Thread for us who are focussing on nourishment and healing in 2025

[thenewaveragebear1983]

I normally love a January detox, the harsher the better. I'm all or nothing. I'm go big or go home. Dry Jan, no sugar, new year new me etc etc.

Not this time.

I've been so unwell, all December getting more and more run down, and it's culminated in developing Bell's palsy, I've had an utterly miserable Christmas and I am still suffering. It's made me rethink my incredibly hectic lifestyle, my rigorous exercise regime and my constant diets and instead I want to focus on nourishing myself back to health and happiness.

I love exercise and make time for it, but it's my food, and specifically my food quality that I really struggle with. I am a total sugar junkie and could happily eat rubbish all day long. I am a fairly good cook and I love homemade hearty comforting foods.

My initial plan is to meal plan and prepare for a gentle start on 1st Jan. I am going to do dry January (I actually do want to stop drinking completely but will aim for just Jan for now). I do need to lose some weight but I want to do it through cutting out UPFs and ensuring that what I eat is good for me.

I am also keen to explore whether certain foods could be aggravating to this inflammatory reaction which has caused the Bell's palsy. I don't really know where to begin with that but I am looking into it.

I'm hoping that some food changes and some lifestyle changes (less phone usage, better sleep, maybe some supplements) could have a really positive impact on 2025 for me.

If anyone else is thinking the same and would like a nice chat thread, please join me!

I'm in! Very bad sugar addiction needs addressing. I want to treat myself to whole foods and better nutrition in general. I've been sober for 2 years so do have willpower but can't activate it around sugar. It's just everywhere

Hi @Goldenmemories , 2 years sober is excellent. Do you think you have sort of replaced alcohol with sugar to some extent? I often do a dry month and I do find when I do my sugar cravings go off the charts.

I think the last year I've just been lurching from one busy weekend to the next, drinking too much, eating too much, restricting calories to lose half a stone, then regaining it, over and over again. I exercise a lot and I do outdoor bootcamp and running, two really draining and intensive sports. I don't sleep well, my hair falls out, I suffer with palpitations and low heart rate, and I feel exhausted all the time. It's no wonder I have ended up unwell this week, my body literally said No More!

I’d like to join as these are my NY resolutions, much the same as every year, if truth be told. I don’t crave sugar and I’ve given up Diet Coke 3 weeks ago. I should get back to exercising regularly. I don’t want anything too punishing. Aiming for wellbeing rather than strictly weight or shape.

Id like to join. I have been very very ill for a few years now. I have 2 diagnosed autimmune diseases and will be tested for a third in the New Year.

I am very tired all the time. My hair is falling out. I dropped a day to 4 days at work this past 3 months - just 9 -4 pm and can barely do that.

I need to get some proper medical attention but I also know my diet is an issue. I am 3 stone overweight at 13 stone, yet I can barely eat twice a day. I can stomach liquids so have relied on alcohol a bit to self medicate and to give me calories. I have the Blue Zones book and want to focus on maximising nutrients- but the fact is I adore fresh food and love vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.

I am aiming for health and wellbeing. I have arthritis in both hips and my spine and one shoulder so exercise is an issue, but I want to step up some gentle swimming.

I'm really intrigued by the autoimmune conditions, I have never really heard of them until I was diagnosed with Bell's palsy, apparently it's an autoimmune condition caused by possibly coming into contact with chicken pox/shingles? Unlike many Autoimmune things it does and can completely go away, however in 30% of cases there's lasting effects. I haven't even really allowed myself to consider that yet, I'm just focussing on the 2-3 week approximate, most cases are improving by the end of 3 weeks. Currently I'm on day 8! I've been on really high dose prednisone which is now tapering down but as I'm weaning off I'm getting more and more discomfort in my face. I'm now signed off til Jan 6th but potentially may take another week if needed, my work have been amazing.

I have for a while strongly believed i have hypothyroidism, I have had loads of tests but even though occasionally my thyroid result is sub clinical, I never get the two results consecutively that are required for treatment. I have loads of symptoms though, hair loss, tiredness, eyebrow thinning, gradual weight gain, palpitations etc. It's hard because I wfh, I feel exhausted, I constantly reach for sugar to get me through the day then I slump in an energy crash mid afternoon.

