Getting organised #1

Get hold of a strong large box, plus two large bin-liners. Mark one bin-liner 'rubbish', the other with the day's date.

Starting at one corner of a room, check every item (including cupboard contents), putting rubbish in the appropriate bag, and all items you know you won't be using in the next three months (including clothes) in the dated bin-liner (you may need more than one dated bin-liner!).

Put any items you're not sure about in the box.

Then seal up the dated bag(s) and put away in a safe, dry place.

Dispose of/recycle the items in the rubbish bag/s.

Go through the box of odd items and find places to put the ones you really want to keep. Keep this box as a ‘limbo’ to put all subsequent items that have no immediate purpose or place, but which you cannot bring yourself to throw away. If/when it gets too full, savagely sift it and dispose of some of the items (or put them in a 'dated' bin-liner!).

If a year passes without you missing the stuff in the dated bin-liners, you almost certainly don't need the stuff. Find someone who does, or recycle/dump it.

Repeat as necessary.
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Breathe!

Breathing is one of the few bodily functions which can be controlled both consciously and unconsciously.

The respiratory system eliminates 70% of your metabolic waste.

Perspiration accounts for 19%.

'Bathroom activities' contribute a surprisingly meagre 10%.

Most people breathe high in the chest, and in a shallow, irregular manner, which leads to reduced brain function, and in some people, anxiety attacks.

The internet is full of sites with masses of data and exercises. Just Google 'breathing properly' and take your pick!

The bottom line is to take time to fill your lungs with air.
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Nutrition #1

I am someone who exercises at least five times a week (a mixture of weight training and cardiovascular). And yet, as I entered my late 30s/early 40s, I saw my waist size inexorably increase.

As I was exercising regularly, I reluctantly realised that I was going to have to start thinking about modifying my diet. So, during 2005 I spent time studying the area of nutrition.

I soon discovered that:

1. The food industry tells a lot of half-truths.

2. Nutrition is not an exact science.

What we do know is that what we eat and drink provides our bodies with the raw materials it uses to power and renew itself.

If the body receives more fuel than it burns, it will:

a. expel it
b. use it to upgrade our body parts
c. convert it into fat

If the body receives less energy than it consumes, it will find that energy from its own reserves.

So far, so bleeding obvious. If we want to lose weight, we have to eat less (oh, and for those of you thinking 'I eat what I want, and I never gain a pound' or 'I really wish I could gain weight', 1. Most people hate you, and 2. You might still learn something from this stuff).

During the course of 2006, I discovered that eating properly is not necessarily eating less, and in following articles I am going to look at some of the ways I fine-tuned my eating habits, and lost 4 stone of fat in the process.
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Another year, another blog

My name is Brett Jordan.

I'm in my mid-forties.

I was born with a lot of advantages.

Parents who devoted their lives to equipping me with excellent survival tools. Roots. Wings. Love. Education. The golden rule. The value of hard work.

Providence/happenstance placed me in the middle economic strata of one of the richest countries on the planet.

I have a body that enjoys good health.

I became a Christian in my late teens, and my faith is a source of hope and strength, as well as continually challenging and re-shaping my worldview.

I have four intelligent, healthy, loving children.

Last year I started a blog. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed maintaining it, and how many people enjoyed viewing it. It is essentially a 'I found this cool stuff and thought I'd share it' kind of site, and I'll continue publishing it until I get bored with it.

A number of people have said they would like to hear a little bit more about me. This will be the site for them. The aim will be for it to publish a couple of ideas a week based on my own personal experience, so it's worth using the RSS feed. The topics will be unashamedly 'Brett-shaped', and will make no claims to be exhaustively researched.

Comments are enabled, and welcomed.
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