Sunset Coast - Waiuku , Auckland, New Zealand

The area where we live is known as the Sunset Coast. We are West facing which means that when the weather is clear and sunny we get to experience the most stunning sunsets.

Tonight on the way home from work, I captured these images, looking down at the beach and estuary. Although Winter has not gone completely, there is a definite switch in the feel of the atmosphere, Spring is nearly upon us.

Hope you enjoy these shots...

Angela xx

Angela ...... You are what you eat!!!

I haven't been feeling all that great over the past few months. Extremely tired, bitchy, uninspired, headaches continaully, dragging my feet, thirsty beyond belief, always peeing ( probably because I was so thirsty) I thought.
Anyway, it was time to go to the doctor and find out what was going on.

I couldn't even remember when the last time was that I went to the Dr, as it turns out it was 2009. Oops...

So off I went, and had my WOF done ( Warrant of Fitness). Blood pressure  - perfect
Heart - perfect   lungs - still there and working well   weight - I had put on 1kg in three years, but the Doc gave me a bit of a frown and a finger wag at my BMI.
Yeah, yeah yeah, I'm sorry but the last time I lost weight and got down to my BMI I looked like one of those poor people from those 3rd world countries. So I am not convinced about the BMI.

I walk at least 5 days out of 7 for at least 50 mins, and I thought that I ate healthily.

Anyway, one blood test later I get a call from the nurse to tell me that I am Glucose Intolerant, or in her words borderline Diabetic.   Me!!! I asked her if she had the right person and then she said to me:

  "Angela you are what you eat"   Man did that piss me off, I'm the one in my family who is always making sure that we eat correctly, or so I thought.

Anyway the nurse sent me a booklet on Diabetes and eating healthy.

This is the sort of food I love to eat, all year around.. so where was I going wrong?

When I got the booklet, I checked out the food plate, and realised that perhaps we were eating a bit too much pasta and rice and not enough of the other vegetables.
So , we have started a big rethink on what we eat, more fresh seasonal vegetables, ( half the plate) a 1/4 of the plate of protein and a 1/4 of carbs.

The results over the past two weeks have been amazing. Within the first three days the headache went, as did the thirst. After 5 days my energy levels are so high I feel 10 years younger.

We have cut out the health bars, muesli bars and replaced them with unsalted nuts such as walnuts, almonds, peanuts. But only in very small amounts.

Free range eggs ( which I get from a lady at work), free range chicken, and more fish.

A lot less rice and pasta, potatoes and kumara ( sweet potato)  only in small amounts.

So, where was I going wrong?

 I am a huge fruit eater, especially bananas and apples. Some fruit is high in carbohydrate and of course sugar.
Flavoured yoghurts, and of course those Muesli bars, a few too many gingernut biscuits and perhaps the 3 o'clock chocolate craving was wrong on so many levels.

I have realised that this is a life style choice I have to make now,  and hopefully I will keep on to the plan, although I am sure that it will be ok to have a few treats every now and then as long as it is in small amounts.

Everything in moderation is the way to go.

As a closing statement, I would also like to add that I still think that they have the wrong person. Another check up in 3 months will tell me how I am doing, although just my extra energy and lack of other symptoms is a sure sign that I am on the right track.

Angela xx

Signs of an early Spring.....

Today I had the day off from work and decided to take a drive to the Botanic Gardens. I haven't been back there since early Autumn. I wasn't sure what I would find, and was pleasantly surprised to see some signs of early Spring....  Enjoy!

Angela xx

Wintery Wednesday..

While all of you in the Northern Hemisphere are enjoying a very hot and in some cases a very wet Summer, we here in New Zealand have had days of heavy frosts and intense cold. Not that I mind the frosty cold, the days are just stunning without a cloud in the sky and plenty of sunshine.
I made the most of the weekend frost and ran to the cemetary up the road where I knew there would be some 'frosty' shots to be had.

Hope you all enjoy this selection for my Wintery Wednesday...

This poor little insect looks like he has frozen to death.....

Angela xx

Have a great weekend..

Hope it is full of fun, joy and not a worry to be had. Just like this little fella who was down at the beach last weekend.

 He was having a great time chasing his owner, who was riding his motorbike along the beach.


Angela xx

Snap It - Cold + Wintery Wednesday

I have combined the meme Snap It and my Wintery Wednesday post this week. I found this leaf at the park, covered in frost.



Check out the other participants over at faith, hope and a whole lotta love below..


http://faithhopeandawholelottalove.blogspot.co.nz/

Baby, it's cold outside...

Although it doesn't snow in Auckland, we do get some great cold, frosty mornings..
Yesterday I woke to minus 1 degree celsius ( sorry not sure what that is in Farenheit), but it is pretty damn cold either way..

What better way to start using my new camera than to take some shots of the frost, hope you enjoy..

Angela xx