HOW DO
WE IMPROVE OUR LIFESTYLE?
July is
a great month for outdoor dinner parties and drinking up the setting sun
July is a great month for outdoor
dinner parties and drinking up the setting sun. It is particularly a month for wine. Why
not get together and relax with a group of friends over a chilled glass?. Not too much though – alcohol
can be a relaxant in small quantities but has been proven to have adverse effects on body and mind if taken to excess or on
a regular basis. Friendship and social support are proven aspects
of Lifestyle that can aid mental health by reducing stress and alleviating anxiety. As the saying goes:–
‘a problem shared is a problem halved’. Wines celebrate
this month dedicated to Julius Caesar. For although the Romans were well used to wine drinking –
Pliny lists 116 varieties – it was Caesar’s reign that a choice of four was offered for the first time at a banquet.
Try delicate pink salmon and a soft white wine from the Loire. A Sancerre, or Muscadet, or an Anjou
rose, to wash away the memory of a hot, dry day in the city. The fruit season
reaches its peak in July and August. Vegetables are also at their most varied and plentiful – so
go out and buy, bottle, freeze and preserve ready for the coming year. Why not try making your own wines
?. Watch out most particularly for the short-lived
fruit and vegetable crops such as Peas or French beans. Some years there will be a glut of them but in
others the crop may be over before you even realise it is on. Pea Pod wine is a must if you have never
made it before – it tastes like a beautifully rounded Muscadet!
