Tag: Lifestyle

Jumpin’, Jivin’ an’ Jiggin’ About: Your Home As Your ‘Gym’!

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We all know any kind of movement is good for us.

We do, don’t we?

(Can’t hear you at the back of the class!) 

At this time of year especially, articles, tweets, tv programmes, Instagram memes all shout at us to get our bodies moving.

Just in case you’re still in any doubt or denial, here is a list of proven benefits:

  • it gets the heart pumping
  • improves circulation
  • builds muscle and bone which improves balance – especially important for those of us no longer in the first flush of youth
  • builds strength and stamina
  • creates endorphins which improves our mood, helps us feel better and therefore helps diminish those January blues and even depression.
  • makes you feel more alert and energetic
  • aids mental clarity, making us more productive and creative at work and home.
  • helps prevent lifestyle diseases like Type 2 diabetes through better control of blood sugar levels
  • helps keep our weight in check – if we also keep an eye on what we eat.
  • helps keep joints mobile and flexible

So, now you really do know that exercise is good for you, you can’t claim ignorance as your get-out clause!

But don’t worry, this post is not about going all out on the crossfit machine or hefting eye-watering weights at the gym. It’s all about movement and fun!

At this time of year, when the Christmas season is over, we feel overfed and lethargic, Spring is in the air and many of us start making plans to go to the gym, start running or take a zumba class.

Trouble is, in the cold months, our resolve can soon start dying a slow death. It’s cold, wet, dark, and miserable. The woodburner or the tv and a glass or cup of something warming are far more attractive. All that money spent on gym fees or trendy neon fit-wear may as well be flushed away for all the use we make of it.

Unfortunately, many of us have also had negative gym experiences or are old enough to remember the torture of school PE classes: being made to run cross-country in freezing conditions wearing t-shirt and shorts, inadequate footwear and with little or no preparation, the booming voice of the wrapped-up PE teacher in our ears decrying our efforts and urging us on, drill-sergeant style. (Anyone who has seen the film ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ will know what I mean!)

It’s also often difficult if not impossible for many of us to embark on formal exercise regimes due to having small children or sick family members or because we have physical problems of our own or simply can’t afford the expense. So we accept that’s how it has to be and get on with it, skipping over all the articles we see urging us to move more and diverting our eyes from all the pony-tailed, fitbit-wearing runners dashing past the window.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. No more guilt at being a trainer-free home-bod.

Hooray! you shout.

Hang on, you’re not getting off that easily! You still have to move about, just not in a gym or on the road. 

Here are some tips to get it all jiggin’ about:

  1. Your home can be your gym and everyday items your equipment. Little or no expense, warm environment (less chance of injury), relative privacy (though maybe not privacy from your relatives 😉), win-win situation. Your stairs can be your step-exercise, bottles of water or tinned goods your weights, your cd player your zumba instructor.

2. You can even incorporate exercise into your everyday activities.

And no-one needs to see you doing it!

According to the BBC programme ‘Trust Me, I’m a Doctor,’ * a group of people over 40 – and therefore losing muscle, I think the oldest was 67 – incorporated exercise into their daily activities. Over a month on average they gained 3% more muscle, 12% more muscle strength, 13% more muscle power and 4% more grip strength.

So how did they do it?

Visit the website to see in detail, but basically:

  • squats and standing on one leg while brushing their teeth
  • heel-raising while washing-up
  • lunges while vacuuming
  • arm curls with juice cartons or tins
  • wall presses.

You get the picture.

I would add to these:

  • using the stairs as often as possible
  • doing step-ups, and also hanging your heel off the edge of the step to stretch your calf muscles and tendons
  • standing up from a chair and sitting back down without using your hands during advert breaks while watching tv or sitting at your desk
  • doing a walking circuit of your home as often as possible
  • in an upright chair with arms, press down on the arms and raise your bottom from the seat for as long as is comfortable
  • even on your commute, on buses, trains or planes, you can raise alternate knees, toes and heels (maybe not in a car – unless you’re a passenger!)
  • on fine days, take a turn around the garden, up and down your driveway or around the block, look up at the sky, the trees, the birds, breathe and smile!

Exercising needs to be fun too or you’ll never stick to it. Here comes the Jumpin’, Jivin’ an’ Jiggin’ About bit! (At last!)

