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I was recently thinking about why the rich and poor do not mix together very often. Why? Are we not all the same human beings? Well, the truth is: maybe not. Not in the sense that the rich and poor are not equally valuable, or that poor people should not have access to the same opportunities because they totally should. What I mean is that the culture, tastes, environments and upbringing of these two groups are so different that it is almost like they speak a different language and live in a different world. This is precisely what Pierre Bourdieu noted in his book Distinction. Rich people like certain things whereas poor people like others. Taste is not an individual choice, but a socially constructed marker of class that acts to reinforce social hierarchies. It is like the mating calls of birds. When a bird has a mating call that is in sync with another's, they get along well and form a pair. However, if their mating calls are out of sync, no partnership is formed. This is because relationships are built upon language and communication, so if the two parties cannot understand each other, or the response they get is not what they are expecting, there is friction and ultimately the relationship does not work out. Even though many differences exist, ultimately we are all the same people. We all have hopes and dreams, strengths and difficulties. We all laugh and and dance and cry and shout. To connect with each other and not be afraid, we need to transcend our differences and try to find commonalities. We need to understand that we are all equally valuable, and that friendships do not have to be formed only amongst people that share our own backgrounds. Rather than feeling afraid, awkward, ashamed or confused about someone's behaviour, have a curious mind and learn more about what life is like for someone else. Understanding the context of a person and the factors that made them who they are are key to unlocking understanding, and understanding is key to unlocking a new friendship!

Our world is full of contradictions. For example, sometimes having less can make you think you have more as you learn to value what you have. Another example would be that when you learn more, it can make you feel like you know less. It is the same when it comes to giving and receiving. Both are important, but giving is arguably more important than receiving. The importance of giving At a surface level, it may seem like receiving something is greater than giving something. After all, if we give something away, we do not have it anymore. However, if you look at the things many of us think we want, such as wealth, respect, leadership and power, all of those things rely on giving generously. Adding value to people's lives (aka giving) often results in better outcomes for ourselves as well those that we give to. Business owners become rich because they make a product that benefits many people. Leaders gain power because they give their time and energy to organise, coordinate and help all of those whom they are leading. Leadership is by nature is a position of giving and responsibility towards many people. However, just because leadership requires generous giving does not mean that all leaders are good at being a leader though. This is because being a good leader depends on the motives behind giving, and how they conduct themselves in relation to others. The same goes for giving on a much smaller scale. The mindset behind giving Although giving generously often results in benefits for ourselves, giving should not be an act done to receive something. An act of generosity in its purest form is done for the sake of itself. If you give with the expectation of receiving, you are not thinking about how you will benefit another person, but how you will benefit yourself. The joy of giving is fully felt when you give because you want to, because you love and care for the person you are giving to, and because you want to see them in a better position than before. However, this does not mean that you have to sacrifice yourself or give at the detriment of your own well-being as that is harmful in another way. As a Buddhist would say, generosity should be practiced in a balanced way so that giving is a blessing for both the giver and the receiver. Giving is more like an act of sharing. We all have an excess of something that we can share with others so that we can all benefit from the different blessings that we all receive. The importance of receiving Now, although a mindset of giving puts us in a better position than a mindset of receiving as we are not dependent on an external source to validate us and make us feel good, learning to receive a gift from someone else is also important. Many people who are good givers are often poor receivers as their identity is tied to giving, so they could not possibly accept help or gifts from someone else when that is their perceived job or role for themselves. However, this is arguably a selfish mentality as the only thing they are achieving out of this encounter is to boost their own ego of being morally superior and hurting someone else at the same time. This is because when someone is trying to offer help or a gift, they are showing you that they care about you, but if you reject that offer of love and connection, it is as if you are rejecting them. It is almost the same as you telling them that you do not want them to share your life in a meaningful way. This is something that I used to mistake all the time. I thought that I should be the one to always give and never receive a compliment, gift, or ask someone for help. I thought I was being humble and good by not accepting another person's praise or attention. However, I have come to realise that accepting the compliment, gift or help is an act of humility as it requires you to accept that you cannot do things all on your own. It also reminds you that you are not alone, but part of a supportive community that look out for each other, and that no-one is greater than another. (For example, when someone receives a gift that you give them and says "thank you", you feel very happy. If they were to reject your gift and say "no, no, I couldn't possibly accept that!", you would feel hurt and confused. So do the other person a favour and accept their gift with gratitude and humility! You can always take this moment to give back to them by lavishing words of thanks upon them, or by giving back a small gift in return!) Conclusion In conclusion, giving is greater than receiving because it improves both our own lives and the lives of others. Being in a mindset of giving means that you are not dependant on external cues of love and acceptance, but that you are able to love and connect, therefore you feel like taking responsibility for the welfare of those around you by giving generously. However, just because you become good at giving does not mean that you should ignore the importance of receiving. Receiving acts as a reminder for us to be humble, grateful and aware of those that support us in our own lives. Summary -> Giving/ adding value to other people's lives is a common factor shared amongst highly successful people. -> However, true giving does not occur with the expectation of gaining rewards or favours, but done because the person wants to. -> Receiving should be practiced as an act of humility, gratitude and connection and it reminds us that we depend upon others in our own lives and that we cannot do things alone.

