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Natural Vision Improvement - 3 Weeks without Glasses and incorporating tech
2008-03-09 14:11:00
Day 1 I started off going through the exercises on the cd for natural vision improvement (there are two cds in the pack, one for computers users, which I should really get around to looking at too being a computer user to quite a large extent). The cd gives you exercises (it also comes with cards so you can refer to them and the book goes into more detail) which help to relieve tension in the shoulders and neck, where a lot of tension is usually stored in the person with blurred vision. I know my shoulders and neck are very tense, and these exercises really relieved some of the built up tension. You have to relieve some of this tension in order to do the palming exercise. Palming is done with slow deep breathing, relaxed shoulders, and completely relaxed hands. The relaxation that one gets from palming amplifies the effects of all the other exercises, but if you aren’t relaxed you can’t reap the full benefits (if any) of it. I have done palming before but I must admit I h...
More About: Natural , Tech , Improvement , Vision , Glasses

Running Shoes: Is it possible to buy ethical trainers?
2008-03-05 13:40:00
After a long lull in my running career I decided it was about time I started afresh. Pregnancy put a halt on it because I was sick, stressed and had an overcomplicated situation. I had spent the previous years running in my brother’s old trainers which seemed to do the job quite nicely, although they used to squeak a treat in the rain. However with a new baby and new year I decided it was about time I did the honourable thing and purchase myself a new fancy pair. After all I had been through last year I think I deserve it! Unfortunately running shoes – the ethical kind – seem to be few and far between. After looking I only came up with a few resources. www.organicathlete.org has a good article that was a great starting point for me. It is a review of Brook’s Cascadia running shoes (developed with input from vegan ultra-marathon champion Scott Jurek), but also is informative generally about materials used. It states the majority of running shoes available are free ...
More About: Running , Shoes , Running shoes , Trainers

Natural Vision Improvement - 2 Weeks without Glasses
2008-03-02 21:42:00
I have spent the day getting back into natural vision improvement, by researching and familiarising myself with the techniques and information available to improve my eyesight. It has been 2 weeks since I last wore my glasses. I can’t really tell you my prescription details – something along the lines of -3.5 to -3.75 I think, but I am not entirely sure. The last time I went to the opticians was a long time ago, a few years, and I didn’t go back because they tried to convince me to take on stronger glasses, even though I found them ridiculously uncomfortable. They even made me take another test (for free) and tried to make me feel stupid for not taking them, saying I would be back in a few weeks wanting them. Well I haven’t. I only intend to go back for an eye test once I feel my vision has improved enough to warrant one. I won’t be going back to that optician though. Anyway, I am sure many may be amazed how I went 2 weeks without glasses. Well I don’t currently ...
More About: Natural , Improvement , Vision , Glasses , Weeks

Parenting Books: A Review of ‘The Continuum Concept’
2008-03-01 23:51:00
When I first heard of this book, I thought it would be a guide to parenting like all the others you see on the shelves, however it isn’t. This book is not a manual, but a resource and reminder of how our natural instincts as a parent are what count. It is a book for those individuals who feel that the techniques and guidance given by health authorities and the various parenting books on offer in stores, are intrinsically misguided. If you think its ok to force your child into a routine by letting him or her cry on her own, it isn’t. Even if it means you can go back to work with less hassle. You should be ready to accept this new creature into your life completely, and not shun them and force them so soon into a routine and life of solitude. Jean Liedloff writes this book as an anthropological work, but it speaks so loudly to parents because we can all recognize the reality and truth it holds. My depression at the state of our culture came about long before I had my baby, b...
More About: Parenting , Books , Review , Continuum

Washable Nappies: Everything You Need to Know
2008-02-25 23:56:00
As the closest item of clothing your baby wears, nappy choice is important. When making the decision to use a washable nappy system, you need to know that the system you decide on is: effective, comfortable for baby, simple to use and affordable. You can prepare yourself, before buying, with as much information as possible on the different types and decide, for yourself, what type would be best for you. Below you will find information on everything you need to know about cloth diapers. It is sectioned as follows (click on to skip to): Types of Nappies Storing Nappies Washing Nappies Component Parts The DIAPER – provides absorbency. Can be either shaped or flat. The WRAP – is the waterproof outer layer – stops clothes getting wet. The LINER – although not essential (but makes life easier) catches poo while urine passes through to the diaper. They can be either disposable or flushable. The BOOSTER – for sleeping through the night or if you have a heavy wetter, you may...

