Category Archives: Health

How To Deal With Stress

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I am going through a personal crisis at the moment and have been feeling very stressed! I really want to get back to creating new recipes and posting them but I can’t concentrate and have fallen out of my creative flow. I think my creativity is returning as I am inspired to write this post!

Here are my tips on how to deal with life when it becomes stressful and overwhelming:

  • Get enough sleep – you need more sleep that normal when you are stressed, so it is important to go to bed early and also takes naps throughout the day if possible.
  • Talk to someone – a problem shared is a problem halved. Speak to a trusted family member or friend, they may be able to help you process what is going on in your life and give you advice.
  • Breathe – when we are stressed we tend to breath very shallowly and we don’t get enough oxygen. Take a few deep breaths. Breathe in and then exhale and release all the stress and tension.
  • Keep a routine – falling out of your routine such as eating at irregular times and going to bed late will just put more stress on your body at a time when it needs extra care.
  • Eat foods rich in zinc – when we are stressed our body uses up zinc very fast and it is vital to many processes in the body such as wound healing. Examples of foods high in zinc include pumpkins seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, spinach, cashew nuts, beans, chickpeas, chocolate, seafood and chicken.
  • Meditate – if you know how to meditate take 15 minutes in the morning before you do anything to sit cross-legged on the floor, breath and clear your mind. It can take a while to still an over active mind, but eventually the thoughts will stop and your adrenal system will calm down, leaving you with a sense of peace.
  • Exercise – go for a walk and get some fresh air, you will feel better. You could go running, do yoga or put on your favourite music and dance. The release of endorphins will uplift you leaving you feeling happy and relaxed.
  • Find a solution – instead of worrying about a problem, find a solution and then act on it. Find a way to improve it or leave the stressful situation.
  • Write down your thoughts – sometimes it helps to write down everything that is bothering you. Take a notepad and write until you feel better. It can be very therapeutic.
  • Do something you enjoy – take your mind off it by doing an activity you enjoy. It may be listening to your favourite music, going to the cinema, going to the beach, painting, reading etc.
  • Ask for help – if you find yourself losing track of time trying to come to terms with a stressful situation, or are lacking in energy and motivation ask your family members for help with everyday task such as cooking, chores, or even financial support. Most of the time they will be happy to help.
  • Listen to relaxing music – the slow rhythm of relaxation music will quickly calm down an over active nervous system and get your brain into an alpha brainwave state.
  • Have a bath – put a few drop of lavender oil in a warm bath or use Epsom Salts which are high in magnesium, a natural muscle relaxant and switch off.

I hope these tips help you to de stress and bring back your peace of mind!

My Transition from Junk Food to Healthy Food

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Here is my transition from junk food to healthy food:

Step 1: Junk Food

When I was a student at university living away from home and first became ill with ME/CFS I used to eat a diet of junk food such as:

  • Microwave ready meal lasagne.
  • Microwave ready meal salmon and broccoli in creamy sauce.
  • Microwave chips and fish fingers.
  • Pop tarts
  • Sugary Cereal
  • Pizza
  • Prawn mayonnaise sandwiches
  • Baked potato with tuna mayonnaise
  • Chocolate bars
  • Pasta in creamy sauce
  • Beef burgers

I now know that when you microwave meals it denatures the structure of the food so it is not the same food that went into the microwave!

Step 2: Gluten-Free

After visiting a Naturopathic Nutritionist who used a bio-resonance machine to detect my wheat and sugar intolerances, I altered my diet and cooked things such as:

  • Trout with wild rice, steamed broccoli and carrots.
  • Sea bass with gluten-free pasta and steamed vegetables in a creamy sauce.
  • Sausages, wild rice and steamed vegetables.
  • Gluten-free pasta in tomato sauce.
  • Steamed egg ramekin.
  • Gluten-free sandwiches
  • Rice pudding
  • Oat porridge with blueberries
  • Spaghetti Bolognese with gluten-free pasta
  • Oat flapjacks
  • Gluten-free pasta bake
  • Fish pie
  • Homemade pork burgers
  • Lamb shanks

Step 3: Reduce Processed Food

However my body become intolerant to the gluten-free pasta made from maize which I was consuming at least once a day. I developed IBS with stomach cramps, diarrhoea and even vomited once. So I had to change my diet again and ate things like:

