Anyone for Cake?

I arrived at work this morning to find this most amazing cake creation awaiting me; I just had to share the pictures with you.  To say I was overwhelmed is an understatement, not only because it’s so fabulous, but because someone has made such effort on my behalf to celebrate something so meaningful to me; the thought that has gone into its design & making, right down to the bookworm is just awesome.  

 

I am so very grateful to you Geraldine, thank you so much, you are an absolute star!

“How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it” George Elliston

 

Thank you.

 

Cathy x

Graduation Day!

I finally submitted my Master's dissertation on the 6th of August 2012, almost 2 years on from commencing the course; I then awaited the results, which finally came through by e-mail at the end of October.  I must have sat looking at the message, with the cursor hovering over the attachment for 10 minutes or more, not daring to open it and praying that it would say the word "distinction"; I told myself, during that anxious wait, that just a pass would do, but I knew in  my heart what I really wanted.  As I clicked, I closed my eyes and slowly opened them again, only to see the beautiful word I'd been praying for.  I think I almost collapsed with relief; my hands shook as I picked up the phone to call my mum and then I cried!
 

Last Thursday, graduation day finally arrived and I had the absolute pleasure of sharing the day with my friends Vivi Victory and Tracy, also my gym buddy and training partner.  The day got off to a fabulous start, with Tracy arriving to pick me up, bringing with her the most exquisite & exotic hand tied bouquet I’ve ever seen, such kindness, thank you. 

 

Beautiful flowers to start the day, thank you.

                                                                                   

The train was on time and we were off, with me carrying my shirt and a jacket, (which later Tracy ended up carrying and cursing me for taking in almost 30 degrees heat and which I never wore!), but as I explained, one mustn’t travel without the full attire! 

 

Don't forget the jacket Tracy!

Le Jacket!

Arrive Manchester and get in a taxi to The Bridgewater Hall to await the arrival of the fabulous, colourful and vivacious Vivi!  We were a little early, so decided to go across to the Midland Hotel for morning tea to await her arrival - how deliciously civilised.

When Vivi arrived, she instantly lit up the proceedings and we progressed to tea-cakes and Earl Grey and interrupted the meeting of some very serious looking executives at the next table to take our photograph and capture the moment. 

 

Disturbing a very important meeting to have our photo taken!

Close to midday I donned the shirt (not the jacket I hasten to add) and we proceeded to The Bridgwater Hall to collect the guest tickets and then back to The Midland to be gowned and photographed. 

The photography session was hilarious; both Tracy and Vivi thought I should be photographed by the most handsome photographer, which they decided was No 4, but No 1 wouldn’t hear of it and said he was indeed the best, although he would “find it impossible to improve upon perfection” – don’t you just love a bit of cheesy flattery!

Numero uno photographer!

Back to The Bridgewater for the ceremony which I found incredibly moving and meaningful, perhaps due to the effort and sacrifice it had taken to get there; I don’t think I shall ever forget how I felt throughout.  Many times I glanced up to see Vivi looking back at me, as a power point presentation revealed pictures of the labs and lecture theatres where we had studied together as undergraduates; happy times, sad times, stressful times & transformational times were shared in that Toast Rack building!  

Time to celebrate!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

One last photo before the gown must be returned



Time to de-robe ...

 

  

When I look back on the time spent studying over the last ten years, I wonder sometimes just what kept me pushing on through and the only answer I have is that when you find your passion, and nutrition is undoubtedly mine, you can literally overcome anything to pursue your aspirations.  Vivi gave me a gift of the most beautiful picture by artist Kelly Rae Roberts whilst we sat having tea in the Midland; at its centre, it asks the question “what does your heart say?”  There wasn’t time to read the notes upon the back about the artist, but this is exactly what I did when I got home after this perfect day; Kelly Rae Roberts says “my hope is that my work invokes a sense of clarity and peace inside of you as you walk your own path in life, and that it inspires you to discover your own limitlessness” – Vivi, you couldn’t have chosen a more perfect gift with such poignant and beautiful words, thank you.

Follow your passion!

Consequently, what commenced in 2010 is now finally complete in 2013, so where to next?  Well, all I can say for now is – watch this limitless space!

I shall never forget this day, it was absolutely magical x

Water - The Silent Nutrient

The diagram below shows just how much water is stored within our various body compartments. 

Staying well hydrated, particularly during this hot weather, is absolutely vital; if you’re feeling thirsty, chances are you are already dehydrated.  Dehydration can seriously affect exercise performance and if you don’t commence exercising hydrated and fail to rehydrate between workouts, you are not going to realise the results you would be hoping to achieve.  Plain water is often not ideal as it won’t replace the electrolytes, namely sodium, lost through sweat and in extreme cases can cause hyponatremia (low plasma sodium levels).  Our bodies are extremely clever in trying to manage this state; the kidneys will try to conserve both water and electrolytes but the only way the deficit can be restored is through fluid intake.   

It is often recommended to weigh yourself before and after exercise to ascertain fluid lost through sweating; however only replacing what has been lost will not result in effective rehydration; post-exercise the amount of fluid must be greater in order to achieve euhydration (being in water balance).

If your blood is 85% water, just think how much harder it is for your heart to pump thick & sticky blood around your body!

Stay well hydrated, Cathy x

Omega 3 & prostate cancer

There are reports in the media this week relating to omega 3 supplements and increased risk of prostate cancer.  I have spent many years studying and following the work of those researching these essential fatty acids and I have great belief in their numerous health benefits, so I do hope that these articles don’t provoke a knee-jerk reaction and create fear amongst those taking them.  I haven’t read the study in question, so cannot make comment upon its methods or findings, but I think we need to consider, from the information we’ve been provided with, just what we do know -v- what we don’t; for instance we aren’t told how many men were involved in the study, how old they were, did they smoke, how much alcohol did they consume and what was their normal diet like, were they overweight or within BMI guidelines, how often did they exercise and did they take any other supplements etc., all factors which could affect findings.

Oily fish - rich source of omega 3 -
eicosapentaenoic (EPA) & docosahexaenoic (DHA) fatty acids 

A report in Time Magazine stated :

“The study measured omega-3 blood levels in the participating men, and did not include information on the volunteers’ eating habits, so researchers could not differentiate between the effects of fatty acids from fish from those of supplements. However, the overwhelming majority of the participants did not take fish oil supplements”.

We obviously need more large randomised controlled trials to determine their effects in relation to prostate cancer.