Natural Vision Improvement
2008-02-24 16:03:00
The other day I woke up with a headache so severe I pretty much had to relax or should I say try to relax all day. I felt all achy and miserable. My headache was so bad, that I stopped wearing my glasses for the entire day. Now my eyesight isn’t that bad, so not using them isn’t a major problem – I guess it is more convenience, a crutch. I took this headache as a sign to stop wearing them completely. I had delved into natural vision improvement (for those who don’t know what natural vision check out: this out) before - having great results and wanting to continue to the point of not needing my glasses to drive – unfortunately this was hindered by circumstances, and then university came along and I frequently used them again in the midst of the mad rush of writing down notes and getting work done. So I took this as my sign, to again, embark on a journey of vision improvement, and here I would like to document my progress and what techniques I am using. It has...
More About: Natural , Improvement , Vision

Cloth Diapers versus Disposables - Which to use?
2008-02-17 18:28:00
Cloth Diapers versus Disposables Cost For mothers, like me, on a tight budget, cloth diapers are the perfect way to cut costs. Despite having an initial expense, you don’t have to buy them every week like disposables. Cloth Diapers cost over £700 ($1500) less than disposables over the diapering life of one child. On top of this you can reuse them for a second child, saving you even more money in the long term. Health Whereas disposable nappies are made of super-absorbent chemicals, plastics and adhesives, cloth or ‘real’ diapers are mostly made of natural fabrics (to be extra safe you can also purchase organic cotton/hemp diapers which are even better in terms of protecting your child from chemicals and also they have environmental benefits too). This has a negative affect on a child’s health, not only because you are putting chemicals directly against a baby’s sensitive skin with disposables, but also in determining whether your child is getting enough milk and in te...
More About: Versus , Cloth

Pregnancy and Diet - Should We Avoid Anything?
2008-01-30 00:57:00
Ethical parenting starts from the moment one conceives – your first responsibility is to ensure your child receives optimal nutrition, through you, to grow into a beautiful baby human. One may not take this time seriously enough, and eat whatever they choose to and as much as they want. At the same time, we are told by health authorities what you should eat and what we should avoid, but should we really avoid these things? Will they affect our growing child negatively if we do or will our growing child be affected negatively if we don’t? During my own pregnancy, I decided to research and look into the areas that I was told to exclude or restrict. Being someone who suffers from asthma, these restrictions seemed to be more crucial to me, as according to health authorities, my child would be more prone to asthma or allergies as a result. It didn’t seem to me to make sense to exclude the nuts, raw fish/eggs and shellfish – so I didn’t. I concluded after my research that ...
More About: Diet , Pregnancy , Avoid

Feeling Calm and Rested - what pregnancy did to me
2008-01-30 00:56:00
I was just thinking over the issues that I have experienced so far as a parent. I have always wanted to ‘clear up my act’ properly and completely. Not just my treatment of the environment or others, but also towards myself. My eating habits have always been terrible. I have never been a big eater and I am sure the lack of food I have consumed has somewhat had an effect on me. Luckily pregnancy has sorted my appetitie out, but I want and am beginning to change my diet for better, and will explain later. Since the moment I found out I was pregnant, a drastic change had to be made. I had dipped into changing a lot of my behaviour - recycling, attitude towards others - but I needed to learn to change myself. I needed to slow down. I have always been someone who has always felt in a rush. I used to rush around Uni like I had no time in the world. I used to constantly stress and walk like I needed to be places in seconds. I constantly felt stressed and frustrated b...
More About: Pregnancy , Feeling , Calm

The Rock Bobster is here!
2008-01-30 00:53:00
On the 15th November, ten days early, my son was born weighing 7lbs 10. He is beautiful and brilliant and very much a lot of work. As a result I haven’t been near a computer, let alone been able to document anything I had learnt when I was pregnant and am and will put in practise now that my baby is here. My son’s name is Callum Matthew, however everyone still calls him Bob. Bob was the name given to my bump before I knew the sex of my baby and has stuck ever since. We all love it. I am figuring that maybe I will use Callum when he is naughty - not that he will be - I am sure I will have a golden child The first few weeks (he is now seven weeks old) have been extremely testing and very much an educational journey. It doesn’t matter how much you prepare or read, it never lives up to the expectations that you learnt about. For one, breastfeeding was a struggle for me at first. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I assumed it would all be magically easy bec...
More About: Rock , The Rock