SUGAR - HUH! WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

Hello :) I have been thinking about how my diet has changed in the past few months and how cutting out sugar (or attempting to) has changed my body and energy, as well as appetite. I've discovered over the past few weeks sugar is added to EVERYTHING. It's even hidden in the places you least expect it, like bread. The thing about sugar is it compels you to eat more - fruit sugars do this to ensure the fruits are repeatedly eaten and the seed is distributed, and likewise, we are programmed to take on sugar (our brains will starve every other vital organ for the last shreds of sugar if you're starving). I would never begrudge my body something healthy and that it needs, so I obviously haven't cut out fruit with its yummy natural sugars - just the processed stuff. To be honest, processed anything is bad news, so I avoid that too. I've decided I am going to make a short video about my diet (as in eating habits, not starvation!) to inspire you :).
You're probably wondering what the photos with this blog have to do with diet - absolutely nothing! These are just 2 photos from our trip to the zoo last weekend :) I am really rather proud of the tiger face one I took...



hehe - his ears are funny.

Just to show how my diet and exercise over the past year has changed me, here's 2 photos from my holidays - the left is 2009 and the right, 2010...

the dress rehearsal...

...it felt good to have something less important to worry about tonight. I had such a depressing start to the week I took the day off tomorrow to try to recover and sort myself out - I really don't like feeling despair and finding myself crying without having had to think about anything in particular (which is how today started). Practice went well on stage, the 2nd run through was much tighter and we've another practice before the final performance...but we'll be practicing every night!

Promises promises...

I promised I'd give you photographic evidence of the duck attack and here it is! I don't think the photo gives the full credit to the viciousness of the attack, hehe.
So today pretty much blowed; (is that too American a term for me to get away with?) I am waiting to hear from work of this "offer" they have for me and I feel like they just don't seem to give a tiny rat's ass (again with the Americanisms) that I live out of a suitcase and am constantly tired because every Friday and Sunday I move house. I watched this fat, igorant, soak of a man at work today and couldn't believe such a useless lard on legs he was and how bitterly unfair it was he is being paid several times my salary. I'm not usually one for looking at other people, I tend to have enough on my plate worrying about me, but I had been reading Dilbert comic strips and am painfully poor (in about 2 months that is going to become a very serious problem for me) and I think I am feeling a bit ansy waiting on the higher management to decide if they're going to throw me a bone or rape me repeatedly for the next few years... anyway! Onto other matters! I did keep up with my workouts on holiday and did another tonight which completely pasted me. I really enjoy knackering myself out. If money were not a problem, I think I would live in Collioure and workout and relax all day long...(I love this photo: it reminds me of lowri)...x

frenchy froggie, froggie frenchy

So I am back from my travels to Colliure on the South coast of France near the Spanish border; I fell in love as soon as I saw the sunrise. Colliure was popular, indeed is popular, with artists for the nature of the natural light. Picasso and Cezanne both visited the small coastal town to take advantage of the soft, watery light. Our hotel was riddled with paintings on every available wall space and the streets each day were lined with artists with their works (and one morning, I came across an artist working on a piece in the street and in his board shorts - I took a photograph which hopefully I can get on here soon). I fell inlove with the place and managed to unwind so much I seriously considered going AWOL when our taxi arrived to take us back to the tin-shack airport.
I couldn't help feeling an immense feeling that Colliure was wasted on me; my sister would've loved to sit on the waterfront and admire the light and le chateau (the big castle - we ventured in and got lost in the dungeons) and watch the french birds (petit sparrows, hauty pigeons and aggressive ducks - more on the ducks later). She wouldv'e pored over the artwork on display. I welled with tears on more than one occassion along the waterfront; heartache Emma wasn't with me and that granddad has gone (I still keep getting hit about the consciousness with that one); but, all-in-all, I am happy. I've returned from Colliure feeling quietly-optimistic anticipation for the future. I am still tentative, because I am not used to good luck and things going my way, but I am hopeful. This feeling comes from meeting my little french friend in the photo for today's blog; I named him woo-ah (phonetic) which is french for woof (why not have the onomatopoeic word?) - he had the most self-assured aura I've ever seen in any animal or person. He was a woof (or woo-ah) about town; homeless and lonesome: he owned Colliure. We met him on the first day and I didn't see him again until we were dragging luggage to the taxi to leave, when he trotted past purposefully without giving me a 2nd glance (or even a first one, despite my delighted squeal at seeing a friend). I endeavour to be like my perm-like friend; always on the paw with absolute conviction.
I promised to return to the ducks, didn't I? Well, I met Mr and Mrs. Duck on the beach whilst I sunbathed and proffered a hand in friendship only to have it quite strongly bitten - I wasn't as surprised as I indicate here: I left my hand in beak long enough to take a photograph. I still found the ducks absolutely endearing. I think anyone french could woo me instantly, biting or no.
It is late now and I have work tomorrow so I will stop there, but there will be more photos and more on Colliure - a most amazing place... x

blog off!

I was talking to my sister the other day: man, learning about EDS is like finding out about the sun "oh really? that's why the plants grow upwards! oh so that's why it's light out during the day - it all makes sense!". At least now I know why my teeth are little and flat and I've lost a lot of enamel - mystery solved (at least it's not that I am hideous at looking after my teeth).
In other news, I cut my hair (well I didn't, Helen the Hairdresser did) and I dyed it dark brown (semi-permanent). I think it looks quite nice :) well, nicer than before anyway - which wouldn't be difficult since I get it cut around every 8 months because I'm a cheapskate.
I started Athletics too which it really good fun and hard work :) I tried long jump (FUN) and now seem to be doing running (not as much fun) but hopefully I'll get to try more stuff soon.
Work have a package to offer me, apparently, but haven't told me how much they'll want to rape me if they help me out - I bet they'll offer to half help me for about 6 years of raping. I don't know what I'll do if it's like that - start applying for other jobs, probably. They have kindly left me speculating for the next week whilst I am in France.
Which leads me on to France! We are setting off today for London and a stay in the Hilton (for the week's free parking) and on Monday we're flying to the South of France for a week of sunbathing and me pestering to go riding :) I haven't really thought about this holiday as anything other than a pain in the ass until today when I woke up thinking "WE'RE GOING TO FRANCE YEY!" Hopefully I will not be thinking about crappy work and the crappity crap that's going on back here.
Well, P&G are setting off today because they're going by train (P doesn't like flying - I LOVE flying) so I have to get dressed and walk Jessie now so she doesn't get upset at them leaving. Honestly, our dogs get more attention and consideration of their emotions than the severely unstable.
See you when I am considerably browner...x