Healthy eating/gardening/anxiety

[rainbowninja]

Is anyone interested in joining a thread about the impact of healthy eating on their mental health?

I've suffered from anxiety for years but it's been a lot worse since I became a mum.

With lockdown in the mix I just feel physically and emotionally depleted.

I've had some tests done and I know that I am low in certain vitamins etc. I've been recommended supplements to take and to 'eat the rainbow' (basically eat shed loads of veg). I want to give it a go for my own sake and my daughter because I know I'm not being the best mum to her. I'm anxious and irritable.

It feels quite overwhelming but I am quite interested in learning about nutrition, I also quite like the idea of having a go at growing some of my own veg as I've been enjoying being outside lately and I know it helps me.

I don't want to do it on my own though so I wondered if there were any other anxious mumsnetters out there that would be interested in learning/growing with me. No pressure to change anything overnight, maybe we could just cheer each other on for drinking an extra glass of water or something?

Hi Rainbow,

My run went really well. I did 2.5k again. Will do a tiny bit more next week. I'm going to push myself to do 5k gradually over the next 4 weeks.The one I did last week was my first one ever! I did several little runs during the week, which really helped. My legs didn't ache this week.

Sorry you've been feeling anxious. I would trust your instincts. Too much sugar in my diet makes me feel awful but I crave sweet stuff when stressed.

You're right, there are a lot of factors with mental health. Hormones do play a massive part in it though. I realized that I managed to sort out any hormonal issues with keto. Hoping to go back to keto as soon as I break up for summer.

I went back to Zumba on Wednesday, which felt great. I really missed it. Been walking to work nearly every day. So everything apart from diet pretty much on track.

Hi Loki,

good luck with the running! It’s good to have something to aim for isn’t it? I haven’t done much exercise at the minute but I’m still doing the therapeutic yoga.

I had my first appointment with the psychologist today for an ADD diagnosis, it was just the initial screening. She told me that you can have traits of both ADD and Autism without meeting the criteria for either but you can then get traits that work against each other eg a need for a routine but feeling too bound by a routine 🙈 the next step is for me to do some more questionnaires so will just have to see how it goes.

Hi Rainbow,

I've done a 5K run after work today. It's been lovely having something to aim towards. I'm actually disappointed as I haven't got an aim now. My colleagues do 5K once a week. I'll be surprised if I can motivate myself to do a longer run on my own.

That's interesting about the ADD and autism traits. Glad you've started the process towards getting an diagnosis.

I'm hoping my legs don't hurt too much from the run that I have done. I've had a cold bath which is supposed to help.

Hi Loki,

wow you managed that without much build up! I gave up halfway through the couch to 5k 😬 did you ache much? My ‘therapeutic yoga’ got a bit more strenuous this week and my knees have really been aching.

I’m feeling a bit off today as it’s my daughters sports day and I’m missing it. I’ve been distracting myself with study, just realised I have an assignment due in.

How’s the healthy eating? I’ve had a pretty good week, I’ve found a gluten free sour dough that I like and I’ve been really enjoying it. Hadn’t realised how much I have missed bread.

Hi Rainbow,

Thanks, I was quite proud of myself. I was expecting it to take me a lot longer to do 5K. I think it was easier because I'm quite active anyway with my walking and dancing. I was pleasantly surprised that my legs didn't ache. Hope your knees are better.

How come you missed your DD sports day? Hope you got your assignment completed.

I managed to batch cook butter chicken on Friday after work. I have stopped having sugar in my tea. Will start healthy eating properly in 3 weeks time, when I break up for the summer. It's good when you find a healthy alternative. I get Warburton no added sugar.

I had a full day of training today and have to do more training tomorrow for the bank job.

I had an interesting start to the day. Tried to pay for a bus ticket on my card and it was declined! My card expired in June. The bank sent me a new one weeks ago and I hadn't even got around to getting it out of the envelope! Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have a brain that works!!

Hi Loki,

how are you doing? Yes that makes sense re. the 5k, you weren’t starting from scratch with your fitness levels!

How was the butter chicken? Sounds delicious 😋 I made an almond cake at the weekend with cherries in it, it was really tasty.

