10 WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY THIS SUMMER

With summer now fully here on our doorstep in the UK, it is important to take advantage of the warmer weather and longer hours of daylight to boost our health. Many people are keen to finally get away on well-deserved holidays which have been restricted for so many months. Relaxing on holiday and ideally every few months is key to our health with the amount of daily stress we all experience. 

Staying healthy requires a couple of key pieces. Firstly our immune system needs to be strong to be able to deal with viruses which are pretty hard to avoid these days! If it is not coronavirus, it may be the latest outbreak of norovirus. Keep washing those hands! Secondly, we also need to keep our body “functioning well” - this involves keeping our blood sugar stable so that we don’t have insulin problems in the long term which can lead to diabetes and also involves keeping all our hormones balanced. We also need to keep our liver working well to be able to deal with the toxins that we are exposed to through daily life. Staying healthy is not complex but it does require good lifestyle and dietary habits.  

Here are ten tips that will help you keep your immune system and body functioning strong during the summer months so that you can stay healthy all year round:

1. Get out in the sun daily and top up your vitamin D. Be careful not to get burnt, there is a careful balance between being in the sun between 11am and 3pm so that you can obtain vitamin D from the sun and not staying out too long without protection. Try to expose as much of your body to just 15 minutes of sunlight daily. Vitamin D is vital for a strong immune system and for good gut health (over 70% of the immune system is housed in the gut).   
   
   

2. Prioritise sleep - even though you will be tempted to stay up late due to the longer hours of light, target 7-9 hours of sleep every night and try to keep the same sleeping and waking times. Lack of sleep impacts our hormones and can also lead to us being tempted by carbohydrate-rich, high-sugar foods and stimulants like coffee and chocolate.
   
   

3. Eat protein, fat and fibre at each meal - this will help keep your blood sugar stable which avoids insulin spikes and therefore you can reduce your risk of diabetes. Great sources of fat are coconut, avocado, extra virgin olive oil and salmon.
   
   

4. Eat the rainbow - eat at least 5-9 colourful fruits and vegetables each day to help your body be hydrated and obtain many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This also helps with your intake of fibre which helps keep your bowel movements regular and is vital for regular excretion of toxins.
   
   

5. See friends and family - now that lockdown is officially ending in the UK, it is time to get together with all those friends and family you have been neglecting over the last many months. Relationships are key to our health and happiness, and hanging out with the right people who make us laugh and feel appreciated can significantly reduce stress which negatively impacts our health.
   
   

6. Stay hydrated - hydration is always important as our bodies are mostly made up of water. However, during the summer, we are much more prone to dehydration due to the heat. Dehydration can cause headaches and fatigue and results in cracked lips. Regularly drink filtered water and eat 2 portions of fresh raw fruit daily. Coconut water is great to help us stay hydrated as it balances our electrolytes. 
   
   

7. Daily movement is important for our health to help our bodies move toxins efficiently out of the body via lymph fluid and if you can sweat while you are doing it, this releases even more toxins. Our bodies protect our organs from toxins by placing them in adipose tissue so better to try and get toxins out of the body to avoid excess body fat. Try to get those 10,000 daily steps in!
   
   

8. Work on your strength regularly - try to strengthen your muscles daily because we lose muscle mass as we age. According to Harvard Medical School, “after age 30, you begin to lose as much as 3% to 5% per decade”. The NHS advises that we should “do strengthening activities that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least 2 days a week”. Perhaps you can allocate each day of the week to a different muscle group to ensure you never forget any of them. Just 5 minutes a day is enough - you can try these quick pilates videos or Dr Chatterjee’s 5 minute kitchen workout. Strength is vital for staying mobile and pain-free as we age and so we are able to do things for ourselves when we are elderly. 

9. Reduce stress - there are so many ways to reduce stress in the summer which involve getting outside in nature, playing sports and doing fun activities with friends and family during the longer daylight hours. Each of us has our own way of relaxing so ensure you take time to do the things you enjoy and take regular time off from work and looking at screens. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “continued strain on your body from stress may contribute to serious health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other illnesses, including mental disorders such as depression or anxiety”. Read my blog post for 10 ways to manage stress.
   
