3 Ways to Self-Care

Self-care is all about looking after yourself to promote your wellbeing through both attitudes and actions. While focusing on meeting expectations, working towards goals, and seeking to excel both professionally and personally, time for self-care can sometimes be squeezed out. In a world where technology makes us contactable pretty much 24/7, self-care is ever-important in giving us time to take a break and have some quality “you time.”

1. Have a good laugh!

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Pexels.com

My first suggestion for practising self-care is having a good laugh! Watch your favourite sitcom, watch a funny film, or go see a comedy show (there are no excuses for not doing this if you’re in Edinburgh during Fringe season! If the first show you go to doesn't make you laugh, you can be sure that there'll be several other comedy shows happening in the near vicinity!) Hanging-out with friends is also a good call. I can't think of a time when my friends and I don't end up laughing together whatever the circumstances.

Why is laughter good?

It brings people together, improves your mood, and it’s also a natural painkiller

2. Utilise mindfulness 

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

A second idea is to do add mindfulness into each day or week. Mindfulness is a brilliant way to practice self-care.
Originating in the East linked to Buddhist meditation, it is now practised a lot in the West too. Mindfulness is all about being in the present and helps to lower stress and worrying.
Psychologists and medical doctors have created secular mindfulness courses for a number of clinical conditions, but research shows that mindfulness is really effective for everyone to practice and there are now many apps which have mindfulness sessions. If you don’t like apps, a quick search online will give you some mindfulness ideas and tips.
The body scan is a good one to start with.
The great thing with mindfulness is that it can easily be incorporated into your day, you might choose to do it first thing in the morning, or last thing at night. At my work, those of us in the office do a short mindfulness session after lunch which is great for setting us up for the afternoon.

3. Unplug from technology

Photo by Jonas Svidras on Pexels.com

Another way to give yourself some self-care is by allowing yourself to unplug for an hour
Escape the pings from social media, the ringing of the phone, and the emails by putting your phone on aeroplane mode for an hour.
This gives your mind a chance to focus on something important to you uninterrupted. 
In this time, you could read a book, catch up on a podcast, or go for a walk and enjoy the peacefulness of nature.I love to go for walks along the coast or along woodland trails. Do, however, make sure you turn off aeroplane mode at some point. Recently, I put had my phone set to that mode for a period before I went to sleep but forgot to switch it off in the morning and missed an important phone call!
Overall, the best type of self-care is when you develop little habits of self-care for each day. This helps to ensure you are able to be your best self, living and working to your best capability.

@HelenCRedman

Originally published on www.mentalhealthintersections.wordpress.com

wellness

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Change is anew!

Change is anew - from now on I'm rebranding the blog to Helen's Healthy Living! The blog will now include more posts about general healthier living and wellbeing.

Since creating another blog, Mental Health Intersections, I thought I'd start cross-posting some of the more wellbeing-focused posts to this blog. I will also be sharing some positive psychology quotes and general motivational quotes to inspire your path to healthier, happier living!

Promoting healthy living and overall wellbeing is something really important to me and, with the exception of art, is probably what I'm most passionate about just now. 

Join me on the journey by following me on here and on Twitter @HelenCRedman. I'll also be continuing to post my foodie posts on Instagram on @HCRinstacam but more quotes and cooking/self-care tips will be added to this.

"In every day, there are 1440 minutes. That means we have 1440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact."
Les Brown

<3

About

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It is well into summer now and what better lunch to have on a sunny day than a tasty salad? (I may be a bit biased, of course, as this is my own recipe…) This salad is packed full of protein and will leave you feeling like you have had a proper lunch not just some leaves - some people seem to think is the sole constituent of a salad!

