It has been estimated that one in five deaths globally are due to poor diets, or diets characterized by inadequate intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and excess intake of foods high in sodium, saturated/trans fats and added sugars 1. Rather than reflect our collective inability to exercise restraint and…
Books I didn’t abandon
It has been said by many authors that books are never finished, just abandoned. Listed below are some books that I read over the last 12 months that I’m really glad that, as a reader, I didn’t abandon. For each, I have included a link to a more detailed review (just click on the title…
Farmers markets: A win for you and the environment
I love farmers markets. I love to purchase food directly from people who produce it. I love the fact that I learn about seasonality; something that, growing up in a supermarket culture, I never really appreciated. I love that I can ask vendors about different ways to prepare the fruit and vegetables I’m buying, or…
My desert island photos
One of my favorite podcasts is BBC Desert Island disks, where guests have to chose 8 songs they would take with them if cast away on a desert island, songs that carry special meaning for them and/or define different stages of their life. Between 2010 and 2019, I worked in Doha, Qatar, during which time…
Ricotta six ways
I love ricotta cheese, simply for the fact that it forms a central component of some of my favorite sweet and savory dishes. So, in no particular order…. Ricotta cream This simple recipe serves as a tasty and welcome alternative to the yoghurt and homemade peanut butter combo that seems to define my late afternoon…
3 passes trek, Nepal
One is spoiled for choice when choosing a trek to do in Nepal. My selection criteria was pretty simple: I wanted to do a longer and more challenging trek than the Khopra Danda trek my wife and I had done in 2017. The 3 passes trek certainly fit the bill. Featured below are some visual…
Strategies to improve your body composition – without freezing your arse off
On a recent trip to Beirut I saw billboards posted all around the city with a picture of a scantily clad lady with a slogan underneath reading – “freeze away your fat”. My heart sank. All those years studying dietetics and advising people on strategies to lose weight had been wasted – all they had…
Hiking in the Accursed Mountains, Albania
In August 2018 I travelled briefly to Northern Albania, a trip which included three days of hiking in the majestic Accursed Mountains. Recently emerging from 50 years of brutal Communist rule, Albania, with its miles and miles of beautiful coastline and absolutely stunning mountain scenery, will no doubt attract an increasing number of tourists in…
Walking (briefly) in the Garden of Eden
In August of 2018, I hiked for 6 days on the Alpe Adria trail, a 43 stage, 750 km marked trail that covers parts of Austria, Slovenia and Italy. The byline for the trail is “Hiking in the Garden of Eden”, thus the corny title of this post. I started on Stage 23 in the…
Getting off the grid in Nepal
In 2017 my wife and I traveled to Nepal in what turned out to be one of the most memorable and rewarding holidays we have ever had. I really hope that some of the photos featured here will do justice to the beauty and diversity the country has to offer. We usually trekked for 4 to 6…
Eat, travel, run 