If music be the food of love, play on…

So, last week I suggested that you look at yourself honestly and discover the type of person you are and where you fall on the scale of life to give you an idea of the changes you need to make. Over the week though did you notice how the person you thought you were wasn’t the same in reality?

I would say I was a strong-willed determined person, but it seems that is the case only when something interests me, if it doesn’t or doesn’t enough, then I have very little willpower. If there is something I would rather do then I can find any excuse and probably 10 excuses! So, that is something I will need to work on and take into account on this journey. Hopefully you have identified these personality truths too as it will have an impact on how well you change your lifestyle.

Now, on to the challenge I left you with last week – drinking more water!

That too is harder than you think, but it’s a habit you need to keep working on as being dehydrated can have an effect on your skin, your energy level, your mind and how tired you are and even how hungry you are. You see in life we actually need very little, but the one thing (apart from air obviously before anyone comments) that we cannot survive without is water and we do not drink enough. I have had days when I drink a bottle and days when I drink nothing and I have noticed the difference.

In Japan, drinking water when you first wake is widely practised and there have been many scientific studies to prove the benefits of this. It can have a beneficial effect on headaches, cardiovascular disorders and diseases, epilepsy, increased blood fat levels, bronchitis, asthma, tuberculosis, meningitis, kidney and urinary tract diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, diabetes, constipation, eye and vision problems, uterine diseases, menstrual disorders, diseases and conditions effecting the ear, nose, and throat. That is not a list to be ignored!

So if you make one change with your drinking habits, make it this one!

Now, on to this week’s change and it is inspired by the quote from Shakespeare “If music be the food of love, play on”

Music is not just the food of love it is also the food of life and the food of the soul and for any positive changes to take effect we have to be in the right frame of mind (as I have spoken about) and have a positive spirit. Now I am not going to go in-depth into the spiritual path right now, but we all have something, whether you are comfortable calling it a soul , spirit or energy or whatever, it can be affected by our lifestyles and in particular our environment. Balancing the environment forms a big part of my nursery programmes and how our senses and well-being can be influenced by our environment and also nature – this is where the Biophilia hypothesis comes in but more of that in later weeks.

This week I want you to think about sound and music. Sounds that surround us can have a physical effect on our body (give us a headache) or our minds (make us irritated or depressed) and taking the time to analyse your work and home environments in particular and how things are affecting you can be a big step in making your “life” better. Is work very noisy with machinery or argumentative people (this can lead to physical ailments such as headaches or tinnitus or mental fatigue and other psychological detriments such as anxiety or depression), is it too quiet? The opposites can almost have the same effect? Can you make any changes to compensate for these things?

You may not be able to change things directly but you may be able to use music to counteract some of these detrimental sounds. Music as we have acknowledged is the food for the body, mind and soul. Using different music throughout the day (music therapy is used in my nurseries throughout the day) can have a positive effect on your mood, your physical activity and even your digestion!

Here are some suggestions that we use:

Classical music – to calm environments, encourage positive conversation

soft jazz – when preparing food and eating (it encourages slower eating and aids digestion!)

your favourite ‘upbeat’ songs – to encourage physical activity and positive mood

nature sounds – to encourage sleep and distract from other noise

Music can be used throughout your lifestyle and again we do not listen to it enough. Sometimes you feel like you need a good cry, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this and so good old fashioned sad songs will do the trick. But the same goes for when we are feeling ‘down’ or lethargic – put on some happy songs and you can’t help but get up and dance or at the very least sing along and feel more positive.

So this week after you have had your morning glass of water think about how you can use music to improve your mood, your environment, your life.

Till next week xxxx

Change One Thing

It has been a while since I have written on this blog and there are a number of reasons for this. Let’s just say what a year it has been and that whilst my intentions were good not everyone we meet has good intentions!

So, Christmas has come and gone and I have been blessed to spend it with my wonderful man, my children and family. Despite having pneumonia back worse than before I can honestly say peace and happiness has reigned in the house.

And so now my thoughts have turned to 2015 and what this new year may bring. After this last year I have learned that we only plan for the positive as we cannot foresee the negative but it is the negative that can have a deeper impact on our well-being. So I think I shall start this year differently, my only wishes are to be healthy and happy so that whatever life throws along the way, good or bad, I can face it head on and strong!

So each week I’m going to change one thing and set new (good) habits and with any luck lose the bad ones along the way (bad habits form instantly but good habits take practice so if you’re joining me on my journey be prepared to practice plenty!).

I have no set plan right now other than knowing I have to change my ways if I want to be fitter, healthier and stronger – they are my goals, what are yours??

If Endometriosis can grow back why can’t limbs?

I hereby challenge the medical profession – if endometriosis can grow back in my body, why can’t other parts of my body do it?

Why is it only the bad things grow back? Endometriosis, cancer, none of it is of any good to us so how comes we can’t harness the power of the dark side and use it for good?

Surely there must be some clever person out there that can 1. Figure out why they grow back, 2. Harness that phenomenon and 3. Please stop it!

Now facing another operation in 3 weeks to not only exorcise the endo but to try and locate my only surviving ovary and find out what the hell is causing the lump in my cervix!

Good news is my new diet has cut my cholesterol and helped me lose 1st 4lb so far – Yay! (in a sarcastic voice!)

Hit a plateau!

Frustrated is an understatement!

Whilst I am being good with “no carbs” and am exercising I have hit a plateau! No weight loss and back to feeling tired and waking up like I’ve run a marathon. What is going on?

It’s so hard trying to work out which bit is going wrong! I’m going to have to go back to complete basics and follow the same routine and food for the next few days to see if it settles down. Food boredom will set in!

We are what we THINK!

We are what we eat!

It’s the battle cry of many a diet Guru, and to a certain extent it’s true. However, more importantly there is another mantra that we should all be meditating on – We are what we THINK!

Positive mental attitude has always been something used as a tool by successful athletes and I do believe even Richard Branson uses this technique before business meetings. I believe this is something essential for all of us throughout all aspects of our lives. Putting a “positive spin” on situations or activities that may be daunting, scary, hard, unpleasant or any of the other negative adjectives you can think of flicks a switch in our brain, like switching on a light bulb, that somehow makes things just a little easier, brighter, bearable. You never know it may just be the difference between winning or losing, being successful or failing, surviving or losing the battle. So, what ever you are facing, be it a new diet, a new job, a competition, an exam or even an illness, look for the rainbow! What is your “pot of gold” at the end? What is the outcome that will be worth the struggle? That is your “positive spin” that is the rainbow that you follow, that is the light you switch on in your mind! What you think, is what you are!

Dr. Laura Ruby – Women’s Health Expert

Dr. Laura Ruby – Women’s Health Expert. This blog is totally worth a visit! For once it seems there is someone who wants to acknowledge what many of us women have to live with every day and give us answers! I shall be contacting Dr Ruby for more info!