Still got cold - so I watched this instead of working

This guy and his book presents the science that backs up the Paleo diet and the Primal Blueprint. In it he uncovers scientific research from early last century that proves it isn't how many clories it is what calories that make people fat. It is 71min long but worth it.

In a nutshell it is not the amount of calories people eat that make them fat but what they eat. The culprit is insulin which allows fat to be stored. But the insulin is created by carbohydrates so eating a diet high in carbohydrates causes a high insulin production which causes fat to be stored. Over eat carbs i.e. pizza, fries, burger buns you've got real problems. As have type 2 diabetics which is often caused by obesity are then given insulin as a treatment - a bit of a catch22 situation.

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Pub Night In

The only thing I really miss about the UK (excluding family) is Real Ale Pubs and cask conditioned bottled beer (we can get the latter but it is expensive). Teresa and I have had some great times in some great pubs with some great beer.

The problem is we enjoyed it most in a period when I wasn't training much because of my arthritis , it sort of filled the gap.

Anyway I had planned a sort of pub night in for myself with 3 bottles(pint bottles) of cask conditioned ale only around 5% in strength, not the usual where I go for the strongest, and lots of nibbles.


I have had a couple of these nights in the last few weeks during my break from training with Teresa and 2 bottles but tonight this is just me hangigng loose.

Teresa is away for the week at school camp with her class (she is in charge for the first time and the new teacher(she is mentoring) and her class). This is not the first time she's been away leaving me and the children and especially as I've been a stay home dad for over six years, I've always been the cook but I still have to put up with the usual boring, lame comments from women, from parents of Emily's friends, Terasa's colleagues, etc I can't do any training in the morning because I am taking the children to visit Teresa at camp. So I can indulge and not have to worry about feeling a bit rough in the morning.

Even though I am returning to training I am only easing myself into it very gradually because of my knew routines.

My eagerly anticipated almost never happened. It is my own compulsive nature, even though I have planned it for weeks Teresa thinks its fine, that almost stopped me. Fear of gaining weight, fear of spending the money (and its not as if we can't afford and occasional indulgence - our only debt is the mortgage and it will be gone by November). I spent $25NZ on myself, it was a real struggle because many times I have been at the same stage and pulled the plug. It isn't the only time - when Teresa and I would go out I would suggest an ice cream or cake and when it came time to buy I would say I didn't want it much to Teresa's annoyance because she would then feel guilty for having one herself.

Fear of gaining weight, fear of spending the money. These are the same reasons I have had to overcome during the last few weeks but I would add Fear of losing fitness even though I know that all training theory stipulates fitness gains can only come after recovery and having a break from training is good for physical and mental health.

So I am going to enjoy tonight, I've the beer, bought the nibbles but I didn't get the dvd rental I had planned to get . 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

Finally my brother William in South Africa may read this ... but if you do Hi from me and don't expect great writing it is mostly me emptying my head so I can free up space;-)

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Garden update

Gardens going well black raspberries are really amazing and we have had some red. I've had a battle with some birds that have nested in one of the trees, I have to seal the raspbeirries in a bird netting cocoon. Strawberries are providing 2- 4 fruit a day. Feijoa tree almost died through a lack of water, I honestly thought it was drought resistant. We have started buying a different variety of feijoa (it has a beautiful red flower) to grow into a hedge at out front fence to replace the trees I have been slowly cutting down. I just don't see the point of keeping trees pruned if they don't provide yummy treats.
Harvested the second half of the garlic crop 23 bulbs of proper garlic. We have planted two types of runner beans (one is purple until it is cooked) and after the success of the broadbeans I insisted on another so we found some butter bean seedlings. We also planted courgettes and cucumbers as seedling as the hens had messed with our seeds before I hen proofed the veggie beds.

Garlic (second batch)


The best garlic bulb from first batch


Cameron wearing my beaten up sunhat (its the hat or skin cancer) the hole in the ozone layer is directly above New Zealand


Winning the raspberry battle

Final note..

New Bertha is broody, my friend Shelly who gave us new Bertha asked the other day did we want chicks and if so let them know when we have a broody hen. We're undecided, Ill probably see Shelly at her stall at the farmers' market on Sunday and ask her for a fertilised egg.

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Almost knocked over

I forgot to mention that last Thursday I almost got knocked over, not killed but legs would surely have been broken. I was returning home on my run at 6am with about 1.5 miles to go I was crosing a side street and this woman turned into the road at speed (probably half asleep) almost got me. It was so close I felt the moving air on my knees and was only really saved by my own reactions as I performed my best matador impression. The driver didn't even seem to see me just drove off at speed.

There were witnesses a man and woman out walking were crossing the same road but in the opposite direction.

I have always been very tolerant, I abhor racism, sexism, ageism any form of discrimination but I find myself becoming increasingly frustrated with people who just don't seem to care about other people or the planet. People who abuse other people, gorge themselves into obesity and diabetes and in turn abuse the planet.

As I was being verbally abused by a motorist on Tuesday I realised why he needed such a big SUV, it was carry his huge arse, stomach and head. He was verbally abusing me because I shook my head in disgust because as I rode my bike home from dropping Cameron off at Kindergarten, he drove his monstrosity at me. He was on the wrong side of the road. He was pulling away from a house after dropping something off. I think obsesity not only causes laziness, scruffiness, diabetes but I think fat also rots the brain and ruins the eyesight.

And for those people who think it is personal freedom to become overweight and die what about my freedom to live in on a clean planet and not have to pay, through increased health costs for other peoples lack of personal responsility.

I needed to get that off my chest.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - seperate your needs from your wants.