Bye Bye 2019...Hello 2020

Well it's that time again when it's customary to look back at one year as we start a new one.

And to be honest 2019 has been a bit of a roller coaster of a year with some very low points peppered with a few highs.

The year started off fairly standard returning to work after two weeks off over the festive period only to be struck down by a stomach virus after just 2 days of work. This resulted in 4 of my staff team all being out of action with the same virus which meant I had to close the pre-school I manage for 3 days; a first in my 18 years of pre-school work!

Moving into February and one of my best highlights of the year. I was lucky enough to get VIP tickets to see my most favourite of bands 'White Lies'; this meant not only did I get to see them in concert but also got chance to watch them do their soundcheck, meet them and get my photo taken with them as well as come away with some great merchandise. This was a fantastic night and one that will stay with me for a long time...to say I was a little bit excited would be an understatement!

Enjoying the soundcheck

Meeting the band - eek!

Front row!!!

This was the start to a couple of weeks of fun times; celebrating a friends 50th, attending our regular burlesque evening at La Deda Cabaret, getting my pencils out at a local life drawing class called Dr Sketchy's and even a weekend away during an unseasonably warm weekend at the end of February.

In amongst all of that I had an appointment for a routine mammogram...just one of those regular things that us women of a certain age get asked to attend. Two weeks after the scan I received a letter from the hospital asking me to visit because they just wanted to 'double check' my scan...nothing to worry about...just one of those things! Suffice to say there was something to be worried about and a diagnosis of breast cancer saw the next 4 months being a blur of hospital appointments. Here's a link to a blog post that marked my last day of treatment and goes into more detail about my diagnosis and treatment; Last Day

During these four months life carried on as normal as possible; Ethan was finishing his final year at university and Molly had the last few months of sixth form ending with her A-Level exams, we had more 50th birthday celebrations, I took part in a charity fashion show, there was Avengers End Game to see, Molly turned 18 and another burlesque evening!

Then in May I was able to get a little more ink...and Molly got her first! See my earlier post; And Some More Disney Ink

Molly getting inked by the lovely Saint Heywood at Acadia Tattoo

And the completed ink...just had to be The Lion King

And for me a pink ribbon...

During this time we had also made the decision to book a holiday to Disneyland Paris...it had been 4 years since our last trip to Paris as a family and 6 years since our last visit to Walt Disney World. We were desperate to get a little Disney into our lives and with all that the year had brought so far we were determined to get out there and live life to the fullest! See the post - 69 Days and Counting

June saw Simon and I celebrate 30 years of marriage....

A 'now & then' photo!

...Molly and Ethan both sat their final exams and finished their respective times in education and my treatment came to an end.

In July we had the chance to support an event called Real Food Rocks held in the Lake District; it was chance for people to discuss and learn more about our approach to food in relation to our health. How if we wish to retain our health or reverse conditions like type 2 diabetes then we need to look at the foods we eat and readjust. Read my post from July all about the event - Real Food Rocks

The end of July saw Ethan achieving a first in his Computer Science degree and we had a great day at his graduation. He then secured himself a programmer job working for a computer games company which is something he has always wanted to do.

August saw Molly receive her A-Level results doing fantastic with an A*, A and B, she is now busy working part-time while establishing her own photography business Shutter Studios

This year was becoming a year of changes; both 'kids' leaving education and moving out into the big wide world, us getting used to the fact that the 'kids' are no longer 'kids' and then my body going through changes as a result of my treatment.

So our trip to Disneyland Paris in August seemed to time itself perfectly. We all had a fantastic time...and I really must find the time to look back at the holiday and get a few posts written and photos shared.

We ended August with a trip to London to see another of my all time favourite bands, She Wants Revenge, who played the O2 academy in Islington. We had seen them only once before, many years ago at a small venue in Sheffield and were thrilled to get the chance to see them again.

As we moved into September I had a hospital check-up which went well and now means I have an annual mammogram for the next 5 years just to make sure!

