A Fair-y Story

Monday marked the beginning of Fairtrade fortnight, so yes, I am continuing with the theme of "this week it's..." After all, the reason these events exist is to raise awareness of an issue and to inform the general public about ways in which they can contribute. I suppose I am only doing my duty as a blogger by passing information on.

I think Fairtrade, as a concept, affects us all in the UK and beyond. Simply because we are all consumers, and we are always on the hunt for a decent bargain. With the economy in the state that it is, it's only natural to opt for a product which is reliable and affordable. The latter is certainly not often the case with Fairtrade products. From coffee, to chocolate, to cotton, branding something as 'Fairtrade' often involves jacking up the price.

What are our thoughts on this?

People who can afford 'quality' products often shop at luxury stores and therefore pay higher prices for seemingly higher-end items which are sometimes marketed as more ethical, sustainable or Fairtrade. I'll give Marks and Spencers as an example, who, commendably are wholly engaging with the public to create a more sustainable, ethical and environmentally supportive business. Not only through the way the operate, but also through the products they sell. However, I for one can not afford to do my weekly food shopping at M&S- so should we place all responsibility on those consumers, who can afford it, to support the Fairtrade movement? Should the rest of us have to choose between overspending and helping and not?

You may ask, who benefits from my Fairtrade purchase? A list of producers can be found on the website, but in short it depends on the product you are buying. The premium from Fairtrade can contribute to simple things like allowing coffee farmers to afford to grow organically. Often it is used to create sustainable communities and can benefit many families by providing access to clean water and buying bicycle ambulances (Malawi).

A campaign video for Fairtrade mentions the word 'choice' repeatedly, in the sense that 'the right' choice will bring about a positive outcome for someone in the developing world. But should there be a choice...shouldn't everything just simply be Fairtrade?

What a set of questions? And how do you begin to answer them? Thankfully I don't have to, as during my research, I stumbled across a piece of writing that I really wish I had written.  so you may as well read this instead!

The Guardian really are choosing to focus on Fairtrade Fortnight, as they have also posted online the following article: How to teach Fairtrade Fortnight. If you are a teacher, or work in an educational capacity, consider taking a look at the resources available and dedicating some time with your students to exploring how the Fairtrade movement affects their lives.

If you are considering making a few simple changes to your routine and are interested in purchasing Fairtrade alternatives, Channel 4 Food have listed their top-ten favourite products. View them here:

http://www.channel4.com/4food/features/top-ten-fair-trade-products


If you're confused as to what technically counts as fairtrade, visit the website mentioned above, or as always, just look at the WIkipedia site!

Enjoy your week and the next time you buy a banana/chocolate bar or shop in Primark, take a moment to consider who contributed to the making of your product and how fairly they may or may not have been treated. It may not be your responsibility to change the world, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

I spotted this van outside of Guildford station delivering coffee to a local establishment.

World Yoga Day

Continuing on the theme of 'world something or other day'...Sunday 24^th of February is World Yoga Day.

Now this is a celebration I can really get stuck into- I’m a firm believer in yoga, in all of its forms.

Wikipedia states the following:

Yoga (Sanskrit, Pāli: योग yóga) is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practising yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on the Hindu concept of divinity or Brahman. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism.


I was lead to believe that yoga is a series of movements designed to ready the practitioner for meditation as opposed to being a meditative practice in itself. What's the difference? Well you don't meditate whilst 'doing yoga', instead you practice yoga in order to ensure your body is nimble and supple enough to sustain a prolonged period of meditation. As one usually meditates in stillness, the body is susceptible to cramp and therefore requires the yoga to eliminate any physical distractions. Think of it as a pre-cursor, the warm up act before the main event.

I do get the impression that fitness fanatics in the western world tend to disregard this and treat it as more of a work-out and thus negating its original intentions. You will find plenty of purists who tend to poo-poo modern interpretations of the ancient practice, but I say go for it.  Yes, there’s a certain element of tradition that one should not simply disregard, nor should you forget the spiritual undertones. However, I applaud practitioners for taking steps to make yoga more diverse and accessible.

For example Bikram Yoga. Developed by Bikram Choudhry as recently as the 20th Century. It is a form of yoga comprised of 2 breathing exercises and only 26 postures. All of which are completed in a specific order in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Choudhry claims that the heat and set poses allows blood circulation to increase, therefore pumping blood to all vital organs and allowing for a more complete workout. Many critics suggest working at a temperature above 100 degrees is dangerous, I just happen to love it. The process of sweating cleans the body of toxins and whenever I was practising I felt a noticeable difference in my circulation and the appearance of my skin.

