Hi folks,
This week I have been mostly…
Contemplating:
“I’m going to tell you something: thoughts are never honest. Emotions are.” - Albert Camus
And Decartes' Error - the idea presented by Antonio D’Amasio. Neurological evidence suggests that you cannot separate reason from emotion as has been the belief since Decartes. So those of us that are comforted by the notion that they are predominantly rational creatures are unfortunately naive:
"That new neurological evidence suggests that no emotion at all is an even greater problem. Emotion may well be the support system without which the edifice of reason cannot function properly and may even collapse."
"I even suspect that humanity is not suffering from a defect in logical competence but rather from a defect in the emotions that inform the deployment of logic.”
Rejoicing:
In the fact that finally a large study has been published (in the Lancet) investigating the far too long held believe that fat, especially saturated fat is bad for us. What has always been bad for us is refined carbohydrate intake not fat. This study suggests that low fat diets could raise the risk of an early death by as much as one quarter! Glad I commented on my fat cheese habit in last weeks post.
However, not all fats are created equal. Good fats are for example: Avocados, oily fish (omega 3 : EPA and DHA), Grass Fed Butter (organic or Kerrygold), Nuts like Macadamias, Fat from Organic Meats, use saturated fats to cook with e.g. Ghee. Bad fats are those that have been processed: trans fats, hydrogenated fats, veggie oil cooked (crips) - fats denature under heating so don’t cook with veggie oil (polyunsaturated fats) or olive oil but coconut oil is ok.
Mmmm butter...
Reading:
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.
A short book by a Roman emperor. Fantastic philosophical nuggets written as an older man to himself for himself.
“What does not benefit the hive does not benefit the bee either.”
Listening:
Looking forward to seeing BadBadNotGood live in Bristol in November. Can't get this song out of my head this week.
Stretching:
My hamstrings: arms out in front of you thumbs up, bend at the hips only (not the spine) as in a squat until you feel the tension in your hamstrings and hold for at least 30 seconds. Repeat every day.
Have a great weekend,
Simon
Finemore's Five for Friday (17)
Hi folks,
This week I have been mostly…
Listening:
To the new album by Andy Shauf called The Party. If you like The Shins or Grandaddy you might enjoy this.
Contemplating:
The concepts that I am trying to communicate most clearly to my clients with regard to Chiropractic care:
1. There is a natural force within us that constantly heals and repairs us. We call this Innate Intelligence.
2. There are things that can confuse or interfere with this intelligence. We call these things Subluxations.
3. Our purpose is to address your Subluxations and help you return to a natural state of healing and health. We call these Adjustments.
Watching:
The build up to the McGregor vs Mayweather boxing match on Sunday. Whatever your views on combat sports and who will win, I appreciate the stoic philosophy and the positive mindset that Conor McGregor has espoused in his rise from nowhere to superstar in four years vs the legendary technician.
“An injury is not just a process of recovery, it’s a process of discovery.” - Conor McGregor
Eating:
A lot of super squidgy, stinky, raw cheese. August tends to be the month when friends come to stay and this time brought with them my favourite cheeses. The stinkiest was some unpasteurised Reblechon. My fridge may not ever smell the same again. The fact that this cheese is made from raw milk makes it taste better and is possibly better for us as it has more natural, and greater numbers, of bacteria in it which may be good for your ‘microbiome’ (the sum total of helpful symbiotic bacteria that populate your gut and your skin). The idea that full fat cheese is bad for us is highly questionable and in my opinion has been largely de-bunked; fat is essential and good fat is good for you.
Exercising:
Been revisiting the Bear Crawl. A great exercise for all joint mobility, balance and co-ordination. Good for core and spinal stability also. Here is a link for a beginners form of the exercise.
Have a great bank holiday weekend!
Simon
Finemore's Five for Friday
Hi folks,
It's a welcome return (I hope!) for Finemore's Five for Friday! This week I have mostly been...
Exercising:
I have been chatting with a few clients about appropriate training exercises so here is a link to a good basic spinal stability routine by Stuart McGill Phd.
Contemplating:
Listening to Chris Ryan’s podcast in conversation with Stanley Krippner concerning consciousness. Chris mentions his personal metaphor for life and describes life as like a falling raindrop. The beginning of life is the birth of an individual raindrop from the mass of water in the cloud. The end of life is the impact of that raindrop but there is a mergence back to the body of water.