But within a few days of receiving that good news Simon's mum was diagnosed with heart failure and atrial fibrillation. This then plunged us into 4 months of doctors appointments, phone calls at all times of day, hospital visits (so many that we joked the car could drive itself there), organising home care and panic alarms, calling out paramedics, house sitting waiting for medical equipment to be delivered, liaising with social care, hospital staff, doctors, nurses...it was a never ending deluge of 'stuff' we had to deal with. Now what I should make clear at this point is that Simon is an only child and therefore the responsibility for his elderly mum all fell at his feet and he accepted that responsibility with good grace, care and diligence despite everything. Simon had also been the sole carer for his parents over the last decade or more, doing all he could for his dad when diagnosed with dementia until he passed away 3 years ago. He supported his mum through his dad's illness and then subsequently with every day life after his dad passed away. But this has never been an easy situation to handle, and one that has lasted for most of Simon's life. It is only through events over the last few years and months that we have begun to realise the emotional abuse that Simon, and as a consequence me, have been subjected to by his mum. This is not the forum to go into details but suffice to say the actions and behaviour of one person have had an unbelievable impact on our lives and well being. Sadly this meant that when she passed away just before Christmas it was met with a great sense of relief rather than sadness and mourning, along with the realisation that we are now free to move forward with our lives.

Oh and while all this was happening I got told that the pre-school I manage was being evicted from its current premises (we had been there for 17 years) and that we had just over 3 months to find somewhere new! This was a complete shock to us all and absolutely heartbreaking. But plans are in place and things are now moving forward; there will be lots of changes ahead but the good news is that we hope to be in our new premises by the end of February.

But despite these past few months we have pulled together, made each other stronger and somehow found the time, energy and strength to carry on and get on with life as best we could. So while we had to sacrifice going to the gym or getting Molly to her karate classes, or had to re-schedule day-to-day stuff we still enjoyed some precious moments.

We had some great nights out with friends and family, we introduced Molly to The Rocky Horror Show in the theatre, we enjoyed a night out to see Tim Minchin live, we had more burlesque nights and more life drawing afternoons!

We also were able to get out with our fellow Star Wars cosplay friends and troop at a number of events. We attended Feel the Force in Peterborough, a special comic-con set up for families with additional needs and for the third year running we attended the Nottingham Hospitals Charity Children's Christmas parties. And with the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker film we were asked to take part in one of a number of troops held at our local Odeon cinema which saw us raising money for two charities; MIND (mental health) and PASIC (cancer support for children & young people).

Feel the Force - with Joker Squad

Nottingham Hospitals Children's Christmas Party - with East Midlands Garrison

Odeon Cinema, Derby - troop with East Midlands Garrison for the release of The Rise of Skywalker

The last weekend in November saw the house get taken over with Christmas decorations...both inside and out! I just love this time of the year and love the tradition of decorating the whole house!

Part of my back garden - love these blow mould decorations

My main tree...and it's all Disney of course!

Black & Silver tree

And tree number 3 lives in my kitchen!

For my birthday weekend we headed down to London to see White Lies in concert (again) at Brixton Academy. This was a special concert forming part of a small tour to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut album. They played the album in full plus a selection of other songs; it was a fantastic concert, with an amazing atmosphere...we made new friends, had beer thrown over us and Simon got kissed by a random man! Such a great night!

Singing my heart out!!

Made this frame to remember both White Lies concerts 

And just before Christmas we had an evening at the cinema to see the latest Star Wars installment...the evening started at 6pm with a showing of The Force Awakens followed by The Last Jedi followed at one minute past midnight by a showing of the latest movie The Rise of Skywalker. Back home and in bed for about 2.45am to be up at 6.30am for work!!

We have then rounded the year out with a very relaxed Christmas and New Year, we have re-connected with relatives, spent time with friends and family and simply enjoyed the time we have had together as a family.

We are now looking forward to what the year ahead shall bring. We are making plans for that big Disney holiday we have been longing for and making sure that every moment counts.

Wishing you all the very best for 2020 whatever that may bring you. Keep smiling and keep those you love close and cherish every moment you have xx

But I couldn't give up...

Oh, but I couldn't give up....

This is one of those phrases that creeps into the conversation whenever I tell people that I follow a low carb/keto way of eating.

OK, so let me make a confession - ‘My name is Jayne and I follow a low carb/keto way of life and I apologise’.

But why do I feel the need to apologise? Why is it that I’m made to feel like some sort of weirdo or freak because I don’t eat carbs?

I have friends who are vegetarians but to the world at large that’s perfectly fine.

I have friends who are vegans and again to the world at large that’s perfectly fine.

But when I say ‘sorry no potatoes for me’ I’m made to feel like there’s something wrong with me!

