Healthy nutrition in childhood lays the foundation for optimal growth, learning, and well‑being in the years ahead. As children’s bodies and brains develop at a remarkable speed, the foods they eat play a crucial role in fuelling that progress. Yet in a world filled with convenience snacks and busy schedules, helping children build balanced eating habits can feel challenging.

My name is Lynette Rhodes, and I am the founder of Rhodes to Health nutritional therapy practice. I have a BSc honours degree in Nutritional Therapy (along with a secondary school teaching background in English and Psychology), and it is my mission to support individuals and families in achieving optimal health through diet and lifestyle change.

Understanding what children truly need, and how to make nutritious choices appealing, empowers families to support their children’s health in a way that’s both practical and enjoyable.

Key childhood nutrients

So, let’s take a look at some of the key nutrients needed during childhood and what they do…

Protein

Protein is a macronutrient that is vital for growth and development. It plays a role in the development of muscles, tissues, organs and a strong immune system.

Specific amino acids in protein also support cognitive development and learning. Of the 20 amino acids that make up proteins, the body can produce 11. The other 9 must come from our food. Key sources include meat, fish, eggs, dairy, beans and lentils. Protein-rich foods are often packed with other essential vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc, and B vitamins.  

Healthy fats

Our brains are nearly 60% fat, and omega-3 fatty acids (found in oily fish, walnuts, flaxseed and chia) are particularly associated with healthy brain development and function.  

Although walnuts, flaxseed and chia are good sources of omega-3 fats and hold many health benefits, the body needs to convert them to a longer chain form, which is more beneficial for brain health. Not everyone is good at making this conversion, making oily fish the ideal choice. SMASH is a handy acronym for remembering the best fish for the job: salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring. Fish pie or salmon fishcakes are often the winners with younger eaters.

Raising healthy eaters: Nutrients for healthy bones

When it comes to bone health, calcium, vitamin D (which aids calcium absorption) and vitamin K2 (which ensures the calcium we eat gets deposited in the bones, rather than in the soft tissue) are the top trio. Although meat, dairy, eggs and natto are all good sources of vitamin K2, healthy gut bacteria can also produce it!

Plant foods: Eat the rainbow and opt for wholegrains

This brings us on to one of the most valuable things we can do for our children to ensure they’re getting:

• a broad range of vitamins and minerals,
• antioxidants to protect their cells from damage,
• fibre to support their digestion, keep them fuller for longer, and most importantly, promote healthy gut bacteria

The answer is to include as broad a range of colourful fruit and vegetables as possible!

Carbohydrates supply essential energy, but try to choose wholegrains with fibre (eg oats, brown rice, buckwheat, quinoa), rather than refined white flours.

The challenges for parents

The question is, how do you get a ‘discerning’ eater to expand their repertoire? This can be especially tricky if your child has the ‘super-taster’ TAS2R38 gene variation, which means they are born with a greater ability to taste bitter substances and are more likely to avoid them.

Stress and anxiety can also drive appetites towards high-starch and sugary foods, and temporarily offer comfort. As toddlers struggle to develop a sense of autonomy (which extends to feeding themselves and choosing what goes on their plate), pressure from us as parents can cause them to dig their heels in and refuse to eat!

Top tips for developing healthy childhood eating habits

Here are 10 of my top tips to get children more engaged with their food and increase their intake of healthier food options:

1. A simple hack to increase vegetable intake and variety is to take 10-15 vegetables, blend or chop them up small, and freeze them in cubes, using an ice tray. You can then start by adding just 1 cube per day to a soup, stew or sauce your child enjoys,  gradually increasing the number of cubes over time.
2. Ensure a balanced meal is on the plate at the start of the meal: protein, starchy carbohydrate (ideally wholegrains or potatoes, which contain fibre) and vegetables/fruit, along with a small amount of healthy fat (found in nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil and oily fish, which also counts as protein!).
3. Pin up a tick off checklist of different coloured fruit and vegetables on your fridge – set a weekly family challenge and build slowly.
4. Get your child involved in choosing a recipe and then finding the ingredients at the shops –they could have their own mini trolley. This gives a sense of autonomy and control in making the dish, which may encourage them to try something out of their comfort zone!
5. If you enjoy gardening, involve your child in food sourcing by growing your own vegetables or herbs. They always taste better from your own garden!
6. Read stories together featuring positive messages about healthy foodse.g. Oliver’s vegetables
7. Try new vegetables away from meals (this takes away emotion at mealtimes).
8. Eat together as a family, with you as the parent leading by example. Don’t underestimate your influence as a positive role model in your child’s eating behaviour.
9. Although this is very difficult to do as a parent, try to let your child’s appetite, rather than your desire to feed them, be the governing factor.
10. Finally, don’t give up! Although young children are naturally neophobic, meaning they’re not big fans of unfamiliar foods at first, most do come around with plenty of calm, pressure-free exposure.³  It can take 8-15 tries to accept a new food!

