..in my old age, be able to put my suitcase in the overhead locker on a plane, manage the stairs in the Paris Metro, put on my socks without having to sit down, get in and out of the hammock and the low slung leather chair in the study, get dressed without falling over, push the wheelbarrow and lift pots up onto the porch, run for a bus, carry my own shopping,  climb the ladders to prune the clematis round the window (I always have someone hold the steps!)...

What would you add?

All this may only be possible if I make some effort now, thus the recent review of the list of the eight things a human needs to be fit and well, at any age. All very basic common sense, but I someitmes need reminding and I think I now have a clearer picture of what I need to work on. I hope it has been of some interest to you too.

I was once visiting my uncle in Edinburgh and as we hopped on and off buses I casually asked Uncle John do you ever take taxis? To which he replied ,equally casually, I will when I am older.  He was 96 at the time.

I hope we are all as lucky!

Last but nt least of the eight requirements for human thriving is touch. Anyone who lived alone through lockdowns will know how very important it is to touch and be touched. A hug from a friend, linking arms on a walk, a kiss on the cheek, a pat on the shoulder or even a shoulder to cry on - all affect our wellbeng in profound ways.

Being in tuoch with nature, getting in touch with a friend, being touched by soneone's kindness - not all touch is literal, but actual physical touch is essential - a massage, stroking a pet, a pedicure or a manicure, a facial even one given by yourself..it's not good to be out of touch.

 The next essential for human beings. I love love love sunlight and for a few days now we have had lots of it! Especially nice when you have a friend to stay.

We don't habe to have direct sunlight on our skin to produce vitamin D, and we definitely don't want to burn (that is just foolish) but daylight, which is sunlight, is really important all year round.  I plan to spend some time out of doors most days this winter, even in bad weather...

I hope the sun is shining where you are.

Thinking about movement as an essential for human beings (back to that list.) Appaarently if there is a staircase and an escalotor 98% of people will use the esdalator even though all of us know that using the stairs will be better for our health in the long term

We used to have to move constantly to live - to find food and fuel but life today is so comfortable that it is said some even complain if they can't get a parking place close to the door of the gym, and may not even see the irony. There is a new  movement, as the pedulum swings, called  doing the hard thing encouraging us to toughen up a bit.

What do you think? Have we all got soft? Are we unable and unwilling to do the things which need a little effort?
I must keep moving!

The three black pots have been lovely in their pastel shades

Change is the nature of the beast, but when formats are changed it takes me a while to follow and I am finding it hard to upload  photos to the blog at present!

I am going to take a short blog break while I figure it out and I will be looking into movement on my back to basics fitness list.

What will you be focussing on this coming week?

Have a lovely weekend.

..the machinations of the food industry gets easier and easier the more I learn.

Ultra processed foods are cheap, tasty, fast, easy and addictive. Even the savoury ones have sugar added. I have heard them called dysfunctional foods and I just don't want to go there. If I am tempted a look at the list of ingredients saves me!

I have some wonderful technology on my phome which will read a photograph of a page at a time of my cookbooks and am currently exploring A Table For Friends by Skye McAlpine (thank you Liz). I love her philosophy. Relaxed, generous and realistic. An inspiration for one of my favourite activities - eating with friends.

I want the lifeforce of growing things in my food.

As part of my studies as A Student Of Old Age I see that I get energy from clean air and deep breathing, from drinking lots of water and taking cold showers, and from getting enough quaity sleep (need to do some work on this).

Next on the list (see here) is energy and we get most of it from food. A huge subject, isn't it. I eat a pretty healthy diet and a craving for sugar is the only thing that can be a problem for me I would  say.  However, I am focussing on filling up with the good stuff before even thinking of the not-so-good, which works quite well for me as I really do like good food! I am increasing my intake of fruits and vegetables, and buying the best quality I can afford.

What works for you? Do you notice your energy levels vary when you eat a certain way?

Look at the wonderful life force/energy in this beautiful flower!

Erratic. For now I think I have accepted that my sleep is erratic. I probably get on average 7 hours a night and I guess that is ok.