Listening :
Can’t stop playing this cover of a Gil Scott-Heron song this week from Esther Phillips Home is where the Hatred is. She also does a great cover of Bill Wither’s classic Use Me. Listen on Spotify here.
Eating:
Fresh English samphire. Very easy to cook. Tastes great and is good for you. Just throw it in boiling water for a couple of minutes or steam it or pop it in a closed pan with butter and pepper. In season now and great with fish or shellfish.
Quoting:
This week I have found myself mentioning this quote from the Dalai Lama, ‘Love is the absence of judgement.’ This simple wisdom applies to everything in your life that you appreciate but also importantly to your appreciation of yourself and the things that you do.
Thanks and have a great weekend,
Simon
Finemore's Five for Friday (15)
Hi everyone,
Here's this week's edition of FFFF. Enjoy.
This week I have been mostly:
Looking forward:
To the start of the Test Cricket series between us and the South Africans. Nothing like a 5-day game on TV to force significant marital negotiations. A new England captain, Joe Root. C’mon lads.
Listening to:
A new album by Kevin Morby called City Music. You can pick your vinyl copy at Jam Records in town.
Reading:
Black Rednecks and White Liberals by Thomas Sowell. I have been wanting to read this book for a while, it challenges assumptions about culture in the US with interesting theories on the commonality of culture across race and social division which has historical relevance to our ancestors (those seafarers of the south west involved in the slave trade, piracy and those who emigrated to the ‘new world’). How powerful culture is and how it conditions behaviour.
Contemplating:
A passage from the book I mentioned previously, Neither Wolf nor Dog by Kent Nerburn.
To summarise badly, Dan the Lakota Sioux elder comments on the white people that came and how important freedom is to them. Dan suggests that freedom was not important to the Indian tribes as they understood what it was to be free. Honour was more important to the Indians than freedom. The white people left Europe to escape their cages in search of freedom but brought their cages with them. The white people imposed cages upon the Indians, parcelled up the land and put lines and fences to cage the Indian tribes. Brought fences to cage themselves in on small pieces of land with a small cage they called a house.
Exercising:
My favourite muscle group for lateral and low back stability: the Obliques. This time a modified push up/plank. In a plank or push up position simply lifting one leg and draw imaginary squares in the air with your pointed foot while keeping your back level (no twist), repeat with the other leg. Alternatively, bringing one leg up bending the knee alongside the body like a dog cocking its leg, repeat with the other leg.
Until next week,
Simon
Finemore's Five for Friday (14)
Hi everyone,
Just back from Glastonbury a little tired physically but spiritually revived.
This last week or so I have been mostly:
Listening:
To live bands at Glasto. We didn’t get to see many artists as we were adjusting from 11- 6pm everyday. However ,I loved Future Islands live as Sam Herring is such a presence on stage, but my favourite gig was Warpaint at the Park stage. A smaller stage than the others and more intimate. 4 ladies sonically killing it at 11pm. Worth listening to any of their albums but 'Love is to Die’ is a great place to start.
Loving:
This year at Glastonbury the great majority of people we saw had never seen a Chiropractor before so it was a great opportunity to introduce them to the big idea. One couple of young scientists had never seen a Chiropractor before but came back everyday to get checked. As they were leaving they thanked us for making their Glastonbury.
Learning:
I adjusted one lady who was a science communicator. I spent some time explaining the science and theory behind what we do and was pretty proud of myself. After the adjustment I asked if I had communicated well. She said that after the first minute or two she knew she could trust me, would be cared for and didn’t really care about the science.
Appreciating:
The power of music and the performing arts to bring people together in love, tears and laughter. After a tumultuous 2017 it was a great relief to see so many people in harmony singing, dancing, talking, eating and drinking together. Glastonbury is a 7 mile square site filled with people from all over the UK and the wider world. It feels like a cooperative medieval city with prominent themes such as revelry, sustainability, charity, community, healing the earth and each other. As the late Jo Cox said on immigration: "We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.”
Consuming:
Lots of organic food. Glasto is great for the organic food tents you can find. After a long night on the tiles I found a cup of Masala Chai to be a rejuvenator. A mix of black tea and Indian herbs and spices. Yum. Plus a shout out to the lovely lady who kept bringing us homemade Spirulina balls to keep us going in exchange for an adjustment.
