After another GI diagnosis last Thursday and ongoing pain, I have decided to radically change my diet. I have been feeling so sick in recent times, that this is the only course of action I feel I can take now, to try and ease my symptoms. I have so many Gastric issues, that I really am not sure what to do for the best, but I have started by removing most meat from my diet and have begun the process of transferring to a predominantly plant based diet. This sounds great on the surface and not too difficult to achieve, but when one factors in all my problems it is actually a nightmare.

Keeping meat to a minimum should help to reduce my digestive predicament. Meat is probably the hardest food to consume, for me at least, so anything that reduces this ongoing hurdle is welcome. I have also discovered I can no longer eat dairy and am possibly lactose intolerant, but will have to undergo further tests to find out for sure. Gluten is another area of concern, which seems to be eased by only eating sourdough bread. Then there is IBS, and that is the most demanding condition of all. There is so much I can't eat any more - spicy food to onions, garlic, chocolate and fatty foods, processed and sugary comestibles, curry, chilli and heavy sauces. The difficulty breaking down fat, probably has more to do with my recent diagnosis of gall stones than anything, but it is an extra element to this GI dilemma.

The hiatus hernia, also has its fair share of demands and I have had to give up alcohol, except for a very occasional drink and large portions of food, which are hard to metabolise. The hernia has caused some swallowing difficulties, so I have to chew my food longer and more thoroughly, drinking water after every mouthful; life is becoming such a chore right now. Finally, Diverticular Disease; This has its own unique set of challenges - beans, certain fruit and vegetables and any food that is fermented is detrimental to my constitution. Added together, I am living through a torment, that never seems to end.

Tonight I cooked a soya bolognaise, used celery instead of onions, peppers, mushrooms and plenty of spinach and it tasted OK, just OK. There wasn't a lot of flavour to it, so I need to find an IBS friendly spice to give it a bit of oomph in the future. I did put a few teaspoons of Marmite in, which did help, but it just had something missing. Cooking for all the conditions I have is going to be difficult, but I am determined not to give up. I'm not able to have the necessary procedures to solve my gastric contentions presently, so will continue very much in the same vein as I am now.

The COVID pandemic has only made my life harder, unable to access many of the services that would help me right now, but I hope, in time, as we move towards the post Coronavirus World, I will finally be able to get to grips with my gastric symptoms. None of these conditions are deadly, but my quality of life has been severely hampered and a determination to get back to normal is the motivation that spurs me ever onwards, every day, hoping to beat the demons that currently plague my thoughts!

Keeping fit and trying to lose weight, has always been an activity, I have had difficulty with. I have spent my whole life dieting in one way or another, so it is natural I have reached another crossroads in my life, where I need to do something to get healthy once again. To be honest, I did consider another strict calorie controlled diet, but soon realised it wouldn't work. Why wont it work? Well I have tried that approach many times before and I have always failed somewhere down the line, usually just a few days into it!

This time I wanted to do something different and really start to eat healthier, without restricting myself too much. As an all or nothing person, I have never chosen the middle ground; extremes are my forte. During the times when I did rigorously eat an uncompromising diet, it felt like a prison sentence and I soon got fed up with the austere nature of what I was doing. All I did was crave the things I liked and eat the things I didn't. This was a sure fire way to fail and it wasn't long before I got fed up with the whole palaver and just continued down a self destructive path of binge eating, even in secret.

So today I am cutting down, choosing healthier alternatives and most importantly reducing the size of the meals I eat. On top of this sensible eating plan, I have also decided to reduce the carbohydrates in my diet dramatically, but not altogether. If I stop eating carbs completely, I will crave them all the more and surely fail at the first hurdle. Buying food that is lower in carbohydrates is a good start for me; low carb bread as well as fresh fruit and vegetables and more salads should help me lose weight. Yesterday I also made some Cauliflower Rice, by blending the vegetable up into grain size pieces and quickly frying it in olive oil; served with Chili, it tasted delicious. It worked surprisingly well, despite my initial apprehension and didn't taste of cauliflower at all.

