Quick Update after my visit to The Salt Cave

I was quite skeptical whether I would feel any effects after only one visit to the Salt Cave but I must admit that I have noticed a few things. I can often feel a bit congested when I go to bed at night but last night I felt my airways were really clear and I could breathe very easily. I was rather phlem'y today, which is a part of the detox process but my nose was definitely a lot less runny. Normally in the colder months, I always need to have a tissue in my pocket to chase after my runny nose but I noticed I needed it much less today. I did feel more thirsty than usual and tried to make sure I drank lots of water and avoided caffeine & had no alcohol.

I also felt like my muscles were less achey, but not sure if that's just my body getting used to being back at the gym or if it has any correlation to the salt therapy.

I will see if things improve more tomorrow as the effects should be most evident in the first 24-48 hours, but I am looking forward to my second session on Tuesday to see if these changes continue!

First visit to The Salt Cave

I am writing as I sit in a room filled and covered with salt while finely ground salt is pumped into the room... Listening to the sounds of birds, panflutes and crashing waves..

What exactly am I doing? You might wonder? Or you might just think I'm completely off my head. That's OK, you wouldn't be the only ones. I got some pretty funny looks when I told people at work that I'd be sitting in a salt cave for an hour this evening!

The Salt Cave, oddly enough is somewhere I'd walked past and thought, what on earth goes on in there?!? I'd looked it up and thought.. OK, right.. It looks quite interesting, I should check it out sometime, then promptly forgot about an hour later.

So when it popped up on a voucher site a couple of months ago, I thought, why not!? The plan was to come with a friend who had also bought a voucher but as there is no talking in the treatment room, it's just as well we didn't come together planning on a catch up session and having a good blether!

I was worried it might be quite chilly but the room is very comfortable and I'm quite happy in just a t shirt though there are blankets over each chair for those who tend to get cold.

I didn't expect to be walking on salt as well as being sat in a room with salt on the walls. Though to be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to expect! They ask that you wear a hairnet and little booties as well, though I chose to take my shoes off so I have booties on over my socks. It's a good look, trust me!

See?!?

There's a total of 8 chairs in the adult treatment room, each with a footstool if you want to put your feet up.. I did! There's also a table of magazines though I came armed with a book and my tablet.

They ask that there's no food or drink in the treatment room, but there is a water machine in the lobby area if you want a drink before or after. Also, no talking on phones! The idea is to relax and breathe and let the salt do its thang!

It can cause some irritation to eyes, dry throat or itchy skin but I've not experienced any of that, aside from feeling a little thirsty. Salt is said to help prevent muscle cramps so I'm hoping it might help my poor aching legs after my return to power plate training this week. There is nothing attractive or fun about walking around like a baby giraffe/geriatric! I've never hated walking down stairs or going to the bathroom quite so much!

The rather unconventional therapy is said to help a variety of problems from asthma to psoriasis. Respiratory diseases benefit the most as the salt is breathed into the throat and lungs, helping kill infection and dry out any lingering bacteria.

I'm not sure what difference I will feel after only one treatment but I get another visit on my voucher so I shall keep you posted.

In the meantime, breathe deep!!

Sustainable Restaurant Association's - Ingredients for Success

Earlier this month, I was lucky enough to attend the SRA's event held at The Scottish Cafe. Many thanks to Mrs Monkfish from Mymonkfish for taking me as her guest. It was very much appreciated!

Guy Grieve, Ethical Shellfish Co.

The keynote speakers were Richard Lochhead MSP, James Withers, Carina Contini and Guy Grieve. The most memorable thing to take away was Guy's speech regarding sustainable fishing practices and needing to protect our oceans and seabeds. A point which really rang true for me was that people often don't realise the damage which is done by trawling as the bottom of the ocean is not somewhere which is visible to most people. As a recreational diver I'm lucky enough to have seen how gorgeous the bottom of the sea can be and to have a little understanding of the impact of some fishing practices.

IQ Chocolate, Heritage Potato, Summer Harvest Rapeseed Oil, Peelham Farms & Cuddybridge Apple Juice. 

It was great to get a chance to meet some local sustainable suppliers as well as sample some of their amazing product. Who knew there are so many different types of potatoes!!??!! Seabuckthorn is officially something I'm in love with as well... It's just so.damn.TASTY!

Top left: Peelham Farm slow cooked mutton stew with Phantassie cavolo nero, organic prune creme fraiche and rosti potato from Carroll’s Heritage Potatoes

 Top right : Doves Farm organic spelt risotto with Phantassie Squash, crispy Jerusalem artichokes and Scottish Kitchen Garden sage

Bottom left : Pan seared grouse breast from Ochil foods with honeyed Phantassie celeriac puree and red cabbage pickled in Summer Harvest bramble vinegar

 Bottom right : IQ chocolate pots with Speyside 12 YO Glenlivet Whisky with Innis & Gunn and organic oatmeal biscuits and Phantassie spiced quince jam 

The Scottish Cafe did a great job showcasing the ingredients in canapés and small bowls throughout the evening and Liberty Wines brought along some delightful wines as well. With their wines travelling by sea and rail to reduce their carbon footprint!

Thanks very much to The SRA and The Scottish Cafe for hosting such a great event and again to Mrs Monkfish for taking me along.

Can one be a Foodstagrammer? An InstaGrammer? And what makes a Foodie??

So, I was recently at an event as a +1 and although I didn't feel out of place being at the event, I found it hard to justify why I was there.

With each introduction came the invariable, so are you a blogger too? Well, hrmm.. I update this blog far too rarely to call myself a "blogger".. And to just say " I'm a foodie" seemed like it lacked some kind of substance.. What exactly IS a foodie?? How does one qualify as a foodie?? Or it is something you can just.. BE?

My host very graciously offered that I have a very good Instagram feed.. Can one be a Foodstagrammer?? Is having a good Insta feed enough to get you on an invite list?? It is for some people! But for the average Jane Bloggs, can one now be an "Instagrammer"?? As one can be a blogger? Or do people still want/expect you to produce some form of written content in return for putting your name on the list?

I mean, there are certainly a lot of IG accounts with huge followings and not all of them have a blog they compliment/supplement.. so surely, one can just be an InstaGrammer? But is this enough???