 When it comes to sugar, there are so many reasons why we need to cut it right down in our diets, but it's the effect on blood sugar that I’m going to focus on today.
Whilst it’s not easy to cut out sugar from your diet, it is definitely worth aiming for, or at least significantly reducing it. And that’s not too hard when sugar is listed as an ingredient. But what about hidden sugars?
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 Did you know your skin is the largest organ in your body? And your first line of defence?
Skin serves as a buffer that protects us from extreme temperatures and toxic chemicals, amongst other things, and produces antibacterial compounds that help protect against infections. It’s really an incredible organ but a lot of us don’t look at it in the same way as our liver or heart. So I’m here to say that you really should as it plays a very important role in your health.  Ladies, when we hit our late 30’s, 40’s and into our 50’s, midlife weight gain is real and affects many of us.
But beyond the typical concerns about what we look like, and our feelings around that, there is a much more important issue to consider. The fact that this type of fat gain is unhealthy!  We refer to it as ‘menopause’ but those symptoms that you are experiencing before your cycle stops for good? That’s actually perimenopause.
Menopause is officially when you haven’t menstruated for 12 months, the years leading up to that, when things start to change, and we often experience the uncomfortable side effects, is perimenopause.  The problem is that we aren't taught anything about menopause, despite it being unavoidable for all women. But my first message to you is to make clear that there ARE things that you can do to help yourself through it, other than using HRT.
 ARE YOU CALM , HAPPY, HEALTHY?
It’s what we are all looking for, isn’t it? My bio reads “I help 35+ women to feel calmer, healthier and happier without the need for medication, mediation* or diets!” I was thinking about the ‘calmer, healthier and happier’ aims recently, and it occurred to me that you can’t actually have one without the others. Can you? Think about it….  For the last few years I have spent time between Christmas and New Year doing planning for the year, setting some intentions (not goals, but directions; you can read more about that in my New Year’s post) and mentally preparing myself for the year ahead. And this is usually followed by a food cleanse and reset in mid-January.
But this year was a little bit different. I decided to go through a much more in-depth cleanse of lots of other areas of my life. I have still done lots of planning, actually more so than previous years, and I did my 7 Day Vital Reset programme with a group of women last month, but I added some more elements and I found them really helpful. I feel like I’ve cleared out a lot of space in my home, and in my mind, as well as feeling very well and healthy.  As we head into a new year and we see so many posts about creating a ‘new you,’ setting goals, resolutions and so on, it can feel overwhelming to say the least. I find a gentler approach works for me.
Firstly, not taking too much notice of what others are doing and going at my own pace. We can definitely feel a bit of FOMO at this time of year, I certainly can do.  I work with lots of professional and business women. They come to me for all sorts of issues including inability to lose weight, gut issues, menstrual cycle issues, tiredness, low mood, disillusionment, wanting to get their 'mojo back, feeling stuck in some aspect of their life ... the list goes on.
 One question I get asked time and again is "What should I actually be eating?" or "What is the ideal balanced diet?" So I thought I'd write something to try to give you a good broad idea of what a good balanced diet looks like, to me. I say 'to me' because there are many schools of thought on this, but this is what makes most sense to me.
 I recently wrote a blog post entitled “Who am I to Coach People in Weight Loss and Eating Issues” and I shared it on social media. It was hugely stepping out of my comfort zone, and at the same time, hugely liberating. But from the lovely and positive feedback I received, it showed me that being true to myself not only felt right, it also served my clients, and for that reason alone it has been worth it.
 This is a question that has crossed my mind many times, and especially recently…
“Who are you to coach people to lose weight and/or help with eating issues?” I was having some coaching recently from a business coach called Ankush Jain, and this question arose. I explained that because I have never had big weight loss challenges in my life, I sometimes feel that I’m an imposter… His answer, and the subsequent chat that followed, was both enlightening and eye-opening. My personal journey of self-discovery had another chapter to be written.  As I’ve recently recorded a video on how to improve your quality and quantity of sleep, it only seemed right that I choose Lavender as my oil of the month. There are not many people that don’t know the link between lavender and restful sleep (you’ve not doubt seen, if not tried, lavender pillows, pillow sprays and bath milks, to name a few of the related products. But did you know that if the lavender oil is 100% certified pure, it can also be taken internally to promote restful sleep and feelings of calm?
 When it’s freezing cold outside (and snowy as it is right now!), all I want is a bowl of filling soup… And this one hits the spot every time…. It is super tasty, filling, combines protein with slow release carbs, and is incredibly easy to make. Tick, tick, tick!
 This month I’ve chosen Breathe as my Oil of the Month. There have been so many people with coughs, colds, flu, chest infections, and this is the oil that I recommend you have in your home medicine cabinet if you don’t already have it!
 I've run lots of programmes over the last couple of years, some offline, some online, some a mixture of both! Each time I do one, I take the learnings from it and try to improve on the last one and I have to say, this new programme that I launched in January this year is the best one I've created yet!
 I haven’t met a person yet who doesn’t know what Tea Tree oil is or smells like, and most people have tried a version of Tea Tree at one time or another (I remember trying a Body Shop face wash in my teens!). I have had a few bottles of Tea Tree over the years but never have I found one as powerful as the Doterra version!
 This is actually one of DoTERRA’s top selling oils and I can absolutely see why as it has so many uses and benefits. Known for its cleansing, purifying and deodorising properties, it can be used for cleansing both the body and the home! A 15ml bottle of DoTERRA lemon oil contains 75 lemons (or rather, the rind of).
Here are just some of the uses of Lemon oil and its amazing benefits to health!  This soup was designed by Patrick Holford and is renowned for it's detoxifying health benefits. AND it is absolutely delicious! It is incredibly rich in Vitamin E and Vitamin A (Beta-Carotene) as well as anti-inflammatories such as onions, garlic and ginger. The coconut milk gives it a rich and creamy flavour and contains medium-chain triglycerides, a special type of fat used for energy rather than being stored as fat. Coconut is also thought to help fight infections.
 I love eggnog but I haven’t had it for ages because of its super high sugar content and the dairy which I can't tolerate. But now, with so many options for non-dairy milk, and ways to reduce the sugar content, I’ve created this lovely healthy(er) recipe (let’s face it, it’s never going to be a super food, but at Christmas, why not!). So here you go, Healthi-er Egg Nog!
 Often referred to as the “king of oils,” Frankincense promotes feelings of peace and overall wellness when used aromatically, whilst providing many health benefits when taken internally or used topically.
 We’ve all done it, and we’ll all do it again no doubt… but there are definitely ways to lessen the effects of a night out. Discover the ways to reduce the effects of Christmas festivities, but still have fun!
 With the weather turning in the UK, with it comes the bugs and lurgies! I thought it might be a good time to share some of the things that we can all do to help boost our immune systems, both in general and when we are hit by a lurgy or some description.
 Most of us have habits, don't we? I've had many. I used to use sweets as my emotional crutch. Jelly sweets to be precise and I could polish off a large bag before anyone else had opened theirs. They didn't even touch the sides, I didn't taste them, I would just plough my way through until they'd gone, and not just one bag. When did I do it? When I was feeling stressed or unhappy. And for that short moment, I felt better.
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AuthorHelping people to achieve optimal health and wellness - sharing simple nutritious recipes, tips and advice on how to improve your health through food, without compromising on taste. Archives
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