2011 - Page 22 of 27 - Sarah Wilson

How my sugar journey is going…your questions answered

March 9, 2011 by Sarah Wilson

The “I quit sugar” posts have proven rather popular…and controversial. If you’ve been following the comments you might be marveling as to why it’s created such fired-up outrage. As David Gillespie said to me, “I don’t think you would have attracted such resistance if you’d suggested cutting out broccoli”. True.

Point being, we are addicted to sugar and someone like me puffing up and suggesting (only suggesting!) that it might be good to try not eating it for a while… just to see what happens…can be threatening.

“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” – Arthur
Schopenhauer

Plus, some of the biggest companies in the world have a VERY vested interest in us eating more – not less – sugar. And so spurious “research” and suspect opponents invariably pop up.

But, mostly, I’ve been receiving questions about how I’m going and how I’m coping. Jo has pulled out a few for me to answer:

Have you lost weight?

Sort of. Maybe a kilo. But I look lighter because I’ve lost a lot of bloating and puffiness. I’ve noticed with myself and Jo and others who’ve quit… our faces look slimmer. My midriff is also much flatter. I’m guessing this is because it’s reduced strain on our livers. Tell-tale liver strain areas are the jawline and around the lower ribs. And because we’re producing less gas in our guts!

What do you eat when you get sweet cravings?

A few things: coconut water, Miessence Berry Radical drink and dairy. A chai tea gives me enough of a sweet hit. It contains lactose, which is a sugar, but one that doesn’t contain fructose. For a full explainer see this video. A chunk of cheese or a few nuts will just nip cravings in the bud. You’ll notice all these things are quite “treaty” foods. I think this is quite important…we do need pick-me-ups. But the things I mention will satisfy the need for a treat…not fuel it.

You might like to read this lo-down by Dr Mark Hyman on why some people get more intense sugar cravings…and some supplements to take.

International Women’s Day: 5 things to do

October 23, 2018March 8, 2011 by Sarah Wilson

I’ll keep it sweet and short:

1. Call yourself a feminist.

2. Help out here: support 100 women in Asia by making a small loan that will help them set up a business.

3. Watch last night’s Q & A on ABC. Why? Joe Hockey arguing passionately for more women on ASX200 boards (currently only 11% of positions are held by women…the second lowest in the OECD), and across business overall. Kate Ellis agreeing with Joe (!). She also makes some REALLY good points about where things are at. And Gail Kelly is just inspiring and fair and an illustration of what women can truly contribute.

You can catch it here.

Tuesday Eats: hashed lunches

August 10, 2018March 8, 2011 by Sarah Wilson

Everyone keeps asking me for lunch ideas…here you go.

I love making a hash of my lunch. Hashes are all about efficiency and sustainability and heightened flavour. For me they entail mixing up leftovers – grains, meat, beans, vegetables – from the night before and frying them with some cheese and/or an egg and tossing through some fresh herbs for zing. I also like to squeeze lemon on mine, to cut through any saturated flavours. And invariably I throw in capers. Oh, and some chia seeds! See what you think of these hashtastic ideas:

Rebecca Woolf’s “Quinuevos Ranchero”

Leftover quinoa (for other quinoa ideas, see here and here)
Eggs (two per adult, one per child. For a family of four, I cook six eggs.)
A spoonful of butter or olive oil
An avocado
Shredded cheese of your liking
Coriander (or something similarly green. Chives may just be equally delicious.)
Salsa
Seasoning of your preference

Cook your eggs as you usually do. I cook mine in a weird-wackadoo way which consists of cracking the eggs over the pan and letting them sit for a few seconds before kind of mixing the yolks and sort of pushing it around for three minutes before it’s cooked through.

Sprinkle the eggs atop the quinoa [me, I’d personally toss the quinoa through the eggs and the cheese – Sarah] then add a few pinches of shredded cheese, ASAP so it melts from the heat.

Then top with chopped coriander, avocado, salsa and seasoning for taste.

Sunday life: how to fix procrastination

March 6, 2011March 6, 2011 by Sarah Wilson

This week I try self-binding

Apparently, Victor Hugo wrote nude. Which is not a pretty visual.

The writer also used to instruct his butler to hide his clothes so he couldn’t head outside for a wander when he was meant to be writing. Which makes me think, if only I had a butler. This column would’ve emerged in half the time and without ingestion of the following: a packet of wasabi peas, two pots of green tea (requiring a descaling of the kettle first and four visits to the loo), three spoonfuls of cashew spread straight from the jar (requiring seperate trips to the kitchen) and, regrettably, a dozen rounds of Angrybirds.