These brownies are perfect for when you want some squidgy chocolate, but you don't want to eat something heavy and unhealthy. Packed full of fibre and vitamins, they have their own unique texture and taste compared to that of a normal brownie! Recipe Makes: 12 pieces Time: 45 minutes Ingredients: 1 can (235g drained weight) butter beans 1/2 cup soya milk 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup almond butter 1/3 cup apple sauce (or pureed apple) 2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup cacao powder Method: Put the butter beans, soya milk, baking soda, honey, almond butter, apple sauce and vanilla extract into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the flour and cacao powder and blend until smooth. Put the brownie mixture into a baking dish lined with baking paper. Bake at 180 degrees celcius for 30-40 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. (Don't worry if there are a few bits of mixture stuck to the stick! It just needs to be solid rather than liquidy.) Take the baking dish out of the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before removing the brownie from the dish and let it finish cooling on a rack. Enjoy! Note: You can store the brownies in the fridge for up to 5 days. If they get a bit dry, just heat them up for 30 seconds or so in the microwave, and that will help it to get softer and moister.

Jazz up your potatoes with this easy recipe! These miso-roasted potatoes are crispy, salty, flavourful and full of umami! Recipe Makes: 4 Time: 60 minutes Ingredients: 800g potatoes for roasting 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp miso Method: Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water for about 10-15 mins or until just about soft. Drain the water from the potatoes. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil and miso together into a thick paste. (Don't worry if there are some lumps of miso left!) Put the drained potatoes into an oven dish and pour in the miso oil. Give it a good stir to coat evenly. (You should try to roughen up the potatoes a bit during the mixing as this will help the potatoes get crispier and colour well in the oven. Roast the potatoes in the oven at 180°C for about 25-30 mins until golden. (You may want to stir the potatoes a bit mid-way) Enjoy! Fun facts! Did you know that miso is a key ingredient in Japanese cuisine? It is a nutrient-dense fermented soy product that is known for helping improve the immune system as well as acting as a probiotic for gut health!

Time: 30 minutes Serves: 8 people Ingredients: 8 eggs 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 onion diced small 5 cups cooked rice, one day old (about 1.5 cups of uncooked rice) Soya sauce Butter Black pepper Method: In a frying pan, add some oil and fry the onion on a medium heat for 15-20 minutes until soft and sweet. In another frying pan, add the olive oil and eggs. Stir whilst the eggs are cooking to ensure they are scrambled well. Once the eggs are nearly cooked, add the onion and rice to the pan. (You might have to set the eggs aside for a while if the onions are not yet cooked.) Stir and cook for another 5 minutes or so until the rice has warmed through. Serve the rice into bowls and flavour with dashes of soya sauce, black pepper and a curl of butter. Mix to ensure the flavours are evenly distributed and enjoy!

