Vitality Show 2009

Mum and I went to the Vitality Show on Friday and had a tired and enjoyable time. We got there 10 minutes before it started and I was desperate to go somewhere. They wouldn't let anyone in until 10, the queue was very long so we ended going to a cafe just down the road. By the time we got back we could go straight in and we did. Thankfully the talk I had wanted to hear had been delayed because the speaker realised that the doors weren't opening until 10 when her talk was due to begin. She was the Scientific Director of York Test labs and talked about what they do, how they work, how their tests work and showed us case studies of successful clients. After the talk I was brave and went up and chatted to her about what I was doing after having the test done, and she asked me if I would be willing to be a case study and I said yes. So I gave my name and number to another York Test staff, who said that someone would be in contact with me. Watch this space to hear what happens next.
Then we went to the Rosemary Conley staff, yes she did appear, where we had ourselves weighed. Both of us came out OK and my metabolic age was 29, 9 years younger than I am. It has spurred me on to try to lose weight and exercise more cos my weight was higher than my ideal body weight should be and degree of obesity was 8%.
After that we wandered round buying health bars and lots of organic toiletries, collecting lots of freebies on the way. There was a section called the Organic Beauty Pavilion of different organic companies which really interested me, and where we bought our toiletries. We had lunch and then wandered round some more before Mum decided that it was 2 hours later than it was (it was 1.25 and she thought it was 3.30pm) and wanted to go home. So we freshened up and left, but not before collecting our goody bag. So we went home carrying 2-3 heavy bags of goodies and freebies. All in all, we had a good time and will definitely go again next year, esp if it's at Earl's Court again, now we know how to get there.

I did some exercise today. Pilates. Unfortunately we can no longer use our VCR as it packed up earlier this week so can't use the tape we'd been doing it with. We had to do it by ourselves to instrumental music. We have remembered most of the exercises I think and Mum has written them down. Might look for another DVD which is good.

Well, this is all for now. Keep popping back for updates on my health regime and what is happening with York Test.

Sausages and ALCS

Well, I had the sausages on Friday and they were quite tasty, although they did leave a fatty and greasy taste in my mouth afterwards. Will probably have them again another time but not too soon as I weighed myself yesterday and put on 2 pounds, the 2 that I lost after Christmas. Now I have to lose them again, which I find hard to do these days. Made a start today by doing 40 minutes of pilates. Yesterday we had sweet and sour, me with beef and Mum with turkey, which was delicious, today we are having pasta in sauce with veg.

I got a nice surprise in the post yesterday. I got a letter from the ALCS (Author's Licensing and Collecting Society), who collect royalties for authors of photocopied works. Well, I registered with them last year after hearing about them at a talk and have registered most of my stories and letters with them to date. Then yesterday I got a statement summary telling me that over 2 years I have had royalties of over £180, minus membership fees, comes to over £140, which will go into my bank this month. It certainly brought a smile to my face as I seriously didn't think I was going to get any money out of my stories apart from what I get paid for them. I know differently now and will keep on writing stories and letters for papers and magazines. And I shall keep up my membership with them.

More about foods

Well, the pineapple and mango fruit spread didn't agree with me in the end. I finished it off yesterday but had too much of it and ended up on the toilet for a while before going to work (sorry if that's tmi). I bought blackberry jam the other day, so that's the next flavour to try. I had goat's cheese and beetroot sandwich today but I don't think that agreed with me either. It was either the fact that I had to crouch over a bit to eat at lunchtime or the combination of the two foods didn't agree but I felt like I had IBS again this afternoon. Thankfully my stomach has settled down now, so I can try the beef sausages for dinner. One food that I did buy and both my mum and I really like is an organic vegetarian pate from Holland and Barratt's. I am going to try it with tomato on tomorrow as I do want to try eating more salady stuff, although tomatoes are fruit. Might have a look at their ordinary pate tomorrow.

Talking of H&B, Mum found out yesterday that they now sell organic toiletries. Hurrah. Shall have a look at those tomorrow too, if they have them at the Bromley branch, which is small.

Still working hard on Allie. Have decided to do one more revisions after the one I'm doing now, as I want to cut out one thing I've put in and change another. I am now at just over 53,000 words and would like to get down to 50,000. We shall see. The short story is now ready to email off to the anthology publishers, just have to add various names and titles to it as they need it.

Well, off to check if some documents have been signed so I can post them on Monday.

Prize and new food

Above is the prize that I won for the Star Letter in Natural Health Magazine this month. Look great don't they? I haven't tried them yet, probably next week. You use the exfoliator cream (on right), then the moisturiser (on left). The serum you can use daily but I will use it at the weekend as a treat. My cheque for my TV letter in the Mirror came on Friday and yesterday I got in the post my winnings from the contest Nell Dixon (Hi Nell, thanks) did on her blog last week. All will come in handy.

