Dice training and the randomness factor

The random quality of real life means that you are never sure that you are going to be in the best shape or totally ready to deal with a situation. A training program should reflect this.

To this end I have stolen an idea from US coach Dan John by using a dice to choose my workout. I have written out all of the workouts I know, numbered them and roll the dice once, check the number and do the workout.

OK, the down side of 'random' workouts means that it won't be optimum for muscle growth, strength or power development, fat loss etc, but programs aimed at these are not aimed at total performance which is the main thing I believe in. You should however stick to the structure to allow for proper rest and recovery. The aim is to get fit, not injured.

Basic Risotto

Ingredients:

• onion
• 2-3 stalks of celery
• 1 pint chicken stock
• 1 glass of white wine / vermouth (I prefer vermouth)
• 150g (per person) of risotto rice
• olive oil
• large knob of butter
• Parmesan cheese

Method:

• Chop the onion and celery very small, heat some oil in a large pan and add the veg. Turn the heat low, cover and cook for 10 mins
• Add the rice, turn up the heat high and stir vigorously until the rice goes clear. Add the vermouth and keep stirring until the liquid has been absorbed / evaporated.
• Turn the heat right down and start to add the hot stock a splash at a time. Keep stirring; you want to release as much of the starch as possible. Cook for 14 mins.
• Add the large knob of butter and the cheese. Stir.
• Turn the heat off, cover and leave for 5 mins. Serve

Workout of the day

Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:

• 10 wallball shots, 5kg ball
• 10 crunches
• 10 back extensions

Tuna nicoise

Ingredients:

• 500g new potatoes, cooked
• 200g green beans, trimmed, cooked
• 4 medium-sized eggs, hard boiled, cooled, peeled and cut into wedges
• 2 little gem lettuce hearts, cut into wedges
• 250g cherry or plum tomatoes, halved
• 75g black olives, pitted and halved
• small tin tuna in olive oil or water, drained
• 2-3 sprigs of fresh basil
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• Make the dressing by whisking the mustard, garlic, vinegar and pepper together in a small bowl and gradually whisk in the oil until the dressing thickens slightly.
• Put the potato, beans, tomatoes and olives in a bowl and pour about two thirds of the dressing over the salad and mix well. Top the salad with the drained tuna and arrange the quartered eggs on top.
• Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad. Sprinkle with freshly torn basil leaves and serve.

Workout of the day

• 5 min skipping rope alternate beat
• 40 kettlebell swings (16kg)
• overhead press with (40kg) sandbag x 15
• 40 kettlebell swings
• overhead press with sandbag x 15
• 40 kettlebell swings
• bent over row with sandbag x 15
• 50 x push ups
• bent over row with sandbag x 15
• 50 x push ups
• 40 kettlebell swings

How to Explain Bipolar Disorder to Others

I shy away from talking about this although it's a stated aim of the blog and I will readily admit I have the condition. I am edgey tonight and really could do with my wife being with me - but she has to work.

These are not my own words but capture bipolar...

"How do you explain your, condition to the others? Here are a few sentences to help you organize your thoughts. Choose the most appropriate explanations and modify as needed:

• Stripped down to basics, people with bipolar disorder have mood swings, from elation to depression, that don't necessarily have anything to do with what's going on in their lives.
  Bipolar disorder is also called manic depression, and it appears to be caused by electrochemical abnormalities in the brain.
• TV shows like to show people with bipolar disorder as criminals, but don't worry - only a small percentage are ever violent, and I'm not one of them!
• "Mania" and "manic" don't mean "crazy" - they refer to extra high emotions, full of energy, fast-talking, not needing much sleep [I presently have racing thoughts, fast talking, am very wired but cannot focus the energy and am on the edge of being manic, but that insight alone is enough to get me through for I have developed a range of coping strategies with my very very good CPN - RN 29 July 2009].
• There are a lot of possible medications for bipolar disorder. My doctor has started me out on _____, but if that doesn't work, we'll just try something else.
• When I'm manic, I have particular problems with spending too much money, talking too much, not making a lot of sense, being aggressive, drinking heavily...
• Inappropriate anger can be a symptom of bipolar disorder. I might say or have said hurtful things that I really don't mean - I'm sorry! Finding the right medication should help control that behavior.
• When I get depressed or into a mixed state, I sometimes feel suicidal. That's my illness talking - but it's serious. You might have to get me to a hospital if I seem really bad.
• Bipolar disorder seems to be inherited but the exact cause is not known yet.
• Don't worry if I _________ [behavior you and your doctor agree is symptomatic but not dangerous by itself]. If I start ________ [behavior you and your doctor agree is dangerous], tell me to call my doctor, or take me to the hospital."

From: http://bipolar.about.com/library/howto/ht-explain.htm

Also see: http://thesecretlifeofamanicdepressive.wordpress.com/

Irish Stew

Ingredients:

• lamb (is traditional, but I often use beef) cut into 1-inch cubes.
• 2 onions
• 2 carrots, 2 parsnips a turnip
• Brown sugar
• 12 potatoes
• Veg (or beef stock)
• Red wine (optional)
• Bay leaf
• Salt, pepper and rosemary

Method:

• Brown the onions and the meat.
• Slice up the veg in chunks, saute for a few minutes and then add just a little bit of brown sugar.
• Meanwhile, peeling and slicing the potatoes. Small ones slice in four, big ones in 6 or 8 pieces.
• Stick them in a casserole dish with the meat and onions, and add the stock.
• If you have wine open, add it now
• Add salt and pepper, a few bay leaves and herbs.
• Cover the dish and bake for about 1 or 1.5 hours, it's ready when the potatoes are tender. Mash some of the potatoes in the liquid when you're eating it
  

Workout of the day

I'm knackered, so lets call it a rest day!

