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In Food, Health and Exercise, Healthy Eating, Weight Loss, Women's Interest

HEALTH FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on 4 Comments

My body seems to hate me. My pancreas is a bit of an arsehole (I’m diabetic), my cholesterol hasn’t got the memo about where I need it to be, it would appear that my gut has more issues than a Jeremy Kyle guest (suspected IBS), I need to lose weight (I have PCOS and a metabolism that has been sleeping since 1995) and other fun stuff. I’ll not be beaten though.

Clearly my body is somewhat lackadaisical in the behaviour department. I’ve been on a diet pretty much constantly since I was 18yr old (mostly swinging between SW and WW) with some success. In recent years a mixture of boredom and these plans just not suiting my somewhat unique situation has meant that progress has ground to a halt. I was diagnosed as type 2 diabetic last year after years on Metformin as a pre-diabetic and thankfully have a brilliantly supportive health team.  

Seeing what I eat and how hard I’ve been trying to lose weight and deal with my various health issues, my fab health team are confident that I’m doing all that I can. As what I’m doing hasn’t been particularly successful in terms of managing my diabetes and losing weight I’m cranking things up a bit. I’ve adopted a lower carb / Meditteranean-type diet, and have even started looking at including aloe vera juice (there is evidence that it helps with blood glucose, cholesterol and gut health so I’m giving it a go) and yesterday ate Freekah for the first time (which I’m pronouncing freaky because it sounds good).

Will it help, will it not? There’s only one way to find out. Thankfully it doesn’t taste vile so that’s a bonus!

Cutting out all processed food and snack foods (I’ve not eaten either for years), avoiding bread and being strictly dairy-free (gut issues), not drinking alcohol, not having a sweet tooth and eating basic home-cooked, nutritious meals constantly (in sensible portions) would, you would think do the trick. It hasn’t and isn’t and I can’t afford to be complacent. 

So…

I take your healthy balanced diet and increased activity levels and raise you a concerted effort to boost health from the inside out, taking any (sensible) options that are available to me. If that means trying new things (no faddy, juice plus, artificial nonsense thank you), I’m game.

Here’s hoping that my next diabetic review (end of June) shows some good results! I’m six pounds lighter in a month since my last review so here’s hoping these changes make a difference.

Any recipes, nutritious foods or sensible suggestions are most welcome. 

In General, Health and Exercise, Women's Interest

Wake Up Ready

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on

What do all of these things do? They can help you get a better night’s sleep, something not as easily achieved as you’d think sometimes. 

 

As a busy mother of two and all that this entails, someone who works full-time from home as a freelance copywriter and again someone who always seems to be busy with various other things I get tired. Really tired. Despite this lately I haven’t been enjoying as much sleep or rather as much quality sleep as I would like.

During particularly busy periods i.e. work-wise or during half terms when I’m juggling work and fun with the boys I tend to get up earlier. 4am earlier. I manage this quite easily and don’t always need the eight hours of sleep most people do in order to be up and at them the next day. That is only true if the hours of sleep I get are quality/deep sleep hours and as you can tell, this isn’t happening much at the moment.


*This was one of my better nights!

These top tips for promoting better sleep will hopefully help you enjoy a better night-time and some higher quality sleep. I’m changing my bedtime habits and am already starting to see the difference. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a new sleep routine however if you still with it, the benefits and numerous.

Top Tips for Better Sleep

  • Make sure you have a decent mattress and good quality pillows. (We’ve replaced our mattress and our duvet/pillows and already feel more supported in bed).
  • Get the temperature right. Some people like to sleep in a cold room with the window open. Some prefer a toasty warm bed. Find your optimum temperature for a good night and do your best to mimic this exactly each evening.
  • Set a consistent sleep time and stick to it. By getting yourself into a routine and going to bed at the same time every night and rising at the same or similar time your body will be trained into a sleep pattern that works for you.
  • Ditch the Nana Nap. While it might be tempting to nap during the day, for many people doing so reduces the amount of sleep and/or the quality of sleep they achieve at night time.
  • Go Digital Free. Buy an alarm clock that runs on batteries. Don’t have your phone next to your bed as an alarm. Not only will you be tempted to check your messages or social media, it pays to switch all electricals or as many as possible off and enjoy a proper silence.
  • Cut the caffeine. Stop drinking caffeinated drinks earlier in the day as caffeine is a stimulant and stimulants can keep you awake. Switch to a hot milk drink, a hot chocolate perhaps (easy on the cream and marshmallows) or try a herbal tea. I find chamomile soothing before bed.
  • Dark rooms are the best for sleeping in. Do you have a street light outside your room? If so invest in an eye mask. Why is complete dark important? This article explainshow your body reacts to the darkness and how it can help you sleep better.
  • Write down your worries, your thoughts and your to do list before you go to bed. I keep a notebook and pencil on my bedside table and if I get an “Oh I must remember that” or an “I must do this” thought I write it down and forget it. I also do my to-do list for the next day before I sleep, I find it helps me start the next day better and it helps me relax.
  • Try a herbal remedy. Some people do just need some extra sleep help. Lavender is well-known for its calming and sleep-promoting properties and valerian root is a well-known natural sleep aid.

Sometimes there may be other reasons for poor sleep and this may be down to stress or anxiety. Both of these have an effect on your physically and so should be taken seriously. Kalms who are running the #wakeupready campaign (see more on Twitter) about promoting better sleep have some really good advice about stress and anxiety on their website.

We all go through periods of adjustment, stress and various other stages which may affect our sleep. Try some of these top tips and the chances are you’ll be sleeping like a baby sooner rather than later. If your sleep problems persist for longer than a month do see a GP.

*The lovelies at Kalms sent me the sleep kit pictured above and have offered lots of help and advice about how to sleep better. This piece is based on my own experiences and Kalms have no editorial control over my content.

 

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