3. One piece of exercising equipment I would recommend investing in if you can manage it is a rebounder. You don’t have to jump like an Olympian!

Rebounders are not trampolines. They are not as springy and provide more resistance. And kids please note: don’t even attempt to do somersaults! Parents please note: children should always be supervised because they *will* attempt to do somersaults!

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NASA-approved, this method of exercising is accessible to most people if you start off slowly and simply, just gently bending your knees then graduating to lifting your heels and low bouncing before trying anything more energetic.

A couple of rebounding sessions a day exercises all parts of the body, gets your lymphatic system moving – strengthening your immune system and clearing out waste and toxins – and makes you feel more alive.

And it’s great fun.

Kids naturally love trampolining and this is great for getting them to exercise during the winter months when they can’t use the one in the garden. It tempts them away from their screens for a while which is always a good thing. Even the smallest members of our family make straight for it when they come for a visit. They are great family fun. (Again, children should always be supervised).

The Juicemaster website* sells various sizes of rebounders, the smaller ones fold up and have a carrying case. I can vouch for their quality and endurance.

4. Just dance like no-one is watching!

With or without a partner, dancing with reckless abandon is the best way to forget your worries and feel alive! Put on your favourite music, the one you like singing aloud to at high volume and just go for it! (see video below).

You can jig about when you’re in the kitchen – my regular readers will know that I often like to attach a YouTube track to accompany my recipes – or when you’re cleaning or tidying up, doing the ironing, doing a bike repair (one for you, K and S!😉). I have even seen my neighbour doing her ironing to the accompaniment of reggae music in her back garden in the summer, not caring a jot if anyone saw her.

In general, whatever your age, state of health, fitness or finances, any movement is better than no movement.

(I realise there are certain health conditions where this may not be appropriate).

5. Many of us, especially older people, get stiff joints and cold legs from sitting. While reading, doing the crossword or watching tv, you can raise your knees and heels up and down, rotate your ankles and wrists, stretch out your fingers and make a fist, walk about during the ad breaks even if it’s only to get up and make a cup of tea. Clench alternate groups of muscles and release. Do shoulder rotations.

img_2421My husband exercising on a borrowed rowing machine in the garage with a broken arm. He also used one of those stretchy bands that physios use which come in different levels of flexibility.

Do what you’re able and what you enjoy – with your family, friends or on your own. Walk, cycle, laugh, sing – they all exercise your body inside and out.

Just do!

6. Oh, and btw, apparently, exercising is more effective in burning fat if men exercise on an empty stomach and women after eating. (I can hear all the women cheering from the gallery!)

Ps Whatever form of exercise you do, be sure to warm up and stretch first,  and ease into it – it won’t do you much good if you pull a back muscle or sprain an ankle in your first session!

PPs If you have any concerns about whether or not you should follow any of the advice above, please do talk to your doctor.

*Trust Me, I’m A Doctor – you can watch on BBC iPlayer

*Juicemaster: Rebounders

(Thanks to Clive at Take It Easy for putting me on to these guys!)

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Veganuary

January has been designated Veganuary and even has its own website! 

It was such a success last year that I think it is probably here to stay.

40,000 people have signed up to try being vegan for a month and the website is there to provide support, advice, product websites and tasty recipes for people wanting to increase the plant-based element of their diet and reduce meat and dairy. 

Cartoon by www.vegansidekick.comEveryone has their own food journey, we are all at differing stages and are there for different reasons, whether it be health, ethics or environmental impact.

I am not about to go through all the whys and wherefores, others have done a much better job than I can, but I have decided to provide a Vegan category to house the information about being vegan if people wish to look it up.

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(Photo from The Vegan Community)

Recently, I published Hanna’s post Plant Powered New Year which was her response to a specific question about whether a diet containing meat would have an effect on psoriasis. Hanna suffered with appalling psoriasis and is now mostly vegan after ridding herself of the misery of itchy, inflamed skin through juicing and a plant-based diet. Hanna was quite forthright in her language, which may not appeal to some, but she has had a rough journey to where she stands now as a beautifully healthy, energetic young woman and has just had her first book published called ‘Radiant’. It includes her story along with beautiful photography and tasty recipes to help achieve the same results.

Today, I have decided to provide links not only to her post but also 3 others which take a more softly-softly approach and give a guiding hand to those just beginning to look into the subject of ‘going vegan’.