Want to know more about raising healthy eaters?

If you would like further support in healthy eating for you and your family, relevant to your particular dietary choices, lifestyle and circumstances, Rhodes to Health offers a one-off diet MOT, which includes a 1-week family meal plan.

I also provide longer-term support packages for various chronic health conditions across all ages. You can find all the details of my services and how I can help on my website.

Head to the homepage to read the latest articles about parenting, wellbeing and adoption.

Most of us have some kind of first-aid kit for our physical health, even if it’s just a couple of suspicious-looking plasters that are a bit curly around the edges and a couple of painkillers. But what about a kit you can dip into when your mental health isn’t great?

I first came across the concept of having a mental health first-aid kit when I read Dr Emma Hepburn’s first book, “A Toolkit for Modern Life: 53 Ways to Look After Your Mind”. I was in quite a bad place at the time, having experienced complete burnout.

I’d got to a stage where I felt like I was able to start to learn how to help myself. I came across Dr. Hepburn aka @thepsychologymum, following a recommendation from someone on Instagram. I bought her book, but didn’t have particularly high hopes that it would help.

A book about how the brain works isn’t something that has ever been on my reading list. I expected it to be very dry and difficult to read. But Dr Hepburn’s Instagram feed isn’t like that at all. She uses diagrams and simple, relatable language to explain why we feel a certain way. And how to help ourselves feel better. So, I had high hopes that the book would be easy to understand, too.

Mental health first-aid kit

One aspect of the book that struck a chord was the benefits of having a mental health first-aid kit. It’s such a simple concept. But also, a very powerful one.

A first-aid kit for our physical health is fairly standard. Plasters, bandages, antiseptic and medicines. If you have a particular condition, you may have more specialised items (and a prescription delivery service can help you with that). But generally, that’s what most of us have.

The beauty of a mental health first-aid kit is that you tailor it to exactly what you need. Therefore, no two are the same. And it certainly isn’t something you buy off the shelf from a pharmacist.

So, how do you create a mental health first-aid kit, and what needs to be in it? The answer to both of these questions is that it entirely depends on you and your needs.

In terms of the kit itself, it could be a physical thing. Perhaps a lovely box to keep the kit in. Or it could be a list kept in your phone or in a notebook. Mine is a list in a Trello board which I can access from my phone, tablet or laptop so I can use it wherever I am. A lot will depend on what you have in it.

What should you put in it?

In terms of what goes in it, spend a bit of time thinking about what your go-to things are when your mental health isn’t great. What helps you relax or makes you feel calmer? Is there a book or magazine that always helps? Or a treat such as a candle or snack that always helps? What about music? Are there songs that take you to a calmer place? When you’re feeling stressed, do you have certain things you do to help you sleep? If you’re looking for inspiration for this, check out these tips from Tales of Belle.

My list is walking, music, a bath, talking and breathing. They’re quite general, but I know that they will all help me gain control of my thoughts and work through anxiety. Breathing is always a good starting point for me. It’s an obvious one but taking a few minutes to breathe deeply and notice my feelings helps me start to understand them better. And 10 minutes of my favourite tunes makes a huge difference for me. If you want some help with a playlist to boost your mood, have a read of this fab article from Whimsical Mama.

When we’re experiencing poor mental health, we often struggle to know how to help ourselves. Particularly in times of overwhelm. So, having the things that you know help you, somewhere you can easily access them, can really help.

I’d love to know if you have a mental health first-aid kit and if you do, what’s in it? Leave a comment or drop me a line. Whilst it is an individualised thing, it’s useful to know what others have in theirs too.

“A Toolkit for Modern Life” is available to buy in bookshops, including Amazon* and you can read my full review of it in the book review section.

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*This is an affiliate link, which means if you click it and then buy the book, I get paid a fee from Amazon.

I’d been off for a while following my mum having a stroke. When I went back to work, everything had changed. It was the start of 2021 and we were still in the midst of Covid-19. Unfortunately, I didn’t receive the support I needed to get me back up to speed and I felt like I had no idea how to do my job.

I worked as a legal adviser in a courtroom. It was a stressful job at the best of times. But due to adoption leave and sick leave, at the start of 2021, I’d been away from work for 18 of the previous 24 months. Things had changed so much because of Covid. Despite having over twenty years of courtroom experience, I was left feeling like I was completely incompetent.

