Sugar Rush!!!!!

So anyway, how are you?

Insight into my life. Writing this watching Guardians of the Galaxy.

Here’s this weeks revelation. Sugar was taking over my life.

I have started cycling to work, and I just love it. I am also following a 6 week programme on the Chris Hemsworth app Centr. I am doing all this hard work, and up until last week, was seeing a a big ZERO in terms of what difference it was making to my body, and my wellbeing. Why? Because sugar was taking over my life.

I thought I was being healthy and eating all the right food, yes I was, but I was eating huge portions. The big wake up call for me, was weighing myself and I thought I was 11 stone. Nope, I was 11 stone 8 Ilbs. Ooft!

I have a fancy pants set of scales also that told me everything else that i didn’t want to know including body fat percentage.

Also, and I know this is going to sound strange but I can’t remember the last time I felt ‘empty’. It was a really weird feeling of feeling hungry, but at the same time feeling so bloated that eating was doing me no good at all. I short, I was putting the wrong fuel in, and feeling really sluggish too. Lethargic.

So what next?

I got inspired when I watched a programme called 'How to Lose a Stone in 3 Weeks’ with Michael Mosely. I have friends who have long advocated the 5:2 method and also fasting, so, whilst tackling a pile of ironing I watched the programme and made a plan, and to cut a long story short got stuck right in, and I seriously can’t believe the difference that getting grip on my eating habits has made.

The plan is to cut my daily calories to around 800 a day, now that sounds quite alarming but here is a sample of what that looks like:

Breakfast is greek yoghurt (2 spoons as opposed to the whole tub like I used to do), handful of almonds, half a punnet of blueberries

Lunch - 2 egg omelette with heaps of green veg

Dinner - Portobello mushrooms with chopped tomato, garlic, wee bit of mozzarella on top, stick it under the grill.

I feel full, I don’t have cravings, I no longer what to eat the whole packet of biscuits. Quite happy with 1.

The website has really great recipes, and they are not complicated which I love.

If you feel like you need a food reset I can’t recommend it enough. I don’t and have never had an eating disorder, if, in the past, you have, please follow advice from your GP before proceeding with any lifestyle changes. Also, speaking to family and friends is a good idea.

I’m going for it following the 800 plan for 3 weeks, then the plan is to go to 4:3 and reduce my calories 3 days out of 7. I’ll keep you posted with how it goes, but so far, I feel less bloated and my food cravings have greatly reduced.

The only problem I have with food is that I have a MORE than healthy appetite, and with menopause that gets accelerated by the fact that the munchy ghrelin hormone gets amplified even more.

So anyway!

It’s going good, and I feel great.

How are you?

Onward.

Elizabeth

A Beginners Guide to Menopause.

This is a blog post for anyone who wants to know about menopause.

Whether you are a spring chicken and no where near menopause, or maybe you are a spring chicken and menopause has arrived earlier because of a medical situation. This is also a blog post if you are a man, with a wife/partner, or maybe you have best female chums. I feel it’s important to know how you can support someone who is going through, because take it from me, it is RUBBISH (again, trying not to swear).

Respond with kindness.

If someone is unexpectedly snappy with you, don’t snap back. ( I know this is difficult)

If someone unexpectedly forgets something or they struggle to find the words when talking, don’t make fun of them.

If someone gets upset for the most minor thing, and ends up in floods of tears, don’t be impatient.

This is so so difficult in so many ways. Menopause drags everyone around a person with it. Family, friends, and in the workplace or work from home place.

Menopause also means that the people around someone going through it, have to gain a level of patience and understanding that may not come naturally to them.

I’m going to do a series of posts on this subject as it’s all about information in bit size chunks.

First up, I’m going to speak about hot flushes. Oh joy, oh rapture, not.

I have been reading A LOT of comments on social media from ladies not knowing how to handle hot flushes, why they are happening, and what can be done. I’m really going to try not to bunny on too much as quite frankly, give me a soap box and you could leave me there all day. Specialist subject.

Lets just get this out of the way. Hot flushes are crap. There is no sugar coating this. It just really is crap. I’m actually using stronger language than this, but I’m trying not to swear in a blog! There is no cure, there is only ways of managing it, and being kinder to yourself.

