Although fascinating and admittedly I didn’t read every word because I am tired of the same old “here is the secret to health” ploy … so here is my secret to health; stop obsessing about what you’re eating. Eat what sounds good. Stop trying to be smaller, live in the body you have. Stop equating your eating to every problem you’re experiencing because my guess is that what you are thinking about what you are eating is doing much more damage than what you are actually eating. Remember that we live in a world that holds small, beautiful bodies on a pedestal, and that the diet culture is a huge money maker which is actually making us sicker. Of course I say all this as a person who has done all of these things, I’ve gone on raw food diets, restricted sugar, alcohol, fat and stopped snacking and yes, I always lost weight but I also lost myself to the run away train of now trying to stay that way, “be good” by incessantly thinking about what I’m going to eat all day long and playing math in my head, if I eat this now I can’t eat that later, and on and on. When we eat something we have labeled or believe is “bad” of course we aren’t going to feel good. Anyway, I just wanted to interrupt a little of the stream of thought here with some other food for thought:)
Music to my ears!!! Currently on a No sugar/alcohol gluten way of eating because of back pain I have been suffering with and as a Health Coach I see lots of cases with women dealing with the same. I won’t cut out all the above for ever because life is life but doing it for a period of time gives your body the help it needs to reduce the inflammation that causes pain! As I say to all the women I see take parts of what you have been doing for your body and implement them in your daily life but don’t restrict them completely! If anyone is interested in getting more info I would love to hear from you! My email is nina@ninadivallhealth.com! Off for my Neko check up on 4th Dec! Cannot wait! X
I am at the point where my head knows that my body is already so sick that I have to start working on my gut health in any way possible … because carrying on eating ultra processed foods because I feel so unwell and have so little energy is simply not good.
But because I’m so unwell - and my entire life and all my relationships have disintegrated - I’m having trouble convincing my emotional self that I can handle the removal of the last few tiny pleasures I have in life. I’m so close to there being literally no point to my life that it’s only the existence of my beautiful dogs that makes waking up worthwhile and I wouldn’t dream of abandoning them.
The more I read the more I wonder whether it’s actually possible for my body to recover enough for me to have a new life …? I’m not there yet … but every time I read an account like yours it makes clinging onto my current diet slightly more unlikely.
Hi Ruth, sorry to be late to this I’m currently in Sydney. I’m with Hannah, please share your feelings with someone close to you. Maybe start small. What’s one small healthy thing you can do today? Like talk to someone? Sending big love to you. Xx
Thankyou so much for replying, I really appreciate it and your suggestion. ‘Just one thing’ might be exactly what I need. Having ADHD means my thoughts are a whirlwind and it’s really difficult to work out where to start because I can see so many things that need to change in my life.
Unfortunately all my relationships with family and friends have failed completely since I got diagnosed with a rare, incurable form of MS. It’s as though I have leprosy - I really don’t understand why but there appears to be neither understanding nor sympathy for my situation, which has turned my life upside down. Parents, siblings, husband of 25 years, even my best friend of 30 years - all gone. I fell in my garden last year, broke my foot, laying in the wet I had literally nobody to call.
It doesn’t help that I find it impossible to ask for help (although when I asked my mother & sister to interrupt just one of their shopping/lunch Fridays, for an hour’s company to make me some lunch, when I was just out of hospital, they said no!) & I can’t bear the thought of being a nuisance or anyone doing anything for me under sufferance. So when they make it clear that they don’t believe me, or care, in fact are angry with me, when I try to explain the extent of my fatigue, pain, insomnia, for example when I’m very late to arrive somewhere, I couldn’t possibly ask for anything.
But your key piece of advice is really helpful, thankyou.
I’ve only just stumbled across this Substack and noticed your comments. I can empathise to a small degree having lived with chronic pain from endometriosis for years and understand how isolating it can be. I hope you’re doing better now.
Thankyou, too, Hannah. Until this happened I truly believed that I was part of a really close and loving family, albeit spread about a bit. I thought that they’d always be there for me. I’m highly empathic and spent most of my energy outside work finding ways to make them all happy because that’s where I get my reward and satisfaction. I didn’t have any idea that they were so different from me. I’ve now had 12 years since it started unraveling and continued to 2018/19 when the last people left me. When lockdown was announced I was living on my own for the first time, in a little social housing bungalow, filled with my boxes of belongings which I couldn’t unpack, not one person even sent a message to ask if I needed anything. That’s when I first realised that I was completely alone. I’ve had so much thinking time that I’ve finally understood how very different they really are and that’s why I am where I am. They genuinely think that anyone who is unwell in any way is an irritating burden. A relative’s parent developed dementia, the spouse who had been caring died, so they had to take responsibility - but it was a huge nuisance rather than something that needed love and care. It was divided up and treated like a work rota. So sad. But very informative for me.
