May17

Eeny meeny miny mo!

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Eeny meeny miny mo!

A friend of mine is looking to move house but can’t decide where – he seems to be at a real cross-roads in his life right now and has been asking us all for advice.

He’s just got divorced and has a child with his ex-wife in Bristol where he has been living for the past ten years, but since the split he’s decided he might need to spread his wings and leave the town which has quite a few negative memories now.

Of course, as he fully intends to see his son regularly, he can’t be based too far away so he’s decided to look at moving to the town where he went to university, Cardiff.

There are plus and minuses for each town. Cardiff has had a lot of regeneration and investment in recent years and is now a thriving, cosmopolitan city with plenty to offer in terms of shops, restaurants, nightlife, plus great beaches and countryside nearby. And I can see the attraction of starting again; I believe he’s had an offer of employment in Cardiff which is right up his street so that’s an added temptation.

But he already has a life and dozens of good friends in Bristol because he’s been there so long, and of course his son would be so much closer if he stayed in that area, so he would probably be able to see more of him and be more involved in his life.

He’s begun looking around at potential new homes online, hoping that an obvious difference in house prices and availability would help him make his mind up. So he’s been looking at houses for sale in Bristol and also houses for sale in Cardiff and has found quite a few lovely looking bargains in each place, which isn’t making his decision any easier.

I feel for him, but at the end of the day this is the sort of decision only he can make.

May12

Ketosis part deux

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Ketosis part deux

Here’s the follow up to the ‘what is ketosis’ post I started last week.

As usual I am able to witter on about my interest in all things paleo for quite some while so I had to split the post into two or else it would have become unmanageable. You can tell I’m not a trained scientific mind, but this knowledge has been accumulated over some years of my own research and reading.

So, I’m in ketosis. I’ve mentioned how you measure this and what it isn’t so far. Ketosis itself is a natural energy cycle in the human body when the body generates glucose. Our brains need glucose to run; it’s the only fuel they can work with, so the body needs to keep a supply available. If there isn’t sufficient being eaten in the diet, the body turns to stored glucose (in the form of glycogen) which is in the muscle tissues.

Once this is depleted, the liver can create glucose by a process called glycogenation to supply the relatively small needs of the brain (about 50g a day I believe). This process uses body fat… and this is a very good thing!

One of the waste products of this process (its quiet chemically complicated so I won’t even try to explain it in more details, and anyway those details are not that vital to understand unless you have a very deep interest in the subject!) are ketones which are then excreted by the normal waste routes of urine, sweat and saliva. This is when the Ketostix we talked about can be used to detect them – thus you know then that you are in the state of ketosis and your body is burning fat.

So, in summary, whilst in ketosis your body is burning stored body fat for special fuel for the brain, and if you under-eat it will also use the body fat to provide energy in general for all body functions. This is the part where you lose weight, or if you’re a body builder and only want to lose fat, it will work for you too.

May10

A rant about unwanted water…

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A rant about unwanted water…

I’ve been having problems with my neighbours recently and I need to let off steam! I’ve bored all my friends this weekend moaning about it so now it’s your turn. I’m fairly confident they don’t read my blog; in fact I don’t think they have a computer to be honest! And of course I’m not going to mention their names so I can off-load in relative safety.

I had to have a new roof on my modest terraced house, but as you are probably aware even a small new roof is an expensive new roof! The whole top floor, which is my attic bedroom and quite sizeable, had to be completely refurbished as the roof was being worked on.

All the Victorian lath and plaster was pulled down, insulation put in place, windows replaced and then the room was re-plastered and decorated. All this cost me a small fortune as you can see, but my brand new walk-in wardrobe that I had built at the same time was the icing on the cake – I just love it. As my bijou house suffers from a lack of storage space, this was a good idea and it’s given me somewhere fabulous to put my extensive clothing collections. The other houses on my road have en-suite bathrooms in the attic room but I decided that a wardrobe space would suit me better and I definitely made the right decision.

