Nutrition for the bedroom :)

Aphrodisiac. 

Everyone loves a bit of "spice" in the bedroom, after all sex is the so called "fruit of life" and should always be amazing.  I live by two mottos, one is my own and one has been "borrowed" (well obviously stolen) from the beautiful Nigella Lawson.

1.  Everyone is a "good guy" and a "bad guy", we just judge them on the side they show more.

2.  Life is too short for bad food (and by bad she means boring and I mean boring and with little nutritional benefits).

Shouldn't sex be the same?  After all, if life's too short for bad food its most certainly too short for bad sex?  I definitely believe so.  Sex is important in any relationship, not to mention the health benefits  of being sexually active.  Exercise, muscle strength, better sleep, better mentality, a sense of power and euphoria.  Its all fantastic.  Lust based sex of course does not have maximum benefits.  ANYHOO I shall share with you the magic little world of aphrodisiacs.  I'm sure some of you have finished a plate of oysters and seen your partner a little differently across the table.  Sexual nutrition is important.

Aphrodisiac.
An aphrodisiac: a substance that puts one in the mood for love, can include food, herbs, good conversation, moonlight and even lingerie! Aphrodisiacs are named after, Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, fruitfulness, and beauty. They may have a direct effect on the erogenous zones. Some may stimulate, irritate or be a diuretic, causing one to experience more sensation.
 
Aphrodisiacs may affect the mind, cause relaxation and prolong lovemaking. Their shape, texture or smell may be reminiscent of sex; according to an ancient worldwide belief called The Doctrine of Signatures, plants give us hints as to what they are good for, by the way they look, smell, taste, and grow. They may be highly nutritious and by improving health, bring about healthier libido. Both sex and food are closely related by being pleasurable and physical.

Aphrodisiacs can be enjoyed anywhere from half an hour to an hour before making love. Best when they are incorporated into one’s daily life for their health tonifying properties. As good health is essential to sexual vitality, good nutrition is imperative. When we are in poor health, sexual vitality decreases.

- From Care2.com (One of my favourite websites if you havnt already seen)

My Top 10

  

 1. Oysters

Oysters are probably the food most associated with being an aphrodisiac, and most people are aware of their reputation for increasing sexual desire. Oysters may be thought an aphrodisiac because of their high zinc content, which helps produce sperm and increases libido. Raw oysters are best served with a glass of chilled Champagne for a truly romantic meal!

2.  Honey

Sweet, sticky honey is a great source of boron, a trace mineral that helps the body use and metabolize estrogen, the female sex hormone. Studies have shown that this mineral may also enhance testosterone levels in the blood, the hormone responsible for promoting sex drive and orgasm in both men and women. In addition, honey contains B vitamins needed for testosterone, as well as other nutrients, enzymes and phytochemicals.
 

3. Chocolate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Chocolate and rose water contain a chemical called phenylethylamine that is also produced by the brains of people in love and simulates post coital bliss. Chocolate was the love tonic of Montezuma who drank some fifty cups daily, before visiting his harem of six hundred women. During the 1800’s, physicians suggested chocolate to boost libido".

4. Avocado

Just by looking at the shape of avocado, you will see the reason why it was associated with sexuality. The Aztecs called the avocado ahuacuatl, or "testicle tree." They thought the fruit hanging in pairs on the tree resembled testicles. The Catholic priests in Spain found this fruit so obscenely sexual that they forbade it. On the other side, avocado is rich with folic acid, vitamin B6 and potassium. They are also said to boost immune system.

5. Figs                                                                                                   
An arousing stimulant, an open fig is believed to emulate the female sex organs. Figs are steeped in history and are one of the oldest-recorded fruits. They are mentioned in the Bible (Adam and Eve wore fig leaves to cover their private parts), are reported to be Cleopatra’s favorite fruit, and the ancient Greeks held them as sacred and associated them with love and fertility.

6. Almonds

Rough antiquity, almonds were regarded as fertility symbols. The aroma of almond supposedly arouses passion in females -- or so thought the poets and scribes. The scientists say that almonds provide high doses of vitamin E, magnesium and even fiber.


7. Herbs                                                                                               
Use lavish amounts of the culinary herbs in your cuisine, many of which are considered aphrodisiac, including anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, curry (a blend of herbs), paprika, pepper, BASIL and turmeric.

8. Bananas

Bananas are loaded with potassium, magnesium and B vitamins. It also contains chelating minerals and the bromeliad enzyme, said to enhance the male libido.

9. Garlic

Garlic is full of allicin, an ingredient that will increase blood flow. Keep the Altoids handy :)

10. Asparagus

Asparagus is a great source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin and folic acid. The latter is said to boost histamine production necessary for the ability to reach orgasm in both sexes.

