6 changes to make 2015 healthier

Living with illness or not, everyone knows it's important to make some effort towards being healthy. Those who have experience of living with a condition  will also be aware that having good health and being in good shape can improve your outlook. Exercising much more in 2014 made a difference to my hypermobility, so in 2015 I want to continue with the positive changes. I spent ages on Sunday trawling through websites and blogs to look for some inspiration of things I can put into action, and these are my chosen 6:

1) Drinking a mug of warm water and lemon in the morning

For a long time my first drink every morning was coffee, which is not good and I have tried really hard to cut the habit out. I've heard a lot before about trying warm water first thing. It apparently helps with digestion, can be a natural way to help alleviate pain, can help with constipation and weight loss. The lemon is a good source of vitamin C, good in these winter months when there are germs a-plenty, and is also a natural anti-bacterial product. My hairdresser also swears it does wonders for your skin, which is always a big advantage.

2) Using a health app

I rarely put my iPhone down and I know I'm not alone in that. Health apps are being used more and more and I get lots of emails at work advertising new ones. They cover literally everything, but a good general one that monitors your intake of food and drink and exercise is a good place to start if you have nothing really specific to target. My Fitness Pal has long been a favourite of mine. I used it loads when I was a student and wanted to stop neglecting my diet. It basically tracks what you eat and drink against how active you are and tells you what you should be aiming for each day. It's great for weight loss if you want to slim down, but you can also use it to just make sure you aren't over or under-indulging and even to gain weight if you need to. It's free to download and really user-friendly.

3) Eating fruit before anything else

I've always been fairly good at fitting in fruit and veg in my adult life. What I do find though is that I cram it all in during the afternoon or evenings, meaning I am less likely to get the recommended 5 a day (or 7, depending on if you can handle that much!) which I would like achieve. Eating a piece of fruit first thing is actually pretty easy, especially something easy like a banana or apple. Including it in your breakfast helps too, but if you are busy and in a rush, grabbing something out of the fruit bowl is ideal.

4) Using fresh ingredients instead of jars/packets

This would depend a lot on how you feel about cooking and how much time you have. There are lots of great recipes out there for class dishes like spaghetti bolognaise, chilli con carne and curries that can be made fresh with spices and vegetables, rather than using shop-bought jars and packets. It's actually not that difficult either and you can alter things to be more to your taste. Once you have a good stock of spices in your kitchen, you don't even need to buy much each time you make a meal. Simply scratch is a really nice site that has a lot of recipes on, if you are looking for a place to start. I also want my weekly food shop to look like this more often:

5) Alcohol swapping

Okay, so if you love wine, this is a hard one. I LOVE wine, it's a complete guilty pleasure and I could could easily have a glass almost every day, which I don't, but still. It's also up there with the most fattening of all the beverages, which is sad. I'm going to attempt to switch from drinking wine to trying spirits with soda/tonic or low fat soft drinks. This may or may not go well. A couple of friends have mentioned in the past how much this has helped them lost them weight along the way, which isn't my goal, but it seems a bit healthier. Well, as healthy as it can be where alcohol is concerned. There is no way red wine can completely be banished though. No way,


6) Do more things I enjoy

Mental health is just as important as physical. Being happier overall is far more likely to make me succeed in the above, because when I am happier, I am more motivated in general. I ended last year stressed, tired, overworked and a bit fed up, which had a negative impact on my general well being. I'm going to attempt to do at least one really fun, enjoyable thing a week, even if it's something silly like watching Bridesmaids with my housemate for the 393485th time. Smiling is good for you, laughing is good for you, so it's time to do more.

I'm not looking at these as strict resolutions, because they won't all last or work out, but it's good to have things to aim for. Happy, healthy 2015!

6 ways you know you have an invisible illness

1)      You wake up in the morning looking and feeling fine. All is going well and you think this might be a good day for you. A day where you can get things done and feel like a normal, functioning member of society. Half hour later you are falling apart, things hurt for no logical reason, you can’t quite make it into the shower and you consider putting painkillers in your tea. You still look fine though, and you can't decide if this is good or bad.

2)      You approach inanimate objects with an air of extreme caution. You can’t just throw yourself onto a sofa or jump into bed because who knows what the consequences will be. Waking up in the mornings on a beautiful day and throwing open the curtains is far too dangerous. Your shoulder could come out of its socket and ruin the whole day. Sometimes you also need to mentally prepare to shower. It’s not a decision to be taken lightly.