   

10. Toxin avoidance - in order to help our bodies thrive, we need to reduce the amount of toxins we are exposed to daily. The body has to work hard to excrete toxins and the process of detoxification also uses up valuable vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Sunscreen has many chemicals in it so check the ingredients of the one you are using. EWG recommends avoiding sunscreen with oxybenzone and insect repellents and to try to use creams rather than sprays or powders. You can search for your sunscreen on the EWG website and check its safety rating. Deodorant is another way that we can reduce toxins. Try to switch to an aluminium free deodorant. People suffering with Alzheimers have been found to have higher than normal concentrations of aluminium in their brain. 

I hope these tips have inspired you to take action to maximise your health this summer. You can download my quiz on the 10 Foundations of Health with 50 questions to score your health and learn more tips to work on your health. Please do follow me on Instagram where I post daily health tips and inspiration and please contact me if you would like a free 15 minute health coaching consultation.

HOW TO PREVENT MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS

Menopause is rather a taboo subject and few people actually talk about it apart from to complain about menopause symptoms. Several years ago, I asked my grandmother what her experience of menopause was and she said that there was nothing special about it. That is ideally what we want to all be saying about it. Unfortunately, many women instead are suffering from hot flashes, night sweats, heavy periods, weight gain, mood swings, brain fog, aches and pains, sleep disturbances and fatigue.

Menopause is “official” when women have not had a menstrual period for a full year. In the UK, according to the NHS, menopause usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age and the average age is 51. Some women may be menopausal as early as age 42 or as late as age 57.  

From age 35-50, a woman’s oestrogen production from ovaries goes down by 35%. Progesterone decreases by 75% during that period. There is therefore a risk of oestrogen dominance which results in all the same symptoms as mentioned above that have been associated with the menopause. Once the ovaries no longer make any progesterone, progesterone is produced by the adrenal glands which makes it highly important to manage our stress levels.

Here are 10 tips to help you approach menopause without unpleasant symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings. We need to be doing these things 5-10 years before menopause to ensure a smooth transition into menopause:⁣

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1. 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 7-9 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁⁣ - without restorative sleep every night, our hormones can become imbalanced due to high cortisol (stress hormones). Ensure you have a good wind down routine before sleep, for example, a nice bath, limited device time and reading a good book. 

2. 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀⁣ - as we switch to producing progesterone from our adrenal glands and no longer from our ovaries, it is vital that we manage our stress levels well. You can read my 10 tips to manage stress here. 

3. 𝗘𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝗴𝗹𝘆𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘁 to help keep your blood sugar stable which is the secret to balanced hormones. Ensure you eat adequate protein, healthy fats and fibre at each meal. Avoid refined carbohydrates like white pasta and bread and choose sweet potato or fibre-rich grains like quinoa, buckwheat or wild rice.⁣

4. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 - ensure daily exercise to strengthen and stretch and ideally getting out in the sunshine and in nature every day. This will help stress levels and sleep.⁣

5. Reduce toxins - avoid xenoestrogens by using glass instead of plastic, eat organic to reduce pesticides which can disrupt hormones and check that your beauty products do not contain toxins using the Think Dirty app.

6. 𝗘𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - this will help you clear excess hormones in order to keep hormones balanced. Sweat regularly in the sauna or with exercise, ensure daily bowel movements and keep hydrated!⁣

7. Ensure you eat healthy fats - these provide the necessary ingredients for us to build hormones. Regularly eat whole organic eggs, extra virgin olive oil, avocados, coconut oil and oily fish.

8. Reduce body fat - excess body fat will provide excess oestrogen to the body which will cause oestrogen dominance. Focus on building muscle and strength building when you exercise and build in regular movement to your day.