Chicken breast provides lovely lean protein and Puy lentils provide plenty of fibre as well as plant-based protein. The salad also has baby kale which is my new addiction. I love traditional kale, too, but the baby variety is perfect for salads. The addition of pepper adds some sweet crunch to the salad. The salad is quick to assemble but the chicken will have to be cooked in advance. I had chicken curry on Sunday and while I was cooking the curry on the hob, the chicken for the salad was cooking in the oven. This made it perfect for knocking up this quick salad for lunch on Monday. You could easily have this salad for a light dinner too.

Recipe (serves 1)

For the chicken:

• 1 chicken breast
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Olive Oil

Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken, drizzle with oil and wrap the chicken in foil.
Bake the chicken in the foil for 25-35mins at 200C. (Make sure it is white throughout and piping hot in the centre.)
Leave to cool and then refrigerate

For the salad:

• 1 serving of baby kale
• 1/4 of an orange pepper (cubed)
• 80g Puy Lentils (I often use pre-cooked lentils for quickness but the dried lentils are cheaper and can easily be cooked up and used to make a salad for a couple of days, just store it in the fridge.)
• Herb chicken breast (sliced)

Dressing:

• Extra Virgin Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar

Assemble the salad on a plate loosely layering the baby kale and lentils before topping with the chicken and pepper.
For the dressing, simply combine equal amounts of the oil and vinegar to make a simple vinaigrette. You can omit the dressing if you wish.

TIP:If cooking lentils from scratch, cook the lentils in vegetable stock rather than plain water to add extra flavour. Add a bay leaf too as it adds great flavour.

Hopefully the sun is out when you make it so you can enjoy it with the sun streaming down on you as you eat it like I did!

Have a great day,
Helen x

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For more of my foodie-adventures, follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
This post is adapted from an earlier post on my archived blog when I used to put annoying watermarks on my photos...

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Copyright©HLDCblog // Helen Redman 2015-2018.

Lunch

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5 Fish-Friday Meal Ideas

Fish is a great, protein-rich, ingredient for cooking with and when better to cook it than on "Fish Friday". Why is Friday a popular time to eat fish? It apparently stems back to Catholic and Christian tradition not to eat meat on Friday's for religious reasons. Instead, fish was eaten. I think, also, that the term "Fish Friday" has become popular because it has a nice, alliterative ring for marketing purposes!

I personally eat fish whenever I fancy it and have been reducing my meat-intake generally to have a more vegetarian diet. Fish will not be leaving my diet at any point soon, though, it's too fun to cook with. Since I enjoy it so much I am going to share 5 different meal ideas based around fish.
First up, we have a light-meal option: Tuna pitta bread "pizza"

1. Tuna pitta bread "pizza"

This is super simple to make and is great for lunch. Just toast a wholemeal pitta bread, spread on a layer of tomato puree, and top with cooked, flaked tuna. Serve with some refreshing chopped cucumber.

TIP: If you'd like to make it into dinner, use two pitta bread's and serve alongside a nice leafy salad with sweetcorn, cucumber, olives, and fresh tomatoes.

If you like this idea, why not check out this other pizza-style lunch option

Next up, is a delicious salmon dish

2. Balsamic-glazed salmon with roast veg

I just adore salmon, when cooked just right, it has such a lovely melt-in-the-mouth texture and tastes wonderful. To make this I baked the salmon in my usual way which is wrapping the salmon in a parcel of foil drizzled with olive oil and topped with freshly ground black pepper. To make the topping, simply drizzle ready made balsamic glaze over the fillet and sprinkle dried dill over the top. For a spicy kick, add some dried chilli flakes too. Add sliced baby plum tomatoes and strips of red pepper to at the sides of the fish fillet and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Gather the foil at either side and scrunch together at the top to construct a makeshift parcel. Cook the salmon in a pre-heated oven set at 180C for 18-20 minutes. For the roasted sweetheart cabbage, sliced the cabbage into 'rounds' and place onto a greaseproof paper-lined baking tray. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle on a little sea salt. Cook at the same time as the salmon but give the salmon a few minutes head start. Make sure everything is cooked through and piping hot before serving.

