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Well Womens guide to Healthy Lifestyle Changes to Keep You Well
Do we have time to be healthy? Our lives are busy, jobs, kids, partners, friends and when we combine that with being unwell we often neglect ourselves. The demands on us are greater than someone who is well and healthy. When I worked for the bank in the late 80’s when I was in my early 20’s, the job was so pressurised that I often skipped breakfast, arrived at work (after several cigarettes), drank at least 4 cups of coffee, skipped lunch or maybe have a packet of crisps and a chocolate bar and a can of coke while I worked (the job was too busy to go to lunch except on Fridays when we would go to the pub and have 2-3 alcoholic beverages) work until about 6pm, then come home and eat for the first time all day. This was usually a ready meal that could be put in the microwave. How could anyone actually be well or healthy doing that and combining it with alcohol and cigarettes? This routine was adhered to until I became pregnant with my first child. Thankfully for him, I ate as healthily as I could during the pregnancy and then lapsed back to bad habits once I started back to work. Is any of this familiar? It is only over the last few years that I have become so aware of the damage diet and lifestyle together with all the consumption and absorption of chemicals from food, environment, beauty products and lifestyle choices are actually doing to our bodies. It is no wonder we get autoimmune diseases and cancer. How can our immune system cope with so much toxic poisoning and virtually no food other than fast food or junk like biscuits and crisps. One of the lethal chemicals in soft drinks of course is aspartame. Please click here to see my food alternatives page showing healthy sugar alternatives.
Really we all need a wake-up call. It is my belief that if we could avoid all these toxins from birth, both in our diet, environment, products like beauty and cleaning products and breathe fresh air instead of car fumes, we would never develop autoimmune diseases, neurological disease or cancer or any of the so called “modern day” illnesses and would always be healthy. Man the destroyer, so keen to progress and make money, he is destroying himself and his planet. On a lighter note, we can change if we want to. Maybe not to the extent above, after all, we can’t always decide where we live, or our climate. But there are things we can do like change to chemical free products, cut down on alcohol, stop smoking, eat a healthy additive free diet that is rich in nutrients and high in fibre, and that is fat and sugar free, take beneficial nutritional supplements that will help us to fight the effects of toxins, take up exercise, use natural bio identical hormones instead of synthetic and probably other things too. Sounds boring….and difficult? We don’t need to do it all at once, in fact, that is not recommended. Gradually we can make substantial changes that will benefit our health. And also, we can still enjoy the odd “unhealthy” treat. It is only when we abuse our body’s daily that we suffer and eventually become ill.
Please click HERE to see recipies for healthy drinks that can boost your immune system
We are therefore in need of a sharp talking to….and basically, it is all up to us and we can’t blame anyone but ourselves. Make some lifestyle changes and see how much better you are, as long term, you will be, and it’s never too late to start. You don’t have to suddenly become a vegetarian,(and not all vegetarians are healthy either) and I am not and I still enjoy the “odd” alcoholic drink and sweet treats, just not every day. List of changes that could be made for improved health
1. Stop smoking. The benefits of this are obvious and you will be financially better off too. If you find it hard to just stop, try the nicotine patches. My cousin gave up two years ago using the patches after smoking from the age of 10. (she is now 47) 35 years of smoking and living in a smoking household. Her mother gave up too after almost 60 years of smoking. My cousin has Lupus, Raynauds syndrome, Scleroderma and had a thyroid condition. The question to be asked is if she had known 35 years ago and adapted her diet household cleaning habits and lifestyle accordingly, would she have those conditions? Sadly, we will never know. The same for me who also smoked, binge drank alcohol, ate a poor diet and used every beauty product with every chemical you can think of. I also had a cleaning obsession and used bleach like it was going out of fashion. Would I have Hashimoto’s disease now? Maybe, but I will never know. We are from a large Irish family who all smoked and were never really healthy and our friends also drank a lot and “enjoyed” themselves. What chance did we have? The funny thing is most of our family in Ireland are now ill many with autoimmune diseases and our Aunts and Uncles all died young. Many of our friends have diabetes or other illnesses. We all ate rubbish and plenty of fat, sugar and fried food too. Consequence? We are all sick. Not one of us were healthy....until we made the relevant changes. That really is what it takes to actually feel and look well. I rarely get cold or flu or anything viral now. But I have had to take drastic action, especially over the last 6 months. 2. Improve your diet. Cut down on fatty meat and eat lean meat. Cut down the amount of meat you eat and substitute red meat for chicken and fish. Occasionally have no meat at all. (A vegetarian day or two) There is a lot to be said for going entirely raw, I believe, but that is personal choice. Check out Living foods for more information or click below to check out another information site
Cut out processed foods e.g. processed cold meats, ready meals, cakes and biscuits and white bread. Eat fresh food, fresh meat and fruit and vegetables.