Panic attacks

I felt like I was on the verge of a panic attack most of the time and would come out of court ringing with sweat. I’d start to give advice in court and my mind would go completely blank. I thought all of this was because I’d lost my confidence due to the amount of time I’d been off.

It was clear I wasn’t going to get the support I needed from management, and was actually told that the trainees (who were 20+ years younger than me) were being given priority for support over me. I felt completely useless and that I couldn’t do my job anymore.

So, with nothing other than the beginnings of a writing business, I handed my notice in and left my job. I felt like I had no choice. I was becoming ill because I felt that I wasn’t capable of doing my job. So I left.

I knew things wouldn’t be a bed of roses straight away, but I felt a huge sense of relief at not having to go back into that environment. I had some work and was confident I’d soon have more.

Noticing menopause symptoms

I was sitting at my desk writing one day a few weeks later when the penny dropped. I was feeling relaxed and enjoying my work when I felt a warm feeling start in the pit of my stomach. It gradually moved up my body, front and back until it got to my neck. I felt like I’d been hit by a bus. I cried my heart out for the next 30 minutes or so and had absolutely no idea why. Then, as quickly as it came on, it passed.

After a frantic search on Google, I realised I’d had a hot flush. And then I realised that is what I’d been experiencing at work. And that a lot of how I’d been feeling over the last few years were probably perimenopause symptoms.

What is perimenopause and menopause?

Perimenopause is the time leading up to your periods stopping. Not everyone will experience symptoms during this time, but a lot of people do. These range from being mild to affecting daily life and can start many years before your periods stop. I think I was 45 when I first started experiencing them. I was 49 when I connected the dots.

You reach menopause when you haven’t had a period for 12 months. Symptoms can start many years before you reach menopause and continue afterwards.

The main symptoms of perimenopause

• anxiety
• changes in mood – such as low mood or irritability
• changes in skin conditions, including dryness or increase in oiliness and onset of adult acne
• difficulty sleeping – this may make you feel tired and irritable during the day
• discomfort during sex
• feelings of loss of self
• hair loss or thinning
• headaches or migraines
• hot flushes – short, sudden feelings of heat, usually in the face, neck and chest, which can make your skin red and sweaty
• increase in facial hair
• joint stiffness, aches and pains
• loss of self-confidence
• night sweats – hot flushes that occur at night
• palpitations – heartbeats that suddenly become more noticeable
• problems with memory, concentration and ‘brain fog’
• recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), such as cystitis, and for some, this may be linked to bladder changes or incontinence, which makes understanding different types of incontinence especially useful
• reduced sex drive (libido)
• tinnitus
• vaginal dryness and pain

For me, anxiety, hot flushes and brain fog were the worst. But because there was a lot going on in my life during that time (bereavement, becoming a parent again, a global pandemic) I just assumed that everything I was feeling was down to that. Some of it will have been. But I’m pretty sure that the vast majority of the symptoms were due to perimenopause.

I didn’t go to my GP straight away because I wanted to monitor things. Over the next few months, I experienced crippling anxiety for about five days before my period, for a few days after it started until a few days after it stopped. I was getting about a week of feeling ok before the cycle started again.

Talking about menopause

Menopause is still a subject that isn’t talked about enough. Things are getting better and many large companies and Government departments have menopause policies. But they’re only any good if staff and in particular, managers, are aware of them.

The Government department I worked for has one. But I didn’t know that at the time. It’s something that all women should have been made aware of, regardless of their age.

It’s something I’m going to talk to my girls about when they’re older. I didn’t have any conversations with my mum about it either as a teen or adult. Make sure you educate yourself about the symptoms, whatever your age. A lot are common to everyday life. But if you start to experience one or two of them, it’s worth going to speak to your GP.

There isn’t a single test you can take so your GP will take into account things like your menstrual cycle, your age, your symptoms and their severity and regularity. Blood tests won’t conclusively say whether you’re perimenopausal as your hormone levels fluctuate throughout the month.

My GP was lovely. I was convinced she’d say everything I was experiencing was just life and that I should just get on with it. She didn’t. She listened and said that everything pointed to perimenopause.

Treatment for perimenopause and menopause

A lot will depend on your symptoms and the impact they are having on your daily life. Some people find natural remedies, exercise and a change in their diet keep their symptoms at bay.

The most common medication is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). This involves taking oestrogen because your body stops making as much when you experience peri and menopause. If you have a womb, this must be taken with progesterone to protect the womb lining from the effects of taking oestrogen.

