Inspiration, no matter what mood you wake up in!

A wonderful poem, full of good advice, although not always easy to follow:

 

The Guest House

~ Mewlana Jalaluddin Rumi

 

This being human is a guest house

Every  morning a new arrival

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

Some momentary awareness comes

As an unexpected visitor.

 

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they are a crowd of sorrows

Who violently sweep your house

Empty of all its furniture

Still treat each guest honourably

He may be cleaning you out for some new delight.

 

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

Meet them at the door laughing

And invite them in.

 

Be grateful for whoever comes

Because each has been sent

As a guide from beyond.

Vibrate out those deep knots!

I’m delighted to report that my new deep tissue massage machine has finally arrived! Many of you have heard me talk about this machine and suggest it will be good to help relieve your deep tissue tightness – and here it is! It’s great for necks, shoulders, upper, centre and lower backs, thighs, calves, hamstrings, arms, and the soles of your feet.

This machine works by vibrating the muscles and warming them at the same time. I’ll be using this in conjunction with deep tissue treatments from today onwards. I’ve had great fun testing it out on my own shoulders and back this afternoon and can thoroughly recommend it! I look forward to trying it on you soon and receiving your feedback on my facebook page.

Motivation to eat a healthier diet or just fun?

A friend, of a friend recently created a fantastic app called ‘MyFoodCircle’. You can keep a visual food diary by uploading pictures of what you eat and sharing them with your chosen friends. It’s a great way to keep a real record of what you eat, perhaps motivate you to eat more healthily/lose weight by actually seeing what you’re eating (!) and get encouragement from your friends to do so.

You can download it for free and start using it straight away. Keep an eye on this blog for more healthy eating suggestions as I complete my MSc in human nutrition at Oxford Brookes uni. Which reminds me… I should be studying…!

Healthy, nutritious, easy, 15 minute dinner!

Many people struggle to find the time to cook or eat properly. We’re all so busy all of the time. Most people want to be healthy but find it difficult and inconvenient to cook. As a student of nutrition, I’m keen to change that and to help you eat better, sleep better and generally feel better!

A super quick, easy and nutritious meal is chicken or salmon noodle soup. This is full of protein and vegetables, as well as water. It’s quick to make and easy to digest, so makes an ideal meal if you’re late home from work. This recipe has the added benefits of tasting like you’ve spent a lot more time preparing it than 15 minutes and can all be cooked in one sauce pan, saving time and washing up!

Ingredients (for one, but double/triple etc depending how many people you’re cooking for)

  • One salmon fillet or chicken breast
  • A few broccoli florets
  • 1/3 of a leek
  • 1/3 courgette
  • 1/2 an onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • A small grating of ginger
  • Soy sauce
  • One medium saucepan
  • One ‘nest’ of wholewheat egg noodles
  • 300 ml boiling water from the kettle

Firstly, chop up the onion, leeks, courgette and garlic and sauté lightly in the saucepan a drop of olive oil.

Now decide if you fancy salmon or chicken noodle soup. If salmon, remove the skin by placing the fillet skin side up. Slide a knife under the skin at one end and hold the fillet down with one hand, carefully slice your way under the skin and discard (in the compost/ food waste bin!). Chop up the salmon or chicken fillet into small bite sized pieces and cut off any fat from the chicken.

Pour 300 ml of boiling water to the saucepan containing the onion, leeks, courgette and garlic, and add the salmon/chicken pieces. Put the water on to continue boiling until the salmon / chicken is cooked all the way through (take out the biggest piece and check it is cooked through).

After a couple of minutes add two tablespoons of soy sauce and the broccoli florets to the boiling water. Also stir in chopped/grated ginger and give it all a good stir.

Once you’ve checked the chicken/salmon is cooked all the way through, add the noodles and simmer for a further two – three minutes, until the noodles are cooked.

Ladle the noodles, veg, chicken/fish and ‘soup’ into a dish and dinner is served! You may wish to add extra soy sauce to suit your taste.

You could also use any other green veggies which might be lurking in the fridge and need to be eaten – including pak choi, fennel, cabbage, spinach although you might want to give the cucumber and lettuce a miss this time.

Remember you can always chop the rest of the courgette/leeks and freeze these to use another day.

Let me know what you think of this recipe on Facebook and post some of your own favourite healthy recipes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Combat the winter blues with a 10% discount off all hot stone treatments in November

To help combat the onset of winter and dark evenings, I thought you might enjoy a special offer on hot stone treatments during November! I’m offering 10% off any hot stone treatment during November* – a warming, luxurious treat, which is also great for relieving deeply held muscle tension, and wonderful for relaxation! In fact, many of my clients who have a hot stone treatment once, now only come for hot stone massages!
Just to dispel a myth about hot stone treatments – hot stones are used to massage you, instead of the therapists hands. The stone are not simply placed on the body and left there, as you may have been led to believe by in some pictures! At the beginning of your hot stone treatment, I will use my hands initially to spread the oil on your body, but you will quickly experience a different sensation when, instead of my hands, I use the smooth hot stones to massage you. The stones are polished and smooth all over and using the oil, glide on your body, their heat melting away tension and stress.
The hot stone treatments really are a little bit of affordable luxury, perfect to help you relax, de-stress or recover from a hard week at work, in the gym or in the garden, when a deep tissue treatment would be too much.
Do get in touch if you have any questions about hot stone treatments and please book early for your November discount to avoid disappointment!