Here are some of my all-time favourite toast toppings I eat over and over! I hope you find some new combos to love as well :) Crunchy Peanut Butter & Marmite If you are a peanut butter and marmite fan, this is the perfect combination for you! The crunchiness of the peanuts with the saltiness of the marmite is just incredible! Peanut butter is also a good source of protein and marmite is a good source of vitamin B12 . Getting enough vitamin B12 is incredibly important as vitamin B12 is essential for producing healthy red blood cells, repairing DNA and ensuring proper nerve function. These are some of the most important functions of the body as it ensures we have enough energy and good cognitive function. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, vitamin B12 is sometimes hard to get enough of as it is primarily found in animal products, so this is an option you can start to incorporate into your diet! Avocado with wasabi and soya sauce Wasabi and soya sauce is a classic Japanese combination that pairs super well with avocado. Mash one ripe avocado and add a dash of soya sauce and about a 0.7cm length of wasabi from the tube. (To know if an avocado is ripe, gently push the avocado near the bottom. If it gives way slightly under your finger, it is ripe! If it is still rock hard, leave it for a few days, and if it gives way too easily, it is over-ripe and may have black spots and not look so appetising.) This mashed avocado is perfect to enjoy with toast, pancakes, rice or crackers! Almond butter and blackcurrant jam Sweet and tangy and yet also nutty and earthy, this is the perfect combination for when you want to excite your taste buds! In my mind, I like to think that the sugar in the blackcurrant jam is balanced by the fats and protein in the nut butter, giving me both a sugar rush and slow release energy. Almonds are a good source of vitamin E , an antioxidant that helps to protect the skin from free radicals whilst blackcurrants are a good source of vitamin C , another antioxidant that is known to help keep the immune system healthy. As a comparison, blackcurrants typically have 3-4 times more vitamin C compared to the same weight of oranges, so they really are a superfood! Pesto, avocado, cheddar cheese & spinach This is a wonderful savoury toast or sandwich idea! Four ingredients with complementing flavours are matched together to get a range of textures and tastes. You have healthy fats from the pine nuts in the pesto and protein from the cheese. Both avocadoes and spinach contain lutein, a phytochemical that helps to protect damage to the eyes by free radicals. Avocadoes are also a good source of vitamin B6. There is research to suggest that vitamin B6 is important for metabolism as well as mood regulation. All of this combined with a slice of wholegrain bread makes for a very balanced and nutritious meal! Peanut butter, banana, cinnamon & crystallised ginger Did you know that bananas contain the amino acid tryptophan , which encourages the brain to produce serotonin , the feel-good hormone? For tryptophan to be transported to the brain properly, the body also required carbohydrates. In this case, those carbohydrates are gained from the bread itself! The added ginger also helps to improve digestion whilst the peanut butter helps to prevent a blood sugar spike as it has a very low glycaemic index. If you are eating these for breakfast, they also pair really well with a yoghurt bowl! You can get some yoghurt bowl ideas here! Yoghurt Bowl Ideas

This is a very tasty and beginner-friendly recipe. (Although I haven't specified the quantities of the seasoning so you can adjust it to your taste and ingredients like you should! My tip would be to start with a small amount and increase little by little. You can always add more, but you can't take out!) Recipe Time: 10 minutes Ingredients: 1 jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil (280g) 1 can cannellini beans (400g) A sprinkle of onion powder A pinch of garlic powder A pinch of salt Oil from the jar to adjust the consistency Method: Drain the cannellini beans. Add everything to a food processor. (Take the sun-dried tomatoes out of the oil and only use a spoonful or so of oil to start with.) Blend. Taste and adjust as necessary. You could also add some chilli powder if you like! Enjoy on crackers, toast, or as a dip for tortillas! Also, if you would like a sweet bean paste, try my Awesome sweet bean frosting !

