Plenty of everything,
Food, gifts and stress. We are wrapped up in it all like a present wrapped in gift wrap.
So many gifts and so many things to tick off the to do list. There isn’t enough hours in the day but you tire quickly.
5 worries off your mind:
1. ignore comments - someone will always say something thah they haven’t thought through or in a drunken rage that may be upsetting to you. Remember that what others think doesn’t matter- you know the true you.
2. Eyes greedier than the stomach - I am so guilty of thinking I am invicble and can eat and drink what I like! It’s Christmas you tell yourself but you aren’t like everyone else and you will suffer badly for your sins. I know so well how hard it is to watch others eat the foods you miss so much and wish you could eat. We are lucky that supermarkets and food manufacturers are beginning to cater far more for allergies and intolerances and there is a large range of alertnatives. Try your best to use the alternatives so you can feel part of the fun and eat the same dishes as your family. You can get gravy, nut roasts, chocolates ( dairy, wheat, gluten and often soy free, soy ice cream and much more.
Things you may want to add to your shopping list;
Nak’d Lemon Drizzle bar - tastes just like cake and with some Alpro ice cream this could be the perfect dessert.
Hazel Nut & Chocolate or Vanilla - yes as always Alpro come through and have answered my prayers. I used to love a good ice cream sundae and with these plant based, soy ice creams my craving for ice cream are catered to. I am yet to try the vanilla but the chocolate is yummy!
Booja Booja chocolate - Oh MY GOD if you are looking for an after dinner treat, when everyone else cracks open the After Eights you can now join in the fun with Booja Booja. You can get small selection boxes or bigger ones with all different types of chocolate flavours. You can purchase from Booja Booja themselves or through Holland and Barrett.
Hot Shot Chocolate; in Orange, coconut and original flavour, this sauce is perfect to finish off any desser and in wheat, dairy and gluten free.
Free and Easy Gravy: super easy and quick, you can just follow the instructions on the back to make it however thick you want it.
Meat Free ‘Roasts’- you could make tofu scramble, Sainsbury’s have a new nut roast, Quorn do chicken fillets and sausages. There is a wide range of meat-free options.
BeFree wraps: are great for making ‘sandwiches’ / wraps for buffets. All wheat, egg, dairy and gluten free.
Lazy Days: I could never forget lazy days! I love their Ginger Tiffin! And the little pack of five squares are perfect for a dessert options. They have a wide range of Tiffin, millionaire shortbread, rocky road and brownie. I can just about tolerate the ginger tiffin. The rocky roads, and millionaire short breads set my throat off. They have way to much oil in them for me to handle but if you can tolerate oils! Get in there!
Popchips: there is a wide range of flavours and because they are baked not fried they contain less oil.
3. Don’t stress over gifts: I love DIY’in gifts and gifts with a story, a meaning. They are worth so much more and will be forever treasured. If you have sent your love and kindness then that is more than enough. Remember it’s the memories from our special times together that really count.
4. Outfits: we all worry about judgements and looking good especially at such huge important times. Wear things your love and feel comfortable. Someone will always judge you.. mainly because they are jealous. You are out and have made a MASSIVE effort, you deserve to feel the best you can.
5. Feeling happy: there is a lot, a lot of pressure to feel on top form, be grateful and be in high spirits!! That is very hard when you are in a lot of pain, not really sure where you are or what day it is. You are just relieved you opened your eyes this morning. You don’t need people questioning your mood. You feel like punching them, running them over with a car and saying ok, you go shopping, wrap presents, live life and be full of life?! I know you can’t do that, and it’s hard for people to truly understand and relate to the pain you are feeling. So we have to take that into account and tell ourselves everyday we are doing bloody well. If we give 100 per cent to everyday that’s all the world can ask of us. Don’t purposely mop though try to focus on the positives and lift yourself up. Remember to sparkle even if it’s foggy and hard to break through.. make sure you keep shining. We have footprints to leave on the Earth remember.
I hope those little tips help.. especially as we are drawing ever closer to when people finish work, parties, food shopping and family time. We want to be able to cope and be in the best form possible.
I am truly excited !
To hopefully be collaborating in the near future with two amazing Instagram’ers.
Julia who suffers with crohns understands what it is like to dissappear within your own skin. A recent flare meant the weight dropped off her and her stomach is unable to tolerant solid food and so now out of hospital ( thankfully ) she is still on a liquid diet. We hope to collaborate to raise awareness of autoimmune type chronic illnesses that really do take over our bodies and the effects it has on us as a people.
And Irem from Germany is a fashion blogger but wants to start branching out into cosmetics. We are hoping to collaborate and work together to test different cosmetics that may be tolerable for people with autoimmune type chronic diseases who really can’t tolerant the high levels of chemicals that are present in many products.
So as always many projects on the go.
Yes I never stop, nor do I aim too.
I am learning so much from my course. How sugars are different and what carbs contain what types of glucose and how it’s metabolised by the body.
It’s so hard but I am learning so much.. it’s going to be important to keep up my probiotics, my enzymes, my proteins and colon cleanses. To keep flushing out the toxins and aid my overwhelmed liver a little by cleansing the large intestine walls of bad bacteria and infections, replacing them with the good bacteria & enzymes to absorb my food efficiently and ensure I am eating foods with glucose that can be converted to glycogen and converted by the liver into energy and transported to my muscle cells for energy.
Fructose can be converted easily into glycogen and goes straight to the liver.
However refined sugars have to go through the full digestion process in the stomach, where the toxins are extracted and the left over glucose is either left as a free-for all or discarded by the body. Gaining nothing from it.
Without oxygen from enzymes the body is unable to carry out important processes such as Glycogensis and Glucogenolysis.
So up’ing my enzymes will surely help. With my low body temperature I probably haven’t had enough oxygen to provide these process to take place and the energy to be stored in my body. It’s just been left - left for the nasties’ on a silver platter.
How stupid have I been.
I will continue to learn as much as I can!
**
In myself- I am exhausted and feeling the strain.
My body feels - half dead. People say I look better which is good, due to my weight. But they don’t look beyond the surface. How hard this all is, always adapting, accepting and changing and having to battle against my body every damn day. Not knowing what cards you’ll get handed for the day but you have to somehow battle through.
You are just told you are fine, and seen as a lazy sod.
I’ll swap !!!!!! Then see if you want to be a lazy sod.
But we are warriors.
Until the end...
It’s fair to say my story won’t be boring.
Many thanks to my Professor in Hemel. He is a super star, sending a thank you for his Christmas card. He really is a life saver !!
A serious one! He is the only medical professional I trust.
My family and I owe him the world.
I am SO lucky to have come across him.
Thank you!
And thank you all for your love, support and kindness everyday.
We battle on..
S
Xoxo