To summerise this article:

Treadmill Desks

• Walking while you work can really help save your health.
• You burn about 100 calories per mile (1.6km) while walking at 1 mph
• Walking can help with muscle imbalance and strengthen lower back issues (from sitting all day)
• Walking can help with your overall wellness

There is also a lot of research done on the benefits of just walking. Not running, Not Cycling, Not Gym or Swimming, just Walking.

I know form my own experience that once I started walking at lunch (about 4km in 40 mins) I started to loose weight and feel generally a lot better both physically and mentally. Sure – it was tough at first – the first week – I couldn’t really manage more the 2km without really feeling it. And thats kind of the issue…

We sit at our desks, we maybe go to the gym occasionally. Is this enough? Most likely not. Why? Well…

If we look at how our bodies have evolved – they are supposed to be used to near constant motion. You can imagine that if and when they stop doing that – then they get lazy and weak. This is what happens when you sit all day. Even doing all that exercise during 3 sessions in the gym a week isn’t going to do much. You need to change how you do things…

Move around, use the stairs, walk to the shops instead of taking the car, even walk to work. When you get home, don’t just sit on the couch all evening, cook, clean, anything that requires you to move.

Do more than an hour a day of walking. Try to get at least 10,000 steps in. That’s enough to help fight the flab and get your body working for you instead of against you. That’s enough to help your body to begin getting in balance again. That’s enough to help fight off things like diabetes. That’s enough to fight off depression.

So – what are you going to do?

Stand up, walk around, get in balance, get wellness…

Get walking.

These are some pictures from around the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Enjoy

Tonight I went here:

Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Seriously beautiful place. Very impressive and a lot of really amazing craftsmanship.

HINT – Double click on the picture and then click it again to see it full size (should be around 1024 pixels wide)

All I can say is that it really is worth the visit.

So – after a run – what else is a boy to do but have a bit of food…

This is the view from the back of the hotel where there is a little beach and the restaurant. Very civilized with the smell of hooka pipes and all that. Of course all is not perfect in paradise. Ordered Thai Chicken & cashew nuts. Got something that would have taken prize of place in a Hong Kong eatery. Too much (should there be any?) sugar and very dark. Not really Thai. Also liberal use of MSG so one to avoid for next time. Nice place though so injury softened

So there you are…

Away on work in Abu Dhabi. You are a lazy sod couch potato who’s done nothing for the last month. You’ve just done a good days training. You know you have another hour to do to finish off something. Do you:

a) Go to the bar, drink a few beers, have a meal, get back and fret about doing stuff

b) Go to the pool, take advantage of the bar, have a few beers, have a meal, get back and fret about doing stuff

or…

c) Wear the temporary insanity hat, put on your running shoes and go for a quick trot around the block? Oh – and it’s 27 deg C.

Well dear reader – as I’m writing this and the spelling is almost good, logic would deduce I didn’t go for A or B. It was tempting, it is Sunday after all. But I was strong. I let the madness take over and did the running.

Now – I’ve see guys running over here and to be honest I always thought they were crazy. Now I’m happy to confirm they are. Having done it – I really can say, with no shadow (and that would have been something lovely to have had along the way) of a doubt – they are crazy. It’s hot, it’s bright, it’s dusty but one thing it isn’t is humid. And therein is somewhat of a cautionary tale…

For anyone doing exercise in warm places from whence you come not – check the humidity. If it’s dry – you won’t feel the temperature. You will underestimate it by a good few degrees. You will sweat a lot and you just won’t notice. Be warned.

Now – about the run – the route is all roads and has maybe 1km along the river. On the river are all sorts of jet skis. As it’s the locals that tend to be on the jet skis, you are presented with something of a cultural contrast i.e. big noisy wet bikes being ridden by guys in dishdash. But these guys can (mostly) ride.

OK – really – about the run. It’s a slog. Point out. But it’s a slog that benefits. And that’s kind of the point…

Sometimes you have to run because you have to run. Not for the pleasures of the view or the freedom or the air. You just have to run because when you finish you know you will feel good. Not during the run but afterwards. Knowing you have put some effort into it. Knowing that you kept going in the face of “the slog”.

Be happy, Be proud – you did it

See – told you I succumbed to the crazy.

Route is here

This one sounds strange and looks probably worse but it tastes really good. Also – it’s easy to adapt and change to whatever you have available as long as you have eggs, tomatoes and some soy sauce…

Funky Eggs (probably something else in other cultures)

Serves 1 or maybe 2 as a starter?

