This past year has been mostly OCD-free for me which is AMAZING. It still flares up with certain triggers and I'm still navigating around OCD medication but in general my life is so different to when I really suffered.
Raising awareness of this mental health condition, however, will always be close to my heart, a) having experienced the painful reality of it first hand and b) seeing the term still being misused and misunderstood all over the media. Just yesterday the TV show 'New Girl' referenced OCD as an adjective: 'little bit OCD', numerous celebrity tweets this year have done the same and don't get me started on those 'How OCD are you?' quizzes on facebook...
There has been progress in the world of publishing, I believe. Holly Bourne's Am I Normal Yet? includes one of the most accurate portrayals of contamination OCD I have read and Patrick Ness' The Rest of Us Just Live Here portays the 'loop' cycles of OCD in one character.
I have written previous posts on what Obessive Complusive Disorder is and how I was affected (links below) so I won't repeat them. But I will say that before you reference it as a quirk or adjective or see it referenced as such, please know that is is not a joke but a serious and debilitating mental health condition. For example, when I was suffering badly with OCD, I couldn't even leave the house sometimes a) for fear I would contaminate other people with germs or b) without regimented ritual numbered checks that could take ages to complete.
OCD and mental health charities and individual bloggers are doing brilliant work online and through social media raising awareness about this condition. OCD is a serious disorder. But treatments exist and doctors and therapists are there to help you with OCD should you need.
My blog post for OCD Awareness Week 2015 (including helpful links): ocd-awareness-week-2015
Mindful Yoga Vegan.
Veganism, yoga, mental health.
Saturday 8 October 2016
Sunday 8 May 2016
Vegan make-up finds
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFGYmjwg-uRRb2r4v3N76wpIcSqMsA74C1piIJ40gnPe4_n3gPD-br59p0ZZRDSSenawhsCOz8fxJfmvDWfk3_B0tnPu702PIsgXvxS__pTcq42g00Qxf2IkMKJBWn2D18ED-Lr3HWu38/s200/IMG_20160505_141736.jpg)
My favourite vegan make-up finds recently have been the new edition to B.'s beauty (Superdrug) range and finding out that Barry M cosmetics is cruelty-free and most of the nail collection is suitable for vegans (all for vegetarians)!
This (on the right) is a new cruelty-free cream stick from B. that is half blush and half highlighter - I love it! It's easy to rub in and lasts all day.
This gold flecked nail varnish called 'Treasure Chest' is cruelty free and suitable for vegans. And seriously pretty.
B. Makeup: http://www.superdrug.com/brandshop/B/makeup
Barry M Cosmetics: https://www.barrym.com/
Sunday 21 February 2016
Why I've been a vegan for nine years
This year marks my ninth year as a vegan so to mark it I
thought I'd dedicate a blog post about the question I'm often asked
(not as much as 'How do you get your protein?') 'Why are you vegan... out of curiosity?'
Well, I believe simply that animals are beautiful creatures
with a right to life (as wild or domestic animals would normally have)
and rear their young. To kill them for food or clothes, to breed them
just for slaughter or their produce FEELS wrong to me, especially in
this modern, industrial, mass production age.
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Cowspiracy.com |
I think there's also a huge discrepancy between the brutality and killing of the animal
and the neatly packaged 'family friendly' food presented in the supermarket. I met a vegetarian once who
said they didn't eat meat because if they were faced with actually
killing the animals themselves they wouldn't be able to do it. Paul
McCartney fronted a campaign years ago about 'if slaughterhouse had
glass walls' which addresses this same concept. If you actually saw what was
being done to the animals would you feel the same about eating the meat?
We grieve over the death of our pets but not the slightly different
looking animals that are bred, raised and killed out of sight. I don't
want to cause harm to animals, even distant harm that I can't see and being vegan
allows me to feel free this way.
![]() |
Peta.com |
I also don't see a distinction between my animal companions
and industry-bred animals. Moby once wrote that he became vegetarian when
he realized he saw his dog as his friend. Personally I wouldn't eat my
own animals so I can't justify eating others.
There are many physical, health and environmental benefits I haven't even touched on (so helpful infographics attached!). Although these weren't my primary reasons, they always reinforce for me that veganism is positive in more ways than one.
