Emotional - Mental - Physical - Chemical
No photos to accompany either of these, I’m afraid, but two new recipe recommendations from the weekend are braised chinese pork and sesame spring greens and prawn and coconut curry, both from the BBC Good Food website.
Both were absolutely delicious!
(BTW - I made the pork with pork tenderloin and just simmered it for 10-15 minutes on the hob rather than braising the meat. It was still scrumptious!!)
Well, after my last post, I once again took ill. This time with the winter vomiting virus :( I will spare you all the gory details, but needless to say I never want to go through that again. On the bright side, I am now 100% fighting fit again, and all remnants of my cold seem to have been evacuated from my body one way or the other 
I have also been inspired to take another couple of areas of my life in hand. Firstly, I have re-started my diet (again!) and have managed to lose a great 10lbs so far. I’m hoping to continue with good progres in the coming weeks. I have also started to take control of my underactive thyroid and have recently discovered some fabulous new resources for thyroid management. I am 99% sure I am incorrectly medicated, but have never had enough knowledge to question my doctor on my treatment. I feel so much better for having a little bit of knowledge and being able to ask the right questions.
For anyone in a similar position, the Thyroid Patients’ Advocacy is a great place to start.
The monthly resolution is still going well, with the vast majority of my shopping still coming from local farm shops. Hubby had to make one midnight run to Tesco’s when I was unwell, and I had to go to Sainsbury’s today for a couple of bits and pieces, but on the whole my new local farm shop finds are proving invaluable. I also have the added bonuses of (a) not being tempted by all the sweets at the checkout; (b) not ending up with hundreds of carrier bags after shopping; and (c) eating food which tastes a million times better than supermarket stuff! I’m thorougly enjoying it and hope to continue into next month as well.
Once again I have been unwell, hence the prolonged radio silence once more 
However, I am feeling better again and will be back to work tomorrow. I really need to do something to sort out my health … but that’s a whole other post!
Over the weekend I managed to do the shopping without venturing near a supermarket. I went to my butchers, which are great, and to the local farm shop where I discovered there is also a fishmonger every Friday and Saturday! Despite having a week’s worth of food (or more!) already, I couldn’t resist some fresh scallops and a beautiful whole sea bass which they had on display.
I’m absolutely astounded at what I’m finding out about my local area now that I am avoiding the supermarkets. It really is amazing what you can find.
Me - 2 : Supermarkets - 0
I think I may be coming a cropper soon with lemongrass and limes being required for a couple of dishes I want to make in the near future, and the impending need for dishwasher tablets and washing powder on the horizon.
My fledgling interest in food production also seems to have come at the right time with Channel 4’s much publicised “Food Fight” series and the airing of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s programmes on intensive chicken farming and the realities of the £2 chicken. It has certainly prompted some lively debate, and I hope it opens people’s eyes to what really goes into their McChicken nuggets, fresh BBQ chicken and all the other millions of products made from cheap chicken every year. It really has been a series worth watching.
The biggest difference I have found between being brought up in Scotland and now living in England is that, on the 2nd of January, England returns to “normal” while the Scots luxuriate in an extra day’s holiday. I can’t see me ever managing to get used to the fact that the world starts operating again on the 2nd of January when all I want to be doing is be curled up in my PJs watching Dirty Dancing (or something equally challenging!) on DVD. So it is with more than a little shock to the system I have been forced to do “normal” things today for first time in 2 weeks.
Admittedly I don’t go back to work properly until tomorrow, but I had to go in for a couple of hours this morning as our Y11 mocks start tomorrow. I do feel sorry for the students coming straight back from holidays and into exams, and think it’s more than a little cruel - but there we go. Hubby is now back at work (truth-be-told he was working until late last night which I was not too impressed with as he was meant to be on holiday!) and is away until Friday which is hard after having two weeks together (and especially hard as it’s his birthday today). So once again it’s me and the two cats keeping the home fires burning.
I also managed to seek out a new, local, independent store today in keeping with my monthly resolution of avoiding supermarkets as far as possible. I discovered there is a “fair trade” shop on the other side of town so popped in there on the way back from work. I managed to get some tissues and some teabags - both of which were on my shopping list - and avoided the pull of the nearby Sainsbury. It’s a small shop, but has a decent selection of teas, coffees, pulses, grains and chocolate. They also had a nice, but small, selection of cards and gifts, so it’s definitely one to keep in mind for the future.
