Posts tagged “Lifestyle”

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The joys of this time of year

Posted on 21st August 2019 at 08:49

While it seems a little earlier than usual, there’s been a distinctly autumnal feeling in the air for the last few days. The year is definitely turning and, to us, it’s a reminder of one of the pleasures of this time of year. Foraging for all the edible goodies that can be found in the hedgerows right now. Not only are they organic, but come with zero food miles and exercise built in (!).

The one that marks the start of the autumn foraging season – as well as being a favourite of so many people – are Blackberries. And who doesn’t love a blackberry and apple crumble or perhaps pie; not forgetting the ever popular favourite blackberry and apple jam?

You ARE doing a good job.....

Posted on 3rd April 2019 at 08:45

From time to time we all have “one of those days” – or possibly weeks (!) – where nothing quite goes to plan. Or we can’t even seem to do the simplest thing. And, for some inexplicable reason, it’s usually something we’ve done 100’s or 1000’s of times before without a second thought.

Then, out of the blue, we just don’t seem able to do it. The good news is that you will tomorrow – or the next day (!) – when normal service resumes….

So, if this is you – or someone you know – then please just stop for a minute.

Nettles, a spring green we bet you've never thought of before

Posted on 27th March 2019 at 08:15

There’s nothing like the first fresh spring greens of the year. Sprouting broccoli, spring cabbage, kale. After the traditional, heavier foods of the winter, it’s a real treat to have some fresh spring greens.

But what about something much more local and you can easily pick yourself? One that you’ll never see in your local supermarket or probably have ever considered before. Nettles. Yes, nettles.

Sadly, nettles have something of a PR problem. And that’s putting it mildly… Not only were many of us were stung – hopefully not too badly – during childhood, but their invasive nature gives them a bad reputation for gardeners. This is a real shame as it means that we miss out on their many benefits too.

Learning doesn't stop when you leave school...

Posted on 20th March 2019 at 08:15

While the age for leaving school – or college – may have increased over the years, from 14 a few decades ago to 18 in more recent years, the sentiment expressed by many on reaching this milestone has not.

And, with testing now starting early on in Primary School, it’s completely understandable that many teenagers have simply had enough of formal education by the time they reach 18. Vowing to NEVER EVER take another exam again.

While some do manage to avoid any further formal education – and the dreaded exams – is it really true that you’ll never need to learn anything else again?

What's the difference between our approach and the conventional one?

Posted on 13th March 2019 at 08:00

Not surprisingly there are some questions that regularly come up – and we’d be very rich by now if we had a pound every time they did (!). The one we’d like to focus on today is one of the most popular, although that doesn’t make it an easy one to answer.

Bitter experience shows us that, if we go into too much detail, people’s eyes tend to glaze over as they go into mental meltdown. Making it too simple isn’t any better, as people tend to end up completely confused…

Having – unintentionally – caused mental overload to various people over the years (!), we’ve found that an analogy is the simplest way to explain how the two approaches differ. And having experimented with various different ones over the years (!) we’ve found that the one which works best uses the example of how you look after your house.

So, if you're sitting comfortably, then here we go.

The judgement merry go round

Posted on 6th March 2019 at 08:30

It’s been a while since we’ve written about the all too human tendency to make snap judgements on whatever happens in our lives. “This is good, that is bad.” “She is nice, he is horrible.” Not forgetting the perennially favourite one: “How can she – or he (!) – go out looking like that.” And, if you think you’re above all those petty judgments, think again…

On one hand, there’s no doubt that being able to make a snap judgement is a potential life saver in an emergency situation. However, ironically, in those situations it’s not our conscious mind that calls the shots. It’s just too slow and too limited.

Instead, our subconscious mind takes over, aided by a burst of adrenaline hitting our system. Before we’ve consciously realised what’s happening our subconscious mind has assessed the situation, considered the options, made a judgement and started taking the necessary action. What’s particularly interesting is that often, with the power of hindsight, the action taken falls outside our experience – and makes no logical sense – but was just the right thing to do.

Ouch, is it a Sprain or a Strain?

Posted on 27th February 2019 at 08:30

Over the years, we’ve seen many different clients with many different injuries – and, as you can imagine, heard some very interesting stories as to how whatever it was happened. There’s often the temptation to ask whether, whatever they were doing at the time really was a good idea (!), but it’s one we try not to succumb to. And before we digress any further – or break any confidences – we’d better stop there…

However good the story, the symptoms of Sprains and Strains are very similar. Muscle tenderness, swelling, pain and restricted movement. So, it’s not surprising that they’re easily confused even though there are differences, if you know what to look for. However, the good news is that they can both be easily treated at home with the RICE protocol and a little common sense, more about this in a moment.

The joys of wearing rose tinted glasses

Posted on 20th February 2019 at 08:30

With Valentine’s Day having just passed – all too soon after the pressures of the festive season (!) – it’s not surprising that many relationships start the new year under some strain. Sadly, along with the annual fortnight in the sun, more relationships break down after Christmas and Valentine’s Day than at any other time of year.

Having talked to many more clients than we would like to about this over the years, it’s rarely a single catastrophic incident that sounds the death knell for any relationship. Usually it’s something much smaller which often appears insignificant to outsiders. The straw that broke the camel’s back.

Despite this, many clients still talk about how they wished things were different. How they would like to turn the clock back to how things used to be even though, at that time, they couldn’t see how this would ever be possible.

Diets, diets and more diets

Posted on 13th February 2019 at 08:15

A couple of weeks ago we looked at “Low fat high carb” diets. How much confusion there still seems to be about them AND how this has unwittingly contributed to rising levels of Diabetes and Obesity. However, with the huge number of different diets out there being marketed as “the one” – particularly at this time of year (!) – it’s not surprising that many people are still completely confused about the different options; let alone which is the best one for them.

So, this week, we’re going to have a look at the two most popular types of diets in the last couple of years. Low Carb and Intermittent Fasting. But, don’t be fooled. They both appear in many different guises, each with their own particular programme and celebrity endorsement (!).

The joys of serendipity

Posted on 6th February 2019 at 08:15

We often talk about the joys of serendipity and how life has a way of – almost (!) – magically falling into place IF we allow it to. Letting it unfold in its own way AND at its own pace. Often this happens in ways we never could have anticipated or takes us off in a completely new direction that turns out to be exactly what we wanted.

If you’re not sure what we’re talking about – or it just sounds too good to be true – here’s a great definition of serendipity:

“The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.”

And, for those who love trivia, did you know that it was coined by Horace Walpole in 1754? His inspiration came from “The Three Princes of Serendip”, a fairy tale where the heroes “were always making discoveries, by accident and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of.”

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