Don’t go looking for some kind of magic pill or supplement to help, outside of your GPs advice, because you may just get upset when they don’t work.

For the sake of clarity and bite size chunks of information that are easy to digest, I will bullet point my tried and tested advice. Out of everything I list, there will be one or two points that will stand out for you. Even if there is just one, that’s a win win as far as I am concerned.

The BIG THING to remember here is Stress = Sweat.

Anything we can do to reduce stress is key here.

• Organise your day, the night before. Get your bullet journal out (get one if you don’t have one) and write down everything you want to do, and everything have you to do.

• Have your showers a little cooler than you normally would.

• Give yourself plenty time to do everything. If some says they’ll pick you up at midday, be ready for 1130am. Don’t rush yourself - you’ll end up trashing your outfit and make up!

• When using a hair dryer, open a window or a door!

• Don’t beat yourself up at the gym, or starve yourself. Lots of colourful veg and fruit, take your time with your meals

• Watch out for food triggers that will make your sweat. You will have them! Mine are tea, not coffee funnily enough, white wine (vitamin red is ok), and anything that has a high GI index and causes an insulin spike, white bread, white pasta, potatoes.

• Have a great bedtime routine. T shirts and shorts for the win. A great Aussie pal recently gave me the gem of putting a damp cold face cloth on your stomach to fall asleep. This works because your abdomen contains some pretty bad ass veins and arteries, as well as vital organs, so it really does help in cooling down the core. Don’t just fit sleep into your day, make it a priority. Don’t have anything in your bedroom charging. When you turn the lights off, it shouldn’t resemble the DeathStar.

• Try not to fidget in bed. It actually increases your body temperature!

• Before you go to bed, get a bullet journal out, and plan your next day.

I hope you have found this useful.

The reason I am writing this is because:

• I’ve been through perimenopause, and menopause.

• I’ve tried every trick in the book and this is most comprehensive list i can give you to manage this stage of life better.

• I haven’t had a hot flush aaaaalll through lockdown, until 2 weeks ago. Great. Not. I have been through the main show, so I know how to help myself. Confirmation of this was sitting have a cup of tea and then WOOOOOOSH! Tea set the hot flush off before so I know to what to do

I hope you found this useful, and if you think of anyone that would also benefit from this, please pass it on!

It is so important to start conversation around it, and know what to do for yourself, and also others in your life.

Please get in touch if you have any questions. There’s nothing I enjoy more than a menopausal rant.

In best health

Elizabeth

Face Plant

So anyway…long time no nothing.

I’ve been a bit quiet recently on newsletters and to an extent on social media, I kind of lost my mojo making videos about my work. I’ve got my mojo back. Maybe I have been suspending making videos because I can’t wait to get my hair cut!! It really does look tremendous right now… NOT. Oh my. Least of my worries. I have been sorely tempted to clipper the whole lot off, although I did cut my fringe as it was down to my chin. Shaggy dog look.

Like many people, it’s just the uncertainty of basically EVERYTHING! Yes, I am looking forward to being able to work again, but I am also bricking it slightly. A nervous excitement. Doing the right thing, and doing what is best is very important to me. You can read about my Covid Message on my website on the FAQ section of my website. I’ve mapped out some measures that I taking to return to work. Let me know what you think!

On Monday I tuned into a great LinkedIn live conversation with my friend Kirsty Mac, and another lady Ruth Major, and they had a great conversation about this really being either in one camp or the other. There are people who can’t wait to get back to an office environment, and others who are in the ‘happy to stay at home’ camp. I have friends who have been asked to work at home til the end of the year, and others who have been told their company is selling the office space and that they will ALL continue to work at home, some 1000+ employees.

Some people can’t wait to go shopping, others yes, but really conscious of people standing too close. It’s amazing how its got to that stage.

How are you?

I’m looking forward to getting back to work and back in my therapy room, you can read about it and see pictures on my Instagram page to see how its all coming together (@bestevermassage). I’m beavering away with new ideas and new products to offer my clients, all will be revealed in time!

In best health

Elizabeth