We're having some weather for a change - heavy rain and strong winds. Duvets were made for this.
I've been forced into a no-buy few days as the weather continues with warnings of strong winds and heavy rain. Something mysterious in the freezer turned out to be a very nice cauliflower, chickpea and baby corn curry. I picked up bread and milk yesterday, otherwise this is a good time to eat up what's in the pantry.
Reclaim Your Mind
(Source) The Guardian 1 January 2024
So phone scrolling has reached addiction stages. A few months ago, I watched a video which suggested replacing scrolling your phone with drinking alcohol to understand how pervasive and potentially damaging it has become:
- first thing in the morning
- last thing at night
- in the toilet
The Guardian has launched a five-week break up with your phone and reclaim your mind coaching programme. It has a couple of articles about excessive phone use:
A 2021 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 31% of US adults said they were online “almost constantly”, up from 21% in 2015. Half of those aged 18-29 said they were “constantly online”. Meanwhile, a recent review of 82 high quality studies found that excessive phone use has been worsening over time. (Source)
I haven't found an definition of "excessive" but I guess if you are not happy with the extent to which your time is taken up with scrolling your phone and the extent to which it affects your ability to concentrate for longer than a few minutes, maybe that counts?
I'm not worried about my phone, half the time I'm not even sure where it is, but I do want to spend more time reading this year, a habit that I used to love and which, apart from reading newspapers and journals online, has largely diappeared from my life.
Following this prompt, I've picked a set of books I'd like to read this year, plus I've discovered Penguin Modern Classics which has many books in my "want-to-read" list. This includes a new issue of House of Hunger by Dambudzo Marechera.
Reader, I've signed up.
Veganuary
(Source) Don't do Veganuary by Leena Norms: "Veganism is not a test of your individual perfectionism."
It's that time again, Vegan January, following as closely on Christmas as a red bank balance after a spending spree, with ever increasing plant-based industrial food choices available in a supermarket near you.
The mood has changed, though, rather than being compelled to go the full 100% life-style change to save the planet, the message now is turn up and do what you can half-arsed as that is better than opting out of doing anything at all.
The UK Climate Change Committee is recommending:
- 20% reduction in overall consumption of meat and dairy by 2030 and
- 35% reduction by 2050.
Not even a 100% reduction, so no need to go crazy for two weeks and then forget it. Introduce Meatless Monday and Taco Tuesday (with Tofu Tacos, obviously) and you're already winning. I broke my long-held affection for butter this year, moving to a creamy spread which is 40% butter and about twice as beneficial health-wise. It was my just one thing for 2023.
Suggestions in this video include:
- vegan breakfasts - often the easiest meal to swap out.
- eat out vegan - take the vegan option, if there is one, whenever you eat out.
- eat in vegan - vegan in the house, anything you like when you eat out.
- brand vegan - if a brand offers a vegan option, take that.
- buddy vegan - team up with someone else and eat vegan 50% of the time.
- snack and/or condiment vegan - choose the vegan versions.
- no swap vegan - choose vegan options over dairy ones when swapping meat or fish.
These are my two favourites:
Nigella Vegan
Cook veganese in the style of your favourite chef. Nigella is one I always enjoy channeling, I'm not quite up to the bish-bosh energy of Jamie but I can manage a Nigel. But anyway, choose your favourite chef, research vegan recipes (we have our own plant power community and cook your heart out.Points for Prizes
31 days in January creating 93 opportunities for eating vegan. Set some thresholds - 40 meals/25% meals - and set some prizes for when you reach your threshold.
Maybe even write about your successes on Hive!
Three things newbies should do in their first week and, for most things, forever afterwards!