I can imagine doing that with my card too, since I started reading about attention deficit disorder I realised I make a lot more errors than I ever realised 🙈 I filled in my questionnaires for the psychologist at the weekend and forgot to complete half of one of them 😂

Hi Rainbow,

I'm kind of doing okay, considering my sleep hasn't been great the past few days. I keep waking up really early, then struggling to go back to sleep.

The butter chicken was good but definitely not my best. Your almond cake sounds lovely. I haven't done any baking for a while.

You did well with the forms. I would probably forget completely or procrastinate for ages!

It's been such a busy week. I feel a bit run down. I had Monday off work. I can book 3 days off in return for doing art club. Me and my DD did an art class. Had a summer fair at work yesterday, which was busy and chaotic. Add sleep deprivation to that and I've ended up over tired and emotional.

I did a birthday picnic for my DD this afternoon. The weather has been lovely 😊

Hi Loki,

how have you been this week? The birthday picnic for your daughter sounds lovely.

I’ve been a bit down, had a lot of social anxiety, been trying to be kind to myself.

Healthy eating is going ok though and have signed up for a gut recovery program in September which am feeling optimistic about.

I made the almond cake again but with apricots this time and it was nice but not as good as the cherry version.

Hi Rainbow

Sorry to hear that you have been down. Did something trigger your social anxiety?

Glad the healthy eating is going well and you have more studying to look forward to. What recipe do you use for your almond cake? Cherries definitely sound better than apricots.

I've been up and down. I had a attempted break in last week, which frightened me, my DD and my cat. I've found somewhere to move next month and feeling a bit overwhelmed by the thought of moving. I'm not good with change and my mental health will greatly deteriorate for a few weeks or months.

Cooking is going well this week. I have made a bolognese and fried chicken. Running went really well last week. My legs didn't hurt at all during the 5K run.

I celebrated Eid and there wasn't any family drama, which is always a good thing! We did some shopping and went out for dessert 😊.

Had a good shift at the special needs centre. We have a new cycle track and I did some cycling for the first time in years. I didn't feel confident going on an adult bike because I couldn't touch the floor, so I went on one of the children's bikes 🤣

Hi Loki,

I feel like everything triggers my social anxiety at the moment! 😂

I got the recipe for almond cake from a book called ‘whole food cooking every day’ by Amy Chaplin. I’m not sure how I came across her but she’s good.

Sorry to hear about the attempted break in, I hope you’re all ok. Are you moving far?

Its great that you get to try these different things out at work! I used to love cycling but haven’t been on a bike for a while either.

I roasted some plums this morning for breakfast and had them with coconut yoghurt and chopped nuts. They were delicious.

Hi Rainbow,

Social anxiety is difficult, isn't it. I crave company but end up too anxious to enjoy it when something social comes up. I have made the hard decision not to go on any more work dos. Unless it's a small group of colleagues and the venue suits me.

I had a bad experience Thursday night. I had a work's do that I was looking forward to. Before I could go out, I had to nip home and feed cat and drop off gifts that I got from the children. Then waiting awkwardly at a colleague's house while she got changed.

When I got to the venue, I was okay for a bit, as I was chatting to a colleague that I feel comfortable around. She left early and it went downhill from there. I found someone else to chat to but found it hard to talk over loud music. Then the music got painfully loud for me and I had to leave very early.

Getting public transport home was a nightmare. Despite all this, I felt like I was coping okay, until I started crying and couldn't stop. I also got so stressed that I started pulling my hair. I've decided my mental health comes first and I need to stop forcing myself into social situations that are not right for me. Sorry for waffling!!

Hi Loki,

That actually makes perfect sense, I also fall into the trap of thinking that the way to fix my social anxiety is to make sure I do plenty of socialising, keeping in touch with people etc but it isn’t always the right thing. You sound like you’re getting clearer on which situations actually have a negative impact on your health and self awareness is a great thing.

What are your plans over the summer? Are you doing extra shifts at the special needs centre?

I’ve had an ok week so far, did an assessment for my health coaching course which went well and did yoga today which I really didn’t feel like but it ended up doing me good.

Thanks Rainbow,

I knew you would understand. It's good that I have a better understanding of situations that have a negative impact on my health. What I'm finding hard is accepting that I can't socialise in large groups or noisy places. I assumed that with time and understanding, my life would become less limiting not more.

I'm doing 2 days a week at the special needs centre during August. My only plans other than that are art and Zumba classes. I'm already feeling lost and low.

