‘On the Road’ – a collection of sombre landscapes from the northwest coast of Scotland – more here
Time To Give Up Sugar? Mentor Me Off Sugar Days 10 & 11
Still going! Which is quite surprising to me. Yesterday went well. I have been trying to get my taste buds to like tea without sugar. I’m not there yet but Laura is confident that one day I will be.
It hasn’t been completely no fun. I had a roast chicken for dinner and I still had champagne left over from my birthday which I drank in the evening. I still had some grapes left over and I had a few because I have an ability to throw out food. I know it breaks the diet for week two but it was three grapes. Well, that is what I am telling myself anyway.
Although I find the diet hard I am also quite enjoying it. I like to push myself and do hard things. My energy has returned, in fact, I seem to have more than ever. The headaches come and go but with less intensity.
I have been eating a lot of vegetables which makes me feel healthier and I am sure there is an improvement in my skin and hair. The truth is; in the past years I have read a lot of books and articles about the dangers of sugar. But sugar tastes nice and is addictive and I never thought I would have the strength to get off it. I am shocked at how well I have been doing during the diet. I miss sugar, to be perfectly honest I might love sugar, but when something is bad for you, you need to find the strength to cut back. I am not saying I will never eat sugar again- that would actually be impossible- but I will always be vigilant and watch my sugar intake, even after this diet has finished.
There is great food out there that is actually good for you as the two pictures show. Vegetables do taste nice and can be cooked a variety of ways. Cheese and bread are great. Although I am getting sick of the latter.
Sugar gets a lot of bad press. Yesterday’s Daily Mail had this blaring headline:
Is sugar an invisible killer? Even ‘safe’ levels of the sweet stuff could lead to an early death, scientists warn
Scary stuff indeed but read this article from NHS Direct before completely freaking out.
Another point to make is that we are in an obesity epidemic and the reason so many people are overweight is because of sugar. A calorie is not a calorie, sugar tends to covert quickly to fat and spikes your insulin levels. No wonder over three million people in the UK now have diabetes. Sugar has also recently been linked to a higher dementia risk.
Our diets are killing us and if we exercised the power of ‘no’ we would be living longer, healthier lives. I am going to be researching sugar and bringing you my findings along with recipes and my progress. Please add your own comments and any recipes below.
I have managed to do well until day 11 but I am not perfect. After a piece of devastating family news yesterday I had a cup of tea, two sugar. That along with the grapes means I could definitely be doing better, something I promise to do for the rest of the week. Wish me luck!
Bare-faced confidence comes with age, new statistics reveal
Forget mascara, lippie and foundation: 46-plus women are anything but concealers
Half of women let their partners see them with no makeup all the time, research by Fragrance Direct has revealed, and women aged 46-plus are most likely to let a partner see them without cosmetics after spending just one day together.
The bare-faced approach is by far the most popular. Across all the combined age groups, 50 per cent of women go makeup-free around their partners all the time. This surpasses the small number who answered that they never let their partner see them makeup-free (two per cent) and those who answered ‘only when I’m ill’ (two per cent). Slightly more said they only bare all straight after a shower (four per cent), or just before bed (seven per cent), and more women still (35 per cent) said their partner sees them without makeup ‘around the house’. However, the clear favourite indicates that regularly going makeup-free is the preferred choice during a relationship.
The poll found that it is most common to reveal a makeup-free face to a partner within the first month (with 46 per cent of respondents waiting this long). However, women aged over 46 are the quickest to go without cosmetics in front of their partner, with the highest proportion of women who said their partners see them product-free the next day after starting a relationship being in the 46-plus age bracket.
Anne, 41 year-old personal trainer and weight management coach discusses the possible reasons for the apparent increase in confidence that allows more women aged 46-plus to go makeup-free: “I feel that as you get older, people see you in a different light, or are looking for different things – it’s as though they are looking for the ‘real’ you.”
Anne goes on to talk about the role of makeup within a relationship: “There are probably less games to play as you get older, so not wearing makeup at all isn’t really a big deal. When you are younger you have the feeling that you need to continuously impress.”
Testing the Playstation 4
Recently Frost was lucky enough to attend an event held by Argos showing off some of the top gifts for this Christmas. Among them was the much anticipated Playstation 4 which we were lucky enough to try. Unfortunately there were no games available but there was a demo showing off some of the potential of the machine.
