The Detox

Thankyou to everyone for their very supportive comments on the last post. I am feeling better. I have a great weekend coming up.

I checked in with my friend to see that she was feeling better and more rested. We are ok.

This end of the year always comes with a share of promises to oneself, to be healthier, leaner, better versions of ourselves. I think it's a good time of the year to think of goals. I have plenty of thinking time!

The theme of the post is detox. I am not into dietary detoxes, as we have livers and kidneys for this very purpose, but a little tidy does not go amiss.

Number one - my skin.

My skin, especially that on my chin, looks like that of a meth-head. I have had the unfortunate spectacle of a number of big red sore bombs about my chin.

The benzoyl peroxide treatments sting and make my skin flaky. I have bought some Paula's choice salicylic based agents.

The skin issues are temporally related to the dietary indiscretions of the Christmas- New Year period. There is a bit of evidence for a low glycaemic-load (ie lower carbohydrate) diet. I have been heading that way since late last year, and am getting used to having no spuds etc with dinner.

Number two- my Phone.

I am never far away from my phone. It is always on. I read my books on it. I am not on facebook, but always check instagram.

I am becoming aware that it has become a bit of a tic, to reach for my phone and scroll when I am feeling bored or stressed or whatever. It doesn't help.

I need to think of a way to wean it off. Maybe even (gasp) turn the bad-boy off occasionally. Move my reading material to another device.


Number three- my environment

I am becoming a little more vigilant about clutter. I pulled a few weeds from the garden. I make sure the dishwasher is emptied in a timely fashion. We perform regular vacuums of the living area.


Anything you need to detox?

Less meh, more vegies. Adult acne.

Hi All.

My Meh of last week has settled and I am feeling a bit more raring to go.
I have started project "optimum health for hopefully getting up the duff (and also for me)".

I do 3 by group training sessions a week, but have started doing a couple of other 0.5-1 hour workouts per week as well. Hence my exercise is very good.

Eating optimally (and drinking wine judiciously) is a bit more of a challenge. I thought "I know what to do" but I went and picked the brain of a dietitian at work. She showed me the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. She also encouraged the cut right back on wine thing, and finally, I have.

Here is what one should be eating.

And Here are the serving sizes - I draw your attention to a serve of cooked pasta being half a cup!

The most challenging thing, and the thing I have been concentrating on, is getting the five serves of vegetables in! The thing with eating more veg is that it is completely non-controversial - there is lots of quibbling about other diet related things but just about everyone in the know agrees on this!

If those 5 serves were all potatoes, I would have no problem, I think.

It is quite sobering to think of how our usual dietary patterns deviate from this, even if we think we eat reasonably well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am clearly going through my awkward phase from 12-45. I have experienced a surge in what can only be described as zits.

I had pretty bad acne which was at its worst around age 17. It kept potentially interested boy-folk away so that I could study. A blessing in disguise. I have always been glass half full.

Much of the more effective vitamin A based stuff is off limits for me. My skin gets a bit oily but is still very sensitive, and that benzoyl peroxide based stuff just about burns my face off.

I saw an infomercial about this, so I went and got a starter kit from Woolies. It retails for 30 bux.

Image via Terry White Chemists.

It is based on salicylic and glycolic acids. It is a wee bit drying, but less so than other acne treatments. If my skin gets a bit dry I skip straight from the cleanser to the repair cream. My skin looks a bit glowy after I put it all on.

So far, so good.

Sundee night, big week ahead.

So tell me....
Do you have the worst case scenario of wrinkles and zits or are you blessed with baby skin?
What skin products do you swear by?
How well does your dietary intake match with the official recommendations? (Fess up, no judgement here)

Shopping spaces, christmas hams, manicures

Hello and happy weekend to you!

I am spending a quiet Friday night in. The fella is at a conference in Auckland. Good bit of time to do some....stuff.

I've been a bit under the weather over the last couple of days - my sinuses are staging a rowdy protest at the wacky weather here in Melbourne, and all the pollen that bursts forth. Hence today was a bit of a go-slow one.

Over the last few days I have been actioning some Christmas things, and thinking a bit about the season. As I have said, we are having a Kris Kringle type arrangement, but I wanted to buy a few bits n bobs for my family.

So off to the shopping centre I went. And you know what? I found it very overwhelming. I tottered around a few shops, just feeling at a loss, and then ended up making a beeline for the body shop, and buying some gifts there. And then getting the hell out.

I used to love shopping, hoofing around shopping centres for hours on end.

Now increasingly I find it difficult. It may sound strange but I feel a bit...inadequate. And don't even get me started on one saleslady who yapped with another customer for 10 minutes about gel nails while I was waiting to be served. Otherwise, I am a bit scared of the salesladies, and their sales pushes. I feel guilty for saying no to their higher pressure sales tactics...

Though some such tactics made me buy a pair of uber flattering boyfriend jeans, very similar to these.

I cannot lie, they are super comfy, and flattering. Win and win.
I am loving Witchery Jeans lately.

I have also had to buy a bit of work-appropriate wear - almost 3 years in PhD and nursing home land has made my armamentarium of power work couture dwindle somewhat. I am doing some more work in another environment.

In fact, on lazy data-entry days, I have been known to come to work wearing tracky daks. (But only my good ones. My outside tracky daks).

I think I like going to funky shopping strips rather than shopping centres, if the weather is good. They have better cafes and it is less claustrophobic. I like little independent stores, and I like to support small businesses. But I do sometimes wish they would put a Witchery, Country Road and Veronika Maine on Brunswick St Fitzroy or High St Northcote....

I quite like Chapel st but parking is a bit of a nightmare, and I risk being poisoned by the ambient levels of fake tan and hair bleach.

The other thing I have been giving a lot of thought to is Christmas ham. Today, on a visit to Woolies, I summonsed the butcher out of his den to interrogate him about the hams on offer. In my paws I had a free range, private schooled, triple smoked behemoth. The independent stores sell even more expensive hams.

He said "you know which one I go for?"
He pointed at the lower end ham and said "it's juicier". He pointed to my fancy schmancy ham, claiming it to be dry.

This is some food (or swine) for thought...

Clearly I need to do some more independent research on the issue.

But I did manage to purchase some cloves. You know, just in case.

In other news, I have allowed my nails to grow - see?

I now need a manicure
I will post photos when I have attended it.

Well now I had better go to bed. I want to go to training in the morning.

Pump some iron etc. Plus I have engagements following this which involve eating.

Now - a few questions

Do you retreat to the comfy world of online shopping?
Which christmas ham do you recommend?
Where do you like to buy your clothes (Ruth if you are reading I already know the answer).
Which Australian clothes brands do you like?