Blogs You Might Like to Explore

Hope everyone is as well as possible today!
 I can't believe it's Friday already!

For this evening, seeing that I feel too flopped to do anything (as in pop to the shops to gorge on some crisps...) I thought I would recommend a few blogs :-)

Talking about chronic health can get a bit much from time to time, so reading about anything that isn't to do with it helps keep me ticking!

I'm quite new to writing, even though I got an average GCSE in English, I was often too unwell and foggy to write anything. But since some fog has lifted, I am starting to really enjoy writing at my own pace. I have no idea if I'm any good at it, but nonetheless, I enjoy it.

Another Made Idea Blog has a post about how to improve writing skills. It was an absolute joy to read and very helpful.

ThriftyDee is exactly what the blog title is. A student that's on a mission to save money. To be Thrifty. Everyone needs tips on how to save money on a number of topics, I'm sure she will cover most of them over time.

Nikki Miles Illustration is a colourful, artistic website with lots of lovely arts and crafts to read about. I love her work, it's so original!

Katie eats vegan is a great blog for, you guessed it, Vegan Food!
She writes about her vegan food missions round the UK (and anywhere else that takes her fancy)
And has found some amazing little places that I hope I can visit one day. She has some wonderful recipes too!

Vegan Beauty Review is a beautifully made blog with some brilliantly written reviews. If you're looking for some new beauty products, this is a great place to start 

Angel Numbers - I love this blog, it is ram-packed with spiritual information. I am fascinated with angel numbers as mine have always been amazingly accurate.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

Pacifica - Vegan, Natural Beauty Products

I have used products for a while now that are as plant based as possible, I hate harmful chemicals! 

I have known about Pacifica perfume for a while, and it smells divine! 

Well, recently (for me at least) I discovered their make up range (uh oh!) 

I bought 2 tinted lip balms, and 2 solid perfumes.

OMG 

They all smell amazing! 

None of their products so far have given me a headache (yaay!)

The lip balms are more like lipstick, but super moisturising at the same time. 

Pacifica, for me, is not a cheap brand - But you really do get what you pay for. 

superior quality...

A Guide to Keeping your well being in balance with M.E

Hello!

Living with M.E or any other chronic health condition is always a real bastard, All of the time!

What bothers me is when doctors tell me that 'I'm just depressed'

How many of you have heard that one before??

So before you really do get depressed by all these awful obstacles you have to deal with, read these tips. I hope they help. 

Supplements that help my wellbeing are;

St Johns Wort - for depression caused by PMS and hormones

And

Lemon Balm + L Theanine  - for anxiety and heart palpitations

I do not take any prescription medication so these are safe for me to take. Please consult your doctor before taking any supplements if you are on medication, or consult a holistic doctor if you are unsure. 

Essential Oils

There are so many essential oils, there is bound to be one for you!
Because it's difficult and stressful living with a chronic health condition, the ones I find most helpful are calming and energizing.
Mint: A fresh scent, it will help clear your mind
Lemon: Uplifting and fresh, smells like lemon cheesecake!
Litsea: Although energizing, it's also good for calming anxiety, aiding good quality sleep, and helps digestion.
Lavender: Good for headaches and stress.
Grapefruit: Smells like cheesecake and is very uplifting!

Add essential oils to unscented massage oils or products; Use them as a foot or bath soak - just be careful as oils are slippery.

I have recently purchased a aromatherapy humidifier, it's one of the best things I have ever bought!
They have no heat element, and change colours whilst on, you can also have the light turned off. Just put a few drops of your favourite oil in the water and it will fill the room with its delightful scent!
I have this one 

Keep your sugar content low 

It's always so tempting to gorge on sugary foods when you're feeling stressed, but it really is the worst thing you could do! Sugar causes highs, and lows, and can really affect mood swings, and if you eat too much, you'll get a headache too. 
A treat once in a while is great, but try not to make it a habit as your stress levels may rise over time. Honey, Coconut sugar, stevia and xylitol are good alternatives to sugar that helps to cut down sugar without feeling restricted. Also, Chromium is a great supplement that helps regulate blood sugar levels, which I have found beneficial.

