JetsetGypsy

Controlling Anger

2009-05-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

"Anger is a negative experience so closely bound to pain and depression that it can sometimes be hard to know where one of these experiences ends and the others begin. There are a number of actions you can take to keep anger from eroding your life.

- First, of course, is to identify anger and to acknowledge it. Build a lexicon for your internal states. Feelings are fluid. You need to stop and capture them in a word, or else you lose them and don't know you have them.
- View your anger as a signal. It is something to be accepted as a sign that some deeper threat has occurred that needs your attention.
- Make yourself aware of the purpose your anger serves. Things that have a negative purpose are motivated by a sense of deficiency.
- Tune into the inner dialogue you customarily have with yourself. If your anger is deficiency-motivated (driven by a desire to rectify a wrong you believe was done to you), work on acceptance. Give up your obsession about the wrong. Uproot mistaken beliefs that underlie your response. Very often anger is the result of beliefs that lead you to place unreasonable demands on circumstances, such as the belief that life must be fair."

- Psychology Today

Controlling Anger

Fashion profile : Lady Amanda Harlech

2009-05-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

Who? Muse to Karl Lagerfeld, head designer of the house of Chanel.

Brings' Lagerfeld’s visions to life. Helps with Lagerfeld’s shows. Brings an outside perspective confirming opinions or suggesting alterations.

Before Lagerfeld, she worked for John Galliano for twelve years as an unpaid muse. Before that she was still Amanda Grieve junior fashion editor at Harpers and Queen magazine. She became Lady Harlech upon her marriage to Francis Ormsby Gore, 6th Baron Harlech, in 1986, with whom she has two children but has since divorced.

Harlech has a permanent suite at the Ritz in Paris, where she keeps her wardrobe of couture dresses. Also has a farm in Shropshire.

From : Beauty and the Dirt

How good are you at regulating your emotions?

2009-04-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

Quiz adapted from The Resilience Factor, by Karen Revich and Andrew Shatte. Use the following scale to rate each item:

1=Not true of me

2=Sometimes true

3=Moderately true

4=Usually true

5=Very true

1. Even if I plan ahead for a discussion with my spouse, my boss or my child, I still find myself acting emotionally.
2. I am unable to harness positive emotions to help me focus on a task.
3. I can control the way I feel when adversity strikes.
4. I get carried away by my feelings.
5. I am good at identifying what I am thinking and how it affects my mood.
6. If someone does something that upsets me, I am able to wait until an appropriate time when I have calmed down to discuss it.
7. My emotions affect my ability to focus on what I need to get done at home, school or work.
8. When I discuss a hot topic with a colleague or family member, I am able to keep my emotions in check.

Calculate Your Results

Add your score on these items:

3 + __ = __

5 + __ = __

6 + __ = __

8 + __ = __

Positive total __

Now add your score on these items:

1 + __ = __

2 + __ = __

4 + __ = __

7 + __ = __

Negative total __

Positive total minus negative total = __

A score higher than 13 is rated above average in emotional regulation.

A score between 6 and 13 is inconclusive.

A score lower than 6 is rated below average in emotional regulation.

If your emotional regulation is below average, you may need to master some calming skills. Here are a few tips:

* When anxiety strikes, your breathing may become shallow and quick. You can help control the anxiety by controlling your breathing. Inhale slowly through your nose, breathing deeply from your belly, not your chest.
* Stress will make your body tight and stiff. Again, you can counter the effects of stress on body and brain if you relax your muscles.
* Also try positive imagery; create an image that is relaxing, such as visualizing yourself on a secluded beach.

From Psychology Today

Pureed Red Pepper and Potato Soup

2009-04-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus a drizzle for serving
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
Salt
4 plump garlic cloves, green shoots removed, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 pounds (4 large) red bell peppers, seeded, membranes removed, cut in large dice
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 pound russet potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled and diced
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf and a couple of sprigs each thyme and parsley, tied together in a bundle
Freshly ground pepper

For garnish (optional):
Garlic croutons (toast thin slices of baguette and rub with a cut clove of garlic)
Slivered basil leaves or chopped fresh thyme leaves

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot, and add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to soften, and then add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes, and stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Stir for a minute or two, until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste has darkened, and then add the peppers, paprika, and another 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the peppers begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the potatoes, stock, and bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste, one to two teaspoons, cover and simmer over low heat for one hour. Remove the bouquet garni.

