Notes #1

I'm on a health kick. Truth be told I've been on a health kick for years but of late I've pushed it up a few notches. Gone are the half marathons and the masters swimming classes and instead it is what I eat that is taking centre stage.

When it comes to fitness all I do is walk, quite a lot, with the dog or friends for an evening power stroll and chat, plus a few press ups and a weights session or two at the gym. I haven't had a swim for ages and I was a swimming fanatic but the googles were causing me untold eye circle damage and the chlorine had taken its toll as well.

For the last two years I have digest numerous books on what we should be eating and looking at all the independent research on this issue. The list it too long but it includes key pieces by Gary Taubes and Dr Tim Noakes. My personal favourites are Mark Sison's Primal Blueprint and Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar books.

I dip into blogs, you tube videos and have now a great relationship with food and exercise. It reminds me of when I was a child - eat 3 square-ish meals a day and move a lot. Although now I don't have the lethal trans fats associated with margarine and it means no more custard creams!

Instead I eat mainly fats, proteins and vegetables with a smattering of grain when I fancy. I buy sourdough bread over any other and am going to try my friend Tara's bread recipe from her blog Get the Skinny.

It does all take effort, cooking everything from scratch and the food shopping is slightly more expensive but that is balanced by buying less of the naughty stuff. Yesterday I spend a pleasurable 30 minutes, whilst cooking Sunday lunch, making water drinks. Iced tea, sage water and lemongrass water. Sage water is the easiest peasiest thing to make. Add about 4 - 5 sage leaves to water in a bottle and put in the fridge to cool and keep there. It is ultra refershing. Lemongrass takes more effort to snap and crush 2 stalks then boil up in water then leave to infuse in the boiled water for 20 mins. Then transfer to teh fridge and use as desired. The same is true for the tea. I used 4 teabags of black tea, chia tea, peppermint tea and camomile and steeped in cold tap water  in the fridge (I used tap water for all 3) for 4 hours before removing the bags and putting into a bottle.

Having had a tasting session this morning, I am impressed with my efforts and pleased with the drinks.

 sage water

iced tea