Until next week,
Simon
Finemore's Five for Friday (13)
Hi everyone - next week I may not post a FFFF as I am adjusting at Glastonbury Festival all week (I’m back on Tue 27th)
anyway back to this week I have mostly been,
Reading:
‘Neither Wolf nor Dog’ by Kent Nerburn which is an interesting narrative about the author and his conversations with a Lakota elder. If you romanticise the history (like me) of what the invading europeans called America then you will love this book. For example I am thinking about this early exchange between the author and mentor,
“You’re not a good liar.”
“Have I lied?”
“Not in words. Only by silence.”
“By silence?”
“Yes. Silence is the lie of the good man, or the coward. It is seeing something you don’t like and not speaking.”
Playing with:
http://www.authentic-happiness.com/home/Discover-Your-Strengths
I’m re-reading one of my all time favourite non-fiction books, ‘The Happiness Hypothesis’ by Jonathan Haidt. This above link is a great resource to many different personality (what used to be called character) tests from your self-esteem to how strong is your moral foundation? Fun on a rainy day.
Contemplating:
The whole universe is change and life itself is but what you deem it. - Marcus Aurelius (Meditations, 4:3)
You are in always in a constant state of change. You are relatively healthier or sicker on a day by day, hour by hour, second by second basis. There is no such thing as stasis in living systems. Unhappiness and illness can come from us expecting or trying to impose stasis, consistency or routine upon a universal state of change. Embracing change is the real deal.
Cheating with:
Sometimes you just have to cheat. When you cheat just make sure it’s worth it: Cornish Carbonara (at least it has 3 healthy egg yolks, cream, garlic, sea salt and bacon)
Whisk 3 Organic egg yolks in a bowl with lots of parmesan cheese, black pepper and good teaspoon of Cornish Clotted Cream.
Fry 1 clove of Organic garlic and Cornish bacon (or pancetta cubes) in a pan until just going brown.
Cook your spaghetti with lots of Cornish Sea Salt in the water then drain.
Swirl the egg mix, bacon and garlic and pasta together and serve immediately with a pinch of black pepper in top.
Nice n easy.
Listening:
Getting funky with Pastor T.L. Garret and the Youth for Christ Choir and the album ‘Like a Ship (Without a Sail)’
(Note: I always put the Amazon link on my posts for reference but it would be great if you went down to Jam Records in town to buy anything you like…)
Cheers
Finemore's Five for Friday (12)
Hi folks,
Hi folks been hard to write FFFF this week as I have mostly been disMAYed but moving on...
Listening :
Continuing my 90’s revival with a band I listened to at school Bellybutton by Jellyfish - great bubblegum pop largely overlooked.
also Listening to:
This podcast : http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/kelly-brogan
Joe in conversation with American Psychiatrist Kelly Brogan. Interesting conversation about her journey from being part of the American Pharmaceutical machine to implementing purely lifestyle interventions for the last 10 yrs. She even talks about vitalism and Chiropractic! It’s a good listen and, "there is no such thing as a free lunch."
Wishing :
That I hadn’t spent so much time being appalled by biased political commentary and wishing that we had popular independent media channels, a powerful media watchdog and therefore a perspective on the truth.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/2017
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/denzel-washington-fences-red-carpet-interview-fake-news-media-a7472521.html
Eating :
Raw unpasteurised butter from France. Whenever my mum comes down the line from across the border (Devon) I ask her to bring some for me (from Waitrose). It comes from cows fed on the mineral rich grass of salt-marshes and is too delicious. I could almost eat like a choc-ice. Tastes great. Not that we don’t have great Cornish butter but this is raw and somehow tastes even better. If anyone wants more information on why butter is best please ask.
http://www.waitrose.com/shop/DisplayProductFlyout?productId=215247
Contemplating :
Tony Robbins has said, “The brain inside our heads is a 2 million-year-old brain…. It’s ancient, old survival software that is running you a good deal of the time. Whenever you’re suffering, that survival software is there. The reason you’re suffering is you’re focused on yourself.”
The best antidote to suffering is often to focus on another, to help another. There is a difference between I-llness and We-llness.
Until next time,
Simon
Finemore's Five for Friday (11)
Hi folks,
Welcome to Volume 12 of Finemore's Five For Friday, my weekly missive to the masses. This week I have been mostly ...
Impressed by :
Tylko. A company who engineers formica covered plywood shelving/storage to fit any space and allows you to have a hand in the design of your shelving. It comes in a flat pack but you fit it together very easily with a clunk-click sliding system. Looks great is super easy to construct (no screws, no tools) and is hard wearing. Check it out www.tylko.com
Using:
Epsom salts in my hot bath. It is common to have a deficiency in magnesium and a great way to boost those magnesium levels is to take a hot bath with at least a mug full of Epsom salts. It can help with those cramps, post work-out or otherwise. If you are deficient in anything it makes sense to become sufficient if you can. I find the cheapest way to buy mine is in 25Kg boxes from Amazoncourtesy of epsomsalts.co.uk - but you can buy it smaller quantities from the same company.
