What have you done that's made you feel healthier?

[TitsalinaBumSquash]

I constantly feel like shite, I suffer with constant crippling fatigue, rubbish, red, combination skin that is very sore.
I get brain fog,
A constant feeling that I've over eaten (despite eating very little)
I wake every morning with a headache.

I have been to so many doctors, had so many tests. A few blood tests fractionally high or low but nothing to suggest I am unwell but I feel awful.

I figure I'm going to have to make changes to see if I can help myself a bit.

I am highly stressed (have start counselling but can't change anything in my life to reduce it sadly)
I am overweight but find it impossible to lose most 'diets' leave me feeling much worse.

I don't smoke/drink alcohol.

Can anyone give me some experiences or tips on a lifestyle change they've made that's made them feel healthier in general?

Hi. I have peri menopause fatigue.

I've found that walking helps with my fatigue. I'm not the sort of person that wants to go to the gym.

I also try to make sure that I don't have tea and coffee after 4.30pm so I can get a good night's sleep. I am also taking iron and multi vitamins and try to eat foods rich in vitamin B12.

Another way I'm trying to deal with my fatigue is to use my work annual leave so that I have at least one long weekend a month. At weekends I often have a day where I do very little to recharge my batteries.

I felt utterly crap last year so went to a nutritionist who recommend probiotics, drinking apple cider vinegar with warm water in the morning, vitamin B complex, a few drops of milk thistle in water before bed and a shot of wheatgrass in water in between meals.

I cleaned up my diet at bit; only had 1 coffee per day, cut sugar out as much as a I could, drank a good 2L water per day and I did feel a lot better on the inside

However I reckon half of it was psychological...taking all the supplements and shots convinced me I must be getting healthier, so I then felt a lot better...

Did u check your blood results against other standards. mine were within "normal" range in the UK but compared to usa/EU I would have been low on quite a few things so have had go private to get treatment.

Trying to eat well - lots of veg, some meat free days, cut back on processed stuff and sugar
Cut back on alcohol
Find some kind of exercise you love
Meditation- this has made a big difference- the insight timer app is good
Cbd oil too

Actually yoga might be helpful if you focus on strengthening rather than flexibility. Work to about 70-80% of your range of movement and build strength around the joints in order to support them and therefore support your hyper mobile joints

I feel for you op. I gave up sugar, alcohol, certain foods that I’m intolerant to (paid for private blood test). Upped the exercise. Take tumeric for systemic inflammation. B12 as I’m deficient. Not totally clear, but miles less fatigue and fog lifted most rapidly.

I felt like you, and also have JHS. I feel miles better now, but it wasn’t a quick fix. Basically, I cleaned up my diet and started taking a really good multivitamin and fish oil, gentle exercise but nothing strenuous - Qi gong, done very mindfully to avoid over-extending joints, and - probably most crucially - tackling my stress through therapy, meditation and hypnosis. I really believe that it was this that was the game changer in terms of reducing inflammation and putting my body into repair mode, rather than fight mode.

cut my working week down to 30 hrs - life changing

swim and aqua aerobics - I love them so I get a buzz afterwards. Agree with PP find an exercise you love. If I'd have to run I would never bother.

Weighed myself 3 weeks ago - almost fell off the scales!
Started eating much more healthily.
Typical breakfast = bowl of porridge (no salt)/skimmed milk/small banana. After a lifetime of adding salt to my food - stopped completely.
Lots of fruit, vegetables and fish. Haven't eaten any red meat or junk food.
Stopped caffeine. Again, after a lifetime of drinking tea - changed to decaffeinated - don't notice any difference.
Drink plenty of water. Also green teas/fruit teas.
Daily vitamin supplement.
Have lost 9lbs in 3 weeks. Still got quite a lot of weight to lose, but I feel the difference, and feel better for it.
Going to start exercising soon!
Best of Luck

Almost forgot - look at the food labels before you buy the product.

For really appalling fatigue I found Vitamin D spray and liquid iron supplement helped.I also found L-Tyrosine helped at first.

Cutting out sugar and alcohol for a month at a time has probably helped me, though I must be honest and say I didn't lose an ounce of weight from either.

Regular exercise does help my mood. Again, no weight loss, but it gives me more energy and helps keep me suppler and more mobile than if I didn't do it. (I'm two stone overweight.)

@Otterseatpuffinsdontthey - that's inspiring.

