Michael Pollan

I am so excited to be going to see Michael Pollan tomorrow evening - he is one of the world's most respected food writers. 

More info about the event I am going to (part of the School of Life) is here.

Sane New World: How to Tame the Mind by Ruby Wax

 

A few weeks ago, I promised that I would blog about this in a separate post as it deserves a post of its own. Ruby Wax has written a new book and its being published in the UK next week. I am SO excited about this masterpiece.

You can pre-order it here!

The Hill Food Company - Supper Club

Please come!

Tickets available here!

50 ways to take a break

Thank you to the lovely Thinky for this great picture:

The Dinner Party

If you could host a dinner party, and were allowed to ask anyone in the celebrity world you liked, who would you ask and why?

I would want a mixture of people who would provide interesting and witty discussions - people who I might learn something from, who have interesting stories to tell about their past / paths to fame.

I would invite the following people: 

Will i am
Ruby Wax
Benedict Cumberbatch
Dawn O'Porter
Harry Judd
J K Rowling
Michael McIntyre

If I had a "girls only" lunch party - it would be

Emma Kennedy
Miranda Hart
Emma Freud
Ruby Wax

(because I know they are all good friends and completely hilarious when they are all together)

To be continued.... (when I have thought of more people worthy of an invitation!)

(PS If you could include someone in your list who isn't alive anymore, who would it be?)

Mat Ricardo & Dusty Limits

We had the honour of watching Mat Ricardo, Dusty Limits, Vicky Butterfly, Mia Merode, Miss Carrie-Ann and MORE performing at my mums 50th birthday party at the weekend.

Dusty was AMAZING - in fact he was so good that he deserves another blog post at a later date.

Mat Ricardo is pretty famous in the burlesque and magician world - he is particularly famous for the table cloth trick, which has has performed on the Jonathan Ross Show, Alan Titchmarsh Show and an Advert for Unum:

Sadly he didn't do the table cloth trick on the night. However, he did do this which I thought was pretty amazing:

This is a picture of Mia Merode singing Back to Black by Amy Whinehouse 

Wow Angelina Jolie. Just wow.

These are the words of Angeline Jolie, published in the New York Times today. She is so brave.

MY MOTHER fought cancer for almost a decade and died at 56. She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold them in her arms. But my other children will never have the chance to know her and experience how loving and gracious she was.

We often speak of “Mommy’s mommy,” and I find myself trying to explain the illness that took her away from us. They have asked if the same could happen to me. I have always told them not to worry, but the truth is I carry a “faulty” gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman.

Only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation. Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a 65 percent risk of getting it, on average.

Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex.

On April 27, I finished the three months of medical procedures that the mastectomies involved. During that time I have been able to keep this private and to carry on with my work.

But I am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience. Cancer is still a word that strikes fear into people’s hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness. But today it is possible to find out through a blood test whether you are highly susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and then take action.

My own process began on Feb. 2 with a procedure known as a “nipple delay,” which rules out disease in the breast ducts behind the nipple and draws extra blood flow to the area. This causes some pain and a lot of bruising, but it increases the chance of saving the nipple.

Two weeks later I had the major surgery, where the breast tissue is removed and temporary fillers are put in place. The operation can take eight hours. You wake up with drain tubes and expanders in your breasts. It does feel like a scene out of a science-fiction film. But days after surgery you can be back to a normal life.

Nine weeks later, the final surgery is completed with the reconstruction of the breasts with an implant. There have been many advances in this procedure in the last few years, and the results can be beautiful.

I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.

It is reassuring that they see nothing that makes them uncomfortable. They can see my small scars and that’s it. Everything else is just Mommy, the same as she always was. And they know that I love them and will do anything to be with them as long as I can. On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.

I am fortunate to have a partner, Brad Pitt, who is so loving and supportive. So to anyone who has a wife or girlfriend going through this, know that you are a very important part of the transition. Brad was at the Pink Lotus Breast Center, where I was treated, for every minute of the surgeries. We managed to find moments to laugh together. We knew this was the right thing to do for our family and that it would bring us closer. And it has.

For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options. I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices.

I acknowledge that there are many wonderful holistic doctors working on alternatives to surgery. My own regimen will be posted in due course on the Web site of the Pink Lotus Breast Center. I hope that this will be helpful to other women.

Breast cancer alone kills some 458,000 people each year, according to the World Health Organization, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. It has got to be a priority to ensure that more women can access gene testing and lifesaving preventive treatment, whatever their means and background, wherever they live. The cost of testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2, at more than $3,000 in the United States, remains an obstacle for many women.