What I do well is nap!  I resisted for a long time as I thought it might be counterproductive - ie if I had a nap in the afternoon I would sleep less at night, but this doesn't seem to be the case so I have cultivated The Art Of The Nap.
That's the title of a lovely little book which makes a convincing case for the wisdom of the nap and with delightful photographs...

I am especially good at napping in the hammock. Guilt free somehow, as it seems like a perfectly sensible thing to doo on a hot day.

Do you drink lots of water? I have  been drinking 5 or 6 glasses of water a day for over a week. How come I can forget for weeks at a time what a difference it makes to the way I feel and to my energy levels?
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Blessed with abundant clean water to drink and to bathe in, I always wash my hair in cold water, often start the day with a cold shower and sometimes take a cold bath. The most invigorating thing I do! Ever.


Signing up for a monthly donation to Water Aid.

Is it selfish to be paying so much attention to my own health? These kinds of thoughts do come into our heads, don't they?

I came across a really good question in a health questionnaire (and you know I like a good question).

Who else will benefit if your health improves?

My first thought was my children, as they may not have to look after me when I am old. Then I thought everyone benefits. Not only will the people around me be less anxious and worried, but I wouldn't be a burden on the state and the wonderful NHS. And I will be more able to help others who need it. The thinking behind free travel for older people was that older people who can get out and about and be fit and active will save the country vast amounts of money.

So, I will absolve myself of any feelings of guilt about focussing on my own fitness for the month (or what is left of it. August is racing by).

Having got that out of the way, the next essential for my body is water.

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I am trying to be grateful for the amount that has fallen from the sky this past week.

It is still summer, as evidenced by the cornflowers. And today was unexpectedly beautiful.

That we do breath is a given :-) but how we breath is quite important we are told.

I have been doing Wim Hof's breathing exercises for years now, nost often first thing in the morning as a kind of meditation and energiser. It seems to waken up both body and brain.

I sometimes use it before something I'm a bit nervous about (injections in my eye) or before a social occasion  I am stressing about (recent funeral). I find it deeply calming, and of course you need no equipment or special clothing and can discreetly do it anywhere.

It's exercise I can honestly say I enjoy!

....which sadly cannot be taken for granted.

One thing I know. Fresh air never came out of an aerosol can, or something plugged into the wall or hung on the mirror in a car, or from anything that can be bought in a supermarket!

I am lucky to live on a sea loch with a forest behind me. For fresh air I open a window, which I do almost every morning when I wake.

I do my best to avoid polluting the air in my home with unnecessary sprays and polishes and chemicals.

If you live in a city, how do you ensure your body gets the clean air it needs?

..thy name is Freda. (I used that line once before!)

It's still true that I want to look good in my clothes, and I want to feel nice in my skin.

Losing weight is really hard.

Exercise is even harder. Basically I am quite lazy, but I need to be fit.

I have been doing a short (very short) exercise routine for a couple of weeks. Isn't it strange how expending energy gives you energy?

I need to be strong enough to push a wheelbarrow and to lift heavy pots of bulbs onto the front doorstep, so will keep doing the exercises!

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BLOG. First a note about errors! I dictate my replies to your comments and the machine sometimes makes utter nonsense of what I say, as Susan in Dorset will have noticed! I was trying to say - I in fact did say -'That's a very good word for what blogs can provide'. Susan's word was companionship. Perhaps simple companionship is  undervalued today? I leave that thought with you..

..and shedding 'stuff'. One seems to have led to the other.

I have the equivaalent of one of these still to lose. It is astonishing to think that I was unwittingly carrying around three big bags of flour for a couple of years!

I have also shed a small wicker hanper, various jars and ornaments, some hats and gloves, a pair of tartan pyjamas in which I looked like Coco the Clown and the most boring pair of trousers I have ever owned. Two single duvets are going to a group which organises start up packs for young people finding their own accomaodation for the first time.

I'm on a roll!


THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BLOG. I am so touched that my blog should mean somthing to other people as your kind comments show. I'm a bit overwhelmed and will answer your comments over the next few days. :-)

One of the principles of Blue Zone living is to try as far as possible to make the healthy option the eeasy option. I found this tip quite helpful. When you come home with the shopping, wash the fruit and veg, peel and chop and put into small containers in the  fridge - on the middle shellf at the front so that when you feel peckish your healthy snack is instant.
Make it easier to reach than the biscuit tin! You get the idea..