I'm glad your assessment and yoga went well. What are your plans for the summer?

I took my DD camping at the weekend. I take her every year for her birthday. We got a lift to and from the campsite, which took a lot of stress out of the trip. We spent the weekend walking, eating out and shopping. The campsite was lovely and quiet. It was near a beach. I treated my friend to a meal at a nearby pub to say thank you for the lift.

I went back to doing keto on Tuesday. Been making salads and omelettes. Trying to include a variety of vegetables to my diet. Done a long walk today despite not really feeling up to it.

Hi Loki,

I know what you mean, I guess I also thought that the better I understood my difficulties the easier it would get but there are many things which are just as challenging.

I don’t have a lot planned for the summer, need to get some play dates sorted for my daughters sake and also arrange something for her birthday. I like the sound of your camping trip.

I hope the keto goes well, I need to increase
my veg intake too. When my mood is low I just want to eat sweet stuff and carbs but I know that what my gut really needs is more vegetables. I’ve also just ordered some turkey mince along with my fruit and veg delivery this week as I know to get better on good quality sources of protein. I know Turkey contains tryptophan which is really good for your mood. I’ll make some meatballs or burgers with it.

Hi Rainbow,

Hope you managed to plan some play dates. When is your DD'S birthday?

I only managed 4 days on keto. I was doing really well, then had a really nasty panic attack on Saturday. I had to take a break, as the stress of moving means that I'm not in a good place mentally.

I went to view the house that I'm moving to. It wasn't left in a great condition. It's being sorted out.

I cooked bolognese Monday night and took the leftovers for my colleagues. They really enjoyed it. What did you end up making with the turkey?

I had 2 lovely shifts at the special needs centre despite being sleep deprived. I did cycling, football, arts and crafts, rebound therapy and drama with the children.

Feeling really low this afternoon. Glad I'm moving but really overwhelmed by everything that needs doing.

Hi Loki,

How are you doing? I’ve had a busy week with my daughter, it’s her birthday at the end of the month but she’s having her party next week.

Do you know what caused your panic attack? Sounds like a good idea to deal with the move before you do anything too strict diet wise.

Sounds like working at the special needs centre is quite therapeutic for you. I’m hoping that my health coaching will feel like that for me too.

I made turkey meatballs with the mince but they weren’t very exciting, I’ve also been focusing on trying to eat in a better way to manage my blood sugar as am pretty sure this is contributing to my anxiety. I’m reading ‘glucose revolution’ and it’s really helpful.

Hi Rainbow,

How has your week been? Has your daughter had her birthday party?

I don't know what triggered my panic attack which just makes it worse. I got out of the bath and went really faint and nauseous. I was sick and felt weak for ages.

I've done some walking this week. Went to a park that I haven't been to before. Also done a lot of charity shopping and eaten out on my own. Need to be really careful for a few weeks because I have spent too much.

Work has gone really well. I supported a visually impaired child, which I haven't done before. I did some rock climbing yesterday for the first time in years..

Me and my daughter went to a new dessert shop. We went to a beach on Monday, once the heatwave had ended. My daughter doesn't cope well with really hot weather.

It probably sounds like a good week but I've been very stressed. I'm not coping well with the move and my mum is very ill again. Surely things should get easier soon!!!

Hi Loki!

yes my DD had her birthday party last Friday, it was a bit stressful but glad we put in the effort to make it special. Thanks for asking 😊

Agree that it would be so much easier if we knew the causes of panic attacks. I suspect it’s never as simple as there being one cause.

How has your week been? Sorry to hear your mums not been so good, I hope you and your daughter enjoyed the dessert shop?

I had a mixed outcome of my ADHD assessment, I meet the criteria as an adult but wouldn’t have done as a child so I’m left pondering why that would be but I feel ok about it. I clearly have traits if not a full diagnosis and knowing that is helpful.

Hi Rainbow,

I'm glad that the party went well. I know what you mean about it being stressful.

It's been a crazy, emotional week. I've started taking things to my new house and cleaning while I'm there. Done so much cleaning, packing, moving stuff and decluttering!!

Work has gone well as usual. My shifts have been the best part of the summer! I worked with a child who I haven't worked with for months. He had made so much progress in that time, it was lovely to see. How has your week been?