3. Blend the soup until smooth in an immersion blender, or in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade. Work in batches, and cover the blender lid or food processor with a kitchen towel to prevent the hot soup from splashing. Strain the soup through a medium strainer, pushing it through the strainer with a spatula or the bowl of a ladle, and return to the heat. Heat through, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve. Garnish with garlic croutons and slivered fresh basil or chopped thyme, and drizzle a few drops of olive oil over each serving if desired.

Yield: Serves six to eight

From The New York Times

Too Much Cola Can Cause Kidney Problems

2009-04-27T15:32:00.000-07:00

Results of a study published in the journal Epidemiology found
that drinking two or more colas a day — whether artificially sweetened
or regular — was linked to a twofold risk of chronic kidney disease.

But drinking two or more noncola carbonated drinks a day, they found, did not increase the risk.

The
authors of the study say more research is needed, but their findings
support the long-held notion that something about cola — the phosphoric
acid, for example, or the ability of cola to pull calcium from bones — seems to increase the risk of kidney stones, renal failure and other conditions affecting the kidneys.

THE BOTTOM LINE

There is good evidence that cola beverages can increase the risk of kidney problems, more so than noncola sodas.

From : The New York Times

A Little Alcohol Can Help You Beat a Cold

2009-04-26T14:55:00.000-07:00

The American Journal of Epidemiology, found no relationship between the
incidence of colds and consumption of beer, spirits, Vitamin C or zinc.
But drinking 8 to 14 glasses of wine per week, particularly red wine,
was linked to as much as a 60 percent reduction in the risk of
developing a cold. The scientists suspected this had something to do
with the antioxidant properties of wine.

From : The New York Times

Vacation checklist

2009-04-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

Things to do before you go on holiday.

- The day you leave – don’t’ turn off the air-conditioner as mold and mildew can develop in humid climate.
- Get rid of perishables.
- Unplug your appliances - toaster, coffeemaker, dryer, radios, televisions, and phones not connected to an answering machine can be unplugged – and save electricity
- Turn off water, gas and your water heater. Turn off the water to the dishwasher and clothes washer too.
- Empty trash cans
- Lock all doors and windows.

Tackling a hangover

2009-04-21T14:41:00.002-07:00

Jennifer Harper-Deacon, naturopathic physician :

Your liver performs numerous vital functions in your body including the metabolism of food, drugs and hormones and is the key organ primarily responsible for the detoxification of substances like alcohol. Diet and keeping hydrated by drinking sufficient water between meals (and indeed between alcoholic drinks) are simple ways to support this essential organ. Favour organic alkaline-rich fruit, vegetables and essential fatty acids (oily fish, flax and hemp seed oil) through the week to reduce your toxic load and include some of the liver Superfoods: artichoke, with its liver purifying and protective effects (coupled with the bonus that it has a diuretic action on the kidneys); avocado, a rich source of glutathione - both the liver and kidneys have a high demand for glutathione production during the detoxification process of drugs, chemicals and environmental toxins; potassium-rich beetroot stimulates and strengthens the bowels, thus moving toxins out of the system and supports kidney and liver function and the anti-oxidant spice turmeric, traditionally used in Asian medicine for digestive disorders and liver problems. Add a teaspoon when cooking rice or millet.

As well as the alcohol itself, you may not be aware that drinks can contain other additives, which will not help your situation. BioCare's HepaGuard Forte is an excellent supplement to support your liver's ability to eliminate alcohol (£14.65 for 60 capsules). It contains protective antioxidants in the form of green tea, apple extract and alpha lipoic acid and nutrients such as methionine, taurine and artichoke to promote excretion of toxins. Take 2 capsules at bedtime (11am to 3am is the time that the liver regenerates according to Chinese Medicine).

On rising, favour hot water with the grated zest and juice of half a lemon added, can help your liver recover. Why the zest? From a scientific standing, the peel is considered to contain the highest concentrations of the phytochemicals including limonene, which helps your liver inactivate toxins and allows for their safe removal from the body. When showering, follow the old naturopathic regime of alternating hot and cold water, finishing with a blast of cold to stimulate and detoxify. Grapefruit essential oil not only has a wonderful fruity, uplifting smell that can ease frustration and tension, it has an affinity with the liver, so try the divine exfoliating Grapefruit Brown Sugar Scrub by Soap of the Earth (£16.95 plus £2.95 p&p available www.perfectlypureskincare.com).

