Fuck it Enough

Today most of us are faced with a constant and fast moving stream of information, ideas, motivation and the less-than-savory-aspects of humankind as we share our lives on social channels. It’s a torrent that is becoming harder and harder to manage, but it’s our new digital reality and it’s fundamentally changing the world in ways we can’t even imagine right now. In the meantime, we’re all working out how WE want to live within the context of this new world and I personally think it’s a fascinating time for humankind. I always have hope we will achieve our best selves in the mix of whatever we face – eventually at least. Sometimes people send out stuff that makes you think, some challenge your ideas or beliefs, and some people share stuff that pisses you off because you are just not in the right frame of mind to hear that bullshit TODAY! Tomorrow might be a completely different situation and the spiritual bollocks of one day becomes the inspiration that gets you through the next. It’s pretty interesting. Anyhoo, one thing that really stood out to me recently – something I have long since lost in the bowels of my Facebook history – was this. A picture of our beautiful world from space. At the top it said: “Rubbish.” At the bottom it said: “There is no away.” That’s it really. Nothing more to be said. It’s really simple and it completely struck a chord with me. But are we getting the message? Do we really understand what we’re dealing with? I mean really? I don’t think so. Recently I was doing some research on the airline industry for work and I came across a story on CNN World, featuring Kishore Mahbubani, who is Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore and a member of the World Economic Forum. He said: the “explosion of Asia’s middle class, which was named by the World Economic Forum’s Agenda Council as one of the ten most significant trends for 2014, is stunning.” In this article, he states that the middle class in Asia is estimated to be at 500 million people today, but that number is expected to reach 1.75 billion by 2020 – a three-fold increase in just seven years. This prediction is considered one of the biggest seismic shifts in human history – with close to two billion middle class predicted for Asia – or 30 per cent of the world’s middle class – all based in my neighborhood. My mind boggles at this number, especially as I’m already feeling the influx of the new middle class today. Like any middle class demographic anywhere in the world, we can only expect this growing community to have the same expectations the West has enjoyed for the last half century. But the West has not done a good job of growing and caring for the environment at the same time. We have not set a good example. So how do we survive nearly two billion new people consuming at the rate we consume within a very short timeframe? Demanding more luxury goods, cupboards full of clothes and shoes, more cars, more white goods, more TVs than a family needs, more space at home, and more plastic shit toys that break within 24 hours of buying them? And then what about food? This is Asia, so one luxury is Shark Fin soup. But another luxury is lobsters – the poor bloody lobsters. Is there any way we can cater for more demand and expect our marine life to survive?  Even perfume! I saw a documentary recently and the future of the perfume industry is catering to a new customer with different tastes – pungent versus delicate. My fragrances of choice may no longer be available because my market will shrink to irrelevancy within the mix of this expected growth. Of course, there are many more things that can be included here, but the fundamental thing that will change is energy requirements – we’re going to need more, a lot more! How can we do it? Well we can’t do it based on our current approach, we know that. We live in a world where there is NO AWAY. It’s dramatic, really dramatic, and we need to change things now, right now, or we’re all screwed. I think this guy really did get it right in his video: “One Guy With A Marker Just Made The Global Warming Debate Completely Obsolete”. I certainly hope we don’t have to live through a Day After Tomorrowscenario before we get the bloody message. With all that said, I know I’m not doing enough and could do a lot more – you? Without the bollocks Andrea

A brand new Jax rocks our world February 13th 2008 When I speak with like-minded Mums – the variety who don’t wax lyrical about the wonders of motherhood and tend to be more open to conversations around the grueling aspects of the early years – one thing that always comes up from Mums with older kids is this: “it gets good from about the age of seven. You’ll enjoy it more then.” When Mum’s started telling me this years ago I wondered how I’d ever make it through the chaos and craziness of the coming years. Then (well, still really) I was dealing with the discovery of children starting fires IN the house, the sitting down at the end of a day thinking “shit, they didn’t die today that’s good”, and the cleaning up of blood thinking how the hell did we avoid a visit to the hospital?  