Writers notoriously struggle with procrastination, which is why there is so much written on the topic. Dailyroutines is a site dedicated to the tortured approaches writers implement to beat the tug of manana. It chronicles a litany of rigid techniques – John Grisham used to get up at 5, at his office writing by 5.30am; Kingsley Amis wouldn’t shower or dress until he’d written a certain wad of words.

In the past few years, though, a ream (?) of academics have taken over the struggle, presumably to find a solution so they can get on with their dissertations. Professor Piers Steel, in his recent book The Procrastination Equation, says 95 per cent of people procrastinate, 20 per cent of us are chronic procrastinators and that this figure has quadrupled in 24 years, largely due to the unbounded distractions of the internet. The New Yorker recently described putting things off as “the quintessentially modern problem”. I think most of us would agree; it plagues us.

The newest research, however, has found procrastination has little to do with a lack of willpower. Which I guess is good news because that makes it sound like it’s not my fault that I’m still toggling to check my blog traffic as I write this. Steele explains when we dither it’s because our two decision making-centres – the prehistoric limbic system (which makes impulsive, delaying choices) and the neo-cortex (which can look ahead to the future consequences of doing so) are having a go-nowhere tug-of-war.

So what’s the solution if it’s not pulling your finger out and trying harder? Judging by the research I’ve been sidetracked with this week, it’s about self-binding.

how to exercise at home: a video

August 10, 2018March 4, 2011 by Sarah Wilson

Last week I shared how I exercise and mentioned I’ve been going through a big shift via the work I’ve been doing with Aaron at Origin of Energy. I say it plain: it’s boosted my energy levels and corrected my posture, two things that have suffered horribly from having an autoimmune disease. His technique is … Read more

caveman exercise: a why and how rundown

August 10, 2018March 4, 2011 by Sarah Wilson

OK, I’ve just posted on how to exercise at home, using techniques I’ve learned from Origin of Energy’s Aaron and his team.

As a backgrounder, I’ve got Aaron to explain the philosophy behind the exercises he teaches. I love it…I’m absorbing myself in the information at the moment and meeting all kinds of people who live in this way, including a great Sydney wholistic dentist, ballet dancers, marathon runners and chefs (Martin Boetz who owns Longrain is a big fan).

The movement is sometimes called Paleo living or Primitive living. The Bloodtype diet is one strand. CHEK training adheres to this thinking, too. I’m not a fan of very formalised “diets” and plans like these. Aaron isn’t either. Which is why I like his approach.
The book or approach that many seem to recommend is Primal Body Primal Mind. You might want to check it out.
And for an insight into Aaron’s work with footy player Anthony Minnocello’s recovery you might like to watch this:

Aaron explains “hunter + gatherer” exercise

The human body is the expression of the earth’s wild environment. Humans are the most evolved biological organism on the planet. Our whole body is a refined tool for effective hunting and gathering.

Unfortunately most of us don’t stimulate our bodies with the movement, nutrition & lifestyles that created us. As a result many of us have become physically weak, and an expression of sedentary lifestyles.

There is is an innate reason why we find physically healthy & fit individuals attractive. They are good providers & survivors of the natural environment. So to get back your birthright of health, fitness and a lean athletic physique here are some hunting & gathering exercises:

1. Interval shuttle sprints

We walked or sprinted, light jogging would have scared away what we wanted to eat. Uneven terrain & agile prey would not have let us sprint in one direction.

So try this: 10m interval shuttle. Both feet pass the line each time with one hand touching the ground.

I’m selling some of my clothes, if you’re interested

October 23, 2018March 2, 2011 by Sarah Wilson

When I moved north recently to write my book I reduced my wearables to one suitcase. I currently work to 5 pairs of undies, one pair of jeans, two pairs of shorts, a jumper, a hoodie, a bikini and some shoes. I went through my wardrobe and did some serious culling…I’ve given some of my … Read more

OK, my secret weapon for quitting sugar

March 1, 2011 by Sarah Wilson

I’m now a month into this “I quit sugar” caper. I know many of you are doing the same and are hitting some roadblocks. So. Wrap your laughing gear around this…

One of the tricky times of the day has been early afternoon, when I want…. a TREAT. I don’t think it’s just sugar/energy thing. I think it’s a “This day is long, I need an indulgent pause to remind me that life is good” kinda thing. I used to go eat one of those small bars (35g) of dark chocolate.

Now I have a cup of this:

Miessence Berry Radical. It’s a powder made by Australian company Miessence (I’ve mentioned this company before – the most reputable organic cosmetics makers in the world). It’s a convincingly rich hot chocolate substitute, with no sugar. Actually, it’s no substitute. It’s the real deal. I add a teaspoon of the stuff to hot water with a splash of full-cream milk and it’s the most zingy, satisfying thing ever. I’ve added it to a pot of chai herbs and spices, too. Miessence recommend making it with coconut milk!