 

Smiggle.

 

I hate to admit this but I'm actually missing uni!!  After the first week back I know I will most certainly write a blog informing you of how much of a bore it is and that I CBF putting in the effort but for now lets just go with the happy thoughts.  My brain feels like its slowly swelling up (and no its not just because I drank a little too much yesterday) and I feel the need to stimulate it with interesting facts (the not so interesting formulas can go shove it still).  I've been finding myself doing crazy things to be extra prepared for the year - lingering in book shops for hours, brainstorming which note taking system I shall use, reading up on the benefits of fish oil for memory and organising my room.  However the most exciting part of all of this preparation rubbish is NEW STATIONARY.

For those of you that dont share my love for stationary it is possibly the most amazingly satisfying thing about starting a new semester.  You can get cutesy little note books that are different sizes and colours, that have dividers and plastic storage pockets.  You can get gorgeous little coloured pen sets that will never be used, little pencil cases that will possibly only fit a single pencil and impractical minature diaries that you can't even write in because the pages and spaces are so minute.  All in all stationary is fantastic.  Smiggle has been my shop of choice this year.  Its very awesome yet expensive and possibly slightly over rated.  I have new high lighters, post-its, calculator and storage boxes.  I have a pretty diary with little monthly dividers and all sorts of other crazy silly shit.

AAaaanyway I must now go and clean my car and make some juice.  Oh and while I'm here I will share some slightly more exciting news - I'm going down South on the 8th.  Its only to Margaret River but wine, friends, beaches and forrests excite me.  It shall be a fun couple of days :)  I'm also planning an epic filming session Saturday with James so hopefully that is fun and some what productive too.  And now because I decided to bring that up I must tell you a little bit about James.

James is awesome.  I have few people to actually just bum with.  Most people need a very structured schedule and acitivies to do when I meet with them.  Maybe I'm boring.  Maybe they are boring.  Who knows!  James is my primary chill buddy who will plan karaoke adventures and crazy walks through the kings park wilderness at night.  Just putting it out there.  If you see him, give him a 'High Five' for me.  Unfortunately my only picture of James is truely terrible but im sure you will enjoy it!!  I have NO idea what im doing but looks like im licking alex's head. Oh dear.

Australia - I LOVE YOU!

Happy Australia Day - In advance :)

Australia Day is a week away and my heart desires to express my love for the beautiful country in which I live.  There is nowhere else in the whole world that I would rather live than by white beaches, amongst red dirt, under the hot sun and blue skies and with beautiful flora and fauna. 

Australia I LOVE you. 

There will be many more summer nights spent with a cold beverage on a beach towel,

Many Autumn days involving tranquil walks in John Forrest National park,

Many winters sitting in the car at kings park watching the rain fall down and hit beautiful Perth City,

And many springs visiting Margaret River wineries.

  I love a sunburnt country,
  A land of sweeping plains,
  Of ragged mountain ranges,
  Of drought and flooding rains,
  I love her far horizons,
  I love her jewel sea,
  Her beauty and her terror -
  The wide brown land for me.

Though earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly. 

 

 

Cloud Appreciation

CLOUDS

Morning Sky

Blue canvas of sky
Slashed by pink streaks,
Purple swathes.
Leading in the air-brushed
White feathers of cloud.
Changing second by second
As I watch.
Magical transformation
Painted by sunlight, shaded
By moisture. Displayed above
In an ever-moving panorama.
Wonderful ceiling of the world.
A transforming delight.
Natures abstract strokes
Laid gently upon the canvas
Of blue.

Miki Byrne

 

Yesterday I came across the "Cloud appreciation society".  I've always had a bit of a thing for clouds and stars so it caught my attention.  Basically its a website where people submit surreal cloud images.

Check them out...

 

A cloud is a visible mass of droplets, in other words, little drops of water or frozen crystals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or another planetary body. A cloud is also a visible mass attracted by gravity, such as masses of material in space called interstellar clouds and nebulae. Clouds are studied in the nephology or cloud physics branch of meteorology.

On Earth the condensing substance is typically water vapor, which forms small droplets or ice crystals, typically 0.01 mm (0.00039 in) in diameter. When surrounded by billions of other droplets or crystals they become visible as clouds. Dense deep clouds exhibit a high reflectance (70% to 95%) throughout the visible range of wavelengths. They thus appear white, at least from the top. Cloud droplets tend to scatter light efficiently, so that the intensity of the solar radiation decreases with depth into the gases, hence the gray or even sometimes dark appearance at the cloud base. Thin clouds may appear to have acquired the color of their environment or background and clouds illuminated by non-white light, such as during sunrise or sunset, may appear colored accordingly. Clouds look darker in the near-infraredwavelengths. because water absorbs solar radiation.

