Cos I eats me spinach!

This is what I have been having for breakfast the past few days. A nutritional whack round the back of the head.

The glowing green smoothie!
It's a blend of green leaves and fruit and believe it or not it does not make you boke. In fact it tastes lovely. It was a recommendation by a friend who got it from Kimberley Snyder's Beauty detox. The recipe I have been using is,

1 bag of spinach or kale,
1 little gem lettuce
2 stalks of celery
I apple
1 pear
1 banana
juice of 1 lime and 1 lemon
1 glass of cold water
half a glass of fruit juice (just to add some more sweetness if it's too salady tasting)

Put it all in your blender, press start, job done. Put the water in first and add the stuff slowly if like me you haven't got a super duper blender.
This smoothie will give you loads of energy, make you slim and make you beautiful. If you don't believe me go to kimberly's website and see for yourself.

ee aye ee aye oh!

Old McDonald's Factory Farm

“Isn’t man an amazing animal?  He kills wildlife by the millions in order to protect his domestic animals and their feed.  Then he kills domestic animals by the billions and eats them.  This in turn kills man by the millions, because eating all those animals leads to degenerative–and fatal–health conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, and cancer.  So then man tortures and kills millions more animals to look for cures for these diseases.  Elsewhere, millions of other human beings are being killed by hunger and malnutrition because food they could eat is being used to fatten domestic animals.  Meanwhile, some people are dying of sad laughter at the absurdity of man, who kills so easily and so violently, and once a year sends out cards praying for ‘Peace on Earth.’”
-by C. David Coates

not taken by damien hirst

Barbie brings in the new year

Here is something I wrote for Clydelife about sticking to new Year resolutions. It's a bit cheesy but that is the nature of the beast.

In the aftermath of the Great British Christmas binge we very often make rash new year resolutions as we gasp in horror in front of the mirror at our expanding waistlines. 

“Right, I’m giving up the bevvy, I will never drink again”

“That’s it, no more crisps for me. Ever!” 

“Total detox!”

But once the dust settles on our initial shock, slowly but surely (usually before the end of January...) the old habits start to creep back in.

“It’s Friday night, I’ll just have the one glass of wine”

“It’s Saturday night, I may as well finish that bottle I opened last night. It would be a bigger sin to waste it.”

Half an hour later there we are, rummaging through the cupboards throwing apples, bananas, mung beans and museli out of the way in the desperate search for an overlooked bag of kettle chips.

Okay maybe I have exaggerated  the situation but does this sound even a wee bit familiar? If the answer is yes, then why do we find it so blooming hard to stick to health and fitness resolutions?

Easy. Most resolutions we make are too far removed from our comfort zones. I will repeat that again louder. MOST RESOLUTIONS WE MAKE ARE TOO FAR REMOVED FROM OUR COMFORT ZONES.

Everybody has a level of comfort that needs to be maintained in order to preserve the status quo and feel safe. If you are a habitual couch potato it’s highly unlikely you will stick to an exercise regimen for any length of time and if you love your wine of an evening you have little chance of becoming clean and serene overnight.

In order to be truly successful and create the change we want we need to expand our comfort zones. The good news is that this is possible and doing it can be relatively painless if you have a plan and are prepared.

Use the replacement theory. Each month take one bad habit and replace it with one good habit.  For example;

 “As soon as I get in from work I pour myself a large glass of wine.”

 Why not pour yourself a large glass of water or juice instead. Changing this one behaviour is giving you two benefits. Your liver (god love it) instead of having to work to metabolize the alcohol is being treated to a hydrating flush of health giving H20 or juice.

“Every night I slump in front of the telly after dinner”

You don’t have to join a gym, simply put on your coat and go out for a twenty minute fast walk or if the weather is too hideous you could consider investing in a rebounder ( a mini trampoline) and having a twenty minute bounce. It’s only twenty minutes out your day and those minutes will strengthen your heart and lungs and raise your metabolism.

It is the little things that make the biggest differences. If every month of this year you made a resolution to take one bad habit and replace it with one good one that would be twenty four positive changes. Those twenty four small changes would equal one massive difference. Imagine how fit the person looking back at you from the mirror in January 2013 would be. 

I reigned it in and feel much better thanks

Vegan Bitch

I first became aware of the 'diet' book, Skinny Bitch when Victoria Beckham was photographed clutching a copy. Obviously I didn't read it (if it's endorsed by the grand dame of Essex ambition I am generally not interested-sorry 'posh').