But – and here comes the moaning – my neighbours have the en-suite which of course butts up against my new wardrobe to the side wall. And unbeknownst to me, they have had a leak from their shower which they’ve known about for about a year and yet not bothered to remedy. So the water has eventually soaked through the wall to my new wardrobe, ruining the newly-applied and painted plaster and making some of my clothes smell musty.

When I found out I was furious! Shouldn’t there be some extra law to cover the owners of terrace houses for a neighbour’s neglect? I have to claim from my own insurance to get this fixed, and personally I just don’t think it’s fair.

May4

Delving further into ketosis

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Delving further into ketosis

I wanted to return to one of my favourite subjects which I’ve already touched upon – the whole paleo lifestyle intermittent fasting thing, and explain a little more about the state of ketosis. This might take a couple of goes so I might do it in too chunks.

I’ve been good this week, having had no carbs or alcohol and plenty of exercise, I am now in ketosis. How can I tell? It’s easy if you use Ketostix (bought from the chemist). These are little strips of paper that you wee on – sounds great already doesn’t it! – and the square of indicator chemical turns a certain shade which lets you know how your body is doing.

They measure ketones in the urine, and these ketones are a by-product of being in ketosis. The strips are meant for diabetics to keep an eye on their blood glucose levels but they work equally as well for people like me with an interest in this topic. At this point, some people do suffer from a little bit of ‘ketosis’ breath which is again due to those ketones; some escape in the breath and saliva. It’s quite faint and is reputed to smell like pear drops. I can’t really comment as I don’t get it and so have never noticed this.

So, what exactly is ketosis? Maybe before I elaborate – in a non-scientific way of course – I’ll tell you what it isn’t.

Just the mention of the word in company usually provokes a somewhat hostile and worried response. This is mainly due to the media incorrectly portraying ketosis as a dangerous and life-threatening medical condition.

I can tell you confidently that they are wrong, as they are confusing the serious medical state of ketoacidosis with ketosis. The former is a very serious matter which can develop in people who have diabetes mellitus, but the two conditions are not the same! So ignore the false reporting and don’t worry about keeling over, becoming comatose or going blind – these are nonsense horror stories. In fact ketosis is very natural and is another of the very clever human body’s way of ensuring survival when times are tough.

May2

Come on ye reds….

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Come on ye reds….

This weekend, as most men and sports fans will know full well, it is the final of the FA Cup in which my team Liverpool are facing mighty rivals Chelsea. Even though I’m not what you could describe as a dedicated football fan and I’m not really that sporty or sport-orientated, I will make the exception with this match and try my best to watch the whole thing, build up included.

Big matches viewed alongside fans rooting for the same side, in a packed bar or pub, can be enormous fun and the sense of occasion and the charged atmosphere is something I always enjoy taking part in. Sometimes the actual sports event or match itself is a secondary attraction to me.

I imagine it’ll be the same for the Olympics this summer; it feels like a national event and parts of it I’m sure will be thrilling, but I’m not too concerned with the outcome of each section. Of course, it would be great to see our local athletes doing well and picking up some medals.

I do like to keep a bit of an eye on Liverpool as the team has a nostalgic appeal to me, my family having come from there and so of course supporting them is in my blood. I didn’t get a choice when I was little, it was red or dead. So I feel almost lucky in a way in that I can join in when I please with the fun shouting and yelling at the big games, and I have some history with the team and knowledge of them, but I can’t say I’m heart-broken, or even that bothered at all, if they lose or fail to dominate the top of league.

I take an equally ambivalent interest in the team news and players – I can name and tell you something about the top stars and goal scorers … the rest are a mystery and I’m happy for them to remain so. I have one eleven year old nephew who is an enormously dedicated fan of the team, as boys of that age are wont to be. So I take some interest in the goings on so I can have a good banter with him – the rest I bluff my way through. I hope for his sake that the ‘Pool pull a splendid victory out of the bag, and if they do, no doubt I’ll be hearing about it from him for months to follow!