Thirdly, here is a tasty take on the classic seaside British food, fish n' chips

3. Breadcrumb-topped cod with sweet potato fries

The mixture of traditional fish and chips component, cod, with sweet potato fries is perhaps a bit like a British-American fusion! As well as the sweet potato fries, I served with a baked tomato and steamed garden peas for a colourful and nutrient-rich meal. There is little explanation needed for the cooking of this meal, just top the cod fillet with breadcrumbs (I use a grater and the heel of bread loaf for this) and dot some butter over the top before baking. Cod takes a little less time to cook than salmon so bake for around 15 minutes. It will be piping hot, firm to the touch and opaque when cooked.

TIP: Mix in some parsley with the breadcrumbs for additional flavour.

Another idea is this really satisfying meal I came up with the other day when I fancied curry but also fancied tuna and didn't have any rice. Enter, my quirky creation of tuna curry with spaghetti.

4. Tuna curry  

After tasting this experimental dish, I totally intended to jot down the recipe but in my enjoying of the food, it slipped my mind... Basically, I steamed 1 small onion, a handful of fresh tomatoes, and some garlic powder in a microwave steamer then added half a carton of tomato passata along with a generous sprinkling of turmeric, 1 tsp mild curry powder,  some cumin, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Finally, I added flaked tuna from a tin and microwaved on high till everything was hot throughout. I served with cooked pasta but rice would be the more traditional accompaniment to this. I have to admit, though, I did really like the curry-flavour with pasta.

Finally, here is a nice summery dish packed with goodness!

5. Steamed haddock on a bed of superfood grains 

Superfood grains are one of my store cupboard essentials since the ones I buy are ready to eat (or can be heated in just 1 minute) and are a properly nutritious food source being a good source of plant-based protein, carbs, and fibre. The combination I use most often is quinoa, pearl barley, and wild rice or lentils. For this meal, I combined the pre-cooked grains with a carton of chopped tomatoes, a touch of garlic, and herbs in a pan until heated through. Once heated through, add in some spinach which should wilt with the heat. Since white fish has a delicate flavour, you don't want the garlic to be overpowering so just add a little. For the fish, I placed a frozen fillet of haddock in a microwave steamer with a tablespoon of water and some black pepper and cooked for approx. 3/2-4 minutes on the high setting of my 900W microwave. All microwaves vary, though, so consult your microwave's user guide for reference. Timings will also vary depending on the size of the fillet; it is very easy to overcook a fish in a microwave!

TIP: Add some rocket for a peppery finish

(P.S I'm aware the picture is of salmon... I couldn't find the photo I took with haddock)

These ideas should have given you some fresh ideas as to what to do when cooking with fish. Feel free to use the ideas as a starting point and experiment on your own; see where your culinary creativity takes you! I'd love to see what you create, so it'd be great if you shared it using the hashtag #inspiredbyHLDCblog

Follow my cooking pursuits on my social channels: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
I also share tips on healthy living/wellbeing in general on my social feeds tying in with my psychology of mental health degree!

@HelenCRedman

Lunch

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5 Mid-Week Meal Ideas

5 Mid-Week Meal Ideas

Many people get into a mid-week rut of not having enough time to cook and, as a consequence, their eating habits go somewhat downhill. With this in mind, I thought I'd curate a list of 5 mid-week meal ideas which all have 3 things in common. Each idea is:

• Healthy
• Can be prepared in 30 mins or less 
• Inexpensive 

I think these are particularly important factors for increasing the likelihood of cooking meals rather than resorting to the easily-tempting ready meals or takeaways! I've included both meat-eater meals as well as vegan and vegetarian options. I might do a completely meat-free list in future since I've lately been trying to eat more plant-based meals. For now, I'm still mainly eating a diet with a mix of foods so here's the list of meal suggestions:

1. Chicken and mango curry 

I love this fruity curry. I think I got the idea from a Jamaican curry that I made in a Home Economics class in High School. Growing up, I mainly ate traditional British foods as my Dad is a 'meat and veg' kind of guy and didn't like my mum experimenting with other foods! My mum and I, however, like different types of food so it was nice getting the chance to cook with different ingredients at school. 