Me - 1 : Supermarkets - 0
Food-wise today’s not a very exciting day. We have a mountain of food in the fridge to be used up due to the various cancelled celebrations over the holidays. Lunch was cheese and biscuits and dinner is going to be a yakitori chicken stir-fry using up some Wagamama cooking sauce I found at the back of the fridge. Not overly inspiring, I think you’ll agree.
I can’t believe it’s been 6 weeks since I last updated my blog! How remiss of me …
First of all I need to say HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone! I hope 2008 is a great one for you all.
I certainly hope 2008 starts better than 2007 ended. I was unwell for the whole of December, mainly with a very bad cold which laid me flat out at times. Coupled with the fact I was inexplicably deaf in one ear, December was a very miserable month. It culminated in me taking the flu on Christmas Day, and I was flat on my back for the last week. I am now getting over it, but now the hubby has gone down with something similar which means I’m having to look after him as well.
Hopefully, though, the worst is over with now and things will return to normal soon.
I have also been doing a lot of thinking on my kinesiology course and have come to the conclusion the course I am doing is not the right one for me. I do enjoy kinesiology and think it is an amazing therapy. However either the branch I have chosen or the teacher I have chosen is not right for me and the teachings are at odds with a lot of my own personal beliefs. I was struggling a bit with parts of what we were being taught which was making it less enjoyable for me. I have completed the first four modules I paid for and have decided not to do the last two modules which would cost another £500. I just cannot justify the cost to myself, and the “cons” vastly outweigh the “pros” for doing these two module.
I do still think that there is a path for me in some kind of alternative therapy and I do hope that I will find what it is sooner rather than later; but this particular course is not the one for me.
I feel a bit despondent at this decision as I was (and still am) so enthusiastic about kinesiology; but also feel it is absolutely the right decision for me.
Hopefully 2008 will be a year of even more discovery for me on that front.
Usually around this time of year I post a vast list of new year resolutions which I fully aim to stick to for the whole year and which (like most people, I guess) end up being thrown by the wayside before February comes around. In an attempt to actually (!) make a difference in my life this year, I have decided to have a MONTHLY resolution instead. Hopefully I will be able to keep to one resolution a month!
So for January my resolution is to try and not spend any money in any of the major supermarkets or national food stores (Asda, Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose, Co-Op, Spar, etc) and instead actively seek out local shops to meet my needs.
I will chart my progress through January and will report back regularly!
As I wrote last week, I recently discovered Naked Body Care in the UK. I managed to purchase some of their products at my local Boots store (as well as getting some delivered!!) and have been using it for the last week.
The shampoo and conditioner are excellent, and leave my hair feeling very soft. I usually only wash my hair every other day, and have found my “style” (if you can call it that!) doesn’t last into the second day as well with the Naked products, but a quick 5 minutes with the straighteners sorts that out OK. The exfoliating face wash is fabulous, and the shower gel is really nice as well.
I find the shampoo and shower gel don’t lather up as much as I’m used to, but with a bit more water added to the product, they’re absolutely fine (and I’m sure some of that effect is also down to the rock hard water we have in this area).
I am a complete convert, and once I get through my current stocks of products, I will be converting fully to Naked products from now on.
I notice that Laura and Annalee commented previously on using Lush products (sorry - I haven’t found a way to link to comments yet on this blog), but if you are interested in toxic issues, it’s worth noting that their creams still use parabens, and their shower gels, etc, contain SLS. Both these chemicals are currently under scrutiny as to whether they are safe to use long-term, or whether they are potential carinogenics, and can cause skin irritation, ulceration and other issues.
I’m really loving getting my vegetable box every week.
Last week we had romanesque for the first time which proved to be absolutely delicious! We had it last sunday with our steak and kidney pie and some cauliflower cheese, and although it was nice, I wouldn’t eat it with cauliflower again as itwas too similar.
This week I’ve received a massive head of celery, some beetroot - which I have wanted to cook with for ages - and some brussel sprout tops. I actually thought it was kale at first, but apparently are the in thing in swanky restaurants at the moment!