Grueling, and more often than not, Mum and Dad weren’t always having a whole lot of fun. But today, I am pleased to say IT’S ONLY ONE MORE YEAR and both boys will be seven, because today it is Jax’s 6thbirthday. I bloody love this kid. He is a gutsy, charming little dude and he is going to be alright in this life. However, he’s also a massive, argumentative pain in the arse – I mean who knew a five (now six) year old knew so much? “Mum are there toilets on buses?” “Yes love, some buses have toilets – the ones for long distance travel.” “No they don’t Mum. Buses don’t have toilets.” End of discussion. “Dad – what did you say to that man.” “I just told him he was a silly driver.” “No you didn’t – you used the bloody-fucking word, and that’s naughty.” “You’re right Jax, I was naughty.” First Halloween approx nine months “Dad, don’t use the bloody-fucking word. If you use the bloody-fucking word you’ll have no more toys. I don’t use the bloody-fucking word because it’s really naughty, so you shouldn’t use the bloody-fucking word. People who use the bloody-fucking word are soooo naughty, that’s why I don’t use the bloody-fucking word…” (insert eight more uses of the bloody-fucking word whilst claiming innocence here). Please note: if you’ve been reading my blog, the above might sound familiar. It continues to this day. Anyhoo, Lex turned seven in November, and while he continues to be a pain in the arse, we have definitely seen a cooling down of craziness, and well, he just seems a lot more mature. Fire remains an interest area though… grrrrrr. Now six, I’ve definitely noticed Jax becoming a more mature, independent and confident little man in recent months, but we still have the unreasonableness, belligerence and inability-to-reason cropping up now and again. It’s a lot of lot of fun let me tell you. But we’re close, really close. Maximum one more year, hooray! Our little man today Jax is a great little puddin’. He’s easy to hang out with and bloody hilarious. Truth to tell, Steve and I have really enjoyed watching both of the boys grow and come into their own. They’re incredibly different, but equally fantastic, and this world better watch out when they’re unleashed upon it – especially the girls as far as Jax is concerned. He’s going to get a lot of action. So happy birthday my love. This has not been an easy ride for your old Mum and Dad, but we really wouldn’t have you any other way – well maybe a little less argumentative! We love you mate. Yours without the bollocks Andrea 

I follow Chris Brogan– a blogger who got famous for blogging, then wrote books, then did/does all sorts of other stuff, and I like him because he speaks my kind of language – be it life or business. Anyway, he’d probably hate being introduced this way, and I know he’s a lot more, but he wrote a blog about his three words for the year and it caught my imagination. I like the idea of single words encapsulating a lot more than a list of goals – i.e. do more exercise, lose weight, etc… Those sorts of lists just ain’t my thing, and I see positive change as constant evolution. My ‘Fuck it Enough’ Crusade – now officially in its second year – is very much about evolution (inside and outside) and if you’re wondering, FIE continues and will do so until the day I die. My three words are now part of it. The one thing I know for sure is that life changes and then it changes and then it changes again. That constant change typically doesn’t bother me, although sometimes the rollercoaster gets a bit old. However, I also know that if I’m too still for too long, my feet get twitchy! Sometimes change results in the need to take drastic action quickly – aka the re-steering of one’s life back on course. We all get off track. We all get side-swiped by stuff. I’ve been in that boat many times and just think the important thing is being able to recognize when things aren’t going the way you want, because let’s face it, sometimes it’s really hard to see our own lives – even when everyone around us can see it. We’re confusing us humans. Anyways I’ve already written loads about that, and will write more, but I was inspired by Chris’ idea and have come up with my three words: Move, Laugh, Now. Move – that’s all about making movement part of my life, whenever possible. It can be as simple as getting up and stretching (which I do) or taking a break at work and stretching (which I don’t). It’s about walking rather than driving, and my recent addition, riding my bike to work – which I’m loving. I’m a sweaty bitch upon arrival, but I can cope with that, although I can’t speak for my colleagues. Laugh – obvious right, but there are many times I don’t when I should, so seeking more joy across the board is one of my words. Spending time with funny people will help. Now – living in the moment, not stressing about the future, leaving the past where it is, no fear, etc… This is probably my biggest challenge, as I do spend a lot of time in the future, so really hope I can succeed on this one. It took me a wee while to come up with these, so when you have a moment, perhaps you’d like to share your three words if you are equally inspired by the idea? Yours, without the bollocks Andrea

