Events and Activities

A selection of events and activities originally in and around Chiang Mai, Thailand, but now wherever we happen to be….

Råd: Hvordan faster man?

Jeg har netop afsluttet en 15 dages faste. Reelt set var fasten ikke 15 dage, men for at gennemføre en 3 dages vand faste er det vigtigt at forberede kroppen. Det tager tid. Denne artikel er en trin-for-trin-vejledning.

Lad være med at faste hvis du har diabetes, hypoglykæmi, er gravid eller ammer. For de fleste mennesker er faste kke en nem opgave, og du skal være parat til at tage fri for at gøre det.

Du kan reducere bivirkningerne af at faste ved at følge en rå-juice faste i stedet for rent vand. Det vil bremse fjernelsen af toksiner fra kroppen og også fjerne nogle detox symptomer. Detox symptomer omfatter: kvalme, hovedpine, svimmelhed, mangel på energi, mavesmerter, kramper, smerter i benene, forvirring osv. (du velkommen til at tilføje din egen oplevelse til det).

Fordelene:

3 dage hjælper kroppen slippe af med toksiner og renser blodet.
5 dage starter processen med at heale og genopbygge immunforsvaret.
10 dage giver kroppen tid til at gøre bod på skader forårsaget af langvarig udsættelse for farlige kemikalier og giftstoffer.

Det er ikke tilrådeligt at gå lige fra normale spise-og drikkevaner til faste. Det vil få kroppen til at gå ind i en chok tilstand. Jeg har engang prøvet det i Thailand. Jeg ønskede at faste og troede at fordi jeg normalt hovedsagelig spiser friske frugter og grøntsager, så jeg kunne gå lige fra at spise dette til faste på vand. Jeg gav op efter den første dag.

Nedenstående er en trin-for-trin guide til at faste:

Trin # 1: Forberedelse til faste (uge 1 & 2)
Stop med at spise kød, mejeriprodukter, fisk, drikke kaffe, alkohol, rygning. Ved udgangen af ??den anden uge skal din kost kun være frugt, grøntsager, kerner og nødder.

Trin # 2: Rå frugt, grøntsager, nødder og kerner (3 dage)
Tre dage, hvor alle måltider kun består af rå frugt, grøntsager, kerner og nødder.

Trin # 3: Blendet rå mad (3 dage)
Tre dage før vand fasten, blend alle dine fødevarer i en blender. Dette er en måde at forberede dit fordøjelsessystem på at bremse ned og være klar til den manglende mad. Dette er det trin jeg sprang over sidste gang jeg fastede og det gjorde en verden til forskel at gøre det. At drikke fødevarer er slet ikke det samme som tygge mad.

Trin # 4: Vand faste (3 dage)
Drik mindst 3 liter vand hver dag. Du vil måske finde dette svært på den anden og tredje dag fordi din mave er blevet mindre. Sørg for at du har fuldstændig hvile i disse dage. Lav ikke nogen planer. Jeg foreslår, at du tager fri eller alternativt starter dag 1 torsdag aften og slutter fasten søndag aften. Det er hvad jeg gjorde. Jeg fandt den første dag hårdest. Jeg tænkte konstant på mad. Selv de mest simple fødevarer syntes overvældende lækre (som f.eks. et tørt stykke brød med tomat). Jeg led også af søvnløshed og en vis forvirring. Den anden dag var nemmere bortset fra at jeg var svimmel, havde synsproblemer og kvalme et par gange. Den tredje dag var en leg, bortset fra en mærkelig smerte i mine ben og en smule kvalme. Den første frugt shake var ærligt talt ikke så god som forventet (søndag aften). Du kan lette fasten ved at drikke destilleret vand med økologisk citronsaft eller økologisk kamille te. Jeg havde ikke adgang til økologiske produkter, og derfor fastede jeg udelukkende på vand.

Trin # 5: Blendet rå mad (3 dage)
Vend tilbage til blendet rå frugt, grøntsager, kerner og nødder i 3 dage efter din faste. De ønskede virkninger kan blive ødelagt ved at spise kogte fødevarer umiddelbart efter.

Trin # 6: Rå frugt, grøntsager, nødder og kerner (3 dage)
Tre dage hvor alle måltider kun består af rå frugt, grøntsager, kerner og nødder.

Trin # 7: Genindfør anden mad
Langsomt genindfør andre slags fødevarer i din kost. Hvis du tror, at du måske har fødevarer over-følsomhed eller allergi, så er dette at godt tidspunkt at teste disse fødevarer. Én ad gangen kan du langsomt genindføre hvede, mejeriprodukter, æg, soja og sukker til din krop. Vælg én ny hver dag, og i løbet af dagen spis 2 til 3 portioner. Bemærk eventuelle reaktioner. Vent for en dag, og på den tredje dag, kan du prøve en anden slags. Gentag, indtil du har prøvet alle de mulige typer af allergi fødevarer.

