Health Tip: Lemon Water

Recently I've been doing a variety of work from home: finishing up university work, writing various articles, working to my own deadlines for my own creative writing... When I have a lot of work and I feel stressed I tend to turn to junk food and have been drinking a lot of sodas/fizzy drinks. In an attempt to remedy this I've started drinking lemon water again. All too often we avoid drinking water despite how integral it is to our existence, opting for something with more flavour. Adding a little lemon to your water may seem simple, but it combats that typical lack-of-flavour avoidance whilst also having several health benefits.

• Lemon water supports your immune system functioning as it is high in antioxidants and vitamins that have a supportive role in healthy immune function. 
• Lemon water will alkalise the body and maintain a healthy internal pH balance. For further information about a more alkaline based diet and maintenance of a good internal pH balance I highly recommend reading the works of clinical nutritionist Kimberley Snyder. 
• Drinking lemon water can help aid digestion, clear skin and promote healing. The lemons will help to purge toxins from the skin and flush out bacteria. Lemon water can also help to treat and prevent peptic ulcers. 
• According to OutOfStress.com it can even aid with weight loss as it lowers sugar absorption.

So whether you're trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy body this is a small change to make that ensures you get water into your system along with a team of body boosting vitamins and antioxidants. It's a small change you can make in your daily life that can really help with your personal detox from the inside out.

Writer Problems #4: Inspiration

Writers rarely seem to choose when inspiration hits. It just walks in and will gladly leave. You have to seize it when it comes.
This is why, during our first year of university, our creative writing tutor urged us to keep a book and pen on us at all times.
This way, should inspiration hit, we were prepared to capture it. Unfortunately my inspiration always seems to hit at night time once I've crawled into bed and turned out the light. Five minutes later the greatest ideas hit and I have to apologise to my partner, turn the light on and pick up the pad and pencil that always sits at my bedside.
Thankfully this morning my brain decided to wake me with inspiration in the form of a dream so I started the day writing.

When are YOU most inspired?
Let me know in the comments section below.

Writer Problems #3: Creativity, Thou Art A Cruel Mistress!

One of my problems as a writer was that when I was younger I would always want to write, but I'd never know what to say when I had a pen in my hand or a computer before me. I would find myself struck down with the worst case of writers block.

Similarly I also had moments where I knew what to write in certain places, but there were large plotholes in my mind and I couldn't fathom them, or I wasn't excited enough about a story to write it.

However, as soon as I have a dissertation to finish/edit I suddenly have all the ideas for books and characters and all I want to do is spin beautiful fiction and get my ideas out, and writing down some notes turns into writing the first chapter and so essentially what I am saying is I have spent the past half hour not doing what I was supposed to.

Novel, go away. I'm busy with work. Come back and play next weekend and we can be best friends, I swear.

Creativity, thou art a cruel mistress.

The B425 List

After watching a video of a group of people going 'canyoneering' and abseiling down waterfalls I've decided to compile a list of things that I want to do before I'm 25 because during my time at university I don't feel I've had the chance to be adventurous.

Just as a reminder - these are all for me. If you've got a list of your own or have some cool suggestions, please feel free to comment.

- Stick with your pescetarian diet and maybe try going vegan for a month just for the experience.

- Make a savings account. Ok, that sounds like a really dull one but in a few weeks I'll be looking for a job and I want to have money to put away for my future that can go towards a deposit on an apartment, paying for a nice holiday, paying off student debt etc. It seems kinda lame, but I feel at this stage it's a sensible thing to do. Even just £10 a week will do the trick, however much I can put in there.

- Stand out in public with a 'Free Hugs' sign for at least an hour just to spread some joy. Maybe do it to raise awareness of/raise money for a charity that helps with mental health.

- Revisit places that made me happy. I want to travel to the islands around my home country, Scotland, and return to some of the places that have brought a sense of inner peace. I want to be the old me that swam in waterfalls, danced til dawn and even skinny dipped in the North Sea. I also want to revisit Venice. I'd return to Venice every year if possible. There's no place ever I've felt more at peace in.

