Health and Fitness

I did it, I moved to the dork side (this is a running/tech post)

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I started running this year. Not serious running, like I won’t be running any half-marathons anytime soon, but I still consider myself a runner (I’m currently the 5km queen in my own head). I’m also easily distracted and 5km in silence can feel like a Comrades Marathon to near-death, so I bought myself a little iPod shuffle, loaded it with the latest A State of Trance podcasts, grabbed my SWEET noise-cancelling Puma earphones and hit the road (mountain).

They kept falling out of my ears, no matter how I placed them, which size buds I used, how I clipped them, they fell out as I ran. Balls. I dug in my drawers for all my old earphones and tried them all. They all failed.

Earphones2

 

This last Saturday’s run was the end of it for me. I got so annoyed that I ran back down the mountain, into my car and to the nearest shopping mall to pick up some dorky wrap-around-the-ear versions.

I found a decent pair from Philips to try out. They’re called ActionFit and although they’re not as good sound quality as my good ol’ Pumas, they’re pretty decent and not badly priced at around R300 a pair from Dion Wired.

Philips ActionFit2

I took them out for a test run this morning and they stayed on the entire time, I didn’t fiddle with them once. Snug as a bug in a rug (or a Candice in a goose down duvet). And they don’t make me feel like a dork, they make me feel like a pro.

Philips ActionFit

 

The tea that makes me want to love more

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Two things in life that I love: creative entrepreneurship and tea. So it was no surprise that I fell in love with Lady Bonin’s Tea at first sight (sip). Lady Bonin herself (Jess Bonin) is one of the most honest and down-to-earth people I have ever met and her personality just oozes love for her tea, love for others and love for herself.

photo (11)

Her story is so unique and so real. She gave up a job that no longer satisfied her and started selling tea out of a 1957 caravan. She now owns a successful and thriving business which boasts the infamous mobile tea caravan, a gorgeous tea parlour in Woodstock and a growing distribution channel. Her story is such an inspiration to all of us entrepreneurs. You know those days when you think you’re just potting along and making it up as you go? It’s great to be reminded of what a person is capable of and how visions can bloom with hard work, dedication and love for what you do.

Her Earl Grey in bed in the morning makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, her “Bliss” tea in the afternoon makes me happy and her chamomile in the evening takes me to another place. I can’t wait to stock up on more and more along the way.

Lady Bonin tea makes me want to love more.

P.S. For the Joburg folk, the tea is stocked at La Vie En Rose and Wolves at the moment and an online store is coming soon.

My Sanity

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Running

I LOVE my exercise. I can’t cope without it. It’s my sanity, my health regulator and helps me fit into my bikini (somewhat). It makes me happy.

I went into this year with a big problem. I had been having years of lower back pain after exercise, due to some sort of lower back disc issue that I can’t fathom to try and explain in normal human language. I had just started running and was IN LOVE with it, training for my first 10km ever and feeling on top of the world. Until my back gave in again and I was back at the physio in excruciating pain. I was told to give up the running and any sort of impact sports – my lower back just can’t cope with it.

I moaned about it a lot, having a go at all the fat, lazy people who have perfectly healthy spinal discs that don’t want to exercise. A friend suggested I try biokinetics, after it had helped him when he had been told he’d never run again, and then did.

I walked into the closest biokinetics centre and decided to give it a go. Sarah-Jane took me on and probably thought I was a little nuts just walking in and saying ‘I have no idea what this is all about, but can you help me run again?’. She promised that she would. Like it was nothing. ‘Yeah right’ I thought. But gave it a try in any case.

It’s been about 9 months of stretching, strengthening, aligning and stabilising. I’ve been doing my exercise programs every day (even the ones I hate) and taken on swimming as my main form of exercise (which I first thought was naff, but started to really enjoy it). Every biokinetics session assessed my progress and pushed me on at a pace that my body was happy with. It turned out that all my core and back supporting muscles were in essence, not functioning at all, and my injured lower back was taking all the strain – over and over again. We worked on fixing this.

