Thanks to her majesty the queen, us city folk get a four day weekend this weekend providing a much needed break.
Anyone working in financial markets will be growing weary of the ongoing euro turmoil and endless speculation as to the outcome for Greece. Whilst it's all a pretty worrying prospect, I think we should all switch off this weekend and forget all about the ongoing turmoil.
Obviously some of you will need to stay tuned in, incase it all kicks off, but for anyone who can I recommend a four day technology detox - no tv, no laptop, no emailing, and no browsing the web on your phone. Calls and texts are fine as long as they're with people you like or preferably just to arrange meeting up. Preferably don't even pickup a newspaper and just make having fun and relaxing your priority for the next few days.
Back when old queenie was coronated there were no mobile phones or internet, let alone facebook. Friendships were maintained in person and boredom filled through activity not surfing the internet or watching reality tv.
Face to face socializing and getting some fresh air are both great for the body and mind. Whilst electronic gadgets can sap your energy, these activities can renew you and leave you feeling refreshed and upbeat.
So fill your weekend with friends and fun. Go to a street party, visit your friends, have a couple of proper lie ins, enjoy a Sunday and Monday night evening out, or take the opportunity to get away from the city altogether and enjoy the great outdoors.
Call your friends to make your plans and then turn off the blackberry and enjoy a technology free jubilee!
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Thursday, 31 May 2012
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Stressful sugar
When I watch tv I mainly watch comedy shows and movies, but this evening I was made to watch the apprentice, not my usual viewing and I remembered why.
I find watching this kind of competitive reality television pretty stressful, mainly because I don't enjoy watching other people suffer!
However it reminded me of the little known fact that watching television is actually a stressful activity. You might not think it is as you're lazing on the sofa, but the stimulating nature of television can produce a physiological stress response.
For people who are burnt out it is recommended they avoid tv as much as possible in order to recover, but for anyone in a stressful profession it's important that you don't come home and then spend the whole evening watching tv. Proper down time involves peace and quiet and doesn't involve a screen whether it's a tv or computer.
Lying on the sofa reading a book or magazine is fine, as is taking a bath, going for a walk or just tuning out on the sofa even for just five minutes. Infact I'd recommend you do this first when you get home before switching the tv on.
Once you've spent ten minutes chilling out you'll probably feel re-energized and might want to do something more productive than vegging out infront of the tv!
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I find watching this kind of competitive reality television pretty stressful, mainly because I don't enjoy watching other people suffer!
However it reminded me of the little known fact that watching television is actually a stressful activity. You might not think it is as you're lazing on the sofa, but the stimulating nature of television can produce a physiological stress response.
For people who are burnt out it is recommended they avoid tv as much as possible in order to recover, but for anyone in a stressful profession it's important that you don't come home and then spend the whole evening watching tv. Proper down time involves peace and quiet and doesn't involve a screen whether it's a tv or computer.
Lying on the sofa reading a book or magazine is fine, as is taking a bath, going for a walk or just tuning out on the sofa even for just five minutes. Infact I'd recommend you do this first when you get home before switching the tv on.
Once you've spent ten minutes chilling out you'll probably feel re-energized and might want to do something more productive than vegging out infront of the tv!
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Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Acceptance
In case you hadn't noticed I love food. I love eating it, talking about it, buying it, cooking it and reading about it.
At the moment I'm devouring 'The Sweet Life in Paris', a wonderful book by pastry chef David Lebovitz on his emigration from the US to Paris and culinary adventures along the way. For any Parisophiles this is a must read.
Not only is it an entertaining read but it is also peppered with wonderful recipes, mainly French (crepes, madeleines, endless chocolate desserts) but some not (peanut slaw, pork ribs). They all sound totally delicious and the whole book is making me hanker after a french diet of red wine, bread, cheese, good coffee and dark chocolate.
Sadly, as verified during last years Loire road trip, the french diet does not agree with me. My body tells me firmly and repeatedly that gluten, dairy, alcohol, caffeine and too much sugar don't agree with me and that's just how it is.
Still when so many french people are out there living healthy, happy goats cheese filled lives I find it hard to accept that I can't.
Even if buttery brioche and cheese and ham crepes don't float your boat (how can they not?), I'm sure most of you have experienced some diet envy towards a friend of colleague at some point - the girl at work who eats cake and chocolates whilst staying perfectly slim, the guy friend whose dinner consists of beer and pizza but still has a six pack - but we have to accept that our bodies all react slightly differently to the food and environment that we present them with.
It would be frankly pretty dull if we were all clones who could eat the same way, and our differences are what define us so we should celebrate and accept them all, instead of fighting them.
I might be half french but I'll never be able to live off a diet of bread and cheese. If that's the price I have to pay for feeling healthy and happy I can accept that!
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At the moment I'm devouring 'The Sweet Life in Paris', a wonderful book by pastry chef David Lebovitz on his emigration from the US to Paris and culinary adventures along the way. For any Parisophiles this is a must read.