9. Avoid aggressive cardiovascular exercise - aggressive exercise increases our cortisol (stress hormones) and can impair our precious melatonin which we produce every evening to have good restorative sleep.⁣

10. Ensure good gut health - keep your gut bacteria balanced through varied plant foods and regularly eating fermented foods. Also ensure you eat your meals and sleep according to a regular routine. Studies show that our gut bacteria can influence our oestrogen levels which we need to keep balanced with progesterone to avoid menopause symptoms.

I hope these ten tips help you prevent any menopause symptoms and that you look forward to a healthy happy symptom-free menopause. I am sure these tips all make good sense to you and I imagine you already have most of these habits in place. You can learn more about how to avoid any symptoms by downloading my free Guide to Oestrogen Dominance.

10 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

The subject of mental health has never been more important because of the pandemic and lockdown and the impact of restrictions and changes on our lifestyle. Some people have thrived due to being able to spend more time with family and pets at home, and other people have suffered due to a significant loss of in-person contact with people at work, and with family and friends who live in a separate household. 

Prior to the pandemic, according to the Mental Health Foundation, for people living in the UK, “one in six adults experiences symptoms of a common mental health problem, such as anxiety or depression, and one in five adults has considered taking their own life at some point”. These statistics are very likely to have worsened now due to many people losing loved ones, high rates of job losses and unemployment, and significant changes to the ways we work, exercise, shop, socialise and carry out our regular day-to-day activities. Most importantly, we must all take time to acknowledge the impact of all this to how we feel, as it is very normal to experience strong feelings because of all these changes.

Our mental and brain health is key for having optimal health as it affects our motivation and our energy. If our mental health declines, our immune system can shut down and other body functions can be impaired like hormones and digestion.

Here are ten ways things you can do to maximise your mental health and help keep your energy and productivity high:

1. Look after your gut health - serotonin is a neurotransmitter necessary for stabilising our mood, having feelings of well-being and feeling happy. 90% of our serotonin is made in the gut, therefore we need to ensure a good balance of gut bacteria. We can achieve this through eating fermented foods daily like coconut or water kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and miso. Avoiding sugar and keeping a regular schedule for meals and our sleep also helps. 
   

2. Ensure deep restorative sleep every night - sleep is vital for our mental health as it helps with emotional resilience and we all know we are not at our best mentally after a bad night’s sleep. Sleep enables our brain cells to repair, allows toxins to be cleaned away and also keeps our brain neurons healthy which we need for memory.  Ensure that the hour before you go to sleep, you take time to properly wind down with limited device time as the blue light interferes with melatonin which helps us sleep deeply. Try taking a relaxing bath or reading some fiction before you go to sleep. Avoid exercising late in the evening as this can disrupt sleep.
   

3. Eat protein, healthy fats and colourful vegetables at every meal - our brain needs these nutrients as well as good hydration to function well. Try to only eat real food and avoid processed foods. It is also worth considering if certain foods cause you to feel more anxious or drained - some foods that can have this effect are wheat (bread, pasta, baked goods) and dairy. Keep a log of how you feel after you eat certain foods and you may find some patterns. Be sure to eat these top 10 brain foods every day, as recommended by brain coach, Jim Kwik: avocado, blueberries, broccoli, coconut oil, eggs, green leafy vegetables, salmon, turmeric, walnuts and dark chocolate.
   

4. Reduce stress - stress can be a trigger to mental health issues like anxiety and depression. The quickest way to relieve stress is to breathe diaphragmatically for just 5 minutes. Also, try to spend time daily for at least 10 minutes doing something you enjoy. If you struggle to think of something, think about the activities and hobbies you used to enjoy as a child, for example, playing sports, doing a jigsaw, playing games or a musical instrument, or time with pets.
   

5. Reduce stimulants - try to avoid foods and drinks containing caffeine and artificial sweeteners and excessive carbohydrates as these can cause unnecessary anxiety. 
   

6. Reduce toxins - according to brain doctor, Dr Daniel Amen, environmental toxins like mould and heavy metals can cause many brain health issues like anxiety, depression and brain fog. Take his questionnaire to understand your brain’s current toxic load and risk of brain and mental health issues.
   