I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options.

Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of.

Angelina Jolie is an actress and director.

Mess by Caroline Horton comes to Battersea Arts Centre

If you are in London or just anywhere in the UK - then do come and see this play - apparently its amazing and I am going to see it for myself next week. Everyone was talking about it at the EDIC and Feast conferences last year. So looking forward to it.

Francine Lewis - Britain's Got Talent

I don't watch television very often - but I do enjoy the Britain's Got Talent auditions on a Saturday evening. This was one of the funniest and best auditions I have ever seen. Absolutely priceless. 

Happy Birthday Ruby!

Long time no blog. 

I had the most amazing time about 10 days ago seeing Ruby Wax at the Barbican. Make sure you buy her new book "Sane New World" - It deserves a proper blog post nearer the time of publication. 

Managed to catch up with her about 30 mins after the end of the talk:

I read somewhere that she is celebrating a very special birthday on Friday 19th April... 

Elyn Saks - one of the most moving talks I have ever seen

This is utterly mind blowing: 

Success

Keep Calm...

I love ANYTHING to do with Keep Calm and Carry On.  So when my mum came home from the supermarket with these place mats - I couldn't have been more delighted...

And then it occurred to me that they would be perfect for someone with an eating disorder, who's worst fear was anything to do with eating. For those people who are filled with dread and anxiety about whats on their plate, a little reminder from underneath the plate, that says "Keep Calm and Eat Up" might give an extra nudge of encouragement. 

Farewell TVC - the last minutes of BBC News at the Television Centre

Helen Mirren goes Pink!

Helen Mirren looks FAB! 

Horse Meat Scandal

Where are we at on the horse meat scandal?

All seems to have gone very quiet...

Take Back the Tube - Ellie Cosgrave

I read this article today:

One woman's stand against sexual harassment

and decided that it had to go straight on here. This is a very serious issue and needs to be made aware of and passed on. 

When Ellie Cosgrave was sexually assaulted on a London tube, she felt powerless. On International Women's Day, she is returning to where it happened to start her own revolution:

Comic Relief (Best Bits)

I LOVE Comic Relief. Any excuse to do something funny for money and raise funds for much needed causes in this country and Africa.

Some of my favourite moments are as follows:

Lauren Cooper meets Tony Blair:

Miranda dances with JLS (part 1):

Miranda dances with JLS (part 2):

Miranda / Ruby Wax / Claudia Winkleman cook for David Cameron (Part 1):

Miranda / Ruby Wax / Claudia Winkleman cook for David Cameron (Part 2):

Ali G interviews David and Victoria Beckham:

Mr Bean's Wedding:

What are your favourite moments?

Queen Victoria: Spice Girl to Super Brand

I did enjoy reading this article this week:

Queen Victoria: how Mrs Beckham turned herself from Spice Girl to superbrand 

First things first: you need to know that my knowledge of fashion is pretty limited. BUT I have taken an interest in Victoria Beckham's work and the clothes she has designed.

The quality is exceptional. The style is quite unique. I have been to see the collection and I just love the fact that Britain is in the spot light and receiving such praise in this industry when so often the attention is more on the Italians or French...

Her cover in Elle Magazine (March, 2013) was also a good read.

I am seriously excited that the Beckham's are back in London - one of the world's most famous families is back on home turf. 

Ruby Wax: Art & Science on the Brain

I am very excited to be going to see Ruby Wax again next month. She is doing a show at the Barbican in London on 8 April.

Click here for more information. It will be fab - since nobody knows and can talk about mental illness better than she does:

She is also writing a book, coming out later this year. Can't wait for that too.

An Update on my Degree

I am doing a Nutrition and Health undergraduate degree. 

This week in a Food Science lecture, we looked at Microbes on different objects. We had to choose a random "thing" to swob and will find out next week if any bacteria has grown on it (watch this space - I will let you know). It might put me off ever touching a keyboard, door handle or light switch in a public place ever again....

Another project at university has been in a Health Promotion / Public Health module. We have had to do some group work and create a public health campaign / poster on a particular topic. My group chose to focus on Childhood obesity and we will be presenting our project on Tuesday. We have tried to launch the campaign and make it as realistic as possible so do follow us on Twitter: @HealthyGen. 

We feel the rising problem of Childhood Obesity (primarily in the UK) can be slowed if Parents are inspired to help their children make healthy choices around food and exercise. What do you think?