Opt for Dark Chocolate 

Who needs an excuse to eat chocolate?? Dark chocolate triggars serotonin production, which can make you feel happy, even if it's for a little while!
if you need a fix, and trying to keep that sugar content low. Dark chocolate is often lower in sugar. You can even buy Raw chocolate which uses coconut sugar, much lower Gi than regular sugar!

Legs in the Air!

Sounds silly, but this is a great exercise to do (not for severe sufferers) 
Simply lay down, and rest your legs against your bed or wall for up to 10 minutes - Lower your legs (do not sit up) lay flat for a couple of minutes, then slowly sit up without making yourself dizzy. 
This exercise helps blood flow to the brain which could help brainfog, and helps remove toxins hanging around in your legs.

Stop Reading Negative Articles 

I know sometimes it is unavoidable, but if you can, stop reading anything negative. You have enough to deal with, and reading something upsetting, or stressful will only impact your energy more. Try reading more positive things that make you happy.

Don't get caught up trying to prove yourself

You have nothing to prove! You don't need to prove to anyone that you have a chronic illness! I understand that family members can be tough, or old friends don't understand. But really, if they don't understand already, stop wasting your precious energy trying to get through to them. There are many more people out there that will understand what you're going through. 

Deep breathing for 10 minutes, 3 times a day 

It's relaxing, easy, and free!
breathe in, feeling your tummy rise (not your chest)
Lower torso breathing is more relaxing and energising, helping the body to regenerate quicker. Breathing chest first is very tiring and can leave you 'air hungry' so doing this exercise 3 times a day could help you feel a little better (little is better than nothing right?!)

CBT

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is often shunted at, probably because some people have claimed that it's 'cured them'

Well fear not - I'm not claiming that!

CBT is a really good tool to have as it will help keep the mind demons at bay that can occur when dealing with a long term health condition.

Isolation, depression, anxiety... countless mental health problems can sink in when one has been unwell for a very long time. This is actually pretty normal, but it doesn't mean that you have to accept it, as it will just make your quality of life worse if you don't fight it. CBT caould help you fight these horrid symptoms that can occur with chronic health conditions.

It will not improve your energy, it will not get rid of pain - But, it will help you cope better mentally and it will give you professional support through the tough things that living with chronic health can throw at you.If you think you would benefit from CBT - Just speak to your GP and they can refer you to a cbt counsellor for free, or in some counties you can refer yourself.

Keep one room tidy 

If you struggle to to tidy up - Don't stress about it. No one likes living in a mess, so I decided that if I can keep just one room tidy, I can go to that room if I need to escape from reality.
The room I keep tidy is usually the spare room, as it never gets used! If I need to relax, but my bedroom is a mess, it's the place I go to.
When I have got a little bit of energy to tidy, I simply tidy in 5 minute bursts a day so I don't overexert myself.

Himalayan salt lamps 

A stagnant house is an unhappy house, so it's really important to keep the place you spend the most time in naturally fresh and positive. 

Nature 

Listening to nature can be naturally calming. birdsong, rain, the sound of the sea...
It's the only form of noise that I consider to be therapeutic. So if you're struggling to shut your mind of for some quiet time, invest in a nature cd and listen to it at least once a day.

Happy outings 

You want to spend your time wisely. So days when you're not visiting the doctor, and have rested enough, going out needs to be therapeutic.

Going to parks, cafes, restaurants, the beach is a great way to get some lovely fresh air and that much needed vitamin D from the sun. Or going to shops like The Range, The works, or other hobby shops can be really fulfilling and fun to go to.
What's better is that most of these places are wheelchair friendly!

Rescue Remedy 

A brilliant little remedy that can help anxiety and stress levels for those days when these emotions become too dominant. Using this along side the other stress management methods is always a good idea!

Probiotics
An imbalance of good bacteria in your gut can surprisingly have a big affect your moods, as well as your weight, energy, and nutrition absorption.
If you're unsure about what to do, a CNM qualified Holistic Nutritionist should be able to help.

