Life, from the very first gasp to the last laboured breath we take, is finite. Once born we are set on a life trajectory which varies greatly from person to person. A multitude of factors shape our lives from our parents to our location of birth, wealth, poverty, friends, education, health care….

Living in the modern world we can; see it all, do it all and eat it all. Our lives, although finite, can be stuffed full of experiences and all for the betterment of ourselves and our families???

Sadly, the modern world has also created many avenues that do not allow us to choose the best paths, especially in relation to optimal health or taking care or the environment and the future of our off-spring. We are bombarded with so much info we find ourselves switching off and burying our heads.

Did you know the number of people in the world living on less than £1.50 a day is 736 million (worldbank.org)? There are 2,208 billionaires in the world (Forbes’ 2018 rich list) with the richest 1% owning half of the world’s wealth. The contrasts are stark.

These figures may not be of interest to you, however what is important to note is that if you are reading this then you are one of the lucky ones and because of this you have the ability to make the best of your short time on earth for yourself, family and the environment.

I have been listening to people tell me their backgrounds and health stories for over 20 years. I work with very low income to high salary earners. Interestingly the same problems keep popping up when I ask the question: How do you value your body? And what steps do you take to keep it healthy?

Amazingly many people are oblivious to what they are doing to themselves – they are completely unconnected to their body and the fact they may be making choices that has led them or is leading them down a path of ill health.

We all know the stereotypical Rab C Nesbitt types with fags and booze at hand, sitting all day on the sofa with battered Mars Bars! Crazily, you don’t have to be a smoker, a drinker or ‘lazy’ to fall into trouble with your health.

I hear people everyday tell me what they believe the “good for health” message is, and my goodness much of it is claptrap, difficult, expensive, sucks you into some scheme, or worse still makes your life miserable. The other side of the coin is the person who smugly feels that they can eat, drink and do anything they wish as the NHS will fix them if they fall ill. Sadly neither is ideal or anywhere close to reality. You need to constantly evaluate your health and invest for the future. Family and environment included.

Before I go on, I am not saying to go and start drinking, smoking, and eating processed junk! What I am saying is that just because your friend or your trainer or the people at your slimming club are recommending something amazing for them that it will automatically work for you. Chances are you have tried everything under the sun in terms of diets, exercise and stress relief already. Consider the number of apps on your phone for health related topics – is it embarrassing??!

So the message I am spreading is:

STOP and evaluate your health….

Consider that you may not be following the right advice for you…

Do any of the following common issues I see resonate with you?

• Pounding it at the gym with no improvement in weight loss or performance?
• Take a multivitamin and still feeling fatigue?
• Always hungry? Even after a meal.
• Frequently ill? Needing naps?
• Gut health issues? Bloating, wind, acid reflux.
• Skin issues?
• Temperature irregularities?
• Struggling with good quality rested sleep?
• Issues with depression and anxiety?
• Low mood?
• High cholesterol and on a statin while following a “healthy diet”?
• Excess fat around the middle?
• Difficult and prolonged recovery after exercise?

 If “Yes” what can you do?

There are many areas of your day-to-day life that you can focus on over time to address your health and well-being. Although I am a Dietitian, I am also a Health and Lifestyle Coach as diet is only one aspect of fixing or optimising the whole person.

I focus on ensuring you are sleeping correctly, addressing anxiety and stress, assess and manage the correct food choices that suit your gut and overall physical and mental health, talk through the exercise options that suit you for age, sex, weight, hormones and ultimately health. This is integrated into life for ever to ensure you can manage the surprises, good and bad, that come your way.

Investing your health now will save a lifetime of potential health misery. Car insurance does not cover petrol, windscreen wipers, car wash etc so neither should your healthcare insurance.

After all your health is your wealth – without it you can do very little.

If you are unsure of how to change your eating habits, or need help optimising the foods you eat please do contact us. We would love to help you or your family and friends with any nutrition related queries big or small.

In the meantime do please check out our 121Dietitian Shop

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• Book a consultation via our Online Portal
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Gillian x

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