Wednesday 14th October 2020 - Updating health blog today

Posted 5:20pm

Had quite an enjoyable day. I answered quite a few emails and was reviewing some work on our health packs. And realised part of our "health" pages in the packs promotes our health blog and, despite all the best intentions, I have seriously neglected adding new entries over the last few months.

So today I decided to put that right, and thought I would spend one day a week, and a Wednesday is as good as any other day, to add as many entries as possible. I have therefore been researching and reviewing studies around aa lot of subjects and trying to pick the most interesting I could find. I also wanted to add things that I would find relevant to me around mind-set, nutrition, health and exercise.

I am delighted to have added ten new entries today. And the subjects are quite diverse. But I wont put them here. Instead I invite you to take a peek for yourself. And if you do find anything interesting, it would be great if you left a comment or something too.

And if you could maybe promote the blog on your own media that would make my day.

www.healthymindshealthybods.blogspot.com

Tuesday 13th October 2020 - Issue 27 completed - photos and cooking

 Posted 12:30pm

I can tick the box on the next Health Pack - completed this morning.  This is issue 27, and is 24 pages. The extra two from the normal is because we have an extra page on Mindset and Health this week.

The Mind-set page is because we have got a really fun game to focus on the Mind-set of a challenge. I think this is unique for HMHB, an something I definitely never came across when I was coming through recovery. At HMHB we like to push the boundaries and be as proactive and interactive as possible.

We have created our own murder/mystery puzzle. We have set up the synopsis, created the characters, given all the information, and the reader than has to solve the crime by working out which person did the murder and also how they did it.

(when I say we created it - I have to admit I have based it heavily on an old crime novel of one of my favourite authors, but I will not say which person or book - but I have confessed in the pack that the idea has been used before).

When I came through my depressions I found that so much of the intervention was formulaic, and delivered by people that, in my own opinion, were not exactly passionate about the subject. It felt like they were going through the motions. HMHB was set up to be the opposite, and the feedback demonstrates that our systems works.

Last night I baked my first ever Millionaire's Shortbread for the recipe page. The caramel was maybe not thick enough, so it has remained a little gooey, but that adds to the outcome I feel. Tastes very sweet but delicious.

Finally, our wonderful Rosie took some photos of me at the "office" - White Swan Highbury - for our exercise page, where we are covering mobility.

It's great to get this sorted so early in the week, which allows me to do other paperwork that is essential.

Monday 12th October 2020: Funding Applications

 Posted 2:25pm

Have recently completed three small funding applications: nothing for salaries though.

We are looking to restart our indoor fitness sessions, available to all ages and abilities, that we have had such success with in the past. That would be back at the three Better gyms we were using prior to lockdown:  Sobell Centre and Highbury Leisure in Islington, and Pancras Leisure in Camden.  Contacting Better is a bit of a nightmare, but we are hopeful of success.  The funding we have applied for would cover the cost of the studio, plus the cost of our Personal Trainer, and a contribution to some equipment (we cannot use the gym studio stuff due to Covid), and insurance.

We have also just finished an application to a London Groundwork fund, re our Izzwalkz, to get them properly started in 2021. It would cover the two current walks we were doing prior to lockdown in Clissold Park and Highbury Fields, plus a new one in Finsbury Park in the first year, and a further new one in Kings Cross in the second year (2022).

Funding applications can be quite stressful, but I think we produced some good ones, and as we have not developed some crucial links with local organisations and centres, I am hopeful that at least one or two, and maybe all three, can be successful.

Of course, ultimately, we need to find seed funding.

Monday 12th October 2020: Six Month Anniversary Health Pack released: Number 26

 Posted 2:15pm

Wow!!!  Six Months.  Back in April I would not have envisaged completing 26 of our health packs, and here we are promoting it today.

For this special issue:  28 pages full of fantastic content.

Mind-set:  We look at building and growing that Growth Mind-set.

Nutrition:  We look at "optimal nutrition", plus Selenium as an "essential mineral".

Exercise:  We invite everyone to do a Tabata HIIT exercise, with demonstration.

Health: We cover Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and if we can try and reduce the risk of it.

Plus, Lazza cooks a very creamy luxury rice pudding (which I promise you was divine)

We have a tough picture game page (I know nobody will get all 15), plus Lazza's fiendish quiz to drive you to distraction. A research news page on Covid vaccine. Details of online exercise classes. And more.

Next week - issue 27 - we will be doing a really interesting game around Mind-set. I promise you it will test you, so pls pls look out for that. It is enormous fun and will make you think.

All 26 issues are now on our website in PDF form. We are also hoping to interest a publisher now too.