Air out your home daily.

It's a brilliant routine to have - Opening the windows each day (preferably in the morning) to bring in lovely fresh air whilst ushering out the bad, stagnant stuff. I always feel much more uplifted and positive after airing out my home for a good 20 minutes.

  Fresh air is always good, even when it's cold! Blow out those cobwebs!

Dealing with M.E - Cooking and food Tips

When you're living with a chronic illness, cooking is the most important things to do - it's also one of the hardest.

Here are a few tips that help me and my carers cook healthy and fast meals.

(the ready meals are for desperate times, if you have intolerances like me, be sure to check the labels. Most innocent veg pots are 'safe' to eat, but please double check before consuming)

Shop online

As fun as it can be to sometimes go out, shopping for daily essentials and food can really be a waste of energy!

Buy your food online, so you can spend your energy on better things, like visiting your local park, favourite cafe for lunch, or a tearoom, for tea and cake of course...

I love ordering my veg from Riverford, or Able and Cole. Knowing that my veg is organic, fresh AND local, it's a win all round. Yes, it does cost more, but I cut back on other things where I can. 

On weeks when I can't afford these lovely veg boxes, I buy organic veg from the supermarket online.

Ocado is also a really good place to shop online if you have food intolerances.

 I get my veggies mainly from Riverford, cupboard food from the major supermarkets depending on what vouchers I have, supplements mainly from Bodykind (Sometimes I take a special outing to Holland and Barrett as it's next to a coffee shop so I can sit down after) Beauty products from Naturisimo, Lucy Rose (free delivery over £15), HandMadeNaturals (not free delivery but the products are amazing) And have recently found another shop, Love Lula.

Apart from the supermarkets... most of the web shops mentioned above offer Free Delivery in the UK

What's great about shops that offer free delivery on any purchase is the fact that I don't have to buy everything at once, so I'm not spending lots of money in one go just to get free postage.

Shop Bought Ready Meals

It's not always the healthiest choice, but there are healthier ready meals to choose from these days. One great little tip I found was to remove the food contents from the plastic containers before microwaving - As an attempt to reduce chemical exposure from heated plastic molecules from seeping into food.
Choose ready meals that are high in protein and low in sugar as this will keep you full, without having sugar highs and slumps. Always make sure to stick to the recommended daily allowance for salt without going over. Here's some links to help you find some healthier ready meals...

Innocent have some lovely vegan options - If you're gluten free (and/or vegan) - The you'll love Amy's Kitchen as some of their meals are gluten free AND vegan.

Innocent Ready meal Pots (sains)

Innocent Ready meal Pots (Tsco)

Healthier ready meals (Asda)

Healthy living ready meals

Be good to yourself Ready meals

M&S Ready meal information

NuMe Ready meals

Soups

Kitchen Gadgets 

Gadgets like a NutriBullet or Breville Family Blender; A Food Processor, Slow Cooker, and Dishwasher (I have a full size dishwasher)

Have all been the most helpful gadgets I and my family have invested in over the years. (not forgetting the microwave)

Cut down food preperation time with a food processor and just place the used components in the dishwasher after use! With a food processor you can also make super healthy treats and snacks like nut truffles, raw cheesecake, and raw protein bars. ( I have the kenwood as it was the best cheap one I could find, but if you are noise sensitive, I suggest using ear plugs, or buying a MagiMix food processor as it's a much better quality machine with a very low noise level when it's in use, just be prepared for it's ridiculous price tag!)

Make a breakfast or lunch smoothie in less than 5 minutes with the smoothie gadgets mentioned above, or make your own nut mylk - they're super easy to clean too!

The Slow cooker is super easy - throw ingredients and water into a slow cooker before bed or in the morning, turn on, and leave to cook all day, it's the easiest way to have a healthy dinner freshly cooked. You could makes ready meals by freezing any leftovers too.

Get someone to batch cook for you.