Driving home from Malacca in Malaysia this week – the final leg of two weeks of adventures, combined with some fun in Singapore – Steve and I got our thinking hats on to agree what’s next. I need to have travel plans. It’s critical for my peace of mind. Small travel and big travel, I need plans with both in the mix. When I travel I feel the most alive, because wandering around this great planet is my bliss. While I appreciate that not everyone is as passionate about it as me, I’ve got to do it. It really lifts my soul like nothing else.  And doing it with my three boys makes it even more special – especially my two little guys. They love this world too. So we came up with a combined list (in no particular order): Top of the list – Burma – I refused to go while Aung San SuuKyi was under house arrest, so I’m keen to support it now. I can’t wait to see it’s wonders as it comes into its own Marrakesh – I’m overdue a visit with my dear friend Nathalix Japan to visit Willie – LONG overdue Phuket and Phi Phi – must take the boys to Phi Phi, where Steve and I celebrated our one year anniversary Rawa – a tiny beautiful island off Malaysia – must take the boys snorkeling and canoe around the Island with Steve Sri Lanka – must, must, must Russia/Siberia, but in the summer and keen to do the Trans-Siberian rail journey Mongolia Bhutan Borneo Denmark/Paris/Amsterdam – to visit three of my favorite ladies Norway for a flight over the ice to see polar bears. I’d also want to combine it with the Northern Lights – must see it once in my life Philippines to visit Aunty Vick – needs to be an annual expedition Siem Reap in Cambodia – think the boys are old enough now Iraq – must see the Gardens of Babylon and will be looking for Suddam Hussein’s graffiti Dollywood – have to see it in all of its glory – and plan to mix it in with a Southern States adventure, including a night or two on the town in New Orleans with Steve. We need to do that together! South America – a six month wander is on the cards An African adventure is due – with a safari in the mix Boston to see my old pals, and NYC + Miami to see more pals The Baltic States – I wanna see its Medieval grandeur Poland – ‘cos Rob and Margaret are there and I’d love to see them. Hoping to do it around Thanksgiving, because no one does Thanksgiving like those two Indonesia with the boys to climb a volcano – my geotechnical husband has never done this and he must Maldives Easter Island Sydney to play with my great mates Scottish Highlands and Edinburgh festival Montreal Jazz Fest Bora Bora (Steve’s choice) Disneyland is a must with the boys of course Iceland again and this time I will have a hot spa I could go on and on and on…. But I’m thinking I might have too many things to do in one year – watcha reckon? Then again, I could come into a massive endowment which would allow me to just wander? But there is no endowment in sight for me, so I’ll just have to tick off the list one by one. Alone, with Steve, with the boys, and with great friends. Lot’s to look forward to. Who wants to join me on any of the trips? And yes Fiona I’ve got you down for Dollywood don’t you worry! When are we going? Yours, without the bollocks Andrea

This is such a lovely time of year. People are sending gorgeous messages of love around the world, only wishing the best to everyone they know – near or far. It just leaves me feeling all nice and squishy inside – it’s sweet seeing so much gooey goodness doing the rounds. And then I’m thinking, wouldn’t it be nice if we were lovely to each other all the time, but perhaps we’d get a bit bored with that? Then again, I know lots of people who consistently share goodness throughout the year – often posting a little bit of wisdom which picks me up on a crappy day. So there are people who keep the momentum up for all of us, but I reckon we can all do a little better. So I have decided to issue a challenge. It is a “No Bitch for a Week” challenge and the rules are this: You are not allowed to criticize anyone for anything – even the Kardashians – and if you feel inclined towards a bitch, you have to replace it with something positive – i.e. “she has pretty hair” You can’t share any news that is derogatory towards anyone else, no matter what, but if you must share it, you have to come up with a positive or compassionate angle If a stranger is being a dick around you – whether it’s impacting you or not – walk on and smile, wishing them a great year ahead For all of the above, this includes your thoughts – you’re not allowed to have negative ones – so if one crops up, shake it loose (negative thought monitoring is really superb when you get into it) Negative thoughts or comments also include the world around you – i.e. “it’s so cold” could potentially be replaced with “this weather is awesome for my hair” But most importantly, you can’t bitch about yourself or even think bitchy thoughts. If you find yourself criticizing yourself at any moment, replace it with a compliment – i.e. “I have pretty hair” If all else fails and someone does something to you, or something happens to you that isn’t pleasant, there’s nothing else to do but sing along with Doris Day’s ‘Que Sera Sera’ ·       There you go, considering that the next week is going to be run-of-the-mill for all of us, who wants to join me on the challenge? Hey and if you like the way it feels, why not extend it to a month, then a year, then forever? That’d be nice. But let’s start with a week for now. We can do that right? I’ve decided I’m going to start right now and stop moaning about how bad this current double-hangover is. I am blessed to have my birthday on New Years’ Day after all. But more importantly, I had a lot of fun getting it, so time to enjoy the memory rather than the pain. With that I wanted to send love to everyone who’s been putting up with my ramblings over so many years, and hoping the happiest of times are ahead, full of loveliness and abundance in every way for 2014. May this be the year the world starts moving towards it’s greatest potential in every way. Yours, without the bollocks Andrea