Anyway, thankyou for replying and caring, I really do appreciate it.
I’m so sorry that your family seem incapable of being there for you, in my experience that kind of behaviour is often based in fear and ignorance, rather than a want to actually be hurtful. Forgive my interference, but I think you need to find people who are going through a similar experience to you - how about contacting www.mssociety.org.uk - they have a phone line, supported by staff and volunteers who you can talk to. Might be a small but positive first step? Hope you have a nice day x
This is fascinating, but, er, sounds expensive - I note you don't mention how much this costs? I know an investment in your future health can only be a good thing. I don't drink alcohol - haven't for 30 years - or use sugar. I'm more intrigued by the body scan - is this something available for those of us who are can't get to London? Glasgow would be a possible destination for me; I live on the West Coast of Scotland, and, using a wheelchair for much of the time, I obviously want to mitigate further problems. Be grateful if anyone knows.
Thanks for this - it has bucked me up after returning from a week holiday where I ate a lot of crap. I did The Life Co in April which was fantastic but might give your Mayr place a go next.
Love this Jo! I’ve recently been reading Dr Mindy Pelz - balancing hormones through what you eat and it’s open my eyes so much! A lot of what you’ve mentioned here really resonates to that thinking too! Thanks so much for sharing x
Love this Jo, how interesting! I’m terrible for snacking, but I travel a lot for work and it’s really difficult to get healthy stuff on the go especially here in North America where I live.
I went GF about 9 yrs ago after my fingers started hurting. The best bread is one I make. I make the sandwich loaf in Becky Excels book. Her books are game changers. The bread is off the scale
Very interesting, it’s like social proof of exactly what I know is the right thing to do in my gut (excuse the pun) whilst my head is all fireworks and party time on the sugary and salty snacks - a reset sounds like just the thing 🙏
Although fascinating and admittedly I didn’t read every word because I am tired of the same old “here is the secret to health” ploy … so here is my secret to health; stop obsessing about what you’re eating. Eat what sounds good. Stop trying to be smaller, live in the body you have. Stop equating your eating to every problem you’re experiencing because my guess is that what you are thinking about what you are eating is doing much more damage than what you are actually eating. Remember that we live in a world that holds small, beautiful bodies on a pedestal, and that the diet culture is a huge money maker which is actually making us sicker. Of course I say all this as a person who has done all of these things, I’ve gone on raw food diets, restricted sugar, alcohol, fat and stopped snacking and yes, I always lost weight but I also lost myself to the run away train of now trying to stay that way, “be good” by incessantly thinking about what I’m going to eat all day long and playing math in my head, if I eat this now I can’t eat that later, and on and on. When we eat something we have labeled or believe is “bad” of course we aren’t going to feel good. Anyway, I just wanted to interrupt a little of the stream of thought here with some other food for thought:)
Love this Jo! Truly fascinating stuff. I reckon Tim Spector would approve.
Thank you!
Music to my ears!!! Currently on a No sugar/alcohol gluten way of eating because of back pain I have been suffering with and as a Health Coach I see lots of cases with women dealing with the same. I won’t cut out all the above for ever because life is life but doing it for a period of time gives your body the help it needs to reduce the inflammation that causes pain! As I say to all the women I see take parts of what you have been doing for your body and implement them in your daily life but don’t restrict them completely! If anyone is interested in getting more info I would love to hear from you! My email is nina@ninadivallhealth.com! Off for my Neko check up on 4th Dec! Cannot wait! X
I am at the point where my head knows that my body is already so sick that I have to start working on my gut health in any way possible … because carrying on eating ultra processed foods because I feel so unwell and have so little energy is simply not good.
But because I’m so unwell - and my entire life and all my relationships have disintegrated - I’m having trouble convincing my emotional self that I can handle the removal of the last few tiny pleasures I have in life. I’m so close to there being literally no point to my life that it’s only the existence of my beautiful dogs that makes waking up worthwhile and I wouldn’t dream of abandoning them.
The more I read the more I wonder whether it’s actually possible for my body to recover enough for me to have a new life …? I’m not there yet … but every time I read an account like yours it makes clinging onto my current diet slightly more unlikely.
So thankyou. I think.
Hi Ruth, sorry to be late to this I’m currently in Sydney. I’m with Hannah, please share your feelings with someone close to you. Maybe start small. What’s one small healthy thing you can do today? Like talk to someone? Sending big love to you. Xx
Thankyou so much for replying, I really appreciate it and your suggestion. ‘Just one thing’ might be exactly what I need. Having ADHD means my thoughts are a whirlwind and it’s really difficult to work out where to start because I can see so many things that need to change in my life.