Den bedste del ved fasten for mig var at jeg gennemførte den, og at jeg har udviklet en ny kærlighed til madlavning / tilberedelse af mad.

Held og lykke med din faste og skriv endelig dine oplevelser til os, så vi kan dele dem med andre læsere.

NB: Denne artikel findes på engelsk også, men jeg har valgt at oversætte den så min mor og andre danske læsere kan finde en nem vejledning.

WHO: HIV-infected should start treatment earlier

It is estimated that 5.2 million people worldwide are now receiving treatment for AIDS (ARVs) that could save their lives.

But more lives can be saved and the infection rate reduced if treatment start earlier according to the World Health Organisation WHO.

Compared to the total number of HIV-infected. assumed to be at least 33 million, the 5.2 million is far from enough. But it is 12 times as many as in 2003, when WHO launched a special effort against HIV. In 2008 there were 4 million infected in ARV treatment.

WHO now recommends that treatment is started even before the immune system is weakened and HIV develops into AIDS.

” An earlier treatment allows people to live healthier and longer with HIV,” said Dr. Gottfried Hirnschall, Head of WHO’s program on HIV / AIDS.

According to WHO, it would be possible to reduce AIDS mortality by 20 percent between 2010 and 2015 if these guidelines for early intervention is implemented.

Early treatment will also make it possible to prevent many infections, including tuberculosis (TB), which is the leading cause of deaths among people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA).

According to WHO deaths from TB can be reduced by as much as 90 percent if people with both HIV and TB gets treatment earlier.

‘In addition to saving lives, the earlier treatment also helps in terms of prevention. The treatment reduces the level of virus in the organism, and this means that HIV-positive people are less likely to infect their partners with the virus.

WHO guidelines will expand the number of people who should be on ARVs from 10 to 15 million.

The AIDS epidemic was discovered in 1980/81. In the first 14 to 15 years there was no effective treatment and an AIDS diagnosis was basically equal to a death sentence.

The big breakthrough in the fight against HIV and AIDS came with the introduction of combination therapies (ARVs) in the mid-1990s. Several different drugs used simultaneously were found to have a good effect.

The change was so great that AIDS in large parts of the western world was transformed from a deadly disease to a life-long infection.

But the HIV treatment is expensive and it requires both money and a relatively well-organized health system to establish and maintain lifelong treatments against HIV and AIDS.

It is still my hope that one day ARVs will be available to everyone who needs it.

Palm reading in Thailand

Palm Reading Thailand

Palm reading, otherwise known as palmistry or chiromancy, is practised all over the world, but you have to be lucky to find a skilled hand reader. I was lucky to find one while visiting Chiang Mai on a holiday. His name is Dennis and he has been doing it for 15 years and originally learned about it in Mexico (although he is American).

Hand reading has its roots in Indian astrology and Roma fortune-telling. The objective is to evaluate a person’s character or future by studying the palm of their hand. Dennis, however, does not reveal bad things about the future, because he rightfully believes it gives negative visualisation. What he does, is to give you very personal information about your character, which can help you in your personal and professional development.

Without going into details about what he told me, I was positively surprised about the indepth knowledge he had of my personality and past life – things no-one could have told him. This is why I give him my finest recommendation (being a sceptic myself). Dennis himself thinks is it a kind of magic to be able to read people’s hands because it seems unreal, but is possible. He says that he also uses a lot of intuition and it just comes to him. To me he is a psychic hand reader. He is very dedicated and gets very excited and caught up in the “visions” he has of you and you have to listen carefully to remember everything he tells you (it’s a lot).

I loved his animated character and he made me laugh – something I cherish a lot in a person. Whether you are a sceptic or a believer, I definitely think it is worth your while to try a session with Dennis.

His website is: https://www.facebook.com/DennisHandsReader?fref=ts

Recommendations: Sightseeing in Copenhagen, Denmark

There are lots of beautiful things to see and visit while in Copenhagen, but if you have merely a day there are a few things I personally think you should not miss.

In chronological order I suggest that you start at The City Hall Square, in front of Palace Hotel.

If you have a lot of time you could pass by Rosenborg Castle, where the Crown Jewels are protected by the Royal Guard. Otherwise just walk down through the main street (strøget) until you get to Kongens Nytorv. Here you will see the beautiful Royal Theater, world famous for its Royal Ballet.