We’re staying on the not-so-luxurious island of Bintan – one of Indonesia’s thousands of islands, about a 45 minute boat ride from Singapore – and while it’s nowhere near a dream holiday destination by any stretch of the imagination, it’s been nice to get away with the boys and stay by the beach for a few days. One of the lovely things to do on any holiday is walking along the beach to collect the washed up shells and coral that abound – along with rusty cans, broken glass, discarded shoes and the plentiful blobs of tar that do not come off your clothes or shoes. I really wish we took better care of our environment, sigh… Anyhoo, the boys have found these awesome shells and corals, which they want to take home. We’ll oblige with a few of course – ‘cos that’s the kind of parents we are – but every time I look at these things, it will occur to me I’m not one of those women (or men) capable of making things beautiful out of the very ordinary. I do, of course, have friends who could take these shells home and make a masterpiece everyone would admire. Whether added as a sprinkling of decoration in the bottom of a vase, or a nice little feature in the guest bathroom, there are some people who just know how to make life more beautiful. These sorts of people are also (usually) really REALLY amazing and unique gift wrappers. I’ve often been inspired by these people – mostly women but not always – and sometimes I’ll go home and give it a go myself, only to look at a festering pile of turd that garners more chuckles than admiration. Cake decorating skills is part of this talent-mix, as is gift wrapping. I am definitely a fan of the gift bag, or store wrapped of course, if the brand is of suitably high quality. So I’m not one of these people that make life beautiful in that way, and that’s OK. I’ve always felt fortunate that so many people with this gift are in my life, and while I’ll continue to admire them, perhaps I’ve got a gift or two they admire in return? One thing I know, all talents are worth celebrating, and not having one is OK too, ‘cos it’d be boring if we were all the same. In the meantime, the corals and shells we’ll be bringing home will be found in the bottom of a toy box, or smashed up in the garden, ‘cos that’s about all the potential they’ll have in our house. Perhaps one of the boys will develop a beautifying talent? Anyone else relate to my limitations? Yours, without the bollocks Andrea

A large part of my FIE campaign for this year is to understand the thoughts rattling around in my head and separating out the ones that lessen the quality of my life. In recent weeks, I’ve identified one of the most common thoughts entertained is “I Don’t Want.” I don’t want to be so busy I don’t have time for friends and family. I don’t want to be tired all the time. I don’t want to be spending 12 hours a day in the office, wearing myself out. I don’t want my kids doing my head in all the time. Those kind of ‘I don’t wants.’ The thing is, if you believe your thoughts determine your life (aka Law of Attraction, manifestation, power of the universe, etc, etc, etc) then the ‘I don’t want’ thoughts ARE going to be your reality. Bear with me here ‘cos this is a clarification that Steve asks for all the time and I think I’ve got it. I don’t want – recognizes that it already exists in your life and will, therefore, continue to exist if you continue to give it thought-space I want – recognizes that it doesn’t exist in your life and by phrasing it as a lack, you’ll continue wanting it because that is what you are asking for I am / I have – well that means you’ve already got it and will keep getting it, so if you say I have the best life, you will have the best life, or “I am ridiculously happy” results in being ridiculously happy, etc.. People who know far more about this stuff than me suggest that if you want something, start talking about it like you’ve already got it and then it will be so It took me a while to really absorb this idea and I am not 100 per cent convinced “it works,” but I am 100 per cent convinced it makes my life better. Positive, life affirming and grateful thoughts just make me a whole lot happier inside, whereas the other negative thoughts – the lacking, unhappy-type of thoughts – well they just don’t. So my commitment to entertaining the best possible thoughts is a recognition that life is better when I do. If this means I’ll attract what I want into my life – even better. If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ll know I don’t find this life malarkey easy – in fact, I find it really really bloody confusing – but I do find life amazing. I find people amazing. I find this world amazing. More than anything, I am so grateful that I’ve had such a rich and amazing life and it continues every day. Life IS good, I just seem to forget to harness that sometimes. So ‘I don’t want’ has got to go, but it’s not any easy phrase to let go of – trust me, I’ve been trying for a few weeks now – then again, it’s just a habit and I can break any habit I set my mind to. That’s my focus for the week. What’s yours? Yours, without the bollocks Andrea