3)      You experience deep and confusing emotions If you feel well enough to let your hair down and have a few (or a lot) of drinks at the weekend. While most hung-over revelers wake up on Sunday worrying they have drunk-texted someone they shouldn’t or accidentally phoned their boss, you wake up too scared to move. Who knows what damage you might have done while having fun? You have to slowly and carefully make your way to the kitchen to re-hydrate and eat all manner of carbs. If you have got away with it you then begin to feel invincible and consider doing other activities that you normally avoid before realise your head hurts too much and you go back to bed.

4)      Explanation exhaustion. Telling people who aren’t aware invisible illness exists or can’t quite comprehend them becomes tiring very quickly. You may even have devised a short, concise script of what to say when someone asks why you were off sick or why you can’t get out of your chair.

5)      Planning is something you have to do with great care. You never know when symptoms will flare up and mean you can’t go on your day out or go visit your friend or even go for dinner. Plans are for days when you feel good and you know your body will last the duration. You also have to ensure your friends and family understand your condition so they can’t hit you with ‘but you LOOK fine, maybe you can come for a while?’ 

6) You often have to face the injustice of feeling hungover when not so much as a drop of wine has passed your lips. Waking up with a raging headache, joint pain, shaking, needing painkillers just to face the shower. All of these are followed by the overwhelming urge to shout 'WHY ME? WHY? WHY?' but instead you just get on with it and start your day the best you can because you are a God damn warrior. 

Parsley tea for period troubles

Working alongside doctors and nurses everyday means they are all subjected to me firing questions at them about medical complaints, of which I have plenty. About five months ago, I was busy complaining about how badly I suffer from late periods and pains and oily skin and hair at the joyous time of the month, when a colleague popped up and told me I needed parsley. I have never given much thought to parsley, I mean; it’s not that riveting is it? I knew nothing about it apart from that it came in two forms: flat leaf or curly. Fascinating stuff.

I was very apprehensive when I was told that I should brew myself some parsley tea. I am a tea enthusiast. I love the stuff. Normal tea, green tea, cranberry tea, ginger tea, black tea, tea with milk, tea with honey. All of the tea. The idea of parsley tea however, did not really fill me with caffeine delight. Apparently parsley, which is rich in vitamin C and A, both powerful antioxidants, is actually laden with health benefits. The most surprising thing to hear is that it can help to regulate periods and hurry along late ones. Upon hearing this, I politely nodded and thought to myself ‘errr, yeah okay.’

However, after a really horrible stressful month, my period was very late (about 2 weeks and I was definitely not pregnant), I was bloated, I was grumpy, my skin was horrible and my hair needed washing twice a day to look presentable. I was so fed up that I swung by Sainsbury’s and got some parsley (and about 2000 calories worth of M&Ms). My housemates were mildly horrified to see me throwing some freshly chopped herbs into a cup of boiled water, and to be honest, I was with them. It doesn’t look or smell like much fun. I was instructed to drink two cups for two days. It was pretty easy, just finely chop a handful, pour over the water and wait five minutes. Guess what happened after cup 3?

It worked. Or it was a coincidence, but either way, I was impressed. I also had the most mild and quickly passing stomach cramps for a very long time. I began googling parsley tea and stumbled across loads of forums and posts stating that it really helped with periods and bad skin and a number of other things. There were also a few that said it was rubbish, of course. I decided to try it again the following month, and drank a few cups in between for good measure, and hey presto, barely any period pains and it was bang on time, another extremely novel and sadly exciting thing in my life. After two months of herby, bitty, light green tea, my skin was also looking better. I am as sceptical as the next person about this kind of thing, but I believe in parsley tea. I have used it for four months, and my period pains have subsided, it’s been on time and I don’t look seven months pregnant the week before. I mentioned it in passing to my GP, who said it was definitely good for you, though in true GP fashion when it comes to herbal remedies, she didn’t have much else to say.

I would recommend giving it a try if you have similar woes. However, please brace yourself for the taste. Unless you are parsley groupie, I would add honey or lemon to soften the blow. Drinking it quite hot works too, as the longer you leave it the stronger the taste. It can also apparently help with fatigue and is good for cleansing the kidneys as it is rich in potassium; ideal after a heavy weekend or mid-week happy hour. However I have been told that it isn’t recommended for people with kidney conditions and shouldn’t be drank when pregnant.

If you suffer from misbehaving periods however, I would give it a go.  Just another reason why tea is fabulous.

