Tagged: diet

The 8 Drs of life

Posted on February 13, 2022 by - Uncategorized

“The six biggest doctors in the world are sun, rest, exercise, diet, self-respect and friends. Stick to them at all stages in your life and enjoy a healthy life.”

Charlie Chaplin

Of course, I believe that there are 8 biggest doctors and that the missing doctors of Mr Chaplin are Dr Herbal Medicine and Dr Sleep and I also believe that self-respect is a very broad-church doctor who incorporates far-reaching practices such as those of Dr EFT-tapping!

Which of these Drs are your biggest challenges?

I am really enjoying incorporating Dr Exercise with my new-found Nia classes and walks in the woods. But historically, that’s been my biggest challenge and mostly absent from my life.

Dr Diet wobbles around a bit but the core is there and getting stronger the more I follow her principles.

Dr Rest is another wobbler who is gaining strength and recognition in my life. This Dr is one we all need some loud lessons from. She incorporates convelesence after illness as well as eg breathing exercises and meditation.

Dr Sun is too good to miss but I can get stuck indoors, happy pootling about so I have to really think about it to ensure he’s there.

Dr Sleep has been an on-going challenge for me during the past 6 years and particularly in the past 4 but I am moving into a new/old relationship with him again.

Dr Self-respect is gaining ground in a very positive way in my life thanks to Dr EFT-tapping! It has been completely life-changing to have a tool which enables me to cut to the chase and leave behind unhelpful patterns and stuck places.

Dr Friends has been a challenge during lockdown and post-lockdown life. As a natural extrovert, I gain energy from interactions with others. It is something which is not as strong in my life as I would like it to be. I am working on it but so many other things pull at my attention and time. I am building networks around me filled with people passionate about the same things as well as those with whom I connect deeply.

Dr Herbal Medicine is a passionate love affair and one which I don’t ever anticipate being without. A constant companion and teacher.

Drop me a line and tell me about which of these wonderful Drs you most enjoy the teachings of and which you struggle to engage with.

Serve up Love for you

Posted on February 13, 2022 by - Food, My Story, Self care

What is the best possible love you can give to yourself? How can you invest in you?

I am beginning to think that the most radical form of self love is in what we put in our mouths. When I hold myself accountable to my future self, the food choices I make are infinitely better than when I go with ‘a bit of what I fancy’.

We know that choosing food when we are hungry makes us far more likely to choose instant fix, dopamine boosting easy foods. There are studies which show that when we pre-plan our meals, we make much healthier choices than when we buy hungry. And, if you’ve ever had to squeeze in a supermarket trip before lunch you’ll know that you come back with very different things to usual! Different’s not always a bad thing but in this instance, it usually is!

Lucy’s Saturday lunch

My lunch yesterday looked like this and today, it was pretty similar just with brown rice and lentils rather than Mortadella.

I know that when I eat like this, my energy is better, that I am contributing to my health in all the forms it’s possible. I have green veg and artichoke for my liver, tahini for calcium for my bones, beetroot and olives for my cardiovascular system, chick peas and butter beans for protein, raw fermented kimchi and raw garlic for my digestive system, avocado and olives for a lot of tastiness and good fats…

That was a power plate. And when I look to my future, I want to be in the best possible health. I want to be around for my daughter in a supportive state (if she wants it!)

I believe I am contributing towards a positive future. We all have much longer life spans than our ancestors but what about a long health span? I intend to be as fit as I can for as long as I can. And then I can enjoy my life for longer, I won’t be a burden on anyone. If we all ate well, it would change so much about our health! And, just think how much more resource the NHS could funnel into other areas of health if it weren’t overburdened by lifestyle diseases.

I belive that food is fundamental to all of this. It isn’t the only factor as we also need to get good sleep, take herbs to address health issues, truly relax so that our nervous systems can replenish and exercise to faciliate and keep mobility.

Start by serving yourself a plate of self-love this Valentine’s.