Steve was happy the coffee machine made it I’m desperately missing blogging. It’s been more than two weeks without one and I’m starting to suffer serious withdrawals. The challenge? I have not only completed four of the most grueling work weeks I’ve ever known, I also moved into a new home smack bang in the middle of those weeks. Awesome. Then on Friday, I’m sitting in a series of meetings I’ve sweated blood to get happening only to get an email from Lex’s school starting off with this little beauty:  “We know Lex has been through lots of changes recently with Mum working so much and with sharing a bedroom with Jax. We’ve kept our focus positive while acknowledging his feelings about Jax being in his bedroom and missing Mum. He’ll get through it soon, not to worry – he’s a trooper!” Sometimes 18th and 21st tankards come in handy – what is it with boys and tankards exactly? Thanks guys, when I saw that I nearly burst into tears right in the middle of a room full of 40 super serious people – Agggggggh!! Bloody KIDS!! It’s been intense let me tell you – at work and at home – and when not in the office, I’ve had to snatch every second of time I can get to first pack boxes and then open boxes and sort stuff out. Steve – I should add – is bloody useless at this stuff. He sees an enormous pile of boxes and doesn’t know what to do, so he either does something useless, or, more often than not, gets distracted along the way and doesn’t finish anything. I, on the other hand, am very experienced with this moving malarkey, and I know that I must finish what I’m doing, allowing absolutely nothing to distract me until that particular job is done. When moving from one place to another in the same country – no drama. Everything has its home and you usually just put it in a similar home in the new place. When merging two homes together, a large part of which has been festering in storage in Australia for three years, well it’s a whole new ball game. Some of the finds were delightful, however the families of cockroaches escaping stale boxes were not – then again, at least no red back spiders made it here alive. The stench of our clothes wasn’t delightful either, nor the back breaking agony us old farts feel every night we go to bed from too much bending over boxes. Not fun I say!!! However the best bit was opening boxes of toys appropriate to the boys three years ago… oh and how kids’ toys love to come in tiny, weeny, itty, bitty parts, and if you don’t put all of these bits together in their rightful place, then you have lots and lots of tiny, weeny, itty, bitty parts that become unusable shite clogging up your home. As Steve loves to say, organising this was a lot of lot of fun. The good news is Vick will be able to set up a decently provided kid’s playroom in her village in the Philippines for street kids. We’re super happy about that, as all of the waste at least results in a good outcome. A couple of happy snaps during the time I was actually at home the last couple of weeks. Yours without the bollocks Andrea TV sorted, necessary for quiet boy time Bonus, an excessive deodorant purchase three years ago delays my move to chemical free varieties The office – those heated towel racks are going to come in handy… My ugg boots – perfect for the tropics The boys thought it was Christmas – note Jax in my Ugg boots Why we need to live on a ground floor – where is Lex indeed…

It’s just over six months since I kicked off my personal “Fuck it, Enough” crusade and I must say, wow that’s gone really fast, or has it? So much has happened within the last six months, not just for me, but for the whole family. I’ve certainly never lived a quiet life, and the last six months have been nothing short of mind-blowing – but in a really good way. It seems the decisions I’m/we’re making are finally the right ones because things are working out – hallelujah!! My FIE crusade has a simple goal. I’m trying to work out how I can be truly energized, inspired, content, growing, learning, satisfied, and ultimately, joyful – every day of my life, or at least the majority of days. There are some “theories” that suggest you can only be a little bit happier than you are currently – a genetic-type or social-type-input thing – but I reckon it’s bollocks. I reckon you can cross the chasm from being a complicated person who gets dragged down by life, to being a really happy person BUT it’s not easy, not easy at all. When you see a happy person, give them a pat on the back, because they are remarkable. The biggest change was starting full-time work nearly five months ago. To say this transition has been intense is an understatement. It’s a bloody roller-coaster of emotions, mainly to do with my little guys, but I need to tell you a secret – I’m enjoying it. No I actually think I’m really enjoying it and that’s so important for me – because I need to. The work is huge, the diversity fascinating, the opportunities endless and I’ve learnt more in the last five months than I have in the last five years. I’m still bumbling around trying to work it out, making stupid mistakes along the way, but I’m back in the action, and it feels good. I needed it. As I’ve mentioned many times, I also need to travel. Whether work or personal, it’s kicked off again with trips to Sydney, London, New Orleans and Seattle. Not to mention, I’ve got a family holiday to Phuket coming up in a few weeks, which I am SO looking forward to. I don’t know if everyone understands it, but when I travel – whether it’s new or I’m returning – I feel alive. Different smells, sights, sounds, and most importantly, people. All of the trips have been awesome, but the best part has been catching up with my old buddies around the world to share