Where I’m at

I endeavour to live as  ‘clean’ a life as I can but I’m not clean 100% of the time.

I wouldn’t want to be either! I still drink coffee and alcohol and I love chocolate and home-made cake.

I’m sure I would be healthier if I never ate or drank these things, but I don’t want to live a life denying myself of things that bring me happiness.

I do my best to limit these things and make ‘good’ choices most of the time. That way when I do want to enjoy a piece of cake or a G&T I can enjoy it and not give myself a hard time about it.

My aim is to make informed choices about what I eat, drink and put on my skin.

Not all coffee/ cake/ chocolate is equal

So when it comes to coffee at home (which of course is every coffee during lockdown!) I always buy organic coffee.

If I have cow’s milk in my coffee, it will be organic cow’s milk.

When I make a cake it will be with organic flour, butter and eggs.

You get the picture.

Small changes that can make a big difference

I’ve listed below some of the changes that I’ve made in the last 17 years. It includes things I’ve learnt from a variety of sources such as nutritionists, knowledgeable friends, webinars and my own reading.

I hope it will give you something to think about and maybe inspire some positive changes too.

Remember that even a few small changes can still make a difference. 🙂

Dairy and dairy alternatives

I buy organic milk and butter if at all possible. It usually is.

Unhomogenised organic milk is best, but any organic milk is better than non-organic. I’ve found that Waitrose Duchy Original is the easiest unhomogenised organic milk to come by.

If you are a big fan of dairy it’s worth trying out a few of the alternatives as even a lot of organic dairy isn’t ideal. Especially if you have any skin issues or problems with excess catarrh.

I discovered plant-based milks about 13 years ago. My son struggled to process dairy products so rice milk was a revelation to us! Ivan and I would still only ever use a plant-based milk to drink or put on cereal.

It’s always worth checking the ingredients before you buy a plant-based milk. Many of them also contain unnecessary ingredients that are best avoided. Unfortunately they are the brands that are usually found in coffee shops these days.

My favourites are Rude Health Almond drink and either Rude Health or Rice Dream Rice drink. They have a very short ingredients list which is what you should be looking for. In my opinion they also taste much better too!

Meat

We buy organic meat as much as possible.

Animals reared organically are not given routine anti-biotics and their grazing land is free from artificial fertilisers and many pesticides. You can read more about that here.

I also try and reduce my meat consumption and have several plant-based meals each week too. With the rise in awareness of a vegetarian or vegan diet there are lots of places that you can find inspiration for plant-based meals. Deliciously Ella is a great place to start.

Healthy fats (and the low-fat myth)

I used to think I was doing the right thing by buying low-fat or low-salt or sugar products.

It turns out I wasn’t doing myself any favours.

Avocados, butter, eggs, extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil are a regular part of my diet now.

For a little more information on why that’s a good thing you might like to check out this article or this article.

What you put ON your body is important too

Much of what you put on your skin makes its way into your blood stream.

As such it’s important to consider what’s in these products.

I swapped to natural and organic products over 15 years ago.

I keep the number of products I use to a minimum and they are either from Rather Lovely or Neal’s Yard. I tend to opt for Lavera hair products and I’m currently using a Ben & Anna deodorant which I get from The Natural Health Shop on Sir Isaacs Walk or Natural Health & Beauty on Trinity Street in Colchester.

There are so many natural and organic products available now you are sure to find something that suits you. 🙂

A general rule to follow

• Try and keep your food as simple and varied as possible:eat as much un-processed food as you can – cooking from scratch always makes this easier;
• check the ingredients list before you buy food – the fewer the better;
• eat as colourfully as you can – the more varied the colour of your food the more nutritious it will be!

When it comes to what you put on your skin, it’s worth finding a company that you trust. Take some time to read about their values and ethics and their approach to formulating products.

This relates to skincare, sun care, sanitary products, household cleaning products and just about everything in your home. There is a lot of information out there if you want to find out more.

I hope you found something useful here

If you’re interested in making other healthy changes in your life and you’d like to find out how I can help, I’d love to hear from you!

I take a down-to-earth approach to helping you make positive changes in your physical and emotional health and we start wherever you are in your life right now.

​Book in a free 30-minute Discovery Call now. 🙂

Take care,

​Sarah x

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash