What has made a big difference to your health?

[MissRabbit00]

Inspired by a comment that I saw on threads where a woman mentioned how giving up sugar had significantly reduced her menopause symptoms.

Just wondering what things other people have implemented that has helped their health and general wellbeing. Thinking mostly about things like giving up/adding in certain foods, or forming certain habits.

As someone who has always suffered with migraines, has chronic cystitis and a raging monthly cycle... I'd like to know what tricks I'm missing.

I had a health scare in the summer which also flagged high cholesterol. I cut out all refined carbs: sugar, white bread, pasta etc, and the bad fats and alcohol, reduced red meat greatly. Following a strict Mediterranean diet with much more fish, beans, fruit and veg, nuts and seeds.

Every patch of eczema has disappeared, as have my puffy ankles and aches and pains. I am convinced I may have a wheat intolerance as no more gippy tummies.

The two stone weight loss is also a welcome by product..

I feel better than I have for years.

I have reduced my cholesterol from 7.8 to 5.4 and now have far better LDL/HDL ratios.

Whilst I have had a little wine over the holidays and 8 chocolates, I have not put on an ounce of weight.

Good luck.

Cut out all the processed crap!
Avoid anything that has more than 5 ingredients or something that you don't know what it is.
Eat less meat and more vegetarian/ vegan meals cooked from scratch. (No fake meat!!) Pulses are your friends here for a good balanced diet.

You'll notice the difference in your health, weight and purse!

Stopped drinking alcohol for a year in 2022. Now I have the occasional glass of wine, but nothing like I used to.

The benefits have been huge:

• I sleep better
• Exercise more
• Eat better (esp not eating crap after a load of booze)
• Skin is better
• I have more energy
• I lost 1.5 stone in wright

Fasting - LOVE the feeling of not being stuffed full of food.

But I might look into a Med diet, going by that post above. Not the first time I've heard good things about it.....

Exercise. I force myself to do something little every single day. I tell myself just to go for a 10 minute walk, or 10 minutes of hula hooping and it usually always ends up being more.

Exercise.

Running

Eating 30 different fruit & veg a week. (at least trying)

Giving up alcohol

This is an interesting thread - thank you for starting it. I've never noticed a massive difference in anything I eat or don't eat (although feel a bit sluggish if I'm existing purely on cake). Cutting down on alcohol has made a difference but more in the moment if you see what I mean - no boozy nights, disrupted sleep and hangovers - rather than any long term benefits although I assume there are so. I think regular exercise is probably the biggest so my aim for 2024 is a bit more consistency rather than the up and downs I usually have.

Swimming (mental health benefits for me have been huge, I’m slow and not looking for speed etc but my god it’s been wonderful) and walking for my back.
Nothing for weight specifically, I don’t think I’ve lost weight as I don’t weigh myself but I’ve certainly toned up a fair bit.

Getting into bed rather than vegetating ,snoozing and drooling on the sofa.

Exercise of some sort every day, and as pp said, even ten minutes will do on a bad day.

16/8 fasting. This is THE BEST. Rarely feel hungry and when the eating window closes it stops the night time snacking. I highly recommend it for the discipline. I don't need to lose weight, but it does help maintain a healthy weight for me anyway.

Eating less processed food, it's not like I never eat crisps or a biscuit but I don't daily. I used to be the person who couldn't say no to a biscuit, shared chips, cake etc (I have a bad sweet tooth), my skin (same with eczema/dry skins/just patchy) and my energy levels are soo much better. I rarely feel sluggish now. Also improved my sleep somehow?

Going T total. Honestly can't see why I ever wanted a glass of wine now.

Lots of walking, taking an all round vitamin plus iron and kefir yoghurt. Oh and no depriving yourself of tasty things but trying to eat lots of fruit and veg as well.

Oh also I find my perimenopause symptoms just come and go of their own accord. I had hot flushes for a few months then nothing for ages, it all seems very random to me!

16/8 diet . Have lost 11kgs . Still need to cut out the booze though !!

Paid for a 'blue crest' health MOT. Cost about £120. Full on bloods, fats, kidney liver bone density checks. EVERYTHING was in the 'amber zone' from BMI (which was red -obese) to LFT. I already suspected things weren't good as I drank too much, smoked too much and ate crap - but seeing it in black and white was the kick up the arse I needed.