If you have had a heavy night and intend on driving to work, I suggest that you consider investing in AlcoSense™ (£59.99 and is available from www.alcosense.co.uk), a mobile phone-sized breathalyser which can accurately measure if you are near or over the UK drink driving limit. Fresh hygiene tubes are available in packs of 20 priced at £4.99.

- The Sunday Times

Fast, Healthy Breakfast Ideas

2009-04-21T14:41:00.001-07:00

- Fruit and Cheese : Grab an apple, wrap 1 to 2 ounces of Cheddar in plastic, and toss 1/4 cup of fiber- and protein-rich walnuts into a resealable plastic bag.
- Peanut Butter Waffle : Instead of dousing a whole-grain or bran toaster waffle in syrup, cut the sugar and boost the protein and fiber by spreading it with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. You can also sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of raisins, sesame seeds, or extra peanuts for even more fiber, which helps deliver the meal's nutrients slowly and steadily.
- Plain Doughnut with Chocolate Milk : A plain cake-style doughnut is usually a better choice than a bakery muffin. At Dunkin' Donuts, for instance, an old-fashioned doughnut has 300 calories, while a corn muffin has 510 calories. Add fiber by eating 1/4 cup of almonds or dried fruit. Instead of coffee, try 8 ounces of low-fat chocolate milk.
- Strawberry Shake : In a cocktail shaker, combine a packet of vanilla or strawberry instant-breakfast powder (look for the no-sugar-added kind, such as Carnation) and 1 cup of low-fat strawberry cow's milk or soy milk. (You can also mix this the night before.) If you have time, use a blender to add strawberries or a frozen banana, for extra fiber, and a scoop of protein powder, such as GeniSoy Natural.
- Morning "Pizza" : You could have a slice of last night's pizza in the morning (it's preferable to filling up on sugar or skipping breakfast). Or you could try a more sophisticated spin: Take a slice of crusty bread, spread it with 3 tablespoons of low-fat ricotta, and add tomatoes. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil (about 1 teaspoon) and a little salt and pepper. Broiling is optional.
- Egg McMuffin : Yes, you read that right. If you must eat fast food in the morning, get an Egg McMuffin at McDonald's. At 300 calories, it's not an outrageous meal. Plus it has a good amount of lean protein from the egg and the Canadian bacon. To trim empty calories, remove the top half of the muffin. For additional fiber, add a fresh orange.
- Cereal "Sundae" : A bowl of fiber-rich bran flakes (about 1 1/2 cups) with 8 ounces of low-fat milk is nearly the perfect breakfast. Make it portable by replacing the milk with lemon or vanilla yogurt and mixing it in a to-go container. Increase the fiber and vitamins by adding 1/4 cup of nuts or fresh or dried fruit, such as chopped pecans or blueberries.
- Huevos Rancheros Rapidos : One of the most portable proteins is a hard-cooked egg, but it has no fiber or carbohydrates. So slice it, then roll it in an 8-inch whole-wheat tortilla with a piece of Canadian bacon or lean ham and, if you like, a 1/2-ounce slice of cheese. Add a tablespoon of salsa for a shot of flavor and a smidgen of vitamin C.

Coffee and honey body scrub

2009-04-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1/4 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon grapeseed oil (olive or canola oil may be substituted)
1 egg white
1/4 cup ground coffee
2 Tablespoons wheat germ
A few drops of lemon essential oil for fragrance

Method
- In mixing bowl, combine buttermilk, honey, oil and egg white; mix thoroughly.
- Slowly add coffee and wheat germ being careful not to clot or clump. Scrub should be smooth and creamy but with slight grit.
- Allow to stand.
- Apply all over in shower or bath using a washcloth or body sponge to aid exfoliation.
- Rinse completely.
- Towel dry and apply moisturizer.
- Chill remaining scrub, if necessary.

Source : National Honey Board

How To Make Bath Bombs

2009-04-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Dry ingredients:
* Baking Soda - 8 ounces
* Citric Acid - 4 ounces
* Corn Starch - 4 ounces
* Salts - 4 ounces (Dead Sea Salts or mineral salts)

Wet Ingredients:
* Water - .75 tbsp
* Essential or Fragrance Oil - 2 tsp
* Oil - 2.5 tbsp (any light vegetable oil will work)
* Food coloring - 1 or 2 drops. (Your color will look very dark in the emulsion, but will be light in the fizzies, so as to not leave rings around the tub.)

