Battling For Good Health

spidystrider

You're diet sounds so healthy, Rachel. I always worry that if I gave up bread (which I eat 5 or 6 slices of a day), that I would lose a lot of weight. Healthy diets always seem to be low in calories and I could really do with consuming more calories, rather than less.

I didn't know that there were different types of acupuncture. I paid for my acupuncturist and it cost a small fortune. I had 2 lots of 10 sessions and also had Chinese medicine, which was taken as a tea and was absolutely vile. The lady could hardly speak English and at one point she hit a nerve in my hand. Every time I touched that spot, it felt like an electric shock went right up my arm. This lasted for a couple of months. Maybe I just chose a poor practitioner.

I am definitely going to try meditation, as I am sure it will help.

I've just checked and see that TCM is traditional Chinese medicine, so I must have had that

spidystrider

Fitness tv on Sky looks pretty good. I am going to record a few programmes that I can join in with during the week. I am now looking forward to getting started.

Racheldevon

I didn't think bread was partcularly a high calorie food? I wonder if it's worth seeking some advice from a dietian on how to increase your weight in a way that it healthy and adds lean muscle, rather than clogging up arteries! i came across thie website http://www.webmd.boots.com/healthy-eating/features/healthy-ways-to-gain-weight

It doesn't sound like you've had a great acupuncture experience, I don't see someone at one of those chain places that I sometimes see in the high street, they seem to be called things like Dr China etc. I've never had any lasting pain from any of the points, sometimes I feel it go in slightly or a tingling when it's in the sport it shuold be in, but it's not painful, and doesn't last or cause longer term discomfort - I can understand why you've been put off!

One thing you might enjoy that might benefit general health is massage - nearby we have a training academy for massage therapist, and they're always looking for models to practice on it's £7 for whatever treatment you have and it's always supervised, so you can have sports massage, body or aromatherapy, hot stones, facial massage, neuromuscular sessions, indian head etc - might be worth googling to see where people undertake massage training in your area and emailing them to see if they need people to pracitce on!

clairibel

Hi,

You sound like your on the right path and have a good mindset to sort your health out. I use non refrigerated probiotics and they are fine and have helped my health no end, had lots of skin issues and since taking them have found my skin so much better. I use multibionta multivit with probiotics and the best probiotic I have tried is Biokult all cheap on Amazon.

Yoga is great for all your internal organs and mucus, nothing like deep breathing for shifting that lovely stuff, I have sinus issues so know about that but any exercise like walking and fresh air helps loads. I use Bikram yoga when I can and feel so clean and calm after. Heres a free video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVEbOQFW-AM

I'm a carb addict but do eat small amounts of meat. But I do eat loads of veg not so much fruit. Too an acidic environment helps bad health take over, maybe if you made like casseroles and hid the veg

An alternative to acupuncture is acupressure otherwise known as EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique, where you tap a few points on your face and upper torso whilst saying a script...sounds barmy I know but it works, I have recently cured a cat allergy with this method but you can use it on everything especially your health as emotional issues affect our health.

This guy is fab and you just tap along with him on any issues that you have, but read up on it first to get the gist.

http://www.youtube.com/user/eftwizard

Sorry if i've gone on a bit but some of it may help

Hope you find things that work for you soon x

spidystrider

Thanks for the helpful replies, I really appreciate it

Rachel, you are right about the acupuncture practitioner, I did go to one in the High Street and looks like that was a big mistake. Maybe I will look into it again in the future, although it doesn't help that I have a needle phobia.

I love the idea of massage and used to have them regularly many years ago and really enjoyed them.

Thank you also for the link to the information on gaining weight healthily. The half stone that I have gained has been over 6 months and I am managing to maintain it. I do not eat a lot of unhealthy food, but would like to improve even more. I never drink fizzy juices and no longer eat chocolate or any type of sweets. I try to keep dairy at a minimum, but would like to cut it out altogether if possible, as I believe it makes my polyps worse and causes more mucous. I am going to try to add even more veggies into my diet and try more easily digestible fruits.

Claribel, those links to youtube are great, there seems to be loads of classes available on there. I mostly use youtube to listen to music, but it has a bit of everything.

I used to do quite a bit of aerobics back in the late 80's and was really healthy (then again I was only in my late teens / early twenties). I loved Jane Fonda and she has obviously looked after herself through the years, as she looks amazing. I hope I can be as healthy as her at that age .

The tapping is very unusual, but I am willing the try anything, so will definitely give it a go. There is one for healing yourself from the inside, so that sounds like it could be for me.

