So, nearly 7 years ago I fell gravely ill with postnatal cardiomyopathy (heart failure). This was, understandably, a huge shock for both me and my family as it came out of the blue.
After spending nearly a week in hospital receiving treatment one of the main goals set for me was to lose weight to reduce the strain on my heart and, hopefully, increase my longevity. This was of particular importance to me as December and June were both very young still (June was just 3 weeks old) and I was (and am) very keen to be around to see them grow up.
I have had problems with my weight since I was quite a young child - both of being quite big and also of having to deal with other people's attitudes towards my size.
Often I would say I have had more difficulty dealing with negative, rude, nasty comments from close family members than with complete strangers. Words hurt and stay with you long after they have been spoken.
So, being told I needed to lose a deal of weight for health reasons was quite daunting especially as I have never found a diet plan that works long term. I have had some success with one or two however, the moment I returned to my normal eating the weight I lost returned, often with a few extra pounds added on.
This continued until late 2012 when I had a mini-epiphany, brought about in part by mixing with a broad cross-section of people with many different ideas and views on how to approach life, including diets ranging from Fruitarian to Palaeo. I decided that I didn't need to follow a diet, what I had to do was change the way I ate forever.
I knew all too well that failure was easy and that the moment I put myself on a diet my first instinct was always to eat - especially sweets and cakes! I decided that my approach was to be one of healthy eating, increasing my vegetable and fruit intake but reducing carbohydrates.
I completely cut potatoes, bread, cakes, flour, processed foods, pasta, rice and sweets from my diet. I stopped taking sugar in my tea and reduced the amount of sugar I ate (which was helped by my not eating cakes, etc.), swapping to more natural sweeteners when possible, such as organic maple syrup. I also increased my protein intake.
We (my husband and I) decided from the beginning that we would only weigh ourselves once a month. This was mainly my idea, as I knew how soul sapping daily weighing could be as weight can fluctuate quite widely for no apparent reason. Also, we agreed that we could have desserts but that, for the first few months they should be fruit or yoghurt. Often we ate cheese and fruit, which I found more satisfying.
Breakfast was usually eggs, sometimes with bacon and/or sausage, but always with tomato or mushrooms and other vegetables.
Lunch was often a large salad with prawns or chicken.
Dinner consisted of protein and vegetables such as a large grilled beef steak served with mushroom and onion sauce and a large mixed salad.
The weight started to fall off.
Three months in we made an interesting discovery, quite by accident. December baked some cakes to sell at our local church to raise money for a nearby homeless shelter and I bought a cupcake and ate it. For the next 48 hours I thought I was in the grip of some sort of awful stomach bug and then realisation struck: the IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) from which I had been suffering daily for over 10 years had, sometime in the period of starting our new eating plan and having that cupcake, stopped.
I couldn't believe it.
When June wanted to do some baking a week later, we bought some spelt flour and I tried one of her cookies. This time I felt ill for just one day. We realised that it was quite likely that my IBS was being triggered by gluten, so we bought some gluten free flour and I baked a simple Victoria sponge and then ate a slice. I was fine - no reaction whatsoever. Wow.
Just by changing how I ate and in the process accidentally removing all glutens from my diet, I had pretty much 'cured' my IBS. All those strong medicines I had taken for years just so that I could step away from the bathroom and leave home to get to work - unnecessary. I was delighted and very relieved.
Two years further down the line I am now 5 stone lighter than when I began, which I am very pleased with and believe to be realistic.
Thursday, 26 March 2015
Tuesday, 24 March 2015
A Spring Walk
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| Daffodils on the village green |
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| The Author! |
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| Small stream and spring flowers |
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| The last fruits of Autumn 2014 |
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| The first daisies of Spring 2015 |
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| Magnolia in bud |
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Monday, 23 March 2015
Thoughts from the Shower #5
It occurred to me when I was in the shower this morning that human beings are intrinsically dangerous.
We have to be trained to believe in and follow ethics/morality from a young age to try and keep a lid on chaos and carnage. I think that organised religion is one way this is done. What is another? Or are there many ways of achieving this?
Saturday, 21 March 2015
Contentious Issues #1 - Breastfeeding
Firstly, I should say that I despair over why breastfeeding is contentious. I cannot understand why there is a debate about breast milk vs. replacement formula.