The first is Rachel at Healthy and Psyched: 5 Tips For Transitioning To Veganism where she is at pains to reduce the guilt element so often present in such articles. Rachel says basically that you are not a bad person because you unwittingly – or even wittingly – eat something that has dairy in it at a family party for instance, and my favourite is not to throw away all your make-up, which is expensive to replace and such a waste, and which is exactly what I did!

The second post is from Feminine Boutique Blog: How To Go Vegan in 4 Steps This post gives links to sites, YouTubers and books where you can find the information you crave and the support. It is short and there is nothing to scare the horses (pun intended!) It too is written in an easy-going style and isn’t at all ‘preachy’.

Another interesting post is from Our Green Nation: 2016’s Top 10 Vegan Moments which lists interesting topics such as the American government, scientists and doctors giving vegetarian and vegan diets the thumbs up as being healthy and suitable for any stage in life, while the latest American Nutritional Guidelines are the most vegetarian-friendly ever; they feature the Sainsbury’s ‘Gary’ vegan cheese furore and the members of the USA Olympic team who have plantbased diets including a weightlifter.

Finally, there is even a website for teenage vegetarians and vegans: http://www.teenvgn.com It is a great site, describing iteslf as a social network for teen vegetarians and vegans, providing a safe place for 12-19 year olds to obtain information, recipes and exchange ideas. They even run a summer camp every year full of activities for 11 a 17 year olds. They encourage volunteering and put together care boxes for homeless people in local areas. They are sponsored by several reputable companies and supported by The Raw Chocolate Company.

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Going vegan doesn’t mean going boring! There are many websites and Instagram accounts with colourful, balanced vegan recipes. You can also check out the vegan recipes in my menu.

The Vegan Society will provide answers to most of your questions.

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Copyright: Chris McGowan

What To Do If You Feel Hungry on a Juice Plan or Don’t Need To Lose a Lot of Weight

imageThis morning I was asked by Siobhan of Paris Here And There if there is anything she can do to avoid the hunger pangs on a juicing program and also to prevent her losing weight unnecessarily.

If you read my post yesterday, you’ll know that next Monday I am joining Jason Vale’s ‘Big January Clean-Up’ which involves doing the first 14 days of his 28 day SuperJuiceMe! plan (there is still time to sign up via the Juicemaster website, all coaching videos, shopping lists, recipes are free).

First, let me explain about hunger pangs.

It is normal to feel hunger in the first 3 days of a juice plan.

More often than not these are withdrawal pangs, not genuine hunger. Your body is getting everything it needs from the nutritionally balanced juices, blends and smoothies. What it is not getting is the caffeine, sugar, alcohol and hopefully nicotine it has become dependent upon and it is shouting at you very loudly about this restriction, as with any withdrawal from addictive substances.

And let’s make no bones about it: all these substances are addictive. Sugar has the same effect on the brain as crack cocaine and heroin!

Here are some tips and advice:

1. The way to reduce these withdrawal symptoms (headaches, cravings) is to taper off and finally quit in the 2 weeks before a juice-only program.

2. Once you begin the plan, keep well-hydrated, using herbal and fruit teas, warm water with a slice of lemon, as well as plain water; rest – go for walks in the fresh air, do yoga, rather than sessions at the gym – and watch or read inspiring films and books to keep you motivated. (See the suggested list at the end).

3. If you genuinely feel hungry, you can’t sleep for tummy rumbles etc. there are emergency rations you can turn to (see later).

4. The point of the plan is to give your digestive system a rest and allow your body to repair, renew and rest, so try to resist for the first 3 days.

5. Keep yourself occupied so you’re not thinking about food all the time.

6. Have your juices ready and don’t wait until you’re desperate before having them, then you won’t be tempted to grab a sugary snack or bag of crisps. Also, sip your juices slowly through a straw.

7. Try to find a juice buddy. If this is your first time, support is vital and you can either persuade a friend or family member to join you or find amazing support on Jason Vale’s Facebook page, where you can ask questions and get advice, or on Twitter/Instagram.

8. Keep reminding yourself why you’re doing it. Read up on the health benefits of juicing and arm yourself to fend off all the doubters and sceptics who will try to undermine your resolve.

9. Don’t be put off, the results will speak for themselves and will silence the naysayers.

10. Over 25 people, including some who tried to put me off, started juicing after they saw the amazing results from my first plan.