Anyway, here's the basic 'how to make it' for the curry. 

Basic how to:

Fry chopped onions, fresh garlic, and fresh ginger in coconut oil (or other healthy oil) until softened. Add chicken breast pieces and curry powder, ground chilli pepper, crushed cumin seeds (or powder), crushed coriander seeds (or powder), and turmeric. 

Stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through. 

Now, add chopped mango pieces, desiccated coconut and coconut milk. 

Let the coconut milk reduce down a bit and, make sure the desiccated coconut has softened, serve with rice.

2. Baked herb-topped salmon with new potatoes and roasted vegetables 

This is a satisfying meal full of a variety of nutrients and including omega 3 fatty acids in the fish. Why not make it on a Friday for #FishFriday? My recommendation of vegetables would be a selection from peppers, mini plum tomatoes, courgettes, green beans, and mushrooms. Asparagus is also great with salmon and is often paired with it in restaurant menus but it's a bit pricier. 

Basic how to:

Top a fresh salmon fillet topped with fresh dill and drizzled with a little olive oil and lemon juice in a foil parcel for 20-25mins at 180 degrees C. Make sure salmon is piping hot. 

Chop the vegetables and place on a foil-lined baking tray. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables so they don't burn. Roast until softened. 

Serve with boiled new potatoes (or 'tatties' as we say in Scotland!)

Tip: Grow your own herb garden as a low-cost alternative to buying it

3. Quinoa and turkey salad 

Salads are great for summer dinners, or lunches, alike. They are also nice in winter, especially if served with some warm ingredients or with freshly baked warm bread. This salad is versatile in that you can choose what salad items you'd like to add, it can be a good way to use up ingredients in your fridge!

Basic how to:

Choose a selection of salad items for the salad base - I went with cucumber, tomatoes, and lettuce. Arrange these on a plate or in a bowl and mix some cold, cooked quinoa through it. Top with cooled, cooked turkey breast slices or turkey steak. 
Optional: Add a dressing - I often eat salads without dressings, but a balsamic/extra virgin olive oil combo is always a good choice in my book. Honey and mustard dressings are also great. 

Tip: If making this in winter to use up roast turkey after Thanksgiving (for those in the US and Canada!) or Christmas, you could use pomegranate seeds as they're a nice festive fruit and it'd add some sweetness to the salad.

4. Omelette with baked potato and veggies

I’m sure some people consider omelettes to be boring, but I love them. They have eggs and cheese – what’s more to love?! (Note: I may have a slight obsession with both eggs and cheese…) The omelette can be filled with whatever you fancy so it’s a meal that can be served often but with a different take each time making it really adaptable.

Basic how to:

Decide what you want to fill your omelette with – cheese, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, peppers etc.

Bake the potato and steam a selection of vegetables

Cook the omelette with 2 or 3 eggs - add the filling when almost cooked and fold the omelette over

Serve with the baked potato and vegetables
Optional: Add a filling to the baked potato - I added cheese because I can't get enough of it! I used a traditionally made, Organic cheese which has a lower salt content than other cheeses. Using mozzarella would be a good option as it is naturally lower in salt and reduced fat versions are available too. 

Tip: Serve with a leafy salad and couscous for a quicker meal

5. Curried superfood grains  (Vegan)

I made this as an experiment one evening when I had a craving for certain ingredients, so I decided to throw them together in a pan! I sort of knew what meal I wanted to eat but didn't have a description for it resulting in experimentation and creating what I'd been craving. As an artist, I do that with art as well - I'll have visions in my mind of things I want to create before I create them. When I first made the Curried Grains, I noted down what I'd used to make the dish. You can find this recipe in an earlier post of mine. 