In the demo I’m shown I sit down to see myself on the screen in front of me! The playstation camera which also acts as a motion sensing device beams me onto the screen but there’s also a floating robot head sitting next to me. What’s really clever is how the motion sensing device picks up your depth of field. I can interact with my robot friend my tickling him for example.
The demo also shows off the new controller’s capacitiative pad. By flicking the pad i can bring out more interactive robot heads and do a whole load of different things. I can even hoover them up and make them laugh.
Games are getting more real as the capabilities of the hardware grows. I was also lucky enough to try Oculus Rift recently which really blew my mind but that’s another story. It’s undoubtedly an exciting time ahead. It was very absorbing and a little overwhelming at first. I totally lost myself in it and in my excitement I smashed the glass of orange juice sitting next to me! My bubble was broken and I returned to the real world. It was clear to see this is a very powerful piece of hardware and I can’t wait to see what software designers are going to do with it but there is definitely tremendous potential.
Look out for the PS4 at Christmas from £349 $399
Liz Earle’s Skin-Saving Salads & Dressing Recipes for Summer Picnics
Liz Earle on sensational salads and skin friendly dressings
The perfect choice for Bank Holiday picnics
Heading out for a family picnic? Look no further for some healthy pack-and-go recipes from Liz Earle, creator of the award-winning Liz Earle Beauty Co., mother of five and organic farmer. When time is tight but you still want something tasty everyone will enjoy, try these simple summer salad suggestions packed with skin-saving goodness to help nourish sun-kissed skins.
SENSTAIONAL SALADS
Chopped salads are a simple way of combining local, fresh and seasonal skin-friendly foods in one healthy picnic dish. Each of the recipes here is designed to be prepared in advance and put into plastic boxes, perfect to keep fresh when travelling. They make great office lunch-boxes too. Here are Liz’s personal favourites:
Sunshine Salad
Serves 6
For the dressing:
150ml (1/2 pint) cold pressed olive oil or rape seed oil
25ml (1fl oz) fresh lime juice
2tsps French mustard
freshly ground black pepper
For the salad:
4 large carrots, scrubbed and grated
225g (8oz) mixed salad leaves, such as spinach, radicchio, frisḗe, oakleaf and Batavia leaves, endive and lamb’s lettuce
50g (2oz) sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
50g (2oz) hazelnuts, almonds or pecans, finely chopped
Combine the salad ingredients together in a large bowl and mix thoroughly before transferring to a picnic box. Next, mix together the dressing ingredients and store in an airtight container or jam jar, ready to shake and drizzle over the salad just before eating. Sun-dried tomatoes keep well for picnics but you can also replace with twice the amount of cherry tomatoes, which also travel well. Both kinds of tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, an important antioxidant that may help prevent sunburn, reddening of the skin in the sun and even some kinds of skin cancers.
Herb Salad
This tasty all-leaf salad makes a great accompaniment to a cold pasta or rice salad. Don’t be tempted to make a more complicated dressing – let the herb flavours speak for themselves.
Serves 4
300g (11oz) mixed salad leaves such as; spinach, radicchio, frisee, chicory, rocket (argula)
50g (2oz) mixed fresh herbs such as; chevrl, basil, parsley, coriander
2tbsps (30ml) olive oil, rape seed or walnut oil
1tsp (5ml) lemon juice
Mix the salad leaves and place into a picnic container, or put into a bag ready to tip into a salad serving bowl. Mix the remainder of the ingredients in a travel container or jam jar. Shake well to mix before drizzling over the salad before serving. Green leafy salads, such as baby spinach, rocket and lambs lettuce, are an especially useful source of skin-friendly beta-carotene, an important antioxidant that helps prevent the free-radical cell damage that leads to premature skin ageing. Each of the plant oils suggested here is a good source of the skin-plumping essentially fatty acids that help keep skin soft and smooth.
DELICIOUS DRESSINGS
Dressings are the fastest way to liven up raw vegetables and salad combinations, making summer salads tastier whilst adding more skin-saving nutrients. The thicker dressings are based on yoghurt and can also be used as dips for raw veggie crudités. For the thickest dips, use a Greek-style yoghurt. Quick and easy to prepare in advance, simply store in a plastic sealable pot or jam jar to pack with your summer picnic.