I really want to feel better and I know that my diet is the best place to start. I did whole 30 a few years back and I just felt so healthy on it, that's going to be my angle, but it's very strict so I do need a little more gentle approach I think this time. But basically lots of unprocessed veggies, meat, oil, nuts, fruit, eggs. Not calorie counting, eating to my appetite, fewer snacks but bigger meals to keep me going and balance my blood sugars.

I'm sorry to hear you've been so unwell. I love your resolution. Mine is pretty much the same: to be nicer to myself. I'm on MJ, so not sure how that fits in, in the minds of some, but I'm really keen to prioritise nutrient dense food, rest and movement. My biggest problem is stress at work - I'm a SENCO and it's never ending. I can't change the job so I need to change how I respond before I burn out. Your post has really resonated with me, so I'm in, if I may.

Watching with interest, I need to make some changes but want them to be gentle and sustainable not the quick fixes I usually go for.

I am in, sugar addiction, even though I am type 2 diabetic.. I have put it into remission before with diet, but past years I have lost my way entirely with diet. Have weight to lose also.

This really resonates with me too - another one with autoimmune conditions which I'm sure would be easier to manage if my diet wasn't so awful. I got very run down towards the end of the year and have felt pretty terrible. I used to be so much better at eating well and exercising but I need to accept my limitations more. I'm going to aim for incorporating some gentle yoga or strength work (with very light weights!) and eating more nourishing food.

I am a parent who cares for 2 autistic kids everyday on my own during working hours and I have a lot of stress, that's why my diet slipped from decent to sugar addiction for self medicating purposes due to the stress, I don't want to do that anymore.

I cant really get into the kitchen to cook much during the day so I am needing some easy fast lunch ideas as well. I also snack too much. The kids wont eat same meals as me either with all their food restrictions due to autism.

That's got to be incredibly tough. Yes, self medicating is the right way to describe it. I can't explain the amount of times I've had a rough day, come home, cried and then eaten myself into a food coma. The medication seems to have switched that off for me for now, but of course I now have to sit with my feelings instead 🙃

Oh i really need this. I need to lose some weight and tone up some, and some nourishment is very much in need.

@PresidentBarklett I was pastoral attendance officer in a secondary until 2 years ago and I ended up leaving due to being on the brink of burnout, that was the start of two really quite challenging years for me. It's awful the way people are feeling while working in schools, I still feel resentful that I had to give up a job I loved because I was so unsupported. It very nearly broke me completely. My current job is so much less stressful but a little unfulfilling.

Interesting how many of us are reaching for a sugar fix to get through. I have found since I'm getting a bit older as well I just don't have the fight in me anymore. I just have the biscuit. 🍪 after lockdown I gave up all sugar, I went over 100 days without a single grain of sugar passing my lips. This year I think I'd struggle to do 100 minutes 🤣

I know MN bloody loves the adhd diagnoses but when you read the list of signs especially in women it's easy to go tick tick tick, I have ALLLL OF THEM. In recent months I have found myself seeking dopamine fixes to get me through the day whether that's sugar or screen time or something else. I find that I 'need' a drink more at the end of the week. I spend more on Vinted or Amazon like a little 'fix' and I have a mountain of stuff to resell because it's not what I actually need/want.

Anyway, back to today. My face is still awful. I have been taking progressive photos, I think it peaked around day 6-7 and I do feel like I'm getting a tiny bit of movement back. I can partially close my eye now. This is day 10 and the last day of my steroids. I think 2 full days of enforced sloth have helped. Today I need/want to do a bit of tidying, the place is a tip and I want to look at the dcs presents with them and things like that. I'm determined to eat properly today not just graze on cheese! I am thinking soup, I might make a nice lentil and gammon soup with some leftover meat and have that with crusty bread for lunch.