7. Daily exercise and movement - these help bring blood flow to the brain. Low blood flow to the brain has been linked to depression, schizophrenia, alzheimers and other brain disorders. Find ways of bringing in more daily movement, for example, take the stairs, go out for a walk, do a big clean of the house, choose far away parking spaces and dance to your favourite songs. 
   

8. Strong network of support - having supportive friends and family around us is vital to ensure good mental health. Think carefully about who wants the best for you and spend time with these positive people as much as possible. 
   

9. Positive thoughts - negative thoughts can be more destructive than eating a bad diet or not exercising. Challenge any negative thinking, defeating beliefs, and deeply-held negative emotions and journal about them or talk to supportive friends and family to truly understand what is causing these thoughts. 
   

10. Effective regular self-care - it is important to regularly make time for the kind of self-care that will help you the most, whether that is regular exercise or spiritual practices or slowing down and having a lovely treatment like a massage or reflexology or reiki or acupuncture, whatever helps you to feel grounded and calm and resilient. Consider whether some kind of therapy could be helpful for you if you have had any adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) like divorce, neglect, abuse or a loss of a loved one - it can be useful to calculate your ACE score with this questionnaire. According to Bessel van Der Folk, author of ‘The Body Keeps the Score’, many people may not be aware that they have suffered from trauma. He cites examples of people having car accidents and blotting these experiences from their memory and explains how people can respond to different types of therapy so it is worth giving some of these therapies a try: EMDR, Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping), hypnosis, sound therapy, theatre work etc.  

I hope these tips have given you ideas on how you can look after your own resilience using diet and lifestyle habits. For a quiz and more tips on mental health, you can download my free worksheet: how to prevent anxiety and depression. And please do follow me on Instagram for daily tips and inspiration!

HOW TO BE HEALTHY

Health is a very popular topic as always and it is a very controversial subject with many people arguing about what exactly health involves. The truth is, it can be very different for each person. As the saying goes, “one man's meat is another man's poison” and this can be very true from the types of food we eat, to the type of exercise we do and the kind of things we do to relax and have fun. This is because we all thrive on and enjoy different things. That is why it is so important to listen to your body when experimenting with new things and do what feels good for you and right for your unique body. 

How healthy are you? Find out by downloading my free Health Scorecard and rate your health.

There are many benefits to improving our health:

• Strong immune system to fight viruses

• Emotional resilience so we feel calm and in control

• Good brain function which helps us with mental sharpness as we age

• Perform optimally at work and in sport

• Lose weight and unwanted body fat

• Improve sleep so that we feel refreshed when we wake up

• Increase our energy so we feel motivated to pursue all our goals

Here are ten areas we can focus on to ensure our health is optimal:

1. Sleep - although we may be an early bird or a night owl, we must get enough quality deep sleep each night. Ideally we should be sleeping during the hours of darkness, as early as we can before midnight to maximise our deep sleep and we need 7 - 9 hours sleep each night. You will know you are getting enough sleep if you can wake up without an alarm and feel rested when you wake up. Sometimes this just requires correctly timing your wake up after 4 or 5 sleep cycles before you go into the next sleep cycle. Try using the app Sleep Cycle which can help you wake up at the best time after a sleep cycle ends.
   
   

2. Fitness - we all know we need to exercise! It is vital to have strength-based exercise as we grow older to ensure we have good muscle mass. Cardiovascular exercise as well as flexibility are also vitally important. Find the exercise you love to do which you will do regularly. Daily movement is key!
   
   

3. Nutrition - what we eat has a major impact on our body. There is a lot of confusion about what is healthy and not healthy. Ensure you include good quality protein daily as well as colourful fruit and vegetables and healthy fats. Most importantly listen to your body and track what foods feel good. Do not assume that because a food is deemed healthy that it is good for your body. Some people have trouble digesting nuts and certain vegetables. Read this blog post if you want to learn my 10 tips on How to Eat Healthier.
   