Another example of modern development of the practice is my certified yoga-teacher-friend in New York who has developed a curriculum for ‘the actor’ which combines traditional hatha yoga with acting techniques set by Stanislavski and applied-theatre techniques created by Augusto Boal. She calls it a holistic approach to performance preparation. It all makes sense to me, utilising complimentary practices in order to further a participant’s experience not only in the studio, but also to directly influence their working life.

The idea that yoga can influence your day-to-day life and positively affect your health is seen by some as nonsensical. I have another friend who laughs every time I run off to bodybalance after my spin class.

Bodybalance is a group exercise class designed by New Zealand company LesMills. It is a combination of Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates. Cheaper, less 'elitist' and readily available at gyms and community health centres I feel it to be a viable alternative to training at a dedicated yoga studio.  Read about it here.

Anyway, back to he with little faith...the friend in question has often remarked that there’s little point in just throwing an energy ball about. (Producing and moving energy around your body derives from Tai Chi and is the common warm up in Bodybalance classes). Hmm. It may not be as fast and furious as spinning, however LesMills claim that the average energy usage for bodybalance is 395 calories, not to mention, the rejuvenating and toning effects I feel throughout my body. So I beg to differ with his offhand comment and feel as though bodybalance and yoga complete my exercise and holistic regime. Having been advised by my osteopath to avoid yoga whilst my back heals, I decided to do a little research into the health benefits from practising. I stumbled upon an article by nursingedegree.net (which I would consider to be a reliable source) highlighting 77 surprising health benefits of yoga. Take a look and see if you're not convinced to source your nearest studio!

I'm all about doing things effectively, cheaply and in your own time. That's why I would heartily recommend the following website, where you can stream yoga classes of varying difficulties and styles for free. My only concern is that yoga is precise and personal. Attempting postures without an instructor at hand can lead to injury as you may not be in correct alignment. Many postures are not about stretching as far as possible and you not  will probably not be as flexible as the person on the screen and in attempting to emulate them, will seriously damage your muscles, spine or both.

I say, in honour of World Yoga day, take a look at http://www.doyogawithme.com/, try some of the breathing exercises and see if yoga is something you would like to invest in, then find your local yoga studio!

For those still a little unsure, give bodybalance a try. The instructors are always well-trained and the modern soundtrack to the releases allows for a less intense atmosphere. Plus, I feel that due to the wide variety of participants at my community gym, of varying sizes and shapes, it feels as though everyone in class wants to make the most of their time. In contrast, I have previously walked into a posh yoga studio in London where all my classmates were toned, in skimpy yoga pants and infeasibly flexible. That's just demoralising.

There's something for everyone out there, give it a try and say hello to a healthier, calmer, hotter you.

National Nest Box Week

It is National Nest Box week.

That's right, a week dedicated to ensuring the general public build wooden boxes in order to promote and enhance biodiversity and conservation of our breeding birds and wildlife.

Well, there you go...you learn something new every day (I feel like I've said that before...). Don't worry, I'm not about to focus this week's blog on the dwindling population of the Swift. Although please don't take my nonchalant tone to meant that I am not concerned about the fragility of various ecosystems on our planet. The fact that numbers of the Swift, a bird common in the UK, have declined by 25% in the last decade does perturb me. I wonder how many other animals are suffering in the same way and why it seems that humans are the only species who's population growth appears to have no end.

Now, I don't claim to know everything about birdlife in this country, in fact I do believe I would be right in saying that I know next to nothing.  The only "garden" birds I could name would be the robin, pigeon, magpie, crow and raven- and those are only because I can recall seeing them at some point in and around the UK. And yes, I am acutely aware that the majority of the birds I listed wouldn't be found in an average suburban garden.  I could reel off names of other species such as the lark, sparrow, swallow, blue tit. and yes. That would be about it. My limited knowledge only arrives from having read poetry about said birds.

I am acquainted with some keen bird enthusiasts. In fact a good friend of mine enjoys a plethora of birds in her luscious garden in Kent and her 2 year old daughter would put me to shame if we were to participate in an episode of mastermind on the topic. I take solace in the fact that I would woop her behind if the category were masterchef, family guy or Shakespeare. It did get me thinking that if one did wish to further their interest in ornithology they should just take a look at the RSPB website. (Naturally, when I know nothing about something, I turn to google or Wikipedia).