Trying to be a Vegan

Life has been full on hence the lack of blog posts from me...

My friend Serena Rudge writes a fantastic blog. Recently, she wrote a great post on trying to be a Vegan (she isn't a vegan but she gave it a go to see what it was like...). Its much harder than it looks! Do read her post by clicking here.

I am not sure I could give up fish and eggs. One of my favourite things is poached eggs and smoked salmon on toast (with butter on the toast...!) so I would hate not being able to have that.

But the diet forces you to eat plenty of vegetables and fruit so that is the only thing that would attract me to it.

Miranda's Mad March (Miranda Hart - Comic Relief)

No blog post from me for a while and you then get two in one day - you lucky things! 

Check out what Miranda Hart is doing next week for Comic Relief - I am very excited (but it looks quite tough and perhaps won't be "such fun" for her as it will be for us watching!):

Rethink Your Drink

An interesting photo that shows us how much sugar is in popular everyday drinks:

DRINK WATER NOT SUGAR

Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2013

Following on From Tom Fletcher's Wedding Speech

This video will make more sense if you watch The Wedding Speech first - make sure you have a box of tissues near by. Then watch this one - its laugh out loud (LOL) funny:

Graze, Graze, Graze

Have you tried GRAZE yet?? You must, you must!

CLICK HERE for more information and to order your first box for free...! 

Mimi Watts and Good Story

Two weeks ago, I picked up a copy of the London Evening Standard newspaper and my jaw dropped when I reached page 20 and read the below article about Mimi Watts. What made my draw drop was the fact that this tragic story is about a girl who's family live very close to mine in Suffolk. She was friends of friends - which doesn't surprise me as the area I live in is very close knit and everyone seems to know each other and each other's business. What DOES surprise me is that I knew nothing about this and because I am never in East Anglia, I had missed all the local news and reports. But I gather the tragedy has also had national coverage.

My first thoughts were to get in touch with the Watts family and ask to help in some way in order to support the charity they have set up. I hope it is well supported - read on to find out why:

At around 4.15pm on December 8 last year, Nicky McAllister remembers standing on the top of a hill near Tisbury in Wiltshire, where she was spending the weekend with her brother and his family. Reflecting on how beautiful the setting sun looked at that moment, she was completely unaware that 750 miles away, on the snow-covered slopes of Chamonix, her only daughter, 26-year-old Mimi Watts, was being given chest compressions by paramedics in a frantic attempt to restart her heart.

In what appears to have been a freak accident, Mimi, an experienced snowboarder who had just begun working through a ski season in the popular Alpine ski resort, had been coming down a piste in the Grands Montets area of the Chamonix Valley when her snowboard accidentally clipped the piste’s outer edge, hitting the ridge between the hard compacted snow and the loose, soft snow beyond. She apparently fell head-first into the deep, powdery snow, which her mother describes as having the consistency of “a bag of flour”.

For all her protective clothing and helmet, nothing could prevent Mimi from inhaling the snow and suffocating. Five days later, the doctors at Annecy hospital, where Mimi had been lying in a medically induced coma on life support, told her mother and the rest of her family that the time had come to switch off the life support machine.

McAllister, who is 62, lives in Lavenham, Suffolk, where she runs an agricultural consultancy business with her second husband Malcolm. We are sitting in her kitchen and she is talking about Mimi, surrounded by the stacks of letters she’s received since her daughter’s death and some of the dresses and jackets Mimi, who had studied costume design at Brighton, was so fond of making.
It is better, she says, to talk about her than not to. She and Dominic Watts, Mimi’s father, with whom she also has a 27-year-old son, Rory, have been amicably divorced for 20 years and both have since remarried.

“Mimi would probably have been going quite fast, she was a competent skier, and you fall over a lot when you’re a snowboarder,” she says. “They said she’d carved into the snow and it had fallen on top of her. She was discovered by an English chap who’d seen something out of the corner of his eye. He thought it was a bird caught in the snow, so he took off his skis, walked back and found her board sticking out of the snow. He tried to pull her out, couldn’t, and called an instructor, who came within seconds. They tried to pull her out but you can’t stand in that soft snow, you just sink up to your chest. So they got the mountain police and within two or three minutes at the most they dug her out, but it took 45 minutes to get her heart beating again.”

