Tuesday, 11 January 2011

Kick-Start Diet Watch This Space

I have been blogging my experience with the Kick-Start Diet (I will post it at the end with weight loss results) and so far I am on Day 4... 3 more to go.

This is a hectic experience and I warn you, if you have a busy work day i'm not sure if this diet is for you. I am in my last week of holidays and can't imagine going through this detox and diet while running around. It is hard. Mentally and physically taxing. I tried writing something witty earlier and I wrote "Throughout the day I have been through a lot, today has been a hard day through and through..." I stopped there.

Will post something from my past soon... just need to get my Modem up and running again...*cough* holiday dust *cough*

Sandy Bigara
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Saturday, 8 January 2011

Facebook Address

Hi all, my facebook address is incorrect in the article below, this is the correct link: www.facebook.com/sbigara/ Sorry for any inconvenience and Thank you for all the friend invites!

Take care,

Sandy Bigara
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Friday, 7 January 2011

When Dreams Become Arrogance

I'm sitting at the Doctor's rooms post-Dentist visit, and thought it would be a great opportunity to blog : )

I was just wondering... when do we cross the line? we are encouraged from pre-school to College to 'dream big' 'live large' 'go big or go home' 'reach for the stars' but when does dreaming big turn into arrogance? for instance, I sing; I was given a personal tour of the ICC in 2007 by the security manager, as he showed me the different function rooms ending with the new Indoor Show Arena, I half jokingly said to him "I will sing here one day" his reply was "Of course you will, if you work hard and believe it, it will happen. I will see you here" - I was touched by his response to my verbalized dream, grateful that he didn't shoot me down into a deep sar-chasm. And now, in 2011, it looks like I might sing there at an expo... it would be awesome.

Now, in jest-ish, messaging my old friend Jenny Clarkson (arguably the most incredible classical pianist I have ever performed with) who lives in Sydney, I said that when we move there the two of us should perform at the Sydney Opera House. Is that too much 'dream'? is that too high? is it arrogance or deep wish? i'm not sure, the lines get blurred. I only know this - without dreams that seem impossible, without grasping feeble fingers at wisps of 'i hope' can we move and drive ourselves towards completion.

What do you think? Find me on Facebook and tell me: www.facebook.com/sdbigara/

Sandy Bigara
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Thursday, 6 January 2011

Kick-Start Diet from Yahoo

Hi guys, I snurched this from Yahoo, give it a try. We are.
(yahoo7.com.au/todaytonight)

Sandy Bigara


"This is a short-term eating plan followed with a healthy diet may help people who are overweight to kick-start their weight loss.

Below you will find the recipe and seven-day eating plan for stage one of the Kick-Start Soup Diet.

The Kick-Start Soup Diet recipe
(Enough for one person for two days)

Ingredients
3 tomatoes
2 large cans of crushed tomatoes
2 cans of liquid stock (beef, chicken or vegetable)
2 cups of water
1 packet of vegetable or French onion dry soup powder
1 bunch spring onions
1 bunch of celery, including leaves
2 cups of green beans
3 green capsicums
1kg carrots
2 stock cubes (chicken, beef or vegie)

Method
1. Chop all the vegies into small pieces and put them in a big pot with the remaining ingredients.
2. Add salt and pepper (not too much salt).
3. Boil rapidly for two minutes and simmer until it is nice and tender.
4. If you want it thinner add a bit more water.

Have as much of the soup as you want, whenever you want.

Seven-day eating plan
The quantities recommended are per day.
Avoid toast and cereal for breakfast while on this plan. Stick with the recommended foods for each day.
You should only follow this seven-day eating plan for a maximum of three times in six months.

Day one
SOUP AND FRUIT: Eat any fruit except bananas because they are high in kilojoules. Eat as much as you want. If you do not want soup for breakfast, have a fruit salad instead.

Day two
SOUP AND VEGIES, NO FRUIT: Eat as much fresh, raw or lightly steamed vegies as you like. Leafy greens are great but avoid peas, corn and beans as they are high in sugar. Reward yourself at night with a jacket potato, a little butter or better still, some yoghurt.

Day three
SOUP, VEGIES AND FRUIT: Eat all you want but no potatoes.

Day four
SOUP AND BANANA SMOOTHIES: Make a banana smoothie with low-fat or skim milk because it is a great source of potassium. Have a maximum of three large bananas per day.

Day five
SOUP, BEEF AND TOMATOES: Eat a piece of lean beef or a skinless breast of chicken no bigger than a deck of cards with six luscious tomatoes. Vegetarians can substitute tofu. These quantities are per day. You can go easy on the soup today.