   
   

4. Gut Health / Healthy Microbiome - looking after our gut health is really important, especially since the ratio of microbes in our body compared to human cells is 3:1. We have approximately 37.2 trillion human cells compared to 100 trillion bacterial cells. Plant foods like onions, garlic and leeks feed our good gut bacteria as well as fermented foods like sauerkraut, bio-yoghurt, kefir and kimchi. Avoid artificial sweeteners and processed foods and try to follow a regular routine for eating and sleeping for a healthy microbiome.
   
   
   

5. Hydration - regular intake of clean filtered water is necessary for good health. All of our organs need high amounts of water including the brain, our blood and our muscles. If we are not drinking enough water, we can suffer from headaches, lack of focus and concentration, high blood pressure, dry skin and kidney problems. If you like a change from water, try eating some fresh fruit which is very hydrating or herbal teas.
   
   
   

6. Reducing Toxin Exposure - toxins create a great deal of damage in the body. It is important to look at the beauty products you use and limit parabens and fragrances which can disrupt your hormones. The app Think Dirty is fantastic to screen your products.  Try and eat organic foods where possible to limit pesticides in your body. Try and air out your house at least once a week as new furniture and carpets can release toxins which is called “off-gassing”.
   
   

7. Detoxification - although everyone talks about “doing a detox”, many people are not doing what is really required for healthy detoxification. This involves daily bowel movements, drinking plenty of water, sweating regularly and ensuring good intake of all the necessary nutrients for the detoxification process. These nutrients include a variety of amino acids from both animal and plant protein as well as vitamins and minerals from colourful fruits and vegetables, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli.
   
   
   

8. Stress Management - stress is one of those hidden causes of disease which tends to be overlooked. We can eat the best diet in the world and exercise regularly but if we suffer from stress, this can wreak havoc in the body. This is because stress shuts down many functions in the body like the immune system and the nervous system which are so vital for maintaining health. Also digestive secretions like stomach acid are massively reduced by stress and our hormones are limited as we don’t need to have all these things working well if we are running for our lives from a predator. Daily relaxation is absolutely vital for health which can include meditation or mindfulness or just spending 10 minutes a day doing something you love like playing a musical instrument, spending time with friends or family or laughing. Read my blog post on How to Manage Stress for more tips.
   
   
   

9. Mindset - the way we think is key to our health. We can manifest disease through negative emotions and beliefs. It is important to watch the thoughts we have and challenge any negative or disempowering ways of thinking. Practising gratitude daily is a wonderful way to improve our mindset by really tapping into the positive feelings relating to the wonderful gifts we have in our life. I know many of us are going through a tough time with the pandemic and it is important to really take time to appreciate even the tough things that teach us life lessons. The way you start your morning can also massively impact your mindset for the day. Swap the morning news with reading a couple of pages of an inspiring book.
   
   
   

10. Relationships - we thrive if we have supportive, nurturing relationships in our life as these help us feel happy and loved. This reduces stress and boosts our immune system as well as positive hormones like oxytocin. I know sometimes it's tricky with family as we don't feel like we get to choose our family. Ensure that you surround yourself with people who respect you and see the best in you. And if you haven't got those people currently in your life, it might be time to build some new relationships! According to motivational speaker Jim Rohn, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Consider carefully if you want to be thinking and behaving like the five people you spend the most time with and choose your people well! 

I hope these ten tips have given you food for thought on how you can boost your health. It is an ongoing project to keep eating healthily and exercising and taking time to relax. However it is time very well spent if we want to have a high quality life as we age. You can download my free Health Scorecard and see how healthy are in the above 10 areas.

HOW TO MANAGE STRESS

Everyone these days talks about how stressed they are or if they do not use that word, they will talk about how busy they are with their never-ending list of things to do.

A study in 2018 found that 74% of adults in the UK felt so stressed that they felt unable to cope. It would be very interesting to run the study again now as some people may feel a great deal less stressed with the many changes due to the pandemic, for example, furlough, less time commuting, more time to exercise, more time with a pet.  On the other hand, many people may feel significantly more stressed due to overworking, homeschooling, not able to have grandparents helping with childcare, social isolation etc.  