- Finish at least one novel and seek publication for it. Pretty self explanatory but I'd like to be a published writer by 25. Before you say it - yes, I know how tough it will be, but there is no harm in being ambitious.

- Try to learn how to make sushi., even just one basic kind.

- Take up a class in something new. Maybe I could do one each year. Maybe I'll finally learn to knit or take up karate. Or both. Knitrate.

- Get back into hiking. Once your leg is healed, try jogging again.

- Roadtrip. It seems like a dreadfully cliche thing to do but I'm gonna do it... Straight after I learn how to drive and buy a car.

- Learn to drive.

- Buy a car.

- Act again. I used to be involved with amateur dramatic societies and really enjoyed it. It was relaxing to spend an hour a week playing dress up with your friends and pretending to be someone else. I may also follow in my father's footsteps and attempt to write a pantomime. Maybe I'll direct a play.

- Get in shape. One day I'll probably be acting as an incubator to a human being and that will make my tummy swell to the point I'll have little pink lightning bolt style stretch marks all over. I would like to slim down as much as possible and enjoy a few good bikini years before the whole baby thing.

- Visit at least one of the following places, at the very least: New Zealand, Australia, USA (preferably for a road trip style holiday), Canada, Spain, Ireland. If you hit more than one, even better. Anything beyond that is just gravy. Also, take more trips/short breaks with friends like Kavos this summer. Find a nice mixture of travelling alone and travelling as part of a group. New Zealand is the most likely at this point in time - but if the changeover is in America, that technically kinda crosses USA off the list for the time being.

- Try your hand at journalism.

- Write some form of fanfiction, just for shits and giggles

- Get a job. Any job. I don't mind what, but I do know that I want to be working as soon as I am done with university. How else am I going to support some of the more expensive entries on this list such as world travel?

- A list I read featuring things to do suggested to write a song and put it out there. I'd like the idea of just recording a couple of songs with friends to contribute to the ever growing monster that is music. I miss singing. I want to get back into singing again, strengthen my voice and my lungs, and record a few songs... maybe even perform them live to an audience.

- Get involved with charity again. Do fundraising or donate each month. Something. In this world it's far too easy to forget these things

- Learn to cook. Ok, I will admit it. My cooking is pretty basic. I've been meaning to try to learn how to cook Chinese cuisine for some time and after university I shall probably try. I'll also look into interesting vegetarian recipes and maybe try to come up with my own. If I write them down I could create a vegetarian cookbook. Ha! Me with a fucking cookbook. It's actually a pretty funny idea. Actually, you know what? I'll try it.

- Try to write a vegetarian cookbook of your own recipes. If no one wants to publish it, which is probably what will happen, start a blog about it.

- Take up some sort of dance class. Come to think of it, future me, you've always been shit at dancing and learning how to move your own body might be good. Ballroom, salsa, whatever. It's cool. Just not disco. We tried that once. We quit after the first session. DEAR GOD, EVERYONE WAS WEARING DENIM AND DANCING TO COTTON-EYED JOE AND SEEMED TO ENJOY IT.

- Try to pay off your student debt as soon as possible. Good creddit, yada yada. Weight of debt forever looming until you do, yada yada. You get the point.

- Start writing/filming/creating short films and sketches. These can be for YouTube or to pursue a career in film. Anything! I'd love to direct my own film or TV show that I had written and was therefore there from the point it was created and seeing it through the whole process.

- Take up photography. It used to be something that you were so interested in. I'm not saying you have to do a course in it or anything but as long as you can see something pretty, hold a camera and press the right button it could be a nice way to spend your time.

- Buy cheap clothing/accessories and modify them, make them really personal. Like your Bauhaus shirt... but better.