laughter, memories and stories. Nice. Due to the workload – and it’s been intense – I haven’t done a lot of the things I set out to do in January, especially around the physical exercise arena. I need to get on top of that. But I have been paying far more attention to what goes in and on my body. Food-wise I’ve always been good because I have to. Shit food gives me the shits, literally. There are certainly no packaged goods in my home. But I’m more focused, and obviously taking gluten out is a big part of that. However, it’s also the stuff that goes on my skin. This includes not buying shampoos and moisturizers with crap in them (especially synthetic hormones), as well as focusing more on the cleaning products in the home. Also after the recent haze, I’m definitely going to make sure we don’t buy anything with palm oil in it, unless it’s sustainably grown. There’s still much to do in the home, although sometimes I think I need a fricken science degree to make sure I buy the right stuff. Crikey it’s hard. But my approach remains step-by-step. I want to make sure all of my family are only exposed to the good stuff, but I must say, some people do not stand a chance of being able to afford some of these changes… that is a huge concern for me. I suppose the biggest thing for me in the last six months has been the focus on my mind. I set out to change thought-habits that don’t serve me. This has been a part of my life for some years now – really focusing on my thoughts and making sure they’re good for me – but the month-by-month focus on a thought-habit that is negative has been really amazing. It’s not always easy sustaining it for the complete month, but even going for a couple of weeks has been wondrous. With my thoughts, I’ve focused on getting rid of thoughts where I put myself down in anyway – I’ve always been my worst critic. Equally I’ve tried to address emotions around my boys – trying to adopt positive thought processes when they drive me nuts. I’ve woken up every day for a month and immediately thought life is awesome and something great is going to happen today – a goodie by the way. I’ve addressed my tiredness“addiction” which has changed my life. I’m not there yet, but I just don’t give it the head-space I used to give it. If nothing else, that alone has been terrific. And of course, living in the moment more. I’m not always good at that one, but I’m trying. There’s so much more going on but I’m in a different place and my family is too. Challenging times really do end see? I feel like whatever was blocking me has finally gone, but I know it’s a lifelong process. Stress doesn’t leave your body immediately – apparently it takes a good 18 months to get clear of it – but I do feel I can relax and smile again. Perhaps? I hope so. I just want to be happy. That’s it really. Yours, without the bollocks Andrea

In January I went wheat free 99 per cent of the time, and then Feb and March I was very good. Throughout those three months I lost a bit of weight (yay), but more importantly, I felt great – energized. Then in April and May I slipped back into old habits, which weren’t helped with business trips to London and the US. Obviously my discipline wasn’t strong enough to resist the temptations, and equally, it’s just so bloody hard to avoid wheat in Western culinary culture while on the road! I could’ve though, so my bad. The moment it all came to a head was when I was packing for the US and I noticed my clothes were just a little snugger, which made me realize the results of the first three months had evaporated in less than six weeks. I have to admit it was a little depressing, but as I no longer beat myself up over stuff (‘cos that’s how you cripple yourself from action), I decided screw this, do the trip to the US, eat what you want, but when you’re home, get back to mostly wheat free. So I have been a good girl since returning, although I do find it very challenging, but I want to do this because I know wheat is not great for me. It bulks me up and slows me down, so whenever possible, no wheat. However, there were two symptoms I noticed immediately after bringing it back into my life that are worth more to me than bulk. The worst bit is I barely noticed these symptoms after a few weeks, because you just get used to it again. I don’t want to get used to it. When I re-introduced it I felt tired and sluggish all of the time. I felt exhausted and un-energized. This is one of the main traits I want to get out of my life, and I honestly believe from my experiment that wheat is part of the problem. It makes me feel heavy and dense – a feeling I noticed I didn’t have when I didn’t eat it. The second thing is it makes my joints ache – something you don’t want happening as you get older. When I started having it again, I would stand up and feel pain in my joints – especially if I’d been sitting down for most of the day. In the last couple of weeks taking wheat out again, my joints don’t hurt. This is obviously not a scientific experiment, but I can tell the difference in myself. So wheat, I love you, I crave a good toasted sandwich, or poached eggs with ham, but I can’t do it anymore. We’ll have a day together a week, but otherwise, you’ve got to go, ‘cos I want to feel great, and I don’t think you help me to do that. A few other pals were doing wheat reduction, so have you noticed any difference when you have it and don’t have it? I’d love to know? Yours, without the bollocks Andrea