Apr30

Some tips on selling your car

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Some tips on selling your car

Most people will trade-in their old car with a dealer when they purchase a new car, however, whilst this often appeals as the easiest way sort it out, you might not be getting the best price possible for your old drive. There are other options for disposing of an unwanted old car which might get you a better price and thus save you money.

The first option is to advertise the car privately on Autotrader or other similar publications. You should be able to achieve a better price than the dealer offered though it may take a while for the car to sell. There is also the hassle of dealing with potential buyers.

A second option is to phone round dealers and get them to bid on your car. You may get a better trade-in price especially if your car is rare or sought after. The advantage of this approach is it is hassle-free as they’ll take the car off you straight away and pay you quickly usually direct into your bank account.

The final option is eBay or one of the “we buy your car” sites though you are unlikely to achieve a very good price. This is a good option if you’re trying to dispose of car which isn’t desirable due to factors such as short MOT or significant mechanical/cosmetic issues. However, do be honest with the description of the car as the buyer always has the option to pull out if you’ve described the car inaccurately.

Whichever option you choose, the price achieved can be hundreds or even thousands of pounds more than the trade-in offered by the dealer. Consequently, a little work on your part can save you a substantial amount of dosh, and you have the satisfaction of having done it all yourself and learnt a valuable lesson.

Apr26

The eyes have it

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The eyes have it

As you know I’m firmly in the metrosexual camp and like to take care of my looks – I have a cupboard full of moisturisers and male grooming products! So last week I took the plunge and have booked in for a beauty treatment which I’m really excited about.

I’m having semi-permanent make up applied to my face. It sounds very girly doesn’t it? But one of the main markets for the particular treatment I’m having is the male Asian sector, as its more of a cultural thing that necessarily a stereotypical gay image thing.

I’m having black eyeliner applied just to my upper eyelids, and it will be a very thin discreet line. The idea is that no one will really notice it, but it will simply enhance my looks naturally and it will not appear obvious or stand out too much.

It is applied under the skin with a tattoo gun, but they don’t go as deep as a conventional tattoo on other parts of the body. They are injected at a depth of about 6ymm whereas the semi-permanent make-up is only to a depth of 3mm which is why it does gradually fade over time, hence the ‘semi-permanent’ description.

A couple of my friends have had this done and I think it looks great. There’s no way I’d want to spend time messing around with real make-up before I go out on a hot date, so this seems like a sensible idea to me. You only put it on once and you don’t have to worry about removing it or re-applying during an evening out. It doesn’t smudge or rub or stain your Egyptian cotton pillow cases either.

I’m told it is a little painful whilst they are using the machine, but the nice lady applies topical local anaesthetic first and its more of a niggly sting that an enormous pain. Afterwards your eyelids puff up for a couple of days and then hey presto – you are transformed into a natural beauty with alluring, defined eyes. I’ll let you know more when I’ve had the procedure carried out.

Apr26

Summer living

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Summer living

I love this time of year when spring has definitely has sprung and suddenly the summer seems close – stretching ahead like a promising mirage full of potential. I really hope we’re going to have some better weather this summer, I find the grey wet days so depressing.

I can understand why so many people want to just lie in the sun somewhere reliably hot as I think a bit of sun is a basic human need – we need the UV to make vitamin D in our skin and also to get into the brain to cheer us up. This is more than psychological; it’s been proven beyond question that it’s hormonal and physiological as well. Oh I’m veering off in the paleo lifestyle direction now…

So I’m determined to just get out there this summer into the Great British outdoors and spend more time outside – whatever the skies bring! It’s too easy to make excuses and stay at home and do nothing – having empty weekend after empty weekend. I find that if I don’t make fixed plans (with other people) I just never get round to doing much so right now I’m looking at my diary and want to book some fun in.

But when you start looking around at what’s happening around the country there is so much, it gets difficult to choose. And you can’t be away every weekend – I still like a bit of free time at home just to kick back, see friends and hang out locally.