The pumpkin workout

I like this...

Running a solo business

Here are the 15 thoughts for successful self-employment. Try them:

Marketing is more important than mastery
Being a master of your craft, skill, or talent doesn't ensure the success of your business. You can be the greatest at what you do, and if nobody knows about you, you're quickly out of business. Yes, it's important that you deliver a quality service. But it's even more important that you consistently and appropriately promote your business.

Risk is always reducible.
Everyone faces risk -- in life and in business. And risk is always reducible. You may find that at times, even after you've reduced the risk, it is still too costly. Great! Just find another path to your goal. Make sure your clients know that you're also helping them reduce risk -- it makes you more valuable.

There is usually an easier or better way.
No matter what strategy, process, or procedure under consideration, there is usually an easier or better way. Think beyond the traditional ways of solving a problem, creating a deliverable, or accomplishing an outcome and you'll find a new, better, easier, faster, less expensive, or less risky way.

Delay is unacceptably expensive.
Today the windows of opportunities open more often and shut more quickly than ever before. Delay lets those opportunities pass by without you or your client being able to take advantage of them. Reducing or eliminating delay in your business and your projects reduces costs, increases your perceived value to your clients, and gives you more opportunities for success.

Self-confidence can be arranged.
You don't need to rely on yourself to create your confidence. Nor do you need to wait until you have attained mastery of your services. You can arrange for support structures and encouragement, and can design situations that feed you the confidence you need.

The answer is somewhere.
Do you have the answer? Does your client have the answer? Does a competitor have the answer? Is the answer on the Internet? The point is that it doesn't really matter where the answer is, but that there is an answer somewhere. And it's up to you and your client to find it. Knowing that the answer is somewhere, but that you aren't the only source for the answer, releases you from needing to be the "answer person." This, in turn, frees your energy for collaborating with your client in finding the answer.

Problems don't exist.
Okay, this one might require a shift in your perspective. Especially if you think of yourself as a problem solver! Flip it over and what you have is an opportunity, not a problem. An opportunity to showcase your magnificence. An opportunity to challenge your knowledge, perceptions, and beliefs. An opportunity to really get creative! Stop seeing problems and start finding opportunities.

Everything is a project.
Regardless of what service you provide to your clients, you are a project manager. Running a business, whether for one person or 500, is a series of projects. Creating your business identity is a project. Creating your web site is a project. Upgrading your technology is a project. So is creating and implementing a marketing plan. Use project management tools and techniques to save time and keep your business on the right track.

The client is always right, or you must say "No!"
Enter the paradox. Don't "go along to get along" with your clients. As the hired-gun professional, your client wants your expertise and needs your insights. Although the client is always the final decision maker, she doesn't always know what's best. Tell her, gently and gracefully, when you see her going down the wrong path, misusing her resources, or being unreasonable. Your Ideal Clients will love it when you say "No!" in this way. Your Clients from Hell -- won't, but then these clients will receive your ultimate refusal -- not to work with them again.

It's all solvable, or it's not.
When you approach your business, your clients, and your projects from the perspective that it's all solvable, your options open up. Determining that it's not solvable, for whatever reason, releases your energy and resources for more appropriate action.

Success requires mistakes -- lots of them!
You won't stay in business long if you hide your mistakes or blame them on others, the system, or the processes. Your best growth and most important lessons come from making mistakes and then correcting them. Embrace your mistakes! Then fix and remember them. Fail your way to success!

By the way, your clients will be amazed at this attitude. They aren't used to experiencing it. Most people avoid even the possibility of failing(because they don't understand that failure is a requirement for success)!

Creeping excellence beats perfection.
You can't afford the luxury of being a perfectionist -- and neither can many of your clients. Adopt the habit of creeping excellence in which you ensure that everything you do is just a bit better than it was the last time you did it. Leave everything better than when you found it. Creeping excellence reduces the time and costs racked up by perfectionism. Perfectionists spend 80% of their time and resources perfecting the last 20% of everything. Do what you do best and hire others to do the cleanup. Give your clients the choice between perfection and excellence.

Focus is power.
"If you chase two rabbits, both will escape." Chinese Proverb Being a Jack-of-all-trades is a sure way to fail as an independent professional. You can't market your business to the entire world -- you don't have the time, money, or energy for that. Narrow it down to one market segment of Ideal Clients for whom you provide one primary service. That's not only doable, it's powerful!
And stop multi-tasking! Did you know that each interruption, no matter how short in duration, steals up to four minutes from you? That's how long it takes for you to return to the flow of thinking that was interrupted. And switching from task to task is just another interruption. Get in the flow and stay there!

The goal's the thing, not the plan.
To what do you commit? The plan or the goal? If you find yourself getting the same unacceptable results over and over, you are committed to the plan. To change the results, get a new plan!

Independent employment is joyous!
What good is owning a business if it doesn't bring you pleasure? When you come from joy in your work, your clients find you easier and happier to work with. And that increases their enjoyment in working with you, which enhances your chances for a long-term, profitable relationship with them.