Listening to :
The Stone Roses by The Stone Roses. Will always sound amazing. I first heard it when I was about 17 when Manchester and the Hacienda was changing pop culture. Sometimes an album will pop back into your life when you least expect it. For those of you too young to remember this album or have never listened to it, please do. Love Jon Squire’s guitar work.
Working :
My legs. Doing a series of box jumps. Jumping up a foot or so and landing on both feet then jumping down in semi squat position. Jumping down facing both forwards and backwards. Great work out for your quads, hams and gluts. You can try jumping up from 2 feet then standing on one leg and jumping down from that 1 leg but landing squarely on 2. Hard work. Try 10-20 in a session.
Watching :
The first episode of the Handmaid’s Tale from the novel by Margret Attwood on Channel 4 every Sunday. Pretty gripping and scary stuff. This dystopian vision written in 1985 is one of those novels that was recommended to me many times but I never read. It describes a future where fertility rates decline to desperate levels due to pollution and the president of the United States and most of congress are assassinated as a religious order takes control of society and women’s rights. Go figure.
Until next time,
Simon
Finemore's Five for Friday (10)
Hi folks,
Welcome to the latest edition of Finemore's Five For Friday. This week I have been mostly ...
Listening to:
‘is a woman’ by Lambchop. Finally been released on vinyl. Sounds great and brings back memories of one of the best concerts I have ever been to following the release of this album back in the day.
Watching:
Twin Peaks - The Return. On Sky Atlantic at the moment. If you loved the first 2 series then you will also love this new series some 25 years on even though the story escapes the town of Twin Peaks. David Lynch being his fantastic surreal self with most of the old cast. Love it. Not for the faint hearted or squeamish however.
Remembering:
A quote from philosopher Alain de Botton, “When people seem like they are mean, they’re almost never mean. They’re anxious.”
You cannot expect to understand what someone else is going through at any given moment. Communication and understanding is difficult whether in contact with others or understanding who we see in the mirror every day.
Eating:
A great sweet but nutritious and fibrous treat when watching Twin Peaks. Organic dates, stone removed, split down the middle and filled with clotted cream. Yum, it works, try it.
Drinking:
Mushroom Coffee. Some clever chaps in Finland have combined certain healthy varieties of mushroom with coffee to produce interesting and tasty warm beverages that seem to boost your mental performance (I find). The company is called Four Sigmatic and I like their products. Sounds a bit weird, not cheap but tastes good and feels good plus the mushrooms are considered superfoods (whatever that means).
Until next time,
Simon
Finemore's Five for Friday (9)
Hi folks,
Here's the latest Finemore's Five For Friday for you. If you've got anything you'd like me to cover in these weekly emails or any questions please just ask and I'll do my best to answer them for you.
This week I have been mostly ...
Eating:
Organic Fennel. I love the taste and it gives a great crunch to salads. When celery can be a bit bland, fennel knocks it out the park. You can roast it and it’s yummy but this week I made a salad with organic: cherry tomatoes, fennel, chick peas, squeezed lemon, avocado oil, chopped garlic and Big Tony’s Pesto. Fennel also tastes great with Oysters.
Listening:
to an album called m_o_d_e_s by Tomemitsu. Lo-fi music to chill by. Calm.
Attempting:
To make sure that I have 13+ hrs of gut rest per day. Your gut works hard digesting all the food that you do or more commonly don’t chew enough. It needs a break. Relative or intermittent fasting is good for you. It helps you sensitise to insulin and regulate your fat-burning mechanisms. It has even been shown to help reduce cancer risk in some studies. So I’m playing with eating only 2 meals a day, breakfast and late lunch or lunch and early dinner. Ideally if you eat your evening meal at 7pm, you should not eat or drink anything but water until at least 9am the next day. Try it and see how you feel and how your brain works.
Hugging:
Nothing like a good hug. Here’s a technique that I heard from Wim Hof (the Ice Man). Wim throws his Left arm over the shoulder of the recipient placing his head on the right side of theirs and his heart (to heart) right next to theirs. Do it. Hug more often.
