exercise, car crash of a life that has been my 30′s.
Anyway, this is the full quote from Jillian:
“Transformation is not a future event. It is a present activity…That is why you must bring everything that you have to give in every moment…And it doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s not about perfect, it’s about effort. When you bring that effort every single day, that’s where transformation happens, that’s how change occurs.”
– Jillian Michaels
Here’s to 29 more days of pain and change!
Nicky x
Repost: Psychiatry’s Drug Dependency
Great post by OfInterestblog…
The New York Times features an article highlighting the psychiatric communities move away from talk therapy and its increased reliance on prescription drugs as the sole and primary treatment offered to patients. Of concern, is that the shift to drug therapy seems to be driven by a money motive created by the higher insurance reimbursement rates offered for drug treatment verse those of talk therapy, and not based on the actual efficacy of this type of treatment.
http://ofinterestblog.com/2011/03/05/psychiatrys-drug-dependency/
Resolution Free Zone For 2011
Every year I see people, friends, family, colleagues making lists of the things they hate about themselves that they want to change. It could be losing weight, ditching a guy/girl, planning to climb Kilimanjaro, or even just as simple as exercising every day.
By February the gym numbers fall, the smokers start smoking again, and the people who joined slimming class comfort eat and put on the 7 lbs they lost in the first week. Okay, I exaggerate but you get my point.
In 2011, I am not making a single resolution. I am not going to set myself unrealistic goals. I will not let myself down.
Right now, I feel as though my life is just a series of spontaneous moments with little organisation and routine. I live in each of these moments, and setting resolutions just gives me a reason to dislike myself if they go wrong.
This is a resolution free zone.
M.A.C Top 10 Winter Tips
I got this on email today from M.A.C, so share, share, share…’Tis the season after all xoxo
Top 10 winter survival tips:
1. While applying concealer around eyes, mix a little Fast Response Eye Cream. It applies well and keeps eyes hydrated – Keri B.
2. For eyes, try Amber Lights or Gorgeous Gold Eye Shadows for a shimmery Holiday eye. – Romero J.
3. Smolder Eye Kohl…enough said! – Lyne D.
4. For a luxurious eye, add some lash. Wear 7 Lash on those special nights. – Fatima T.
5. Don’t forget your Lip conditioner SPF 15. Protect your lips- no cracking please. – John.
6. Red Lipstick- pressed and stained into the lip are a must! Try Russian Red and M·A·C Red Lipstick. – Victor C.
7. Mineralized Skinfinish Natural and a red lipstick like Ruby Woo, create a classic look for every Holiday party! – Jenn K.
8. Prep+Prime Skin is an invisible skin perfecter to be used with or without foundation. – Christopher D.
9. Strobe Cream everything! Great on cheekbones, shoulders, or wherever you need a glow. – Caroline D.
10. Blushcremes, provide a beautiful colour which adds an instant lift to the face. Try Posey for a dewy fresh cheek. – Terry B.
Related Articles
- M.A.C. Launches Viva Glam Lip Glass in Gaga and Cindy (stylelist.com)