Day six
SOUP, BEEF AND VEGIES: Eat plenty of beef (or skinless chicken or fish) and vegies today. Again, vegetarians can substitute tofu. You might not need soup as much but your body will tell you. No potatoes.

Day seven
SOUP, BROWN RICE, VEGIES AND FRUIT JUICE: You might need more soup today.

Remember: do not eat any bread, fried foods or oil on the seven-day plan.

Drinks
While on the plan, do not have any soft drinks or alcohol.

You can drink unsweetened fruit juice or cranberry juice; black, green or herbal tea (you can have skim milk with black tea); coffee; skim milk and plenty of water - six to eight glasses a day.

Side effects
Because you're not consuming many carbohydrates, some may find the glucose in their bloodstream becomes too low, causing hypoglycaemia.

This can cause a range of symptoms, such as headache, sweatiness, anxiety, irritability and drowsiness.

Don't worry, it might sound awful but it's easily fixed.

Have a sandwich with whole-grain bread, a slice of low-fat cheese and a bit of ham but no butter or margarine. Vegetarians can try a low-fat cheese and tomato sandwich. But only have a maximum of one sandwich per day.

If these symptoms occur repeatedly consult your doctor.

What happens now?

By the end of the seven days you may have lost as much as 4-6kg, if you haven't put on those walking shoes and gone for a daily walk you won't have lost as much.

If you lose more than 6kg on stage one do not attempt the stage again for a few months. Go on to stage two.

You should only follow this seven-day eating plan for a maximum of three times in six months. Once you've reached this maximum take six months off the plan and follow the low-GI program.

Once you've completed the seven-day eating plan it is time to move on to stage two - a long-term, low-GI eating plan.

Before starting any new eating plan you should consult your doctor to see if it is right for you, particularly if you are taking any medication.

Stage two

While stage one of the Kick-Start Diet brings rapid weight loss, stage two begins where a lot of the carbohydrates you have been avoiding can slowly be returned to your diet.

Get information on stage two here: yahoo7.com.au/todaytonight

''Disclaimer
The information on yahoo7.com.au/todaytonight is made available for information purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Also, the accuracy, currency and completeness of the information is not guaranteed. Yahoo!7 and The Seven Network do not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the information.
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Wednesday, 29 December 2010

An Old Poem I Found

I found this scrap of paper today, at the back of my drawer.
A torn piece of A4 white typek Paper with a centralised verse typed onto it. I realised that it was a poem that my sister Tracy wrote when she was between 10 and 14 years old. I've held onto it since 1994-8 not so much for it's content but because of the raw talent and beautiful style it possesses - read it - you'll agree that it is a beautiful free verse poem.
I only hope that my talented sister is still writing!

"Could it be the one I love,
The one man, the only man that satisfies me.
My lips are dry, my eyes are drenched, is this what is to be?
The honey has grown stale, and my lips know it;
Let them teach my weary soul, for it doesn't understand...
They say I've got gifts beyond the human border,
I've misplaced them. and they live no longer in my soul.
With every tear that splashes onto my chest, I feel freedom.
Then why am I behind bars.
I don't understand the word,
Lines from my jail make it hard to see.
My faith is crushed, but I know you...
Break me from my jail free.
Set freedom in my heart,
Build up my faith with the blood of Christ,
Like glue between broken porcelain.
Dry my eyes and moisten my lips;
With the Word which will be like fresh honey to me.
Let any tear that stumbles from my eyes,
Be rather for the weary at heart than for me.
For the blood of Christ has again and again set me free"
Have a great day


Sandy Bigara
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Monday, 27 December 2010

A Contented Christmas : )

Change is as good as medicine, maybe better. Except when you go on holiday and your body has a distress freak out and you end up with laryngitis, and your look like swamp thing (me at the moment) but back to my point…my Blog layout. It has changed. If you hate it let me know otherwise the change is here to stay…until I get bored again.

 

Christmas Eve was fantastic! We made it to Shanyn's without any major catastrophe and were amazed at how much trouble she went too – the table, the food, decorations, everything – I was super impressed – all of that on the hottest day ever. Ever. Ever!

 

Well, I ate Gammon like a pig, Chicken, Potatoes…you name it and I ate it. Pudding was the most delicious Chocolate mousse ever. Ever. Ever! After opening presents we headed home quite late and were all passed out by midnight.

 

Christmas Day… wow. We had originally planned on a relaxed 9am present opening but with a child in the house we managed to eek our way to 7am.

My Gran, Mom, Step-Dad, Husband, Daughter and Baby all filled our lounge with ripping paper, squeals of delight and general chaos until the presents were opened. Savanna is in heaven!