No matter what is going on in our lives, we all need to constantly manage our stress levels so that our bodies can heal and repair daily and be resilient and strong. Our stress response is part of our survival mechanism and unfortunately is being switched on too readily by things that are not life-threatening, for example, the amount of things we need to do or a stressful relationship. Our bodies respond in the same manner whether a predator is chasing us and we are running for our lives, or if we are stressed by our work, finances, family, health or relationships. This can take a toll on our immune system and all of our body functions.

Here are ten tips to help you manage stress:

1. Breathing deeply - our bodies are constantly taking cues from our thoughts and our behaviours about how safe our environment is. Breathing is the easiest way to calm down our nervous system. You can try box breathing: simply inhale for 7, hold your breath for 7 and exhale for 7, pausing before the next inhalation. Our bodies know we are safe when we breathe like this as we would not hold our breath if we were running from a tiger!
   
   

2. Do not over-exercise - we all need to move regularly to keep fit and keep our heart healthy, however excessive running and other exercise will be giving your body the message that it is in a dangerous environment. Intersperse your exercise from time to time with more gentle exercise like yoga, tai chi, stretching and walking in nature.
   
   

3. Sleep 7-8 hours - getting a good night’s sleep and feeling rested and refreshed when you wake up are vital components of feeling in control and being emotionally resilient. Our stress levels will be much higher after a bad night’s sleep or less than 7-8 hours’ sleep.
   
   

4. Keep your blood sugar stable - avoid eating refined carbohydrates and sugar that will cause your blood sugar to rise significantly and then drop significantly causing anxiety and oxidative stress in the body. Ensure you have protein and healthy fats at each meal that will keep your blood sugar stable for 3-4 hours after eating.
   
   

5. Avoid changes to your circadian rhythms - try and keep a steady routine to maintain calm and safety for the nervous system. Our bodies follow a circadian rhythm which responds to light and our nervous system is calmed by routines like going to sleep and waking at the same times each day and eating our meals at the same regular times. Try to also avoid blue light in the evening by turning devices off one hour before sleep and try to get daylight into your eyes within thirty minutes of waking up in the morning. 
   
   

6. Pay attention to your thoughts - having ruminating thoughts is not good for stress! Neuroscientist, Daniel Amen, believes that our Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) are at the root of our stress. Here are some great questions to help you challenge these thoughts and see how valid they are. Our self-talk can be quite destructive if not managed.
   
   

7. Track your Heart Rate Variability (HRV) - a great measure of our stress is HRV. You can track it with apps and devices and learn which activities reduce your stress the most. My favourite device is the Firstbeat Lifestyle tracker - it involves a 3-day assessment and you receive a very detailed graph on how restorative your sleep, exercise and other activities are (or are not!). The OURA ring and Heartmath also have excellent reviews.
   
   

8. Mindfulness and Meditation - these 2 practices are extremely beneficial to helping reduce and manage stress. It is just a matter of finding a method that appeals to you and that you will do ideally daily. I personally love ziva meditation which requires no apps or headphones and I have also used holosync and lifeflow meditations with great success. I also love Calm’s daily 10 minute guided meditation with a nice tracker that gives you a sense of achievement! There are also many free guided meditations and mindfulness sessions on YouTube. 
   
   

9. Gratitude journaling - taking just 5-10 minutes a day either at the end of the day or first thing in the morning to write out three things that you are grateful for as well as taking time to really evoke the emotions can be a powerful practice. Don’t just list the items, really remember and feel into it and write about 25 words about how you felt and why it felt good, for example, if someone did something kind for you, write out all the full details.
   
   

10. Regularly take time to relax and do things you enjoy - laughter and having fun are great ways to manage stress as well as being enjoyable! Watch your favourite TV show or a film that makes you laugh or hang out with the friends that make you feel great (I know it is more limited on zoom!). Or if you prefer peace and quiet, find some great fiction books to escape into or other hobbies eg playing a musical instrument. Think about what things you loved to do as a child.