I can go out and about for coffee or for meals whether that be in a small local cafe, a city centre restaurant or even when visiting friends or family and there are numerous concessions made for diets. Plastered on menu boards everywhere is ‘vegetarian friendly’, ‘vegan this or that’, ‘gluten free’ or ‘lighter options’ but never anything to say ‘low carb’ or ‘keto’.

Now OK I am a big girl and actually following a low carb/keto way of life is pretty straightforward; I have no problem asking a restaurant to substitute in some extra veggies or salad instead of the potatoes or asking for cream when ordering coffee. And to be fair there is now more and more places that will have on their menus (although often hidden at the bottom somewhere) that burgers can be ‘bunless’ or that rice can be swapped for salad.

But I do still feel that what I’m asking for is considered to be a bit weird, often met with a questioning ‘so you don’t want the potatoes?’ Well that’s what I’ve just said!!

I’m really not looking for any special treatment or a special menu just an acceptance that it’s perfectly normal to not want the beige and boring carbs!

Now don’t get me wrong I am aware that we are beginning to see some companies and small businesses that are catering specifically towards the low carb market; often providing a low carb alternative to those ‘western diet’ favourites of bread and sweet things. These items are not necessarily the cheapest but at least it’s good to know that this ‘low carb thing’ is beginning to get recognised. For me personally I am a bit wary of these low carb alternatives as I’m not a lover of the artificial sweeteners that can be used but I think it’s great that options for those that want them are appearing.

At ‘Real Food Rocks’ back in July I was able to try some low carb pitta bread (Low Carb Food Company) and some low carb dark chocolate and raspberry brownies (Deliciously Guilt Free) which were both delicious. And for both of these I would personally consider them an exception to my usual way of eating. In fact if I fancy ‘a treat', something that I would not ordinarily consume, like a cookie or a piece of cake then I will allow myself to indulge. But this is only a rare occurrence and often I will find that sharing a piece of cake or just having a couple of bites is enough to satisfy any ‘craving’ I may have. A phrase we like to use in my home is ‘rare and appropriate’ (a term coined by Penn Jillette during his weight-loss); so for example when I reached the end of my radiotherapy treatment I figured it was appropriate to mark the occasion with a coffee and a nice piece of ‘full on’ cheesecake! So I had a piece of ‘proper’ cake and enjoyed it and that was that!

So let’s get back to what I started with at the top of this post...but I couldn’t give up…

I think this happens to everyone who follows a low carb/keto way of eating as soon as we begin to explain what it means we have the standard response ‘but I couldn’t give up...’ followed by one (or all!) mention of potatoes, bread, rice, pasta. Interestingly the ‘naughty’ foods of cakes or cookies are never mentioned because everyone knows that these are not good for us but the complete indignation that can be met should I dare suggest that perhaps pasta is not all that great is really rather surprising.

For those of us that have found low carb/keto and have experienced the benefits, whether that be weight loss, general health improvements, skin improvements, better mood or reversal of type 2 diabetes and more, we find ourselves wanting to spread the news. I know that I have done a lot of reading and continue to do so. Names like Gary Taubes, Gary Fettke, Tim Noakes, Dr David Unwin, Ivor Cummins, Nina Teicholz to name but a few are commonly spoken about in our house. We actively seek out new information, podcasts and websites. I absolutely love dietdoctor.com for the vast amount of information delivered in an easy to understand way along with a collection of recipes to suit everyone’s budget, tastes and cooking ability.

I find myself feeling quite passionate about this way of eating, especially knowing that the traditional diet of low fat, eat less and move more simply doesn’t work and is actually completely wrong. We have been ‘fed’ information over the past 30 years, and more, that was wrong, that was never tested as it should have been and has never been corrected despite evidence to the contrary.

So when people do ask me about losing weight, or keeping the weight off or simply ‘what is is that you eat?’ I want to tell them as much as I possibly can. But I am constantly surprised that most people seem to stumble as soon as they hear ‘no bread, no rice, no pasta, no potatoes’.

Perhaps I need to change my approach and tell them about all the lovely things they can be eating; all the cheese, meat, bacon, eggs, full fat yogurt, cream in their coffee, green veggies, some berries and my favourite extra dark chocolate!

Everyone knows that cakes, cookies and anything sugary is bad for them but what they don’t understand is that some of our food ‘staples’, and foods that we have been led to believe are ‘good for us’ are actually also full of sugar. I can’t recommend Dr. David Unwin’s infographics highly enough where he equates those staples of our diet to the amount of sugar in them, such an easy and surprising way to get the message across.

