Running in the Dark

52@50 no 17 - Participating in Run in the Dark, Battersea Park, London

I recently took part in Run in the Dark, a night-time charity 10k run in aid of spinal cord research. Each year the Mark Pollock Trust organises this event in various cities throughout the world to raise awareness and funds for research into a cure for paralysis.  Mark Pollock went blind as a child yet grew up to become a global adventurer and inspirational speaker. In 2010 tragedy struck him again when he fell from a first floor window and was paralysed. He now dedicates himself to learning to walk again and finding a cure for paralysis.   

For a number of years I have participated in Run in the Dark at a small, local pop-up event organised by one of my yoga students.  This year I decided to go and do the London event. I've done a number of races in my years as a runner but never one at night. Joining around 2,500 other runners in Battersea Park we braved the weather and ran for, and in honour of, those who cannot.  I ran hard and fast (for me!), was beaten by my younger sister (darn it!), and endured a cold, long journey home. But it felt good to participate and raise money for this charity. The words of Theodore Roosevelt "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are" are ones I try to live by, and they were relevant here, as was this quote by Margaret Meade, which is also one of my 'life signposts' and sums up the power of this sort of event - "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." 

Here's a picture of me looking elegant in my bin bag which was keeping me dry as I waited at the start. 

And here's the official video from a previous year's Run in the Dark so you can learn a bit more about the inspirational Mark Pollock, his Trust and his work to find a cure for paralysis ...

52@50 no. 18 and This Week's Recipe... Sauteed Persimmons

I follow a woman on Instagram who posts about wellbeing and reclaiming her health after Lyme Disease. (Her website is www.wholelifewithamy.com in case you want to check her out). She lives in California and one of her recent posts was a recipe for Sauteed Persimmons.  

I have heard of these fruit before and have a vague recollection of Persimmons being in the supermarkets around this time of year but I've never actually eaten one, so when I saw her very easy recipe on Instagram I thought I'd try it. If you'd like to know a bit more about Persimmons there is some good information here at ukfoodnet.com.  

I found the Persimmon fruits at Tesco and waited until they were soft to the touch before preparing them. Have you ever had Persimmons before? If not, why not give them a try? They were very tasty - a bit like nectarines, and I love the fact that, even at nearly 50 years old, I'm still tasting new and interesting foods.

I used:

2 x persimmon fruits
a little oil for sauteeing (I used coconut oil)
ground cinammon 
and I had them for breakfast with Greek yoghurt and granola

Here's Amy's recipe...

• Slice Persimmons into bite-size pieces. 
• Heat a pan and add a tablespoon of your favorite fat. We love coconut oil. 
• Saute for several minutes until tender and starting to brown. 
• Turn off heat sprinkle heavily with cinnamon and give a final toss. 
• Wait till barely cool and devour

How To Be Happy: eat pickles, have a ceilidh. Yes, really
by Rachel Carlyle via The Times Body + Soul pages

Gardening is good physical exercise, but research is proving that it is so good for mental health that it should be counted as therapy. One study of mice found that a bacteria in soil ingested by gardeners activated neurons that produce the mood-regulating chemical serotonin - which is similar to the way anti-depressants such as Prozac work.

Research has proved that gardening lowers stress-hormone levels and blood pressure, and now the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has embarked on its biggest scientific study into the effects of gardening on mood and wellbeing.

"There's good evidence that gardening improves mood, but does it match Prozac or counselling? My feeling is that it could, especially for mild depression," says Dr Ross Cameron at the University of Sheffield, who is leading the three-year RHS project. 

Dr George MacKerron, a lecturer at Sussex University, has been tracking people's real-time happiness since 2010 with his smartphone app Mappiness. Users report what they're doing and how happy they're feeling and there have been 3.5 million responses. "We've found that the top activities are related to physical activity, and most are connected to the outdoors - gardening increases happiness by 7.8% which is just behind exercise and sports on 8.1%", he says.

Here are six activities aside from gardening that research says could boost happiness and wellbeing.

Eat more yoghurt and pickles...three quarters of the body's neurotransmitters are made in the gut, as is almost 90 per cent of the body's serotonin, the hormone which maintains mood balance, so there is a direct link between gut and mood. For that reason it's important to keep the gut microbiome diverse and numerous, which means cutting down on processed food (which destroys gut microbes) and increasing bacteria-containing probiotics, such as live yoghurt and fermented foods (pickled vegetables, soy, miso and kimchi).

Take up Scottish dancing... according to research from Oxford University last year, dancing - especially energetic dancing - appears to prompt the brain to produce more endorphins than other types of exercise. Why? Studies suggest it is because dancing connects directly with the brain's emotional centres.

Dr Peter Lovatt, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire who studies dance, says: "I think the social element is important. We've done research where people dance together in the lab, which produces a measurable improvement in mood, then they take home a DVD to practise, which produces no improvement in mood unless the researcher goes to the house to watch them practise."

Not all dancing is equal,though; rules-based dancing doesn't make you as happy as relaxed dancing with structure, such as Scottish country dancing, line dancing or Bollywood routines.

Give to charity... donating to charity stimulates the brain to produce dopamine in the same way as sex, chocolate and recreational drugs. "Experiments on people having an MRI scan while giving to charity have shown it's the same part of the brain that lights up - the front-mesolimbic," says Rhodri Davies, a programme leader at the Charities Aid Foundation, one of Europe's largest charitable foundations, and UK organisers of the Global Giving Tuesday campaign on November 29.

Go for a walk in the woods... walking reduces stress hormones because it releases endorphins. One experiment showed that walking doubled creative thinking. Scientists believe that this could be because walking doesn't require conscious effort, so our brains are freer to make creative connections. Strolling in green space lowers stress and increases happiness in a way that urban walking doesn't, concluded a study scanning walkers' brains at Stanford University. Walking in a forest is even better. The Japanese therapy of forest bathing, shinrin-yoku - or meandering in woodland - has been shown to reduce blood pressure and the production of stress hormones.

Take up a team sport... The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has officially sanctioned exercise as a treatment for mild to moderate depression. It recommends three 45-60 minute sessions a week for 10 to 14 weeks. Playing a team sport could be the best exercise for happiness: a study in Australia found that women who played netball regularly had greater life satisfaction and better mental health than those who went to the gym or walked alone.

Get a dog (but not a cat)... people with pets are healthier, have higher self-esteem and are less lonely than those who don't, which are three of the key aspects of wellbeing. However, - cat owners look away now - almost all the positive research is associated with having a dog. This is probably because dog owners get extra wellbeing points because they are physically fitter than the general population and spend more time outside. That leads to improved sleep and a reduction in blood pressure and stress hormones. Stroking a dog can also stimulate the release of oxytocin, a hormone associated with wellbeing and calm.

This Week's Musical Offering... Meditation of the Night by Benji Wertheimer

Slow and relaxing with an Indian vibe, this track is perfect for accompanying your Shavasana.

And finally, if Mark Pollock wasn't enough to inspire you to get moving, and the article about being happy didn't movitvate you then maybe Sister Madonna will... take a look at this video of an amazing woman who I aim to emulate in years to come....