Category: General ramblings

Hey everyone

I hope you are all doing well. my legs have been quite sore today (after that run  yesterday) but in strange places. My hips have felt tight whereas usually it’s my hamstrings. Who knows why. But I did get to go to the waffle house after work as it is my students last week (and she is a fan too)- I had a lovely waffle with pecans and butterscotch sauce- delicious (and will surely help with recovery).

I have been loving this snack this past week! I was inspired by Claire to try some cocoa/cacao nibs (are they the same thing?)- this was vanilla soya yoghurt, cocoa nibs and some trail mix. So tasty! I thought the cocoa nibs would be bitter, but they add a lovely crunch and a sort of cocoa flavour too.   Now I am sad because I used the last of the yoghurt yesterday and have nothing else to add sprinkles too.

Well anyway, I mentioned before that one of my jobs for the weekend was to sort out the clothes that I don’t wear any more. I normally leave them out in one of those charity bags, but I have not been sent one of them recently. And someone mentioned (Lara possibly?) that she used a clothes recycling company, where they pay you for each item, or a certain amount per kilogram.

So that was me on Sunday evening- pairing up old boots and shoes, and folding up all my old jumpers and things. The link above pays per item, so if you had designer things it would be worth entering each one. I went for a pay per kg website in the end, as I don’t buy expensive clothes to begin with really.

I am not quite finished. I need to go through my jeans- I have so many pairs and really only wear a few on rotation. Last year after I came out of hospital I had to buy a bigger pair (partly because I had put on a little weight after being pretty sedentary for months, and also because my scars were right around my waist) but they are a little too big now and not very flattering either. I have some others that don’t fit that well but I like to keep a spare pair for gardening in, plus some are better with boots and some are better with trainers. That will be a mammoth trying on session I think.

I have some jumpers in a box in the wardrobe- I put them in there to see if I will ever need to wear them. Then, if I don’t then after a few months I know they can be recycled.

So now instead of a pile of clothes in the corner of the living room, we have a big filled with clothes, waiting for me to finish sorting them out so it can be collected. Ah well, I did get closer to the end of the job now! I love that feeling when I have had a big sort out, so that is my incentive at the moment.

Do you love a good sort out? Cocoa/ cacao nibs? Is there a difference? 

 

Hey peeps

I hope you are all doing well. I was sent this article for my blog, and I was really interested to read it. I am someone who can get stressed very easily indeed. Generally I think a lot of it is to do with my personality- I can be a bit of a worrier and a bit jumpy, and very nervous about things too. I have got a lot better at dealing with stressful situations- I remember reading once to ask yourself “will this matter in a year?”. That really helped me, as I find it helps me to realise that I need not worry about a lot of things. But I still get that feeling of being overwhelmed with things on my “to-do” list, and worry about having time to fit everything in.

Anyway, read on and let me know what you think (or if you have any good tips of your own).

Your kids are arguing.  The house payment is overdue.  The cat’s sick. Your car needs a tune up and the hours at work aren’t enough to keep anything extra in savings.

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone.  The day to day stresses of life can pile up and it can be overwhelming.  Not only does stress make you feel frazzled and anxious, but it can also lead to serious issues with your body.  Stress is a normal part of life and to an extent our bodies were made to handle it. But when stress goes overboard and becomes a dominating force in your everyday life, your body and your mind will suffer.   Often, stress may be affecting you and you won’t even know it!

When you’re stressed, your body changes secretions of chemicals and hormones in your body to react to it.  Your adrenal glands are the main part of your body that controls your “fight of flight” reaction –this is where cortisol is released. The adrenals also help maintain blood sugar and normalize your body’s balance of salt and water.  It doesn’t matter if you are running for your life, or just trying to finish your next series of deadlines at work – your body doesn’t know the difference and it will respond in the same way. If the adrenals are in constant overdrive, there can be huge negative effects to the rest of your body. Our bodies simply weren’t designed to be stressed all the time.

Did you know that when cortisol is released on a regular basis, it can weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to sickness?  It can also suppress your appetite and increase your levels of blood glucose so you’ll naturally desire unhealthy carbohydrates and fats.  If you’re stressed, your body also releases adrenaline into your bloodstream.  Imagine you’re being chased by an angry colony of bees. What happens? Your body reacts: your heart starts pounding, you feel a rush of blood to the head and heart, and there is a natural burst of energy.  You’re ready to run.  Well, even in your daily activities, stress can cause adrenaline to course through your body.  And if this is happening for an extended period of time, you’ll see effects on your body: acne, back pain, muscle tension, throbbing headaches, and even increased blood pressure or high cholesterol.

In men, stress can affect testosterone and cause fatigue as well as a lack of sex drive.  For women, stress can cause increased cortisol and decreased oestrogen production.  This is a recipe for painful and irregular menstrual cycles.

Furthermore, stress will affect your sleep. In stress mode, your body is in that fight or flight state – it’s going to have a hard time shutting down enough to rest calmly.  So, not only are you dealing with stress, but you’re dealing with fatigue, which can affect your brain’s ability to think clearly.  And without sleep, your body isn’t given the chance to recharge or refuel to keep your immune system strong.

