Living on Back Beach time

By Virginia Winder
After three days fighting a virus, my body has won the battle.That means I'm back to good health and feeling vibrant!
To be honest, being sick is downright boring and a waste of time. Begone illnesses - there is no place for you in my exciting life. Good health, you are welcome and I embrace you.
See that - a positive affirmation slipped in there.
It was pretty easy being positive today.
What glorious weather. No clouds, no wind, just golden sunshine as brilliant as daffodils, or a Canteen bandana. They were being sold on the streets today and there's a cool four square man one and a bright green one designed with help from Lisa Tamati. Good for keeping the sun off my neck while biking and walking.
Went for an amazing walk down Back Beach this afternoon. The waves were perfect for surfing and the bottom carpark was full, but there weren't many people wandering towards Tapuae.
Warren, Xena and I walked to Mum and Dad's rock and then over into the next bay. Warren climbed among the rock pools and I strode to the end of the next point.
It was one of those days when you just soak in the beauty of nature and just be - right here, right now - and feel full of serene joy. Cue angel choir singing and all that.
As I'm writing this, Warren is out cooking the first barbecue of the season, The Rapture is on the stereo, there's a glass of cold pinot gris beside me and I've already made the first Greek salad of the summer (well it feels like it!).
This has been a full day of meeting people, talking to friends, gathering stories and just loving life.
Hey, and good news - I've now lost more than 10kg!

Today, I:

Ate two tiny mouthfuls of Petit Paris tarts (blueberry and hazelnut) and inwardly thanked Fred Laude for making such tiny guilt-free treats!
Drank two Ozone coffees today (mmm)
Drank two glasses of pinot gris
Dranks lots of water
Ate two nutritious, low-fat meals (soon will have)
Walked for 40 minutes on black sand
Slept for 4 hours (couldn't get to sleep)
Worked for 6 hours

Tapuae calling - a walk on the wild side

By Virginia Winder
The wonderful part of walking is that you get to explore beautiful places.
Today, Warren (husband), Xena (dog) and I went to Tapuae Beach.
Even the path to the beach is beautiful because it winds above a stream.
We strode all the way to a carved rock and back, which according to the GPS Warren took, was about 5km.
Saw a man living in a hut by the beach, smoke coiling up from his whare, and it felt like going back in time.
This is a special place with rock-pool reefs, black sand and wild, teal sea. It's also a marine reserve, which is why Warren has to visit it all the time as part of his science teacher fellowship.
He's also doing a blog about it, called Tapuae Calling.
Walking briskly on sand is a good work out, especially for one’s gluteus maximus, which is a flash way of saying "buttocks".
Had an excellent food day and have been doing lots of research into the best carbs, protein and fruits to eat. This comes via the Healthy Food Guide (HFG), an ultra sport magazine and a book called The Complete Guide to Food for Sports Performance by Dr Louise Burke and Greg Cox.
Also found an amusing and insightful story in the Sunday Star Times by HFG editor Nikki Bezzant. It's about how making small changes in the way we eat can make a big difference, especially in losing and maintaining weight.
Researching information is one of my favourite things to do in the world.
Even better is putting it into practice and then sharing it with others.
Will keep you posted.

Today, I:
Ate three incredibly healthy meals (eggs on grainy toast, two different types of chicken salad)
Added a snack (crispbread with Vegemite)
Walked 5km
Slept 9 hours
Worked for 2 hours
Drank more water
Drank 2 cups of coffee

Adding green tea to the mix tomorrow...