So it's back to healthy eating for me, not a bad thing when one considers the amount of walking I do a day and the cigarettes I no longer smoke. It is about time I took charge of my own destiny, and as I drift towards my fiftieth year, I am fully aware of what I need to do in order to live a longer, healthier life. My body no longer feels and acts like the twenty year old, who used to drink, smoke  and party hard; today it is in need of an MOT and an overhaul, accepting what it can and can't do. Realising ones age and changing ones lifestyle is an important part of maintaining the perfect balance between body and mind. My mind is as healthy as it has ever been, my body, well, just needs work...Could do better as they say. Hopefully this time, I will succeed where I have failed in the past!

This is the first bank holiday weekend I have had off in a long time and today I am nursing a rather niggly hangover. I say niggly, because it isn't bad, just rather annoying. All I want to do is sleep, but I have too much to do and it is getting in the way of what was going to be a productive day.  The weather isn't too bad today, so I've managed to get some washing done, pop into town and am cooking a lasagne for dinner this evening; I am doing my best to be positive today...I could make the same old statement - 'I'm never drinking again,' but that wouldn't be true, so I wont!

Yesterday I met a mate, Deb's from work, she was going to take me on a tour of her local haunts, the places she likes to go to - pubs, clubs and a restaurant on the coast . The weather was pretty much spot on for a day out, despite the odd few drops of rain and we enjoyed an afternoon drink followed by a good old traditional roast in the Thatched House pub, at Milton Locks, Southsea. I have been here once before, when I returned to the UK about a year ago, but not since.

The Thatched House, is a traditional public house serving British food at fantastic prices. I chose to have a carvery at a cost of 7.99 and it was huge. Three meats, roast potatoes and all the trimmings, I couldn't fault it and had absolutely no complaints, which is unusual for me. Suitably full, we went outside for a chat and beer, two things I love more than anything!

After the Thatched House, Deb's took me to The Duke of Devonshire in Albert Road. This traditional back street bar, is similar to the Newcome, where I work and was welcoming and friendly. We continued talking about life, the universe and everything, rather like being on a first date, but we weren't if you understand what I mean. Debbie and I were born a few hours a part at the same hospital in Portsmouth in 1971, so we kind of have a connection and we get on well, having a very similar sense of humour. Friendship is an important part of all our lives, but for me it is even more crucial in order for me to cope with living away from my husband. I have a lot of family and acquaintances around me on a daily basis and Debbie is another welcome addition to my close circle of friends.

After picking up two of Debbie's mates, we headed to Palmerston Road for more beers and a trip to the infamous Kingsley's, a nightclub that I can only describe as enlightening. To be honest I haven't been to a club in years, not since I lived in Spain and I rarely set foot in a straight venue, but the music was great, for an oldie like me and I enjoyed it for what it was. The average age must have been 60 years old and I did feel like the youngest one there...Another first for me. After getting propositioned by a lady old enough to be my Grandmother, I realised all the rumours about this place were true. It was like a cattle market for pensioners; I kid you not. Despite the obvious downsides I had a great day with Debs and felt more relaxed than I have done in a while; I look forward to our next 'Debbie Brown Tour,' there's nothing like letting your hair down to relieve stress, kick back and have a little bit of me time!

I've had a welcome day off today after working for sixteen hours on Wednesday. I actually slept right the way through until 7am this morning, which is amazing for me, especially after waking up at 3am everyday since I have returned from Asia. I guess the jet lag is well and truly over now and my sleeping pattern is back to normal!

I had a few things to catch up on first thing today, but essentially I have spent Thursday cooking up some meals for the rest of the week - not something I have done in a long while!