For more of my meal ideas and cooking inspiration, follow the blog's social channels 
// Instagram
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// Facebook 

You can also follow my newly created personal Twitter account 

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©HLDCblog | Helen C Redman 2018

quick

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Pancakes for Pancake Day!

Pancake Day is here so what better way to celebrate than by eating some pancakes of course!

I currently don't have very much cupboard supplies so instead of making traditional pancakes, I experimented and came up with a new concoction which was pretty successful in my own - somewhat biased, I admit (!) - opinion.

The main ingredient I didn't have was flour but after wondering whether to just go for the not very pancake-y egg / mashed banana mix, I remembered I have a stockpile of oats for my daily breakfast component - porridge! I used crushed oats as a substitute for flour, banana as a natural sweetener instead of sugar, water instead of milk, and an egg. 

Water instead of milk is something I commonly use when cooking with eggs. Why? Well, I love creamy scrambled eggs and a couple of years ago decided I needed to know this secret to perfect scrambled eggs. After some research (i.e. consulting my trusted friend, Google), I discovered that swapping milk for water when beating the eggs is the most effective way of achieving creaminess. 

Back to the pancakes... I added some cinnamon for added flavour as banana and cinnamon is a match made in foodie heaven. I served it with my homemade chocolate sauce and Greek yoghurt. The recipe is gluten free, nut, and dairy free if you exclude the yoghurt topping so is perfect for those with allergies/intolerances. 

Want the recipe? Here goes:

Ingredients:

1 overripe banana (this is really important both for sweetness and texture)

1 medium free range egg

30g crushed oats (microwave ones would be ideal or put some whole oats in a blender for a few secs)

3 tbsp water 

Cinnamon (unfortunately I didn't measure this, it was about 1/2tsp) 

Coconut oil for cooking 

Method:

• Mash banana in a bowl 

• Add the oats and water 

• Mix well 

• Add in the egg and cinnamon and mix together beating the egg at the same time

• Heat a little coconut oil in a non-stick frying pan 

• Put approx 1 1/2 - 2tbps of the mixture at one side of the pan and then do the same at the other side of the pan 

• When the top of the pancakes start to bubble, this is the time to turn the pancake 

• Cook on the other side till cooked through 

Serving suggestion: freshly made chocolate sauce and Greek yoghurt

For more of my foodie pursuits, come find me on my social channels:

// Instagram 

// Twitter

// Facebook

Enjoy the remainder of Pancake Day! 

x 

sweet

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Muffin Pizzas

Muffin pizzas

This is one of those really simple recipes that you might see and think 'what's the point', it's obvious, BUT, I haven't seen one like this before so I thought I'd share anyway. I was craving pizza the other day but unlike the frozen ones I always keeper stashed in my freezer for times like that when pizza is the only answer, I also had fresh English muffins that needed to be used up before I go away for the weekend. I compromised and made this muffin 'pizza' instead. It worked out well and tasted great, a nice alternative to my usual go-to with muffins of topping with poached or scrambled eggs. 

Here's all that you need: 

1 English muffin (I used one with cheese in it for extra cheesiness!) 

2tbsp of grated cheese

Tomato purée 

Black pepper 

To serve: 

Handful of rocket

1tsp French dressing or balsamic vinegar 

Method: 

Pre-heat oven at 180 degrees (fan oven)

Slice muffin in half and toast 

Spread muffin halves with a layer of tomato purée 

Top with cheese

Pop in oven till cheese has melted (about 5mins) 

Remove from oven and grind black pepper over the top to finish 

Serve with a dressed rocket salad. 

In the mood for something sweet? 

Make this with a plain muffin and top with Nutella, or almond butter, and sliced banana. Just toast, no need for the often after. Serve with a dollop of Crème fraîche. 

Mmm, makes me hungry just thinking about it! 

For more meal ideas and cooking inspiration, check out my visual food diary on Instagram: @HCRinstacam 

Snack

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