We all went to a lovely Church service and then spent the day resting and even fitted in a long cat nap (as a family of four we all seem to sleep at the same time in the afternoon – what a blessing!) and in the afternoon we had a stunning, tasty chilled out braai with my Mom and Step-Dad at their place (next door) all together it was one of the nicest Christmas days.

 

Boxing Day was also amazing; we were spoiled with an incredible lunch at my Aunt Terri and Uncle Leigh's home in Hawaan Forest Estate. The food was delish! I am so heavy! Kelsey slept the whole way (what a star) and Savanna was an angel.

 

This is one of the nicest Festive Seasons we have ever had. Blessed our socks off!

 

Hope that your New Years Eve celebrations are safe.

 

 

Sandy Bigara

Sunday, 26 December 2010

History of Boxing Day

Snurched from www.pauldenton.co.uk

BOXING DAY

Boxing Day originated in England in the middle of the nineteenth century under Queen Victoria. December 26th, or Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and other Commonwealth countries. It is spent with family and friends at open gatherings with lots of food, fun, friendship and love. Boxing Day is so called because it was the custom on that day for tradesmen to collect their Christmas boxes or gifts in return for good and reliable service throughout the year.

Boxing Day is also St. Stephen's Day. St Stephen was a little known saint who achieved eternal fame by being the first Christian to be martyred for his faith by being stoned to death shortly after Christ's crucifixion.

The traditional celebration of Boxing Day included giving money and other gifts to charitable institutions, needy individuals, and people in service jobs.

The holiday may date from the Middle Ages (A.D. 400's--1500's), but the exact origin is unknown. It may have begun with the lords and ladies of England, who presented Christmas gifts in boxes to their servants on December 26. Or it may have begun with priests, who opened the church's alms (charity) boxes on the day after Christmas and distributed the contents to the poor.
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Tuesday, 21 December 2010

UShaka isi uKaka

After realizing that if we all stayed indoors for one more day, we would kill each other. We opted to stressfully pack a picnic, cozzies and toys, ignoring the light drizzle...and we headed off to Rayz World @ uShaka. Beeg mistake.

The 20minute journey took over an hour (thank you Western Province) and after parking in 'Parkade B' (uShaka Slang for 'the parking section we have not paved or looked after at all') we paid R15 and walked for three days and two nights till we reached the side entrance behind Moyo.

We were so desperate for the loo by this stage that we hightailed it passed the shops until we found the loo, you know it, it's the only loo in uKaka, I mean uShaka. Well, it seems that 2010 was not kind to the loo's at uKaka. The stats look like something out of news24... 7 out of ten taps are not working. 5 of these are wrapped in gladwrap to stop the leaks. 6 out of 10 toilets do not have: Handles, Locks, Toilet paper, Toilet seats, 1 out of 10 toilets have the sanitizer pad box on TOP of the toilet seat...covered in gladwrap (is there a water tokoloshe that is trapped in there?) I tell you this, since I braved a longdrop in a Zimbabwean township in 2002 - I have not had to 'hover' over a sticky, smelly toilet seat. Come on uShaka, it's tourist season.

Rayz World - a great idea. My only complaint is that children are not given an ID tag, they should have a Parents contact number and code number, the parent should be given the same code number. We lost Savanna a few times and it was quite stressfull! The Island Treasure Snack Bar is manned by the most unhelpful ladies I've ever met. After standing ignored for 5minutes (I stood and watched them pack shelves and wipe the counters... I was the only one there waiting to be served) Feeling like a tarnished treasure...I walked across to the River Lounge to be told that they only sold coffee...and only accept cash - which these parched parentals only found out, once we had excitedly ordered our cappucino's :( The rushed, overcrowded KFC got my money.
The snacks bar had no prices up. You're looking at spending R12.50 Filter coffee. R16.50 Cappucino. R14.50 Cafe Latte. R10 Single Espresso. R20 Double Espresso. Cash. Only.
I am quite shocked at all of the above, we don't often have time to enjoy our touristy spots, but when we do, I really expect the standard to be higher.
From the children's perspective, Savanna and Kelsey have had fun, the playground is safe and well thought out. Kids are easily lost from view and you'd have to visit a few times to enjoy all of the playground. Next time we'll pack a picnic for all of us.

Sandy Bigara

The following is taken from my Husband’s Crit: posted to his Facebook Notes:

“But Rayz Kids World – wow there is nothing like this in Durban. I dispute their claim about being the largest kids play area in Africa. Have they really visited every kids area, in Africa?? It’s not that big but 10 out of 10 for trying. I am a fairly diligent dad yet I lost my daughter at least ten times while we were there. Who knows where on the myriad of tunnels, climbing contraptions, nooks and crannies, and overhangs she was at any one time. As a parent you really can’t keep track of your child properly and have to continually walk around the whole play area as if micromanaging your kid. Add to that all the other children and parents. And further add that there are performance areas for live shows, closed TV rooms (Lazy Lizzard Movie Shack), Builda Block LEGO play areas, painting/activity areas and a toddler play area in the Duzi River Lounge. All of these fantastic facilities are open to all kids all the time (and whoever else may be lurking around). If your kid runs off somewhere without telling you – GOOD LUCK to you!! I don’t recall seeing any CCTV cameras and I am not totally convinced that the gate staff will stop anyone walking out with a kid or even a bigger kid on their own.