The form it takes varies. I have patches which I replace twice a week. I have two weeks of oestrogen and then two weeks of progesterone patches. They are worn below your waist, stuck to your skin. I find mine work best on my bum cheek or the side of my hip. Depending on your history, you may be prescribed HRT in tablet form or in a coil. Sometimes, people have a combination.

It takes about a month for HRT to start to work, but it can be very effective in controlling symptoms such as hot flushes, brain fog, joint pains, mood swings and vaginal dryness. I honestly felt like a new woman once my patches started to work. It wasn’t until they did that I realised how bad my symptoms had been.

HRT pre-payment certificate

As with all medication, there is a risk. But generally, HRT is an extremely safe treatment for menopause. The cost of receiving it has recently reduced thanks to the introduction of the HRT pre-payment certificate. It costs £19.30 and covers most HRT for a year. That’s a big saving as each of my prescriptions count as two because they contain two different hormones.

Other treatments include anti-depressants, blood pressure or epilepsy medicines, oestrogen tablets or gel (with HRT), cognitive behavioural therapy and testosterone gel. Eating calcium-rich foods such as kale and yoghurts helps to keep your bones healthy.

So, if you think you might be experiencing perimenopause symptoms, make an appointment with your GP. They’ll take through all of your treatment options, including the risks and benefits of each one.

If you enjoyed reading this article, why not buy me a coffee to show your support for the magazine? If you’d like to read more articles about adoption, head over to the home page and have a look at what’s new.

I can still remember the sheer panic I felt when the first lockdown was announced. I know a lot of people relished the idea of being at home. Many embarked on a huge clear-out of their homes. Some took up banana bread making. Others took to gardening. I took to panicking. It’s something I became an expert in very quickly.

In March 2020, I’d been back at work for just over five months after a year of adoption leave with our youngest daughter. I had just about got back on my feet at work when our lives were plunged into chaos when we were told we had to stay at home.

I worked as a legal adviser in Magistrates’ courts and at that time, all of my job was in a courtroom. The majority of hearing types were cancelled. But we still had to run courts for people who were being held in custody. That meant I still had to go in to work once a week.

I felt like I was part of the film “The Next 28 Days” every time I went in. I was terrified of touching anything. Or being near anyone. The wave of panic that engulfed me every time I went to work meant I felt like I had no idea how to do my job.

Write it down

Fast forward a few years and my mental health is definitely still affected by that time. I find it difficult to look at photos I took during the first few weeks of lockdown. They bring back a feeling of complete panic and helplessness.

Life for me is still very complicated and overwhelming. I knew I needed something to help me feel like I was in control again that didn’t take up much time. I love to write and definitely find writing how I feel helps to get my worries out of my head. When life feels challenging, it can be easy to get engulfed by all of the negatives and forget about the good things.

I was interested in finding out whether regularly writing down things like my feelings, goals, self-care, and things I’m grateful for would help lift my mood. So, I jumped at the chance to try out Happybyme‘s 12-week happiness planner to see if it would fit the bill for me.

The planner lifted my mood as soon as I opened the parcel as its cover is a beautiful bright yellow. It felt like a little ray of sunshine on a grey and rainy day. The planner is designed to help you focus on the things that make you happy by writing them down daily. It’s created by positive psychologists using research and science to help you improve your well-being in fun, easy ways.

How journalling can improve your mental health

The first few pages of the planner guide you through looking at what makes you happy and satisfied in your life. This involves completing a life wheel and looking at your core values which help you to identify what you’re working towards.

The rest of the planner is broken down into weeks. Each week starts with you identifying your values, what is most important that week, what is non-negotiable, and the things you want to do for yourself.

Taking a few minutes at the start of each week to do this really does help to identify what’s important to me. It’s very easy to start the week with the best of intentions, but then forget about things as life gets in the way. Writing them down is a great reminder of the little things I can do that makes me feel better. Like going for a walk, taking a bath, or just finding 10 minutes in my day to read a couple of pages of my book or magazine.

The end of each week has a page to reflect. Again, taking a few minutes to fill this in has helped me build on what’s gone well, and reflect on the little things that bring me joy. My daughter said to me over the weekend that hugging me always makes her feel better. Hugging her (and her sister) is one of my greatest joys in life. Even on the worst days, I will always be grateful for that. Recording how hugs make me feel and being able to read them when things feel tough, is a great mood booster.

I’ve been using the planner for a few weeks now, and I can feel the difference. Finding little pockets of time to do things on my own, or with my family, feels much more achievable. Having everything written down reminds me of what makes me feel good and why.