Because Mimi had been born with a small hole in her heart, McAllister thought at first that she had suffered a heart attack. She goes on to describe how the police found a set of keys to her flat and a mobile phone, which was locked, in the pockets of Mimi’s clothing. They went to her flat where they picked up her passport, but the emergency/next of kin section was blank, so they didn’t know who to contact.

“The thing I want to point out to all young people is that, when you go away, you can’t expect to always be all right. Someday, something like this might happen to you. So just make sure they can find your parents. I hope this never happens to anyone,” she adds, “but it will.” 

In the meantime, Mimi was flown to hospital. Later that same evening, Kat, the girl with whom Mimi was sharing a flat, began to worry that Mimi hadn’t returned and wasn’t answering her phone. It was only at 9am the next morning, when Kat rang again and a concerned doctor answered, that everything began to fall into place. Mimi’s father got the first call, since McAllister was listed on Mimi’s phone as Luby, Mimi’s nickname for her mother, but within a few hours both parents and brother Rory, who works in London for digital services company AKQA, were flying out to Annecy.

“When we got to the hospital, Mimi was wrapped in bubble wrap with hot air blowing because her temperature was terribly low. That was how the doctors were able to work out roughly how long she was in the snow for, because your temperature drops and she was still at only 32 degrees then. The doctor said she was unconscious and in a medically-induced coma but I still thought she’d wake up. The next day [Monday], we went back and the doctor took us into a little family room and I thought, ‘Oh, this isn’t going to be good news’. They said, ‘This is very serious’. And I said, ‘When do you think she will wake up?’ And they said, ‘She may never wake up.’ That’s when it really hit me, because up until then, I thought she would wake up and just be a bit groggy, a bit sick and be a bit confused. But I never thought she would die. And then we were all a bit dry-mouthed and open-eyed and I said, ‘What happens next?’ and he said, ‘We keep her breathing for four or five days after the accident and see if there’s any response’.”

McAllister and the family continued to sit by her side but the response never came. Over the next couple of days they were joined by her husband Malcolm, his son Nick and Watts’s wife Lucy. Then, on Thursday morning, came the final meeting with the doctors, who told them that Mimi was brainstem dead and they were going to remove her breathing tube. “I had my hand on her little heart and it probably beat for two minutes, then it just faded away and her hands suddenly went so cold. We were all with her,” says McAllister, remarkably evenly.

Sadly, because Mimi’s organs had been deprived of oxygen for 45 minutes, they were refused for donation, but on the day of her death, Rory Watts and Nick McAllister came up with the idea of establishing a charity in Mimi’s memory. Called Good Story, its aim is to help young people develop their creative ideas and make them commercially viable, just as Mimi herself had dreamed of starting her own Good Story clothing line but had lacked the business nous to get it going.
Had she lived, she had hopes of starting a course in graphic design. So far £10,000 in donations has come in and several people have already applied for help. The family plan to scatter Mimi’s ashes later this month in Chamonix, on the mountains she loved, having had her body cremated in Suffolk just before Christmas.

The cremation was followed a week later by a memorial service, attended by more than 500 people, of whom Mimi’s mother knew perhaps a hundred. “It was wonderful that so many people came and a fantastic feeling having all her friends there, but I just wish it hadn’t been Mimi.”

To make a donation or find out more about Mimi’s charity see goodstory.org.uk

(Not So) Blue Monday in London

Blue Monday is meant to be the most depressing day of the year and falls on the third Monday in January. This year it wasn't so blue for many Londoners and I love what Life Clubs did this year to bring a little light and positivity on the year's gloomiest day.

Another Genius Poem

My dear friend E is working harder than ever on recovery in an ED unit in Essex. Instead of slapping paint and throwing glitter everywhere in Art therapy - she is cuddled over a piece of paper, pen in hand and wrote this this week. I am seriously impressed - and she very kindly said I could share it with you. 

I much upon my apple

Upon my apple I much

And every morsel that I eat

Every morsel that I crunch

Is giving me a ticket

To that life that I aspire

Is taking me nearer

To the freedom I desire
I sip upon my latte

Upon my latte I sip

And every mug I drink

I slurp up every drip

Knowing it will take me

To a world where I am free

To a world where thoughts of food
Are not controlling me

I've never felt so worried

I've never felt so scared

I've never worked so hard,

But then I never really cared.

I know I really want this

The rewards will be so great;

So I eat up every morsel

Before it's not too late.....

She said "Poetry writing is under-rated as therapy. It feels so good. When others are producing masterpieces in the art room, I'm bent over a notepad."