Writers’ Ways 7: Collecting information The new year is a great time to plan for the writing year ahead. We need to give ourselves time when we can sit down and put our thoughts together.
Research Everyday acts of kindness We are all aware that it is good to be kind. New research has found that, as well as benefiting to the person you are being kind to, offering an act of kindness has benefits for you too.
PKU The dogs of change Dog sitting has helped me realised how quickly we can adapt. Change may happen quickly or slowly, but we can adapt to either.
PKU 100 in June 2021 June was a busy month for the PKU family as we ran, cycled, walked, planked, push-upped our way towards International PKU day.
Brain Injury Dizziness after brain injury Dizziness can be hidden behind other injuries at first and can even interfere with treatments. When you are finally up and moving around, dizziness can be very isolating.
PKU 100 for PKU The campaign aims to get people active by setting a target to hit this month. Your target is 100. 100 km cycling or running, 100 minutes exercising, 100 push-ups, 100 lengths of the pool, 100 hula hoops-a-hooping... The possibilities are endless.
PKU PKU awareness month 2021 PKU Awareness month has been difficult for me. My adherence to diet has not been great. It is odd to admit that I’m over 40 and still find myself sneaking food.
Brain Injury Fatigue after ABI: boom and bust Fatigue caused by an illness or injury is known as pathological fatigue. This isn’t the same as simply being tired...Pathological fatigue is always there.
PKU PKU ‘Fish’ fingers When I asked my friends for their recommendations for my first ‘fish’ finger supper, the reply was ‘I haven’t had those since I was 10.’ There is no reason for fish fingers to be a child only meal, we face too many food restrictions for that nonsense.
Brain Injury Research & changes in sport related ABI We should be using the phrase ‘sport related ABI’. This is because ‘particularly for neurodegeneration, it is not really about concussions, it is about knocks to the head.’
PKU Four quick ‘school-night’ dinners Quick, easy dinners to satisfy the taste buds and the PKU diet. Three of the recipes are Phe-free. The last has 2.5g Phe per adult portion with option to add more if needed.
Writing First income as an author This income wasn’t from directly from book sales nor from my publisher. Rather it came from secondary uses of my work.
Brain Injury Change and neuroplasticity Just as a brain injury survivor can find hope in neuroplasticity, so can someone rebuilding during and after the pandemic.
PKU PKU and non-PKU lasagne in the same dish. The need to double up on meals is a common problem for people with PKU. Hence a 2-in-1 lasagne. A single dish with one half PKU lasagne and the other non-PKU lasagne.
PKU Tips for PKU and non-PKU pasta I once knew a Frenchman who insisted that pasta cooked without salt and oil was an abomination. I tried it, and can confirm that both PKU and non-PKU pasta benefit
Writing Dear New Zealand, I want to tell you what we have learned so far. It will get worse before it gets better. Just because someone is being a dick, it doesn’t mean you should be a dick too.
PKU Spring into spring with easy lunch ideas With spring just around the corner, I’ve dusted off a few easy recipes to ‘spring’ out of the lunch rut. A PKU friendly Waldorf salad for those days when the sun comes out between the clouds. A protein free Mac & cheese for the days when we need a bit of comfort food, and quick soups.
Brain Injury Follow a plan, not a feeling: Finding a way out of low mood. Even with the promise of a better feeling ahead, it can be difficult to drag yourself into an activity when in a low mood. This is where the research meetings helped me.
PKU PKU friendly recipes: carrot soup, and chewy ginger cookies If you are a PKU batch cooker, then these Low-phe & Phe- free recipes are easy to scale up and fill the freezer or cookie jar this weekend.
PKU PKU and being ‘Hangry’. I can usually see when others are hangry, but it can be difficult to spot in myself. At least, difficult to spot before I say something I regret.
PKU Resolution redux If you have struggled with the changes, remember that by simply paying attention to what you are eating you are already making a difference. The habits and effects will come.
Brain Injury New Year, New Book It is unnerving to send a story out into the world, but I’m grateful to see that is has been well received: “Incredibly vivid... this book will be of great benefit to professionals, survivors and their families alike.”
Brain Injury Art and Music Therapy in a Pandemic The use of music as a reabilitation tool alongside other therapies had never occurred to me. Elizabeth Nightingale, the Neurological Services lead at Chiltern Neuro and Medical services provided an introduction to this fascinating field.
PKU PKU at Christmas This blog post has a plethora of links and I hope that some of them inspire you to a more PKU friendly Christmas.
Brain Injury Living with Mild Brain Injury, a memoir “Incredibly vivid... this book will be of great benefit to professionals, survivors and their families alike.” Dr Neil Parrett. Consultant Clinical Psychologist (Neurorehabilitation)