Have a great day all

My weight fluctuates so much I'm 14 now, i was a 12 a month ago and earlier on in the year a 16/18 - i don't want to go back to that! I thought i had lost the weight slowly but I've realised you have to stay on the diet (pretty much) forever to stay relatively slim, which i want to do now as I've had enough of being chubby. I think a strict routine is the only way forward for me, i know we live in the smartphone era but I'm going to get a nice book and nice pens and make myself a health diary - also for wellbeing, cutting down in all naughty things etc I think the only way for me is to get strict and a bit obsessed with it all, I know I'll be happier when I'm in to the flow!! Good luck everyone

I have started reasonably well. I set the dining table for breakfast and ate with DS1. DH and DS2 are out doing their shared hobby. I usually either never eat breakfast, or overeat. I had a slice of GF toast with real butter and a slice of cheese with some berries and orange slices. Bit of protein, bit of carbs and 2 fruits. I feel content but not overfull. I am a recovering bulimic so want to focus on not bingeing but eating well.

I love nice notebooks and pens @MyLimeGuide ! That sounds like a good idea.

I downloaded a hypnotherapy recording yesterday and I have no desire to eat sugar today! Great result for £14.99 and made me sleep really well too 🙂

@Goldenmemories was that the clearminds one we chatted about on a different thread? So glad it has helped! I have quite a few recordings from them now, I do need to remind myself to listen but I really find they help curb my cravings.

I am also a ex bulimic- been a long time now what happened to us as kids?!! Food can be so scary can't it??

Exactly this. I am 51 and have alot of emotional responses tied up with food- not helped by a mother who was obsessed with her weight and mine and a father (that i only realised in the past 10 years or so) was a serious fat shamer.

But i really love good food and love cooking. So I can really change how I am around food. Take the emotions out of it and focus on both nutrients and pleasure. 'Dieting' is bad news for me- it just triggers my bulimia.

@thenewaveragebear1983 I think a lot more adult women have ADHD than we might think. You're right that impulsive (often compulsive) pleasure seeking behaviours can be a massive part of it! Food fits the bill nicely. After years of working in my field, I strongly suspect I may have autism, which also often leads to its own issues around food!

Hope you continue to improve. Slow and steady. Your planned meal sounds lovely- comforting and nourishing!

Hello! I would like to join please. Thanks for setting up the thread. Currently have a baby sleeping on me, but she's stirring and the toddler has just arrived home with his dad ...so place marking for now. Another sugar addict here too 👋

Aww I know how you feel, dieting is bad it's full on lifestyle changes we need, food is a huge subject phycologically - we are so similar (44 now) struggled since I was about 8 my whole family are obsessed with being thin, my dad (other than this is a great dad) has always taught us if you are thin you will have a better life and fat is a shameful thing!! Too much emphasis on worrying about how you are judged by others based on your appearance ridiculous when you look at it!!

I have also grown up with diet obsessed parents and my mum particularly has a lot of bitterness and unhappiness around food and appearance. I think as she's got older she has a new layer of bitterness too, that she's wasted all her years obsessing about this and you still end up carrying a few pounds and aging. I was determined when I turned 40 that enough was enough and I was not going to devote any more of my precious energy to it, but in many ways the last 18 months I've been worse. I have sort of lost my way, not able to moderate myself so I ended up gaining a lot , then strictly dieting to lose a bit, falling off the wagon etc etc. It doesn't feel healthy or in control. I listen to a lot of podcasts about breaking free of diet culture and reshaping your relationship with food, but I still have this pull towards sugar and junk food and massively overeat on it. I know I actually fare much better when I cut it all out and eat very little UPF, but then that feels very drastic and strict and very much 'diet culture' - it's so confusing!

The other thing i really struggle with is calorie counting. I have no idea how much to eat. My garmin averages me at about 2000 calories a day including exercise (I run and do some hiit classes) so I try to cut down to 1500, after 3 days I'm gnawing my arm off. Then it's 'you need to eat more to train/build muscle' but also you need to be in a deficit to lose.... hence with a massive yo yo of around half a stone up/down/up I've ended the year almost exactly where I started. I'm at the very top of normal bmi and while that's ok, I would like to be slimmer and I would like to feel nice in my clothes and not have a lumpy figure with a big tummy, plus if I gain any more I will be overweight.

I’m in! Getting married in ten months and weigh well over 18 stone! I was around 11 just under five years ago! Lockdown and continued!! So embarrassed!

Trying keto!