Snacking for joint pain

I’m having a day where I finish eating and immediately begin looking for the next snack victim. I blame catered meetings and knowing where the treats are kept at work. I was told earlier that eating strawberries is good for joint pain, as I sat at the kitchen table shoving them in my mouth and nursing a painful shoulder. Multi-tasking is key. Apparently the science behind this is that strawberries may reduce levels of C-reactive protein which is a sign of inflammation. Most sufferers of hypermobile joints will know how painful they become when inflamed. I’ve also been trying anti-inflammatory smoothies after exercise lately which I have been quite impressed with. http://bend-trend-hms.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/liquid-sunshine-smoothie-for-your-joints.html 

Another equally tasty snack is nuts- namely almonds, walnuts and seeds which are high in omega-3 fatty acids and also help with inflammation.

Something I wasn’t aware of before is that an imbalance in omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids can lead to pain and inflammation in joints. Health conscious people who keep on top of their veg consumption will be keeping their omega-6 down, as veg helps to reduce levels. Heartbreakingly of course junk food increases omega-3 fatty acids, so if you feel like your nutrition could do with some tweaking these are good things to keep in mind.

Having hypermobility syndrome or EDS Hypermobility type can mean that you have seriously alter your way of life to help deal with pain and joint problems. Diet, along with some willpower if you struggle with that sort of thing can really help.

Blueberries and raspberries along with strawberries may also be helpful as they are packed with vitamin C, which is good for keeping joint wear and tear at bay.

There is also a vitamin B-3 (some sort of secret vitamin perhaps as I only found out about it a week or so ago) that is also known as niacin. Word on the internet is that it helps protect your joints for the future, reducing the risk of developing nasty joint and pain issues like osteoarthritis. Good food sources for this are crimini mushrooms and tuna, chicken breast, asparagus and salmon.

Happy munching.

Eating for your joints

I stare at a pot of cod liver oil capsules on my desk at work every day. Not the most pleasant of views. Even the use of the words ‘liver’ and ‘oil’ upset me slightly. Of course they are extremely important for good joint care, as physios and doctors have told me time and time again, meaning I have a daily ten second meeting with Seven Seas. Cod liver oil capsules aren’t the only thing you can do to give your joints a helping hand. Hypermobility sufferers should take extra care in looking after joints. One way to do this is through one of life’s greatest pleasures- food.

Glucosamine is a good place to start with eating your joints healthy. It is a compound that is found naturally in the body and produces glycosaminoglycan, which is a cartilage repairing molecule. Oooh science. Your body will do its best to repair your joints should cartilage damage happen, but it will do an even better job if you have a rich supply of glucosamine.

Shrimp shells, lobster shells and crab shells all contain glucosamine. This may not sound like the most appetising collection of snacks, as the shells are often considered difficult to digest and are often discarded. However, if you are a budding chef and have an experimental streak in the kitchen, the shells can be ground down and added to soups and casseroles.

If this is all a bit much on the effort front, try sports drinks. While some are very sugary and calorific, there are lots of lower sugar and less calorie options around too. People with hypermobility, when they are able, should be doing exercise anyway, so having a sports drink when you are being a good person and working out makes perfect sense. It’s important to try and be helpful to your body with glucosamine, as the body makes less as we age.

Manganese is a helping co-factor in building cartilage and is much easier to add into your diet. The manganese will aid the glucosamine to keep your joints in good shape. Simply eating more beans, nuts, whole grains such as bread and cereal, seafood and leafy vegetables can give you a good dose of manganese. Drinking milk is helpful too.

Seafood is a bit of an emerging pattern here and it is a champion when it comes to omega 3 fatty acids. You can only get this from including it in your diet or taking supplements. Your body factory won’t be whipping any up on the production line, so it’s important to throw some in. The anti-inflammatory assistance from omega 3 helps to calm down pain and swelling in joints, something hypermobility sufferers know plenty about. Eating fish like cod, salmon, sardines and trout are ideal, as are walnuts and eggs. Flax seeds are also very good for omega 3, and can be found in some breads, or can be sprinkled on cereal or in yogurts.

Stepping away from fish, vitamins C and E should be featuring in food diaries. They help to produce collagen, which is a key factor for hypermobility.  http://bend-trend-hms.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/science-and-no-more-silence.html

Corn, nuts, potatoes, oats, papayas, broccoli, tomatoes, strawberries and of course all citrus and zingy fruits are a good place to start.

A lot of activities that come with hypermobility are unpleasant and painful, so eating to be helpful is definitely a nice change from the clicking, cracking and aching of physical therapy and exercise.