Surely it is obvious that human babies should be fed human milk, in the same way that other species are fed their mother's milk - unless there are stores out there, somewhere, selling formula milk to other mammals?! Which would be very weird.
But that's the whole point really, isn't it? How have we been brainwashed into believing formula is the normal, better way to feed our precious new children? How many calves do you see being fed human milk?
And don't even get me started on non-milk replacement formulas, such as soy. Bleurgh.
If a mother cannot breastfeed for physical or medical reasons (globally a small percentage) then the best alternative is donated human breast milk. In years gone by this would have been donated directly by a Wet Nurse. Why has this practice, certainly in the western world, died out?
My theory is that the two World Wars were largely contributory, as women were required to take the places in the workforce vacated by men needed in the armed forces. This meant that there were too many nursing young children for the established practice of wet nursing to cope, plus those women were needed in the workforce too.
Now, of course, once companies got involved and became established as the people to go to for baby formula, they sure as heck didn't want to lose their profitable business when the last World War ended and many women returned to their previous normal roles within the family home.
I know that there will be people reading this who will have decided that I must be a militant feminist vegan (and what's wrong with being these things?) but I'm not.
What I am is a woman concerned that we are being conned into feeding our children substandard food when they most need the best nutrition, just so that some company can turn a profit.
At this point I feel the need to add that the focus on breasts as purely for sexual purposes, whether in the popular press, media or film, does not help new mothers trying to establish breastfeeding.
Many women that I know have said how they have received 'funny' looks, snide comments and even entire diatribes whilst breastfeeding in public. These are not women who physically expose themselves more than absolutely necessary to enable their baby to feed, yet complete strangers have felt that they have had the right to question and even attack (verbally) what they are doing.
Breast milk is the most nutritious food available for babies so why is it that nursing mothers receive so little support to enable them to carry out this important role?
How have we, as a society, managed to reach the point where, in the 1960s (and possibly 1970s, too), women were injected with hormone suppressants as soon as their babies were delivered to prevent lactation commencing? I mean, even on the surface that reads as something being done purely to boost the profits of companies selling replacement formula, which if that was the case is so outrageous as to be beyond belief - especially as it would appear that it was condoned and supported by the medical establishment.
The worst, most awful thing about it all is that women regularly attack other women about breastfeeding. I cannot count the amount of times I have read the statement: 'Women have a right to choice as to whether or not they breastfeed'. Many people that I know find it difficult to discuss the subject - some react with a certain squeamishness, others as though a taboo topic has been brought up. Yet more become militant and aggressive, accusing me of being thoughtless and uncaring towards those who have priorities in their lives over and above raising their children.
What about choice for babies? Shouldn't they be receiving the best most nutritious food available to them? It is medically proven that breast milk contains not only nutrition but also antibodies giving a young child great protection against many diseases and illnesses.
Maybe now is the time, when there is so much pressure on new mothers to return to the workplace before they, or their child are ready to be separated, to reconsider the importance of breast milk and breastfeeding in the development and growth of healthy human beings?
Maybe now is the time to provide the extra support that can make the difference between depressing failure and success?
Maybe now is the time to re-create the role of Wet Nurses in our society?
Human Milk for Human Babies
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a1009803/milk-banking
Surely it is obvious that human babies should be fed human milk, in the same way that other species are fed their mother's milk - unless there are stores out there, somewhere, selling formula milk to other mammals?! Which would be very weird.
But that's the whole point really, isn't it? How have we been brainwashed into believing formula is the normal, better way to feed our precious new children? How many calves do you see being fed human milk?
And don't even get me started on non-milk replacement formulas, such as soy. Bleurgh.
If a mother cannot breastfeed for physical or medical reasons (globally a small percentage) then the best alternative is donated human breast milk. In years gone by this would have been donated directly by a Wet Nurse. Why has this practice, certainly in the western world, died out?
My theory is that the two World Wars were largely contributory, as women were required to take the places in the workforce vacated by men needed in the armed forces. This meant that there were too many nursing young children for the established practice of wet nursing to cope, plus those women were needed in the workforce too.
Now, of course, once companies got involved and became established as the people to go to for baby formula, they sure as heck didn't want to lose their profitable business when the last World War ended and many women returned to their previous normal roles within the family home.
I know that there will be people reading this who will have decided that I must be a militant feminist vegan (and what's wrong with being these things?) but I'm not.