I don't see a vegan diet as restrictive but liberating from a food industry I disagree with. I think 'living off the earth' or being plant-based is beautiful both because it is natural and because it's cruelty free (also you can still eat chocolate...).
So that's why I'm (still) a vegan,
since you asked...
Literary Vegan Feb 16
Saturday 20 February 2016
Loving Yoga Camp and my Yoga Progression
I'm 26 days in to 30 days of Yoga Camp - an online yoga 'bootcamp' from Yoga With Adriene and I am quite simply LOVING it! My own yoga practice, mind and body awareness and body appreciation has really come on through it.
Adriene's approach allows more movement and stretching before each asana, previously I thought it was more of a static process from pose to pose. Not only does this allow me to listen to what my body needs inbetween poses, but I am more warmed up and flexible when I get there too!
Adriene's approach allows more movement and stretching before each asana, previously I thought it was more of a static process from pose to pose. Not only does this allow me to listen to what my body needs inbetween poses, but I am more warmed up and flexible when I get there too!
I've learnt lizard, dancer, humble hero poses and more. Yoga Camp has also introduced me to elements of Vinyasa yoga which I didn't know I loved and is such good exercise.
As Adriene says, 'find what feels good' and Yoga Camp feels good to me!
Labels:
asana,
exercise,
Vinyasa,
yoga,
Yoga With Adriene
Saturday 9 January 2016
Yoga for Winter
Despite usually working out a lot, I find it really hard to motivate myself to exercise in the winter :( I hate any workouts in the cold, dark outside and gym involves the cold,dark outside too! So this Winter I upped my indoor yoga practise instead. Where it's warm.
New books and online workouts have also helped to motivate my yoga sessions.
'Yoga Gym' from Bloomsbury Books was released in December with an empahsis on strength and has really easy-to-follow pictures.
Online tutorials can be helpful, done anywhere and they give me a break from putting my own flows together. I like 'Yoga Camp' with Adriene on YouTube as she has a great approach to 'feeling your way' into movements and covers all levels.
New books and online workouts have also helped to motivate my yoga sessions.
'Yoga Gym' from Bloomsbury Books was released in December with an empahsis on strength and has really easy-to-follow pictures.
![]() |
Bloomsbury Publishing |
![]() |
Upward facing bow |
Vegan Avocado chocolate mousse
I've been asked about this a lot so thought I'd share :)
There are different recipes out there, but I've experimented and found my own simple version of this healthy, vegan sweet treat!
I suggest one avocado per person/serving. This is for two people/two servings.
2 ripe avocados
1 ripe banana
2 dessert spoons cocoa for baking (organic/sugar-free/dairy-free)
2 dessert spoons maple syrup
splash of soya/plant milk to help the blending
De-stone the avocados and blend the avocado flesh with the banana and milk. Then add the cocoa and sweetener and blend again. Leave to set in the fridge for 20 mins.
Yum.
Monday 5 October 2015
OCD Awareness week 11-17th October 2015
Since suffering with, and recovering from, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, raising awareness of what OCD actually is means a lot to me.
'OCD' is often misunderstood, misused and misquoted. It is often used as an adjective to describe cleanliness or organised quirks. In actually it is an Anxiety Disorder, a noun, and a serious mental health condition.
Here are some links describing what OCD is and is not:
That's OCD - by OCD UK
My own article/experience of OCD- 'The Doubting Disease'
17 Things people don't understand about OCD by Buzzfeed.com
OCD Action - Know more about OCD
MIND - What is OCD?
NHS Choices - OCD
And for those who do suffer with OCD, I encourage you to seek help because specialised treatment is available and helped me so much.
'OCD' is often misunderstood, misused and misquoted. It is often used as an adjective to describe cleanliness or organised quirks. In actually it is an Anxiety Disorder, a noun, and a serious mental health condition.
Here are some links describing what OCD is and is not:
That's OCD - by OCD UK
My own article/experience of OCD- 'The Doubting Disease'
17 Things people don't understand about OCD by Buzzfeed.com
OCD Action - Know more about OCD
MIND - What is OCD?
NHS Choices - OCD
And for those who do suffer with OCD, I encourage you to seek help because specialised treatment is available and helped me so much.
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