It’s almost everywhere you look, Fit-Inspiration, or Fitspo. It’s that barrage of motivational memes with that slightly nastiness about them, it’s those ‘miracle‘ shakes, wonder pills, apps for tracking calories, detox teas and so-called ‘influencers‘ showing us how wonderful life could be if we were disciplined, dedicated and toned. If you’re happy and comfortable in your own skin, then possibly all this fitspo just washes over you. However for some it’s a little more damaging, and can feel like yet another reminder that you’re just not good enough and yet another edition to your to-do list. While there are few contemporary studies into the negative effects of Fitspo, previous research does suggest that an over exposure to fitness related images can be detrimental, particularly to women. Fitspo started out as an online phenomenon, spurred on by Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram but morphed to include things like apps and television shows; helping to create multi-millionaires out of entrepreneurs like Kayla Itsines with her Bikini Body Guide workout app. Nowadays, however, the world almost seems to be full of superfood focused, raw juice obsessed, turmeric crazed, workout junkies, Paleo pedantic, health and wellness diehards. Me on the other hand, I try to eat well […]
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While there are parts of winter I love… electric blankets, winter clothes and winter food, but I’m not really not that fond of what makes actually winter. It’s the cold, I’m more of a hot house flower as my Nana would say, I’m not lover of cool temperatures and I most definitely suffer from the Winter Blues. The Winter Blues are actually a thing. As the days get shorter and nights get colder some of us tend to suffer from low energy, mild depression and the desire to hibernate until the warmer temperatures return. Severe Winter Blues is also actually a thing, a very real thing, known technically as Seasonal Affect Disorder (S.A.D), which for sufferers obviousyly occurs every year at the same time… winter. The exact cause of S.A.D isn’t really known, but many people believe the seasonally depression is linked to reduced exposure to sunlight, as sunlight can affect some of the brain’s chemicals and hormones. Lack of sunlight is thought to affect the production of mood hormones melatonin and serotonin. Serotonin is a feel good brain chemical and low levels have been linked to mood, stress, anxiety and poor sleeping patterns because serotonin can also be converted into melatonin […]
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I found it on Pinterest after searching things to do in London… and then ended up delving into an Instagram / Google image rabbit hole of London street art pictures. I loved them all and desperately wanted to see these often temporary artworks hidden up close. The colours, the messages, the pop icons, the dark humour and political messages… this was definitely the beginning of my interest in street art. Street art essentially stems from artists wanting to share their work in a public arena without going through the whole gallery process, and the term itself often conjures up thoughts of political messages and anti-establishment vibes from the 70’s Punk Rock movement. I guess what I love the most is that lingering sticking it to the man vibe, it appeals to my love of music from the 60’s and 70’s and my appreciation for people willing to be their own weird selves. Pretty quickly I was convinced that a London Street Art tour was a must for our London itinerary, and when I read about the possibility of seeing work by renowned street artist Banksy, that was definitely the clincher. We’d already spent enough time in lengthly cues, and we’d […]
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I love a good TED Talk, there’s something almost magical about finding one that feels like it’s speaking solely to you and no one else. Often in life, I feel like a creative genius with no form of creative outlet traditional artistic talent, I have so much buzzing around in my head in terms of ideas, thoughts, day-dreams and goals that I feel almost worn out and lost. I find TED Talks to be a great source of calm and a great way to reignite purpose. While searching for creative inspiration a few months back, I stumbled across a TED Talk by Elizabeth Gilbert… and had an ah-ha! moment. You possibly don’t know who Elizabeth Gilbert is, don’t worry I didn’t either at first to be honest. Elizabeth Gilbert is the best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love as well as six other books. I’d certainly heard of her work, and was intrigued about what a big time author would have to share, and I was especially intrigued after she mentioned people now treating her like she was “doomed“… and the pressure to create another best-seller. I’ve never written a best-seller, or even a slow seller for that matter, […]
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Whether you’re trying to cut carbs completely or just cut back a wee bit, this Easy Peezy Seed Loaf is exactly that ridiculously easy to make and pretty darn tasty too. Super versatile, you can enjoy it with a range of toppings like cheese, avocado or garlic butter INGREDIENTS ¾ cup sunflower seeds ¾ cup pumpkin seeds ¼ cup linseed/flaxseed (whole) 2 tbsp chia seeds ¼ cup Ceres Organics Ground LSA + P (linseed, sunflower seed, almond + pumpkin seeds) ¼ cup psyllium husk 2 tbsp infused olive oil, I recommend The Village Press range ¼ cup water 4 eggs salt/pepper 1 tsp Turmeric 1 tsp rosemary, fresh if you have it but dried is fine. Instructions Place all ingredients in a bowl, except the rosemary, and mix well. Once thoroughly combined place the mixture into a lined loaf tine and leave to sit for approximately 30 minutes before placing in the oven. It’s easier to put the mixture in a loaf tin when it’s still relatively runny. Leaving the mixture to sit before placing it in the oven will ensure excess moisture is absorbed. Just before popping the loaf into the oven, sprinkle the rosemary on top. Bake the seed loaf at 180 degrees C […]
