What’s the one single change you made that most benefited your health?

[ethelfleda]

I feel rubbish all the time lately. Lethargic and wound up etc. I’m sure I need more sleep, more exercise, less sugar and less caffeine etc but I’m not feeling particularly motivated!
What is the one single thing you’ve done that has made the biggest positive impact on your health or wellbeing?

I cut alcohol and caffeine right down while TTC (and am currently on no booze at all as pg). Mental health is much better and i lost nearly a stone without making any other changes.

Pilates classes for me. It’s been amazing. It’s the only hour of the week where I am just thinking about breathing and working my muscles rather than work, kids, dinner, cleaning etc. etc.

Giving up bread 100%. I used to eat it every day and one day I just stopped eating it. Now whenever I have bread, I feel awful and sluggish for a couple of days after

I’ve seen a big change since stopping drinking. Maybe try only red wine once a month and see if it helps.

Exercise (running and strength training) and diet (calorie counting with MyFitnessPal). Weight loss has made a massive difference to how well I feel.

I've made lots of small changes.

Probably the thing that has allowed them all to happen is a change of mindset, from thinking that my (health) needs don't matter, to believing that they do.

So it's ok to say no to someone's demand if I need that time to take care of my own health.

Eating more veggies every day has really helped me. I do a quick veggie stir fry, or a 'roasting tin' dish of veggies to have with something, it just means I get more in.

Also walking everywhere.

.

For me it would be prioritising sleep. It does make a massive difference and everything else (craving wine/sugar/food generally, drinking enough water, mood) seems to fall into place when that's right.

It's not a single change, sorry.
but:
Cut out most processed sugar.
Intermittent fasting. (I currently only do a cricadian one due to being pregnant)
Taking a multi vitamin.

@Eleanorbellanor I completely agree - I've given up bread (I love it) and already feel less sluggish after a couple of weeks. I don't have constant indigestion either.

Eleanorbellanor I’m trying to give up bread and wheat products in general. Can I ask what you eat in replacement?

Cutting salt intake to reduce water retention

Taking up running

One single change? Vitamin D3
I am evangelical about it to be honest, it transformed my life and everyone else's I know who I've managed to persuade to take it. I take 3000iu a day as recommended by my rheumatology consultant who says everyone in the UK should take it.

Other changes which have worked for me?
No alcohol
No caffeine
Epsom salt baths
Agnus castus for the perimenopause
Sleeping in a separate room from restless, snoring DH!

@Afternooninthepark I’ve replaced all my bread with Crackers and Ryvitas. You can get loads of different flavours of Ryvitas like onion, plain, black pepper etc and to make them taste nice, I lather on a thick layer of butter or cream cheese then put toppings on like salmon. I do have the occasional cheese and onion toastie with bread or a cheese roll but that’s because I’m not super strict on it- if I fancy something once in a blue moon, I’ll have it.
I’m not sure how you can go wheat-free because I don’t do it but have you looked at some of the ‘free from’ options at the supermarkets? They do a lot of wheat free options

@Afternooninthepark also I try and think of more interesting ideas than crackers so some days I’ll have a jacket potato with cheese instead of a cheese sandwich or I’ll have a chicken salad instead of a chicken sandwich. I also have a lot of pasta now I’ve given up bread and I put veggies with it.

Weight loss surgery. I had a gastric bypass in 2018 and have lost 8 stone so far. I feel 20 years younger.

Pumpernickel (which uses the outside layers of the rye grain, so is basically the opposite of white bread) is imo a great substitute for regular bread. And it's also wheat free....

I often eat that with hummus, avocado, olives, fish (salmon, trout, herring etc), beets, pickles, sour cream, fresh cheese, feta, tomatoes, bellpepper, eggs etc as toppings.
(not all of them at once)

Super delicious imo. Toasting it and eating it with oil (or butter, I guess) is nice as well.

Stopped smoking 3 months ago. Spring in my step now!

Exercising, not drinking caffeine after noon and drinking kefir.

My single change has been the 16:8 way of eating. I’ve lost a significant amount of weight and my mood and equilibrium has improved no end.

Not drinking at all. Have been T-total for 7 years this week (I know this because I haven’t drank since the night I met my partner). I was never a heavy drinker as such anyway but I’d be quite happy never to touch alcohol again.

Caffeine has a half-life of 4-6 hours. So if you drink a mug at 3pm half the caffeine could still be in your system at 9pm. Just discovered this so as a bad sleeper I have cut back on coffee and late night tea.

But sugar and white bread are the worst for making me lethargic.

Going keto!

Oh and quitting smoking 3 yrs ago