White Raspberries

Over the summer I visited my grandparents house many times. They live in the country and they have many gardens with a variety of fruits and vegetables in them. Always, my favourite fruit is the raspberries. There are a variety of different kinds in their garden, but they just recently added a new kind, which is the white raspberries. They look exactly like any other raspberry except they are white with a little yellow colour to them. In my opinion I did not like them very much. They were okay because I like the taste of raspberries, but I thought it lacked the flavour that red or black raspberries contain. They tasted a little too plain for my liking. I think that in the future I will probably stick to the red raspberries which are my favorite out of all the different kinds of raspberries. Although I am glad that I was able to try something new and find out what my opinion on these raspberries is. 

Pomegranates

Today, for the first time I tried a pomegranate and I thought it was delicious! The outside of the pomegranate is a little hard and it is the colour red. When you cut open the pomegranate there are many little seeds inside which is what you eat. These seeds are crunchy, but the seeds are surrounded in this red jelly stuff. They taste sweet, but they have a very unique flavour to them that is very addicting! The one thing that I think is annoying about pomegranates is that the juice stains very easily. When you cut the pomegranate the juice goes everywhere so I looked up some ways to stop this. I found that if you cut the pomegranate underwater in a bowl then it stops the juice from staining everything. Although it is a lot of work just to eat the pomegranate I think it is definitely worth the work. I can't wait to go and have another pomegranate! I think that pomegranates are now one of my favourite fruits because of their unique flavour.  

Benefits of Downhill Skiing

Downhill skiing is a great sport that allows you to get outside and increase your fitness levels in a seemingly effortless way. An article from Fit Day called "The Health Benefits of Downhill Skiing" focuses on the many aspects in which skiing benefits your body.

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This article states that a high level of flexibility will benefit you greatly when you ski. If you are flexible, it is more likely you will not experience a strain or sprain. The article suggests that you stretch routinely, focusing on the core muscle groups such as your abdominal, obliques and hips which are used most when downhill skiing. One great stretch this article suggests is called "the superman". This is when you lie on your stomach and slowly raise your arms and legs stretching them out and lifting your head at the same time. You should hold this position for about ten seconds then start again. This particular stretch targets your lower back, core muscles and upper thighs.

Secondly, this article focuses on muscular fitness. Stability is key when downhill skiing, therefore you need to ensure you have strong leg muscles to keep your balance. When you ski downhill, your athletic stance includes having your knees bent putting you in a slight crouch and your feet at shoulder width apart. To ensure your legs will keep you stable while skiing you can do squats to build your leg muscles.

Lastly, this article talks about the cardiovascular benefits of skiing. To start, your heart rate will increase when you are hiking and carrying your ski equipment as well as when you are going down the hill, but there is also a healthy psychological part to skiing. When you ski your body releases endorphin's and adrenaline into the bloodstream, which elevates your mood ultimately making you happier.

Overall, I agree with many of the points stated in this article because I can easily relate to what it is talking about. I have downhill skied for many years and have also done training specifically for downhill ski racing. Throughout my years of training I have noticed that my skiing has improved as my strength and flexibility have increased. I also agree that skiing does put me in a great mood and it makes me enjoy each day so much more when I am outside on the slopes! Overall, skiing is a great way to get outside, enjoy the fresh air and benefit your body in many different ways.

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For more information on this article or related ones you can visit the link below.
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/sports-training/the-health-benefits-of-downhill-skiing.html#b

German Cuisine

During my trip to Europe we went to Neuschwanstein Castle. During this day trip we went and had lunch at a restaurant in an area below the castle. At the restaurant I got to try some German food for the first time. Normally I would choose a "safe" choice at a restaurant, such as chicken fingers and fries, but this time I decided to be a little more adventurous. I had bratwurst, sauerkraut and whipped potatoes and to my surprise I really enjoyed it. Bratwurst is similar to a regular sausage. I have tried sauerkraut before and I did not like it, but in this meal it was delicious and accompanied the bratwurst perfectly, making the meal very flavorful. Lastly, the potatoes were not my favorite part. They were so smooth and had a different flavor than what I am used to. I decided I did not like it as much as I like mashed potatoes; they were too smooth for my liking. In addition to the food, the service was wonderful. The waitress was friendly and our food was prepared very quickly. I thought the presentation of the food was good and the atmosphere of the restaurant was welcoming and authentic. Overall, it was a good experience trying new foods from a different culture and I was looking forward to trying other new foods! Below is a picture of the meal I chose and the menu. As you can see on the menu there is a picture of Neuschwanstein Castle. This is a restaurant I would definitely recommend to others to go to, to have a quick tasty meal!