Category: Readers Articles of Interest

Preparing Body and Soul for thee Year Ahead

 

 

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PREPARING  FOR THE YEAR AHEAD

 

ex07We probably all ate too much over Christmas and the New Year and some of us possibly drank too much alcohol as well. February is therefore, not surprisingly, the peak time for gym membership as individuals sign up in an effort to lose those extra pounds. The gloomy dark winter days are brightening now as we gain two more minutes of daylight each day, and we look forward to spring. Some people do suffer from these dark days of winter and that is understandable, but happily it is possible to take steps to improve the “well-being” you feel and it is not difficult.

So let’s consider looking after our body and soul for the year ahead, and let us begin with our bodies. Wenvoe What’s On has regularly carried articles about the joy of walking, and cycling. We all know that ex03exercise is an excellent way of keeping fit and healthy and shedding the odd pound. The gyms and fitness centres are there as well and the Western Leisure Centre in Ely is just over a mile from ex01Wenvoe. For those who need a private fitness centre the Copthorne hotel at Culverhouse Cross has a gym and pool and welcomes non-residents.

Linked with fitness is a good diet and this subject is covered in very many books. But it is easy to summarise the essential point which is that we should all eat a balanced diet; that is to say a daily intake of fruit and vegetables, high fibre from bread and cereals and dairy products with reduced fat. We should generally eat more beans and pulses with two portions of fish a week, and less red and processed meat. Take aways and ready meals are generally to be avoided except as a rare treat.

fruitThere are three foods which are particularly good for you. First – eat an apple every day. The old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is apparently Welsh in origin and it holds true today. As one of the most cultivated and consumed fruits in the world, apples are continuously being praised as a "miracle food". Apples are extremely rich in important antioxidants, flavonoids, and dietary fibre. The phytonutrients and antioxidants in apples may help reduce the risk of developing cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Secondly the Mediterranean Diet which is largely based on vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, cereal grains, olive oil and fish is proven to give good health including a healthier heart. A recent study found that people following a Mediterranean diet had a 30% lower risk of heart disease and stroke. Details of this diet can easily be found on the web or in a book from Wenvoe librmuesiliary.

The third special food is Muesli which was developed by Dr Bircher-Benner a Swiss nutritionist who in 1900 developed a dish based on raw rolled oats and other ingredients including grains, fresh or dried fruits, seeds and nuts, and may be mixed with cow's milk, soy milk, almond milk, other forms of plant milk, yogurt or fruit juice. This was given to patients in hospital to speed their recovery. It proved a great success and is now mass produced and can be bought in supermarkets or made at home.

The last line in looking after the body has to be to ensure good sleep. People often find this more difficult as they get older. Exercise certainly helps, as does sleeping with some fresh air in the room; but if all else fails try a herbal tea like Camomile or “Sleepytime”, the latter is sold by Beanfreaks in St Mary Street and pretty much ensures a good eight hours.

In looking after the soul – this does not necessarily mean going to church – though that can certainly be part of it. It is a matter of seeking spiritual well-being. This includes connecting with others – friends and family or even through sport and club membership. It means keeping active and getting out and about, and possibly learning a new skill or hobby or taking up adult education such as an evening class. Finally there is the need to “give” whether as a volunteer or just as a simple act of kindness, and always be mindful of the needs of others whether family – friends or strangers. These things together should bring nourishment to the soul.

 

 

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Further Musings of A Political Teenager

 

PLAY HARD, WORK HARD

2016:- A Summary. Welcome to 2017!

Aexamst the beginning of January 2016, I sat my first Year 11 GCSE exams which let’s just say hadn’t exactly gone to plan. I was too worried about my failure to gain my sought after marks in January that it spooked me. For the first time in my life, I fully understood how much harder I needed to work. By April I had done my Grade 7 Acting LAMDA examination, earning myself a Merit in my penultimate grade. By my May birthday, my looming exams were finally upon me, the two years of course work finally leading up to the real things. I won’t lie – they terrified me. Honestly, at some points I’m surprised I didn’t go insane, yet quickly enough by late June I was done.

The rest of June and July came and went; a holiday and quality time with my family a staple for the summer. Late July and early August meant another holiday with cousins – which luckily went off without too many hitches (no one ended up in the hospital, so I’m counting it as a win!). Then came the day – Results Day. Even the name sounds intimidating, and I still have a few years left of suffering…

Yet I was okay. My exam results weren’t all what I was hoping for – yet there’s no way I could have complained. Passing all of my exams, with 2 A*s and 5 As to show for as just a few of my results was a highlight for sure. The worry was over and the delight at my GCSEs was able to fully sink in

September meant a new start – Sixth Form. As hard as it seems even now (I was unfortunately too overwhelmed for 4 subjects, deciding now that 3 A Levels would be more sensible for me) I’m glad I’ve embarked on the journey – you can see my English Literature and Language clearly come into play! ;P – it means the chance to study subjects I enjoy, and gain hopefully a place in a University studying subjects I also enjoy. You’ll hear me complaining non-stop about being tired and overworked (I just looked and it seems I may have 7 exams in the Summer…) but I feel I needed this experience to gain further insight into what I’d like to do – and where I’d like to do it.pubspeak

November meant a new role as part of a Public Speaking team through the medium of Welsh. Despite our surprise, we managed to make it to the South Wales final and were lucky to receive the chance to speak in a Cardiff Government building.