  • Tofu with rice noodles
  • Carrot & Coriander Soup
  • Spanish Sausage & Bean soup
  • Tomato soup
  • Cheese & tomato sandwiches
  • Liver and bacon with potatoes
  • Baked potato with tuna mayonnaise
  • Pork balls with stir-fried vegetables
  • Chicken Gohan curry
  • Chicken kebabs in peanut satay.
  • Homemade chips
  • Chicken drumsticks & wings

Step 4: Vegetarian

I became interested in Detoxing the Pineal Gland and read a book where the author explains that tap water contains toxin fluorine and chlorine and fish contains toxic mercury. He also explained that meat has a very heavy vibration of death, fear, pain and suffering. I did not want to put that energy into my body as I wanted to raise my vibration. Also I had a emotive dream about a chicken in packaging that was half cooked and half still alive looking up at me with innocent eyes. I couldn’t bear to eat chicken after that and decided to become vegetarian so as not to support animal cruelty. The meals I ate included:

  • Baked butternut squash with thyme, walnuts and feta
  • Spanish omelettes
  • Baked potato with cheese
  • Potato salad
  • Greek salad
  • Hummus on gluten-free toast
  • Gluten-free pizza
  • Ratatouille

Step 5: Raw Vegan

Then I met my health-conscious ex boyfriend who had cancer and became raw vegan like him to get the benefits of detoxing my body, more energy and clear skin. I ate things such as:

  • Kale Salad with Sprouted Seeds
  • Smoothies
  • Juices
  • Raw chocolate
  • Chocolate & almond milk smoothie
  • Veggie nut mix in lettuce boats with hummus
  • Nori Rolls
  • Guacamole on corn cakes
  • Hummus and sprouted sunflower seed on rice cakes.
  • Raw carrot cake
  • Kale chips

Step 6: Mixture of Cooked & Raw Vegan

I found it very difficult to get enough calories on that diet and although my skin was clear, I felt hungry and weak. So I am now a mixture of cooked and raw vegan and seem to have a lot of energy. My favourite meals at the moment are:

Featured in the September 2014 issue of WDDTY magazine in the article ‘Why ME?’ about my recovery from ME/CFS using diet.

10 Steps to Recovery from ME/CFS

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10 Steps to Recovery from ME/CFS

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Here is a list of steps I have created in a moment of inspiration that you can follow when working towards your recovery from an illness. I followed these steps when recovering from my ME/CFS. My 10 steps to recovery from ME/CFS:

  1. Accept – stop and accept where you are. You may have to leave your job and be cared for by family. Accept and make peace with your current limitations.
  2. Look externally – get help and support from the outside world. See a doctor or a therapist.
  3. Healthy diet – visit a nutritionist and take supplements if necessary to ensure you are getting adequate nutrition to support your body during the illness. Alter your diet to include more fruit and vegetables.
  4. Look within – look inside of yourself to find out why you are ill and what lesson it has to teach you. Spend quite time alone meditating to connect with yourself.
  5. Look to the past – what traumas happened in the past that perhaps you have not dealt with? What behaviour patterns did you learn from your parents that perhaps are not serving you well in your life?
  6. Grieve – spend time grieving the past, then release it and let go. The past is over and you are free now.
  7. Get back into society – get out and meet people again. Do some volunteering. And if you are ready, look for a job.
  8. New behaviours – practice new behaviours to replace the old ones that may have made you ill. Think positively to attract good circumstances and people into your life. Practice being grateful for what you have. Think of 3 things to be grateful for every night before you go to bed. It can be as simple as ‘I am grateful to have a comfortable bed to sleep on.’ or ‘I am grateful for the caring and supportive friends and family that I have.’
  9. Look to the future – where do you want to be in 10 years time? Set goals for yourself. What would you really love to do with your life? Find your passion and take small action steps towards making it a reality. Create a vision board.
  10. Keep learning – the journey to great health is an ongoing one. Read about health and keep making small changes in your life such as starting to do 15 minutes exercise everyday even if it is just going on a short walk.

I wish you the best in your journey to recovery!

 

Featured in the September 2014 issue of WDDTY magazine in the article ‘Why ME?’ about my recovery from ME/CFS using diet.

Copyright: lzflzf / 123RF Stock Photo