Workout of the day

Bike ride 40 mins

Chicken Kiev

Ingredients:

• 2 x chicken breasts
• 50g butter, softened
• 4 tbsp parsley chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 50g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 25g corn flakes, crushed
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• olive oil

Method:

• Mix together the butter, parsley, garlic and seasoning. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180C
• Cut a pocket along the length of the chicken breast with a sharp knife. Spoon the chilled butter into the pocket of each chicken breast. Pull the cut chicken over the butter to cover.
• Stir together the breadcrumbs, corn flakes and Parmesan. Dust the chicken in the seasoned flour, then the beaten egg. Finally roll the chicken in the breadcrumb mix.
• Place on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes

Four cheese pizza

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tub of frozen pizza dough or make your own (I do)
• all purpose flour
• tomato sauce (not ketcup!!!)
• 180g fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then coarsely chopped
• 100g ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

Method:

• preheat to 220°C.
• Brush metal baking pan with olive oil.
• Mix 2 tablespoons olive oil and garlic in small bowl.
• Roll out pizza dough on lightly floured work surface.
• Transfer dough to prepared pan; brush lightly with some of garlic oil and tomato sauce.
• Top with mozzarella cheese and goat cheese, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Crumble ricotta cheese over, then sprinkle with Parmesan.
• Bake pizza until crust is golden brown and cheese melts, about 18 minutes.
• Drizzle remaining garlic-oil over pizza.
• Let stand 3 minutes. Serve

Workout of the day

The Hundred
Lie on the back, bring both knees to the chest, curl the head and shoulders off the mat, and reach the legs to a controlled working level (bent at 90 degrees or straight and reaching between 90 and 45 degrees).

Stretch the arms at hip level and beat the arms 6-8" up and down as you breathe in for five counts and out for five counts. Repeat for ten breaths. Feel the abdominals pulling in and up throughout.

The Roll Up
Inhale and reach arms up to the ceiling. Curl the head and shoulders forward, and exhale to roll all the way up, bringing head towards knees. Curl the tailbone under and inhale to start rolling back; exhale to roll to the mat and reach the arms back.

One Leg Circle
Reach one leg up to the ceiling, pressing the other into the mat, arms by sides. Bring the top leg toward the nose, across the body, down and around in a circle and stop at the top. Circle five times in each direction. Keep the pelvis still and abdominals scooped in.

Rolling Like a Ball
Bend knees and hold ankles. Curl into a ball with feet lifted off the mat. Pull the abdominals in to roll back onto the shoulder blades, and roll up to the starting position. Keep the body curled and the Powerhouse scooping. Do 6.

Single Leg Stretch
Curl the upper body forward, hug one knee to the chest, and reach the other leg out at 45 degrees. Switch legs, moving them simultaneously. Keep the lower back and head stable and still. Do 6-10 on each side.

Double Leg Stretch
With upper body curled forward, reach both arms and legs up to the ceiling. Sweep the arms out to the sides and circle them as you bend knees to chest again, pulling the ankles in for a stretch. Do 6-8.

Spine Stretch Forward
With straight legs, separate your feet shoulder-width. Reach both arms forward. Pull the abdominals in and squeeze your bottom to lift tall, inhaling deeply. Exhale to roll the head forward and curl the spine, one vertebra at a time, until the top of the head is reaching toward the mat. Inhale to roll back up. Feel the abdominals pulling back to give the spine a comfortable stretch. Do 3-5.

Workout of the day

Something different today:

20 mile walk with 35lb day sack

Avocado with sauteed mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados, halved and stoned
• 150g quinoa
• olive oil
• 2 plum tomatoes, de-seeded and finely diced
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• ½ orange, peeled and finely chopped
• 25g fresh basil leaves, torn
• ½ lime, juice of
• a pinch of salt
• 150g closed cup mushrooms, brushed and quartered

Method:

• Cook the quinoa as per the packet instructions, with the oil and salt.
• In a small pan, heat the oil for the mushrooms.
• Saute the mushrooms for 4-5 minutes. Season.
• Drain the quinoa of any excess liquid, and then transfer the quinoa to a medium bowl.
• Stir the remaining stuffing ingredients into the cooked quinoa.
• Peel the avocado halves and slice a small piece off the rounded edge of each avocado half to enable them to sit flat on a plate.
• Divide the stuffing mixture into four, and then spoon each portion into one half of an avocado.
• Serve two stuffed avocado halves with a portion of sauteéd mushrooms.

Vesper Martini

Ingredients:

• 3 measures of Gin
• 1 measure of vodka
• 1/2 measure Kina Lillet
• lemon peel for garnish

Method:

• The Vesper according to Ian Fleming and James Bond: "Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?" -Casino Royale, Chapter 7

Workout of the day

Not much time today:

• 1 min rolling squats
• 1 min push ups
• 1 min sit ups
• 1 min squats
• 6 min skipping
• 1 min stretching

Eton Mess

Ingredients:

• 500g strawberries
• 2 teaspoons caster
• 2 teaspoons pomegranate juice
• 500ml whipping cream
• 4 x small meringue nests from a packet

Method:

• Hull and chop the strawberries and put into a bowl. Add the sugar and pomegranate juice and leave to macerate while you whip the cream.
• Whip the cream in a large bowl until thick but still soft.
• Roughly crumble in four meringue nests — you will need chunks for texture, as well as a little fine dust.
• Take out a ladleful, or about 100g of the chopped strawberries and fold the meringued cream and the rest of the fruit mixture together.
• Arrange on four serving plates or glasses, or in a mound, and top each with some of the remaining strawberries.

Workout of the day

It's a rest day.