Unfortunately all my relationships with family and friends have failed completely since I got diagnosed with a rare, incurable form of MS. It’s as though I have leprosy - I really don’t understand why but there appears to be neither understanding nor sympathy for my situation, which has turned my life upside down. Parents, siblings, husband of 25 years, even my best friend of 30 years - all gone. I fell in my garden last year, broke my foot, laying in the wet I had literally nobody to call.
It doesn’t help that I find it impossible to ask for help (although when I asked my mother & sister to interrupt just one of their shopping/lunch Fridays, for an hour’s company to make me some lunch, when I was just out of hospital, they said no!) & I can’t bear the thought of being a nuisance or anyone doing anything for me under sufferance. So when they make it clear that they don’t believe me, or care, in fact are angry with me, when I try to explain the extent of my fatigue, pain, insomnia, for example when I’m very late to arrive somewhere, I couldn’t possibly ask for anything.
But your key piece of advice is really helpful, thankyou.
I’ve only just stumbled across this Substack and noticed your comments. I can empathise to a small degree having lived with chronic pain from endometriosis for years and understand how isolating it can be. I hope you’re doing better now.
Hi Ruth, sounds like you’ve got a lot on - I hope you’re ok. Do you have people you can lean on at this time? Sending strength x
Thankyou, too, Hannah. Until this happened I truly believed that I was part of a really close and loving family, albeit spread about a bit. I thought that they’d always be there for me. I’m highly empathic and spent most of my energy outside work finding ways to make them all happy because that’s where I get my reward and satisfaction. I didn’t have any idea that they were so different from me. I’ve now had 12 years since it started unraveling and continued to 2018/19 when the last people left me. When lockdown was announced I was living on my own for the first time, in a little social housing bungalow, filled with my boxes of belongings which I couldn’t unpack, not one person even sent a message to ask if I needed anything. That’s when I first realised that I was completely alone. I’ve had so much thinking time that I’ve finally understood how very different they really are and that’s why I am where I am. They genuinely think that anyone who is unwell in any way is an irritating burden. A relative’s parent developed dementia, the spouse who had been caring died, so they had to take responsibility - but it was a huge nuisance rather than something that needed love and care. It was divided up and treated like a work rota. So sad. But very informative for me.
Anyway, thankyou for replying and caring, I really do appreciate it.
Gosh Ruth, that’s a lot, I’ve just stumbled across this thread, I wonder if you might find this useful and comforting ?
Personally I’ve found Peter Crone to be an enormous and life changing help to me
https://youtube.com/@petercroneofficial?si=CGshBqTmkSzRPZga
I’m so sorry that your family seem incapable of being there for you, in my experience that kind of behaviour is often based in fear and ignorance, rather than a want to actually be hurtful. Forgive my interference, but I think you need to find people who are going through a similar experience to you - how about contacting www.mssociety.org.uk - they have a phone line, supported by staff and volunteers who you can talk to. Might be a small but positive first step? Hope you have a nice day x
Take a look at Changing Habits site run by an Australian nutritionist
Ezekiel bread, lightly toasted. Several different choices. Gluten free.
Thanks for sharing your experience. This is really an eye opener and will follow some of the tips.
It feels so good to cut out the processed foods. Seriously causing people so many health issues and sugar crashes that later cause diabetes
Thanks so much for sharing this. I found your experience very interesting and am now on the waiting list for the Neko scan. Grateful to you xx
This is fascinating, but, er, sounds expensive - I note you don't mention how much this costs? I know an investment in your future health can only be a good thing. I don't drink alcohol - haven't for 30 years - or use sugar. I'm more intrigued by the body scan - is this something available for those of us who are can't get to London? Glasgow would be a possible destination for me; I live on the West Coast of Scotland, and, using a wheelchair for much of the time, I obviously want to mitigate further problems. Be grateful if anyone knows.
Thanks for this - it has bucked me up after returning from a week holiday where I ate a lot of crap. I did The Life Co in April which was fantastic but might give your Mayr place a go next.
Love this Jo! I’ve recently been reading Dr Mindy Pelz - balancing hormones through what you eat and it’s open my eyes so much! A lot of what you’ve mentioned here really resonates to that thinking too! Thanks so much for sharing x
Love this Jo, how interesting! I’m terrible for snacking, but I travel a lot for work and it’s really difficult to get healthy stuff on the go especially here in North America where I live.
So interesting. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I went GF about 9 yrs ago after my fingers started hurting. The best bread is one I make. I make the sandwich loaf in Becky Excels book. Her books are game changers. The bread is off the scale
Very interesting, it’s like social proof of exactly what I know is the right thing to do in my gut (excuse the pun) whilst my head is all fireworks and party time on the sugary and salty snacks - a reset sounds like just the thing 🙏
Carbonaut keep it frozen and toast best bread I have found