1. Blend the dry ingredients : Begin by putting all of your dry ingredients into a big bowl. Glass is best because it is non-reactive. Whisk or pestle those pesky clumps out. You want a fairly smooth consistency throughout the entire mix.

2. Mix liquid and blend dry and liquids together. Blend your wet ingredients together. I usually use a small jar and shake it up. Don't worry about separation too much, you are not going to get a full emulsion. Then, while whisking, slowly add small amounts of the liquid to your dry ingredients.

Try to avoid creating volcanoes : If the mixture starts to foam, you are adding the liquid too fast. Quickly whisk the reacting ingredients into the nonreactive part and you should be able to stop the reaction. I add about a teaspoon at a time. When all of the wet ingredients have been added, you should have a mixture with the consistency of slightly damp sand. It should clump together when you squish it.

3. Mold quickly : Once your mixture is together, you have a pretty limited amount of time in which to get it into molds. To create the giant Soapy Hollow ball of bath doom, I use round christmas tree ornaments that were designed to be filled with goodies. To do a three-dimensional bomb like these, you pack each side, then overfill a tad at the center and press the two sides together.

It takes a little practice to get a feel for how much filling you need, so don't get discouraged if your first couple fall apart.

4. Unmold and let dry : You don't need to leave them in the mold for very long, and in fact can tap them out as soon as you fill them. You can use all sorts of things to make your bombs; muffin tins, ice cube trays, candy molds.

This batch didn't make quite enough for five bombs, and the humidity levels made the batch start to puff up, so I quickly stuffed what was left of the batch into my "bath cookies" mold.

Note: When using things like silicon trays that surround the seltzer mix, or any mold with a lot of details, the mix must stay in the mold until dry, or it will crumble when you try to take it out.

5. Once they are completely dry, store bath bombs in an airtight container or bag. High humidity will make them activate. Because we used oil and water and no preservatives, you want to use them within about 6 months.

The strangest things can make a batch go weird; humidity, room temperature, oil viscosity, the moon rising in the seventh house of Aquarius . . . they are a mysterious wonder.

Essential oils can be found in small amounts at places like health food stores and craft stores often carry essentials and fragrances. Just make sure, if you buy fragrance oil, that you are buying "body safe" oils and not stuff for candles or oil warmers.

From : Instructables.com

Movie night - 7 Pounds

2009-03-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

Every month the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) has movie night for its members. In a country where movies in English are quite rare, I make it a point to go to every month. They serve chips and beer. It's great. I grew up in a Muslim country where alcohol was only served in hotels. So having a beer while watching a movie is

Last month's movie was 7 pounds. I couldn’t really understand what all the buzz was about. I found the movie quite long and very predictable.

The Pursuit of Happyness was inspirational. This one was a bit blah! I give it a 2 out of 5.

7 pounds

2009-03-29T11:58:00.001-07:00

Every month the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) has movie night for its members. In a country where movies in English are quite rare, I make it a point to go to every month. This month’s movie was 7 pounds.

I couldn’t really understand what all the buzz was about. I found the movie quite long and very predictable.

Pet travel

2009-03-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

Got word that we'll be moving to London shortly. So naturally I started working on the details off the move and was a bit stumped when I realised Miss A (the dog) would have to spend 6 months in quarantine on the other side. That's mainly because Ukraine is not a rabies-free zone. Quarantine's not a comfortable situation for Miss A so the only solution was to drop her off at my sister's in Dubai.

Dogs from Dubai do not have to be quarantined in the UK if they're chipped and have the right documents. More info on that here. The only downside is Miss A is going to have spend a minimum of 6 months in the searing Dubai heat.

Bringing Miss A to Kiev from Dubai was easy enough. I contacted Dubai Kennels and Cattery (DKC) who have an excellent reputation for sorting out pet travel. Friends of mine recently brought their dog over from Baku, Azerbaijan to Dubai, UAE and DKC helped them the whole way through.