In Spain money was tight and I embarked on a cost cutting exercise, cooking in bulk and freezing meals, the most economical way to live. It was particularly difficult to buy ready refection and snacks, especially in the urbanization where I lived. So by making healthy nutritious lunches and dinners myself, I was able to create my own convenience meals, eating a balanced sensible diet, without the need of high calorie and high sodium prepackaged food from supermarkets.

Money is no longer tight, but my busy lifestyle prevents me cooking for myself on a daily basis, so today I went back to basics and began doing what I did best in Spain, cooking hearty meals, to eat quickly in between the two jobs I currently have. Today I made a 'Spicy Spanish Chicken Stew with Pinto beans and Quinoa' and it tasted great and reminded me of my time living in Gran Alacant.

I have to admit, since returning from Spain, my eating habits have somewhat slipped. I have been consuming the most convenient pies, pasties and sandwiches, rather than spending a little time out of my week pre-preparing something a little more salutary. Annoyingly I have put on a few pounds to say the least and was not feeling happy about the direction I was heading in. Today I hope to begin to change that and organise my week more effectively, being able to eat well, without the need to buy high fat food; fingers crossed I keep it up!

First I wanted to talk about the 'Goulash' I made yesterday; details of which were included in my blog. I had a comment from Eduardo, who posted on 'The Real Truth Blogger,' facebook page, asking me to include a recipe for the dish. In all honesty Eduardo, I never really follow recipes, but will do my best to include it for you. Usually I cook in bulk, so I will reduce the quantities accordingly....

1. I usually buy the joins of pork from Lidl, in the GA Centre and chop equal quantities of pork and beef into a bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the top and add the two tablespoons of paprika,  Using clean hands, evenly coat the meat in the olive oil and paprika. Leave the mixture to marinade for a few hours, before cooking.

2. Add four table spoons of flour to a shallow bowl, take each marinaded piece of meat and gently roll it in the flour. The flour will help thicken the goulash, whilst cooking.

3. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a pan; when hot enough add the pork and beef; cook until brown.

4. Chop the onions and garlic, add to the browned meat, continue to fry until the onions turn golden.

5. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes, Worcestershire Sauce, salt and pepper; next sprinkle one beef OXO cube over the stew.

6. Chop the green pepper and stir in well; add more paprika if so desired. I like a lot of paprika, so always go overboard.

7. Finally cook for three to four hours or until meat is tender!

It's 1pm and I've been up since early this morning cooking. I like to cook in bulk, making my own meals for the freezer. Since I've had three days off, I've been shopping and restocking. I was at Consum first thing, buying ingredients; beginning by cooking up a batch of liver and onions.

I've always been a fan of liver, ever since I was a kid; I'm a bit strange like that and will eat most things. Liver is of course cheap; you get a lot for your money. Darrell isn't the biggest fan of it, but will eat it at a push!

Next, I prepared some braised kidney, yes more cheap offal. Once again, I love kidney in all its forms, especially steak and kidney pudding. No one else, especially Darrell will eat this 'acquired taste in food,' so this is for me alone. Four meals ready for the freezer. Not enough people eat this kind of food, mainly because of their own phobias. Meat is meat is meat, so get over your prejudged thoughts and eat the stuff; if you are a carnivore like me of course!

....and finally. I am cooking Spaghetti Bolognese for dinner this evening, using three quarters of a bottle of red wine; well it is cheaper to buy here, so why not. As a matter of interest, I wanted to ask readers of 'Spanish Views,' a question about the minced beef you buy in Spain. It doesn't actually brown in the same way as it does in the UK and looks a lot lighter in colour. All I can assume, is the cattle are fed on grain rather than grass, but I can't be sure; is this the case? Grain fed Cows produce lighter coloured meat; the taste is also different. Personally I prefer British beef, but what do I know!

​'Not the best photograph to start with, on a Christmas Day, but after the restless night I had, I was surprised to be up at all, let alone at 9am. I have never been a morning person, much preferring to stay up late and get up later. Even though I was in bed at a reasonable time, it didn't really matter; the ghost of Christmas past was on the prowl!'