Photo not taken during her vegan phase...

I came across it again recently when I was reading a blog post about juicing that happened to be by one of the authors, Rory Freedman. She explained that herself and her friend, Kim Barnouin had written 'Skinny Bitch' as a way of raising awareness on the benefits of adopting a vegan lifestyle while cleverly diguising it as a diet book.

I downloaded a copy and read it at the weekend. Very persuasive and hilarious. One chapter starts with "Suck on your mother's tits. Go on suck on your mother's tits" (yes, it's about why adults don't need to drink milk.) Possibly a little prohibitive for most but if you like a bit of swearing and hardcore brutal imagery with your nutrition choices then this is the book for you.

Since reading I've switched to soya milk and will never eat a farmed animal again. Thanks bitches!

Green, red, yellow, purple and orange stuff

My sister Louise gave me this book for Christmas (I gave her a second hand scarf and a box of porridge- she has kids, she doesn't care!) and I can't recommend it highly enough.
I flicked through the pages after I returned to bed at my mothers house on new Years day and just looking at the lovely pictures and reading Hugh's very seductive prose on veg made my hangover abate enough to give me the strength to join the family for dinner.
If you want to make vegetables a bigger part of your diet why not give it a go.
Last night I made the sweet potato gratin (gorgeous if I say so myself) and today I am making sweet potato curried soup (all coconutty and chilli).
It is half price on Amazon at the mo. Not so much a book but an investment in your health.

Running on Gratitude

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.” -Buddha


When I unveiled my great happiness plan my sometime yoga buddy, Patrick Costello (or the Karmic King of the Central Line, as I like to call him) suggested developing an 'attitude of gratitude'.


 I have tried briefly keeping a gratitude journal in the past. It was an iphone app recommended by the mighty Oprah (I just checked my phone for it there, but I now remember deleting it because what I had written made me cringe.) It never really resonated with me. Tapping letters onto a touch screen never helped me experience thankfulness. I'm never sure how well gadgetry and spirituality weld together, probably better with an old fashioned pen and paper.


Anyway I did some research on the topic and scientists have found that keeping a gratitude journal for 3 weeks on a whole made people 25% happier, drink less alcohol and exercise more. So this seems to fit perfectly with my happiness plan. you can read more about the benefits of gratitude here.

And if like me you have experienced a bit of trouble in actually understanding what it means to be grateful and why it is a good attitude to cultivate have a look at this.




So how I am going to fit this into my already bustling schedule? The key is in multi-tasking. Every time I run I will make it into a meditation in gratitude. I will give thanks for my feet and everything else I have in my life. (the bad as well as the good, be just as grateful for the bad shiz because that is when you will truly learn to be thankful)


If being happier is of interest to you I hope that you will visit the two pages I have put in as links (I have trawled through the not so good pages so you don't have to)


Thanks to Pat for the reminder and I thank you for reading this and wonder what you are grateful for today.

The pursuit of happiness

the lesser spotted

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet.  ~James Openheim


It's January 3rd and Oh no! According to surveys it is the most depressing day of 2012 ( apparently we will all take stock on national debt, the bleak year ahead, personal debt, no future, worldwide debt blah blah blah) It was only two days ago we were all wishing each other a 'Happy" new year and already the media are telling us it's time to get miserable again (the swines!)
Which brings me to my point. Is it possible to make yourself happy even if you are feeling hopeless. Can one lure the bluebird of happiness down from it's perch and force it to sit on one's shoulder and sing it's cheery song even if circumstances are telling it to migrate.
This is my January challenge. The cultivation of happiness. Happiness that doesn't depend on any external event but homegrown happiness that comes from within. Happiness that doesn't relate to any material gain or ambition filled but a personal intangible asset. Emotional wealth is what I am after.

My plan is simple. 
It is a well known fact that endorphins make you feel better so every day I will work out (just took up running again after a 7 year hiatus)
Alcohol is a depressant so I will avoid drinking it (Just poured the last of the christmas bevvy down the sink!). 
Positive affirmations are said to improve mental health so I have downloaded a hypnotic happy app onto my iphone and intend to listen to it every day throughout January.
I will care for myself better with nutritionally sound food.
And thats it. No big deal. 
A small series of positive actions that will lead me towards a happier state of mind. Do it and eventually you will become it.
Happier new year? The choice is ours.

Happy New Year

"If you have a body, you are an athlete"
 Bill Bowerman


Just do it!

on the move...