I have no idea what I’m going to do with them or the beetroot yet, so any suggestions are welcome!
There are so many exciting things going on at the moment, I barely know where to start!!
I have now (finally!) managed to find a fabulous local butcher, which I am using regularly to get all my meat products from. Their meat is all certified, and it tastes fabulous … which is the most important thing!! This week I have stocked up on a stack of goodies including their amazing bacon, some fab sausages, some liver, 2kg beef mince, a couple of steaks and the biggest marrow bone I have ever seen in my life for making some scotch broth with this weekend.
Also, in addition to using my local farm shop to buy my fruit and veg, I have sourced a local fruit and vegetable box delivery scheme which I am now getting once a week. My first box arrived yesterday and had some lovely squash, swiss chard and carrots, as well as some potatoes, apples and some romanesque - which is apparently a cross between broccoli and cauliflower which I’ve never had before.
It’s all local and mostly organic, and looks and smells great!! I’m really looking forward to working out what I’m going to make with it all. I also have home-grown pumpkin from one of the ladies I work with which will go nicely with the squash in the box, I’m sure.
I think I might be upping my box size to a medium one, though, as I can see this small one disappearing very quickly!
I’m also impressed with the range of additional items the same company can deliver. These include free-range goose, local beef and pork, local wild venison, wild duck, free-range chicken and eggs, and even local cheeses. Obviously all of these are a bit more difficult to order as the box will be left outside if no-one’s home on the day they deliver … but it’s not too far to visit the shop to pick up things should I want to. I think it’s going to be a great little find!
As well as arranging a vegetable box delivery, I have also sourced a local milkman, which I am very excited about!! In last month’s “Olive” magazine (which is my favourite, I have to admit), there was an advert for Deliver Milk. I gave them a call during the week and told them what I was looking for, and my milkman starts on Monday! The milk will be locally produced, will be with me before 7am and will be delivered in glass bottles which will be recycled by the milkman. I will be getting deliveries 3 times a week on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I can’t wait to see how it works out, and hopefully it will mean that, not only is my milk going to taste great, but it’s supporting the local farmers too. I’ll update you here on the progress of my milkman!
Slowly but surely I am eroding my Tesco shopping list!!
Over the last 4 or 5 weeks I have also been making a concerted effort to steer clear of additives and preservatives in my food as far as possible. I now use only full fat milk and “proper” butter, for instance; eat fresh, homemade bread, and make as many of my meals from scratch as possible. I don’t use packets or jars of sauces as far as I can, and am trying to steer clear of artificial sweetners and nasties like MSG in those products that I do buy. I’m no angel, though, and we do still eat out and succumb to the occassional take-away (and my cupboards are chock-full of products bought over the last few months which I need to use up!), but I have to say I am feeling so much better for it already. I was also interested to see that, despite no other changes to my lifestyle, I have also lost about a stone in weight since starting this new regime!!
I am getting more and more convinced that the key to healthy living and losing weight is not to pump ourselves full of “diet” drinks and “low calorie” foods which are packed full of artificial nasties; but instead shun all these modern products and return to “basics”, giving our body natural food which it can breakdown and use in an easy manner. I will be interested to see how this self-experiment pans out over the up-coming weeks and months.
I was also pleased to be told about a new range of beauty products which Boots are stocking. Naked body care produce a range of products, including shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, body scrubs, bubble baths and face masks, which are 97% natural and which are free from parabens, SLS and other petrochecmical nasties. Best of all these products are affordable at around £4 per product. Most other equivalent products are £8 or £10 a bottle, or more - pushing them outside the price I can afford to pay for products such as these. I have placed an online order with Boots to get some delivered, but might also pop by my local Boots store today to see if they have managed to find their way into our little corner of the world!