(wikipedia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicken.......in a can.

Chicken, like many thousands of products, now comes in a can.  In the US I was shocked to see cake mixes, doughnuts, cheese, marshmallows etc on supermarket shelves in CANS.  Meats, veggies/fruits, grains, desert - is there anything not made with extra preservatives and packed into a tin cylinder?

You may have come across this new chicken product.  The name is "chop chop chicken" and I must admit that I'm surprised its taken people this long to think of this.  The truth is consumers are left even more in the dark about the product than that awful crap from KFC.  The poultry industry is possibly the most cruel in the meat industry world wide.  Despite chickens and the severe animal cruelty that they face, as usual my main concern is about the nutritional quality of the product.

As discussed I am no chicken eater.  Farmers have genetically engineered chickens to grow at an INSANELY fast rate and be slaughtered at just 38 days old!!!  An average chicken can live to 10 years old but very few chickens in the poultry industry would be able to make it to even a tenth of that age; even if they wernt slaughtered first!!  Their legs buckle due to the weight of their unnatural bodies (their bones can not support them).  The average chicken in the UK will put on 60 grams PER DAY!!!  This is the same chicken that you will find in a UK supermarket for less than 2.99 (pounds).  Of this money the farmer is given a 3p. profit (YES 3 PENCE)!

The UK and Australia are far better than the US in terms of chicken quality but do we really want our chicken to come in a can?  Yes its convenient but is it at all healthy?  I dont know the answer to this question as I have no real evidence but I highly doubt that the chickens used would be of a high quality (organic to say the least), nor do i expect this product to provide necessary nutritional benefits (besides obvious protein).

I know I preach.  I am not telling you to stop eating meat/chicken/this product.  I am presenting facts that I'm concerned with.  I'm sick of the poor quality of foods, especially because it is acceptable!







And a little something to look at?  Do you know how your cow is killed?

Late nights

Night

Upon horizon, night to day ~
there between the now and then,
I often pause along the way,
to tiptoe through the moonlit glen ~
or perhaps take in sun's light,
night to day ~ day to night. 

***

Summer nights are pure bliss.  Watching the day end, feeling the heat subside and the breeze make the trees dance.  Nights like these are best spent with good company and because of their unique beauty, I choose the very carefully.  If you and I have embraced the night with chats, walks, beach visits and other such things then you are very special to me.  So to you i'll say thank you.  Thank you for all that you are, for all that you do and for the happiness you bring!

Help me!

I am a "self help" book maniac!  Its not like I take all the information that I endorse from these books seriously, nor is much of it new to me.  Diet, nutrition, eating disorders, food, vitamins, herbal remedies, detoxing, mental illnesses, the human body, well being, happiness.  I will go absolutely crazy for good books that are related to any of the topics above.  I dont use these books religiously but i like to store any credible information in my memory bank.  Magazines can be filled with a lot of shit, hence why i like government books and trusted authors with their facts down packed.  

My Top 6

1. Nutrition -  Lisa Hark PhD RD and Dr Darwin Deen (Nutrition Australia)

This book is truely fantastic!!!!  It covers a very broad range of problems and solutions related to nutrition.  Child, adolescent, adult and elderly nutrition guides are all included.  Information about celiacs, lactose intolerance, weight loss, vitamin/nutrient deficiencies etc are also discussed.  If you need a quick guide, this is the best I have come across!!
 

2. Eating Animals - Jonathan Safran Foer

I've never really refused to eat animals for cruelty and environmental reasons but more so for my own body and physical well being.  I do not believe that humans need meat or that our health is threatend by being vegetarian.  It has been proved that vegetarians live longer, are just as healthy and despite concerns can have a high protein diet without the presence of meat.  Toxins, farming techniques, chemicals, antibiotics etc are damaging to our bodies; not to mention the stress meat puts on our bodies to digest it.  Animal Agriculture contributes more to global warming that all the transport in the world combined.  Farming methods in the last 50 years have changed so dramatically so that chickens are killed 38 days after they are born and are artificially forced to grow and produce at a faster rate.  Free range chickens are killed 42 days after birth.  Pigs are also killed prematurely.  It is insanity to bring living beings into the world at such high numbers and then kill them off before they have even lived.  It is more of a crime to let animals suffer and die from sickness and starvation than having a relatively humane death.  Would you rather suffer your entire life or have a good life and suffer for the few seconds before you actually die?


