They can be serious, but are often told with a humorous twist. Writing great anecdotes is not easy, because of their sheer simplicity and wide scope of reference.

The best thing about anecdotes is that they are short and succinct, making them more exciting and straight forward. We encourage you to view some of the examples here and try your hand at developing your style.

There are some simple steps one can take to substantially reduce one’s risk of getting a heart attack or stroke. Here are the top three examples in my personal view: -

1. Regular Exercise
2. Eating a low fat and low sodium diet with loads of fresh vegetables and fruit.
3. Relaxation – Trying to reduce stress levels at work and at home by practising good relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation.

Check out the American Heart Association’s Life Check to see how you can make small changes that will have a huge impact on your health and quality of life.

When I asked the store clerk if there was a difference between brown and yellow flax seeds she replied, “there is absolutely no difference between the two.” I found this amusing because upon first glance I actually liked the look of the brown ones better and thought, “How could she say that? The brown ones look so much better!”

I wanted to give them a little home, so I used an old wonton soup container to store them, because if I want to be healthier I won’t need it. Wow they look so cool and healthy in that container. They actually look a little lonely, so I’ve been finding ways to use these little seeds to the fullest. I now sprinkle them on cereal. I dip bananas into them as well.

I’ve grown to like them even though I don’t know if they have any taste. Here’s what I have heard about them. Nutritionists say that flax seeds help lower cholesterol and also are good for people who have diabetes.

Flax is high in Omega 3 essential fatty acids, which helps people with rheumatoid arthritis. I’ve also heard that if you grind them up they’re better for you, but as for now I’m afraid to crush them in fear that my new little friends, the flax seed, may get mad at me!

Here are the ingredients: -

Spinach (flat or curly leaf – whichever you prefer)
Red Bell Pepper
Broccoli
Cherry Tomatoes
Avocado
Flax Seeds
Low fat/ Low sodium Onion Vinaigrette

Basically you just wash all the veggies thoroughly, especially the spinach. Chop the bell pepper and broccoli heads (remove stalks) roughly and place all three into a salad bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes and toss to evenly distribute the ingredients.

Place a good portion on a plate. Sprinkle with a nice tablespoon of flax seeds. Slice the avocado and place on top to decorate the salad. If you want to use the dressing then you should pour it sparingly over the salad before adding the avocado.

It’s tasty and quite filling for a salad. If you want to make it more of an evening meal then add some protein. I would suggest a small portion of lightly grilled tuna for our non-vegetarians and some chick peas for our vegetarian or vegan readers.

I believe that I may have fallen into that category of late. Also you still have to exercise and practise sound relaxation techniques to stay healthy and maintain strong mental functions.

I recently found out that I have higher than normal blood pressure. It runs in our family and it is something I have always been aware of, however it is so easy to take things like that for granted. Especially when my eldest sister had a stroke because her blood pressure was so high, it is even more imperative that all of our family members be aware of this trait.

So how does my lifestyle and diet come into play here? Well I have discovered that I consume a lot more salt than I care to admit. I live on a very low-fat and low-sugar diet but I end up eating a lot of “hidden” salt in some prepackaged soy products. It is something I hadn’t really addressed until now.

I would hate for the story of my life to end in an anecdote about why an otherwise healthy vegetarian ended up in a coffin well before their time. So both my partner and I are taking steps to control our sodium intake and also to increase our walking and exercise regimen.

A recent medical study found that previously sedentary patients who took up walking three to five times a week were able to reduce their systolic blood pressure by five points after twelve weeks. A number which would put me back into the “normal’ category for blood pressure reading.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress as I intend on getting check-ups every week for the next twelve weeks at the very least.

So I eventually gave in this week, after my old phone finally conked out and got this little beauty: -

Mine is just like the red and white one on the left. It works a charm and has all the lovely gadgets that new phones have nowadays. Luckily I didn’t have to pay a penny for it and now I can get rid of my land line home phone that I rarely use. So that will save me a bob or two as well

We listened to her many family anecdotes and some old wives’ tales and one anecdote in particular stuck in my mind. It goes something like this: -

A man feeling completely despondent and ready to just give up on life decides that the only way out is to end it all. His last act of pleasure is to eat a delicious banana and proceeds to take it up a tree with him, intending to eat the banana and then hang himself from the same tree.

After devouring the fruit he tosses the skin nonchalantly towards the ground, satisfied that with his last wish granted, he can die in peace. As he begins to form the crude hangman’s noose he glances down and sees a man run up to the skin, pick it up and ravenously start eating.

He stops in his tracks and looks down at the man in disbelief. After a few minutes he comes to the conclusion that there is at least one person worse off than himself. He climbs down from the tree believing that there is always hope.

My Mum never gave up and at eighty-two next birthday she is still a feisty old bird.

So when she was appointed Secretary of State, I was surprised and a little perturbed. Then I realized that it made perfect sense for Hillary to take the job. After all, all opportunists are bottom-feeders to an extent.

When I compare Hillary’s image as Secretary of State with that of, say Condoleezza Rice, I can only say that Rice had a tenacity and seriousness about the role that I liked. Clinton doesn’t seem to have the same bite or ruthlessness I had come to expect from her. She has lost her edge, in my opinion.

So where is Hillary? The US Department of State website states that a scheduled visit to Washington D.C. has been postponed due to the inclement weather. Metaphorically the same question could be answered; keeping herself as far away from Obama and his current problems as is humanly possible.