I don’t know how long this facility has been open for – nice idea. But it seems as if adults designed it with adults in mind. Kids don’t look after themselves, they have minimum discretion, and no idea about danger. Parents if you go to Rayz Kids World, one of you (probably dad) will be on your feet the whole time.

Maybe I am just a little jaded, in Australia these kind of areas are free, open access public areas, fenced in and secure. You can see your child from any one point in the park meaning a stressless and relaxing time. And the public facilities are a better quality and better design.

Good news though, because there is so much to do and to see at Rayz Kids World you can easily spend 3-4 hours there and still have to come back for more. For only R40 entrance fee, that is good bang for your buck. Oh and there are no other hidden costs (or crookery) like R40 entrance fee BUT you must pay for the rides or pay for entrance to specific areas or access is for only 15 minutes. Rayz Kids World seems to be really about giving kids a place to play. Now that is impressive. These days everyone seems to want to capitalize on a captured market. Rayz Kids World is potentially a stunning facility for ages 2-8 though I will think twice about bringing any kid under 5 – just too much PT for the parents.

Management: Tighten up the security, get rid of the nooks and crannies and make everything visible to the parents from one spot, i.e. the Duzi River Lounge. You want parents to be there and buy coffee don’t you? Look in the photos I took, where are the parents? Oh, and bye the way, your staff look and behave desperately unhappy. I will leave that in your presumably capable hands to sort out. Fix your website, it lies.

Parents: bring a few hundreds in cash, you will need it for food and drinks or you can be smart and bring your own picnic. Take sun block, you will burn in Durban’s summer whether you can see the sun or not. And lastly try not lose your children. It is scary and stressful. In one turn of the head they could be climbing on another contraption and out of sight.

Peace to y’all over this Christmas period.
Francis Doherty-Bigara www.facebook.com/fdbigara ”

Monday, 20 December 2010

A Facebook Status Fairy Tail

On Facebook I decided to start a "Status Fairytale" by just writing the words "There once was a…" I typed it and left it to stew… this is the fairytale that unfolded – I think it is quite succinct!

Gotta love FB :P

There was once a...missing sock and no matter where Nicole looked she could not find it. It was a sock that belonged to a pair of very special favourite socks. The socks who lived in the sock drawer were so sad that the remaining sock would be banished from the land of sock drawer. The sock's sobs and tears could be heard and felt beyond the sock drawer all the way to Toy Box Land. Stinkerbell the somewhat smelly fairy came to the rescue.
"Come with me to missing Sock Island and together we will seek far and wide for the missing favourite sock…" and Stinkerbell sprinkled magic grated parmesan on Nicole, and together they went outside and took a cab to the airport. The magic parmesan worked like a dream and soon they were flying, because with SAA you need all the help you can get. This time, there were no overbooked flights, so the two of them got on the first flight out. The plane's engines roared to life and the pilot steered them past the Onetime plane's fallen engine, past the Onetime plane that was on fire, and positioned his plane at the start of the runway.
"Close your eyes" said Stinkerbell, as she took a swig on the tiny Gin & Tonic that cost her R30.
"Next time you open your eyes, we'll be somewhere else!"…

Unfortunately, that somewhere else turned out to be Heathrow which, due to the weather was closed, as were Gatwick, Luton and every other airport in the Northern Hemisphere. (Santa is used to the dodgy weather and flies by Reindeer who land... on roofs, not runways.) But sharp's the word and quick's the action, and with a sprinkle of magic parmesan, Stinkerbell whisked them back to the warmer climes of Nicole's darkened kitchen, having realised she had no idea where Sock Island was. But things then took a bit of a twist for, tucked away under a counter, stood the washing machine, and faintly, coming from behind the closed door, could be heard raucous cheering and merry-making. Nicole risked a peak through the closed door. To her shock she spied the missing sock ... and every missing sock she had ever lost, partying as if there were no tomorrow. They weren't worried about being banished; they would resist returning to the narrow, restricted world of the sock drawer to the last thread!

Thanks to:
For this literary gem!

Friday, 17 December 2010

The Dentist - Part II

Ouch!!! We have to go back for fillings :/ small ones. Lots of pain.

Sandy Bigara
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