So here is the announcement, ladies and gentlemen, I have just recently been given the go-ahead to start jogging again. This is a huge success. I feel a trillion times stronger than when I first walked into the centre that day, wincing in pain. I’ve had a few jogging sessions already and not one single sign of any pain or distress in my back. It feels incredible and I have no doubt that I will be running again very soon – something I didn’t think I would ever do again.

It’s amazing what your body can achieve with patience, hard work and the right professional guiding you.

I still can’t actually tell you what biokinetics is (it’s such a silly word), but I can tell you that Humphry and Healey Biokinetics have helped me so tremendously with my injury that I would suggest every single one of you go and see them if you have a sports or movement related issue.

Dear Airlines, I’m Hungry

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Plane

Long-haul flights are painful. No matter how many baby wine bottles or Blood Marys you give me, they are still painful. The highlight of the flight is the meal sessions, because something is going on and we can do something while watching movies (when is in-flight Internet going to be a thing?).

What makes it even more painful, is the illogical ‘special meals’ system that you have going on.

I’m a vegetarian. Not anything too weird, I just don’t eat meat. I’m not too anal about the whole thing either, as long as there is not a dead animal in my meal and it’s decent, I’m happy. Now I understand that there are some anal folk out there, and that you have tried to trick us all into thinking that you cater for everyone by your very many types of vegetarian options and special meals, but it really doesn’t make too much sense.

I’ve always chosen the vegetarian lacto-ovo option, which is really just a normal vegetarian meal that includes eggs and dairy (it took me a while to figure out what it was in the beginning). I.e. Normal people food, without dead animals. Not vegan – vegan is all about not consuming any animal by-products, so eggs or dairy is definitely not an option in these kind of meals.  It’s really not difficult to understand.

So PLEASE tell me why I always get a vegan meal, labelled as vegetarian lacto-ovo? No cheese, no dairy, not anything much, really. Even when there is a perfectly suitable vegetarian option on the ‘normal people’s menu’, I’m not allowed to have it, because I ordered a ‘special meal’ (which does not actually match the ‘specialness’ that I ordered).

So while others are happily munching away on their pumpkin ravioli with Napolitana sauce, cheese and biscuits and nice full salad with dressing and cheesecake for dessert,  I am picking at a vegetable pasta and a dry salad, topped off with a bunch of grapes. Well, to be more accurate, because I got my ‘special meal’ early, I’m looking at the leftovers of my disappointing meal while drooling over the cheese on the tray next to me.

Yeah, don’t judge me on the number of Bloody Marys I’ve ordered, I’m hungry, dammit.

Kind regards,
The Hungry Vegetarian

Today I learnt…Fast fasting

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If you follow me on Twitter, you will have noticed some moany-moany tweets about starvation and wanting to eat a vegetarian. I am on a 3 day juice fast, people. Bear with me!

Why?

We put so much food through our digestive system day in and day out, without a break. Imagine all the gunk in there!

The theory behind fasting is that it permits the entire digestive system to rest while ridding the body of toxins. It cleanses the body and the energy that is usually used for digestion is available for the repair and healing of the body.

People also fast for spiritual reasons, in that it gives them an opportunity to focus their thoughts towards God/spirituality/whatever they’re into.

I just felt like I needed a bodily spring-clean.

How?

I chose a 3 day juice fast. Detoxification programmes and fasting can be dangerous, if not done properly and for long periods of time, so a 3 day juice fast is a safe and relatively fast way to get the job done.

So all it is, is 3 days of only fresh fruit/vegetable juice and water/herbal tea. Sounds easy enough. Ha ha ha ha!! I laugh so!

A fridge full of apples, pears, carrots, lemon and ginger and motivation on Day 1.

Today is Day 3. The fridge holds a few carrots and a cucumber. I nearly ate my roommate yesterday.

I feel amazingly light and energetic now, though…

And?