Ingredients:

• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 2 Tomatoes, in 8’s
• Wok oil
• 2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped

 Now for the Funky bit…

• 1 Chicken breast, sliced into strips
• Soy Sauce
• Few splashes Rice Wine Vinegar
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 6 Tbls Porridge Oats

Method:

Heat oil in wok, add garlic, leave for few minutes. Add chicken, soy, vinegar, pepper and cook chicken until it’s done. Note sauce will reduce and go a bit thicker. Also – you could always marinate chicken first in same mix. Whatever works

When chicken is done, throw in tomatoes and stir around for a while until the tomatoes look to start cooking (maybe a minute or so?). Add the oats, stir and then add in the eggs. Stir to get everything mixed together, allow eggs to cook and then serve.

Nice to put some tabasco in their or a splash of Worcester sauce etc.

Then eat while warm.

Yup – it looks maybe not the best but it certainly tastes good and is low carb as well as filling.

It’s often thought that gamers are the “yoof” of today. It ain’t so. It ain’t even the 30 somethings anymore…

The lady in this link is 86!

Serious Gaming…

There is a lot to be said for this. Gaming keeps the mind active, the fingers nimble and the reactions quick. And in any event – I want to do this if ever I get to that age.

Maybe if the lady used Just Dance with the KINECT that would be amazing.

So – kid can’t get to school ‘cos of snow. I takes a day off to look after said kid. Then what?

Turn on laptop to send mail to say I have to take day off. Find I have a little time to look at a problem that has been bugging me, work on problem, talk to very nice problem helper in Houston, problem becomes solved and no longer a problem. Time is now morning +4 hours and become lunch.

Bugger.

Moral of the story is?

Sometimes it’s good to fix things when you are supposed to be not fixing things:)

Happy now

For some reason and I don’t care if he’s a good president or not – I like this guy:

Jose Mujica

As leader of a country that I know little about or indeed would be a “power house”, this guy I think has a lot to offer other world and probably industry leaders. Share wealth, enjoy life. His life story is fantastic and probably will end up being made into a movie.

Mr Cameron, Mr Obama, Ms Merkel et-al – have a look at him. Talk to him, understand him. Maybe tell your cabinet to do same. Maybe tell your captains of industry that they could learn a bit as well.

Ok – I’ll get off my soap box but maybe even if we tried to be a little more like this guy…

A simple and easy pudding, made a little special with the sauce (and it’s another one of Ching’s).

Ingredients (Pudding):

• 425g Fresh or Tinned Mangoes (inc. Syrup)
• 450ml tinned coconut milk
• 100g Caster Sugar
• 20g of leaf gelatin (soaked in water and squeazed) NOTE – do this AS well as what is in the instructions

Ingredients (Sauce):

• 50ml Golden Syrup
• 50ml Freshly Squeazed Orange juice
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 Star Anise

Method:

Puree the Mango (and syrup if from tin). Add coconut milk and sugar and mix until sugar dissolved. I used a hand blender for all this, can do it all in one bowl and it makes it all light and fluffy.

Now – the gelatin. Measure 50ml of hot water in a measuring jug and add the soaked gelatin sheets. Stir until it dissolves and then add to the mango mixture and stir well. I messed up here – the gelatin just became a mess so I add the whole into the mango mix, put that in a large pan and very gently heated the whole until the gelatin melted. I didn’t boil it – just heated it. I do not know what happens if it boils. I suspect the world will end or some such – so don’t do that!

To serve this, you can either put the mixture into individual bowls or use one big bowl etc. It’s your party. In any event – it needs to go into the fridge for at least an hour to set and chill.

To make the syrup, place all ingredients in a small sauce pan, stir and bring to boil. Boil for a minute (infuses the flavours) and then leave to cool. Transfer into a small bowl or jug and put in fridge to cool. Leave for at least 20 minutes.

To serve…

Pour some of the syrup over the individual pots or all over the whole thing – sort of depends on what you are doing. You can always give your eaters the pleasure of doing it for themselves. Again – it’s your party.

Ching suggests also to serve with some tart fruit e.g. raspberries and a bit of mint and possibly some crush pistachios.

In any event, this is a good, easy dessert that will score big and more to the point – it can be made before had. Big win.