This is a versatile recipe that you can use as a topping for toast, crackers or even as a healthy frosting for cakes and muffins! Recipe Time: 5 minutes Ingredients 1 can cannellini beans (400g) 2 Tbsp almond butter 1.5 Tbsp honey (or maple syrup) 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon (depending on how much you like cinnamon!) A tiny pinch of salt (Don't overdo it) Method Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend. Taste and adjust flavour as necessary. Enjoy! :) Fun Facts! Almonds - A good source of calcium and magnesium, both of which contribute to healthy bones (Hunter & Bretherton, 2017). Almonds are especially beneficial if you do not consume very much dairy. Cinnamon - Research suggests that cinnamon helps to prevent the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease by inhibiting the aggregation of tau proteins and the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques. In particular, the compound cinnamaldehyde has been found to have potent effects against Alzheimer's disease. Honey - Honey has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties (Palma-Morales et al., 2023). Antioxidants helps to neutralise free radicals (unstable molecules that are highly reactive and damage cells and DNA by a process called oxidative stress), helping to prevent cancer and premature aging (Pham-Huy et al., 2008). Cannellini beans - A source of fibre and protein. Fibre helps to promote good digestion, and protein helps with the maintenance of muscle mass. References Hunter, F., Bretherton, C. (2017). Super Clean Super Foods. Penguin Random House. Momtaz et al. (2018). Cinnamon, a promising prospect towards Alzheimer's disease. Pharmacological Research. 241-258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2017.12.011 Palma-Morales, M., Huertas, J. R., & Rodríguez-Pérez, C. (2023). A Comprehensive Review of the Effect of Honey on Human Health. Nutrients , 15 (13), 3056. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15133056 Pham-Huy, L. A., He, H., & Pham-Huy, C. (2008). Free radicals, antioxidants in disease and health. International journal of biomedical science : IJBS , 4 (2), 89–96.

Some comical descriptions about the type of person who chooses a certain job. Maybe some of them resonate with you! Doctor Typically a very caring and intelligent individual. Often seeking money, reputation and respect. They may also suffer from insecurity and a lack of ability to stand up to their parents about what they really want to do in life. Biomedical scientist A failed doctor still desperately seeking social validation rather than stopping to reflect if there is something else they would actually rather do. Hopefully they are not disappointed when they actually become a doctor: what you think you want and what you actually want are often very different things... Psychologist Someone who is looking for answers to their own problems as they are too scared to ask someone else for help. They often cover up this reality by pretending to live a perfect life and offering to help everyone else live their (hypothetically) perfect life. This means they are often the last to seek help from someone else when needed as they believe that suggests they are not good enough at their job. Engineer Big boys who miss their Legos. I mean, hey, there's nothing wrong with that! At least being an engineer means you can imagine, design and create things! After all, creating something of your own if one of the most (if not the most) fulfilling thing someone can do. Teacher A strong and dedicated individual who is seeking neither money nor status. They are self-sacrificing, hard-working and constantly tired and under-valued. However, they probably also ended up in teaching as a last resort since they failed at everything else they wanted to do... Lecturer A smarter teacher. Not because they have more qualifications, but because they realised that all they have to do is speak for an hour, enjoy the sound of their own voice and not worry about what their students think of them as they will all be sleeping from pulling off consistent all-nighters. Musician Someone who does not have the ability to express their thoughts and emotions with words, and so resorts to notes instead. Typically they are a bit closed off and reserved. Whether this is because of the long hours they spend locked away in a practice room alone, or that they practice alone for so long because they do not want to have to open up and interact with others, it is often hard to tell. Chef Someone who is comforted by the thought of being surrounded by food. As a child, they are likely to have spent their morning lessons thinking about when it would be lunch break, and as soon as lunch break was over, they would spend their afternoon lessons thinking about when it would be home time so they could get their after-school cookie! Vet Someone who wants the money and respect of a doctor, but cannot face the idea of dealing with humans! Lawyer Someone who is really boring and has no hobbies. After all, who in their right mind wants to read legal contracts all day every day? They also tend to be argumentative, pessimistic and emotionally detached. Unfortunately, rates of depression and suicide are also high. CEO A true rebel. Someone who has never followed the rules, always thought outside of the box and could not possibly allow anyone to tell them what to do. They are at their happiest when they see others slaving away to make their own dreams come true. Cleaner Someone who really should aspire for a better job. (But please come and clean my house!)