Workout of the day

A tough one:

• Farmer Walk (use heavy Dumbbells) 1 light set, 1 medium set,2 hard sets x 200m
• 1 Arm DB Snatch 4 x 3 reps - max rounds in 5 minutes
• mixed grip pull ups / recline rows x 10 reps
• dips x 10 reps
• sprints: 10 x 100m

Fish pie

Ingredients:

• 250g haddock; skinned, gutted and filleted
• 250g prawns
• 1 large tin of salmon
• 6 medium potatoes
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 1 tbs of flour
• 50g of butter
• 1 pint of milk
• grated cheese
• Salt & pepper

Method:

• Peel, chop and boil the potatoes.
• Heat the milk in a wide heavy based frying pan. Keep the milk simmering, add the fish and cook for about fifteen minutes.
• Remove the fish and reserve the liquor.
• Flake the fish into the bottom of an oven-proof dish, carefully removing any remaining bones and dark skin.
• Melt the butter, add the flour and stir to form a roux.
• Cook gently for several seconds and then add the reserved liquor, slowly, while continuing to stir. This will form the sauce for the pie.
• Pour the sauce over the fish.
• When ready, mash the potato with plenty of butter, spread over the fish, and grate over some cheese.
• Cook for thirty five minutes at 180 C.

Workout of the day

Easy paella

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• onion diced
• red pepper diced
• garlic crushed
• chorizo chopped
• 2 chicken breasts
• saffron
• large cup of long grain rice
• 2 large cups of chicken stock
• large cup of frozen peas
• 2 handfulls of prawns

Method:

• Heat the oil in a deep pan, then soften the onion, pepper and garlic for 5 mins without browning. Add the chorizo and fry until it releases its oils. add the chicken and brown. Stir in the saffron and rice until coated by the oils, then pour in the stock.
• Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
• Tip in the peas and prawns and cook for 5 mins. Check for seasoning and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Workout of the day

5 Km run (aim for sub 25 mins)

Workout of the day

It's a Yoga Day...

Centering and Breath Awareness: (5 minutes)

Sit in a cross-legged position, close your eyes, focus attention on the breath--breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. Gradually deepen the breath and elongate your spine

Warm ups: (about 10 minutes)

Remain seated. With hands on knees, rotate torso to the right at least three times, then to left

Open your legs wide apart, sit erect with your hands behind your hips to support your torso. Rotate your ankles at least three times to the left and then right.

Inhale, point your toes. Exhale, press heels out drawing toes toward the chest.

Exhale, bend forward over the left leg. Follow with the right leg to gently stretch the hamstrings. Continue several times

Forward bend: grasp calves, ankles or each big toe, exhale and bend towards the floor

Bring feet to a wide-stance squat, hands to chest in prayer position

Hands to the floor, push hips toward the ceiling, knees bent, hang forward in "rag doll".

Stand up slowly.

Slowly circle the knees at least three times to the right then the left.

Circle the hips, circle the torso

Circle your outstretched arms forward and backwards at least three times

Rotate your head left to right (but not to the back) and then drop your chin towards your chest and do three more neck rotations

Stretch arms overhead, arch to left then to right

Postures (about 40 minutes)

Mountain
Palm Trees
Half Moon, Hands to Feet
Standing Angle
Lunge
Triangle
Tree
Eagle
Six movements of the spine
Seated yoga mudra
Modified cobra
Downward dog
Upward dog
Child
Half Locust
Boat
Knee down twist
Half Shoulderstand

Relaxation (at least 5 minutes)

Lie flat on your back, hands at your side, palms up, eyes closed

Slow cooked Celery Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 head of Winter Celery. De-string the coarse outer leaves and chop into 5 cm pieces
• 300g of potatoes (peeled and chopped into 2 cm thick rings)
• 1 large Spanish onion, chopped roughly (approx 350g)
• 0.75 litres of vegetable stock
• A couple of bay leaves
• A good dash of fresh ground pepper
  

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 140 (120 fan-assisted).
• Prepare the vegetables as above and put into a large heavy bottomed, ovenproof saucepan.
• Add the stock, bay leaves and ground pepper.
• Bring slowly to a strong simmer and cover.
• Place the saucepan on the bottom shelf of the oven for 2 hours.
• Remove the bay leaves and liquidise. Adjust seasoning to taste.
• Serve in warm bowls with plenty of fresh bread.
  

Workout of the day

• Dumbbell dead lift
• Swiss ball dumbbell bench press
• Swiss ball dumbbell pull over
• Dumbbell squat
• Seated dumbbell shoulder press
• Dumbbell rows
• Dumbbell curl
• Dumbell snatches

Using 17.5 kg dumbells. Repeat 5 x 5

Awesome Banana Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 475 ml milk
• 2 eggs
• 125 g all-purpose flour
• 5 g baking powder
• 3 g salt
• 225 g mashed bananas

Method:

• Whisk together the milk and eggs in a bowl until evenly blended; set aside.
• Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate large bowl.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the milk mixture and mashed bananas, being careful not to over mix the batter (the batter will be lumpy). Let the batter sit for at least 1 minute before using.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Workout of the day

It's a sandbag day.

I am now using a 50kg sand bag

• 10 x clean and press
• 10 x bent over rows
• take 10 step and do 1 squat, take another 10 and do 2 squats, etc to 5

Repeat for 3 rounds

Self defence

The best form of self defence is to avoid the situation. Here's some thoughts on how to avoid bad things happening:

• Always survey the area you are walking.
• Look for street lights that are out.
• Look in the cars parked next to you, do you notice anyone sitting in the car
• Vans with sliding doors that face your car make for a good way to take you out of the area quickly.
• Look under your car. A few years ago criminals would hid under vehicles, slash the ankles of the owner of the car with a razor while an accomplice would secure the keys, money and valuables of the victim.
• Don't pass by alley or door ways too closely. Give a wide birth when walking by.
• Don't walk next to parked cars. I know this may get a little difficult, but give about 6 feet between you and cars parked in a parking garage.
• Don't be distracted. Good victims are preoccupied. If you are over burdened with bags and children, you will make a good target.
• Do you look lost? Trying to figure out where you are going and looking around and cursing is a good tip-off that you're not paying attention.
• Have your keys ready to go and have a plan to get the kids and the packages stowed away.
• Know your environment. If you are not familiar with the area, especially cities, the street you are on may change from morning to evening.
• Buy a map and have a course mapped out.
• When you're driving...Leave enough space in front of you to pull out if you had to. Check mirrors and briefly check the surrounding cars.
• Keep your petrol topped up if you are going somewhere unfamiliar.
• Always consult a map.
• Four of the most common dodges that are used for setting you up: Do you have a match? Do you have any change? Do you have the time?Can you give me some directions?
  Never stop, keep walking and keep moving. If the person asking the question keeps persisting, then they want more than the time.
• If you feel you are being followed get ready to defend your self. Place your hand on your weapon of choice. Make brief eye contact, even if it means turning around. Change direction and pick up the pace. Duck in to a public placee. Call the police. Run
• Practice drills in you head.
  

Just remember a little bit of paranoia goes a long way.

Stress

Stress is my old friend.

Perhaps its wrong to say it is my friend, but I have lived with it for many many years, through the 100 hour weeks of self employment and the 70 miles of weekly runs when with the army.

Unless you realize just how stressed out you are, you are unlikely to take it seriously. But if you don't it could ruin your relationships, cost you your job and damage your health.

Are you stressed. Here's a symptom checklist:

Are you angry?
Be honest here. Do you lose your temper more quickly than usual? Are your family members or work colleagues always walking on eggshells around you because you are so touchy? If you are not sure, ask your partner; but make sure you listen to the answer! If you lose your temper even faster than usual, it is probably your stress.

Can you concentrate?
As stress increases, so concentration decreases. So if you are finding it more and more difficult to concentrate and you are finding it hard to finish even simple tasks, you need to do something about your stress levels.

Are you depressed or anxious?
Do you find yourself getting anxious and depressed more than is usual for you? If your symptoms just don't go away, you need to do something about your stress!

Do you have body pains?
Stress is held in the body. Muscles become tense and eventually go into spasm. In particular high stress levels commonly manifest as neck problems, headaches and stomach pains.

Do you grind your teeth?
Stress and tension can be commonly held in the jaw. It can result in jaw pain. This can be relieved to some extent by teeth grinding. So if you grind your teeth day or night, or if you wake up with more jaw pain, it could be down to too much stress.

Are you oblivious to life's simple pleasures?
If you scowl when a stranger smiles as they pass by or ignore a stunning view, you are stressed out.

Are your comfort crutches spiraling out of control?
Do you find yourself going to the fridge for snacks and drinks more often? Are you perhaps smoking more heavily? Take note.

If you answered yes to most of these questions, you can be sure that you have excessive stress in your life. Just knowing you have stress symptoms can help you get on with dealing with it in a constructive way. But take action. You ignore stress at your peril.

If

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,'
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Pesto Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp pesto (I make my own, but shop bought is fine)
• 45g mascarpone
• olive oil
• 50g breadcrumbs
• 100g baby tomatoes, on the vine
• handful pine nuts
• handful basil leaves

Method:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C.
• Use a small sharp knife to make a slit along the side of each chicken breast to form a pocket. Mix together the pesto and mascarpone, then spoon a half of the mixture into each chicken breast and smooth over the opening to seal.
• Brush a little oil over each chicken breast and season well.
• Tip the breadcrumbs onto a large plate and season.
• Place each breast on the plate and press all over with the breadcrumbs.
• Place in a lightly oiled shallow baking dish along with the tomatoes (kept together on the vine in a couple of bunches). Drizzle over the remaining oil.
• Cook in the oven for 20-25 mins until the chicken starts to turn golden and is cooked through.
• Scatter over the pine nuts and cook for 2 mins more. Sprinkle with basil leaves and serve.

Pear and Brie Toasts

Ingredients:

• 1 ciabatta loaf
• 2 ripe pears
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 200g good French brie, cut into 8 slices
• freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil
• watercress

Method:

• Cut four slices on the diagonal from the ciabatta loaf, each about 2cm thick.
• Brush both sides of the slices with olive oil and grill until golden.
• Peel the two pears and cut each into six slices.
• Brush a griddle pan with butter, put onto a medium heat and when smoking, cook the pears for one to two minutes on each side until golden brown griddle marks appear.
• Arrange two brie slices on each toast along with three slices of the pear.
• Grill the toasts for about one minute so the brie just starts tomelt.
• Transfer to a serving plate, add a grind of black pepper and scatter over with some watercress.