If you feel that the stresses of your life are starting to control you and are seriously affecting your quality of life, look closely at your health insurance policy and find a doctor that specialises in stress disorders.   Be sure to explain to your doctor your detailed medical history so a thorough plan can be made based on that.

It’s time to get out of survival mode and into a life free of constant stress.  Talk to your doctor about ways you can reduce stress while still living a healthy, active lifestyle!

Do you feel that you get affected by stress? What are your top tips for staying stress-free?

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Hey peeps

Gosh the bank holiday weekend seems like ages ago now! It was my birthday at the start of May, a great time to have it as it often falls on the long weekend. Not this time, but we decided to go away and make the most of the lovely weather, and our National Trust memberships.

After dinner on Friday night we drove down to Bournemouth where we had a hotel in the town centre for the night. I really wanted to have a run over the weekend, so on Saturday morning we headed out for a run along the seafront. It was grey and cloudy, but still lovely to run by the sea for a change. Our run went steeply uphill for a short time, and then along the top (not really the cliff edge, but up high)- this wiped out my energy for the rest of the run! We ran along the top, down some steps and out a bit further, for just over 2 miles, and then turned around and ran back along by the sea. My, it was tough! The wind was strong and blowing up the sand, which was stinging my face and legs. We were going to go out for breakfast, but took too long having showers, so by the time we were done we had to check out. We went for a wander looking for a nice cafe we had read about on the internet, but after a while could not find it and went to Starbucks instead. That was OK- I love a cinnamon roll after a run, and we were going to share one, but the person in front of me got the last one! And I asked- no, they had no more. So we shared a lemon muffin instead- quite nice, but no cinnamon roll.

The view from the tearoom- so beautiful.

After a walk around the town in the grey, we drove to Corfe castle. The car park was full so we went to the signposted park and ride. This turned out to not be a park and ride, but a pay and display car park for an old railway line.

We had bought some lunch in M&S, so we sat in the sunshine and had that first. I had most of the lovely salad (squash and pomegranate and a lovely carrot dip), Andy had most of the wrap (which I think was roasted veggies and falafels or something) and we shared the fruit salad. Lovely. Then we walked to Corfe castle as it was maybe a mile away- not that far.

Me squinting in the sunlight!

Of course we decided to have tea! We were going to have cake each, but the carrot cake was so huge we just shared that instead.

Then it was off to the castle- there was a battle re-inactment going on which was a bit strange, but we could still walk around and see it.

It is so impressive that so much of the castle is still there. You can see the tents and things of the battle all around, and also the tearoom!

After that we walked back to the car and drove to Weymouth, where we had a B&B for the other two nights.

That was the view from our window! So close to the sea! We could hear the waves lapping on the shore at night; so relaxing.

The next morning we headed to Lulworth Cove- I had been there on some school trips at Primary school, but Andy had never been and the weather was just beautiful so we were looking forward to just being outside.

The sky was blue, the sea was blue. Perfect.

We walked along to see Durdle Door- some of the path had been in a land slip so we had to walk inland a little bit on the cliff. That was a steep walk and I wished I had packed my proper walking shoes as my trainers have such thin soles.

Lots of people in the water too.

We walked down to the beach and sat there for ages just soaking up the sun (luckily I had put suncream on).

So pretty.

That’s the landslip- pretty crazy.

Then we walked back to the village and had some lunch. Well, Andy had lunch, and I had tea and a scone as that is one of the best bits about holidays!

Apple and mint Suki tea, and a scone with jam. The man was most concerned that I didn’t want cream with it!

Then we saw a place selling local ice cream, so shared a pot of mango and coconut- delicious 🙂

In the afternoon we went to a couple of National Trust places- Thomas Hardy’s house, and where he was born which was this place:

A very pretty cottage in the woods.

Then we headed back in the direction of Weymouth- we stopped for a walk along Chesil beach before going out for dinner and walking around the town for a bit.

On Monday morning we went to a wonderful National Trust place called Kingston Lacy. It had such beautiful gardens- we spent about 2 hours walking around them I think.

We did go in the house- I think they are OK but I much prefer the gardens (but seeing as we are members we may as well go for a look).

The woods were so pretty too.

And there was a very pretty Japanese garden.

Of course, we then stopped for tea once more, this time sharing some Dorset apple cake (had to be done- when in Rome etc).

We were going to stop somewhere else along the way, but the traffic was bad so we came straight home instead.

What a lovely weekend filled with a lot of tea and cake it seems!

I did get some lovely gifts for my birthday. Mine and Andy’s birthday presents to each other was our trip to the cirque show in Vegas, but he did get me some peanut butter cups 🙂 I was also given some very pretty things- a photo frame, lovely candles, and smellies. I was given vouchers by mine and Andy’s family, which I put towards a blender! How exciting! I picked it up last Tuesday but it has not been warm enough weather just yet. Perhaps tomorrow we might use it to make an iced chai.

I think Dorset is one of my favourite places to visit in England- it is just so pretty. And filled with tearooms. Where is your favourite place?