I was a little sad to learn that I had missed the opportunity to take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch and felt it could have been the perfect opportunity to get involved with the feathered friends taking hanging around my back garden everyday. However, the gallery or user submitted photos was quite breathtaking and certainly enlightening that I felt I may just partake in National Nest Box week after all. By that I mean bribe my carpenter friend with cake so he can build me one instead. Every little counts, right...?

If you allow me to get metaphorical for a moment, I would suggest that we liken National Nest Box week to something a little more native to our own kind. My interpretation and motivation for this week is to carry out a deed which contributes to the conservation of others. So, basically I'm suggesting we use the upcoming week to do something worthwhile, to better the human race.

Aha, now you are about to accuse me of jumping from blase and disregarding to high-and-mighty in a matter of seconds. Last week World Orphan Week, now this...I assure you I'm not on a crazed mission to force altruistic tendencies upon anyone. However, I do subscribe to the Dr. David Hamilton's way of thinking.

Read his article : the 5 side effects of kindness and take a moment to consider how one simple action on your part could not only affect a number of other people, but also slow down your aging process! Miraculous.

There you have it. Do a little good this week. Either for the birds of planet earth or for fellow mankind. You never know it may affect your spirits or your health. I for one shan't complain so loudly when my grandma suggests I fill up our bird feeder for the third time in one day, I'm too worried about wrinkles to risk it!

World Orphan Week

Every once in a while you're provided a tidbit of information that really surprises you, but at the same time makes perfect sense…

February 6^th–12^th 2012 is World Orphan Week. 

Upon hearing this, my initial reaction was, Really?! Pretty much everything has its own week/day/month now.  After a moment of reflection I reconsidered my mental outburst and I believe that if snowmen can have their own day (January 18^th) and we can celebrate the existence of beer (April 7^th) then surely, the plight of orphans around the globe deserves a dedicated week. 

There are many commemorative/awareness/celebration days put in place in order to honour a certain group of people or to raise awareness of a particular illness. The UN has its own official calendar, stating that it established a set of Days and Weeks, Years and Decades to help focus the world on the issues in which the UN has an interest and commitment. The UN calls on Member States and other organizations to mark these days in ways which reflect their priorities. 

You can read about them all here 

Wikipedia also has an entry entitled Lists of holidays, which include various religious holidays. Towards the end of the article is the section 'Unofficial Holidays', a number of them extremely comical. For example, February 14^th, SAD (Single’s Awareness Day) and Buy Nothing day, taking place the day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday, as it is traditionally when stores offer incredible discounts on stock and thus begins the pre-Christmas shopping season.

Frivolity aside and back to world orphan week; a child loses a parent every 2.2 seconds, leaving an estimated 132 million children orphaned worldwide. To put that number into context, Shanghai was listed as the most heavily populated city in the world (in 2010) with a mere 23 million residents. Currently, the number of known orphans exceeds the population of the top 6 most heavily populated cities in the world.

As an activist I often hear the rebuff, “well what am I meant to do about it? The UK has its own issues, I don’t have the time or the money to help anyone else.” 

Let me say that I agree. It’s certainly not easy to look abroad when as a citizen of the UK you can find enough causes to contribute to on your doorstep.  I live in a London borough and find that I could be occupied with enough charities in this city to last me a lifetime, which is why I always encourage people to get involved in their own communities. 

What can you do to help orphans? You could jump on the Angelina/Madonna bandwagon and go snap up kids from a disaster zone. OR, you could remain focused on your community and approach your local authority with regards to fostering.

Over the last 5 years I have seen a steady incline in the amount of posters raising awareness of the lack of foster families in my area. Every time I do, I am surprised. Fostering always strikes me as such an obvious choice for people wanting to do something worthwhile. If you want to contribute to society and enjoy interacting with youth, then foster. You even get paid. 

Of course I understand it's not as simple as that. You are literally taking on another life. Aside from financial obligations, the moral responsibilities are more than some people have time for. Personal schedules have to be re-organised, sacrifices have to be made and a new personality has to be adjusted to. 

Many people think, "well if I want to go through all of that, I would just have my own child."  I can't say I have a suitable comeback, I just think that if you are considering making a long term commitment to a cause, I would like to suggest fostering as a possibility.  Just type "fostering uk" into google and peruse some of the resources available. There are many dedicated companies you could start your process through and as always I recommend doing some thorough research before committing to something.