If you’re a man’s man. Do it more. Especially with other men. You need it more than most. See how your relationships and your life changes.
Plus if you’ve never seen the 70’s TV series ‘Hart to Hart’ then you should. Genius.
Retro exercising:
Squat Thrust. We all did them at school. Easy to do. Great for your core, upper body strength and helps those surfers out there with their surfer get ups. Try 10-20 every day as part of your daily 3 minute workout.
Until next time,
Simon
Finemore's Five for Friday (8)
Hi folks,
Here's todays Finemore's Five For Friday for you. I hope you enjoy it and have a great weekend.
This week I have been mostly ...
Drinking
My version of 'Bulletproof' coffee. Very simply, the point of this recipe is to encourage your body to run on Ketones and not Glucose for energy (like clean burning wood as opposed to petrol).
Have this coffee in the morning and nothing else but water. The MCT oil will encourage the production of Ketones as fuel. First I use Bulletproof coffee beans, optional but there are less mould toxins which may be a factor in the crash or jitters that some people get from drinking coffee. So make your coffee as you normally would then add to a blender:
- 1 teaspoon of grass fed butter (organic or kerrygold)
- 1 tablespoon of MCT Oil (I use Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil - better for producing ketones)
- 1/4 teaspoon of Maca powder
- Cinnamon and/or a tiny pinch of Cornish Sea Salt to taste
(I also add some Bulletproof collagen powder - good for promoting cartilage repair)
Pour in your coffee and blend for 20 seconds
The result is a frothy, creamy coffee that will keep you going until lunch that helps you switch to fat burning.
Exercising
Dead Bugs on a long foam roller. Great for spinal stability and abdominal strength.
Lay on your back on top of the roller, your spine running the length of the roller so that you are balancing on the roller. Put your arms out as stabilisers.
Bring both legs up and bend at right angles as if you were in a chair (hips and knees flexed at 90 degrees).
Keeping your spine pressed against the roller bring 1 heel down to lightly touch the floor and back up with your leg in exactly the same position (only moving your hip joint), then repeat with the other leg.
Repeat 20-40 times. Feel the strength in your tummy.
Listening
Album IV by BadBadNotGood - collaborative jazzy album with great vocal tracks like ‘Time Moves Slow’ with the lead singer of Future Islands. Summer sounds.
Eating
Big Tony’s Pesto. Made by one of my friends who lives near me. Tony uses all the fresh wild garlic that is abundant at the moment in Cornwall. Adds basil, pine nuts, parmesan and olive oil. Great for a cheat day (carb day) pasta with organic spinach and cherry tomatoes. Not hard to make, healthy and uses local wild ingredients. Yum.
Appreciating
The concept or wholeness, that we are already whole and that we have everything we need. Practising ‘enoughness’.
Being grateful for ‘what is’ and not focusing constantly on ‘what isn’t’ (thanks to Stew Bittman DC for these concepts).
Until next time,
Simon
Finemore's Five for Friday (7)
Hi everyone,
Here's the next dose of Finemore's Five For Friday for you. Would love you to get involved if there's any health questions you have or topics you want covered.
This week I have been mostly ...
Contemplating
Life. What do we mean by the word? Life is described by physicists, chemists and biologists in totally different terms. Different cultures, religions and philosophies place different value and meaning upon it. As James Lovelock says in The Revenge of Gaia: 'Life can be observed, dissected and analysed but it is an emergent phenomenon and may never be capable of rational explanation.'
For me Life is Love; both words for emergent phenomena. Life is your fundamental love affair. You get what you give. We speak of life in terms of love, "she loves life."
Life, like love, can be disregarded but you only lose what you disregard.
I can only hope to regard my life, to be in love with being alive every day. As many have said what is life without love?
As a Chiropractor my intention is to help my clients to express more and more life. The more life (love) you have the less sickness you (and your genes) express.
Wearing
Artillery No. 6 from a perfumer at the end of my old street in east London. Angela Flanders is now in her 80's making beautiful scents using older better techniques with less nasty chemicals. You can buy online.
Listening to
The latest offering from Howe Gelb called Future Standards. Bit of a legend, bit of a maverick. Summer's evening songs. Seen him live a couple of times - well worth the money if you get a chance.
Song to listen to : 'Irresponsible Lovers' (speaks to what I am contemplating this week).
Exercising
My lateral stabilisers (obliques etc) again with a side squat. Lying on your side, knees bent, heels near your bum, propped up on your elbow, fist clenched, other hand on your hip, spine straight. Lift your hip off the deck and push your pelvis forward then back to your heels. Like squatting but on your side. Repeat 10-20 times each side. Enjoy.