Workout of the day

Repeat x 5

• 100 jump ropes
• 10 burpees
• 10 situps
• 10 pushups
• 10 squats
• 10 pullups

Workout of the day

It's a rest day - go for a walk in the sunshine

Tuna Salad v1

Ingredients:

• 2 large tomatoes, cut in quarters
• 1 red bell pepper, cut in matchstick strips
• 1 green bell pepper, cut in matchstick strips
• 1 small onion, sliced in rings
• 1 can tuna in oil
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons wine vinegar
• clove garlic, finely minced
• salt, pepper, dry mustard
• 12 pitted black olives, chopped

Method:

• Arrange tomato quarters on a salad serving platter
• place pepper strips and onion rings in center.
• Drain oil from tuna into a small jar; flake tuna and arrange in center of platter.
• Make salad dressing: add olive oil, wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, pepper and dry mustard to tuna oil in jar. Seal tightly and shake vigorously to blend.
• Sprinkle over tuna salad platter.
• Sprinkle chopped olives over the salad.

Workout of the day

1 min jumping jacks

Single arm alternating Kettlebell Swing x 60 (ie: 30 each arm)
Two arm Kettlebell swing x 60
Full squat x 30 each arm (ie 60 in total)
Single arm row x 30 each arm

Push-ups x 25
Plank 1 min
Crunches x 25
Plank 1 min

Repeat x 2

Summer pudding

I love puddings, and this is especially good...

Ingredients:

• 700g Prepared Fruit from a combination of Blackcurrants, Cherries, Gooseberries, Mulberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Redcurrants, Rhubarb
• 110g Sugar
• 6-8 Large slices white bread, crusts removed
• 5-6 tbsp water
• Mint Sprig (optional)

Method:

• Wash and prepare any combination of the fruit.
• Stew gently in the water and sugar until soft.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Cut a round of bread, to fit the base of a 1.1 litre pudding basin. Cut the bread into fingers and line the sides of the basin with them, overlapping slightly.
• Carefully pour the fruit into the prepared basin, retaining 3 tablespoons of the liquid.
• Shake the basin slightly to ensure the fruit fills to bowl.
• Cut the remaining bread to form a lid and cover the fruit.
• Cover with kitchen foil, then place a saucer plate or saucer that just fits inside the bowl and place a weight on top. Allow to cool.
• Place in the refrigerator and chill overnight.
• To serve, run a knife round the edge of the basin to loosen.
• Invert on to a serving dish. Pour the reserved liquid over the pudding. Garnish sprigs of mint.

Chilli con carne

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 500g lean minced beef
• glass red wine
• 400g can red kidney beans
• 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 green pepper, roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 red chillies, thinly sliced,
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1tsp ground coriander
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 beef stock cube
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Plain yogurt

Method:

• Fry the onion and garlic until softened.
• Turn up the heat and add the mince, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks.
• Pour in the wine and boil for 2-3 mins.
• Add the tomatoes, green pepper, tomato purée, ground coriander, chilli, cumin and Worcestershire sauce and crumble in the stock cube. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick.
• Add the kidney beans. Cook for a further 10 mins, uncovered, before removing from the heat.
• Top each portion with a dollop of plain yogurt, and serve with rice.
  

Workout of the day

• wall walking 1 min
• 1 min plank
• pushups - 10 regular, 10 hindu - to 100.
• Squats x 200 with no breaks.
• Hand stand for 1min

Steak sandwich

Ingredients:

• 3 medium onions
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 thick rump or sirloin steak, approx 350g
• 4 thick slices crusty white bread
• Butter
• 1 tbsp smooth Dijon mustard

Method:

• Peel, halve and finely slice the onions.
• Heat the oil over a high heat and cook the onions for a few minutes until they begin to brown and flop.
• Season generously with salt and pepper, reduce the heat, cover and leave to cook. Add the balsamic vinegar then turn off the heat.
• Smear the steak with some oil. Heat a griddle pan until very hot. Season one side of the steak with salt and pepper and lay it, seasoned side down, on the griddle. Cook for a couple of minutes until a crusty layer has formed.
• Season the exposed side of the steak, turn and cook the other side.
• Rest the steak on a plate for a few minutes while you make the toast on the griddle.
• Spread two slices with butter and a generous smear of mustard.
• Trim away any fat from the steak and slice thickly.
• Top with the onions and sandwich with the remaining toast.

Workout of the day

60 mins yoga comprising:

Getting ready:
Sit in a cross-legged position, close your eyes, focus attention on the breath - breath in through your nose and out through the mouth and gradually deepen the breath and elongate your spine

Warm ups:
Slow knee circles 3x each side
Circle the hips,
circle the torso
Circle your outstretched arms forward and backwards x 3
Shake your hands, wrists, elbows
Swing arms to the right and left x 3
Rotate your head left and right and then drop your chin towards your chest x 3

Asanas:
Mountain
Balancing knee to chest
Six movements of the spine
Modified cobra
Downward dog
Upward dog
Warrior
Child
Knee down twist

Relaxation
Lie flat on your back, hands at your side, palms up, eyes closed

PS: And if you don't know the Asanas here's a basic guide:http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/finder/browse_categories?gclid=CPq6vsX56JoCFQhUkwodghHpBg

The downs - helping yourself

As well as the highs, bipolar brings lots of down times. Every day can feel like a struggle when you're depressed. Medical care and therapy are the most important steps to recovery. But there are things you can do to help yourself feel better:

Recognize early signs.
It's important to recognize and treat depression as early as possible, which decreases your risk of becoming depressed again. If you pretend the problem isn't there, it's probably going to get worse. You need to watch for the types of events that contributed to depression in the past, and be alert for early symptoms.

Set realistic goals.
You may feel overwhelmed by everything you "should" be doing at home or at work. Try not to be hard on yourself. Remember that depression is an illness and that you can't force yourself out of it. Focus on small, realistic goals to ease yourself back into your work and family routine.

