One for the road...

Abstinence makes my consumer heart grow less wronger?

Whilst I have been burrowing my head in the sand of deep church I notice that the blog world has been pulsing with debate about the southern baptist decision to abstain from alcohol [John and Helen both have good posts on this].

Now I'm not southern baptist, or baptist from any other point of the compass [i was going to say I'm not even American but due to an accident of birth i hold dual citizenship] so what on earth has this got to do with me.  As I read the posts and comments on christian view on alcohol and whether to abstain or not, I'll tell you what I thought...

'How dare any institution ,or any person for that matter, tell me how I should live my life!  If I want to drink alcohol then dammit, I will!  And what's even better is I can think of bible verses to back me up'

What I wanted to do was write a long post ridiculing people who lived by such legalistic notions and celebrating my freedom to do what I want, with some of those good sounding bible verses thrown in and then go for a pint or two...

But the more I thought about the more I find myself trapped in my own prison, in which I am the jailer - I am not really free I am self obsessed, selfish and unable to accept that anyone would want to deny themselves something - such that i feel i have to assert my right to do what I want free of all restraint.

Is practicing abstinence really such a bad thing?  In a consumer dominated world, when i can have what I want when I want it at my convenience - that I have come to expect this as my right?  Maybe if i want to start detoxing from the effects of my consumer addiction praticing abstinence is in fact a good thing?  Certainly if i was a recovering alcoholic for instance the southern baptists would sound an ideal church for me to go - maybe as someone who is as touch with his consumption as an alcoholic is with their drinking I need to go along as well?

Not that I know any southern baptists, which is a shame, but if I did I wouldn't offer them alcoholic drink if they came to dinner out of respect of their convictions, i wouldn't meet them in a pub either, in fact i wouldn't try and drink alcohol in front of them out of respect for their practice.  So why should I start now on the internet telling them they are wrong - when i am reacting out of my own wrongness and self addiction?

A weighty matter...

namely me! Yes along with thousands I have decided this year to commit to loosing weight.  At the weigh in yesterday I was 14.2 stone, 90 Kg or 198.5 lbs - which ever way you cut it, for my 6ft 1 height I am overweight [in the red]...

Apart from being overweight on the charts I also realise my fitness really tailed off last year, having Daniel, moving house, other distractions etc saw me barely go for a run at all!  And although I have a walk to/from the station for work, working from home means I don't do that every day either.  So as well as loosing weight I want to at start going for a run at least once a week...

I'd like to loose 30lbs or  2.2 stone in a year - this will see me hit the mid point of the healthy weight for my height but more importantly in the year of my 10th wedding anniversary it will see me back at my weigh in weight when I got married - which will be a nice present for both of us :)

I thought I might do a weekly weigh in/fitness account here to keep my motivation up and my trips to Mc D's down :) so if you're one of those who are also embarking on this journey then feel free to join in the fun or not :)

That's my commitment for the year, how about you???

Chrisitianity - a call to tend and serve creation (including the animals)

Jason Clark has this awesome post on: Is Christianity Irredeemably Speciesist? Basically how man exploits animals and justifies that exploitation - and whether christianity has been co-opted to that exlpoitation...

Next to the rise of the feminist movement I think the single other biggest movement to have arisen over the last few decades has been the animal rights one - both movements have valuable things to teach the church, not least in the areas of mercy, justice and humility.

I wrote here how I feel as christians we are called/comissioned to tend and serve creation not just exploit it for our own ends.  That tending and service includes how humanely we treat the animals as well as the atmosphere etc.  Whilst I still see a place for eating animals or having them help us in our labours I think we need to be concerned about factory farming conditions as christians in the 19th century were concerned about factory conditions for workers...  No treat animals as things is to exploit says much about ourselves and our own appertites, whilst to restrain ourselves, to pay a higher price for healthier, safer conditions that we raise animals is recognise that role of tending rather than just consuming.

I therefore heartedly commed the Meatrix site as a clevel culturaly relevant way of finding out more about the impact exploiting animals for our own consumption and have put the Meatrix clips below for you to view...

Meatrix

Meatrix 2

Meatrix 2  1/2

Some beery good news for us men...

Yes its made the top 10 of healthiest types of food for men... here's the list now go chow down...

1. Garlic
Garlic may be smelly but it has anti-cancer compounds, is antibacterial and has decongestant properties to keep coughs and colds at bay, plus phytochemicals that help lower cholesterol and prevent blood clots. You can add it to practically any savoury dish, or pop a whole clove of garlic in the oven. Roast garlic is soft and can be spread like butter but has a more mellow flavour.

2. Tomato Ketchup
Tomatoes are rich in the antioxidant lycopene, which is important in helping to prevent heart disease and many cancers – especially prostate cancer. Lycopene is even more potent in cooked tomatoes than raw ones, so adding a dollop of ketchup to those fries isn't a bad idea. However, because of the salt and sugar in ketchup, it's healthier to add tomato puree to a stew or casserole, or eat tomato soup or tomato-based pasta sauce.