It could be a healthier alternative if someone makes homemade ready meals for you from scratch. Just be sure to freeze homemade food within 24 hours of making them, to use fresh frozen meals within one month of freezing and always make sure food is piping hot throughout before eating.

Large Mugs 

I love my pint sized mugs! I don't need to ask for drinks as often and the large handle makes it much easier to hold than a glass or standard mugs.

Lap Trays 

These little things can make life so much easier whilst resting on the sofa or bed.

Use them as a light desk, a place to put your drink, or however else you like.

Oganico Shop and Tea room Loughton

Whilst on my travels and visiting family, I always find it difficult to find places that meet my dietary needs. In fact, it's near on impossible. I love going out for tea and cake, so I always keep a keen eye for new places that I could go and actually enjoy myself at.

Whenever I go to my parents, I usually have to venture into London to find suitable places to eat, but what with having M.E, I don't get to do this very often, and when I do, I take days to recover. So when I discovered a new wholefoods shop was going to open in Loughton Essex named Organico - I was very keen to see what it was going to be like.

For a healthy person, Organico is a pleasant 10 minute walk from the underground station (central line) however if you don't like walking so much, it would make an incredibly short bus ride!

Places like Organico, are gold dust!
Especially when you have food allergies and staying in Essex!

It's so nice to see shops like these opening up on the outskirts of London. Such a relief for me too, because from my parents, it's just a short drive in the car.
Parking is easy, as Organico is very close to county council car parks (bonus points there!)

Everything is Vegan!
Vegan tea, coffee, juices, smoothies... Even the cake is vegan. What's more, is that they have a couple gluten free choices too (yes, that's vegan too, yaay!)
On my first visit I had a Gluten free vegan Almond Muffin. It was sweet, moist, and had a wonderful texture.

On another visit I had a Spirulina orange truffle (annoyingly I've lost the photo) - now knowing what spirulina tastes like, I was a bit apprehensive... But this truffle was amazingly good! Just the right balance of orange to cover the taste of the spirulina, and sweet enough to cure the sweet craving.

It's an Aladdin's Cave for organic and vegan foods products They sell an array of cupboard foods, herbal teas, home essentials. Stacked from floor to ceiling, They're bound to have what you're looking for!

I really hope that as many people as possible visit this amazing little shop, because shops like this deserve to become the norm of society.




They're fresh, stylish, welcoming and homely, whilst catering for everyone's needs. Shopping needn't be a chore - it should be a pleasure, so why shop at a big bright and noisy superstore that's full of stress, when you could probably find all of your desired things in happy little places like this?

Conquering The New Year Resoloution Fail Habit

First off, I hope you had a very happy Christmas! I hope you all got some lovely presents and had a great time with friends and family :-)

Now it's that time of year when motivation for a better life style seems to come upon us...
But how many of us actually stick to it?

The answer is, sadly not many of us!

And I'm pretty sure why...
As I have witnessed over this attitude for a few years now, including myself - it never occurred to me till now, that most of us seem to get caught up in a pretty vicious cycle.
It usually comes down to one word. One word that we all hate, and shudder when we think about it. You have probably guessed it - That word, Is DIET!

To put things straight, from what I have learned, is that the word and actions of 'diets' are negative, useless, border line evil and most of all, usually one big CON!

We seem to kid ourselves every year - 'New year, New me!'
Sounds great! But we always seem to start off on the wrong foot. And that's by starting a diet.

"This new year I'm going to go on a diet and lose some weight"

(goes and eats equivalent weight in food)....

I wonder why he/she has done that!

Diets as we all know, forbid certain foods - be it carbs, fat, sugar, or all 3! at least one thing will be off the menu.
So what happens when we forbid, or plan to forbid food?
We want it more than ever! It's a very simple form of reverse psychology.


You will always want what you can't have - That doughnut will smell a hundred times nicer, and those chips will be smelt over a mile away... IF you forbid them from entering your mouth...

I can't stand how 'diet' businesses suck us in! There's a key word here... Which is business.
A business aim is to make money, profit, and returning customers. A customer that visits and never returns after service is bad, so - A diet business that encourages you to pay on a regular basis is never going to have long lasting results, unless you keep paying for that product!