The other exciting thing to have happened recently is that I am now part of my work’s “green” committee. I work in a school and it has shocked and surprised me just how non-green the school is. Our IT systems are woefully under-used, and most communication still takes place on paper (generating literally mountains of paper waste). There are no structured recycling schemes, and the school has no idea on how to move forward and get a “green flag” staus for being ecologically sound. So when they announced this week they were looking for people to volunteer to become part of a “green” commitee to help steer the school, I jumped at the chance! We had our first meeting yesterday and I think it’s going to be really great. I’ve volunteered to head up the IT initiatives to try and start reducing paper wastage, and we are going to run a competition for the students to try and come up with new and innovative ideas on how they can reduce paper usage and how more can be recycled. I have also been passed a large file containing a wealth of information on various grants which the school can apply for to hopefully help set up some of the initiatives. Overall I think it’s going to be an exciting thing to be part of, and I hope we can quickly start to make a real difference to the school.
I know a few people have asked me about Kinesiology, and what it is. It’s quite a complex thing to put into words - so I’ve wimped out and am, instead, posting this excerpt from the Assosiation of Systematic Kinesiology professional leaflet …
Kinesiology (pronounced kin-easy-ology) was developed by Dr. George Goodheart in 1964. It is a way of identifying any imbalances a person has by monitoring their ability to hold their muscles against Light pressure. Each muscle is related to an organ, and also to an energy pathway called a meridian.
Together the muscle, organ and meridian form a ‘circuit’. If there are chemical, emotional, structural or energetic stresses affecting the circuit, the muscle tested will feel ‘spongy’, indicating an imbalance.
Once an imbalance is found the Kinesiologist uses the muscle test again to get feedback from the person’s body about what factors are aggravating the imbalance, and what will help to rebalance it.
Each time a relevant factor is introduced the muscle’s response changes, a bit like a switch. So imagine a spongy muscle as being ‘off; if the person then thinks of an emotional stress and the muscle is suddenly able to hold against the pressure, i.e. it switches ‘on’, that indicates that particular stress is involved in that imbalance.
Similarly, if a particular nutrient, when placed in the mouth, causes the muscle to switch ‘on’, we know it wilt be helpful. The same process can be used to find related structural problems, and energetic factors that are involved.
Based on this feedback the Kinesiologist and client can discover exactly what is involved in the imbalance and devise a treatment plan. It may include nutritional supplements, various emotional stress release techniques, Bach Flower remedies, acupressure, gentle structural realignment, chakra balancing, Light touch, firm reflex massage, suggested Lifestyle changes and more. The exact treatment you receive depends on the feedback your body gives through the muscle test about what it needs to return to health.
There is no guess work with Systematic Kinesiology
You do not have to be a health nut, a food freak, or an exercise buff to take control of your life and to enjoy improved health and well-being.
Kinesiology practitioners are dedicated to prevention as well as to alleviating the condition. They are able to help clients much more effectively if each person commits to self-help and improving their own health regime.
This depends very much on your complaint, how long you’ve had it, and how fully you participate in your own treatment, i.e. making the suggested lifestyle and dietary changes that often form part of the treatment plan. Usually, however, most people feel an improvement in three to six visits. It is then recommended that you have routine balances two to three times a year.
Sounds simple, huh?!
There’s so much to learn, but I hope it will be worthwhile … and most importantly, I’m enjoying the learning and studying!
My parents have been down visiting for a few days from Scotland. It was really lovely to see them, but (typically!) the weather turned rotten almost the minute they arrived. It seems every time they come to visit it’s cold, wet and windy outside!
Anyway, looking for something to do, we headed South to Dover castle. Overlooking the narrowest point between continental Europe and England, there has been some kind of fortification on the site since the Iron Age. However, the castle in its current form started to take shape in the 12th century under the reign of Henry II.
The castle also played its part in a number of sieges, was used by Henry VIII, was a strategic point in the English Civil War, and, in WW2, was on the front line of the fighting.
The guns on either side of the channel took a mere 30 seconds to fire from one side to the other, and Dover Castle became a critical strategic point for the British army. It was also from here that the Dunkirk landings were planned from a huge network of underground tunnels built into the white chalk cliffs. There was even a fully operational hospital underground for treating any servicement injured on operations in the channel.
We did a tour round the tunnels, which was really interesting, and had a look round the main castle - but we missed out loads of things. I’d love to go back in the summer and have a look round the battlements and the rest of the grounds, and have a look at all the bits we missed!
On impulse I signed hubby and I up to join “English Heritage”, so we’ll definitely go back to Dover Castle!