3.  Sweet Poison - David Gillespie

Two decades ago the world would never have dreamed of eating the amount of sugar we eat today.  Farmers have engineered sweeter fruit and vegetable varieties to satisfy our sweet tooth taste buds.  Cereals and breads include more sugar than imaginable and a McDonalds Cheeseburger without pickle is classified as a desert.  Why do we pollute our bodies?  It makes me so upset!  Our ancestors ate very little sugar and if we trace back to the beginning of agriculture, the only sugar consumed was fructose.  If a human drinks one glass of unsweetended fruit juice every day, in a year they will put on approximately 2.5 pounds (on average).  Crazy? Yes!  If you have PCOS you will NEED to be on a low sugar diet to prevent invertility and illness!




4. Zest - Catherine Sxelby and Jennene Plummer

Zest is all about eating balanced meals and particular foods during particular seasons.  The book also includes nutrition and health advice.




5. Walking tall - Anthony Gunn

This is one of the sweetest little self help books I have ever read.  It ALWAYS picks me up when im down and it always puts a smile on my face.  Everyone needs to read positive little facts once in a while and to realise that life is amazing.  Get it!!





6. The detox cook book - Women's weekly

If you are lacking energy and experiencing health problems maybe you should do a proper detox - im not talking that "48 hr rapid detox" shit!!!  Im talking fresh veggie juices, lots of water, alkaline foods, fresh raw produce, whole grains, NO CAFFINE, NO ALCOHOL, NO DAIRY, NO MEAT, NO WHEAT and light to moderate exercise.  This is an amazing book to help you feel great!

Euphoria

 "It's hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst... And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life..." 

 

If we are friends, you have and will hear that quote a lot from me.  It is one of my very favourite.  Sometimes we need to look at the bigger picture to realise that life is beautiful.  If we spend too much time thinking of the small bad things its easy to forget that life (on a whole scale) is amazing.  When you stop and reflect really closely on all the small good things your perspective changes.  Sometimes these little things can have such euphoric effects and if you feel them - well done!  If you don't - try harder and look deeper.

Now, on to the topic of relationships.  I'm not talking boy+girl=love relationships but friendships too.  The saying goes "nobody is worth your tears and the one that is will never make you cry".  Its funny how companionship and friendship can be so emotionally full filling.  The human heart longs to feel the warmth of companionship and friendship; both which have euphoric effects.  We feel that once we find a companion that is it, we must hold on.  It does work like that but companions come and go.  People may slot into your life but soon change, or you change.  Its hard to let go of the people that we once loved and cared about, especially if the bond was broken for such absurd reasons or for something not worth thinking about.  Sometimes you both forget why you're wasting your time not being friends and other times its more serious.  You are never alone.  For temporary periods it may feel as much but there is always someone there.  Both children and adults change, adapt and grow; depending on the situations they are put in and the people that they are around.  You may make decisions to be friends or not be friends with certain people for your benefit and for a period a huge loss WILL be felt but remember that this is a segment in an entire lifetime.  There will be more people along soon that you will build a connection with and share your life with.  Who knows- maybe you and them will sort things out because you will both reach the same level of maturity, you will be able to talk about why things screwed up etc.  If you love someone and you lose them if its worth it, its likely to come back to you some way or another.

Is a relationship about "the chase"?

This evening I updated my facebook status to "Love is a temporary madness". I was NOT expecting it to become a heated debate.  The discussion, Lead by fikret Serbface, India Grayson and Mel White was based around the interaction between males and females and knowing "the one".

Miss India Grayson made the turning point - "But the point is, no girl is ever going to get a guy if she doesnt let him chase her"...."But why cant he call you? Are his fingers broken? Cant he take 23 seconds to send a text?  If hes not texting you, he hasn't thought about doing it, if he doesnt want to text you to hang out, he doesnt want to hang out....So why waste your time on someone who doesnt want to hang out".


Ok I shall discuss my point.  Just because a guy doesnt txt you first doesnt mean that hes not into you.  Girls wait for the guy to call but why cant the guy be waiting for the girl to call?  Its all about the situation AND the people involved.  Fucking around waiting is only going to prevent things from progressing.  Why can't it be equal?  There is no formula to follow in order for progression into a relationship, and a good one at that.  This doesnt mean instantly that he wont be "the one" - How can you possibly know this yet?  The way to attract someone depends on the person they are and the person you are.  People arnt all attracted to the same things.  Some people like to chase whilst it makes others insecure and so they give up but however it is done, one day we shall hopefully each find "the one".

I would rather fight with you than make love to anyone else.

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are.
 
Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. You and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two".

 

 

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief, That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.

Scences from a memory.

I was cleaning my room and pulled out my old photography portfolio filled with black and white photographs, screwed up scraps and digitally manipulated images.  The power of vision - I would most certainly rather be deaf than blind.  Yes I could ever hear music or the voices of those I love but I could see the world's beauty and that truly takes my breath away more than anything else.  Each photograph, a memory; a portrayl of the past which is continuous.  Images have so much power over my soul.  I decided that from the moment I set eyes on the first image that I would get back into photography.

Whilst speaking of the impact of visual stimuli on the human brain I shall add that I saw Avatar last night.  Cliche story as many of you will know and have heard but the visuals and design principles were very well done.  I wasnt as phased with the 3D factor as I was with the scenes of the forest.  Whoever created such animated beauty is absolutely amazing!  The whole "deeper message" behind the plot was to make humans aware of the damage that they are doing to the world's beauty in reality and it certainly did that for me (even though I feel very strongly about nature).  Go green people because nature is the most amazing and beautiful thing that will ever exist.  Nothing could free our souls more and put us more at peace.

Children and size 0

No matter your size, shape or (the most misinterpreted term) weight, please listen to my rant.  Last night I was watching the "Lifestyle You" channel on foxtel because it usually has programs about nutrition and such (which you obviously all know by now that i LOVE).  There was this show on called "Extraordinary weight stories" and both episodes I watched were based around annorexia, one for adults and one for children.  Adult annorexia I have seen before, as with teenagers but seeing CHILDREN as young as 9 counting calories and working out on gym equipment really made me emotional.  I shall proceed with my rant after I fill in a few blanks.

First of all size matters but only to an extent.  Perfection however does most certainly NOT!  People think that being obese will eventually kill you and yes it will hold you back from so many opportunities and have terrible effects on your body and your health BUT being too thin is far far worse.  If your body doesnt have enough fat to burn it will burn muscle and once it runs low on that fainting occurs, organs start to fail and life slowly falls right apart.  For fu*ks sake EAT because food is not the enemy here.  YOU are in control of what you put in your mouth and eating air (so to speak) is no fun at all.  You are screwing with your body's metabolism, with growth, with the endocrine system and if your body is malnourished it will NOT function correctly!!!  Look at these women below.  They are all beautiful but all are completely different shapes and sizes yet the main thing is that they all appear healthy!!! Health = priority. 

Now that that is cleared up I shall address my main concern - Children with weight issues.  Eight year olds on diets, 10 year olds using their parents gym equipment, 12 year olds starving themselves.  One 10 year old would not eat avocardo from a salad because it was too "fatty".  Its a shame she didnt know that it lowers cholestrol and helps brain functioning!!!!  Children are constantly growing and developing until (and throughout) adolescence.  Many exercise machines are unhealthy for a child's growth (as they can stunt it), as are certain low fat foods (as they lack essential fats and nutrients necessary).  Adolescence is where your body works itself out and hopefully by the time you're about 17-19 your body has established natural shape.

I don't know where i'm really going with all of this but strive to be healthy - not fat, not thin, NOT PERFECT.  Just be healthy and keep your body happy and if you hear children counting calories and moaning about how fat they are tell them that their body NEEDS FAT so that they can get their period, so that they can develop shape and so that they can grow in general.  What shocked me most is that none of the parents of these young children really saw anything wrong with their young young children being weight conscious at their age.  Goes to show that parents really are powerful role models.  The focus is HEALTH and whatever size comes with that.

Things to remember in 2010

The human race can be so destructive and hurtful but there are no good guys & bad guys, there are both.  What parts you show to people will act as their basis for judgment.  Make 2010 your year.

Lost loves and friendships are a heart ache and should always be remembered for their good times, no matter how bitter their end.  Keep friends close this year and be true to those that deserve it.

Pain and heart ache only make you stronger and help you to realise what you want in life.  If you get pushed down, get back up!  Its all worth it in the end and life has its own path.

Happiness radiates from person to person.  Smile, laugh, enjoy the company of others.

Mistakes will always be made but forgiveness is always possible.  Mistakes are normal but learn from them and seek forgiveness from anyone you hurt.

Live life to the absolute fullest (whilst staying true to yourself).  Someday you'll no longer be able to dance all night or get away with wearing a bikini so do it NOW!

Travel, it is ultimate bliss.  Seeing new places ignites a little fire inside of us and fills us with pure amazement and joy.  Try and get out there in 2010!

Health is SOOOOOOOOO IMPORTANT so BE HEALTHY and be your best...but dont over do it.  (Be you, only better!)