Missing
Oysters. Especially the native Fal River ones. So sweet, tasty and not too big. One of the most nutritiously dense foods you can eat. Packed full of zinc and minerals which is why they are known as a aphrodisiac and a fertility food. I love 'em. Local natural produce that is truly world class. Eat 'em.
Until next week,
Simon
Finemore's Five for Friday (6)
Hi everyone,
Here's some music, poetry and musings for you to ruminate on over the weekend. I hope you enjoy them.
This week I have been mostly...
Listening to:
The new album by Sean Rowe called New Lore. Great voice and a good beard. Emotional stuff. Song to listen too : Gas Station Rose.
Appreciating:
I have a new appreciation of how love is giving; a letting go as opposed to a holding on and reminded me of one of my favourite poems by William Blake :
He who binds to himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity's sun rise.
Pondering:
In modern physics light is a recurrent theme, Consciousness is often spoken in terms of ‘light,’ indeed if we work hard enough we may become enlightened. In Chiropractic we often talk in terms of “switching the lights on”.
“With all your science - can you tell how it is, and whence it is, that light comes into the soul?” - Henry David Thoreau.
Attempting:
To not be afraid to make mistakes as quickly and efficiently as possible in learning something new. Make glorious, fantastic mistakes. Every mistake is an opportunity to learn and become more proficient. As Michael Jordan said, he was only as good as he became because he had made more mistakes than anyone else with a basketball.
Recommending:
My Finnish relatives were over for Easter so it’s about time I ranted about the benefits of Sauna once again. There are many anecdotal accounts of professional athletes banging on about the benefits of regular sauna time. Sauna or hot baths help to increase Growth Hormone levels and endurance levels as well as reduce DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Also Sauna has been shown to produce a bump in prolactin which plays a role in wound healing. If you don’t have access to a good traditional sauna then have a hot bath until your heart rate rises and generally you feel like you want to get out. Do it regularly.
Finemore's Five for Friday (5)
Hi folks,
After a week off while I was in Panama, Finemore’s Five for Friday is back. This week I have been mostly:
Listening to...
Vinyl re-issue of Elliot Smith’s marvellous Either/Or album. Genius.
Pondering...
How fearful we are as a society. The great thing about my Panama experience is that there was no common language between the people I adjusted and me. I could only communicate with my eyes, my hands and my heart.
The Panamanians often had no idea what Chiropractic was but they were happy to put there spine in my hands. After their first ever adjustment the response was more often than not a smile or a laugh. Trust, faith and appreciation it would seem are things that may be more cultural than experiential, energetic than cognitive.
Appreciating...
An awareness of how much communication is non-verbal and how complicated verbal communication can sometimes make things.
Protecting...
My skin from the sun in Panama. 30+ degree heat and a sun that burns. I had been making sure that my Vitamin D3 levels were sufficient before Panama as low Vit D3 levels (very common in UK) have been correlated with a higher incidence of skin cancer.
Using lots and lots of organic coconut oil as protection but only having 20 mins of direct sun before finding shade. For me a good Panama hat was essential to protect my naked scalp.
Eating...
Ceviche. Yummy and healthy. Easy to make. Could eat it all day (in the heat). Try some.
Have a great weekend and if there's any questions you'd like me to answer in next week's email please send them through.
Thanks,
Simon
Finemore's Five for Friday (4)
Hi folks,
In another international instalment of Finemore’s Five for Friday this on finds me en route to Panama and that's exactly what I'm pondering...
I'm about to get on a plane to to meet 50 other Chiropractors and help as many people as we can in the space of a week.
People travel from all over Panama to receive Chiropractic and we shall each be adjusting up to 500 people every day. I can’t wait to serve the people of Panama but I also love new experiences. I have never been to central America or been on a Charity Mission trip.
New experiences lead to new feelings which inspire new thoughts which inspire new choices which inspire new actions and behaviours which in turn lead to further new experiences. Change. Doing the same things every day in the same routine does not inspire much. New thoughts lead to growth.
You (and all biological systems) are never static, you are always in a state of flux. You are either upgrading or downgrading, expanding or contracting. Do something new each day, even if it means walking a new path to the supermarket. Taking a new path is a metaphor for making new neural connections in your brain. Learning something new means you wire new nerve connections. Grow your brain.
This week I am mostly listening to...