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For those who don’t want or need to lose a lot of weight:

When I did the last 14 day juice challenge, I didn’t need to lose weight but this time after a cold, too much comfort food and lots of family visits/festive food I could do with it!

However, there are those who just want the re-energising health benefits or want to clear up their skin or reduce aches and pains and who have no wish or need to lose weight. I have compiled a list of things you can do if you fall into these categories.

You may still lose some weight just by the fact that you have cut out a lot of snacks and high fat/sugary foods during your juice plan, but you will slowly regain what you need when your body readjusts to what is normal eating for you.

You will generally only lose the weight you need to lose. 

I do these juice challenges 4 times a year. My first 2 times I lost  2 1/2 stones (35lbs) altogether. Now, I lose about 5 lbs as I don’t need to lose any more.

And for those who really do suffer genuine hunger pangs, there are things you can eat to alleviate them, but only in a dire emergency!

Tips for emergency rations or to prevent unwanted weight loss:

1. To allay hunger pangs or to avoid a big weight loss, stick to plant foods and oils as your emergency rations. You can add an extra juice, or a tsp of flax oil or coconut oil to a glass of juice.

2. To prevent digestive issues, I reiterate: stay away from processed and sugary foods, meat and dairy, coffee and alcohol.

3. Half a ripe avocado either on its own in the evening with lemon juice and cracked black pepper or blended into a couple of juices a day (1/4 at a time) will usually do the trick. It is normal to feel hungry in the first 2 to 3 days but then your body adjusts.

4. Hunger and thirst can be confused. More often than not, it is hydration you need rather than food. Again, keep hydrated using herbal and fruit teas as well as plenty of water.

5. You can add a tablespoon of ground organic linseeds (or other seeds) to your juices (this also helps if you have any problems with constipation).

6. Half a very ripe banana in the evening can also help.

7. If out and about and the avocados and banana are not an option, a healthy version of a fruit bar can help, but make sure it does not contain refined sugar, dairy or other additives, just pure fruit and nuts.

8. My go-to emergency ration is one of Jason’s ‘Juice in a Bar’ snacks. These really do replace a juice if you need to and are very filling.  Usually, I can manage only half.

9. You could add a higher calorie vegetable to your juices like sweet potato – I use these often in my own juices (usually to replace parsnips!)

10. Whatever you decide, always chew slowly and thoroughly, otherwise your tummy will object if it is already adapting to the juice program.

Bonus tip: Try adding some good quality pea or hemp protein powder to some of your juices to stave off the hunger and give your juices some extra oomph!

Most of all, remember that if you have to miss a juice or you do feel the need for extras, it doesn’t mean you have failed and you have to give up! Just pick up where you left off. You will still gain the benefits. Even if you just have one juice a day and cut down or cut out the processed, sugary stuff, you will feel more energy, your skin, hair and nails will benefit and if you need to lose some weight, then this will help.

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I hope I have covered everything. If you have any other questions please ask in the comments and I will try to address them in another post. You may find the answers already in the Juicing Tips section of the Menu.

Finally, a list of films, books and websites for motivation and support.

These websites are excellent for books, articles, recipes, information, support

Juicemaster I recommend all of Jason’s books for their down-to-earth, lighthearted style in explaining how food works, how the food and pharma industries work, how juicing works.

Reboot with Joe Cross Aussie Joe is inspirational for his own journey, documented in his film Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. He also does guided reboots and his website has a wealth of information and advice.

The Natural Juice Junkie Neil is a leading Britsh juice exponent and lifestyle coach. His articles are informative, short and easy to read. He also does guided juice challenges.

My Goodness Recipes (Hanna and Jason Vale both rid themselves of the terrible symptoms of psoriasis through juicing and offer free plans on their websites)

SuperJuiceMe! The Documentary  Jason Vale took 8 volunteers with 22 different diseases, some life-threatening, which were not improving with allopathic (conventional) treatment, some very overweight, others not. He put them on a juicing regimen of fruit and vegetables for 28 days. This documentary follows their path and I defy you to watch and not reach for the tissues then quickly determine to make some changes to your lifestyle.

Food Matters TV From 11th January, 2017 you can watch both the Food Matters and Hungry for Change films free for 5 days via this website. The Food Matters team have an excellent website bringing regular articles on current health topics and research as well as healthy recipes and tips for an all round healthier lifestyle, including environmental changes.