I have been trying new foods and have found things I like and don't like. I tried pineapple and mango fruit spread which has an odd sweet taste. It's OK but I won't buy it again. I have also tried falafal, which tastes slightly dry and spicy but gave me gassy pains after eating it, so won't have those again in a hurry and yesterday we had beef grill steaks which tasted yummy, better than burgers. Today we bought beef sausages to try sometime. Found out that the diarrhoea I had last weekend was a stomach bug going round London last week, which makes me happy it wasn't anything to do with what I've been eating.

Well, now to get on with reading some of my emails then revising Allie and a short story for an anthology (hopefully).

See you later in the week.

Setbacks

I had a couple of setbacks in my new eating plan (not calling it a diet because it isn't one) last week. I had stomach pains after eating lunch on Friday at work, and now think I can't eat goat's cheese and tomato together, then on Saturday I had diarrhoea. Don't know if it was a bug or my body detoxing after eliminating certain foods from my health, as this can happen. It left me feeling very weak and tired and am off work today because of it. The only good thing about it was I lost 2 pounds in weight but of course, now put it back on again. I did so want to keep those off, but never mind. My mum was OK about not eating chicken, turkey and lamb for 3 months, despite my fears of her being not OK with it because I know she likes her white meat. We have worked out menus for dinners this week and next so far and probably do those menus for alternate weeks. See how it goes. So far I have found I like wholemeal pitta bread, and one that doesn' t have soya in. Most breads I have found have soya flour in, which I am intolerant to. I also looked at pates and pastes yesterday and the pates were made with meats I can't eat and the pastes had soya in. Why oh why do they put soya in everything? Mum thinks it could be a cheap alternative to something to put in things such as bread. I am now inclined to agree with her but it makes it so hard for people like me who are intolerant to it. I remember a talk by the original Diet Doctors at the Vitality Show last year when they mentioned about food alternatives. They mentioned that because our Western world is used to eating foods such as soya we shouldn't eat too much of it, because our bodies won't be used to it. Mine certainly wasn't when I started to eat it instead of cow's milk and that's why I am now intolerant to it.

On a good note. I had a Tv Topic letter published in the Mirror on Friday about my views on the programme It's Not Easy Being Green, which I really enjoyed. Payment for that will come duly.

Well, that's my news for now. See you later this week.

Food for thought

Well, I had the phone chat with the nutritionist yesterday and I have had to rethink my diet for the next 3 months. She said that as I am mainly intolerant to meat and fish, it probably means that I'm not digesting the proteins properly, and I should drink at least an hour before and after meals to help digestion. A bit hard when one of my IBS tablets says I have to have it 20-30 mins before eating, but I shall try. She also said that to get the best results is to eliminate all foods I'm intolerant to at least 3 months, so that is why I have to think again about what I can eat. I am going to have to have a good search for other foods I can eat instead of meats now, not just for dinner but for lunch. I have started to take my acidophilus (spelt correctly?) first thing in the morning and last thing at night as she suggested to see if that helps too. I am having meat in my lunch today because I didn't know what else to have until I have a good think and search in the shops. I get a follow up phone talk in a month's time. So watch this space to see how I get on the first month.

On a good note. I got home last night to find 2 surprises fo rme. 1: tickets for the Vitality Show I'd booked at the weekend for 27th March. Can't wait to go and see that after this new diet I have to try, and 2: my prize for the star letter in Natural Health. It was in a nice purple box, all bowed up, and has in it an exfoliator cream, moisturiser and antioxidant serum. I shall use all of those with pleasure as they are made from all natural and organic ingredients. My kind of toiletries.

Well, must get on with some work now. Be back at the weekend with more news of my new health regime.

Meat alternatives

I have had a reply from Nell, who is concerned that I am giving up too much protein. Thanks Nell. I am giving up the meats this week coming, starting with chicken and lamb, but eating turkey with lunch during the week. The following week is turkey and eating beef. Duck and pork I don't eat anyway. I will be asking the nutritionist on the phone on Wednesday about what other proteins I can eat. I have looked into Quorn but on the web it had milk proteins as one of its ingredients so that ruled it out. I have found falafel which is mainly made from chickpeas which should be OK for me as houmous has that in too and I love houmous. I had veggie stir fry for dinner today without chicken. My mum and I have already worked out a menu for each day's dinner next week and for most of the following week. I don't know if it's a good thing, I think it is, but doing this has made realise how much meat I do eat and I am going to cut down on eating it and have alternatives. Like one time I have turkey steak with rice and beans, the next week have falafels or beef burgers with rice and peas. Same with curry. One week have chicken curry the next time have beef curry. I have also found pitta bread which I shall try with salad tomorrow. I am keeping a diary of all this because I have been told to, and will talk to the nutritionist about it all on Wednesday and at the follow up phone call a month later.

Watch this space for how I get on.