Happybyme

The ethos of Happybyme resonates with me a lot. This time last year I walked away from a successful 20+ year career and the financial security it brought because it wasn’t making me happy. Whilst Covid brought a lot of negative things into my life, it also gave me the gift of reflection.

I realised that continuing on my expected career path was never going to bring me joy and fulfilment. Walking away from my career is the scariest and most difficult thing I’ve ever done, not least because of the lack of financial stability. But it’s given me the chance to re-evaluate what happiness and success mean to me.

It’s the simple things like taking my kids to school and finding out about their day on the way home. Having the time to listen to them read. And spending time with my mum. Or taking her to medical appointments without having to ask someone if it’s ok for me to take leave. Those are the things that make me happy. Using the happiness planner has helped me realise that too.

To find out more Happybyme, head over to their website. I was kindly gifted a copy of the planner so I could try it out and write this review.

If you enjoyed reading this article, why not buy me a coffee to help keep the magazine free for everyone to read? If you’d like to read more articles about adoption, health and well-being, and parenting, head over to the home page and have a look at what’s new.

There are many reasons why we take up running. For some of us, it’s the alone time; a chance to relax and reflect on the day. For others, it’s to get fit, while many of us also use it to combat the likes of addiction.

Running is often prescribed by medical professionals to help combat a number of mental health problems from depression to addiction, and visit any alcohol rehab and you’ll find exercise a key part of the recovery plan. It’s the perfect hobby for anyone that’s looking to clean up their life and get that bit healthier though, and it can become a real bug.

Many people live, sleep and breathe running not long after getting started, and there are some great books out there to enjoy, particularly if you are new to the hobby. So, if that’s you, here are five great books to read and get you pounding the streets in no time…

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

This fascinating book explores the secrets of the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico, known for their incredible running abilities. Born to Run tells the story of a group of ultra-runners who travel to Mexico to learn from the Tarahumara and compete in a 50-mile race. Along the way, they discover the power of barefoot running and the importance of community in running.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is a memoir by Haruki Murakami, a celebrated Japanese author and runner. In the book, Murakami reflects on his own experiences with running, including his training for marathons and ultra-marathons. He also explores the connections between running, writing, and creativity, offering insights into how running can benefit other aspects of life.

Chi Running: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running by Danny Dreyer

Perfect for runners who want to improve their technique and prevent injuries, Chi Running offers a holistic approach to running, incorporating principles of tai chi and mindfulness into running practice. The author, Danny Dreyer, provides detailed instructions and illustrations to help runners achieve optimal alignment, balance, and relaxation in their running.

The Complete Book of Running by James F. Fixx

This classic guidebook is for runners of all levels. Originally published in 1977, the book has been updated and revised over the years to reflect the latest advances in running science and technology. The book covers everything from basic training principles to nutrition, injury prevention, and racing strategies.

Running Like a Girl by Alexandra Heminsley

Running Like a Girl is a memoir by Alexandra Heminsley, a writer and runner based in the UK. The book chronicles her journey from a self-described “exercise-phobe” to a marathon runner. Along the way, she shares her insights and advice on how to overcome mental and physical barriers to running, as well as the joys and challenges of being a female runner in a male-dominated sport.

Head over to the homepage to read the most recent articles.

Being able to fit in exercise is something I thought would be so much easier when I started working for myself. But so far, it hasn’t worked out like that. I’ve had to accept that at the moment, I can’t get up early enough to exercise before the school run. And now that the nights are longer and it gets dark earlier, exercising in an evening doesn’t work for me either.

That leaves during the day when the kids are at school. Despite my best intentions, it just isn’t happening for me. I’m still in the early days of my business and I feel like I need to be working on or in it, all of the time. And at the moment, I feel that I can’t justify spending time exercising during the day.

So, what’s the solution? I need to do something to keep my body and my mind healthy and the longer I leave doing anything, the harder it will be to get back into it. Here’s some options I’ve found for exercising at work.

Work out at your desk

This is an option I hadn’t thought of but on the face of it, it ticks all the boxes. Perhaps one of the benefits of lockdown and more people working from home, is that the fitness equipment industry has created products that we can use at our desks.

There’s a range of equipment you can buy that’s designed to be used at a desk. I like the idea of getting a cardio workout while I’m typing by using desk exercise equipment such as a stepper or minibike. The beauty of these machines is that they fit under your desk and can be used easily while you’re there. If I’m focused on work, I don’t want to have to get up to access a piece of equipment so these desk machines would be perfect.