But coming back to bringing Miss A to Kiev, I got her chipped and updated her vaccinations. Got all this information recorded in her 'passport'. DKC sorted out the health certificate from the UAE government. I bought Miss A a travel box from DKC made according to airline specifications and then contacted the airline to let them know I'd be bringing a dog along with me. On departure day, Miss A came with me to the airport and I checked her in with all my other luggage. And that was it. Super simple.

However bringing Miss A back into Dubai was not as simple. She needed to have her vaccinations followed by rabies test. Once the test results came back negative, there was a 3 month period during which she wasn't allowed to travel. Once that was done, I went back to the vet to get the health certificate from the Ukrainian government.

Dubai doesn't like dogs coming in as checked-in luggage. They have to come as cargo. So although Miss A was travelling on the same flight as I was, she had to be dropped off at the cargo company about 4 hours before take off. And she didn't get out until about 3 hours after the plane landed. DKC had to 'clear' her from the cargo section.

But it's all good now. Miss A's back in Dubai with a new haircut. Had to give her shave to combat the Dubai heat. Her coat will grow back and she'll be in London soon enough.

The Waiting Game

2009-03-06T13:20:00.000-08:00

Today I understood the Ukrainian (and Russian) queueing system. To the untrained eye a Ukrainian/Russian queue may look nothing like a queue and more like a mass of people milling around. That's where you're wrong.

I was at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a Russian friend who of course knows how to work queues Russian stylie. The first thing you do when you approach this mass of people and you can't work out where to join the queue, is ask кто павледнии? (Kto Pasledni) which literally means "Who's last?" That's when a whole bunch of people will turn around and tell you who's in front of them. So you might have the one person standing in a queue but the person in front of him may be on the other side of the room, taking a break, sitting down or generally not feeling like hanging out in a queue.

People in queues have to wait forever by the way. I'm not quite why, but that's how it works and then just before closing time, there's a flurry of activity when 2 people manage to get whatever it is they wanted and the rest have to go home and come back and repeat the process the following day. But more on that another time.

So once you work out where the end of the queue, you have your place. Waiting goes on forever so there's plenty of conversation with the people around you. The only downside is you don't really know how many people are in front of you. You may see only 10 people in front of you and 30 standing around. So you don't know how many of the 30 are part of the queue. And there you were thinking you'd be done in half an hour. Hah!! Try again!!

I spent 3 hours and 15 minutes in a queue today and didn't get anything done. I didn't even manage to get to the counter to ask my question. That's all I wanted - an answer to a question!

Sorry, what did you say?

2009-03-05T13:47:00.000-08:00

Mar's my favourite Russian teacher at uni. One of the first things she told us when she introduced herself was that we'd have to speak up because she couldn't hear very well. Today she told us how it happened.

A few years ago she has a nasty flu that was going around. Something from the East. She was ill for days and when she got better, she found she hearing was messed up. How terrible. But the great thing about her is that there's no self-pity or any of the 'victim' mentality. She just gets on with things. I don't think its what makes her so good (that's just pure ability), but it definitely makes her more interesting because of the way she handles it.

There's 7 students in my class with varying levels of interest in turning up to class. We have 4 teachers and everybody turns up to Mar's class!

Begging

2009-03-04T13:39:00.000-08:00

The financial crisis seems to be taking its toll. Heard that 1/3 of the Ukrainian population can't afford to feed itself.

There's more 'beggars' on the streets. I say 'beggars' because I don't think these people do the begging thing all the time. But every time they see someone who's a foreigner (cos all foreigners have money apparently!) or looks like they have some spare change, they ask for some.

Just got back from walking the dog and about 2 feet away from our place, a guy stopped us to ask for money. It's the 3rd time in 2 days.

That's the worst thing, the most vulnerable people are hit hardest. On my way to uni yesterday, I saw a babushka shovelling snow away from the entrance to a store. She was so old and frail.

She's not the only one. So many old people lost their money when the Soviet Union collapsed. It's just not right. I know life's not fair but it just seems so wrong to have to work so hard when you're so frail. I know most of the beggars including the babushkas on Kreshatik are controlled by the mafia. But sometimes, I can't help giving them money. They remind me of my own grandmother.

Hair colour

2009-03-03T16:57:00.000-08:00

Spotted today on my walk, a lady with bright orange Fanta coloured hair!

I've also seen little old blue-haired ladies in Kiev. I thought that was over and done with ages ago.