Infographic courtesy of  phc.org

I also tell people to try eating the rice, the pasta, the potatoes or the bread just on its own with no sauce or seasoning to see how bland they actually are. These are after all bland and beige and I’ve never known anything that is bland and beige be ‘good for you’!

So ditch the beige and embrace tasty, satisfying and filling foods.

Eat the right foods and your body will do the rest. There is then no need to worry about ‘how much’ or ‘how many calories’ or feeling hungry. Listen to your body, eat when you are genuinely hungry and eat foods that will leave you feeling satiated and full of energy. You will turn your body into a fat burning machine and you will never look back.

Five and a half years ago I took on a challenge to lose a bit of weight, little did I realise back then that I would be able to keep that weight off, drop 2 dress sizes and feel great. I have learnt so much since then and I just want to be able to give those who want to listen and are prepared to give something a chance all the help, advice and encouragement I can.

Taken Summer 2013 - Standard Low Fat Diet
150lbs

Taken Summer 2019 - 5 years low carb
131lbs

 Please go back and read my other blog pieces about how I discovered this way of eating and how I've managed to stick at it for five and a half years.

Eating Well, Staying Healthy
What's Wrong with Real Food?
Four Years On
Eating Healthy and Proud of it
One Year On
90 Day Challenge

Four Years On

And if any of this gives you cause to think then I urge you to just give it a try and you never know what might happen!

And home...

It's a couple of weeks since we returned home after our trip to Disneyland Paris; so I thought I would just do a short post to summarise our visit.

This trip was our first 'Disney' trip as a family in a few years; it has been 6 years since we visited Walt Disney World and 4 and a half years since we visited Disneyland Paris. We have not in fact had any major vacations as money has been tight so this trip was not only a chance to visit Disney but also to get our travel groove back on!

Our last visit to Disneyland Paris had been just a few days after my mum died and was in early February when it was extremely cold, so suffice to say it was a trip that was marked with sadness.

This time around we were blessed with warm weather, sunshine, a very blustery day and a bit of a soggy (but warm) day. It was busy and crowded and some attractions had very...very...long wait times but we took it all in our stride, determined to simply 'go with the flow' and enjoy every moment and you know what? We did!

We had five full days taking in as many attractions as we could, and wanted to; we 'shopped' as much as we could afford; we tried our best to eat as 'low carb' as possible (not always an easy task) and we walked and walked...we reckon that we walked between 7 and 10 miles each day!

But most importantly we enjoyed the time together as a family; enjoying what was a much needed and deserved vacation for all of us. So although the 'Disney blues' have kicked in we have once more created some great memories and reinvigorated our love for Disney...just need to start planning the next trip now...

Arriving!

I will do some more detailed follow up posts to this one with lots more photos to share!

Getting closer...

Well it's getting closer to our next visit to a Disney resort...in fact we're now in single digit countdown!

In a couple of days we shall be heading our way over to Disneyland Paris for a much needed dose of Disney.

It is almost 4 and a half years since we were at Disneyland Paris as a family and 6 years since we last visited Walt Disney World so we are very ready for Disney!

These last few years have been tough both financially and personally and this makes this trip all the more wanted.

So I am all ready? Well...err...maybe! I don't really feel like I've done any 'prep' work or research and to be honest I think I did most of that when we were deciding when to go and where to stay. It's not quite the same as visiting Walt Disney World when you have to think about booking fastpasses and dining reservations and perhaps scheduling all the different parks in to make sure you get to experience all that you want to. Paris is a much more compact resort in comparison and most of my 'research' has been done online or is something that I already know. So while there are things that are different to our last visit we shall all just be happy to experience some 'Disneyness'.

To get us in the mood myself and Molly had a little home pampering...we have matching toe nails that took inspiration from The Lion King & Jungle Festival currently happening at Disneyland Paris...

...and then we decided on a more classic, sophisticated look for our fingers!

Mine done by Molly!

Molly's done by me...although I had to ask Simon to complete the Mickey as my numerous attempts were not good!!

So what will we be doing over the next few days? Well, we will be getting there by Eurostar which will take us direct to Disneyland Paris where we will take advantage of their Disney Express service; this means that we will get our tickets and hotel information on the train and then leave our luggage at the station where it will be moved to our hotel leaving us free to go off and explore!