Go to Nyhavn which is the colourful canal district right by Kongens Nytorv. Here I suggest you take a boat tour. If you go to the boats on the right side of the canal a boat tour only cost you 30 kr (5 $) for one hour. It is really worth your while.

Afterwards take a stroll along the waterfront to Amalienborg Palace – winter residence of the Royal Family. Here we have the opportunity of seeing the changing of the Danish Royal Guard. This should be followed by a visit to the Gefion Fountain and The Little Mermaid, inspired by H. C. Andersen’s fairytale. At the moment she is, however, on vacation and not there.

Go back along the water front and head over to Christiansborg Palace, home to the Danish Parliament and the Old Stock Exchange. After that I suggest that you go to Christiania – the freetown. It’s a lovely artist village established in the 1970s where you will be able to see an alternative way of living and eat some lovely (vegetarian) food.

Tivoli Gardens is a lovely place to end the day and spend the evening.

Have a lovely visit.

Advice: How to fast?

I have just finished a 15 days fast. Well in actually fact the fast itself did not last 15 days, but in order to do a 3 days water fast it is essential to prepare the body. This takes time. This article is a step-by-step guide.

Do not fast if you have diabetes, hypoglycemia, is pregnant or breastfeeding. For most people fasting is not an easy task and you need to be prepared to take time out to do it.

You can reduce the side-effects of fasting by following a live-juice fast instead of pure water. It will slow down the removal of toxins from the body and also remove some detox symptoms. Detox symptoms include: neusea, headache, dizziness, lack of energy, stomach pain, cramps, pain in the legs, confusion etc (please feel free to add your experience to it).

The benefits:

3 days helps the body get rid of toxins and cleanses the blood.
5 days begins the process of healing and rebuilding the immune system.
10 days gives the body time to reverse the damage caused by long-term exposure to dangerous chemicals and toxins.

It is not advisable to go straight from normal eating and drinking habits to fasting. It will cause the body to go into a shock condition. I once tried it in Thailand. I wanted to fast and thought that because I live mainly of fresh fruit and vegetables, I could go straight from eating this to fasting on water. I gave up after the first day.
You will need to get off the various stimulants and food addictions in order not to shock the system.

The below article is a step-by-step guide to fasting:

Step #1: Preparing to fast (Week 1 & 2)
Slowly stop eating meat, dairy, fish, drinking coffee, alcohol, smoking. By the end of the second week your diet should be only fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts.

Step #2: Raw fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds (3 days)
Three days where all meals consist of only raw fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts.

Step #3: Blended raw food (3 days)
Three days before the fast, blend all your food in a processor. This is a way to prepare your digestive system to slow down and be ready for the lack of food. This is the step I skipped last time I fasted and it made a world of difference to do it. Drinking food is not at all the same as chewing food.

Step #4: The fast (3 days)
Drink at least 3 liters of water every day. You may find this a challenge on the second and third day because your stomach shrinks. Make sure you have complete rest these days. Do not make any plans. I suggest you take the days off or alternatively start day 1 on Thursday evening and end the fast on Sunday evening. This is what I did. I found the first day the hardest. I constantly thought about food. Even the most simple food seemed overwhelming delicious to me (like a dry piece of bread with a tomato). I also suffered from insomnia and some confusion. The second day was easier except that I was dizzy, had visual problems and felt nausea a few times. The third day was a breeze except for a strange pain in my legs and a bit of nausea. The first fruit shake was honestly not as good as expected. You can ease the fast by drinking destilled water with organic lemon juice or organic camomille tea. I didn’t have access to organic products and therefore I stuck with water.

Step #5: Blended Raw Food (3 days)
Return to blending raw fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts for 3 days after your fast. The desired effects of a fast can be ruined by eating cooked foods immediately after.

Step #6: Raw fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds (3 days)
Three days where all meals consist of only raw fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts.

Step #7: Reintroduce Food
Slowly reintroduce all kinds of food back into your diet. If you think you might have food sensitivities or allergies, this is an ideal time to test these foods out. One at a time, slowly reintroduce wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, and sugar to your body. Choose one for one day, and during that day consume 2 to 3 servings. Note any reactions. Wait for a day and then on the third day, try another food. Repeat until you’ve tried all the possibly allergic food types.

The best part about the fast for me was the fact that I kept it and that I have developed a new found love for cooking/preparing food.

Best of luck with your fast and please write your experiences to us so that we can share with other readers.

Retirement and pension are illusions

Retirement planning is like making a life insurance. It should be viewed as nothing more than a small plaster on the wound if worst case scenario should happen and you become physically incapable of working and need a reservoir of capital to survive.