My Post How I Juiced My Skin Clear: A Rash Decision?

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Are You in Need of a Juice Boost?

I am!

Are you feeling heavy and sluggish, is your skin dull and dry? Are your hormones all over the place?

The seemingly endless Thanksgiving/Divali/Christmas/Hannuka/New Year season of festive food can leave us feeling tired and unhealthy, while the long dark days of cold and damp weather can mean not so much fresh air and exercise resulting in being a few pounds overweight. Centrally heated homes and offices make our skin dull and dry, our airways stuffy and our lungs prone to inflammation and infections. (This last is true of air-conditioning, too, for those of you in warmer climates).

Next week, I am joining Jason Vale’s Big January Clean-Up to clear out the rubbish and reset my body, to help it through these months of colds, coughs and central heating.

I will be doing the first 14 days of his 28 Day SuperJuiceMe! plan followed by 7 days of his SuperFastFood book/app, both of which I’ve done before and I felt completely re-energised afterwards.

I have to make a few adjustments to some of the juices as I am allergic to pineapple and lime, but I replace them with mango, papaya and lemon.

Here are some links to preparing for a juice challenge, to help choose a juicer and to Jason’s website where you can obtain details of the free plan – there is still time to sign up for free daily coaching videos, free shopping list and daily emails with all the recipes:

Jason’s Free Big January Clean-Up

Which Juicer? – Where to Begin

My Top 20 Tips for Juicing – updated to 25!

Preparing to be SuperJuiced!

Preparing to be SuperJuiced Part 2

Juicing: How to Begin or Do As I Say, Not As I Did!

The Juice Junkie’s 5 Ways To Prepare For a Juice Cleanse

Start’s Monday, 9th January, 2017!

You don’t have to do the full 2 weeks, you could do a 3 day quickie or a 5 day pick-me-up, so long as you prepare and follow up with a plant-based diet so as not to put a strain on your digestive system during or after the challenge.

Remember, this is my personal experience.

Always check with your doctor before doing a prolonged juicing regime, especially if you’re on medication – some are more supportive than others.

It helps to find friends or online group support. I found my support on Twitter, but Jason has a facebook page where you can get all the advice and support you need, as does The Natural Juice Junkie.

Ps I really recommend watching Jason’s documentary SuperJuiceMe! Free on YouTube. It is one of the most inspiring films you will ever watch.

Jason Vale’s Free SuperJuiceMe! documentary

Good Luck and Good Health! Cheers!

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Copyright: Chris McGowan

Slow Juicers on Offer at Aldi This Week

Just a quick post to let my UK followers know that if you are thinking of investing in a juicer, Aldi UK are selling slow juicers for £39.99 this week. They come in 3 colours, red, grey and stainless steel.

I have no idea about the quality or efficiency of these juicers, but the price is very appealing if you want to have a go and see how you get on. As I write, there are currently no reviews on their website.

There are also nutri-bullet type blenders and stand mixers available, the mixers get 4 and 4.5 * reviews.

Be aware that Aldi offers sell out very quickly and can take a long time to come around again.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Long time, no see …

img_2602A quick post to apologise for lack of (hopefully) inspiring posts: we are metaphorically and literally running around like headless chickens trying to regain some sense of control over our living space so that we are prepared for a lovely surprise visit from the two family smalls tomorrow. We weren’t expecting them until Christmas Eve and have unwittingly turned their bedroom into something resembling a packing warehouse and their play room into Santa’s grotto, and so we have to try to clear it all away before they discover their presents a little on the early side!

Their bedroom is full of boxes, big and small, from all the parcels that have contrived to arrive all at once this week – some as part of a project we’re working on (can’t say more than that, walls have ears and all that), some awaiting returns labels, and some containing presents. The playroom has rolls of Christmas paper, cards in various stages of completion, wrapped up gifts strewn around and half-completed projects.

We are also in a quandary: is it too soon to put up the Christmas decorations for them, should we wait until Christmas so they get the full effect for their special visit (we don’t usually see them at Christmas and this year my mum will be meeting the youngest small for the first time too).

Then there’s food to prepare. Always a head-scratcher, this one. Littlest small won’t eat anything resembling a vegetable but will eat fruit and porridge till it comes out of his ears (sometimes literally!), older small will eat most things on her day but on others may decide she’s not in the mood and would rather be playing.