Do what you enjoy.
Even if you don't really feel like it, set aside time to do things that you like. Get together with friends. Take a walk. Go to the movies. Take up a hobby that you set aside years ago.

Hold off on big decisions.
Since depression can color your outlook on everything, it's best to avoid making any big decisions—quitting a job or moving, for instance—until you feel better.

Avoid alcohol.
Although you might think it will help you feel better, alcohol can make your depression worse. Depressed people are at special risk of developing substance abuse problems, and alcohol interacts with many antidepressants.

Exercise.
There's more and more evidence that exercise helps. When you're considering an exercise plan, you don't be too ambitious. The most important thing is ti find something that you like, start slowly, and work up to exercising three times a week or more for 20 to 30 minutes.

Pasta Piselli

Ingredients:

• 1 large cup of frozen fresh peas
• olive oil
• large onion chopped.
• 1/4 cup of tomato sauce (either home made or bought is fine)
• 300g small shell pasta

Method:

• Bring a small pot of water to a boil, drop frozen peas in water and cook until just under done.
• At the same time, heat olive oil in large pan over Medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent.
• Add the tomato sauce and the peas with 1/4 cup of the water that you cooked the peas in. Season with salt & pepper to taste and cook for 15 minutes.
• While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta. Cook uncovered over high heat until al dente.
• Drain pasta, put back in pot, add some of the sauce and mix . Serve the pasta spooning remaining sauce over top.

Workout of the day

Rest day today - go for a nice walk

Workout of the day

• burpees
• pushups
• crunches
• lunges
• decline pushups
• dorsal raises
• knees to chest jumps
• tricep dips
• leg raises
• chin ups

10 reps repeated repeat 2 or 3 times.

General stuff - Fire Safety

Okay, this has very little to do with the stated purpose of this blog, but having spent the last week being indoctrinated with fire safety and how to fight fires for my day job, I am a little obsessed at the moment.

Have you heard of or seen the video of the fire at "The Station" on Rhode Island, USA?

If not, I have put the video below, BUT BE WARNED IT IS VERY UNPLEASANT IN PARTS.

Basically, a live band were playing in a nightclub and decided to put on a firework show without considering the height of the building. The place went up in flames and around 100 died.

The video was filmed inside as it happened and shows the effects of a lack of thought coupled with poor housekeeping:





Through out the enquiry that followed it was proven again and again had the promoter and the club owners given just a little more thought to the event and taken just a little more care of the housekeeping (like unlocking the fire exits!) the deaths were completely avoidable.

More than all of the three days of lectures (from a very entertaining and knowledgeable ex-fireman) and all of the documents, this video really made me think about my store (the day job) and my own home.

I have spent much of today thinking about my own home, making a risk assessment and putting some very simple procedures in place.

The risk assessment follows five steps and resulted in three pages of A4. The steps are:

1. Identify the risks (eg: Boiler in bedroom)
2. Repair / replace kit as appropriate (eg: ensure boiler serviced yearly and remove the stored cases from the boiler cupboard)
3. Manage the risks that remain (eg: fit a smoke alarm and a CO detector)
4. Record the results (My three pages of A4 which I have laminated and put in my emergency kit - see below)
5. Review yearly. (And write the date in my diary)

I have also brought back an old habit I started when I was in the army; I have created a car emergency kit and a house emergency kit. The house kit will live in the garage (because if the house burns down, there is no point it being in there!)

The car kit contains:

• Prepaid mobile phone
• Telephone numbers (eg: AA, ICE, Home etc) and insurance details laminated
• 12-foot jumper cables
• Four 15-minute roadside flares
• Bottle of oil
• can of antifreeze
• First aid kit
• Blanket
• Torch and extra batteries
• Flat head screwdrivers
• Phillips head screwdrivers
• Pliers
• Adjustable wrench
• Holts Tire inflator
• Tire pressure gauge
• Roll of paper towels
• Roll of duct tape
• Spray bottle with washer fluid
• Penknife
• Ice scraper
• Pen and paper
• Help sign
• Granola or energy bars
• Bottled water
• heavy-duty nylon bag to carry it all in.

The home kit contains much the same, except it leaves out the pure car items and adds in the house plans and details of the appliances.

Sleep Well Every Night

Improving your daytime habits and creating a better sleep environment can set the stage for good sleep. By developing a good bedtime routine and designing a plan that works for you, you can avoid common pitfalls and make simple changes that bring you consistently better sleep.

My top ten changes are:

1. Take regular exercise
2. Get some natural light each day
3. Avoid day time naps
4. Avoid, alcohol, caffeine, smoking
5. Make sure your bed is large enough and that the pillows and bedding are clean.
6. Keep the noise down and your room dark
7. Keep your room well ventilated.
8. Reserve your bed for sleeping
9. Keep a regular bedtime schedule - including weekends
10. Eat some bedtime snacks - like a glass of warm milk and a peanut butter sandwich

Migraine Headaches

It is believed that almost 15% of adults experience painful vascular headaches (where the pain is caused by blood vessel swelling or disturbance) called migraine headaches. Women have about two times higher risk of being affected. This risk increases further if you have a family history of migraines.

A migraine is a persistent, throbbing headache typically affecting one side of the head. It can last from anywhere between 4 and 72 hours. Migraines are thought to be caused by a sudden widening of the blood vessels that supply the brain, which in turn irritates the nerves surrounding these blood vessels.