Do yourself a favour this year - Don't join a diet club, unless it's FREE!

Why not try something different?
Break the new year habit, and actually positively change something in your life. Change something that you know will stay changed forever, for the better.

So what could you do that's different from the usual diet resolution?

It's easier that you think!

Make simple, achievable pledges - like;

Cut down, or cut out meat -
This could be something really simple, like putting an end to processed meats like ham and pepperoni slices, or swapping sausages for a vegetarian alternative.

Swap indulgent snacks for healthier ones - I'm not going to suggest swapping a chocolate bar for a piece of fruit! Because when someone suggests that to me, I secretly get really annoyed! It's just not the same!!
If you like fruit, aim to eat more of it, but if you're not a fruit fan, there's lots of healthy snack alternatives.
If you like cakes and biscuits, why not try Nakd Bars. They are a great sweet alternative - My favourites flavours are the Gingerbread, Strawberry Crunch and Bakewell Tart. At less than 200 calories a bar, they're much better than that slice of cake, and what's better is that they are calories that your body can use, as the bars are made mainly from dates and nuts - Don't judge until you have tried them!
  If you really want to treat yourself, Graze are a really healthy snack company. You can choose from hundreds of snacks, they even have special diet filters to make choosing that little bit easier. You get 4 snacks in the post, just make sure you only have one snack in a day to insure optimum snack control!

Cut down on the fizzy junk! Shop bought fizzy drinks are seriously unhealthy! Sugary or not - They are full of chemicals that our bodies can't use (therefore dehydrating us) Fizzy drinks are known to give us mood swings, food cravings, headaches... The list could go on. So do yourself a favour and cut out the conventional fizz.
Why not try making your own, Healthy fizzy drink? It's easy!
Just buy (or make) some fizzy water and add your favourite fruit juice (not from concentrate) If you want to make it taste a bit sweeter, just add a little xylitol to sweeten things up a bit.
Should you really want that one glass of regular fizzy pop, then have it! if you forbid yourself, you are just more likely to binge on it later.

Remember that we are not forbidding ourselves from anything, you are choosing to have healthier options because we want to lead better, healthier lives.

Swap some of your sugar intake with XylitolXylitol is a Natural, Safe Sweetener that's great for dental health, and helps keep your bones strong!
It's a lot sweeter than sugar, so you will need to use less, for instance if you have 2 sugars in your tea, you will only need one teaspoon of Xylitol. This is a very simple change that could give very good results! And it much cheaper than a diet club membership.
Just remember that too much xylitol (just like other sweeteners) can give a laxative effect, so if you have lots of cups of tea and/or coffee a day, I would suggest you try to cut down on those drinks too.

Less Caffeine...
This is always a sensitive subject for people, as we just love our caffeine. But there's a glimmer of hope for you!
1-3 cups of coffee a day is actually good for you! But if you are having more than 3 cups a day, then I'm afraid that's not so good. Caffeine dehydrates the body, and as we all know is addictive. Try cutting down to 2 cups a day (one in the morning, one late afternoon before 5pm, or save the second or third cup for those evening shifts) Cut down one cup at a time. Once you are used to having one less cup a day, cut the next one out and so on, until you are at 2-3 cups maximum a day.
If you suffer from IBS, it might be wise to only have one cup a day after a meal, or no cups at all, as coffee can aggravate the digestive system.

Have more plant based meals
Meat free meals are quick to make, easier to digest, and are often much cheaper! Grab some vegetarian magazines to get familiar, and give it a go!
I have some easy plant based recipes here on my blog

Eat Organic Where You Can Another very simple life change. It costs a little more, but I find that if I pay a little extra for my food, I'm less likely to waste it. Organic salad ingredients is a great place to start, simply because it tastes nicer!

Why not try ordering a salad box from Riverford or Abel and Cole? Or a local organic farm?