It is time for a change. My feet have been itchy for roughly four years... I needed a place I could still have a  pilates studio and where Beatrice is free to wander (i.e. do you take dogs?). Such a place has been located and secured. An old warehouse conversion, The Gourock Ropeworks in Port Glasgow. Great location for clients as it's straight off the main road and only four miles away from here. Great location for us as four floors up and uninterrupted views of the Clyde. Five massive windows in the main room or the great hall as I shall be calling it so very light and bright. A state of the art kitchen with a built in coffee maker in the wall (who knew such things existed). An open plan ensuite bathroom in the main bedroom so one can enjoy the views as one bathes (four floors up guys, no overlooking neighbours). And because it is in Port Glasgow, an area considered undesirable we can afford to live there. Twenty- five mins on the fast train to Glasgow central station, a swimming pool at the end of the street and the worlds biggest tesco a hop skip and jump away. Brillso thrillso. The port is the new south side. You heard it here first. Come and join us and get more for your money.

the great hall

Ps Yoga weekend guys, we will have a choice of two locations that weekend...

I have been remiss

Sorry to have been missing in inaction for so long. I have been busy trying to write my novel and when I need a break from writing it I design covers for it instead. Here is one I did yesterday. I hope to be back on form soon.

Day three. Done!

So far so good. Almost! Yesterday I had sixteen portions of fruit and veg but there was a slight hiccup. There is an indian themed evening at my house. V or Father India as he likes to be called is making two different curries  for his family gathering. My job is to make these lovely mango cheesecakes. I decided to do it yesterday to keep out of father India's way in the kitchen today (not pleasant, he's not an even tempered cook).
I set about in the afternoon and before I knew it I had eaten two of the gingersnaps that I was using for the base of the cheesecakes. Oh no! On the bright side though I am still alive and nothing bad happened.
I like a detox as much as the next pilates teacher but try not to take it too seriously. I'm not a masochist.
Also yesterday I noticed my skin was looking better and my eyes are more like Beatrice's (the dog). Thats a good sign, bright, shiny eyes.
You may have noticed I'm not recording weight loss. I dont believe in scales. It can become obsessive. Unless you have an obesity issue I'd steer clear. Topshop jeans can tell you all you need to know and if mine aren't hanging off me by this time next week I'll be raging. Actually I wont because I am really enjoying all this juicing and can feel my energy coming back. Also had a great workout this morning and felt really strong. Onwards...

Day Two. Done!

an interesting way to up your veggies

Day two is done without much in the way of fuss or pain. There was a major stumbling block however. As this was a spur of the moment decision I was ill-prepared and ran out of fruit and veg by two o'clock. I had juiced everything juicable.
All that was left in the house was a bag of frozen broccoli and some tinned tomatoes so I made soup. I was disappointed but philosophical. If not fantastically nutritious at least fantastically fibrous.
After work last night I found myself in the fruit and veg isle in tesco. You cannot buy avocados after half nine it seems. So I have had to deviate slightly from jason's recipes this morning. Pineapple, apple Lime and blueberries. Later melon, lemon and cucumber. I had a slight hungover feeling when I woke but it's gone after drinking the juice. Excellent. Back on track.

Day One, Done!

not me! Jason Vale 

Started the juicing yesterday. Had three juices plus a salad throughout the course of the day. This was the equivalent to sixteen portions of fruit and veg. The idea is to flood your cells with easily absorbed nutrients which helps reduce the horrid detox symptoms you might expect. The only symptom was an almost headache in the afternoon but I skipped around it with water and a quick rebound (did you know that according to nasa rebounding is the most effective form of exercise there is- all to do with the push and pull of gravity and the effect that has on every cell in the body)

Results after one day are happily noticeable. Flatter stomach and increased energy this morning. I used Jason Vale's (also known as the juicemaster) super juice recipe.
2 apples
half a lime (peeled)
quarter a medium pineapple
quarter a ripe avocado
You are also meant to add a teaspoon of spirulina and a shot of wheatgrass (I never had any in as it was a spur of the moment decision). So far so good.
ps. dont try and juice the avocado, you need to blend it into your juice at the end with a few ice cubes. It's nice. I promise.

Lose 7lbs in 7days

It's not even one o'clock and already I have had ten portions of fruit!

I cannot tell a lie. It has been a heavy few weeks. Lots of socialising, parties etc. It all came to head this weekend when I attended two parties in one day. That means two buffets in one day! And two (too many) glasses of wine!