Idris Muhammad - Power of Soul, getting back to my jazz/soul/funk roots. You’ll notice there is a riff that the Beastie Boys stole for Paul’s Boutique (another great record).
This week I am mostly practicing...
Meditation. It sounds a little ‘hippy' or 'woo woo' but the scientific evidence for the positive benefits of a regular meditation practice is solid and growing all time. It makes you sit with your thoughts long enough to try not to have any. Your body will tell your mind to do many things instead but with practice your mind will have dominion over your body and relax into the present tense; quietening those thoughts of the future and the past. With practice each meditation leaves you in a state of gratitude and sets you up for the rest of your day. Everyday is a gift.
This week I am mostly moving...
My hips and legs with a "Cossack Squat" recommended by Pavel Tsatsouline former PT to the Soviet Special Forces and all round strong dude. You can do this with or without a kettle bell to your chest. Point your feet out, knees inline with your toes, heels on the ground throughout. Hip immobility is the #1 reason for the rates of hip replacement surgery we see in the west as Pavel says, “Grease the groove!”
This week I am mostly wearing...
My Vans High Tops which have a particularly low profile sole (and soul) which allows the millions of receptors you have in your feet to fire more often as they feel the surface you walk on and send more information up the nerves of your legs to the spinal cord and then to your brain. The more input your brain receives the better able it is to process that information and provide your body with exact output it requires to make you perform and be healthy (this is also the premise of Chiropractic).
Until next time,
Simon
PS - Would love to know what you think of these or if you've got any questi
Finemore's Five for Friday (3)
Hi folks,
Today's Finemore’s Five for Friday comes to you from Bucharest. I'll bring you up to speed with what I'm doing out here next week, in the meantime here's the latest for you to ponder over the weekend.
This week I am mostly reading...
‘One River’ by Wade Davis is a tale of scientific exploration in the 1970s as the author follows in the footsteps of his mentor Richard Evans Schultes, the world’s leading authority on the hallucinogens and medicinal plants who in 1941 disappeared for 12 years into the Amazonian rain forest of Columbia in a dug-out canoe. Inspirational.
This week I am mostly listening to...
A Sheffield revival. Pulp's Common People and the Artic Monkeys' Whatever...
This week I am mostly appreciating...
Our capacity for altruism. Whether considering the three people in Lidl who stepped out of a queue to help me pick up every blueberry that I had spilt over the floor or the ‘Effective Altruism’ movement which enables us to have faith that the charity donation goes where we intend. For example it is estimated to cost £2835 (or £28 a month for a year) to save a human life if given wisely.
How many lives could you save in your lifetime? How many of us are donating regularly to charities unsure of what percentage of that donation is being spent on further fund raising or charity infrastructure?
http://www.effectivealtruism.com or you can listen to this podcast : https://www.samharris.org/podcast/item/being-good-and-doing-good
This week I am mostly enjoying...
Surprisingly good instant coffee (served with cream - hurray) and in-flight food on a Tarom flight from London to Bucharest. No charges for food or wine, like stepping back in time. Hoping to enjoy a Cinzano with Leonard Rossiter and or Joan Colllins (that reference is too old for most). Passing through Heathrow Terminal 4 was also a relatively pleasant experience.
This week I am mostly working on...
My vision. You don’t achieve, create or complete anything without thinking of or visualising the desired result repeatedly. We all imagine outcomes. Some of us even imagine and realise unfortunate outcomes. The clearer we are in our vision of what we want the more likely we are to create it. For example you will never heal without investing in that possibility; the placebo effect is real and observable. Be careful what you wish for.
Have a great weekend and see you soon.
Until next time,
Simon
PS - Would love to know what you think of these or if you've got any questions you'd like answering send them through and I'll do my best to oblige.
Finemore's Five For Friday (2)
Hi folks,
Welcome to the second instalment of Finemore’s Five for Friday, my weekly roundup of the five things I can’t stop doing this week, I’m enjoying or are simply on my mind.
This week I am mostly listening to...
The Feelies : Crazy Rhythms (Chiropractic band in the most appropriate sense) - great post punk poppy sound. This is their debut album; spring is on the way. Listen to them on Spotify here or check out the album on Rough Trade here.
This week I am mostly reading...
You are the Placebo by Joe Dispenza : an amazing description of the power of self healing that we all have access to from miraculous recovery to changes in the thoughts we choose that allow us to take the first steps in a preferred direction. Joe advocates meditation as a ‘way in’... here's the link to the book.