Got on the NHS stop smoking programme with patches (why oh why didn't I realise how easy it would be) . No fags automatically made drinking less fun.. so stopped that too. Spent the money on a PT who specialised in old unfit people. In September I could cycle about 2 minutes before fearing heart failure and the motivation to go to the gym required Herculean effort BUT only one month in I was addicted. I just appear to have replaced one (maybe two) addictions for another (exercise).. PT cost 1/3 of booze and fags. So I had enough to join ZOE which is a life changer.

3 months in and my bp is normal . From high. I have lost 20kg and am now 'only' overweight but no longer obese.

I have never eaten so much, so healthily or so tasty. I fast which is also surprisingly easy. (I like a rule 🤣 )
As I approach 12st from 15.9st I feel fab and have started liking myself. Saved money on the bad stuff has meant I can afford a decent haircut and colour. Had a very little filler in the grumpy resting face mouth corners (no one has noticed except I look happier 😉) .. and my kids are so impressed they clubbed together to buy me an Apple Watch to track my exercise for Christmas- which was so amazing.

I might sound evangelical but it feels like a revelation. I bloody LOVE booze and fags .. but (I can't believe I'm saying this) I LOVE this healthy feeling even more and actually get a bit grumpy if I can't get to the gym.

In the words of my youngest DD ' who even are you mum - so proud of you'..
worth everything to hear that.

Eliminating alcohol

exercising regularly no matter what (if having a low energy / ill day I will do something more gentle but make sure I’ve moved my body! I always feel better for it)

being on my phone less - I need a reboot with this one. I made it a mission for a while, and anytime I had the urge to mindlessly scroll I grabbed my book and read instead. Even if it was 2 pages while the kettle boiled. So I always had a book in my hand instead of my phone. It made the world of difference to energy level and mood, leading to better food choices / sleep etc etc. so yes I am going to start that again and try to make it a habit.

biggest one though is being happy! So finding things that genuinely make you happy and doing them.

Sorry I've got nothing useful to add but I just wanted to say @Outofmydepthnow how amazing and inspirational you are! That bit about your children made me feel a bit teary. Well done you

That's inspiring

@Outofmydepthnow that’s a fantastic post. Well done you for making the changes - such an inspiration for your dc too.

*Cashmerecardigans
Coodawoodashoulda
Thechosentwo.
*
That is so kind of you all. I am the most surprised at myself. I look after a disabled DH and I think I just got into an unhealthy rut putting him first all the time at the expense of myself. Everyone including DH have been so incredibly supportive. I feel very blessed.

@Outofmydepthnow how lovely.
your children are rightly proud of you

I’ve always been someone who ate well and exercised. Started fasting before it became popular, for the health benefits. Never smoked. Could take or leave alcohol.

The thing that has always bothered me is my IBS. Did low fodmap for ages but it was so soul destroying and I didn’t feel much better. If anyone knows low fodmap, the reintroduction took over a year as I kept getting symptoms and having to go backwards. Fasting helped a bit actually but only because I was eating less frequently so my gut has some rest time. I was unwilling to essentially give up going out as that was what proper low fodmap entailed for over a year for me (others do much better with it and have a much shorter reintroduction phase).

did Zoe and it definitely didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. However the one thing it did was encourage me to eat more fermented foods and raw cheese. I ate fermented foods anyway - I knew the theory after all - but it was more like kimchi every few days, yoghurt 3x a week, miso sometimes.

I upped it gradually and introduced raw cheese as well as having daily kimchi/sauerkraut, kefir (much more diverse in cultures than yoghurt) and raw cheese. I am not a cheese person and not really a dairy person to be honest, but a little bit of comté with sourdough and pineapple sauerkraut or beetroot kimchi is delicious. I started to notice a difference to my IBS symptoms after a few months. And - I am certain this is the case - my periods are significantly easier as well.

So if you have gut symptoms but already know how to eat well (30 plants is something I see in my rear view mirror by Wednesday) try adding ferments in a really systematic way, building up slowly but aiming for 4-6 servings a day. You need months for an improvement but it just might work.

@Outofmydepthnow that is such an inspiring post to read especially on NYD.

My add to the pot is vitamin D. I found out my levels were extremely low (very common in peri). Taking the drops changed everything. Brain fog and mild depression is gone. Energy levels massively increased, which in turn means I'm exercising more. I feel happy and positive for the future

Some really interesting posts on here so far!
And some lovely and inspiring ones @Outofmydepthnow!

I already don't drink alcohol and was caffeine free for a couple of years - only brought it back in as it helps to get rid of my migraines once they start!

Will defo up my vit d as that's something very easy to implement!

Also interesting to hear how fermented foods has helped. Need to look into that - don't think I'd even heard of raw cheese!