Once again, thanks for taking the time out to be so helpful :T

stevenazhuo

spidystrider wrote: »

I have reached a stage in my life when I believe that if I do not do something about my poor health, there will be no going back.

I have always been terrible at sticking with anything and have lost count of the times I have decided to get healthy, then given up after a few weeks.

I will be 45 in February. I have mild asthma, nasal polyps and have started to have problems with my digestion over the last 6 months.

Asthma has left me with a constant niggly cough. The nasal polyps fill both nostrils and are so bad that my nose is swollen most days, I cannot breath through it at all and have no sense of smell. Because nothing can clear out of my nose by the normal route, I have post nasal drip, which means everything drips into my throat and makes me cough even more.

I have always had a problem with my weight, but it's the opposite problem from most people. I seriously struggle to hold onto any weight and it's not unusual for me to weigh as little as 6 stone, 10 pounds ( I am 5 ft 3 ins. ) When I get this low, I feel frail and look awful and it's normally at this time that I decide to change my diet and try to gain some weight. This happened in early June 2012, when I upped my food intake and started to gain some pounds. Unfortunately this time, I found that my digestive system didn't cope as well as it has before and I have slowly started to suffer from wind and gastric reflux. I am not sure whether it's something to do with getting older. I have started to eat an Activia yogurt every day and it is helping, but I haven't go rid of the problem altogether. I am now 7 stone 5 pounds and I'm looking a lot better, but not feeling at all healthy.

I have therefore decided to start this diary. I hope that by coming in here every day, to write down what I am doing to improve my health, that I might actually stick with it for once.

My plan is to start exercising every day, which will have to be built up slowly. I am in such a state that walking up and down the stairs can get me out of breath. I need to exercise my heart and lungs and increase my stamina. I will also research everything about my ailments and try out anything ( that doesn't sound too ridiculous. )

I also have to get these polyps under control and do something to get rid of the indigestion problems.

I know most people will tell me to go and see my G.P. but I have done that before and always end up on steroids or some other drug and I do not want to live my life on loads of drugs.

This diary is really for me, to hopefully keep me on the right path. I am grateful for any advice and a good kick up the backside if I am falling by the wayside. I plan to come on everyday to list what I have done and hopefully in time I will see the progress I am looking for.

Monday 8th is my start date, as this is when the kids go back to school and uni and I will have some time to myself. I am therefore going to use this week for planning.

Goals so far:

Exercise to improve my fitness
Get rid of my constant cough
Get the nasal polyps under control
Sort out my diet, to improve my digestion
Keep my weight to as close to 7 & a half stone as I can

So here's to 2013 and a new fit and healthy me :j

You are right.

aashrithasharma

Yes it is good for the health.

spidystrider

I started my new get fit regime today and everything went well.

Day One:

Spent 10 minutes on the treadmill, just to warm me up. The speed was only 2.5 km/hr, which is slow, but it still got me a little out of breath

I then did a half hour of Pilates, which I really enjoyed, although my legs were shaking at some of the exercises. It was a beginners class that I recorded on Fitness TV and I will definitely repeat it. No doubts that I will get better the more I do it.

I used my facial steamer and added four drops of Olbas Oil to the water. This did make me cough quite a bit and made my nose run. My nose doesn't feel quite as heavy now, but not sure if I should keep adding the Olbas Oil, as I really don't want to be coughing. I may just have to experiment with how many drops I add, to stop it being quite as strong.

I take 15 drops of Echinacea every day during the winter months. I also take Calcium, as I am very fine boned and at 44 years old, I feel I should take extra care of my bones now.

I am still waiting for my Zinc/Magnesium supplement, my new probiotic that I will be taking instead of Activia and the Tea Tree Oil that I want to use on my polyps. Hopefully they will arrive tomorrow.

Artytarty

May I ask why you do not use a preventative inhaler for your mild asthma?
I was like you, coughing, post nasal drip etc for years, I didn't even know it was asthma but now that I use my inhaler I feel so much better.

heartbreak_star

Sounds like you've made a really good start - well done on the exercise, it will strengthen your bones and muscles and probably make you feel tons better as well!

I'd definitely recommend a repeat GP visit though, even if it's just to keep your medical records updated. When was the last time you had an asthma check? Inhalers have come on massive amounts even in the last two years.

Be careful with supplements, some counteract others. A good way of getting more calories in your diet is popping fine-milled oats (powdered oats) into yogurt and milkshakes

Good luck in your quest for great health!

HBS x