I've felt really low and anxious since getting my house keys, 2 weeks ago. I think it all just feels overwhelming. Big things like moving make me realise how little support I have.

Are you still glad that you went for the ADHD diagnosis? Are you surprised that you didn't meet the criteria for a diagnosis?

Hi Loki,

how’s it going? Have you moved now? I know it’s easy to say but moving is stressful, I moved house when my daughter was little and although it was my decision and I was happy about it it still gave me sleepless nights.

I am glad I went for the ADHD diagnosis, it felt like something I had to explore and knowing that I meet the criteria as an adult feels helpful because it confirms why I would think that at least!

I’m just refocusing myself on the healthy eating, I’m starting a ‘gut recovery’ programme next week! I’ve been keeping it quite low carb at the moment and it feels better, I think some of my anxiety relates to blood sugar swings. I’ve realised I found a lot of comfort in eating carbs so I miss them a bit but I’m experimenting with alternatives. I made egg fried cauliflower rice this week which was actually quite nice!

Hi Rainbow,

I'm glad that you don't regret going for the diagnosis. It's better than wondering if you fit the criteria and what the outcome would be.

Your gut recovery programme sounds good. Let me know how it goes. I've been wondering about the connection between blood sugar and anxiety. Not because of the amount of carbs in my diet. It's more to do with forgetting to eat because I have been so stressed and out of my routine. Your egg fried cauliflower rice sounds lovely 😋

I moved last week. The first few days were dreadful for me. I didn't know if I'd make it into school on Tuesday. My anxiety was quite bad and I was getting completely wiped out by the simplest of tasks. I managed to go to work. Knowing that I have a supportive team really helps. My sleep started improving Tuesday & Wednesday night.

Unfortunately it has all gone wrong this evening. I got home from work to find that I had no electricity. I haven't had any hot water for a week. I phoned the energy supplier earlier this week & was told that it would take 1-3 days before I got a code for a pay as you go app. This isn't the worst part. Got told today that the house isn't with this supplier. Made several phone calls to find the supplier but no luck. Then got told to get a key from a paypoint. But as previous tenants had smart meters, there doesn't seem to be anywhere to insert the key. Anyway it was 9pm by this point, so had to leave it until tomorrow.

Hi Loki,

how are you doing? Kept meaning to see how you were but I’ve had a stressful week with my daughter and settling back into school.

Hope you’ve managed to get to the bottom of who your energy supplier is?

Ive been trying to hold it together but my daughter has so many anxiety issues similar to my own that I’m overwhelmed with guilt. I did have an appointment with her this week so see if she has some similar underlying factors like I do with nutritional deficiencies. It’s all a bit tricky though and school aren’t that helpful. And when this sort of things happens I don’t eat properly.

Hi Rainbow,

Sorry to hear that you have had a stressful week. Has your DD settled in now?

Found out who my energy supplier is. It was Boost energy, the first number that I phoned, who told me they are not my supplier! They are the worst company that I have ever dealt with. Hopefully changing supplier very soon.

I'm in a similar position to you. My daughter has the same anxieties as me, just not as intense. I feel guilty too. What have school said? Are you eating any better now? I've had a very poor appetite the past 2 days. I'm off work with stress and anxiety. It's all finally caught up with me.

Hi Loki,

School have been a bit better, they arranged for one of the teaching assistants to meet my daughter in the morning so she goes straight into the classroom rather than lining up and that really helped. Hopefully as she gets to her know her new teacher her confidence will improve.

l’ve felt quite down but managed to eat a bit better yesterday and tomorrow I’m starting a ‘gut transformation programme’ so that should motive me!

How are you doing? Has the time off helped? I do think when our nervous system gets overwhelmed a break is the best thing.

Hi Rainbow,

That's great news about the school being supportive. Your dd probably needs a bit more time to settle into her new class. My dd starts uni on the 20th and is anxious that she will have forgotten everything over the long summer. She broke up in June.

Glad you've got your course coming up. I'm meant to be doing a 3 day positive behaviour course. Waiting for the dates and need to ask work for permission.

I only needed Friday off. I'm back in work on Tuesday. Thought it would be longer, as I had to have a few weeks off last time I was this bad. It was completely different last time because it was work related stress. They made me more ill at my last job by not allowing me to go home. They also refused to make any reasonable adjustments until I had my diagnosis.