Not only is it an entertaining read but it is also peppered with wonderful recipes, mainly French (crepes, madeleines, endless chocolate desserts) but some not (peanut slaw, pork ribs). They all sound totally delicious and the whole book is making me hanker after a french diet of red wine, bread, cheese, good coffee and dark chocolate.
Sadly, as verified during last years Loire road trip, the french diet does not agree with me. My body tells me firmly and repeatedly that gluten, dairy, alcohol, caffeine and too much sugar don't agree with me and that's just how it is.
Still when so many french people are out there living healthy, happy goats cheese filled lives I find it hard to accept that I can't.
Even if buttery brioche and cheese and ham crepes don't float your boat (how can they not?), I'm sure most of you have experienced some diet envy towards a friend of colleague at some point - the girl at work who eats cake and chocolates whilst staying perfectly slim, the guy friend whose dinner consists of beer and pizza but still has a six pack - but we have to accept that our bodies all react slightly differently to the food and environment that we present them with.
It would be frankly pretty dull if we were all clones who could eat the same way, and our differences are what define us so we should celebrate and accept them all, instead of fighting them.
I might be half french but I'll never be able to live off a diet of bread and cheese. If that's the price I have to pay for feeling healthy and happy I can accept that!
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Monday, 28 May 2012
Hail Ceasar!
Not forgetting my recent promise to give more practical tips, it's time to suggest another healthy habit and this one is on eating out.
I don't eat out that often so usually treat it as a treat meal* and order what I most like the look of. However eating out is a pretty regular occurrence in the city both with social and work dining and can leave you feeling stodgy and unhealthy.
So whilst the suns out and roast rack of lamb just doesn't appeal it's time to get into the salad habit.
Ordering a salad for your main course used to be the domain of only the strictest dieters, but these days restaurants have become a lot more creative and offer much more in terms of variety and flavour. I recently enjoyed a delicious yellow beetroot salad, and have also had some highly satisfying nicoise salads with fresh
tuna steaks just seared around the city.
Salads are usually the lightest choices in terms of calories and fats (order fish or seafood salads over meat), and usually much higher in veg content to other mains so can seriously help reduce the damage of regularly eating out. Plus in the summer a cooling salad won't leave you uncomfortably sweaty whilst trying to come across as suave and sophisticated to your date.
If you're feeling deprived you can order a less healthy starter for a little plate of deliciousness to satisfy your palate - plus we all know that starters are usually tastier than mains**.
*Having read Ms Haribos recent Grazia I was delighted to learn that popstar
Rhianna has a similar dieting ethos - having one treat day every week to keep her 'happy' and the rest of the time following a diet rich in wholegrains, fruit, vegetables and healthy nuts. Snaps to her for setting a good example.
**if you didn't know this already you will quickly realise it's true!
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I don't eat out that often so usually treat it as a treat meal* and order what I most like the look of. However eating out is a pretty regular occurrence in the city both with social and work dining and can leave you feeling stodgy and unhealthy.
So whilst the suns out and roast rack of lamb just doesn't appeal it's time to get into the salad habit.
Ordering a salad for your main course used to be the domain of only the strictest dieters, but these days restaurants have become a lot more creative and offer much more in terms of variety and flavour. I recently enjoyed a delicious yellow beetroot salad, and have also had some highly satisfying nicoise salads with fresh
tuna steaks just seared around the city.
Salads are usually the lightest choices in terms of calories and fats (order fish or seafood salads over meat), and usually much higher in veg content to other mains so can seriously help reduce the damage of regularly eating out. Plus in the summer a cooling salad won't leave you uncomfortably sweaty whilst trying to come across as suave and sophisticated to your date.
If you're feeling deprived you can order a less healthy starter for a little plate of deliciousness to satisfy your palate - plus we all know that starters are usually tastier than mains**.
*Having read Ms Haribos recent Grazia I was delighted to learn that popstar
Rhianna has a similar dieting ethos - having one treat day every week to keep her 'happy' and the rest of the time following a diet rich in wholegrains, fruit, vegetables and healthy nuts. Snaps to her for setting a good example.
**if you didn't know this already you will quickly realise it's true!
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Sunday, 27 May 2012
The ad test
Watching some Sunday evening tv I once again am aware of what absolute rubbish most advertising is. How it influences people to buy even half the stuff is beyond me.
What also struck me was how none of the food advertised is anything I'd actually recommend to anyone. Most tv advertised foods are highly artificial and highly processed ... Fast food sandwiches, flavoured sugary yoghurts, chocolate biscuits, ice cream ... basically junk that the body doesn't appreciate.
Healthy unprocessed wholefoods just don't make companies that much money so no one ever advertises them ... have you ever seen an advert for brown rice or fresh vegetables?
