Tag: healthylifestyle

Happy Easter!

March 29, 2018

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Easter weekend is almost here, a four day break to do whatever you want to do! So how are you going to spend it?

In the past I would have seen a long weekend as four days of eating what I want, drinking what I want.  Still planning lovely things with family and friends but just feeling rubbish 90% of the time. Tuesday would come around fast and I would be feeling far from fresh, hungover and bloated, sluggish, just praying for Friday to come around again!

It doesn’t have to be like this!

So why not use this time, these four days, to recharge your batteries!

  • Plan to do some sort of exercise everyday. A family walk, bike ride, football, trampolining – even sledging if we get the snow! (with our weather anything can happen!)
  • Buy food in for healthy meals, bake a healthy recipe with the kids, try something new, pack a healthy picnic for a walk. And don’t forget the chocolate it is Easter!
  • If your cutting down or stopping drinking, make sure you get some alcohol free alternatives – becks blue, no alcohol wine, tonic/soda water with fresh fruit, find a new mocktail recipe, there are so many alcohol free drinks available now in supermarkets. (and personally mine still has to be in a wine glass!)
  • Buy yourself a new book. I have read more than ever since I stopped drinking, I think in general you just seem to have more free time and want to do more than just collapse infront of the tv! Reading is definitely my chill out time. Some of my faves are:  The Sober Diaries – Clare Pooley, Living With No Excuses -Noah Galloway, Unlimited – Jillian Michaels and Kick The Drink – Jason Vale which was the game changer for me! Some good fictional reads are,  Another Love – Amanda Prowse and Summer Secrets by Jane Green.
  • Download a new dvd, or plan a cinema visit, lose yourself in a good film. If you haven’t seen The Greatest Showman then please go, its A-MAZ-ING! And I guarantee you will download the soundtrack straight after like we did- its now on full blast every morning on the school run!

So why not have a different Easter this weekend, focus on what you enjoy doing and don’t just slip into the old habits of doing what you would normally do. You will wake up Tuesday feeling recharged and refreshed, with lots of energy for the (short) week ahead!

What healthy things have you planned for Easter? any advice or tips?

Have a happy, healthy and hangover free Easter guys!

Angie xx

 

 

Moderating Madness…….

March 24, 2018

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Ok so for me moderating anything,  let alone alcohol is impossible! I am definitely an all or nothing sort of person, some people call it an addictive personality, I like to think of it as passionate! I don’t do sitting on the fence, moderating or grey areas, I’m either in or out, I either love it or hate it!

So for me moderating alcohol was just a no go area although it took me a long time to realise this. The amount of time I would spend thinking about how much I should drink?  Should I have another glass? Should I open another bottle? Should I say I’m driving? And to be honest as soon as I had a couple of glasses any plans I had spent all week putting together of moderating went out of the window, so all that time was wasted, pointless energy!

And then, if on the odd occasion I would manage to have just one glass, I would think well  what’s the point?  There was no enjoyment in one glass it would just leave me wanting more and feeling miserable, not pleased or happy with myself.

People will debate this and there are a lot of mixed views out there.  But I do strongly believe there are people who CAN have just one drink then stop, they are the people who will probably never need to stop or want to stop drinking because they don’t have a problem with it. But then there are others, like me, for who that one glass is never enough.

So for me the only option was to have a total break from the booze and see how I felt, see if I could manage and carry on as normal without drinking. I didn’t put a time limit on it but just seemed to carry on and on, one day at a time.  I realised that by removing alcohol from my life I had also removed all the time I spent thinking about trying to control it too. Suddenly I had all this space and time to fill with other stuff!  So with me being all or nothing I went all out healthy! I started filling my mind with positive stuff, such as exercise, challenges, recipes, planning healthy meals, and just more of the good positive stuff!

This blog isn’t about  preaching to others  to stop drinking,  it’s just to share my journey to better health.  Everyone knows that you don’t have to stop drinking to get healthy, but for me I felt it was the only option and it’s what worked for me.  It’s totally turned my health and lifestyle around, I’ve turned into someone I never thought I could be and that’s a pretty amazing feeling!

So are you one of the lucky people who can stop at one glass? Can anyone give any advice for other readers on how to moderate? Or are you like me – an all or nothing kinda person? And that’s nothing to be ashamed of, we are the passionate, crazy ones don’t forget! I would love to hear what you guys think………..

Happy Saturday!

Angie xx

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