Moving naturally is another principle. I am rather lazy and not sporty and I hate the idea of the gym, but walking a bit before getting on the bus, taking the stairs, stacking logs, gardening most days - the more I move, the easier it is.

One of the recipes from the book - bananas oats apple and choc chips.  Quite nice. I am also planning to have three or four plant based meals each week. Using a smaller plate, stopping eating when you are 80% full - lots of small changes which are easy to make. Every little helps hopefully.

I will soon be tripping along like these two (Thank you Elizabeth!)

The first week has gone really well!


I have followed phase one of the Harcombe diet which I have used before and find enjoyable  - good, real food. As I said before I quickly lose my cravings for sugar and carbs on this healthy sensible eating plan, and have plenty of energy.

I am finding I need fewer painkillers whcih is fantastic as my main goal is to be painfree. I have been doing streatches every day in preparation for next week when I plan to incorporate some of Louise Parker's exercises. This is the difficult bit for me. (Basically I don't like exercise). This is where my friend comes in. We both love the reading/researching/planning stage -actually doing it is harder! A few emails and calls a week encourage us to act, which is the bit that counts....

I rather wish the photographs in Louise Parker's book were not solely of her very beautiful, very tall, slender, sculpted body. I could follw her method to the letter and never ever look like her. Hey ho...

Inspred by Lynn and LizN I have been learning about Imbolc. 

Candlemas too is celebrated today, and I burned a few extra candles at my table to
acknowledge it - part way between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and said to be the first dy of spring, though it certainly doesn't feel like it here. I had another power cut yesterday, this time for 7 hours and today was still very windy.

I mention lovingly because I am determined to do my Fit in February project in a gentle loving  manner. How are you getting on with adventure, slowly, acceptance, finish, fulfilment, fun and any other word you have chosen for 2022? There is still time to choose a word, or to change your mind of course.

I have enjoyed the first day of my project. For the next seven days I am planning to eat the Zoe Harcomb way - real food, and plenty of it. I find that after a few days I lose my craving for sugar and carbohydrates. Will drink lots of water and move more, walking and/or yoga.

I had a good long chat with Maggie today about how we would go about reaching our different goals and tailoring our plans to our own needs and preferences. She is full of ideas and enthusiasm!  Inspirational.

Do you have any February plans?

Of course we can!

Get fit in February that is.

Care to join us?

I am going to stick this motto on my fridge.

First identify the problem. Since my mystery illness last Sptember I have been below par, with muscle aches and stiffness and low energy levels. I am taking painkillers every day, though fewer and less strong than initially.

So February is about getting to the bottom of this and getting healthy and strong again, and off the painkillers.

On the left hand page of my personal  Fit Book I will copy motivational messages from my books. I think I'll also stick them on my fridge.

Here are some from Louise Parker's Think successfully section. She also has Eat Beautifully, Live Well and Exercise Intelligently. All sounds good to me!

The easiest route is the direct route

Assume success

It's not meant to be hard

Start and just don't stop

Keep positive and inspiring company

That last one describes all the wonderful  readers here! That's why I still blog..


What is stuck on your fridge door? And is it actually helpful?

I have finally scoffed the last of the chocolates, cakes and other goodies in the house and am, I tell myself, transitioning to eating better. For seven days I am going to drink five glasses of water a day. I know it is good for me and the full feeling it gives me stops me from snacking.

It's a start..

..for water and for knowledge!

I drink a lot more water if I make up a jugful with a little lemon, cucumber and a splash of tonic and keep it sitting out.

So far I am enjoying reading Michael Singer's The Untethered Soul, The journey Beyond Yourself. (I'm almost half way through.)

Inner strength? Spiritual growth? Maybe a good use of this strange time. I would like to think I can come out of it stronger.

That's how I feel after a six day virtual retreat with The Body Toolkit.