Check them out at   https://www.hmhb2016.org.uk/mental-health-packs

Tuesday 6th October 2020 - Pack 25, Publishing

Posted 11:45am

We released Pack 25 yesterday morning, and I am delighted with how they are going.

We release to a lot of people now, via email, post and hand delivery too.

This pack was 22 pages of content.

On Mind-set we looked at "worry", and how it can be both good and bad. It can help us look after ourselves; for example, if we have pain we may go to the doctor because we are worried about what it could be.  But also we have to be wary about allowing worry to make us over cautious.

On Nutrition: we looked at deficiencies: as well as why we need to have a healthy diet.  Plus we had an overview of the essential mineral Zinc.

On Exercise, we took the time to look at how it affects or mental health for the better.

For health we looked at Dementia: what it is, and what we can be doing to lessen the risk of getting it in the future.

I produced a fun Star Wars based picture game; our usual fiendish quiz which is guaranteed to make you think; the recipe was a proper Shepherd's Pie - I had only ever used shop bought mixes before. I didn't make enough mash, but it mattered now.

On our News page we looked at suicide - this due to the fact we lost a friend recently to it very sadly, and I felt it was important to touch on the subject in a compassionate way.

Someone also mentioned to me that they thought that we should try producing a book based around the packs. A kind of "self-help" book for three months, using each week as a new target. I have contacted quite a few publishers to see what they thought. A couple have said he idea sounded good, but they did not think it was for them.  I hope nobody steals the idea.

Friday 2nd October 2020 - Blog entries: Pack success: Better Gyms

Posted 4:15pm

I only did one Blog entry in September. What is wrong with me? I have been typing away, just about every day, and for some reason have neglected the blogs. That will change this upcoming week, and I will explain how and why.

I am well ahead in my production of packs, which means I am free for the next week to work on our social media and funding. So I am absolutely determined to ensure plenty of entries.

So much has happened.

Our packs go from strength to strength. I remember someone discussing them with me when I was on Pack 7. They asked me if I would be able to keep providing quality content for another three or four. It did make me think, so I sat down and prepared all the content up to Pack 16.

However, when I got to 14, I realised I had lots of subjects to cover.

Delighted to say we published Pack 24 at the start of this week, I finished Pack 25 on Tuesday, being released this Sunday night, and have already completed the following celebratory issue (number 26 means six months!!!) to go out on the 11th.  Extra pages, and the usual fantastic content.

Not only that, but I have already planned out the next six after that, numbers 27 to 32.

All 24 so far are on our website - do check them out!!!  www.hmhb2016.org.uk 

With it now being October, we are anxious to get our fitness sessions indoors again. We were rained off this morning, and this is just going to continue. It's also darker and colder. I have contacted Better gyms several times to discuss the return to our studio sessions at Pancras, Sobell and Highbury. You cannot talk at the venue, but nobody seems keen to contact us. I will persevere.

I will definitely be using the blog a lot more.  Yay!!!!

Friday 11th September 2020 - Pack 22: Fitness: Funding; J Corbyn

Posted 3:45pm

It has been a while since we updated our blog here, and I keep meaning to do it more often, so I do apologise to all who read this.

We have definitely not been sitting about.
Firstly, we have now produced 22 of our weekly health packs (in fact 22 is being released this sunday night). They are an absolute privilege to produce, and the feedback is extraordinary.
In fact, we had a fantastic telephone call from Highbury Roundhouse, who told us they send it out on their whatsapp and other mediums, and that their users have commented on just how good it is.  Humbling really.

Our fitness sessions continue to produce great results, and it has been commented on by one lady who is a carer for one of our company (Irene, who is recovering from a bad stroke). Her carer, Elaine, told us:
"there is definitely a gap in the market for your client group as you include the excluded. People of all different age groups and those who may have underlying medical health conditions, amongst others."
We welcome all ages and abilities, which is very important.  We are currently trying to negotiate wuth Better Gyms again about using their studio space from November onwards.

In regards to that studio usage, we have applied to the Stronger Communities Fund, organised by the GLA, to cover the cost of the 15 weeks between November and the middle of February.  Altogether we calculate we could provide 45 group sessions, as well as create nine videos a week - which would mean a grand total of 135 videos in all.  Wow!! That could really help us out.  It would also bring PT Dean back into our fold!!!  yay!!

Finally, we had a cracking Zoom chat with Jeremy Corbyn last Friday, and his senior caseworker Alex.  We need to him to try and open doors for us into government - and in particular the Department for Work and Pensions, and maybe the Department of Health too. He listened to all we had to say, and has agreed to do so. Let's see what occurs.  We need seed funding!!!