We spend a lot of time discussing what to have, trying to make sure we have their favourites only to discover those have moved over to the detested list and they’ve moved on to something else. Last time we were sure we were on to a winner with pizza, older small’s favourite, but neither of them ate any – older small actually preferred the salad! And younger small doesn’t like chips (fries)!! What child doesn’t like chips?? Husband makes them from scratch and is very proud of his oven chips, the older bigger ones gobble them up. Nope, smallest small only wants cheese and grapes, banana if you’re lucky – but he does love the Aduna Baobab bars* (and I happen to have just had a delivery), and they like my raw treats, so not all is lost.

It’s so hard fitting in two meals into such a short 6 hour visit, we end up spending most of the time preparing food, eating food, clearing away food, washing up and then there’s just enough time to read a story or two and we’re onto the next meal and then they have a bath and it’s into the car and off they go!

We spend such a lot of time and energy trying to get it right, but never really succeed. The teenage ones much prefer takeaway and so that is what we usually do for them and I cringe at what my followers would think of me, a vegan health and well-being blogger paying money for some of the most disgusting ‘food’ on this earth, which they wolf down with big grins on their faces while all I can think about is how many chemicals and processed unmentionables are being stored up for future health catastrophes! They, of course, think it’s hilarious and enjoy watching me squirm. (They eat healthily at home but regard visits here as opportunities to cut loose and have ‘treats’!)

Anyway, that’s our week so far. I am so tempted to put up all the lights etc. because I love to see the little ones’ faces, but I think HB will put his foot down and since he is the one who has to do it all, I have to acquiesce. Besides, there are only so many hours left before their visit and the grotto still isn’t sorted, we don’t yet know what food to prepare, the house needs cleaning and toddlerising, my back is shouting for mercy, oh, and I’m in the middle of a soup and juice plan!

I can’t wait to see them.

Wish us luck!

PS Here’s a link to a Guardian newspaper article on Aduna and the impact on local African economies of their market for baobab fruit, traditionally picked by women.

*https://aduna.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Half-Price Juicers 24 Hours Only!

A quick post: I don’t like this Black Friday mayhem but if you are thinking of buying a juicer for yourself or someone else, Jason Vale has a Half-Price Sale on selected appliances from Midnight tonight (GMT) for 24 hours only. (UK ONLY)

See my reviews Juicemaster Retro Super Fast Juicer: Review and Which Juicer? – Where to Begin?

Juice Master

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Happy Anniversary To Me – & A Big ‘Thank You’ To You!

img_2202Today, we are 1.

I’ve just received a message from WordPress, it seems it’s a whole year since I registered and tentatively, nervously began blogging. I had no idea what I was doing or if I was doing the right thing. It had been suggested a couple of times some time before that I write a blog, but I couldn’t imagine what I would have to say that was of any interest to anyone else.

Two things changed. I had been contributing recipes to The Raw Chocolate Company  blog for a few months when my son suggested I set up my own blog and I had also completed a couple of courses in raw nutrition and naturopathic nutrition. Now I felt I had something to say! I hoped I could pass on the knowledge and experience I had gained through decades of researching food and health. So many people are struggling with lifestyle health issues, perhaps I could help in some small way?

I have always needed to write, even if it was just a letter or a journal entry. I loved the old days of Compuserve where I was a regular contributor and in some instances Section Leader of various forums. I loved writing amusing anecdotes about our family as well as helping people with problems of one sort or another. Perhaps a blog could be an amalgamation of all that.

When I first wrote my About page, I was focused on juicing and raw food, providing health and nutrition advice, answering readers’ questions and so on. I categorically stated this wasn’t going to be a food blog as such and I wouldn’t be posting recipes other than juices!

Well, who knew!! Here I am a whole year later, and my blog is chock full of recipes! I quickly found they were the posts that garnered most views – people are obsessed with food photos, just take a glance at Instagram! – and I tried a different tack of including the health and nutritional information within these posts.

Therein lies the dilemma for many new bloggers: do I write what I want to write about or do I provide the content people want to read?

I also didn’t intend including any personal information – it took some time for me to pluck up the courage to even include a profile pic – however, after some months I was itching to return to family anecdotes, I really enjoy writing those, but I have to ration them and reign myself in because in the olden days of Compuserve, my family were either too young, too old or just not interested in forums so I was quite safe in the knowledge that no-one would ever read them. It’s all very different now! Every time I take a photo I hear a moan: Oh no, it’s not going on your blog is it?!