Migraine headaches can be accompanied by symptoms that have a significant impact on daily life. As well as the headache, people may also experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and visual disturbances. Occasionally, symptoms can be more severe - including partial paralysis, difficulty in speaking, confusion, or fainting.

The exact causes of migraine headaches are not completely understood, but many find that certain triggers can start or worsen a migraine. Avoiding migraine triggers can become an effective means of reducing the number of attacks.

Changes in the trigeminal nerve pathway (the main sensory nerve of the face and motor nerve for the muscles used in chewing) are believed to result in the release of chemicals that dilate the blood vessels in the outer covering of the brain (called meninges). This causes a headache. Imbalances in other chemicals, such as serotonin, may also contribute to a migraine headache.

A migraine can be diagnosed based on the family history, medical history, and physical examination. A computerized tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), or a spinal tap may be recommended to rule out other causes.

Although there is no cure for a migraine, the right balance of medical and non-medical management can reduce the frequency and severity of attacks. There are numerous migraine headache treatments that may provide relief, but your first step should be to talk to your doctor.

Treatment for migraines are divided into two groups: pain relief and preventative.

The most common pain relief treatments are painkillers such as paracetamol, aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen. Some painkillers come combined with an anti-sickness medicine.

One of the keys to tackling a migraine is to treat it at the very first signs and symptoms.
Take your pain relief medication as soon as you feel the migraine 'coming on'.

Lie down in a dark room. Close your eyes and try to relax. Deep breathing can help.

Use an ice pack wrapped in a small towel on your head and neck.

A warm bath or shower can help you to relax. If you can manage it, take a walk to help ease tension

Massage the back of your neck or ask a friend or relative to massage your neck and shoulders.
Apply gentle pressure to the painful area using your thumb and forefingers. Push for about 10 seconds and then release.

Workout of the day

I have been travelling for work for the last three days. Whilst away, I followed a classic work out.

The 5BX (Five Basic Exercises) Plan is an exercise program developed for theRoyal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in the late 1950s.

The RCAF sought to develop a fitness program for their pilots, a third of whom were not considered fit to fly at the time. The plan was innovative in two respects.

Firstly, it did not require access to specialized equipment. Many RCAF pilots were located in remote bases in northern Canada, with no access to gymnasium facilities, so it was important to offer a means of keeping fit without their use.

Secondly, the plan only required 11 minutes per day to be spent on the exercises.

Twenty-three million copies of the 5BX booklet were sold to the Canadian public.

The 5BX Plan is composed of six charts arranged in increasing order of difficulty. Each chart is composed of five exercises that are performed within 11 minutes. The first 4 basic exercises are Calisthenics and the last an Aerobic exercise.

As you progress within the system the number of each type of exercise that must be performed increases and the difficulty of each exercise increases.

Exercises

Throughout the charts and levels, the 5 exercises are the same, but more difficult variations are introduced.

• Stretching
• Sit-up
• Back extention
• Press up
• Running in-situ

If you would like a copy of the RCAF book, drop me an e-mail

Penne Primavera

Ingredients

• 300g penne
• 4 tbsp virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 carrot
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 1yellow pepper
• 1 small bunch broccoli florets
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated Parmesan

Method

• Cook the penne.
• Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and sauté until it is soft. Add the onion and sauté for another minute.
• Chop the tomatoes, carrot and peppers. Add these to the softened garlic and onion.
• Cover the pan and steam. Stir occasionally and cook until the vegetables are crisp tender.
• Add ground pepper to taste and mix. The vegetable mixture is now ready to add to the pasta. Mix together gently.
• Serve.

Workout of the day

Step-up x 12 reps
Siff Squat x 20 reps
Off-set Pushup x 8 reps
Split Squat with Front Foot Elevated x10 reps
Plank on Ball x 20 seconds
Reverse Lunge x 10 reps
Assisted Chin-up x 8 reps
Stability Ball Rollout x 10 reps
Stick-up x 12 reps
Bird Dog x 5 reps

Repeat x 2

Pasta with Olives

Ingredients

• 400 g spaghetti1
• olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 4 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
• salt pepper
• 100 g green olives, stoned and halved
• 50 g Parmesan cheese, grated

Method

• Heat the oil in a large frying-pan with a lid. Add the onion, green pepper and tomatoes, with salt and pepper to taste, then cover the pan and cook over moderate heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the olives to the tomato and pepper mixture in the frying-pan and cook gently for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti for about 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain well.
• Add the drained spaghetti to the frying-pan and turn gently to coat evenly with the sauce. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and serve, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Workout of the day

Begin the session with 1 turkish getup for each side

Do a push up, a renegade row on each side and then an over head press. That’s 1 rep

Do 5 reps for 5 rounds

Then finish off with a turkish getup on each side.

I will do this with a 16kg kettlebell, but equally, you could use dumbells

Sangria

For approximately 1½ litres of Sangria (becuase I have just come back from Majorca) mix:

• 1 bottle of red wine
• Lemonade
• Brandy or Bacardi or Vodka
• Grand Marnier or Cointreau
• Lemon, orange and apple
• Sugar
• Ice

Workout of the day

• Y-Squat x 15 reps
• Close-grip Pushup x 12 reps
• 1-Leg Squat on Bench x 8 reps
• Inverted Row x 15 reps
• 1-Leg Deadlift x 12 reps
• Shoulder Press Pushup x 12 reps
• Knee-up x10 reps
• Hands on Ball Pushup x 12 reps
• Spiderman Climb x 15 reps
• Plank with Elbows on Stability Ball 30 seconds