Top tips! Work systematically. Choose one topic area and focus on it. After you finish with that topic, move onto the next one. Working systematically helps you keep the information organised in your mind. This in turn will help you retrieve the information from your memory at a later date. Active reading of notes. Usually, re-reading notes gets a very bad reputation. Although passive note reading is not a very effective revision method, actively reading notes/ textbooks can be an extremely effective revision method as it is very efficient time-wise. This method only works for short, intense periods of study as it requires your full attention. You must read a piece of information, then pause, look away from what you have been reading and see if you can recall what you have just read or not. If not, then re-read the information again until you can recall what you are reading. Even better, challenge yourself to explain what you have been reading or create fun rhymes and mnemonics to help you remember long lists of facts. Mind maps/ blurting (active recall). Get a scrap piece of paper and jot down bullet points (good for lists of facts) or draw a mind map (good for showing inter-linking themes) on everything you can remember about a topic. Then look back at your notes and textbooks and add the things you didn't recall in a different colour. Next time you revise, focus on the topics you forgot about. You can also use your mind map as a last minute exam revision resource. By focusing on memorising the facts in colour, you will be able to boost those things in your memory so that you don't forget them in your exam. Do exam questions. If you are preparing for an exam, learning the format of answering the questions is just as important as knowing the facts. Many exams are not just testing fact recall but also knowledge application. You can only get better at this by practicing exam questions and then looking at the mark schemes to see what is required. Learning the mark scheme helps you become an examiner for yourself so that you can assess the quality of your own work. This helps you gauge the level of your work even before you hand it in, and it also teaches you what is important and what is less so. Flash cards. But don't use too many! Flashcards are only really useful for long lists of difficult facts to remember. For example, a long list of words or equations that you have to remember and use, rather than for topics or concepts that you have to integrate and apply. There is no point in making flashcards if you are just re-writing your notes as that is just time-consuming. Use flashcards wisely. Draw diagrams. Visual images can be really useful to help you remember processes and the names of objects. You can picture the image in your head, which will in turn help you to remember the name or description associated with the image. These diagrams act as a cue for recall, so that you store information on the image which you can access by imagining the drawing/ diagram. Remember silly sayings. Silly sayings or mnemonics can help you remember sets of words that you might not remember so well unless they are highlighted. Silly sayings could be a song, tune or chant that is easy to get stuck in your memory and stay there. The brain loves novelty and things that are funny, so this is a good method you can use if there is something you are really struggling to remember. Remember the number of facts you need to know. For example, you can use numbered bullet points to help you know how many facts you need to remember associated with a topic. This can help you know for sure if you have recalled all of the points you need to as well as making it easier to remember things as they are listed, numbered and organised. YouTube videos. There are many excellent You Tube channels dedicated on educating you in all sorts of topics. Find a good quality one that consistently explains things well and that you understand.  Ask teachers questions. Your teachers are there to help you. Ask questions after class if you didn't understand something or find them during a break time and (kindly and gratefully) ask them to explain something to you. Some teachers also offer to mark past papers and extra questions you do yourself, so make full use of these opportunities. Also, check out this post about how to study effectively! Studying properly in the first place will definitely make your revision easier! 6 Tips for effective study