Despite my scepticism, advertising obviously does work because of all the money thrown at it, so given all the junk food advertising it's no surprise that britain has an obesity problem and rising rates of diabetes and heart disease.
Even when you're having a treat such as a dessert or some cookies, the best ones in health and usually in taste are homemade, not the ones you buy in a packet in a shop. If something can last in your cupboards for months think of it as a dead food, it's not going to be health giving.
If you're not a dab hand in the kitchen, then at least buy fresh goodies that have an expiry date of under a week and remember ... if a food is advertised on the tv it's probably not good for you!
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What also struck me was how none of the food advertised is anything I'd actually recommend to anyone. Most tv advertised foods are highly artificial and highly processed ... Fast food sandwiches, flavoured sugary yoghurts, chocolate biscuits, ice cream ... basically junk that the body doesn't appreciate.
Healthy unprocessed wholefoods just don't make companies that much money so no one ever advertises them ... have you ever seen an advert for brown rice or fresh vegetables?
Despite my scepticism, advertising obviously does work because of all the money thrown at it, so given all the junk food advertising it's no surprise that britain has an obesity problem and rising rates of diabetes and heart disease.
Even when you're having a treat such as a dessert or some cookies, the best ones in health and usually in taste are homemade, not the ones you buy in a packet in a shop. If something can last in your cupboards for months think of it as a dead food, it's not going to be health giving.
If you're not a dab hand in the kitchen, then at least buy fresh goodies that have an expiry date of under a week and remember ... if a food is advertised on the tv it's probably not good for you!
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Thursday, 24 May 2012
Super zen dog
This evening I had the pleasure of the company of both Ms Haribo and Zen dog for some girly gossip.
Unfortunately most of the conversation is not suitable material for the blog, not that you wouldn't find it entertaining!
However something that we did talk about was Zen Dog's recent ten day silent meditation retreat. A silent retreat is something I should definitely do at some point, but something that would definitely pose a challenge for me!
Zen dog's silent retreat was a pretty challenging one. For ten days you wake up at 4am, meditate for 8 hours a day, don't talk to anyone, don't read anything, eat only two meals a day and have no meat products, fish, caffeine, sugar, wheat, dairy - basically just eat very healthy vegan food.
Sounds a bit crazy, but it gives you such a break from city living - it's the total antidote - pure diet and total brain detox. Interestingly zen dog, who is a pretty healthy soul, still experienced quite dramatic detox effects and took 6 days to come through the fog.
This just shows how much we all do need to detox, even us healthy ones. We store so much of the rubbish we're exposed to, but it's not til we give our body a proper break that we can we process it all and realise how much toxic junk we're storing ... it's making me think it's time for a detox!
For more details on the retreat visit www.dhamma.org
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Unfortunately most of the conversation is not suitable material for the blog, not that you wouldn't find it entertaining!
However something that we did talk about was Zen Dog's recent ten day silent meditation retreat. A silent retreat is something I should definitely do at some point, but something that would definitely pose a challenge for me!
Zen dog's silent retreat was a pretty challenging one. For ten days you wake up at 4am, meditate for 8 hours a day, don't talk to anyone, don't read anything, eat only two meals a day and have no meat products, fish, caffeine, sugar, wheat, dairy - basically just eat very healthy vegan food.
Sounds a bit crazy, but it gives you such a break from city living - it's the total antidote - pure diet and total brain detox. Interestingly zen dog, who is a pretty healthy soul, still experienced quite dramatic detox effects and took 6 days to come through the fog.
This just shows how much we all do need to detox, even us healthy ones. We store so much of the rubbish we're exposed to, but it's not til we give our body a proper break that we can we process it all and realise how much toxic junk we're storing ... it's making me think it's time for a detox!
For more details on the retreat visit www.dhamma.org
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Wednesday, 23 May 2012
It doesn't take an expert
When asked for nutritional advice the first thing I require is a food diary for two weekdays and a full weekend.
Usually the act of writing this diary brings about a realisation in the author of what they shouldn't be eating and what bad habits they've fallen into, so they don't even need to be told what these are.
I think there's something about writing things down that make you face up to reality, but even more so if you know it will be read by someone else.
Still there's no need to fork out on an expert to read it - just buddy up with a good friend who you can be totally honest with. At the end of every day send your bud a quick email of your food and exercise diary for the previous day.
It'll quickly shame you into clearing up your bad habits. Plus you might develop some healthy competition and spur each other on!
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Usually the act of writing this diary brings about a realisation in the author of what they shouldn't be eating and what bad habits they've fallen into, so they don't even need to be told what these are.
I think there's something about writing things down that make you face up to reality, but even more so if you know it will be read by someone else.
Still there's no need to fork out on an expert to read it - just buddy up with a good friend who you can be totally honest with. At the end of every day send your bud a quick email of your food and exercise diary for the previous day.
It'll quickly shame you into clearing up your bad habits. Plus you might develop some healthy competition and spur each other on!
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