A walking desk

Unfortunately, a walking desk doesn’t do the exercise for you, but lets you walk (or run) while you work at your computer. At first glance, this is an expensive option. But with many of us now being given the flexibility to work from home and an equipment allowance, this is a sound investment if you’re serious about improving your fitness while you work.

I would imagine it takes a bit of practice to be able to jog and type at the same time, but if you’re an experienced runner, this may be a great option. Running isn’t my thing, but I love to walk and like the sound of this. So, it’s on my wish-list.

A stand-up desk

Standing up while you work can help to improve your circulation and posture. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to go straight into a day of standing but building up gradually and even doing an hour a day will be of benefit. You’ll need a desk that’s adjustable so you can get it at the right level for you.

If you’re feeling in need of an added challenge, why not add a balancing board into the mix? They’re great to use with a standing desk and can help to improve your brain function, balance, and develop core muscles.

Desk exercises

If you don’t want to buy any equipment, there’s a lot of exercising you can do at your desk. You could try wall or desk push-ups; calf raises and knee squats; or triceps stretches and neck rolls. There are many blog posts and online desk workouts you can try that are free.

I’d love to know whether you exercise at your desk and if you do, what do you enjoy the most? It’s definitely something I need to start doing to help improve my health and well-being.

We all know that seafood is good for our health, but it’s often hard to figure out exactly why. Some people absolutely love the idea of trying new foods, but when it comes to seafood there’s always people who hesitate first. 

It’s not that they particularly don’t like the taste or have even tried it, it’s just that when you look at wild tiger prawns you might not be able to help but envision them swimming around the ocean. Oysters always have a place on a luxury table, but have you ever considered sucking one down? There were plenty of benefits to eating seafood and it’s why it’s one of the most popular foods for people to eat. In this article, we’ve put together some of the reasons why you should try seafood and have more of it in your diet.

Image source: Pexels

It’s all about those Omega threes

You may have heard it a lot, but omega-3 is not just another buzzword. It’s one of the biggest benefits of eating seafood, the Omega threes. Consumption of this particular mineral has been found to help treat inflammation and help eyesight. It’s also a good way to help to treat the symptoms of depression. It’s not going to be a cure, but it’s certainly going to taste good and it’s going to help.

It will help your cholesterol

There are two different types of cholesterol, and LDL which is low density lipids it’s considered bad. Fish like salmon are packed with HDL, or high-density lipids, and these help to break down the LDL and help decrease your risk of cardiovascular illnesses. This is the kind of cholesterol fighting stuff you want to be eating and knowing that it’s going to taste good when you smother it in sweet chili or lemon is just one of the many reasons you should say yes to having more salmon in your diet.

Seafood is a very lean source of protein

Without a healthy source of protein, your muscles are not going to heal properly after injury. When you work out strenuously, you need to be able to recover, and that means you need to have a good amount of protein in your diet. Fish is an excellent source of protein and even the fattiest types of fish are often healthier than some other meats. There is an immense variety of fish out there for you to choose from, and there are so many options to decide which is the best fish that you could eat to suit your individual protein needs.

There are no hormones or antibiotics or filler in fish

There are things in some meats that have been known to cause allergic reactions, and there are links out there to show an increase of antibiotic resistant bacteria. In fish, there are no hormones or filler in the same way that there are some meats, which means you can feel safe to eat this food and enjoy it.

You can prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes

Often associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes is something that you will have for the rest of your life once it develops. Fish like salmon and black card can help those who are at risk of type 2 diabetes to stay healthy. When you consume this kind of fish, you will enjoy lower glucose concentrations, and replacing your red meat in your diet with fish can help to lower that diabetes risk by up to 35%.

I came across Dr. Hepburn aka The Psychology Mum from a post on Mother Pukka’s Instagram feed. Anna was sharing her experience of post-natal depression and that The Psychology Mum had helped in her recovery. At that time, I was really struggling. I felt completely overwhelmed and didn’t know how to help myself to start to feel better again. I watched Anna’s interview on BBC Breakfast in floods of tears. So much of what she said resonated with me.

After watching the interview, I searched for Dr. Hepburn on Instagram and started to follow her. She’s a clinical psychologist and uses wonderful illustrations to demonstrate how our minds and brains work. Her book “introduces her proven and practical tools for taking care of your mental and emotional well-being every day.”

A book about a brain

If you’d told me at the start of this year, I’d be reading a book about how your brain works, I’d have said no thanks! The subject matter isn’t something I would have jumped at reading a book about in any other set of circumstances. But this year hasn’t been normal. By any stretch of the imagination.

