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?

I drink hibiscus tea. My headaches are much better since I've started.

Ditto for turmeric, and forms that are hydro-soluble absorb better. Yes, you may consider continuing to look into your iron levels if your ferritin is coming back at 20!

FASTING

it's literally changed my life and I'm only 2 weeks in
Low carb
Plus exercise
And lots and lots of water

The benefits have been:
My mental health is so much better
I've lost 3.5kg and lots of fat off my belly
IBS seems to have gone
Sleeping without meds for the first time in about 3 years
Life just seems a lot clearer

Try it you have nothing to lose and there's a great supportive thread on here

Oh yes and I've had 1 headache in 2 weeks whereas at some points they've been almost daily
Plus no migraine

Mozzchops what kind of fasting do you do? 16:8, 5:2, etc? Thanks!

I've done 800 calories a day for the last 2.5 weeks
And time restricted eating between 12 noon and 7pm mostly but sometimes it's shorter
I was planning on doing 5:2 after the two weeks but I feel so good I'm gonna try 2:5 with a little more leeway on the 2
Still stick to the TRE though

I'll get some iron supplements, are the cones you can buy in a chemist ok or not enough?

Ok...I'm a reflexoligist and have worked with lots of nutritionists over the years. I also had M.E for 6 years which went away..here are my tips. If you feel bloated a lot I would strongly suspect gluten. Why not cut it out for a few weeks and see if it helps? Be wary of buying too many gluten free treats though! I eat rye bread and am ok with that. It isn't gluten free but is wheat free..experiment..

I wouldn't fast as you sound depleted. You may have adrenal fatigue so get protein in every meal.

For the headaches, dtink plenty of water. See an osteopath, get a couple of good massages. I'm hyper mobile and find pilates helps. Will strengthen but not overstretched you. I wouldn't do yoga if I was you.

A good brand of supplements is Cytoplan. Only online. I would start with a multi vitamin and a fish oil. You can also do an online questionnaire and it goes to a nutritionist who suggests the best supplements. This is free..

Good luck x

MozzChops I’ve been trying to do 800 calories but...what do you eat?

Yoga changed me!! I didn’t realise how connected our body and mind is. Stress causes physical and mental tension. By releasing this, my stress dramatically reduced. I meditated. Something I never felt able to do. I wasn’t sure I was the type of person who could adapt to this but I gave it a shot and can’t believe the benefits for both body and mind. (And my stress was huge!)
I also went vegetarian and my blood pressure dropped from extremely high and needing medication, down through the normal range and into low!!
I try and avoid processed food and eat as healthily as possible.
My downfall is that I don’t drink enough water though. When I have done in the past, I feel hugely better through hydration. I can’t seem to keep the habit up though.

I think I may try turmeric for inflammatory aid

Its annoying to feel that way. Good thing you don't smoke or drink, so good start. Sugar, i found, is a bitch. A few years ago i gave it up for a month and i felt fantastic, physically. Mentally i was miserable as i have a sweet tooth. But then again i also gave up carbs for that month. Could you perhaps join a gym or take up a physical activity? Walking, running or get a bicycle. Exercise does wonders for both mind and body. Some pp's mentioned water, one glass for every hr you work ( assuming you work an 8 hr day), and hot lemon to kick off your day is also good. Stress is also a bitch so try to manage as best as you can. Try to reduce sugar but 'reward ' yourself once a week so you don't binge. Good luck and i hope you feel better soon

@oatmilk4breakfast

I'll normally start eating about 1pm, normally salad with salmon, eggs, chicken or tuna

At dinner I'll eat stir fried veg with steak, or salmon or chicken
Tonight I had fajitas but in lettuce cups instead of wraps
I've also cooked chicken & chorizo with spinach, tomatoes & mozarella this week
And chilli in lettuce cups

Mozzchops - that sounds delicious

I've started exercising and I've come off Facebook.

Zero alcohol.

I wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone on this thread, I wasn't expecting so many replies.

I hear you al labour low carb etc, I did it once with great results then stopped, went back to it a year later and it made me so unwell and all these issues described in the OP got so much worse and haven't gone back to normal since then so I won't be doing it again, I appreciate it works well for a lot of people though.

I do need to cut down on sugar and fast carbs though, everytime I eat something sugary I'm asleep about 10 mins later and I mean asleep to the point I can't fight it. Scary really what effect it has.

I will look into Pilates and will get supplements if I can work out which to get. Thanks again.

Watching with interest

Cutting out red meat. I only eat chicken or fish now and along with moderate exercise have lost a stone and a half in 3 months. Still can't get rid of the pooch but it's work in progress.

Also following. Need tips to lift the brain fog. Though I find if I don't eat red meat at least a couple of times a week, I start feeling more tired.

I used to feel that way too. I started eating whole food plant-based, basically vegan without junk food, lost 25 kilos (4 stone) and I feel fine now.
I take vitamin D and B12, ground flax and omega 3 from algae, a Brazil nut and small amounts of seaweed and drink plenty of water every day. I try to follow all the recommendations here
I have very loose ligaments too, and find qigong, a type of tai chi, and Pilates are good though nothing beats a long walk.
I'm also a tooth clencher and grinder. I use mindfulness tapes by Jon Kabat Zinn. Hard as I try to stay awake through them they usually send me into a deep peaceful sleep.

16:8 way of eating and low sugar/carb has changed my life! I've lost almost 2 stone since the end of June and feel like a new person x