What a week it has been.  We have just had a check in session with Katrina and the wonderful stories of the other participants have been so inspiring. Many people did the retreat while working, while in lockdown, while looking after children and --this is a hard one - while others in the household were eating ordinary meals in front of them. With support from Katrina and other members of the group we all did it!

It's quite a commitment making your own juices and soups (much nicer to go to the Highlands and have them brought to you !) but its very do-able and I can't recommend it highly enough.

I feel full of energy - a nice steady natural kind. I feel calm and positive (and I am not rushing back to news/tv/social media/hype of any kind). I've lost a few pounds and -hurrah - that 'muffin top'.  So I am trying on the cothes I didn't want to wear and thinking 'Yes I can wear that again and feel nice in it'. You know I like clothes :-)

I slept a lot the first few days - naps in the hammock - the weather was lovely and I had headaches for two days and I listened to what Katrina calls Body Messages and  paid attention.

The body's default  setting is to heal. I have come away with new knowledge, and confidence that I can help this happen, suggested transition routines and meals, lots of references to follow up, and a  recovered optimism which I was afraid I was losing. The retreat was as much a mental reset as a physical one for me, and for many of the participants. I'm happy.

I was delighted to hear that Katrina of The Body Toolkit is doing an online 7 day retreat starting at the beginning of May and I signed up straight away!  After all I am not spending much right now or going anywhere any time soon, and to spend some lockdown time on improving our health (and probably losing a few pounds) seems like a very good idea to me. See details here.

Some of you may remember that I went on a health retreat with Katrina in Januray 2017, never having been on amy kind of retreat before. By the end of it, I had noticed a distinct improvement in my eye condition (I have macular degeneration) and am thrilled to be able to say that three years on my condition is stable with even a slight improvement in one eye. I wrote about that experience here and here.

I will be forever grateful to Katrina.

She is lovely - a totally genuine person, passionate and knowledgeable, patient and kind, and I can't wait to experience more of her positivity.

Maybe some of you will do it too?

That would be brilliant.

..of the silvery moon..

I've joined a Pilates class - in a yurt - as part of my efforts to get stronger this year.

Love it!

Run by the excellent Hannah Louise, the setting adds to the pleasure. The yurt is heated by a woodburnr and lit by  candles and last week was so warm Hannah had to open the door even though there was snow on the ground!

I gave up on the last Pilates class I tried because the smell of cleaning fluids was overwhelming and the windows could not be opened, so this is much, much better and is three villages along the shore road, in the grounds of Old Kilmun House.

Here is Hannah's email if you are near enough to join her classes    hannahlouisepilates@outlook.com

Do you think the environment makes a difference to your attitude to exercise? (I have yet to see a gym I want to be in!)

Thank you so much for all your good wishes!

I feel a little bit of a fraud as I truly was only 'under the weather' and not really ill. I am trying to prevent becoming ill as I have been with people in varying stages of unwellness ranging from a bit of a cold threatening (me) to acute bronchitis (one of my best friends).

I have however taken all of the advice you kindly offered, including dipping my feet in the loch as suggested by Laura, wild swimmer extraordinaire - known to break the ice to go into the water! Only my feet so far Laura - and note the thick coat!

I enjoyed getting cosy with the furry cushion and the Christmas throw bought in Stockholm many years ago when I fulfilled a long held ambition to experience Santa Lucia Day in Sweden. Magical.

Had lots of tea, honey and lemon, the odd drinking chocolate, soup and my version of the classic Scottish cold cure - the hot toddy.

Cointreau or amaretto, juice of a tangerine and hot water.

I rested a lot with my feet up, taking it easy. I listened to a wonderful concert by two of my favourite musicians Steven Isserlis and Stephen Hough on Radio 3 on a dark night when the wind was howling and the rain was lashing.

Take it easy?  Put my feet up? I know some of you will be saying Chance would be a fine thing!

I hope you are well and that if you are not, you also get some chance to ease up and try a gentle, more nurturing approach instead of battling on. Not always possible in busy lives with multiple responsibilities and Christmas rushing upon us....

It seems to be working for me and I know how lucky I am, but I will be glad to get back to normal.

Here's to your good health!