What I am is a woman concerned that we are being conned into feeding our children substandard food when they most need the best nutrition, just so that some company can turn a profit.
At this point I feel the need to add that the focus on breasts as purely for sexual purposes, whether in the popular press, media or film, does not help new mothers trying to establish breastfeeding.
Many women that I know have said how they have received 'funny' looks, snide comments and even entire diatribes whilst breastfeeding in public. These are not women who physically expose themselves more than absolutely necessary to enable their baby to feed, yet complete strangers have felt that they have had the right to question and even attack (verbally) what they are doing.
Breast milk is the most nutritious food available for babies so why is it that nursing mothers receive so little support to enable them to carry out this important role?
How have we, as a society, managed to reach the point where, in the 1960s (and possibly 1970s, too), women were injected with hormone suppressants as soon as their babies were delivered to prevent lactation commencing? I mean, even on the surface that reads as something being done purely to boost the profits of companies selling replacement formula, which if that was the case is so outrageous as to be beyond belief - especially as it would appear that it was condoned and supported by the medical establishment.
The worst, most awful thing about it all is that women regularly attack other women about breastfeeding. I cannot count the amount of times I have read the statement: 'Women have a right to choice as to whether or not they breastfeed'. Many people that I know find it difficult to discuss the subject - some react with a certain squeamishness, others as though a taboo topic has been brought up. Yet more become militant and aggressive, accusing me of being thoughtless and uncaring towards those who have priorities in their lives over and above raising their children.
What about choice for babies? Shouldn't they be receiving the best most nutritious food available to them? It is medically proven that breast milk contains not only nutrition but also antibodies giving a young child great protection against many diseases and illnesses.
Maybe now is the time, when there is so much pressure on new mothers to return to the workplace before they, or their child are ready to be separated, to reconsider the importance of breast milk and breastfeeding in the development and growth of healthy human beings?
Maybe now is the time to provide the extra support that can make the difference between depressing failure and success?
Maybe now is the time to re-create the role of Wet Nurses in our society?
Human Milk for Human Babies
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a1009803/milk-banking
Thursday, 19 March 2015
Beautiful Grave Discovery
On a recent walk near my village I made a surprising discovery - a beautiful, mature camellia bush in the shape of a grave space in the local graveyard. I looked carefully but couldn't find a grave marker or gravestone so shall just have to assume that this is an unusual memorial for a special person.
Nearby I spotted a primrose growing on another grave, really beautiful.
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Regrets
Regrets, I have a few (I have a nasty feeling that this statement may be slightly plagiarised!) however, my biggest regrets in life (so far) have always been about things I didn't do, rather than stuff I did - though obviously my experiment in trying to kick a ball whilst wearing a half leg cast (I had broken my ankle at school, having fallen onto a concrete floor whilst swinging on a hot water pipe in the changing room ceiling) which involved me both hopping and trying to kick the ball with my good leg, probably wasn't a great idea! (Yes, I landed with a massive crash on my bedroom floor, which brought my entire family pounding up the stairs to see what I'd broken this time - fortunately, nothing!).
Anyway, back to my original point, my biggest regrets are (currently) not having visited close family members who were gravely ill and pretty much on their deathbeds. In one instance I convinced myself that the situation wasn't that bad, only to be proven wrong later that day. In another, I was aged 13 and at boarding school so had no choice in the matter. Yet another found me receiving a phone call at nearly midnight from a hospital just outside London, informing me that an Aunt was near to death and that, as I was the closest (geographically speaking) family member, would I go to see her? A difficult decision had to be made as I was breastfeeding my first child (who had been born prematurely - see my post Christmas Complications) and I had no stock of expressed milk to leave for her. After some agonising I made the decision to not go and, as the hospital called again around 3am to tell me that she had died, I likely would not have made it. I was relieved to be told that a friend had been with her.
My worst was not being able to visit a dear Uncle who had fought the good fight against cancer for several years and was in steep decline. We had little money, my husband couldn't get time off work, I was 6 months pregnant with June and I had 3 children to consider (the older two being my stepchildren). I later found out that all his other nieces and his nephew managed to visit him in Cornwall - that no one thought to contact me to ask if I'd like to go with them still hurts, as does that my mother told him (without telling me) that I couldn't make it due to my family responsibilities. This would hurt less if it hadn't been for the fact that she was the person who refused to lend me some money which would have enabled me to drive down to see him the weekend before he died.
