A Very Pretty Blog..

FlickrFatale's Blog is well up and running, why not pop over for a look!

The Launch of our new Website!

Our photo group have just launched our new website you can find us at www.flickrfatale.com.

Or if you prefer to Blog find us here http://flickrfatale.blogspot.com/ or on twitter at http://twitter.com/flickrfatale

Oh and you so have to see this! http://www.eternalmoonwalk.com/

My First Photo Exhibition!

For the last few months I have been meeting up to take photos with a group of Girls I met on the Flickr Photo website. It's been great fun and now we have our first group exhibition coming up in Ballrowan Library for the whole month of August.
All images will be available to purchase for the very reasonible sum of €60 for a framed print. We would love you to come visit!

The Other Girls are here:
Elimare: www.flickr.com/photos/elimare/
Beanser: www.flickr.com/photos/beanser/
Elīna Diamante www.flickr.com/photos/elianphoto/
Michelle in Ireland: www.flickr.com/photos/finbarro/

Well Worth a Gander!

The Second Coming Originally uploaded by Dave G Kelly

I just wanted to let you know about a group of very talented flickr photographers who are getting together (again) to put on their second photographic exibition. It's so worth a look! It will run from Tuesday the 23rd of June till 30th of June in Filmbase, Curve Street, Dublin see http://www.dublens.ie/ for more details.

Don't change what you eat, change how you eat it!

© Catherine MacBride 2008

Digestive complaints and disorders are so common in our busy stressful lives, sometimes it is because of poor diet but very often it's down to poor eating habits. By changing how you eat you can make a big improvement in your general health, try these pointers out and see how you feel!

Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. Drink small amounts spread out through the day rather than all in one go. This will keep the body hydrated and improve the functioning of the digestive tract particularly the large intestine.

Eat in a comfortable and quiet atmosphere. It is very important to take your meals during a settled and pleasant time of the day when you are free from distractions.

Always sit down to eat. This relaxes the digestive system and allows you to focus on the process of eating. Even if it’s only a small snack sit down to eat.

Eat your meals at the same time each day. This will allow your body to get into a routine and also reduces the need to eat between meals.

Do not eat when you are upset. If you feel upset at meal times wait a little while until you feel calmer. When you are stressed or upset there is an increase in the production of acid in the stomach (HCL) and a slowing of normal stomach contractions. These acid rich secretions remain in the stomach longer than usual and cause irritation and discomfort.

Avoid overeating. You should eat to about three quarters your stomach capacity (approximately two handfuls). Eating beyond this point prevents normal stomach contractions. Three quarters is also the point that gives us a feeling of satisfaction without the sensation of over eating.

Do not drink while your eating. Many of us are in the habit of washing our food down with a drink before we have chewed it properly. This means we moisten the food with the drink instead of saliva. Therefore the start of the process of chemical digestion is not carried out properly.

Chew your food well. Chewing your food well gives your system a head start and can prevent indigestion and excess wind. Chew with your mouth closed. It is best to avoid talking while chewing.

Eat at a moderate pace. This will allow you to know when you have eaten enough without over eating; it also allows you to chew your food well. If you eat too quickly put your knife and fork down after each mouthful and don’t pick them up until that mouthful has been chewed and swallowed.

Avoid cold foods and iced drinks. Your stomach works best at body temperature. Cold foods slow down digestion. Warm cooked foods are the most readily digested.

Eat meals that are cooked from a variety of fresh ingredients. Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Choose unrefined organic produce whenever possible.

Take a few minutes to rest at the end of your meal. This allows the process of digestion to begin in an effortless way and can prevent heartburn and indigestion. Try not to bend over or lie down for an hour after eating, as this can increase the risk of heart burn and acid reflux.

Practise deep breathing. This can reduce stress levels and bring more energy to the digestive system. It also massages the internal organs and can reduce bloating and digestive discomfort.

Don’t eat in the three hours prior to bedtime. This can increase the risk of digestive discomfort and acid reflux; it can also put pressure on the heart.

Let me know how you get on!
Catherine

Congradulations!!!!

I just wanted to say a big HUGE well done to the Walmer College Diet and Nutrition class of 2007/08 who all passed their exams, Congradulations!!!
Catherine

Just waiting on a wave...

© Catherine MacBride 2008

Some moments in life are just perfect!

History on our doorstep!

On Sunday last we went hill walking and found ourselves in a structure over 5,000 years old! It's not very often you can say that.

