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?

Got a standing desk. I have a desk job and put on huge amounts of weight and generally felt lethargic and sluggish. Got the standing desk and feel a lot better, lost a stone in weight and now far more active generally.

Intermittent fasting and tiny portions.

Almost half a bottle.....we can assume.e it is double that!
Ditch alcohol. It is empty calories expensive and a sedative and it stops you driving sleeping well and makes people boring to be around.

Psychotherapy (long term), it improved my mental and physical health

Keto. Thyroid medicated reduced, 10 stone lost, feeling fantastic.

I have 2 kids under 3 so it’s hard atm.

But things that have helped:

• running (trying to go again now). This sorted out my mental health a few years back.
• used to cycle to work (teacher). Was brill. The stress of the day wore off on the journey home.
• we do yoga every night. Check out Yoga With Adriene on you tube. She’s brilliant.
• I don’t drink at all really.

I had cbt for anxiety which helped a bit. I get those thoughts like you mentioned up thread

Have the calm app too which I like. Also progressive muscle relaxation is good.

Dr chatterjee’s feel better live more podcast is great!

Couch to 5k. Just getting outside and feeling like I'd accomplished something really helped with my mood, then obviously the benefits of being able to speed walk without getting out of breath feels great!

Vitamin D drops are routinely prescribed in winter in France and the doses are vast here.
Thé typical dose in a multi bit is minute in comparison.

The French drops are available here. I'd recommend thém.

www.moncoinsante.co.uk/zyma-d-10000-ul-ml-solution-buvable-gouttes-10-ml-carence-vitamine-d.html

These are the winter maintenance dose as opposed to the booster dose.

If you're breastfeeding, take a multivitamin containing calcium and vitamin D. Breastfeeding for a long time can deplete your own minerals.

Getting out in the daylight for a walk every day. And improving my evening routine, which for me means reading rather than watching Netflix. My sleep has improved so much.

Those of you who take Vitamin d - did you find out you were deficient or did you just think it was a good idea to take it? What brand do you use? I've spent so much time indoors this year due to being unwell that I'm certain I must be deficient in it.

I found out by having a blood test done but had not heard of the symptoms before. They are surprisingly wide ranging not just tiredness! Reading up on it afterwards I also found that it recommended everyone takes a supplement during the winter (I'm in uk) as we don't get enough sunlight in the winter. I think there should be much more publicity of vit d deficiency. Maybe it could be added to products like milk as in other countries.

I downloaded the may my run app - its free. I use it when i go for walks and it shows me how many calories I’ve burnt as I walk. I usually walk for about 45 mins to an hour and burn 200 to 300 calories. The faster I walk the more quickly I burn calories and sometimes I run a bit and you can see the amount of calories you are burning shooting up.

So I looked on the NHS website for advice on vitamin D - and it is still recommending the lower dose of 10mcg? And only during winter?

I recommend getting blood tests. I’ve had them for acute tiredness a couple of times. First was my thyroid so now have thyroxine. 2nd was vit D so was prescribed mega doses to bring it up. The amount in a multi-vit won’t do it. I couldn’t work out why I was so tired the other day then realised I hadn’t started taking my supplement again after the summer (I take the boots max-dose one), a week later it is like someone changed my battery.

Really recommend a chat with your doc though. I thought mine would be dismissive but they (2 diff ones) have been really helpful.

I would love to see my GP but it’s virtually impossible to get an appointment with him! I have Bupa too through work but I guess I can only use that with a referral?
Has anyone tried the mail order tests you can do to check for vit deficiency?

I stopped attending body pump classes and replaced with hot yoga

I stopped body attack and and other cardio classes and replaced with outdoor running

Perfect

Stopped drinking alcohol. Quit sugar.

Quit Alcohol. Its been absolutely amazing. I was drinking rather a lot (!) so it needed to go but since I started researching the science behind alcohol and what it does to your brain I now know that even small amounts mess you up. We all know about the damage it does to your body but its the brain chemistry too.
Since quitting I get loads more sleep, my anxiety has almost disappeared (it was very bad). I look at least 5 years younger. I wish I'd done it years ago..

I think my key change was accepting I'm a morning person and applying good sleep hygiene based on that. I need to be asleep by 10pm (ideally 9.30) and wake naturally between 6 and 7am. Society sees this as boring and dull, which I had to finally accept and put down. I'm 45 and a parent of 4, I don't have to be "exciting" anymore. Luckily, DH is a night owl (sleeps best naturally between midnight and 8-9am), so between us we can cover an 18 hour day. He, equally, has had to put aside that society's view of his waking hours is as selfish and lazy. He gets to work, he has leisure time, he parents our kids. All else is fluff.

The knock-on from there has been less or no alcohol (affects my sleep) and absolutely no spirits if I do drink; no grains - cleared the brain fog - or sugar - stops my energy pinging up and down; unfeasible amounts of green veg and water; get outside every day, even if it's only twice round the playing field with the dog (better sleep again); vit C, D and magnesium (for restless legs).

Actually, I said the most important change was sleep but I wonder if there was another: getting DH to share the mental load. I gradually took it all in without noticing after our first DC was born and I became self-employed, nearly 20 years ago. However, last summer DC2 needed extreme support during GCSEs and I effectively taught fulltime for 6 weeks. DH had to take over some of the house / family stuff and I had to make it very clear that him cooking didn't mean I planned, shopped and defrosted then he just pushed things about in a pan; that I was not the washing fairy; that as another driving adult, he needed awareness of extra-curricular activities and medical appointments. The changes we've made since April have hugely assisted with my mental health.

**It's amazing how many people have mentioned keto.
**

Not one will be a registered dietician (or cardiologist come to that)

I also think that there's a bit of 'the bigger the change, the more change you WANT to see'.

Just going to bed earlier isn't much of a lifestyle change, so nobody ascribes a huge change in their life to simply getting an extra hour's sleep. But giving up something completely, like alcohol or sugar, or losing a couple of hours a day to exercise - you really want to see big results from that, so, maybe you do...

Two things: started writing a book (long term ambition). Just gave me something of my own to get excited about. I don't discuss it with anyone...just get on with it. Joined a local writing group so have increased my social network (that alone is awesome). Its amazing what pursing a personal ambition can do for you because you kind of feel like your life is about more then childcare/work etc...adds a new dimension. I would definatly say learn a language, take an art class, learn a trade, start tap dancing, jewellery making...just anything to shake you up. Secondly after 4 kids and years of sofa/desk sitting I started running 2 to 3 times a week. Ipod on, walk run walk run to begin with. Its been a year now. I have more energy for everything. Just a bit more toned. Don't feel drained just walking up the stairs. Feel like I am standing straigher, not slouching anymore, because since running I have felt more aware of my body and how to carry it. Life changer!

Giving up alcohol literally saved my life.

Also dog walking, low carb work when I do them (foster dogs, so don't always have one).

Perscription strength vitamin b and d. Ditto iron. Also multivitamin, magnesium and folic acid.

The latter make a massive difference - I was always skeptical about taking tablets for vits/minerals - shades of snake oil.

I was prescribed them and took them under sufferance and they work!

I have an annual Pre-pay Perscription thing which means I keep them up. On repeat via echo - free Nhs Perscription service that reorders repeats and delivers them to your house for free.

Both mean I don't procrastinate and take them every day (to be fair, along with a shit load of other more "medical" stuff).

The medical stuff keeps me functioning but the vits make me more than functioning high I was not expecting at all.

Oh and getting a rescue kitten. Went in looking for an older cat and ended up with a little scrap who is a joy to have around.