Nicki Cawood, Author at CURLY AND CANDID

Small Health Swaps

Nicki CawoodJanuary 15, 2020

It’s that time of year again where many people decide that they are going to improve themselves. I’m not one for new year resolutions but even I decide to make small health swaps and on 27th Dec 2019 fully embraced the vegan eating lifestyle. Twenty days in and I feel great. Some people don’t actually know what they would like to improve to start with and may need some help discovering the healthy changes they can make in their lives. If you are one of these people, then there are some tips below. These are a good start and might well send you in the right direction when it comes to your health and well-being.

Small Health Swaps: Give Up Smoking

We all know that smoking is bad for us, that’s not news. Quitting is hard but these days there is an alternative. Public Health England and many health and cancer-related charities support vaping as a valid alternative to smoking. Perhaps it’s worth looking at buyv2cigs for the best e-liquids, and choose an e-cigarette instead. Many people have reported feeling much healthier, with more relaxed breathing, and improved overall well-being, after the changeover. Of course, ideally cutting out all nicotine and bad habits would be ideal. Still, life isn’t always that simple, so taking on some healthier alternatives and making small health swaps is a great idea.

Small Health Swaps: Nutrition

Eating take away five out of seven nights a week is going to cause some health problems, we know this. No doubt eating too many takeaways is and not enough vegetables are a cause of disease, obesity, and other health issues that we would really rather not have. Increasing the number of nutritious meals in your day-to-day diet and ensuring that you have made an effort in the kitchen with your nutrition, is a step in the right direction. We have all of the tools and information right at our fingertips to provide ourselves and our families with nutritious meals, it just takes a little bit of effort. So cutting down one or two box sets a week, and spending a bit more time in the kitchen is likely to improve your health significantly. You are what you eat as they say.

Exercise is So Important

Without a doubt, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to increase your exercise levels. Adding a short routine into your life can significantly improve your health not only physically, but mentally too. And even though it isn’t the easiest thing to implement, especially if you don’t have an exercise you enjoy already, it’s something that many people have attributed to a change in their life. This is a significant lifestyle change, but one that you will be glad you took. Take the plunge and don’t hold back. You don’t have to push yourself too hard to start with, but you can have some great results quickly with a little effort.

I made small health swaps last year which ended up with me going to the gym 2-3 times a week. Me, at the gym. It sounded ridiculous to me but I love it! I’m injured at the moment so not at the gym but missing it. You really can feel the difference when you start to exercise.

Small health swaps can make a big impact on your short and long term health. What could you swap out?

In General, Outdoors

Run Your Own Farm or Smallholding

Nicki CawoodJanuary 13, 2020

There are many reasons why each year, people register their own smallholding farm. Usually, it’s a labour of love and interest, something to fill the days with activity and joy. This is because you’ll hardly have the same amount of land and production feasibility as a commercial farm, nor the business registration to that level, but you may gain benefits such as a freezer full of quality meat or the ability to sell eggs to the community from time to time. Think of it as a much larger allotment.

If you have a few acres and the funding to support it, this can be a beautiful project to consider. Of course, it requires deep planning and care to pull off well and to meet all of the essential legislation. That being said, this is perfectly possible provided you’re willing to put the time in. Make sure you look for essential advice around building a small farm or smallholding to prepare for this process. Well-applied, it should help you ease into this situation with more care, and to prevent the range of mistakes that can easily be made.

Consider Shelter Needs For a Small Farm

You’ll need to shelter your farmyard animals, no matter if they are cows, sheep, chickens, or something less farmyard-like but no less important like a horse or pony. Field shelters can help you construct the best protection against the harsh elements, as well as providing a secure place to keep said animals safe and secure at night. It’s worth investing in high-quality shelters such as this because it will serve as the hub around which you structure the rest of your land management.

Running Your Own Small Farm : Protecting Your Land

It’s important to protect your land. With fences, some using barbed wire or electrified elements (to keep cattle in, for instance), as well as locked gates preventing theft of animals during the day or night – protecting your land is important. It can also be important to maintain the land such as using drainage pipes to protect against flooding. This can be a problem if dealing with steeper land or if you’re in a regularly wet environment. Protecting your land to this end can ensure that your animals have enough space, are safe within your borders, and that you can easily defend against encroachments on your land.

Medical Aids & Necessary Restrictions

So-called medical aids are important to follow, and will be outlined in the smallholding law and regulations you must contend with. For example, vaccinating your cattle or sheep is an important process, and may require the use of a third-party verification service to document, apply and log. This also goes with regular inspections of your property (usually once a year) in order to approve the number of animals you may have with you at any one time. It’s up to you to stay up to date with relevant rules and regs and to ensure that your animals are looked after in accordance with them.

If your dream is to run a small farm or smallholding make sure you know what you have to do legally, ethically and get advice to make this a project that is sustainable.