For some reason, looking after our mental health still isn’t seen as a top priority. The culture of keeping on keeping on has been engrained into us from an early age. Carrying on when you’re ill is seen as a strength. I work in a culture where going to work when you’re ill is applauded.  Saying that you can’t cope is seen as a weakness. That’s how I felt. Life was tough for everyone, so what gave me the right to say I wasn’t coping?

At the time I started to read this book, I was having counselling sessions. My counsellor explained some of the basics about what was going on in my head. I understood what she was saying, but it didn’t connect with me. My head felt so full that I didn’t know how to do what she was telling me to. Reading the first few pages of the book changed all that.

I read the book in chronological order but you can dip in and out of the bits you feel you need at any given time. It explains the theory of how our brains work. But also the practical side. Why we can feel the way we often do when difficult things happen in our lives? And how we can deal with them better.

My lightbulb moment

For me, the lightbulb moment was the chapter about your capacity cup. When my counsellor explained the theory about this, I didn’t really get it. But seeing that theory in a picture made complete sense. I began to understand why all of the things I’d experienced over the last few years had led me to burnout.

The book is packed full of information, advice, and exercises to do to help you recognise when your mental health is starting to suffer. What action you can take to take a step back? And how you can help yourself to recover and break the cycle. Some of the things, I already knew. But seeing them represented in the drawings made so much more sense to me.

As the wonderful @motherpukka says on the front of the book, it’s “A mandatory read for anyone with a brain.” And it really is. It will give you the tools to look after your mental health in a world that feels like it’s changed beyond recognition in the last 12 months. “A Toolkit for Modern Life will help you to cultivate positive habits and feel more confident, happier, and in tune with yourself.”

Reading the book hasn’t solved all my problems. But it’s given me a good start on that process. If you don’t follow The Psychology Mum already, go and say hello. Her wonderful images will help you feel better and more in control.

A Toolkit for Modern Life: 53 Ways to Look After Your Mind is available to buy from Amazon and most bookshops including Blackwells

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We are Mandy and Steven Worsley and we became parents through adoption 14 years ago. Our nine month old son came home forever on 10th June 2005. It was the best day of my life. After many years of heartache, six rounds of IVF and a miscarriage, it was a very special day for us and one we celebrate each year. Our son is now 15 and loves this day as it’s like an extra birthday every year.

We then went onto complete our family when we adopted our 11 month old daughter in November 2007. That meant another special gotcha day to add to the family calendar. We’re now a happy family of four.

My husband set up his own business in 2005 so he could have more time at home and be a hands on dad. I worked part time for the NHS. Life was good but we had a vision and a dream to build our own house on our family farm. This process was a long and expensive battle with our local council. But like other challenges we’d already overcome in our life, we tackled it head on and didn’t take no for an answer.

Between 2013 and 2015, the plans for the house developed from just a family home into a business venture too. This is what the council wanted us to do to be able to go ahead with the build. So, the idea of Chetham Farm Retreat was born.  The original idea was for a home with a B & B business attached. But if I’m honest, this didn’t really sing to me.

As I lay in bed one night on the farm in the caravan we’d moved into with the kids, two cats and a guinea pig, it came to me. Why not make it a place for adopted or foster families to come and stay? It could be a place where they could relax and bond and take time out to just be a family.

I’d just taken redundancy from my job in the NHS after 26 years and was looking for something I could retrain in. I came across a programme called Relax Kids. This is a programme that helps children and adults to learn relaxation techniques through movement of the body, yoga, massage, mindfulness and meditation.

Following my training in 2017, I started working freelance with schools, adoptive and foster families to offer emotional health and well-being support. Using all my experience as a paediatric nurse working in mental health, relax kids training and other training I’ve done over the past few years including positive touch through story massage, I’ve enhanced my skills and knowledge.

I’ve worked closely with my local authority, talking to prospective adopters. I was also an active panel member for an adoption charity in Manchester. All the while the retreat was taking shape and being built.

After 17 months of caravan living, we were finally able to move into half the house and get the B & B up and running.

At this stage we were also staying in the guest bedrooms so if we had a booking, we all had to pile into one room! A few months later we where able to move into our own bedrooms leaving all three guest rooms free for families to come and stay.

The retreat has also evolved from just being a B & B to becoming a holistic hub where we run yoga, meditation and workshops for all aspects of emotional health and well being. My vision of working with adoptive families from the retreat and offering therapeutic support is still an ongoing project.

We’ve been contacted by Cambridge LA who want to send a few families to us. They describe the package of support we offer as unique and not on offer anywhere else in the UK. It’s amazing that we’ve been recognised as providing a service that is needed. But that in itself brings its own challenges. We really hoped that these breaks could be funded by the Adoption Support Fund (ASF) but so far this hasn’t been possible.