Day 1 and 2:

Mornings were fine. Afternoons filled with starvation and detox headaches. Juice fasts tend to detox you quicker than normal fasts and the toxins released cause intense headaches. This is apparently a good thing, though. But Oh My Soul…they hurt like mad. Sweating it out, drinking lots of water and peppermint tea helps though.

Day 3:

I’m still alive! I don’t want to kill or eat anyone. Whew! I feel great. No hunger. Glad that it’s nearly over!

So?

Again, I have realised how much I love food and wine and the social aspect of eating. I chose a time when there was nothing really going on socially, and I could relax and take it easy while my body does it’s thing, but I would have struggled a lot more if I had to decline a meal out or a glass of wine with a friend!

I am impressed with my own willpower and inner strength.

I’m sticking out the last few hours on a positive note – Gold Stars to me…

Today I learnt…fasting isn’t for sissies

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I’ve been fasting for the past few days and today is my first real day of eating food again, and thought I’d share my experience with you.

As my title says, fasting definitely isn’t for sissies! I did a 3-day juice fast, which basically mean that for 3 days I didn’t eat any food and only drank water and raw vegetable juice at meal times. Let me tell you the thinking behind it before you all think I’ve gone bonkers…

So there are various reasons for fasting (health and spiritual reasons) and mine were health-related. It’s said that fasting is a healing agent, giving rest to your system and eliminating impurities that have accumulated for years. The theory behind it is that during a fast, the energy that is usually directed towards digestion is available for repair and healing of the body and clears the mind. Seeing that I’m approaching 30 (still far away, but nonetheless, approaching) and I have never given my body a proper rest, I thought I’d give it a go. A bit of clarity never hurt anyone, anyway!

Sounds so good in theory, but in practice…holy moly it was difficult. You don’t realise how much time in your life is dedicated to preparing and eating food, and how much of a social role it plays, until you take it away.

I struggled…a lot…and not because I was hungry and weak – that feeling went away after about a day and a half – but more because the rituals of preparing food and eating are such a big part of my life. Without them, I felt completely lost!

It made me realise how much I love and appreciate food and how much I enjoy socialising over a meal or glass of wine and how much I love to cook. I have a new-found respect for everything that I consume. I have been privileged enough in my life to never have had to feel hunger for more than a few hours and this was quite a reality check for me. I was grumpy as hell for those three days (thanks to those around me for just putting up with it!), but nonetheless I am so glad that I tried this out. (Losing a kg or two was a nice side-effect as well).

I can’t say that I’ll do it again in a hurry, but I’m pretty sure that I will do it again in my life. It’s like getting a tattoo…sore as hell, but feels good at the same time.

 

 

Guilt-free food?

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I’m not talking about calories here – I’m talking actual physical guilt. The guilt you feel when you cause another to be hurt, or take part in that suffering some way.

We are all guilty of blindly eating foods that we have no idea where they came from (no, not the grocery store’s shelf – there’s a whole lot that happens before it gets there) or that we don’t know exactly what’s in them. It’s a difficult act to take part in, because once you know, you cannot ‘unknow’. Most people would rather not know how that juicy steak came into being on their plate, because if they did, they’d likely not eat it. This would cause some serious lifestyle changes that, let me tell you, are not a walk in the park.

Having watched some of the Earthlings documentary recently, I’ve started to have to think more ethically and wondering how on earth I’m going to cope with this. The scenes in that movie show you your worst fears of how animals are treated in this world in the name of ignorant consumerism – they cannot be unseen. Traumatised after 30 minutes and jolted into the realisation that humans are indeed @ssholes.

Where do you stop? How do you live a normal life? How do you eat out socially with non-vegetarians? What started as pescatarian, moved on to vegetarian, is now leading into veganism. We’re not just talking food here, we’re talking clothes, pets, cosmetics, non-animal-friendly materials and unethical products in all areas of your day-to-day life. All these things contribute to the violent torture of animals and the raping of our environment and it’s not easy to find vegan-freindly alternatives.

Having some amazing vegetarian/vegan friends along the way helps a lot, but mingling with the rest of society seems to be a problem.