I actually felt nailed to the floor in this morning's yoga practice. Either gravity has got heavier or I have! Plus a few too many toxins kicking about.

Time for the big guns. In times of need I call upon Jason vale and his juicing detox. It has worked a treat in the past. All you have to do is have juice instead of solids for seven days and hey presto, you lose weight, your eyes, skin and hair shine and you feel strangely holy and blessed.

So far I have had two juices, loads of water, yoga and rebounding. I use the recipes from 7lbs in 7days, you can get it as an app for your iphone or buy the book. If you stick to the plan you can't go wrong.  I am planning on three full days then my own modified version. Will let you know results.

A quick word from Joe

"We retire too early and we die too young, our prime of life should be in the 70's and old age should not come until we are almost 100."

Joe Pilates was a true force of nature. Outrageous, eccentric and brilliant.

"Were man to devote as much time and energy to himself as he has devoted to that which man has produced, what astounding and almost unbelievable progress would be made; a progress eclipsing all he has so far successfully accomplished, miraculous as that is! Just think it over my friends"

toe sox for people with scared feet.

There was loads of controversy and hulabaloo when these adverts for toe sox came out because naked sexiness was being used to adverise a yoga product. I didn't realise you were meant to be celibate and prudish to practice yoga. I've seen the male athletic form used in loads of advertisments for sports gear. And the poses aren't exactly passive. And check out her muscle definition. I think these are fantastic images. However I do have one PROBLEM. Toe sox are good for yogi's and pilates students with slippy or scared feet (that means you are scared of having bare feet in a room where others have trodden with bare feet. Quite a scottish phenomenon). They've got tiny little grips on the sole but still allow full freedom of movement through the toes. None of the actual photos show the model using the socks for the purpose they were designed! She doesn't seem the type to suffer from scared feet either. They seem to simply be keeping her warm...(unless she just doesn't like people looking at her feet- but something tells me that's not the case!)

I want to come back as a dog

We all think our pets are special. Some of us have been accused of projecting personalities and feelings onto our animals that they simply don't have (not guilty!?)
In hinduism it is believed that gods are the messenger of Yama, the god of death and that dogs guard the doors to heaven.
In Zoroastrianism the dog's gaze is seen as purifying and able to ward off demons. Have you ever stared into the empathetic eyes of a dog when you've been ill (or hungover?). It will heal you.
The bridge to heaven is also said to be guarded by dogs.
This all makes perfect sense to me. I have Beatrice, the living proof. look...

look into my eyes

The Front Cover of My First Novel!

It has long been an ambition of mine to write a novel. I have started two in the past but got no further than the first few chapters. I never had a clear idea of what I was writing about and the structure was poor.
 I did manage to write a complete screenplay. It was called 'You're Dead'. The story of a young boy who along with the help of his sister fakes his own death. People love you more when your dead. The scenario is so convincing that in the end he is faced with the dilemma of whether he can actually come back or will he have to die for real...

I managed to get people who wanted to turn it into a movie but unfortunately they never managed to raise the funds to make it. You need a shed load of moola to make a film.
So why not have a crack at a novel? Books are much cheaper and if no-one wants to print it for you, you can always self-publish, stick it on amazon, force all your friends and family to buy it, make them write rave reviews and voila! before you know it you've got a bestseller (it really is that easy, isn't it?)
The photo above was taken at The Cannes Film Festival in 1962, where half of the novel is set.
I've only written the first paragraph but already have the cover. I call that forward planning.
There are three characters in that image. Can you guess which one is the protagonist? Here is a clue.

How Long Will You Live For?

When this question is asked in Kabuki Theatre the answered is signified by a hand clap.
Meaning, that you are only alive at that precise moment.
It is what you are doing at this actual point in time that counts.
The past is gone.
The future hasn't happened.
Your time is NOW.

Live it well.

The Smiles Returning To The Faces

For most of June it has been like living in Middle Earth (Not the Shire but the Mordor bit). I think we can safely say the Scottish weather has been bloody awful.
But not this morning, look...

it seems like years since it's been here

see that bright thing that is called the sun!

I hope to bring you more photographic evidence over the coming weeks that Scotland does indeed have a summer. We can finally perform our sun salutations with a sense of purpose. That little ray of light makes a big difference to the quality of your jumpbacks (spesh when you listen to a nice mix of' here comes the sun'). Thank you sun. I salute you in all your glory!