I certainly want a break in London and have been dying to see the new St Pancras station – I love architecture and have a soft spot for Victorian glories such as train stations and vast impressive piles. I’m keen to see how the modern revamp fits with the character of the historical original. So I won’t need to worry about the weather in London at least, I’ll be booking a nice St Pancras hotel for that weekend – one needs a bit of luxury to balance the festival and field grunge experience!

Apr10

Long live the Wood!

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Long live the Wood!

One of the biggest influences on my teenage years was definitely the British comedian and actress Victoria Wood.

Now you might consider this a little strange as I am male and Victoria is famous for her mostly female following, but I suppose I’m just not your average bloke! I don’t know why she touched such a nerve in me but since I first saw her early BBC tv shows in the 1980s I’ve been a massive fan. I bought all the videos when they came out (remember actual video tapes?) and her books, in those days they were just the transcripts of the sketches on the series ‘As Seen on TV’ but I read them avidly cover to cover and learnt every character and every line off by heart. I even performed one of her sketches for my GCSE drama practical exam.

Victoria’s writing taught me that the devil is in the detail and that the smallest things matter – indeed they are what makes the phrase or punch line funny. She wasn’t one for long elaborate jokes with punch lines really, preferring observational-style comedy contained in everyday language between ‘average’ people.

Some of her words have lodged permanently in my sub-conscious and at the mention of any given trigger subject, her words are the first thing that immediately spring to mind.

For instance, if I hear the word ‘guttering’ I am transported back to the scene with two young northern working class numpties discussing their relationship and impending marriage. They are deciding whether or not to live in a penthouse and the female character says ‘I don’t think I’d like to live on t’roof… me knitting’d roll into t’guttering’ to which her boyfriend replies ‘Who’s been telling you about guttering?’ somewhat suspiciously. ‘You did,’ she says, ‘when we were kissing good night the other week.’ ‘Aye…well,’ is the response, ‘I won’t always be that romantic after we’re married…’

If anyone mentions travelling on a train or British Rail, I always bring to mind Wood’s middle-aged character Kitty so brilliantly played by Patricia Routledge (before she was Hyacinth Bucket) describing British Rail as ‘…having gone completely bonkers in my opinion, all chili con carne and roller blinds…’

You just can’t forget language like that – and obviously it all still makes me laugh now, more than 30 years later.

 

Apr3

My newest addiction

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My newest addiction

As you know I’m a decent, clean-living upstanding citizen…early to bed and early to rise and all that. Well….sort of!

So it is with a certain amount of personal disappointment that I have to confess to a newly acquired habit which has me tightly in its grip. A friend went abroad and brought me back some unusual flavours of chewing gum and they are rocking my world!

I’m overdosing on them to a massive degree and think they’re gorgeous. I have apple, cherry, strawberry and my current top of the charts is watermelon. Of course they’re all sugar-free so the teeth are spared.

Now I do like the ordinary mint variety too, that you can find anywhere, but I’ve never seen such awesome flavours as these on sale in the UK, but perhaps I’m just not looking in the right places. I imagine there’s a shop somewhere in a hard-to-find secluded backstreet in London somewhere which is a cornucopia of chewing gum, rammed full of flavours old and new and offering succour to the chewing addict. I’m imagining something akin to Mr Ollivander’s wand shop from Diagon Alley a la Harry Potter! If you know of one, please do let me know.

Some of my friends are giving me rather amused dire warnings of digestive troubles which they predict will follow the ingestion of so much artificial sweetener, xylitol. As yet I’ve not had any problem with this unsavoury dark side of my frantic chewing so perhaps it just doesn’t have an effect on me?

Chewing gum has been proven to be beneficial to the teeth in a plethora of scientific reports and these days the vast majority of dentists advocate using it after meals. It stimulates the glands to produce saliva which cleans the mouth of harmful bacteria and food scraps. So for once in my life, my new addiction is actually good for me.