Cut down on sugar, especially the refined variety. Don’t, however, replace it with artificial sweeteners containing aspartame. Cut down on animal fats like butter, whole milk, and cheese. These are one of the major contributors to allergies and food intolerance. Cook foods in olive oil or other healthy oils. Cut down on hydrogenated fats. Even vegetable fats can be hydrogenated. check out the food alternatives page for some yummy snacks as well as sugar fat and salt options. Increase your intake of dietary fibre. Beneficial to your immune system as it helps with the elimination of toxins and helps the function of your gut. Can also help weight loss. Increase your intake of fruit and vegetables to 5 or more portions a day. You are really optimizing your health by doing this. The nutrients boost your immune system so that you can cope better with illness, ailments, stress and infection. Friut is a source of fibre and just by increasing the amount, you increase fibre too. Instantly healthy! But do it every day....without fail. 3. Drink more water. Water flushes your kidneys through and removes toxins. Dehydration causes problems for those with immune dysfunction and all those suffering with autoimmune diseases should particularly take note. Water is needed more by us and especially for proper thyroid function. Substitute some of your tea and coffee intake with fresh juices and smoothies, infusions and herbal teas. No one said you couldn’t have tea and coffee, but these really need to be cut down to no more than 3 a day. Caffeine makes you dehydrated and after the initial boost, you feel more tired than ever. It also increases water retention. You also feel healthy after drinking water as it revitalises you and perks you up.
To go to the food alternatives page, please click here
For really healthy drinks that will boost your immune system and benefit your health, click HERE
4. Take beneficial supplements like high quality vitamin supplements, herbal preparations, amino acids, essential fatty acids, etc that will boost your immune system and health.
Please click HERE to go to the Vitamin Guide
7. Buy natural and/or organic beauty products that will also boost your health by cutting down on chemicals being absorbed through the skin.
Please Click HERE to go to the Beauty Page to read more about these and check out luxurious products that will benefit you
9. If you are pre menopausal or in the menopause, consider bio identical hormones like Natural progesterone instead of synthetic HRT. If you are under 45 and not menopausal, consider other methods of birth control or even natural birth control, as the artificial contraceptive pill causes oestrogen dominance. Natural progesterone helps all women, from teenage to 90 years of age to be healthy!!
10. Take up a form of exercise. There are many things you can do, swimming, walking, badminton, yoga and pilates (brilliant). It doesn’t have to be in a gym, although if you could, joining a class tends to motivate you more. A lot of us (including me) won’t go as they feel intimidated. I used to go and enjoyed it too, but can’t bring myself to these days. The exercise makes you feel healthy and alive. You sleep better and feel much more lively. It also helps with all the aches and pains. 10. Get plenty of sleep. Sleep charges our batteries and is vital to keep us healthy, especially those of us with autoimmune disease. Have lots of breaks and time for just you. Lack of sleep causes our immune systems to function poorly making us more susceptible to illness. 11. Make time for you Whether it is a long soak in the bath, meditation, lying on the bed reading a book or magazine, put aside at least an hour just for you. This re charges you. Remember, don't push yourself too hard or you will set yourself back. Accept help when it is offered. You deserve it. You deserve to be healthy. 12. Fill your life with happiness. Take up a hobby that you love, help others like yourself or just anyone who is ill (helping others is not just beneficial to them, but to you too, Take regular short breaks. It doesn’t have to be expensive. A drive in the country or by the sea to get lots of fresh air, followed by a walk on a beach or taking in lovely scenery, mountains, or a walk in the park. Art galleries, antique shops, pretty villages or towns. Going out to lunch with a friend. A picnic with the children. Get a break at least once a year. Everyone needs a vacation. If you are single, think about getting love back into your life, if this is what you want.Sometimes it is being on your own that brings happiness and before I met Mike, I was happy on my own Happiness is probably one of the simplest and most effective ways to be healthy. Our immune systems are supercharged when we are happy. We actually feel glowing and healthy inside. 13. Get rid of negativity in your life. Negativity causes stress, anxiety and depression. These negative emotions cause our immune systems to work ineffectively and we are much more prone to illness, infection and disease. Whether this is a negative relationship with a partner, friend colleague or family or unhappiness in your job or career. You can change it. Why let it contribute to your stress and illness and holds you down making you unhappy. Do something about it. Today. It’s your life, take control now! I truly wish you everything that is good in your life no matter what that might be. 14. Keep this website It will be regularly updated. Let it be your motivation. Remember, you are not alone and we are all struggling to be healthy and well together. That is the whole point of me making it. I want everyone to be well, but in order to do this you have to help yourself.No one can do it for you. You are your own best friend, doctor,therapist and motivator. Do your research and empower others
Please Click HERE to see books about Healthy eating and other ways to be healthy
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