I hope these tips have given you lots of ideas to try out to manage your stress on a regular basis. The most important thing when it comes to stress is to listen to your body and rest when needed.

HOW TO EAT HEALTHIER

There are so many conflicting messages in the media about what is healthy and what is not healthy. One day we are told that we should avoid alcohol and the next that red wine contains healthy antioxidants. It is no wonder that we are all very confused! However, I am sure that really you know what things are healthy for you and make you feel good. You might just want be looking for permission to eat those things you know you are better to avoid!

Download my free guide with a quiz and 10 tips on how to prevent indigestion.

Here are 10 tips to help focus you to eat healthier and help reduce any confusion about nutrition:

1. Protein – it is important to eat good quality protein at every meal. According to Dr Mark Hyman in his book “What the heck should I eat?”, we should aim to eat 115-170g protein per meal. Remember, also, to vary the proteins we eat so that we are sure to get the full spectrum of amino acids that our bodies need. We need protein for good bone health and to help our liver work efficiently to move toxins and excess hormones out of the body.
   
   

2. Eat the rainbow – we need to eat different coloured plant foods with 50-75% of each meal consisting of coloured vegetables. According to Deanna Minich, we should try to eat the following colours daily: red, orange, yellow, green, purple, brown, white (eg raspberries, carrots, lemon, broccoli, blueberries, mushrooms, onion).
   
   

3. Healthy fats - aim for 3-5 servings of healthy fats daily (nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut, olives, extra virgin olive oil). These are vital for healthy cells.
   
   

4. Low-glycemic - Eat a low-glycemic diet to keep your blood sugar stable. This helps keep your insulin down and reduce your risk of Diabetes Type 2 as well as keep your mood stable and help you avoid over-eating. Including protein and vegetables at each meal helps with this.
   
   

5. Timing of meals - eat every 3-4 hours to keep blood sugar stable and to avoid cortisol kicking in. Also, it is important that you allow the full cycle of digestion to complete before you start eating again.
   
   

6. Chew, chew, chew! – make sure you chew your food thoroughly and never eat when stressed. This enables optimal digestion and absorption of all the great nutrients from the foods you are eating.
   
   

7. Varied diet – it is important to eat different kinds of foods and not stick to the same old foods. The good bacteria in our gut thrive on many different types of foods and there is a risk that the diversity of bacteria will be low unless we eat a varied diet.
   
   

8. Avoid inflammatory foods - avoid foods which cause you digestive issues. Gluten and dairy are known to irritate the gut for certain people and it is wise to avoid eating these at every single meal.
   
   

9. Whole grains - eat small amounts of whole grains like brown rice, wild rice, quinoa,
   and buckwheat for fibre and B vitamins.
   
   

10. Real whole foods - avoid processed foods with artificial ingredients and sweeteners that you cannot pronounce. Try and eat things that our ancestors would have eaten, for example, meat, eggs, fish, fruit and vegetables.
    
    

I hope I've given you some ideas to eat healthier and help you choose those foods which make you feel great. Final takeaway (of the non-sugar fatty salty variety!!) – make sure you always listen to your body as just because something is healthy does not mean that your body enjoys it or can digest it well. Avoid foods that make you feel uncomfortable and enjoy the ones that make you feel good. And if you do want to enjoy something that is not the healthiest, make sure you sit down and savour it properly.

HOW TO PREVENT INSOMNIA

Insomnia is defined as regularly having problems falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up too early in the morning and not able to go back to sleep again. All of these scenarios cause us to not feel refreshed from sleep the following morning and can lead to headaches, irritability and blood sugar issues. In the longer term, lack of deep rejuvenating sleep can cause more serious problems as our body does not get the chance to do all the healing and detoxification it is meant to do while we sleep. 

A study conducted in Southampton during 2018 - 2020 indicated that, prior to the first lockdown in March 2020, one in six people experienced insomnia which rose to one in four people following the lockdown. Causes of insomnia seem to focus mainly on anxiety and worry but there are many other reasons for poor quality sleep including hormone imbalances, blood sugar imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, neurotransmitter imbalances and impacts of foods and stimulants and medications.

