Regain your Health
Well what a strange year 2020 has been so far, turbulent weather at the start and then a pandemic that took the world by storm. Although Coronavirus started in 2019 it was not until 2020 that we all really became aware of the full impact it would have on us globally. The media was full of stories of people of all ages in intensive care and how it was affecting so many people in numerous ways. It was not surprise that it was and still is a scary time.
How are we all feeling? There are some statistics starting to come out, and according to a survey conducted by the BBC 48 percent of people say they have put on weight during lockdown. But in a time of heightened stress, it’s important to have ‘self-compassion’, say the experts. I totally agree with this, with stress and anxiety heightened during this time worrying too much about weight will only add to the stress. It is Important not to gain too much weight as this will increase other health risks but as long as it is a something that can be managed post lock down then this can be dealt with when we are feeling more confident. The more we stress the more weight will stay on, so learning to manage the situation we are in for our mental state is just as important.
So, what happens now?
I am not going to tell everyone to start dieting as that is not the right thing to do, we are all being asked to “eat out to help out” and also with the announcement that gyms will be reopening it feels that life is starting to go back to some kind of normality.
I am here to support your health and help you make healthy decisions and regain balance. If you are feeling more tired than normal, want to lose weight in a healthy way and not by dieting, rebalance hormones, help with digestive issues then I can create a nutrition plan that works for your lifestyle.
I have recently been learning about gut transformation and what a difference this makes to how you feel, especially your mood. It is a six-week program which I will be launching in the Autumn.
Stress and anxiety are not something to ignore as this can affect our general health. Through a good healthy diet and sometimes supplemental support your body can help you deal with stress and anxiety in a better way.
For now, as Government make more announcements it is time to enjoy some freedom whist staying safe and be mindful of your health and how important this is especially when we face a virus like Covid-19. As well as eating well it is important to exercise and sleep well.
5 Easy Health Tips
1. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables to make sure your body gets lots of nutrients it needs, especially antioxidants to help protect us.
2. Drink lots of water as this helps the body remove toxins from the body and keep us hydrated.
3. Keep sugar to a minimum, sugar can reduce the function of the immune system.
4. Ensure protein is lean: fish, poultry, eggs and vegetables sources like tofu. Limit red and processed meat.
5. Include healthy fats like avocados, nuts and olive oil
Please contact me to start your journey to feeling better
My lock down experience (we are all human even Nutritionists!)
The UK was put into lockdown on 23 March in an unprecedented step to attempt to limit the spread of coronavirus. As a nation we went into panic and I remember nights sitting on my computer trying to get an online food shop and being informed I was number 35,000 in the queue and would have access in about 6 hours! But I persevered and somehow managed to get a few food shops and I waited patiently outside shops that were open to get supplies. I have to take my hat off to all those people who kept us going during these tough times, NHS workers, shop workers, delivery people and people who baked and shopped for their family, friends and neighbours plus many more . In my road we created a WhatsApp group and if anyone managed to get a shop, a message would ping to check if anyone needed anything.
What lockdown taught me was as a nation we all came together and helped each other out. We all had to stop and think, not through choice but in some ways for me anyway it has made me realise how much I took for granted and how fast life was.
We generally eat more when we are stressed and with all the lovely home baking that has been all over social media, it is of little surprise a few pounds have crept on. I must have baked a banana cake every other day for my family and we all loved them but after a few weeks, I started to feel very tired and not sleeping very well so I started making more healthy options. I fell in love with Melissa Hemsley Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies, but they are not without calories so had to limit them and hide them in cupboards, so we only had one a day.
I also started baking bread which was very time consuming but worth it when you could smell the fresh bread in the oven. As with lots of people I put my health issues to one side for a bit and although I know I am not great with gluten, decided to eat some of this bread. It was great for a short while but after a couple of weeks my stomach was less than happy and I was starting to feel quite lethargic. So even a nutritionist can fall off the right path and adopt the wrong eating plan but considering the circumstances I am not going to get angry with myself. I made a decision when lock down was at its worse to enjoy food and not worry but eventually I did stop and got back to eating well and getting myself back into balance. It was not easy at times to get all the right food and I did spend lots of time making soups and smoothies with whatever I had at hand. Sometimes, it was like Ready Steady Cook in the kitchen.
Although it is easy to take short term comfort from indulgent food, long term a healthier diet does produce a happier more energetic person.