Recommendations

A brief list of interesting stuff I’ve found useful (with links).

Below is a miscellaneous list of books, apps, websites, food ideas and more I personally recommend, which you may find useful too.

Links to each recommendation are in the titles.

App: Blinkist Learn, various topics

I’ve heard it said that it’s harder to get a job at Blinkist than it is to get into Harvard. This is a genius app for non-fiction book summarising. There’s a freemium offering, which delivers a pre-chosen read daily or a monthly/annual subscription if you want full access to the 000’s of book titles available. You can read or listen, with 91% of members saying they’ve created better reading habits. There is a comprehensive subject matter list; whatever you’re interested in, it will be there. If you want to learn about the life-cycle of an eel, help your mental health, discover the history of sushi, have a better understanding of quantum physics or be a better boss, this app is for you.

Food: Mindful Chef Learn to cook, eat well

What sets this recipe box company apart is its ethical ethos. Every meal bought means a meal donated to a child in poverty. They also invest in regenerative farming practises, have carbon labelling and are on a drive to be carbon neutral by 2030. Mindful Chef is slightly more expensive than other providers, but if you select the vegan options (which tend to be the tastiest), you’re looking at £6.50 per meal for the two people option. That’s a restaurant standard meal at a fraction of the price. They have 20 recipes each week and I’ve rarely seen the exact same one come up twice. The subscription editing is user friendly too.

Book: In Your Prime by India Knight Learn (and laugh)

With unashamedly immature humour and forthright honesty, this book is a must-have for every woman entering her late 40’s and 50’s. There’s no-nonsense advice plus anecdotes that will have you laughing out loud. The book, originally published in 2014, stands the test of time.

Online News: Celebitchy Read gossip and news

Ahh, my guilty online pleasure. However it’s not just about celebs, gossip or bitching. Since its inception in 2006, it’s developed into providing uncompromising insights into gender & colour bias. The women writing the articles are educated and astute; they know their audience and have grown into their roles. They predominately report on UK and US news with the odd dabble into Europe and Australia.

Article: Goop Learn, health

I want to hone in on one particular article, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, which was published on the Goop site. Do you know 80% of women, whether they’ve had children or not, will suffer some level of prolapse at some stage of their lives? Yep, that’s 80% of half the world’s population. It’s rarely talked about and it’s pretty much avoidable. The article is written and reviewed by two PhDs and leans towards the scientific angle in terms of writing.

Website: Rowing Stronger Exercise articles & videos

This site isn’t just for the rowers amongst you. It’s full of advice on strength and conditioning training with visual examples.

YouTube: Aram Training Exercise videos

Now this really is for the rowing nerds. Beware, he goes in deep on his selected subject!!

Newsletter: Teresa Dellbridge Mind health, spiritual

What do you mean you’re not interested in moon astrology, fairies, solstice or spirit companions? I appreciate Teresa isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but do give her a chance. She’s fantastical but gives gentle sensible advice for self-care. There have been moments when her newsletter has landed in my inbox and given great comfort in times of deep sadness (for instance when my beloved dog Ralph suddenly died). Teresa is a beautiful soul bursting with kindness, which perhaps is something we should be encouraged to invite into our lives more often. Subscribe to her newsletters which can be found on her website contact page (you won’t be overloaded as she doesn’t write them often).

YouTube: Tara Brach Mind health

I love this woman!! I go through phases where I want to work on my self-improvement and then I’ll leave it for a while (this tends to follow the pattern of ‘blow-up’ – do my work, ‘calm’ – yeah, I’m all good). Tara has such a soothing voice, she instantly calms me when I’m stressed. Even though I’m usually too hyper for still meditation, she somehow manages to coax it out of me. However this site is more than meditation; she helps give insight and advice on your non-beneficial repeat behaviours. Her YouTube videos are the place to go although you may find her website useful too. And listen out for her story about a friend and Paul Newman, it’s priceless.

Book: Why Do You Overeat? When All You Want To Be Is Slim by Zoe Harcombe Learn dietary

I wish this book was called something else because it isn’t just for people who overeat or want to be slim. This book is for anyone who has food cravings, mine having been sugary things. At last I understood why I was eating a large bar of chocolate/pack of Jaffa cakes every afternoon, intermingled with various bags of Haribo and biscuits. And with knowledge comes the power to control. Well not quite. I knew what I had to do but I struggled to follow the diet. I eventually overcame my inability to control my sugar cravings and this book was the important first step in the journey. (See my post about being hypnotised for my sugar addiction). Link to Daily Mail article on Zoe’s book is here.

App: The Pattern Astrology (no wait, don’t skip this!!)

Don’t be put off if you equate astrology to Mystic Meg or crude Uranus jokes. This app is so consistently accurate, it will make you question why planetary movement on human behaviour isn’t a science. The app puts astrology on a whole new level; it’s not full of wishy-washy spiritual vagarities. Instead it has proven for so many, myself included, to be an uncannily precise predictor of moods and behaviour. So much so, that when I’m feeling down, stressed or not understanding other people’s behaviour around me (or my own), I’ll check the app on the Today feature and there will be the explanation.

I don’t understand how it works but it does. It has also profiled me, using my date and time of birth, with such accuracy, the FBI would be impressed. There are things I didn’t recognise about myself until I read them; the good, the brilliant and the small (!) character flaws I try to hide. Everyone I’ve introduced to this app has been impressed. And for some, they’ve been begrudgingly persuaded there’s something in this planetary influence. The app is free, you’ve nothing to lose by downloading it, so give it a try! It can only be a good thing to understand your own and other’s mood swings.