Walk More
Now this could sound like a really drab tip... but with a little motivation on nicer weather days, you could really benefit from this simple life change. Just 5-10 minutes of direct sunlight gives you your RDA of Vitamin D in any temperature, plus, walking being a form of exercise, will boost your mood, and of course, burn some calories.
You could try walking to the next bus stop, park your car further away from your destination, or make a pledge to go for a walk round the block - Or, take a vow to go for a country walk at least once a week, either by yourself for some self reflection time, or with a friend to make it more pleasant if you like company.

Happy Therapy!
It's good for everything, and I will recommend it for everything! Plan something different to do each week. Not only is this a great motivation, it helps by keeping your brain active, and is an opportunity to make some great memories too :-)
Here's some activities you could do that are cheap or practically free!
Country walk destinations
Swimming
Picnics
Batch cooking healthy meals
Making homemade pizza with friends/family
volunteering somewhere for a day
Explore a town or village that you've never been to before
Movie nights with loved ones
Alcohol free cocktail and pamper parties at home
Pen pals
Yoga Class
In fact, any form of fun or relaxing exercise class!
Gardening (burns body fat and you could grow your own salad!)
Blogging, of course,
Reading,
Buying books from a charity shop and re-donating it when you're finished.

There are SO many ways you could change your life for the better. You don't need to change much in one go either. A small change each year could build to a whole new life style in just a few years! You will be healthier, and probably happier, if you just change one thing at a time.

Don't punish yourself anymore with diets. Change the things in life that will benefit YOU! If you know that a piece of junk food will send you off on a mood swing, take a big step and change that habit in a way that will make you feel better.

Only set yourself achievable goals (that includes goals where you may need to push yourself just a little)
Never overload yourself with pressure. Life is meant to be healthy and happy, not one or the other.

Do what feels right for YOU

Once you have cut the junk, and the fad diets, you will start to realise the better things in life. What those better things are, are for you to find out on your journey.

I hope you all have a happy, healthy, and fun new year, and that this post has filled you with confidence that you have the power to change your life for the better, without having to spend tonnes of money on diet clubs.

Vegan Chilli non Carne

I have been meaning to post up some recipes, but because I often don't write recipes down, this task is often tricky.

Tonight (with lots of help) I have made a Mexican inspired dish. I would have called it a 'chilli con carne' But - There's no meat, onions, or chilli in fact, in this meal, so I decided to call it the mild mexican, because it should suit at least some sensitive tummies, like me. 

Follow my Instagram! @AngrySquidge

Makes about 8 meals - Freezable up to one month 

The staple ingredients for this recipe are:
1-2 tablespoons Odourless Coconut oil (it's cheaper than regular coconut oil)
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
1 tin ready cooked red kidney beans
1 cup of dried brown lentils
3 large cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon cocoa powder (you could use half a tablespoon of carob powder instead or one square of very dark chocolate)
2 teaspoons smoked/unsmoked paprika
1-2 teaspoons cumin
half a teaspoon coriander
half a teaspoon turmeric - as it's anti inflammatory
1 teaspoon mild chilli powder (optional)
1 tablespoon of gluten free vegan bouillon or one gfv stock cube  (leave this out if you are super sensitive to onions)
1 bay leaf
salt
black pepper - more the merrier as it is anti inflammatory
1 green bell pepper

The veg to bulk it out - I used in tonight's recipe:
1 onion

1 medium Aubergine (you could use a punnet of mushrooms instead)
1 yellow bell pepper (as well as the green pepper)

I'm running low on veg today so just used what I had in the fridge.

You could add in a fresh onion if you're not sensitive to them.

Method:

Pre boil the brown lentils (takes about half an hour till the lentils are soft)
Chop/process your veg to the size you like them (I like them chunky) Then fry them in a large pot the coconut oil till they have reduced in size.
Add all of the staple ingredients to the large pot, stir, bring to the boil, turn the heat down to a very low heat and leave to simmer for up to an hour ( I often forget about it! So if you're like me, put a timer on so you don't forget) 




Don't forget to use organic produce where possible!

Happy eating!

 - I would love to hear from you if you have used this recipe, even if it's just for inspiration :-)