​11.15am

Both Darrell and I had a very weird night and early morning this Christmas day. When I got home from work on Christmas Eve, I found Mollie acting strangely. She was sat, perched on the edge of the sofa, looking upwards, meowing heavily, chattering occasionally, as if she was having a conversation with something, yet there was nothing there. Mollie was observing something, that I clearly couldn’t see. She carried on like this for a good few hours. No matter what I did to try and distract her, she would ignore me, acting distant and distracted!

As a person, I am quite spiritual and believe in an afterlife, if not God; I suppose you could call me agnostic. I understand from reading about the power of animals, that cats are very sensitive to anything out of the ordinary, otherworldly or ghostly. Mollie can certainly see things I can’t; things that exist, which the human brain can’t comprehend. I am sure it was a ghost! Now I have seen a ghost before, and can remember the circumstances in which the apparition appeared, not unlike what I experienced last night. A sudden drop in temperature and a strange, very strange feeling that came over me. I didn’t see anything myself, it has to be said, but I am sure Mollie did.

At three O’Clock this morning, after only being asleep for about two hours, I woke up suddenly, gasping heavily, heart racing; I thought I was about the breath my last. Then out of the corner of my eye, I spied Mollie, sat at the bottom of the bed, looking upwards, as if in a trance; she was at it again. Perfectly timed, Darrell also kicked abruptly into life, after a particularly bad snoring fit. Darrell does suffer with sleep apnoea; on occasion, when I detect he has stopped breathing, I jab him in the side with my elbow, just to wake him up. Darrell jolted upright in bed, laying straight back down, whacking his head on the side of the bedside table, right on his temple. Obviously any head injury is a concern, especially how hard he hit it. I have been monitoring him this morning and he seems to be fine. 

From previous experience, I am sure this house is haunted; I know you are going to think I’m mad, but I really do get these strange feelings, so don’t judge me. I am however a person who has no problem with this type of activity and actually find the concept quite comforting. So far so good today, Mollie is laying in the sun room and isn’t acting strangely yet; however the day is young.

​Darrell has to work at four O’clock, so I am cooking a roast before he goes. I say a roast, because I am not doing a proper Christmas Dinner; the ingredients were just too expensive. I bought a chicken from Mercadona for 5´05€; the same size turkey in Iceland, La Marina, about two and a quarter kilo’s would have cost me 20€ and I wasn’t prepared to pay all that extra money, just for one day. We still have to watch the cents here in Spain, so I am continuing to be as economical as I can. At least Darrell finishes work at 8.30pm, so we can have a few glasses of wine then. It is a gorgeous day today, 24 degrees. Not your typical Christmas weather, but much better than the big freeze in Britain!

​1.30pm
​
Well that’s Christmas Dinner over and done with. As a treat I am using the dishwasher, not something I do often, due to the high cost of electricity in Spain, but today is the birth of our Lord, so forget the expense I say. I have just sat down with a glass or two of red wine watching ‘The Importance of Being Ernest!’ Queen’s speech later and a little siesta afterwards.

4.30pm

Mollie and Wildling are still enjoying the fabulous Spanish weather, after eating a large Christmas dinner with myself and Darrell, who has just left for work. As for me, well I'm blogging and drinking wine all evening. I really do cherish my own time these days, if that makes me antisocial, so be it. As a Taurean, I am a home buddy and that's the way I like it. 

I've just watched The Queen's Speech, as I have done every year since I was a wee lad; a Christmas tradition that really is the icing on the cake, especially now I am an old Expat living on the Costa Blanca. Her Majesty is a link to the past, not only for our Nation, but also for people like me, who no longer live in their Country of birth. The Queen highlighted a year of terrorism on Britain's streets. Lets hope 2018 see's an end to these barbaric acts and a return to peaceful coexistence!

It's back to another glass of red for me and some Roy Orbison; his new CD with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; cheers my lovelies, hope you are enjoying your day!