Today, twelve months down the line blogging takes up most of my thinking and writing time. I’ve also expanded to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook too, I am slowly taking over the world. You can’t get away fom me!

imageI want to say a big ‘thank you‘ to you all for giving me a reason to  do this, for all your kind comments and encouragement, with a particular thank you to those of you who have been here since the beginning when it was all a bit clunky and earnest at times.

Here’s your opportunity to give some feedback and let me know if there’s anything in particular you want me to include or you want to ask me about. Any constructive criticism? Do I post too often, for instance? Are the topics too diverse or too similar? Too many smoothies?

I realised recently that I tend to assume people know what certain items and terms are, so if there is ever anything I mention that you don’t understand, please ask me to explain.

I thought it might be fun to revisit one of my earliest posts: Pears But No More Parsnips: In Which I Confront My Parsnip Phobia! It explains in a light-hearted manner the origins of my blog title. It might give you smile.

Enjoy the video!

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Stop food companies from putting our kids at risk | Union of Concerned Scientists — Our Green Nation

Incredibly, there are no FDA limits to the amount of sugar allowed in so-called ‘healthy’ foods in the US.

 

Science in Action Demand Honest Health Claims on Foods Loaded with Added Sugars The FDA currently has limits on the amount of cholesterol, fat, and sodium that can be in foods bearing health claims, such as “healthy.” But there is no such limit for added sugars! Overconsumption of sugar has been linked to serious health…

via Stop food companies from putting our kids at risk | Union of Concerned Scientists — Our Green Nation

Health Revolution – Review & Recipe

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Recommended Read (and tasty recipe at the end of the post!)

If you are reading this blog because you are wanting to make some changes to your lifestyle and improve your health but you’re not sure where to begin, then this book is for you! 

Based on his own experiences, Dale Preece-Kelly describes how he once had everything and nearly lost it all – including his life – through bad luck, poor choices and an unhealthy lifestyle. In a style that is neither hectoring nor prescriptive, he takes you by the hand and gently guides you along the path that led him to living a happier and healthier lifestyle.

Dale is passionate about helping others and in writing this book he passes on what he has learned along the way, from being an overweight smoker and drinker on a slippery slope to a permanent hospital bed to becoming a man of many talents: actor, lifestyle coach, nutritionist, pet therapist and educator, and now writer, to name a few! (http://www.organicguineapig.com & http://www.critterishallsorts.co.uk)

Dale has an easy, accessible style that is chatty and amusing and very down-to-earth. His book is so easy to read and covers nutrition, juicing, addictions, exercise, household products and provides quick, tasty and healthy recipes to set you on the road to a better you. There’s even a recipe for toothpaste!

I have a couple of copies of the paperback version which I pass around to those who express an interest in leading a healthier lifestyle but can’t quite motivate themselves or who can’t see the forest for the trees.

It would make an excellent gift for those who regularly make Spring their season for personal improvement, but who get bogged down in Life or don’t have the support to make it sustainable.

Available on Kindle and Paperback from http://www.amazon.com

Organic Guinea Pig’s Signature Chocolate Orange Brownies

Vegan & Gluten-Free.

image

Prep. Time: 15-20 mins Cooking time: 25 mins. Preheat oven to 180C

Line oven dish with baking parchment

Ingredients:

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes

1/4 Cup Raw Organic Cacao Powder (We used The Raw Chocolate Company* version)

1 1/4 Cups Ground Almonds

1/4 Cup Honey (or Maple Syrup)

1/2 Cup Pitted Dates

Zest & Juice of 1 Orange

Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt

 Method:

Peel, chop and boil sweet potatoes for 5 minutes, or until cooked. Blend till smooth

(I recommend leaving the skin on if they’re organic, and steaming for more flavour)

Add all other ingredients and blend

Bake for 25 mins in a parchment-lined tray or until knife comes clean

Sprinkle chopped nuts over brownies before cutting into squares

Allow to cool before demolishing!

(Reproduced by kind permission)..

They are moist and tasty and keep well in a tight container in the fridge. We froze some of ours and they kept for ages, only because I wanted to save some for a family visit!

*The Raw Chocolate Company

Copyright: Chris McGowan