Fine French Dressing
If stored tightly sealed in the fridge, this dressing will also keep for up to a week.
Makes 300ml (1/2 pint)
175ml (6fl oz) unrefined sunflower or safflower oil
120ml (4fl oz) freshly squeezed lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
1/2tsp mustard, Dijon or whole grain can be used
1/2tsp freshly grated root ginger
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Put all the ingredients in a screw-top jar, replace the lid and shake vigorously to mix well. This twist on the traditional classic has added fresh ginger for a unique zingy freshness. Works especially well when combined with skin-cleansing salads based on cucumber, chicory and fennel.
Cucumber Dressing
A delicious, refreshing dressing that also works well on sliced avocados, one of the richest sources of the skin-saving antioxidant vitamin E.
Serves 2-4
150g (5oz) cucumber
150g (5oz) natural low-fat, plain live (bio) yoghurt
1tsbp cider vinegar
1 sprig of dill
½ tsp dried sill seeds
Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor (or hand-held whisk) until the dressing is smooth and creamy. The bio yoghurt is packed with healthy acidophilus, the beneficial intestinal bacteria that can also help to keep skin clear.
Yoghurt and Chive Dressing
Serves 2-4
150ml (1/2 pint) natural low-fat, plain live (bio) yoghurt
1tbsp lemon juice
1tbsp Dijon mustard
2tbsp chopped chives
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
freshly ground black pepper
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together, adding black pepper to season, and stir vigorously. Alternatively, place ingredients in a large, screw-top jar, replace the lid and shake well. Yoghurt and chives are a tasty, skin-friendly combo containing calcium and vitamin C.
Orange and Tamari Dressing
Tamari sauce is made from soya beans and is similar to soy sauce. This tangy recipe works very well with raw baby spinach or dark green salad leaves. It is also a useful dressing for those who dislike vinegar.
Serves 2-4
150ml (1/2 pint) freshly squeezed orange juice
1tsp grated orange peel
2tbsps tamari sauce
1tsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
3tsbsps cold-pressed olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together and stir well before using. Alternatively, put the ingredients into a large, screw-top jar, replace the lid and shake well. Use organically grown oranges where possible, alternatively, scrub the skins in mildly water to remove fungicide residues and rinsing well before grating. A cleansing and refreshing dressing, rich in the skin-saving antioxidant vitamins A (in the form of beta-carotene from the oranges), vitamin C (also from the orange juice) and Vitamin E (from the olive oil). Orange peel also contains skin-friendly bioflavonoid nutrients and fresh ginger is a traditional intestinal cleanser.
Follow @LizEarleMe on Twitter for more tips on wellbeing.
Liz Earle is backing this year’s Sunlight Campaign run by the National Osteoporosis Society to show people how to safely embrace the sun to protect their health. For more information head to: http://www.nos.org.uk/page.
82% Of Couples Admit To Selling Wedding Gifts Online
- 42% of guests admit that they find buying a wedding gift ‘stressful’
- More than one in ten wedding guests (12%) said they were often embarrassed by their gift choice
- One in five fully expect their gifts to be left unused, returned or sold
- One in ten will decline a wedding invitation altogether because of worries over the gift
Photo credit: TrueMalyugin
New research reveals that 82% of newlyweds admit to selling wedding gifts on internet sites like Ebay.
Despite the use of wedding lists and the amount of thought guests put into selecting the perfect present, it seems that most newlyweds still end up with impractical presents that they just don’t want or need.
Couples taking part in the research revealed some very strange gifts indeed, with one receiving a tarantula and another couple who were presented with a gift-wrapped banana.
It also seems that many guests give presents expecting them to be sold on. More than one in ten wedding guests (12%) said they were often embarrassed by their gifts and one in five fully expect their gifts to be left unused, returned or sold.
The research indicates that more practical gifts or even group gifts are the solution, for example contributions to the honeymoon or money for house improvements would be welcomed.
42% of guests admit that they find buying a wedding gift ‘stressful’.
Worries over what gift to purchase have resulted in one in ten Brits declining a wedding invitation altogether, believing that a bad gift decision could cause an argument between friends. 6% even believe it could end a friendship.