Timothy Ferriss makes a strong case for this in his book “The 4-Hour Workweek” and I must say that his arguments are hard to beat. Here goes:

Retirement as a goal or final redemption is flawed for at least three solid reasons:

1. It is predicated on the assumption that you dislike what you are doing during the most physically capable years of your life. This is a nonstarter – nothing can justify that sacrifice.

2. Most people will never be able to retire and maintain even a hot dogs-for-dinner standard of living. Even one million is chump change in a world where traditional retirement could span 30 years and inflation lowers your purchasing power 2-4 % per year. The math doesn’t work. The golden years become lower-midlle-class life revisited. That’s a bittersweet ending.

3. If the math does work, it means that you are one ambitious, hardworking machine. If that’s the case, guess what? One week into retirement, you’ll be so damn bored that you’ll want to stick bicycle spokes in your eyes. You’ll probably opt to look for a new job or start another company. Kinda defeats the purpose of waiting, doesn’t it?

“Someday” is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you!

This is the reason why I have chosen to spend all of my 20s and half of my 30s travelling. This has always been my dream – to see the whole world. So by now I have lived most of my dreams and have travelled more than 50 countries in the world. I don’t dare to postpone.
And I don’t take life or “tomorrow” for granted. I don’t take for granted that I will be old or even live until I am 50. And should I be so blessed to have 70 years to experience the world, I can’t take for granted that I can even walk by the time I “retire” and so how can I travel the world if I am not physically well? There are no garantees in life and certainly not on time. I am not a pessimist – I am realist.

I will never say that I will travel when I get retired – because by then I have seen it all. For sure!

Holiday or honeymoon on the Maldives

The Maldives is one of the most famous honeymoon destinations in the world and for a good reason. In this article I will tell you a bit about the country and give you my guess as to why people like to come here for a honeymoon.

The Maldives is a country (yes, not a city or a region in another country as some people tend to believe) consisting of about 1200 islands in 26 atolls. An atoll is a ring of coral reefs or coral islands, or both, surrounding a lagoon. Despite being a total size of 90.000m2 the Maldives is 99% water, and has just 298 km2 of land. It is located west of Sri Lanka and south of India, deep in the Indian Ocean.

The Maldives has a population of about 300.000 people. A third of the population live on the tiny capital island of Male which is just a couple of kilometres across. The rest of the population are spread out on the atolls and there are basically no other towns in the entire country.

100% of the Maldivian population are Sunni Muslims and since the 2008 constitution it is not possible to be a Maldivian citizen and a non-Muslim. The annual population growth is about 3%.

Polygamy is legal and a man can have up to four wives, but it is not common practice to have more than one wife.

The Maldives has three industries of which the country live: Fishing, ships and tourist. Tourism accounts for 20% of GDP and about 90% of government tax revenue. Every traveller pays 8$ ”bed tax” per night they spend in the Maldives.

The Maldives has a ”one island – one resort” policy. This means every resort always has an island to itself. The guest house business (for cheaper accommodation) is also developing slowly, but it lacks public transportation and the places in which you can currently find cheaper accommodation (say 50 – 100$ per night for a basic room with/without breakfast) are ”public islands”. This means it is the home of Maldivians and wearing a bikini or shorts is strictly forbidden. A modest/Muslim dress code is required.

The Maldives receives about 600.000 visitors every year (most spend minimum one week). Most of them come on a fairly expensive package tour which includes full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner included).

So what makes this place a popular honeymoon place?

Well it’s very beautiful. If you dream about a small bounty island with coconut palms, very white sand and warm, turquoise water…this is it! You will have plenty of time to look your sweetheart in the eyes for endless amounts of time (as much as you can pay for). The activities here are very limited: sleep, eat, read, swim, sunbath, snorkel and dive, trips to other islands or Male, fishing, spa treatment, surfing, and other water sports. Obviously cultural activities and sightseeing is severely limited on a small island and so is shopping.

I believe the Maldives is attractive to people who are looking for complete relaxation with no decisions needed to be made (usually there are only one or two restaurants in the resort). Hence you see a lot of old couples here and honeymooners and I am sure most of them have a fantastic holiday.

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A few recommendations for responsible travel in the Maldives:

1.Drink desalinated water at your resort rather than imported mineral water or bring your own bottles and boil the tap water (which is desalinated) and drink that.
2.Take your bottles, plastic and batteries home with you. The Maldives does not have facilities to dispose of them.
3.Minimise the use of air-conditioning in the room
4.Ask for your towels not to be rewashed every day.
5.Keep the use of running water in your room to a minimum – water is expensive to desalinate and uses fossil fuel to do so.
6.When diving and snorkelling, do not feed, touch or otherwise interfere with the corals and fish.
7.Don’t purchase turtle-shell products.

Bon voyage!!