There's also a great podcast on the same topic from the Ice Man, Wim Hof, psychologist Stanley Krippner (85 yrs young) and Chris Ryan Phd that you can listen to here.
This week I am mostly appreciating...
The sound of vinyl - analogue in a digital world is rebellious. Dig ‘em out.
This week I am mostly exercising...
My low back stabilisers and Gluteus Medius integration with an exercise called ‘Flying Aeroplanes’ - one of my favourites : great to do when cleaning you teeth. Try it. Here is me doing it on YouTube.
This week I am mostly pondering...
The cultural specificity of productivity and progress. Are these concepts just cultural norms and is the idea of continual growth an illusion on a planet of finite resource?
In the podcast below Wade Davis (Ethnobotanist, explorer etc) mentions the fact that as late 1910 it was legal for white immigrants to shoot and kill ‘indigenous Australians’. It was considered that indigenous Australians were 'not human’ as they were not ‘productive' in normative immigrant terms.
In Indigenous Australian culture it was sacrilege to change, destroy or build upon the perfection of nature. Nature above all had to be appreciated and respected which resulted in the perceived lack of ‘progress’. This murderous clash of culture has stuck with me all week. Great podcast.
Have a great weekend and see you soon.
Until next time,
Simon
PS - Would love to know what you think of these or if you've got any questions you'd like answering send them through and I'll do my best to oblige.
Finemore's Five for Friday (Last Friday that is)
Hi folks,
Welcome to Finemore’s Five for Friday, my weekly roundup of the five things I can’t stop doing this week, I’m enjoying or are simply on my mind.
This week I am mostly listening to...
GRANDADDY - pending the release of their get-back-together album, I can't stop playing their single 'Evermore.' I love the synth sound as it opens, looking forward to seeing them live at the Roundhouse in London on the March 3rd (tickets still available). Dance or nod appropriately. Listen to Evermore by Grandaddy on Spotify.
This week I am mostly eating...
Kale from Cusgarne Organic Farm. Love this stuff. Just throw it in a covered pain with plenty of grass-fed organic butter and some chopped organic garlic. Salt and pepper to taste. Eat. Here’s a 5 min omelette with kale, mushrooms and eggs all from Cusgarne and all organic. Yum.
This week I am mostly appreciating...
How we all have power over the course and direction of our lives and the fulfilment of our dreams. The thoughts we have determine our perceptions, our dreams and our actions. If you want your life to take a new direction then you must think a new thought to gain a change in perspective and a change in your actions. We have the power, to change the way we think, be careful how big you dream.
“You are only as young as the last time you changed your mind.” Timothy Leary
This week I am mostly reading...
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. It is a personal account of Dr Frankl’s experiences during WW2 in Auschwitz and other concentration camps. This might sound like a heavy read but his description of human resilience and the power of perception in the face of death is uplifting and inspirational.
This week I am mostly exercising...
My Quadratus Lumborum (low back stabilisers) : Sit upright on the floor, legs straight out in front of you and lift one buttock and walk it forward then the other buttock until you have travelled 10ft, then walk back again. Done (you can hold a small kettlebell to your chest as you do this).
I hope you've enjoyed the first instalment of Finemore's Five For Friday, have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing you soon.
Simon
In 2017 a drive to increase HEALTH awareness in the young: a Discount for Students and Children
In 2017 LivingRoom is on a mission to increase awareness of health potential to the young. Health potential as opposed to disease potential. We are often told what we should NOT be doing but we are rarely informed about what we CAN do to improve our health potential, to be as good as we could be.
A few minor tweaks to our lifestyle choices can make a massive impact on our general health and wellbeing in the long term. If only someone could tell us what tweaks to make and how to make them.
For example globally in 2012 (YN Harari):
620,000 people died from human violence (war and crime)
800,000 died from committing suicide
but 1,500,000 died from diabetes which is a largely avoidable complication of modern lifestyle choices
At LivingRoom we want to increase health awareness sooner rather than later. We want to help more Children and Students. We are offering a discount of 50% on the initial consultation fee (one of the most important things is to know what your challenges are and the best course of action to improve). We will also give a 20% discount on any further visits to all Children and Students.
All you have to do to be healthy and happy is to make the right consistent small steps to relieve the stress on your system to allow to heal and improve naturally.
‘There is but one cause of disease. The body’s inability to comprehend itself and or it’s environment.’ Fred Barge DC.
Consistent small steps...