3. Broccoli
Folic acid can lower the levels of an amino acid in the blood called homocysteine. High homocysteine levels are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Broccoli is also loaded with vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium and a phytochemical called sulforaphane, which helps reduce the risk of cancer. Mix it into pasta sauce, cover it with chilli sauce and have with noodles.

4. Oily Fish
Fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and herring contain essential fatty acids, like omega-3 and omega-6, which have been proven to be beneficial in preventing heart disease, some cancers, arthritis and depression. Mackerel is an especially rich source of selenium.

Research at Cornell University found that those taking selenium supplements (200mcg daily) had 63 per cent fewer prostate cancers and a 39 per cent lower cancer rate overall. So try to have oily fish at least twice each week, whether it’s tuna sandwiches, a grilled salmon steak or a rice dish such as kedgeree.

5. Potatoes
Good old spuds! Cheap and cheerful, boiled or baked, they never fail to fill you up. They’re also packed full of vitamin C, along with lots of other vitamins and minerals. Eat the skin for fibre and go easy on the chipped variety!

6. Steak
Red meat is a great source of zinc, vitamin B12 and iron. Zinc is involved in hundreds of body functions, from producing DNA to the sense of taste. Vitamin B12 also has many functions, including energy release, and iron is essential for carrying oxygen from the lungs all around the body. If you're working you need to get these nutrients. But choose leaner cuts of meat and avoid cheaper products such as burgers and pies, as these are very high in saturated fat. Try not to eat red meat more than three times a week.

7. Milk
Low intakes of calcium have been linked with heart disease, colon cancer and osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is not just a disease that affects older women – one in 12 men now suffer from osteoporosis, so it’s vital to have an adequate calcium intake. Choose semi-skimmed or skimmed milk for a low-fat source of calcium, with protein too.

8. Nuts and Seeds
Nuts are crammed full of vitamins and minerals. Brazil nuts are especially high in magnesium and selenium – an antioxidant that helps prevent heart disease and cancer and protects prostate health. Sprinkle seeds such as linseed or flaxseed over your cereal to pack in more goodness, snack on a small handful of nuts instead of crisps, or top your toast with peanut butter.

9. Bananas
This fruit will boost your energy as well as your potassium levels. You need potassium to regulate your nerves, heartbeat and blood pressure. Bananas can also be useful hangover cures after a night on the town!

10. Beer
That’s right! Beer contains phytochemicals that have been shown to help prevent heart disease. It may also aid digestion by encouraging acid production in the stomach, and moderate (yes, moderate) alcohol intake as part of a healthy diet is associated with lower incidence of heart disease.

This doesn’t give you licence to become a lager lout! Remember that these effects are only seen in moderate drinkers – that’s no more than two units per day (one pint of beer). High intakes will undo all the goodness, so try not to get carried away!

South African Supper!

Well I had totally top nosh last night and heh I promised by wonderful hosts and occassional blog readers that I would write a full review so Trent, Caryn, this ones for you...

"It is always with much anticipation that I enjoy checking out the latest  in cotempory cusine and sice Reading is sadly not known for its top dining bar a handful of standout specialists it was even more mouthwatering!  South African  food is something that I seldom have which after last nights dinner is at a loss to me -  South African wine is something I can never have too little of - perhaps I can persuade the missus to move to Cape Town, or T&C to move back to their "lock & go" as their pad is called - so I can knock and go I guess!

First thought the ambience - very modern, very minimal, I was going to say very white but debs pointed out that it could be seen as a political comment.  A blank canvas on which the palette can be painted on with out distraction by the delicious flavours of the food, not to mention the lovely complementary house wine - SA of course! Although to be fair the table cloth and napkins added a spalsh of dazzling colours...

The views across the London road were not of London  at all but something more exotic, a chinese which keeps very interesting opening times, a front for a money laundering operation - dim sums perhaps - so specualated our hosts and part time police informers.  All this added an air of glamour and mystery to the evening despite crushing the back up plan of chinese on the way home if the evening didn't work out...

But no back up plan was needed. The attitude of this husband and wife team was first rate too, conscientious, caring, relaxed and relaxing -  we could almost have been eating in their home, ok so we were! 

But before I get on to the food I have to compliment our hosts for their child friendly policy - nathan refusing the travel cot and sleep was a very well behaved bed time bandit but still he was treated like a special guest as well - his every belly flash much enjoyed and he was able to take over both car counting and chinese takeaway covert surveliance freeing us up to eat...

Stuffed sqush was delicious, and the squash was all the way from SA - very authentic.  Very filling too but I still found room for two - well squash this good I had to make hay whilst the sun shone!  It had a delicious tomato and onion sauce, which compliomented the tangy cheesy chicken and sweet squash flesh.  A light side salad and crispy potatos rounded up a delicious main course.   So filling as well I knew I would have to open my emergency stomach for pudding...

Again it was another SA dish that I have never had - and why not I demand - tis a national scandal!  If Trent's speciality stuffed squash was stupendeous, caryn's milk tart was magnificent!  A bit like bread pudding without the bread is the closest I could relate it - but that would be taking away from it - it stands in a class apart!

Overall top company, top conversation and top courses!  catch this experience whilst you can or one day you'll find it locked up and the owners gone... 9/10