© Catherine MacBride 2008

We had climbed Seefin Mountain (621m) in the Wicklow Mountain National Park up to the cairn on it's summit which is actually a Megalithic passage tomb.
Its hard to belief structures like this dot the Irish landscape and are are completely unmaintained (which is a shame) but there wasn't another soul around which made it rather special.

See http://mountainviews.ie/mv/index.php?mtnindex=397 for more details

The End of ICIM?

Its funny how things change, after almost a year of studying medical science for an acupuncture diploma, the course has been dropped like a hot potatoe by ICIM!!!!!! (click on the image to get a larger view)

Are you sitting comfortably?

Then let me begin, because believe it or not it could make all the difference!

Constipation is one of the most common disorders in the western world but one of a few things that still doesn’t make for polite dinner conversation (at least in most circles!). It’s not fussy about who it affects either, starting with the very young all the way up to old age.

Constipation can be hard to define but is generally accepted to be a reduction in the normal frequency of bowel movements a person has, with stools that are hard, dry, small in size, and difficult to pass.

Thankfully there are lots you can do to prevent and treat constipation.

Firstly make sure you are drinking at least 6-8 glasses of water a day. Keeping hydrated is very important in preventing and treating constipation. One of the main functions of the large intestine is to reabsorb water, turning waste from a liquid into a semi-solid. When dehydrated the body tries its best to get water from wherever possible. This includes dehydrating the contents of the bowel until stools are small and hard. If you don’t like the idea of your body using water extracted from your poo drink more water, (caffeinated drinks, such as tea and coffee, and alcohol don’t hydrate but actually act as diuretics making you pee more).

Stress tightens the bowel muscles and will definitely make constipation worse. It is important that you try to lower your stress levels; any of the lovely complementary therapies can work wonders!

Make sure your diet is high in fibre. Fibre acts like a sponge absorbing water, producing large stools that move easily through the large intestine. Choose soluble forms of fibre found in porridge, oatcakes and fruit and vegetables, as these will soften the faeces making it easier to pass. Eating large amounts of fibre, particularly bran based fibre without drinking water, will leave you trying to pass bran based poo, and that really doesn’t bear thinking about……….

The mineral magnesium is needed to control smooth muscle contractions, preventing constipation. Good food sources include pumpkin seeds, plain popcorn, mixed nuts (unroasted), rye crisp breads, peanut butter and sunflower seeds. Include at least one good magnesium food source daily.

Another important point is NOT to ignore the signals when you do need a bowel movement. Don’t be embarrassed to use the toilets in work or public toilets. Stopping yourself from going can make the symptoms of constipation worse. Does it really matter if someone possibly hears something?

Massage your stomach in a clockwise direction, start on the right and work in a circular motion, massaging at least twice daily. This can be enough to get things moving.

Practice some deep breathing exercises this will massage the digestive system and help prevent constipation.

Exercise is fantastic at getting things moving. My lovely Mother always sings the praises of exercise as a cure to almost everything (particularly jumping jacks for some strange reason) and when it comes to constipation she’s definitely right. Get moving to get things moving!

Give yourself a set time each day to use the toilet, choose a time when you won’t be disturbed. Sit on the loo even if you don’t feel the need to go. This will retrain your bowels although it may take two to three weeks to work. It’s important not to strain!

And finally change your position on the toilet, sitting comfortably is very, very important! Don’t sit forward, sit back and raise your feet above the level of your bottom. You will probably need to invest in a small stool (no pun intended) in order to do this. This relaxes the abdominal muscles allowing the contents of the bowel to pass without obstruction. This can be a huge factor in children’s constipation; sitting on the toilet with little legs dangling will get them absolutely nowhere.

If your constipation continues for more than a few days or contains blood or mucus please visit your GP.


©Catherine MacBride 2007.

A Slightly Late Happy New Year!

Well I know it may be a little late, but today brought good news and a brighter outlook for a happy new year!

The Bank of Ireland refunded all the money that was stolen from our account over the Christmas ! yehhhh! Little happy dance!

So Happy New Year and all my best wishes for 2008!

SAD.....

Well the dark nights are starting to draw in (as my Mother would say), the sun set a whole ten minutes earlier tonight than it did on Sunday night. For individuals with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) it can be a difficult time of year.

SAD is directly linked with the amount of sunlight we see and as the days shorten the pineal gland in the brain increases the amount of melatonin it produces, this can slow down our metabolism, leaving us feeling tired and lethargic all the time.

There is a lot you can do to help.

One of my favourite is to burn grapefruit essential oil just as the sun starts to set, grapefruit and all the other citrus essential oils increase both physical and mental activity helping keep the symptoms at bay.