Sleep is a vital pillar for good health and you may suffer from many kinds of symptoms if you do not get sufficient deep sleep each night. It is important to note that you will never experience deep sleep if you are highly stressed. You may fall asleep but sleep very lightly if very stressed. This is because your body assumes that something life-threatening is close at hand, for example, a predator and that you may need to run away at a moment’s notice. It is such an important key to sleep that we reduce our daily stress so that our body knows that it can allow us to sleep deeply and that we are not constantly in survival mode. A simple habit like regularly breathing deeply for five minutes is enough to significantly calm our stress.  

Here are ten tips to help you prevent insomnia:

1. Create a sleep sanctuary in your bedroom - our bedroom needs to be fully dark, you can invest in some blackout blinds and cover up all lights from electronics. Ensure you are comfortable and that the bedroom is slightly cool. Using an essential oil like lavender is great for helping you wind down at bedtime. Sprinkle a few drops on a tissue and put inside your pillowcase. 
   
   

2. Align with your natural circadian rhythm - within thirty minutes of waking up, expose your eyes for 10-30 minutes to direct natural daylight or a light lamp if it is still dark. This resets your circadian rhythm and according to one study can also help you lose weight! It is also important to go to wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day.
   
   

3. Avoid blue light at night - avoid using electronics with blue light within 2 hours of bedtime. Blue light reduces melatonin which your body starts making from about 9pm onwards. Melatonin is vital for good quality sleep. You can use filters to reduce blue light or blue light blocking glasses but it is better to reduce usage of electronics and relax.
   
   

4. Exercise at the right time - it has been shown that regular exercise can help sleep if done consistently over several weeks. Early morning cardiovascular exercise is best and ideally outside. Avoid intense exercise 2-3 hours before bedtime as this will reduce your sleep quality. 
   
   

5. Eat dinner early - ideally finish your evening meal 3 hours before bedtime so that your digestion is complete before you go to sleep. 
   
   

6. Keep your blood sugar stable - eat low glycemic meals during the day to keep blood sugar stable at all times. You may wake up around 2am or 3am if your blood sugar drops significantly during the night and your body creates cortisol as it fears for your survival! If this is something you think is happening for you, try eating an apple and a few nuts before going to sleep to keep blood sugar stable through the night. 
   
   

7. Avoid caffeine after midday - it is commonly known that caffeine can help you stay awake when you need to but were you aware that it can take 10 hours for it to completely clear your system? Similarly chocolate contains a stimulant called theobromine which can impact your sleep.
   
   

8. Reduce stress - your body needs to have rest and relaxation through the day so that you avoid waking up at night thinking about things that you have not had time to think about during the day. See this great video to understand this concept! A great way to achieve this is meditation - there are so many apps like headspace and calm. My favourite is the ziva meditation technique. Take time to regularly do activities you enjoy, for example, gardening, sport, spending time relaxing with friends and family, journaling or reading a good book. This will also help keep your hormones balanced. Also, ensure you have a calming bedtime routine for the last hour before sleep.
   
   

9. Breathe through your nose - there are many benefits including improving your oxygen intake, keeping your mouth moisturised with less bacteria and it helps you reduce stress and snoring. Practice breathing through your nose more during the day to reduce mouth-breathing at night. Listen to this podcast with Patrick McKeown for more info.
   
   

10. Eat foods high in melatonin - these include nuts (in particular, pistachios), seeds, mushrooms, eggs and fish. Also, ensure you are eating a healthy diverse diet rich in plant foods as a lot of melatonin is made in the gut and is dependent on good gut bacteria.

I hope these tips help you improve your sleep. If you do just one thing to help your sleep, the best daily habit is to expose your eyes to direct natural daylight as much as possible. This helps reset your circadian rhythms and should not fail to improve the quality of your sleep.

Download my free sleep questionnaire to help you further understand how to improve your sleep.