- Read all the books on your "To Read" list. Maybe even do the challenge of setting yourself 50 books to read in a year and get through some of the classics you've neglected, and the books that have been lying around on your shelves for years that you said you'd get around to.

- Get back into writing poetry, maybe try and get a book of poetry published. Also support current poets and go to more poetry readings.

- Go canoeing.

- Try to learn how to make proper French style macaroons.

- Skinny dip again. Because it's fun and nudity is fun. FUN.

- Go to a gay pride parade or Slut Walk.

- Try to get over your fear of needles and give blood. You're Type O Negative. Not only do you share your blood type name with a band, but it can save a lot of lives.

- See if you can take up taiko drumming. Gotta love taiko drumming. You're shit at instruments but you can probably bang a big drum.

- Take up a sport, even if it's badminton in the back garden.

- Get into weightlifting with Hannah and get physically stronger.

- Take up bellydancing. It's something I've always wanted to do and I've not done any sort of bellydancing since my poor attempt at it on a coach on the way back to Cairo. That reminds me... if I ever get the chance to ride a camel again, I promise I won't scream a second time round. They're wobbly fuckers.

- Maybe try getting involved with the Cambridge Film Festival again. Last time was so much fun and it'd be a great experience.

- Plant a tree. Somewhere, anywhere. Just do it at least once.

- Spend more time with your family and pay for it. Take them out to dinner, do nice things and foot the bill. Lord knows they must have spent a fortune raising you.

- Help your sister revise so she can achieve great results in her exams. I know you were always worried she'd come along and outshine you but you love the little bugger so you really don't mind at this stage if she does.

- Host a themed party. Growing up I was known for throwing big scale themed parties. My Moulin Rouge! themed party was still the topic of conversation when I was leaving the town, about three years after the party itself. I threw three big parties, each having a theme. I'd kinda like to do it again. Maybe not on so grand and house-trashing a scale - that Moulin Rouge! party was great but we were still pulling beer bottles out of bushes years later.

- Get involved with local volunteer work.

- Take up meditation. I tried it in my teens and I probably just wasn't as emotionally mature back then to do it any justice. Even just one or two attempts will allow me to score it off of this bucket list.

- I know I've already discussed cooking, but why not try a cooking challenge? Like in the film Julie & Julia where the protagonist gave herself a year to cook every recipe in the Julia Child cookbook, I'd love to do that. It'd certainly whip me into shape and I could hold dinner parties, maybe get some feedback for my efforts.

- Further explore your family history to better understand your roots. 
- Try vlogging.

- Study a language. I've already studied French (A* at GCSE level, and then I took it all the way onto sixth form), Spanish (A at GCSE) and I also did Italian and Japanese (both without exams) and I'd like to either learn and revisit one of these or learn something completely new. Languages were always something I was good at.

- Get a tattoo. Well, this one is optional, but you've always liked them so I figured I'd put it on the list.

- Try yoga.

- Take photos and create beautiful scrapbooks full of memories. We seem to live in an age where having photos is all about putting them up online. Am I the only non-hipster who truly misses old Polaroids? I want to document this ol' life of mine in general, really. Hence vlogging.

- Try taking up art. I used to draw, I tried painting. I mean... why not?

- Go zorbing/zorbballing or whatever it's called.

- Try to climb a mountain - or as high as you can get with your vertigo.

- Get drunk at Disneyland. There. I said it.

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Well, on the basis that this list is getting long and I have a dreadfully short attention span I'm going to publish here. If I think of anything else later then I shall add it to the list. I'll refer back and hopefully blog along my journey of completing the things on this list. Like the film "Yes Man" I hope to enter into lots of new experiences simply by allowing myself to be/remain open-minded. After university I'm really hoping to do a lot of self exploration (no tacky masturbation jokes plz, kthnxbai) and having positive experiences.

p.s
Since my last post, a veritable mind dump though it was, I saw this and it was actually on a list of things to do before you're 25. It says:
'Try not to beat yourself up over having obtained a ‘useless’ Bachelor’s Degree. Debt is hell, and things didn’t pan out quite like you expected, but you did get to go to college, and having a degree isn’t the worst thing in the world to have. We will figure this mess out, I think, probably; the point is you’re not worth less just because there hasn’t been an immediate pay off for going to school. Be patient, work with what you have, and remember that a lot of us are in this together.'
True words. Hopefully one day this university experience will work out in my favour and I look forward to that day when it comes. 

