Friday 1 March 2019

March 2018: no worries....?






NO WORRIES ....?

Worrying can be good, if it motivates us to take action and solve problems. But very often it isn’t like that. 
We worry about things which we can’t do anything about. Or we worry too much about tiny details. “Is this enough?” “What shall I give them?” “What can I wear?” “Will they like the present?”
And when you worry too much, it becomes counterproductive. Chronic worry causes tension, sleepless nights, bad work, and may even lead to anxiety attacks.
Telling yourself to stop worrying is like trying not to think of a pink elephant. The harder you try, the worse it gets. 
But how can we change - just a little bit? 

1) Make a list of things you worry about. Just having it written down helps.

2) Cut back - should you really be doing all this? If something doesn’t get done, does it matter? Just say no - if others can say it, so can you.

3) Ask for help. You know, many people actually like it if you ask them for help, if you say you can’t cope alone. They might not do a job in the same way you do, but so what?

4) Learn to delegate. Try with small jobs first. Noone does things perfectly, not even you!

5) If you really can’t help worrying, worry regularly. For the same period, like 15 minutes, every day, indulge in worrying as much as you like. When time is up, postpone all your worries until next day, same time. Or if an anxious thought comes into your head during the day, just make a brief note for later. Remind yourself that you’ll have time to think about it later, so there’s no need to worry about it right now.

6) Accept imperfection, especially in the small stuff.

7) Guided relaxation (1) and meditation (2) are a good idea, especially for the long term.

8) Move! Walking outdoors is ideal, but any form of exercise is good. When you exercise, endorphins will trigger positive feelings in your body, similar to that of morphine.  

9) Eat healthily. Worry sucks energy and increases production of pro-inflammatory chemicals. To counteract this, enjoy whole or minimally-processed anti-inflammatory foods such as whole grains, dark leafy greens, nuts, garlic/onions, ginger, turmeric, olive oil, beetroot and berries. 
Avoid stimulating foods like caffeine and sugar, also - especially! - in the form of corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, golden syrup, maltose, and sucrose. All of these increase anxiety, exacerbate insomnia and in the case of sugar, cause excessive blood sugar fluctuations. See (3).

And have a look at


SOW:
broad beans, early beet, early carrots, parsnips, early Brussels, main crop peas, radish, spinach (or spinach beet, better value than proper spinach), chard, turnip, lettuce, early/summer cabbage, spring onions, early cauli, bulb onions, beet, celery (late March).
Plant: potatoes, onion sets, shallots, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes.

EAT:
veg: purple sprouting broccoli, kale, cavolo nero, squash, cauli, spring greens, radishes, rhubarb, leeks, carrots, spring onions, salad leaves, parsnips, cabbage, chicory, sorrel, swede, beet, brussels, rocket, turnips, celeriac, Jerusalem artichokes, watercress.
fish: dab, whiting, red gurnard, grey mullet, mussels, oysters, clams, mackerel, herring, megrim, scallops.
meat: rabbit, turkey, wood pigeon, beef, mutton, pork, venison.

By the way, have you ever though of joining a box scheme? Fresh veg delivered to your house every week. It’s local, it’s cheaper and most likely organic. You can find them at http://www.bigbarn.co.uk/.

NB! Spring is in the air (Ahem. Sorry!), and so is hayfever. Here are some ideas about what you can do yourself:


RECIPES
MASHED TURNIPS with SAGE
2 turnips and 2 floury potatoes, 3 tblsp butter, 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped tblsp sage, ab. 200ml milk, salt and freshly ground pepper.
Peel and cube the turnips and potatoes; put in some cold salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer until soft and tender, about 20 mins. Sauté the onion with the sage until the sage is fragrant and the butter begins to brown. Season. Drain turnips and potatoes. Add the milk and roughly mash. If you prefer a smooth texture, use a blender. Taste, season if necessary.
If you like, you can use a different proportion of turnips and potatoes.

SAUTEED KALE
Chop kale and onion finely. Heat some fat, add both vegetables, stir, cover, and fry like that on a very low fire for a few minutes. Then add a little bit of water and cover again. Let cook till kale and onion are soft enough for your liking, take off the cover and sauté some more till any water left has disappeared. Add seasalt or soy sauce, serve.
SPICED PEANUT PARSNIP SOUP for 2
This is an unusual soup. You either like it (I did!), or you don’t (hubby). If you don’t, just use it as a sauce on a rice-and-vegetable dish. It’s best if your peanut butter doesn’t have sugar in it.
200g parsnips cut into chunks, 1 large onion, 2 garlic cloves, 2 cm fresh ginger root, 2 tblsp grated coconut, 2 tblsp peanut butter, 1 tsp ground cumin, 45g coriander leaves, plenty of chilli powder or cayenne, grated zest of 1 orange and some pumpkin seeds if you like. 
Cut the parsnips, onion, ginger and garlic into chunks and roast in an 200°C over for 20 minutes (or carefully sauté on top). Put in a pan, add 720ml water and cook till all is soft.
Mix with the peanut butter, coconut, chili, cumin and coriander and blend, keeping some coriander for on top.  Add more water if needed. Serve sprinkled with coriander (pumpkin seeds) and zest. 

BREAM WITH BASIL BALSAMIC
Score sides of a whole bream and pack cuts with a roughly pounded mix of 3 tblsp balsamic vinegar, a garlic clove and a handful of basil per fish. Roast for 20 mins or until flaking off the bone at 190ºC. Serve with peas.

For more recipes see March issues from former years - click on March 2018 on the right hand side. Or go to https://thoughtforfoodaw.wordpress.com, which still has eight recipes for this year. 
We also have an alphabetical index of subjects, which you will see if you click on this month, in the top right hand corner.




Next month: fish forever? To see this now, go to https://thoughtforfoodaw.wordpress.com and scroll down.





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