I just know that I’d rather consume life-giving food than life-taking foods. And I don’t want to be part of any industry that contributes to the unethical treatment of animals. Maybe it really is that simple.

Stick around for some more posts about this journey, I’m sure I’ll have lots to share along the way. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter too.

Pedal to the Medal – Guiness World Record Cycle Attempt

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Virgin Active is attempting a Guiness World Record for the most bums on seats on Monday 5 December at 8pm. This is a global initiative and quite exciting, as us spinners that don’t actually cycle in the real world like to take part in whatever cool spinning event comes our way. I think this one will do the trick :0)

It’s only an hour and at least we didn’t get a ridiculous 1am slot! Keen to join me? Sign up at your closest branch.

Earthlings: The violent and heartbreaking truth about society’s treatment of animals

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Earthlings’ documentary on the truth of society’s treatment of animals was brought to my attention by @claremelina recently. Human beings are @ssholes. Not all of us, but as a race in general, we really mess it up. As a vegetarian, I already don’t agree with the way that animals are treated and the impact of meat production on our world, but I usually steer clear of all those shocking ‘look how horribly animals are treated’ videos.

At first I decided that I didn’t want to watch even the trailer because I know the horrific way that animals are treated and I don’t need to see it with my own eyes to believe it.

I decided to eventually watch the trailer because it has been on my mind since then and I am sure I’ll be watching the full movie as well.

It’s important for us to remind ourselves why we do the things that we do and why we believe in what we do. Especially as a vegetarian in a meat-obsessed country where it is difficult to stick to your beliefs without having some form of mockery and disbelief directed your way. We need to FEEL the impact that we have on our world and this is what makes us human beings.

I urge you to watch just the trailer. It isn’t very long, but at least be informed – whether you eat meat or not. Just know what is happening out there. Let yourself as a human being feel…I think somewhere along the way that’s been lost.

The Fat Vegetarian

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If you read my blog often you’ll know that I am quite peaceful vegetarian and don’t push my dietary choices on anyone else, ever. From time to time, though, I do need to have a rant at the ignorance of others towards vegetarianism.

I am a firm believer in accommodating others’ beliefs and most people generally are too…except when it comes to vegetarians. It’s like as soon as you utter the ‘V’ word, you become a disgrace to society and a disappointment to the human race. If certain religious beliefs require you to abstain from certain foods, e.g. Pork in the Jewish faith, how is this acceptable to others whereas vegetarianism is not?

From now on I’ll just call it ‘V’ so as not to offend anyone. Like the ‘F’ word sounds much more PC than swearing directly on my blog.

I think it is far more difficult in a rampant meat-eating country like South Africa to have a non-meat diet, which is why you lucky readers get to hear my rants from time to time.

I’m at a beautiful resort in the Transkei at the moment, which I’ll blog about when I’m back, with fully catered meals 3 times a day. The mass of food is insane, and the variety is crazy…yet I am still struggling to have a healthy ‘V’ diet here.

Any other ‘V’s out there will know how this is so, as the mentality seems to be: ‘What should we feed these stupid ‘V’s? I know, whatever we would feed the ‘normal’ people, but without the meat.’

So we end up with side veggies and potatoes most of the time (Oh ‘F’, should I have used the ‘V’ for that too?). Or a ‘V’ pasta with leftover veggies and loads of oil tossed in pasta. Or some sort of pasta bake drowned in a creamy cheese sauce. Or my personal FAVOURITE…spinach and feta in some sort of oily pastry.

I may be a bit dramatic in this post, but it honestly does not make sense to me. Generally speaking, ‘V’s are health-conscious people, so why would caterers want to feed us such rich and starchy rubbish?

In a world that is falling apart and being raped of resources (much of this is attributed to meat production) many people are already more socially aware of their impact on the environment and their general health. Where is South Africa in this debate? Nowhere.

At least be accommodating of other people’s beliefs and lifestyles, whatever they are. It helps. A lot.

On that note, let’s all go hug a tree and pray for a ‘V’.