We will be staying at Hotel Cheyenne which will be a walk down memory lane as this was the hotel we stayed in on our first ever visit to Disneyland Paris way back in 1999. So it may be fun to try and recreate some of our photos from our first visit...although I'm not sure my eldest will be willing to join in the fun as a lot of the photos involve him being either in a pushchair or being held!!

So are there any must-do's for us on this trip? I think there are only a couple of attractions that we haven't actually rode in the past; one is the Tower of Terror which none of us have a strong desire to ride (love the themeing just not the mechanism) but the other is Crush's Coaster. Now last time we visited we tried a number of times to ride Crush's Coaster but were thwarted by either breakdowns or ridiculously long wait times so this is a definite rope drop/extra magic time objective!

Otherwise we are really looking forward to experiencing the newly refurbished Phantom Manor; Big Thunder Mountain is a big definite (this is probably my favourite version); Star Tours will just have to be done as will Hyperspace Mountain (although not by me!); the castle here is just stunning and made all the more special by a visit to its guest underneath at La Taniere du Dragon and it goes without saying (if you know me at all) that It's A Small World will be ridden...a lot!

So packing is done, euros have been bought, passports are at the ready and now it's time to have some Disney fun!

10 Days to Go...

10 Days to go until my next Disney trip!

So for the first time since February 2015 we, as a family, will be heading over to Disneyland Paris for a well deserved 5 day visit.

This trip will mark 20 years since our first visit to Disneyland Paris way back in August 1999. Back when we had just one child who was only 18 months old and whose favourite ride was It's A Small World; which he would point out to us by shouting 'windmill' because that was the nearest landmark to the ride! Don't think this will be his favourite this time around!

So here we are 20 years later heading back with two young adults and find ourselves staying in the same hotel...Hotel Cheyenne! Oh how times have changed; in fact that seems to sum up these last few months as we get used to our children leaving education and making their own way in the world.

Although we have visited numerous times since that first visit in 1999 it will be the first time staying at the Cheyenne for quite awhile as our most recent trips have seen us staying in the Sequoia Lodge. But it is merely a coincidence that our trip this time is back to the Cheyenne as it simply came down to a choice of availability and cost. Although the fact that the hotel has recently been refurbished and now has a Starbucks on site were both big pluses when making the decision. But I think it will be interesting to see just how much, or little perhaps, has changed from our first visit compared to now.

So I thought I'd have a look at the photos from our 1999 visit; this meant getting out the physical photo albums because this was pre-digital! Also these photos are so stuck, literally stuck, into the albums there was no way I could prise them out to scan them so had to take photos of the photos!

So here we go, and interestingly the dates of our visit back in 1999 and now are very similar which was a little spooky to realise!

Registration information from Hotel Cheyenne, including admission ticket and breakfast voucher!

I then remembered that while we were there back in 1999 there was an eclipse happening, which we experienced inside Disneyland Park and I kept the small information leaflet that Disney handed out along with some special 'glasses' to view the eclipse!

Information leaflet

Special viewing glasses and me wearing them!!

Here are a couple of photos of Discoveryland;

Outside Space Mountain & Les Mysteres du Nautilus

And of course there had to be photos of the parade...love the music to this parade...Dancin' a Catchy Rhythm was just the best parade music!

Wonderful World of Disney Parade

And then this was the time when the Main Street Electrical Parade had made its way over from the US which was a great surprise to us back then as this was the first night time parade we had ever seen when we'd visited Walt Disney World back in 1991. Unfortunately the photos were just too dark to include...lots of black with a few dots of light!!

I love looking back on old photos and all the memories it brings back but now I'm looking forward to creating some new memories.

Real Food Rocks

If you've read any of my blog before you will know that along with my passion for Disney and tattoos I am also passionate about the way we eat.

My own personal story can be found in these previous posts and pages;

Eating Well, Staying Healthy
90 Day Challenge
Four Years On

But suffice to say I am now a strong advocate of the Low Carb High Fat approach to eating. As a family we eliminated carbs and sugars from our diet just over 5 years ago. We no longer have bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, flours, processed foods, grains or sugars in anything that we eat. Our cupboards and fridge are stocked with yummy cheese, butter, cream, meats, fish, green veggies, berries, greek yogurt and some very high cocoa dark chocolate.

I have lost weight and dropped dress sizes and have been able to maintain it. My skin is better and hopefully I am doing everything in my power to avoid the modern day diseases of diabetes and heart disease; both of which have affected my family directly in the past.