For me it was a case of cutting bad habits.
Stopped smoking
Stopped all fizzy drinks
Drink more water
Cut back on naughty snacks (don't deprive)
Cut back on bread
Take time to listen to calming music
Read more books
Commit to 30 mins of exercise at least twice a week

This has been over a course of 5 years and I just look at it as trying to replace an old habit with an improved new habit. I'm not always consistent on some of them but come fairly close which gives me a mental satisfaction and adds to making me feel better too.

@growlingbear - thank you! Think I've surprised myself most with no salt and change to decaffeinated tea.
Ain't given up wine though! Drink one bottle (per week) over two or three nights - Sainsbury organic

I have nothing to add but I love this thread!

I'll tell you what I did that's made me feel healthier.

Over the past 18 months I have lost six stone.

Healthy eating only. I do not like exercise.

You say you're overweight - is it a lot? Maybe just changing your eating habits would help you?

Have you got health anxiety?

Drank more water & gave up meat. That helped enormously with my high cholesterol. However your stress levels are v high and even though it seems impossible, you need to try and lower these.

Walking has helped me feel healthier, giving up caffeine and I got a new job after years of misery in the old one. My next step is to cut out sugar! This will be hard.

Going plant based and cutting out caffeine and refined carbs. Prioritising sleep.

I had cancer in my 30s and completely changed my lifestyle because of my fear it would come back. The 4 things that have made a massive difference are:

1. eating mountains of fruit and veg. I make sure my meals are mainly veg with a small amount of carbs, protein and fats. I start each day with a big fruit salad.
2. I do 16:8 (eat in an 8 hour window each day). This isn't just for weight loss. Google the health benefits, they're amazing. It allows your body to heal, repair and rest instead of using all its energy to be constantly digesting food. I feel great!
3. I aim to do 10,000 steps a day. I feel horrible when I do less.
4. prioritise sleep.

16:8 has improved my lifestyle.
I drink less caffeine (switched to occasional decaff coffee and masses of herbal tea). The odd weekend g&t but the eating deadline stops me having more than 1/2. My sleep feels so much better and my Fitbit agrees.
I eat more protein, fewer carbs and lots of fruit and veg.
Vitamin D is huge for me. I was deficient and had the crushing tiredness, brain fog and aching. Now I stay on top of it as without the spray it drops and I take a general A-Z vitamin too.

I've lost nearly a stone in a month. And I feel so much better.

I stopped drinking nearly two years ago. Take iron supplements as my ferritin was pretty low a few months ago. Asleep by 10pm weekdays. Try and run twice a week (sometimes it's only once a week!). Meal plan for the week ahead with healthy meals and then have treats at the weekend!

Oh forgot to add - zero caffeine and loads of water!

I am quite over weight on my stomach. It would improve my health a million times over if I lost a chunk, I'm only 5ft so I don't carry extra weight well.

I love fruit and veg and actually I have found myself craving raw veg and very simple foods, I constantly feel bloated and like I've over eaten, had everything sinister checked out and not found a reason for it,

I don't have health anxiety, I do get regular full check ups purely on the advice of a consultant because my mum died at 49 of heart disease.

I cannot think of a way of lowering stress levels, I have already greatly cut down my working hours from 60 a week to 25 (max 30 if there is shortages) I know my stress levels are through the roof, even when I'm asleep I clench my jaw is hard I wake up in the night with savage ear and face pain.
I am seeing a therapist weekly who I feel I've learned a lot from, I stopped going last time when I had DC4 but this time I'm in for the long haul.

I think I need a plan of action,

1. More water, lots more water.
2. Meals comprising of mainly f&v
3. Continue weekly therapy
4. Continue working less
5. Start some supplements (not sure what though?)

Hopefully this will lead to some slow, healthy weight loss and feeling a bit more human.

Can anyone advise on supplements? All of my recent bloods were ok, I'll post what they were below as I don't know what the 'norm' is other than what the company tell me.

Hello, I’m sure someone who knows more will come along but I do know that when my ferritin level was 20, I felt terrible. I know the boundaries are very wide, my consultant wanted my levels above 50 and preferably above 70 to feel less tired and stop my hair falling out. My GP wasn’t bothered my levels were 20, the cut off for supplements was 17. Anyway, luckily my consultant (for endometriosis - low iron caused by heavy periods) gave me a 3 month course of iron tablets and I felt a big improvement.