However, if that's far too much of a something to commit to, may I suggest you pay a visit to :

the world orphan weeks website


and consider making a donation. Call it your good deed for the month. 

PS. If you haven't decided what to buy your other half yet, make it the perfect Valentine's season with a Breathing Relief Dilator. It could lead to the best night of your life!

Clinical Trials...free money?

It's been a funny ol' week, glued to my computer, tapping away, trying to meet several upcoming deadlines.

Inevitably, when you're a writer and a project involves research, you tend to subconsciously find ways to distract yourself. It's not because you're trying to sabotage your own life plans by failing to complete anything,  it just sort of happens. My decline into complete distraction starts with a vague strand of an idea that involves typing a random phrase into google. When the results appear, maybe one on the page of many will be relevant, but that doesn't mean I won't 'investigate' the other suggestions! I might miss something epic disguised as a video of a dog making a funny noise when it's tickled...and thus begins click after click of randomness on youtube.

The most ridiculously 'irrelevant, yet strangely linked to sleep' find of the week was the following article in the Telegraph presenting a wonderful opportunity for people who are able to sleep well.

I did let out an audible chuckle when I read this and wondered why I don't discover job adverts like these and how many other (legal) ways there are to make easy money. That's when several trains of thoughts all converged on the 'Clapham Junction station in my mind' and I set out to find just how many places in the UK will pay you to be part of medical research.

Before I reveal the details of my research, let state a few that it's never something I've taken seriously. Living in the USA, I was always bombarded with adverts requesting me to donate my eggs to hapless couples.  The whopping $12,000 remuneration was very tempting but my genetic circumstances were never right. There are many political and economic reasons which render a country like America the perfect place to 'harvest' clinical participants with its astronomical medical fees and lack of social welfare. Lest I delve into a long rambling dissection of the American healthcare system, here is a list of my most interesting finds.

Turns out, with a few simple clicks you can locate a number of hospitals and quite a few pharmaceutical companies looking for participants. You can choose to be a part of research on sleep disorders, Asthma, even the common cold, with most offering healthy pay packets and comfortable accommodations for longer stays. Let me add this...there are many preconceptions about medical research.

The first being that all clinical trials are invasive and/or involve taking copious concoctions of  as yet unapproved medication. (Even if you were to participate in pharmaceutical research, all drugs must go through a thorough screening process before they are allowed to be tested on humans. Which is why we have animal testing, as unethical as it can be perceived as).

Secondly, there are factors which need considering. For example, how will the trial/research affect you in the long-term future? Will your health be compromised? To combat any effects of the research will you be lumbered with hefty medical bills? (More a question for those not living in a welfare state). Will the company conducting the tests retain responsibility for any damages?

Egg donation is the perfect scenario where young females may feel as if they are contributing something positive to society and earning money at the same time. A win-win situation you may say. But what about the psychological effects of the donation, as well as the side-effects of the hormones injected to induce ovulation? Are those worth a quick buck?

But enough of the morose. Let me point you in the direction of some (seemingly) positive centres. On a serious note, these are places that I found interesting at face-value. By no means have I conducted any scientific research of my own or experienced their facilities. The aim of this post is to get your thought processes working so you can go out and find somewhere that's right for you (if you are considering participating in any such trial).

Flu Camp attracted my attention, only because it seems such a ludicrous name for something so steeped in scientific research.

The London Sleep Centre occasionally holds research projects which you can register interest in by emailing them.

Hammersmith Medicine Research facility  hold plenty of trials which you can apply to be a part of.

The majority of information available online appears to be located in London, which only adds to this country's North/South divide, with many complaining that England is completely London-centric. However, with a pay packet of up to £2,000, it's my thinking that it could be in anyone's interest to make the trip into the capital.

How do you make the decision whether participating in a trial is something you would like to commit to? I'm pretty sure, despite the financial gains and your health, ethics are something to consider, along with the possibility of taking time off work. I can't help but think I'm in the perfect position to take the plunge and experience something like this, with a distinct lack of monies in my account and a flexible schedule. I can just see it now...sitting in a starkly white room, faint smell of disinfectant in my nose, maybe a drip attached to my hand, hindering its ability to type my weekly blog post. Funny where the mind takes you!

Call it dedication to the cause, but as an inquisitive journalist, I may just go ahead and apply.

Whilst you are patiently awaiting this possibility, make sure you visit our sports blog to catch up on Phillipa's journey on the 30 Day Shred program.