December came with its own challenges: being sole Editor of the School’s newspaper meant more overworked hours with the excitement of people not doing their work on time! *hint the sarcasm, people. Yet it came with its rewards; it meant a newfound respect, not necessarily from those in the school – I feel like the older students didn’t want to impair their ‘cool kid’ demeanour – but further for myself. I complained to hell and back, yet I surprised myself yet again with the amount of work I was willing to do – almost three months of no work over the summer makes you forget how hard you really did work – and also how much I cared. The first issue was finally released and I could go back to being the overworked student again rather than an extremely stressed editor for the rest of December. I received my certificates for my GCSEs and did my Grade 6 PAA Musical Theatre examination, filled with fear – and me having to sing a song all alone; ‘When You’re Good To Mama’ from Chicago nonetheless! Musical Theatre gained me a Distinction and Christmas and the New Year made me reflect on 2016.

Despite its universal issues, personally 2016 has been an eye-opener. It’s shown me that working hard really does get you further in the world. It’s also unfortunately taught me that I write far too much in essays… perhaps that will be my New Year’s resolution? But no, I don’t think it is.

I believe that maybe my New Year’s resolution is to take less for granted and to give myself more credit. I’m too easy to reconsider my achievements as flukes. I highly doubt I will turn into a narcissist within 2017, but perhaps a little more acknowledgement of what I can achieve may be the key to a happier Tirion this year.

Happy New Year to you all – whether you stick to your New Year’s resolutions or not, I hope you make the most of the year ahead.

Tirion Davies

 

 

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More Musings of A Political Teenager

 

PLAY HARD, WORK HARD


Smells Like Teen Spirit

 

Being a teenager is hard

I’m only a few years into my teenage life and already, I can see it’s becoming, increasingly, a tougher challenge to face as the days pass by. It’s hard enough being a teenager, puberty knocking down your door and having certain restrictions; throwing in some exams makes life that much worse – and that much harder.

Teenagers have the hard job of revising, and trying to keep social. Universities these days decide that we need to have the right qualifications, by staying indoors with no human interaction to study, and spending every waking minute on studies; whilst we must also make sure that we have things to put on our resumee, like extra-curricular activities we shouldn’t have enough time for. Telling me to ‘take some time off every now again’ is easier said than done, because according to everyone else, and educational boards, I ought to be a robot. But that’s not what they want either. Still with me?student01

The expectations put upon us make the heavy load harder to bear. You’re set a target each term – if you have a bad target, you’re expected to be able to get better; if you have a more-than-achievable target, ‘the teacher thinks you can achieve it’ and so you must. But there’s never the question of do you think you can achieve it? It’s always a given, and so help you if you fall short.

Being a teenager (and a young one like myself), has its restrictions. Work experience? You must be at least 18, don’t you know the rules?! It’s infuriating. There’s the aspect of politics too. You are unable to vote at 16, but can legally have a child. What is the difference between deciding our political future – it is our, isn’t it? – and caring for a child? I would presume the latter is harder. You’re legally unable to earn minimum wage at a job until age 16, and unfortunately, there’s still the unlikely chance that you might not have time to have a job at 16.

The ‘grunt’ is one my mother in particular likes to overplay. It’s the mimicking that parents do when they shout at you and you, annoyed, shout back ‘OKAY!’ and they continue to use it as a soundtrack to your life, and mentions the ‘teenage phase’ to possibly anyone they see. Nope. I am not someone who continuously has their headphones in (actually, I do that. I like my music.). I’m a teenager. Who’s continuously tired of working so hard from such a young age for exams and work that I could be doing when I’m older and more capable.

Being a teenager is hard. . . . . . .

 

 

 

 

Musings of A Political Teenager

 

 

PLAY HARD, WORK HARD

Being 16 means that the ability to vote over the decisions made in our country is currently unavailable to me. It’s unfortunate that I was unable to voice my opinions in a more political way over the summer than simply conversing with those who’d voted in the Referendum. Yet I suppose there must be a reason why I am unable to vote at 16.voting02

Although I was unable to vote over the summer – and subsequently (though for continental reasons) the recent Presidential Election in America – it cannot stop me from having my own political stance. I have strong beliefs and given that I was unqualified to voice them, I could talk for hours to my peers about my beliefs and the outcome.

I wish I had been able to vote. I wish the UK had lowered the age as they had done in Scotland; yet I cannot ask for too much. I must instead accept the vote and understand that perhaps my vote wouldn’t have changed the outcome. I suppose I feel frustrated simply because I am unable to make any sort of difference. However, perhaps my having a personal political stance has made some difference – it means that by the time I will be able to vote, I might make the choices best suited to what I wish for my own future.

So, don’t despair youth of Wenvoe! Although we can’t vote, that doesn’t mean we can’t have our own opinions.

Therefore, for the meantime I’ll have to brush up on my political knowledge ready for my turn at the voting station.

 

By Tirion Davies

 

 

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