Top tips for effective relaxation! Non sleep deep rest.  A term coined by Dr Andrew Huberman, this is a way of completely relaxing without falling asleep. It is highly effective in reducing stress and re-setting the brain for a fresh approach to studying again. Even just 5 minutes is highly effective, but longer periods of 10 or 20 minutes can help to reset the nervous system to ensure full focus for learning. I also like to adapt the method by additionally using the Feldenkrais method of relaxing the eyes as well as a form of progressive muscle relaxation. This is literally one of the best things I have discovered to control my energy and focus levels. If you want to learn what this relaxation method looks like in full, read this post here: My ultimate quick full brain reset Relax with the intention of studying again.  Rather than getting tired of studying and saying "I'll just rest until I feel better again" (which most likely leads to no more work being done for the rest of the day!), it is better to allocate a specified time to rest so that you know when you have to start studying again. This ensures that you use your time efficiently, but it also lets you know when to work and when to rest so that you can prepare to work, and you can also work knowing that you have a rest period coming up. This can help you to push through when things get tough, or to re-focus on your task if you find yourself thinking of something else or getting distracted. Make yourself excited to study again at the end of your relaxation period.  This perhaps is a form of brainwashing yourself into doing something good, but it can help with the transition from rest to study smoothly and with a positive mindset. Rather than dragging yourself back to studying with a "Do I have to?" attitude, use the last 5 minutes or so of your rest period to hype yourself up about the task that is ahead of you. For example, if you have a report that you are working on, find all the reasons that make writing the report enjoyable, and praise yourself for all of the good work you have put in so far. Then, do some physical activity (such as jumping up and down a few times) to get oxygen and endorphins to your brain so that you feel hyped and ready to work again! Split study periods with other requirements. For example, you could break up periods of study with time to pursue your hobbies, meet up with friends or do household chores. You should try to alternate between tasks that use different parts of the brain and body so that you are still being efficient and are not wasting precious time but you are also giving each part of your brain and body the rest it deserves. Physical exercise. This is especially effective for when your brain feels foggy or your body feels stiff from sitting and studying for a long time. Even just 5 minutes of heartbeat-raising exercise can have a massive impact on your ability to refocus. Usually, I like to do a couple of lengths of sprinting, some jumping, some dancing or a brisk walk. It can also help you find the right answer if you have been stuck on a problem as you come back to the task with a fresh perspective and more oxygen in your bloodstream!

If you are struggling to concentrate, or are feeling that your brain has been fully used and needs a break, this is a really quick and effective way of clearing your head so you can get back to that important project you are working on! My full brain reset is a mix of three techniques: Andrew Huberman's non-sleep deep rest, Feldenkrais' covering the eyes and an adaptation of progressive muscle relaxation. By utilising all three of these techniques at the same time, you can relax deeply and get rid of a lot of tension in a short amount of time. Step 1: Non-sleep deep rest First, lie down on a solid surface or hard mattress. You need the solidity to ground yourself and to figure out where your tension is. (Something that is not so easy if you are on a soft surface.) Then close your eyes and focus on your breathing. You should breathe in deeply, then breathe in again without exhaling first, and then exhale in a slow, controlled way. (This method of breathing is called the physiological sigh.) The exhaling part should take longer than the inhaling part. If you like, you can listen to a guided meditation whilst you do this, but I prefer to do it in silence and focus on my breathing and physical sensations instead. Continue this method of breathing for the whole duration of your relaxation period. Step 2: Covering the eyes Now that you are a bit more relaxed and are breathing deeply, cover your eyes with your palms and gently apply pressure to your eyeballs. Tense eye muscles can lead to pain behind the eyes which can then in turn trigger a tension-type headache (Nunez, 2020). To prevent this from happening, relaxing the eye muscles by applying pressure and gently massaging them is very important. If your eyes feel particularly sore, another eye exercise you can do is to open your eyes and keep your head focused straight on. Then move your eyes slowly and smoothly from left to right, right to left, top to bottom, bottom to top and all around in a circle. You want to focus really hard on ensuring smooth, even movement with no skipped visual area where you realise that your eyes have jumped from one scene to the next as this indicates that your eye muscles are tense here. If this happens, try the movement again and see if you can make it any smoother. (Don't worry if you can't do it straight away, it will come with regular practice!) Step 3: An adaptation of progressive muscle relaxation The normal method of progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing and then relaxing the muscles, but my method involves just the relaxing part. (Mainly because I am so tense to start with haha.) Whilst resting on the ground, scan your body from head to toe, noticing areas of tension and discomfort. Then try to stretch out those areas and relax them. I have found that learning your own stretching methods by listening to your body can be way more effective than following a generic stretching routine online! You will know that you have fully reset when your head feels clear and your eyes and body feel free of tension. If you feel a bit too relaxed for getting back to work, do a few star jumps or jog on the spot to increase your energy levels and then get back to the task at hand! References Nunez, K. (2020, July 1). " What to Know About an Eyestrain Headache" . Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/eye-strain-headache