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It always seems like a good book is hard to find when you need it most… so below are two recommended reads. Buddhist Boot Camp By Timber Hawkeye Given to me by a friends on a similar journey this book is now my handbook. Open any page on any given day and read for just a few minutes for non-sectarian approach to being at peace with the world. Timber Hawkeye is a real person who once upon a time was also on a journey, in this book he shares his experiences without preaching. I guess the beauty of this book is that it is easy to read, easy to understand, the chapters are small and you can read them in absolutely any order and it’s all highly relatable. You don’t need to be a buddhist to find the teachings motivational, it’s all about training your mind and boot camp is the ideal method for those of us who are time poor or with limited attention spans As the Dalai Lama says, “Don’t try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist; use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are.” Buddhism isn’t just about meditating, it’s about being present […]
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Knowing what to do, or how to handle things when someone you know has depression or anxiety can be tricky. You can feel like there’s a constant elephant in the room, or that your treading on egg shells. Everyone’s journey is different and even if you’ve battled through depression or anxiety, your journey will be different to anyone else’s. There are hundreds of different blogs, articles and books aimed at explaining and simplifying what you can do to help someone going through depression, anxiety or any other mental health issue, but in all honesty there is no straight forward answer. I’ve heard some stupid advice over the years ” …you have nothing to be depressed about, there are plenty of people who have things worse.” If that was how being depressed was determined, then by the same token, why bother being happy as there is always someone who has it better. I know for me personally my biggest problem has always been, and will probably always continue to be my self confidence. There is nothing I doubt more than my place in the world, my own abilities and how other people see me. Depression and anxiety aren’t things based purely on have vs […]
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Sometimes in life you get a little stuck, almost glued to the spot and unable to move forward. Sometimes it’s because of a major life event, other times it’s just a shitty mood, the kind you just can’t shake. “You put too much pressure on yourself” “ You’re too hard on yourself” “You need to have more confidence in your decisions” Lately I’ve heard these statements a lot, but nobody ever offers me any magical fixes, amazing cures or helpful advice. It’s not their fault that I can’t snap of it, I know I should but knowing and doing are always closely aligned. Sometimes it feels like I’m doomed to be eternally unhappy with myself… I achieve something and immediately find fault and point out my own short comings. I’ve been stuck here before, and know what I need to do in order to reboot and reset. I don’t expect perfection from others people, so why am I so hard on myself? When you reboot or restart your computer, you’re fixing how it is functioning currently, rather than changing the whole computer. You’re bring your computer back to where it was before or where it needs to be, rather than slow and sluggish. […]
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Sometimes you’d almost rather sit in silence than make mindless small talk. Sometimes you just crave a proper, meaningful conversation, you want something with a little more depth and a tad more meaning. Sometimes you just want to know a little bit more about people. and want them to know a little more about you. There are times when you require a little more from your interpersonal connections than Instagram or Facebook can provide. Enter Kalina Silverman, an American Research Scholar reinventing small talk and transforming it into BIG TALK. I was first introduced to Kalina’s “Big Talk‘ concept in one of those inevitable small talk situations… a group outing. Not just any group outing, an outing full of people I didn’t know. Midst all the small talk and bog standard get-to-know-you chit chat, one of my new acquaintances dropped a bombshell … she’d come armed with great conversation starters and was willing to use them … “If you knew you were going to die on Monday, what would you do tomorrow” a far better conversation than where do you work and a much more interesting way to learn about someone. She’d discovered BIG Talk while watching Ted Talks on YouTube, and had taken […]
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Bullying nowadays takes on many shapes and forms, it’s no longer just the kids taunting one another on the playground at school. Bullies come in many shapes and forms, there workplace bullies, cyber bullies, women bullying other women, bosses bully employees, customers and clients who bully staff… bullying is literally everywhere. Bullying is deliberate, whether words or actions or even inactions, it’s the act of doing or saying something with the intent being to hurt, mock or bring someone down At high school I was called ugly by a group of girls. Day in and day out I was taunted with the words ugly and useless, the words unwanted and hate were also thrown into the mix, leaving a lingering feeling of pity and self-doubt in their wake. I tried to avoid these girls, who were once my friends, but they made a special effort to hunt me out. Prior to the names and the words, the end of our “friendship” was signaled by the girls filling my drink bottle with toilet water and laughing while I unknowingly drunk it. At primary school a teacher on several occasions called me stupid in front of the entire class, and a group […]
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