Do you have a bucket list? What's on yours? Have you achieved anything? Let me know in the comments. 

Keep calm, and blog on.

Writer Problems #2

When I write stories and I'm looking for names for characters I usually use a baby name generator to come up with something when I cannot think of a name. I usually like a name that's interesting, something that stands out a little.

I recently got a Baby Name Generator app on my phone so when I'm writing on trains (I spend most of my life on trains) I can come up with character names if writing on my travels.

The only problem with this is the people I sit next to probably think I'm an expecting mother.
I'm curvy, sure, but not pregnant.
One time the woman saw me using the app and gave me an all-knowing smile and I was like "No... no no no, I'm not pregnant. No..."
It was a really awkward moment.

Benedict Grumpybatch tells YOU to get back to work!

Benedict Cumberbatch wants you to keep working towards your Camp NaNoWriMo goals!

What My University Degree Means To Me

A year ago, I graduated from university and I can safely say that it was one of the proudest and happiest moments of my life so far. It represented so much: I'd achieved something big. I was good enough to hold an influential degree. It was a hot day. I'd just got back from Corfu where it was sweltering but I was still graduating in a heat wave, buried under heavy black robes and sweating like a piglet. I had to pick up my robes, find my friends, pick up tickets for my family... It was a hectic morning but the whole time, excitement swelled in my stomach. Three years had amounted to this: this moment of glory, this feeling of triumph. As I walked across that stage and shook hands with the Dean it almost didn't feel real. It was a moment I'd imagined so many times and finally it was happening...

I remember telling my family I was getting a 2:1, a higher grade than I'd honestly expected. I'd felt a lot of trepidation and self doubt. I sat in the car, trying not to say anything to my mother to let the secret slip. I wanted to tell all of my family together. When I did there were hugs, a bottle of champagne was brought in and it began to really sink in. I'd done it.

My university education has afforded me so much. I've made many friendships, had the experience of living in Yorkshire. In fact, without my university education, I wouldn't be a published author right now. Before university I'd never even considered writing for films and television. I owe so much to the University of Huddersfield. I opted for a degree that had a creative writing portion because I'd always wanted to be an author. The only problem was, before university, I had real trouble focusing on and finishing projects. I needed to learn more about crafting my work and the publication process.

During the course of my education I really had my doubts.
Am I doing the right degree?
Will this all really pay off some day?
Is this the best route for me?
Is it all worth it?

It hasn't been easy since leaving university. I'm still looking for that perfect graduate job. That said I've gained so much more confidence and experience. Once my novel is finished I'm far more confident in taking the steps that come after. I had such wonderful experiences and my time at university will always hold a really special place in my heart. I'm so thankful that my family were so supportive through the entire process. My partner was a real pillar of strength to me also. It was a lot of hard work but it has already had a huge impact on my life. Without university I wouldn't be published, wouldn't have started this blog, wouldn't be a blogger for The Huffington Post. I cannot fathom how my life would have turned out otherwise.

My degree certificate is framed in my study next to my mother's degree. It has a place of pride upon my wall and I often catch myself looking at it. I understand that it grants me and signifies a real privilege as not everyone is afforded the education I've had and I do not forget the gravity of my degree. I will forever be proud and strive to put my qualifications to good use. It's something I carry with me and still feel so immensely proud of. I proved a lot of things to the people around me and I proved a lot of things to myself as well. I'm taking some time today to think of all the other people graduating right now and the people who graduated at my side.