Eating well is also very important, the B vitamins which are found in whole grains (and marmite!) are very useful in keeping your mood happy and motivated.

The essential fatty acids are also vital in keeping our mood content, one of the best ways to increase your intake of essential fatty acids is to make a simple salad dressing that is lovely as a dip for bread or poured over veg or salad. (Don't heat it though) This is my favourite recipe for salad dressing:

Home Made Salad Dressing

Mix hemp seed oil, flax (linseed) oil, avocado oil and a little wheat-germ oil(it works as a natural preservative).
Mix 1 part balsamic or cider vinegar to 4 parts oil in a screw top jar
Season with mustard, salt, pepper, garlic and just a tiny amount of honey
Shake well before use and keep refrigerated

Another very successful treatment is the use of broad spectrum lights which have become more available and affordable over the last few years.

Don't just live with it as many complementary therapies including aromatherapy, acupuncture and reflexology have offered many SAD sufferers relief.

Graduation!

My Walmer Diet and Nutrition classes graduated last night! It was such a great night!!!! I just wanted to say thank you all for everything (including lovely pressies, kind comments, lots of laughs, etc) and please do keep in touch, I'm always just an email or a call away if you need any help, information or advice.

I wish you all my best for the future

Catherine

Attraction

I finished reading The Secret by Rhonda Byrne recently and decided that I was going to follow the idea behind it. The book itself wasn't anything I hadn't heard or read before but it was nice to have it all in one place and it is a feel good read!


Its all about the universal law of attraction and how, if you put your thoughts and your energy into something the universe will provide it, whether it be something you want or not.

Its funny that just being aware of what and how I'm feeling has had a huge impact on the outcome of a situation or event, if I have expected something to be awful its been awful and when I knew it was going to be great that's exactly what its been.

I now start each day thinking about everything I'm grateful for and each day my list keeps getting longer, its been amazing!

So the next thing I'm going to do is put my order into the universe of all the things I want and the universe will supply it, just like picking it out of a giant catalogue, my only problem is I'm having trouble thinking of anything I want........

The End of Summer!

Well that's it, tomorrow is officially the last day of the summer holidays! School begins again on the 30th of August in this neck of the woods and it will be back to routine, school traffic, homework, new pencils, books and copies the works.

But I love this time of year! new classes, new students and the excuse to shop for stationary, some women love shoe shopping _ I love books, pens, pencils and stationary (if you ever loose me in Dublin city centre Easons is a good place to start looking).

So here's to a time of change and possibilities and the excuse to buy a new notebook and pencil.

Remember its never too late to teach an old dog a new trick, and September is the perfect time to do it.

The best view of Dublin!

Believe it or not one of the best views of Dublin is actually to be found in Co.Wicklow. Today we climbed the Great Sugar Loaf and what a view it was!

The climb was made that little bit sweeter when we passed a group kitted out in all the gear you would need to climb Everest, sweating profusely.

They all looked a little embarrassed passing my 5 year old coming down in his Clark's trainers and plastic rain mac.

So if your any where near Kilmacanogue or Glen of the Downs look up and take a detour its well worth the trip.

A week of celebration!

Its been such a great week! from my birthday 7 days ago to my 12th wedding anniversary today!


It has included trips to Brittas Bay beach, the cinemas, out for dinner and lunch! and out to the Bray seafront for great fish and chips!

We definitely got the best of the weather too and there was some great Irish weather over the past week.


Do you think there is any rule about how long you can keep celebrating a birthday? if not I think I'll keep it going for the year.

Treadmill Accident!

I saw this and thought of my sister Christine! (its a long story)

Pancake Saturday!

We just had delicious pancakes for breakfast! a real treat when you have a wheat allergy. So for all those individuals with the same problem here is the recipe...

Wheat Free Pancakes

6oz of wheat free flour ( I use Dove's Farm) if you don't have it mix 2oz each of rice, potato and tapioca flours
1 large egg
half a pint of milk, sometimes you need a little more
2tsp melted butter (optional)

1. sieve the flour into a large bowl
2. add in the beaten egg (and butter)
3. slowly add in the milk beating continuously until you have a smooth batter mixture
4. beat vigorously and the allow to sit for 30 minutes
5. pour enough batter into a hot non stick pan to coat it
6. cook for 1-2 minutes on each side
7. serve with maple syrup or lemon juice and sugar
8. Enjoy!

My thanks to Tracy Hutchin who found Doves Flour first and introduced me back into the world of pancakes!

Day two

Having something to write about in a blog takes some getting use too, I'm planning to work out some ideas for articles I have to write so you will see them here first.