The research was done by One4all, a gift card from the Post Office,
5 Ways to Make Your House a Home
Getting a house of your very own is an exciting experience and you will want to start putting your stamp on it straight away. Turning a house into a home is a great way of making it yours in a special way and so here are the top five ways you can make your new house into a personal, warm home for you and your family.
Personal Touches
It is the people who live in a house that make it into a home and so make the most of the people around you. Photographs and mementos hung in stylish frames make great wall art and you can put them in any room of the house. You can even get your friends and family to help you decorate your home thus create new memories and a familiar feeling every time you enter.
Make It Yours
When you are looking to decorate your house, you will probably look through hundreds of brochures, trawl the internet and speak to everyone you know about what they think but, in the end, this is your house and you need to make the final decision. Go with your instincts, even if it’s not in the latest decorating magazines and you will find your home has a personal, meaningful look that is all you.
Invite Me In
A house becomes a home when the people you love feel conformable and welcomed when they visit. A bright and warm home will put them immediately at ease and you should always make sure you have plenty of seating to accommodate everyone. Of course, an emergency tin of biscuits in the cupboard and lots of mugs for tea and coffee are essential too. A cold, draughty house is one way to put people off visiting so it is worth taking a look at your heating system and seeing if it needs an update. There are so many beautiful fireplace suites to choose from on the market and it will keep your home warm and toasty – perfect for when visitors drop by unexpectedly.
A Finishing Touch
Although it can’t always be helped, people will feel more comfortable in a home that isn’t halfway through a renovation. A half-finished bathroom or bare walls in the lounge don’t exactly scream ‘come on in!’ and you will feel less than pleased that guests are seeing your work half-done. Try to get things finished once you begin and don’t let DIY jobs over-run into weeks instead of days. The bigger jobs, such as changing your heating works may take a little longer but they are worth getting done in one go if you can – especially when there are plenty of fires & stoves at Homebase to choose from!
A Group Effort
If you live with others, it is important that they have a say in how your home should look. A spouse may have ideas of their own about what style to choose for a particular room and with the rush of getting things done; sometimes we can ignore their requests by accident. Make sure you have discussions about what you both want for your home before you begin. The same goes for children too – let them have an input into what their room will look like so that they feel that their own personal space has their very own stamp of approval on it.
Time To Give Up Sugar? Mentor Me Off Sugar Day 8 & 9
Yesterday was my birthday and before I agreed to do this programme I promised that my birthday would be a day off. Otherwise I was not sure I could agree. While I did ‘break’ the diet to a degree something else happened: healthy sugar habits.
In my phone call to Laura, my mentor me off sugar mentor, she looked over the questionnaire that all people who do the programme fill in. The questionnaire is lots of food questions so Laura can access weaknesses and what your eating habits are. We both realise I am not an emotional eater but that I tend to use drinks with sugar and caffeine in to boost my energy and get me through the day. I asked her about alcohol as, although I do not drink a lot in my personal life, my work life requires me to review alcohol and go to parties were cocktails flow freely. Laura says the programme is not overtly strict and alcohol is allowed, the sugar is generally burnt off, but to be careful with the affect of alcohol on blood sugar levels. Rose and sweet cocktails are out: dry white wine and red wine are in.
So back to my birthday: small gift cake (yes, really! What has happened to me? I could have had any cake and choose one about the size of my fist and give most of it to my other half), only white booze which is not sweet and two cups of tea. While this is diverting from the programme I am proud of myself. My birthday is usually a decadent blow out.
Birthday aside, now the real work begins. Week two and three are far stricter: no fruit except avocado, tomatoes, lime and lemon, no dark chocolate, no white bread, pasta or couscous. No fruit drinks either. Yikes.
It is scary but I have already decided to take this seriously. I am already slimmer and Laura says I am doing well. I feel like I have been through the worst of the detox and there is new opportunity to open up my culinary horizon. I saw a cake on my friends Facebook page and felt I was missing out, and then I just think about my health. I feel I have been abusing my body with large quantities of caffeine and sugar.
Last week I did better than I thought I would and this week I am determined to do even better. I will be posting some recipes and facts about sugar. I already feel better about my health and the future in general. It sounds like a strange thing to say but we live in a very convenient society. To flex your willpower and say no, even to things you really want, makes you feel powerful. You even think about the next obstacle to climb, the next thing to conquer. This is hard, but that makes it more worthwhile.