Whilst we do have the odd occasional treat; these are what we describe as 'rare and appropriate', I do find that the longer that we follow this approach the less I look for those treats...which as someone with a self confessed sweet tooth I never thought I would say!

I think the 'kids' find this way of eating the most tricky out of all of us; not because they are fussy eaters but I think simply because they are faced with a society that seems to revolve around social eating and drinking and one that means making good choices are tricky to find.

This past weekend Simon and I had the pleasure of spending a day at Brathay Hall, near Ambleside in the Lake District with about 800 like-minded people at a festival called Real Food Rocks.  This was a festival organised through an organisation called the Public Health Collaboration whose mission is to improve the nations health by changing the way we eat through adopting a low carb approach.

The event was organised by Dr Jen Unwin and was supported by a number of doctors, health care and fitness professionals. There were also plenty of stalls showcasing businesses who promote the use of real food, with real ingredients while also supporting a low carb approach.

Throughout the day there was the opportunity to listen to a number of experts talk about all aspects of a healthy lifestyle. We started the day listening to Dr Michael Mosley and his wife Dr Clare Bailey who strongly advocate the use of fasting, and a Mediterranean style diet incorporating fermented foods. Next we listened to Ivor Cummins the biochemical engineer and author of the book 'Eat Rich Live Long' who spoke about the modern diseases of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease and the positive effects that diet can have on all of these conditions.

Dr Michael Mosley

Ivor Cummins

We than had a short break where we tasted some delicious low carb beef curry served with low carb naan bread from The Low Carb Food Co, followed by a coffee from The Little Blue Pig and a gorgeous chocolate and raspberry brownie from Deliciously Guilt Free.

Beef Curry & Naan bread by the Low Carb Food Co.

Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Brownie by Deliciously Guilt Free

Then it was back to listen to some more speakers. We heard Dr Peter Voshol from the Netherlands speak about his success with treating patients with Type 2 Diabetes through diet. We then heard from nutritionist Jenny Phillips as she spoke about the types of food we should be eating which resulted in me buying her latest cook book! After that we came upon Bridgette Hamilton who unknown to us is based not far from where we live; she specialises in helping people kick their sugar addiction and lose weight through her Breakthrough Weightloss program. We ended the day with Dr David Unwin who is a GP passionate about low carb and using lifestyle interventions to help patients fight obesity and diabetes and is one of the leading voices on this here in the UK.

It was so great to spend a day with people that all think the same way as we do. Time and time again it can feel almost alienating to follow this lifestyle. People who choose other lifestyles like being vegetarian or vegan can walk into shops, supermarkets and restaurants and are able to find all sorts of products on offer for them (although these are often highly processed and very far removed from being 'healthy' alternatives).Their friends accept their choice, they will make allowances for them when socialising and may even defend their choice...but choosing low carb does not always cause the same reactions.

Whilst shopping is straightforward as you simply only buy those products that you know are right i.e. real food! But dining out can sometimes be problematic and usually involves having to ask for 'insert name of bland beige carb' to be removed and replaced with veggies or salad but only to be met with a funny look and a question 'so...you don't want...?' Friends struggle to understand what being low carb means and the standard response is 'but I couldn't give up potatoes...bread...pasta...' Then throw into the conversation the 'wish I could lose weight like you', followed by me offering to explain but yet again to be faced with the 'but I couldn't' statement.

I know this way of eating is healthy, enjoyable, satisfying, yummy and easy to do and I just want to be able to help people to follow along and see the same weight and health gains that I have. But when everything that we have been brought up to understand about what is and is not healthy to eat is the complete opposite of eating low carb it is all too easy to understand why people have a problem grasping how this could be healthy.

I am angry that I spent the majority of my life following the 'official guidelines', doing what people in white coats told me or what was published through various media to then find I, along with everyone else, had been misled. It is so frustrating that the 'powers that be' are unwilling to change the dietary advise, that influence from the sugar, cereal and processed food industry is too entrenched with our governing bodies. That pharmaceutical companies need us all to be reliant on medications to keep their profits expanding and they have no interest in getting us healthy 'naturally'!

So I am determined to keep on doing what I am doing; sharing my knowledge, offering help where I can, continuously reading and researching more, learning more and then hopefully lead by example. I will continue to write blog posts about all that I am passionate about and hope that somewhere along the way I can inform and potentially change things for the better.