I believe that is because we are breaking the mould. Stepping outside of the traditional and offering something bespoke, unique and innovative. I just see this as another challenge we have to face. We won’t give up on our dream to help and support adoptive families.

We’ve worked with many outside of the retreat setting and also had self funded families come and stay. We’ll keep on pushing to be recognised by the ASF, which will then make our service accessible to all families in need of this vital work.

We’ve also started fostering babies in the past two years. This has filled our life with fun, love and laugher. We believe 2020 is the year that Chetham Farm Retreat will become the centre of support for many families in need. Please take a look at our website and all our other social media platforms to keep up-to-date with our story and progress.

In my late teens and early twenties I was an international gymnast competing as a middle of a women’s group in Sports Acrobatics. Training at such an intensive level meant I didn’t have to watch my weight. I’ve grew up with a balanced diet mixed with treats in moderation. I was a bit more careful with what I ate as we approached competitions but on the whole, I ate what I fancied.

That all changed when I retired from gymnastics in my mid 20s. I soon piled on the weight and struggled to find a form of exercise I enjoyed as much as gymnastics. The next 2 decades have been spent on a quest trying and then discarding a wide variety of activities.

I have a home DVD exercise collection that would support a large gym. I enjoy this type of exercise, but the size of my collection reflects the fact that I get bored easily. Usually with the music rather than the dance. An actual dance class is your answer, I hear you cry. It probably would be if I didn’t have to get changed, leave the house and travel to do it. I’ve had my eye on several classes and I even went to one for a while. But they’re at set times and those times usually don’t fit in with my life.

Swimming is something else I enjoy. Once I’m in the water, it’s quite relaxing and a joint friendly way to get fit. Unfortunately, I’m not one of the privileged few that has a pool in their back garden. That therefore means I have to travel to go swimming. And then get changed. And then get dried and changed at the end of it. Before I was a mum, that was actually quite a nice way to spend a few hours. Now I just don’t have the time.

We’ve had an exercise bike in our spare room for years. It is something I used regularly but it was quite uncomfortable and felt like a chore to do it. I felt good afterwards but much like my dalliance with running, I hated doing it.

So what is the answer? As is often the case when you can’t see the wood for the trees, it is actually very straightforward. Running gave me absolutely no pleasure at all. I used to feel jealous of who runners who constantly bang on about how great they feel after a run. It’s their space to think and breath. For me it was torture but I felt it was the only sport I could do outside. I was missing a trick and I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to find the simple answer. Which of course is walking. I love being outside. I love the freedom of losing myself in music while I soak up the atmosphere around me. Walking is the perfect answer.

Two things have happened over the last few months which have been lightbulb moments for me and my fitness. The first was to do what I vowed I was never going to do again and join Weight Watchers. I did it for a lot of reasons. After a very dark and long winter, I was extremely unhappy with my weight and uncomfortable in my skin. For a while I felt that so many areas of my life was outside of my control. I hate not being in control and I’d dealt with that by sitting on my backside and eating rubbish.

Making some small changes didn’t really make a difference. I knew Weight Watchers would. However, this time I’ve gone into it with a different mentality. I’ve always done it before thinking it was a short term thing. Losing weight was the aim, but when that was achieved, I’d go back to doing what I did before. Unsurprisingly, that led to the weight going back on. This time it’s more about re-educating myself about healthy food and cooking healthy and enjoyable meals.

The second thing that happened was signing up for a walking challenge at work. For 8 weeks, we’re challenging ourselves to walk 10,000 steps every day. For some people, that’s the norm. They have active lifestyles that mean they do that before lunch. I’m not lucky enough to have a job that allows me to do that on the 3 days I go out to work. I work in a courtroom and getting up every so often to do some steps is generally frowned upon.

The challenge has really made me think about my lifestyle. It’s become easy to not move around very much. I did the challenge last year and managed 10,000 some days but was usually only doing around 8,000. That’s still good, but I felt this year I needed to up the anti and take it seriously. We’re currently in week 7 and I’ve done at least 10,000 steps every day except 2 which were still both over 8,000. Pushing myself to do the steps has been the kick up the bum I’ve needed. I’ve lost weight but more importantly, I feel so much better in myself.

So, once the challenge is over and my subscription to Weight Watchers runs out, I’m going to stick with it. Healthy eating, relaxing things a bit at weekends. The most important thing though it keeping up exercise. I’m determined I’m going to fit 10,000 steps into my daily life. Whatever the weather.