Anyway, back to my original point, my biggest regrets are (currently) not having visited close family members who were gravely ill and pretty much on their deathbeds. In one instance I convinced myself that the situation wasn't that bad, only to be proven wrong later that day. In another, I was aged 13 and at boarding school so had no choice in the matter. Yet another found me receiving a phone call at nearly midnight from a hospital just outside London, informing me that an Aunt was near to death and that, as I was the closest (geographically speaking) family member, would I go to see her? A difficult decision had to be made as I was breastfeeding my first child (who had been born prematurely - see my post Christmas Complications) and I had no stock of expressed milk to leave for her. After some agonising I made the decision to not go and, as the hospital called again around 3am to tell me that she had died, I likely would not have made it. I was relieved to be told that a friend had been with her.
My worst was not being able to visit a dear Uncle who had fought the good fight against cancer for several years and was in steep decline. We had little money, my husband couldn't get time off work, I was 6 months pregnant with June and I had 3 children to consider (the older two being my stepchildren). I later found out that all his other nieces and his nephew managed to visit him in Cornwall - that no one thought to contact me to ask if I'd like to go with them still hurts, as does that my mother told him (without telling me) that I couldn't make it due to my family responsibilities. This would hurt less if it hadn't been for the fact that she was the person who refused to lend me some money which would have enabled me to drive down to see him the weekend before he died.
Monday, 16 March 2015
Astronomical Activities
We are all very excited about the upcoming partial solar eclipse on Friday and attended a presentation about solar eclipses on Saturday at the South Downs Planetarium (http://www.southdowns.org.uk/), which has given us some great ideas about how to view the eclipse safely.
This is very useful as I have only managed to get one pair of solar eclipse viewing glasses to share between the four of us, so I'm planning on making a pinhole camera with December and June and we're also going to dig out a colander to use as a viewer and see how well that works - see this link for an explanation and also other ways of safely viewing a solar eclipse: http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/how-view-eclipse
I remember the eclipse in 1999, the rush of wind just before the Moon completely blocked the Sun's light and, as the day darkened, the deathly hush as all the birds that had been twittering madly fell silent. It was very eerie and I remember feeling very relieved at the return of the light as the Moon moved out of the way of the rays.
The next large partial solar eclipse visible in the UK will be on the 12th August 2026, which is why I am so interested in the one coming up this Friday. The next total solar eclipse visible from the UK won't be until the 23rd September 2090.
In the meantime we have been using binoculars and our small telescope to follow interesting activities in the sky and were particularly delighted to manage to view Comet Lovejoy back in January. Unfortunately, due to lack of equipment (no laptop or digital camera) we were not able to photograph it. However, here is a picture of Venus at sunset taken a couple of days ago on my mobile phone. Mars was also visible to the naked eye (below and to the right of Venus), though it cannot be seen in this picture.
I also tried to take some photos of Orion but that was just too much for my mobile to manage - I must get a proper camera as soon as I am able.
This is very useful as I have only managed to get one pair of solar eclipse viewing glasses to share between the four of us, so I'm planning on making a pinhole camera with December and June and we're also going to dig out a colander to use as a viewer and see how well that works - see this link for an explanation and also other ways of safely viewing a solar eclipse: http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/how-view-eclipse
I remember the eclipse in 1999, the rush of wind just before the Moon completely blocked the Sun's light and, as the day darkened, the deathly hush as all the birds that had been twittering madly fell silent. It was very eerie and I remember feeling very relieved at the return of the light as the Moon moved out of the way of the rays.
The next large partial solar eclipse visible in the UK will be on the 12th August 2026, which is why I am so interested in the one coming up this Friday. The next total solar eclipse visible from the UK won't be until the 23rd September 2090.
In the meantime we have been using binoculars and our small telescope to follow interesting activities in the sky and were particularly delighted to manage to view Comet Lovejoy back in January. Unfortunately, due to lack of equipment (no laptop or digital camera) we were not able to photograph it. However, here is a picture of Venus at sunset taken a couple of days ago on my mobile phone. Mars was also visible to the naked eye (below and to the right of Venus), though it cannot be seen in this picture.
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| Venus at sunset |
I also tried to take some photos of Orion but that was just too much for my mobile to manage - I must get a proper camera as soon as I am able.
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