Want to get healthier this spring? Alice Wilkinson talks to three women who tackled a specific health issue & are now living better, healthier lives. Here’s how they did it…
Daily stress
Merrisha Gordon, 44, lives in Bloxwich with her five-year-old daughter. She’s a life and leadership coach
“Wanting to spend more time with my daughter, I left my job in the NHS at the beginning of 2022 to set up my own life coaching business, which I hoped would give me the flexibility I craved. But after a few months of working remotely, I started feeling lonely. I felt a huge financial pressure to make my business work, but in order to grow it, I needed to network.
“As a single parent living in Kent away from my family in the Midlands, it was almost impossible to find the time.
“Slowly, I felt the worry of it all taking over. Stress eating led to weight gain and I wasn’t sleeping well. I was getting impatient with my daughter and finding small things overwhelming. I knew I needed to take back control.
“Feeling stuck, I found a fellow life coach to help. During our initial call, I cried with relief after getting it all off my chest. Over the next few months, she helped me focus on what I could control, rather than what I couldn’t.
“I realised I needed to move back to the Midlands to be closer to family.
“At first, it felt like a step backwards and the practicalities of moving on my own with my daughter felt too much. But as the weeks went on, I came up with an action plan and reframed what was happening as a positive change.
Asking for help can make things feel more manageable
“I also built in daily wellness habits. I started getting up before my daughter to meditate and I’d write down 10 things I was grateful for, which helped break my cycle of negative thinking. Soon, I was feeling calmer and getting more sleep. I noticed the brain fog lift, had more patience with my daughter and was eating more mindfully.
“Starting 2023 in the Midlands felt right. My daughter loves her new school and having a supportive network around us feels amazing. Sometimes, it can feel difficult to see a way out when dealing with everyday stress, but I want anyone who’s going through something similar to know that looking after your wellbeing – and asking for help – can make things feel more manageable.”
If you’re struggling to cope with stress, book an appointment with your GP.
Menopause
Brenda Pollack, 59, is married with two children and lives in Brighton. She is a wellbeing trainer and founder of stresslesscoach.co.uk
“When I look back, I think the first menopausal sign I experienced was in my early fifties, but I didn’t realise it at the time. I was working in a stressful job and put my more intense reactions and powerful moods down to workplace pressure.
“Around the same time, I was experiencing hot flushes and it was only when my husband asked if I thought any of it was related to the menopause that I really started looking into it and realised that yes, it likely was.
“I was keen to try and manage the signs and symptoms as naturally as possible, so read as many books on the menopause as I could, before putting what I’d learned into practice. I’d read that oestrogen is one of the hormones that dips down when you’re going through the menopause and that eating more phytoestrogens – plant-based foods that mimic oestrogen – could potentially reduce hot flushes*. So, I upped the amount of these foods I was eating, which meant more lentils, beans, tofu and soya products.
“I’d never taken supplements, but started daily omega-3 ones after reading that omega-3 fatty acids may help with supporting bone health**. B vitamins were also on my list of supplements, because I’d read that vitamin B12 helps support the nervous system†.
Going through the menopause can be very tough, but this phase has also given me a new lease of life
“I started walking in nature more, too. I’d feel more calm and less tense even after just a 10-minute stroll in the fresh air. I also introduced more yoga and weight-bearing exercises into my routine, because as you go through the menopause, the depletion in oestrogen can make you more susceptible to osteoporosis – weight-bearing exercises may help keep it at bay.
“Going through the menopause can be very tough, but this phase has also given me a new lease of life. After learning so much about the menopause, I decided to retrain as a wellbeing trainer so that I could help other women take control of their menopause signs and symptoms. Drawing on my own experiences to support others feels incredibly rewarding.”
Prediabetes
Rachel Boden, 54, lives in Swansea and is a sustainable fashion activist @ticketyboo0
“I discovered I was prediabetic after having blood tests taken for another health issue and so it came as a bit of a shock. I was one step away from type 2 diabetes and I also had high cholesterol.
“The GP explained I’d need to watch what I was eating, avoid processed food and get more exercise. At the time, I was 14 stone and had been suffering with back pain, but didn’t realise how much my weight was affecting my health. It took a while to get my head around the lifestyle changes looming in front of me, but I was determined to make the changes.
Under consultation with my GP, I started the Fast 800 diet
“I’m the type of person who could skip the main course and have two desserts instead, so it was a challenge to change my eating habits, especially my sweet tooth. Under consultation with my GP, I started the Fast 800 diet, which meant eating 800 calories a day for 12 weeks††, cutting out alcohol and sugar, and cooking everything from scratch. I also started walking more. Changing my eating habits was tough, but something about it only being for 12 weeks made it feel manageable.
“After doing the diet, I found my new habits stuck. Although I stopped restricting myself to 800 calories a day, I had a better eating routine in place. A year later, I’d lost four stone.
“I’m more aware of my sugar intake now, I don’t eat processed foods and I make my own takeaway-style food.
“After I lost weight, I returned to my GP for prediabetes and cholesterol testing. When she rang to tell me I wasn’t prediabetic anymore and that I didn’t need to take medication for high cholesterol, I was joyous. And because I wasn’t carrying extra weight, my back pain had eased off. Managing my weight was the best thing I could have done for my health.”
Want help with your health journey?
Did you know Boots pharmacists can check your blood pressure in store? If you live in England, you can visit a participating Boots store for a free Health MOT†† †, during which your blood pressure and, should you choose, your waist circumference and BMI can be checked. Book in store or online at boots.com/health-mot.
