So anyway, I got to thinking recently about how often we see the CLEAN in our everyday life.

Clean eating

Clean beauty

Clean haircare

And now would you believe it Clean cleaning!!!

I can’t keep up. Seriously.

What does it aaaaaalll mean though? In particular (menopausal rant alert), I have been on a one woman mission to understand the menopause and my food intake, yes the two are linked, I’ll do a separate post about my appetite next week.

In short I have to get the balance right or I have a tendency to overeat. Menopause makes the hormone that tells me I’m full (Leptin) to go on extended holidays and not come back.

I have been totally perplexed by this constant ‘oh I’m eating clean’ chat. There is no formula to this and basically what it means is ‘I’m trying to not eat take away food 4 nights a week, and Snickers bars whenever I like’. I can’t help but thinking that we as a people, are on our way to developing a new eating disorder. Does it exist already? Do you ever feel ‘is that clean? Am I on plan?’. When on night out? What is your plan?

What I’m not too happy about, is this work ‘clean’ that we keep seeing. Does that imply that everything else is dirty?

I had pizza for dinner tonight. I made it myself and also did a huge green salad with figs and sunflower seeds and anything else I could find in the fridge. Does that sound like a good meal, or a clean meal? Whatever you think, it tasted great, I’m sated and I don’t what anything else to eat.

Recently, like, last week, I realised I THOUGHT I was eating ‘clean’ and realised it was just a crap idea for me and not doing me any favours.

I spent my day subbing real food for protein smoothies, and trying to keep my protein levels high ,with low carbs every day. Man oh man. No balance whatsoever.

What have you tried that you felt you needed to, and it just didn’t work?

Do you feel bombarded with too much information about food and life? I know I do.

I was using a ‘clean’ moisturiser, but my skin just felt so tight and not comfortable, so now I have gone back to my beloved M&S 8 hour sleep cream. Its basically a chemistry lab in a jar, but its not tested on animals (Wouldn’t buy anything ever that was), and my skin feels great again.

What does ‘Clean’ mean to you?

I’m taking a step back from it and going with the flow.

Here’s what I am doing to feel how I want to feel:

Reduce inflammation in my body (probiotics)

Eat porridge for breakfast

Stay away from Greggs at lunchtime and reduce the amount of lattes I drink

Drink really good quality organic coffee

Enjoy my food and not be distracted when I am eating, ideally at a table with no TV.

Go to bed earlier

Do yoga every day, even if it’s just for 10 mins. (Either Yoga by Adriene OR wait for it Lesley Fightmaster - its her real name!!!!)

How do YOU want to feel. I love making lists of intentions. It makes it super clear what you want to do.

In best health,