Looking at your internal protection as well as external.

Much of the focus during this pandemic has seen us prioritise good hand hygiene alongside other ways to minimise infection such as wearing face masks and changing clothes after being at work in a front-line environment. First and foremost these are necessary and vital hygiene practices that should be a natural part of our daily lives going forward, not just for the immediate now.

Yet we also need to look at how we can keep our immunity at an optimum to give us a better chance of coping and more importantly to feel healthier in our daily lives.

I am an advocate of using a balanced approach to our health & wellbeing. Whilst there is no doubt that certain diets and regimes will reap a result, these sadly tend to be of a short term benefit as opposed to long term.

Denying yourself things too quickly can make you feel disspondent and fed up. So try and work with whatever your weekly consumption of both food & drink is by writing down a food diary each week for a whole month. Why a whole month instead of a week? Well…this is because our hormones dip & trough, particularly more so for women and those expereinecnh the menopause journey. For example, I’ll crave sugary drinks & sweet things in the week leading up to my monthly, yet have absolutely no interest whatsoever at looking at a cola drink or cake after this time.

Once you have gathered this information, take a good look at what you have down on paper. Everything from main meals to snacks, nibbles from the kids snacks, what you drink, both hot & cold and units of alcohol. Then take the approach as you would when you have a clear out of your wardrobe or home clutter. See your food diary as your wardrobe & clutter. Clear out everything that no longer serves you from a healthy perspective and replace them with items that make you feel good when you see them or buy them.

Be aware of family genetics. Are they large boned, medium or small? Does your extended family tend to be of similar shapes & sizes? What is your family health history? Things like heart issues , cancers, osteoporosis issues, skin issues ( eczema, psoriasis) Help build a mental map of where you fit health wise. These are tools that can also help you see where you need to tweak and adapt your nutrition and to accept your bodyshape.

Exercise is equally as important to be doing along side any diet changes. It can be a brisk walk for nearly an hour, cycling a route up challenging hills, a jog or run, walking up stairs quickly, anything that elevates your heartbeat so your body begins burning the calories.

These small changes will allow you to achieve results over a longer period of time that are more manageable, less disappointing and will last. You’ll also be helping boost your immune system. Something that is even more vital now as we navigate through COVI-19.

So, moving onto looking at our external protection.

Our hands are one of the primary sources of harbouring germs. Yet with shops & restaurants slowly beginning to re-open alongside hair salons etc we are now met with a hand sanitisation station upon entering any premises. This is a positive step and I do understand the need for us to have these implemented. Yet each hand sanitiser product will vary from shop to shop, both for its quality and efficiency. So its no surprise that soon enough our hands will start to become dry. We might even see flare ups of eczema type conditions as well as allergic reactions to the products themselves.

I’ve listed here a few brands that I personally use to give you an idea of how well they work in not only keeping my skin moisturised but last.

Note: ( These are my own opinions I haven’t been sent or received money to promote these products)

Nivea Soft- This one sits on my kitchen windowsill. Its very quickly absorbed and has a subtle aroma. Very little grease once you have massaged it in thoroughly and my skin doesn’t react to it. This is a great go to for handbags and everyday as it is good value for money, which is a must when you are using them a lot.

Burts Bees- Lavender & Honey. A slightly smaller tube than I had hoped and this one is on my bedside table as it forms part of my nightly skincare ritual. I love its natural smell using Lavender essential oil, known for its soothing & relaxing properties, but it has a great moisturising effect, just wish it was in a slightly bigger tube. Equally this is a treat as it can be more expensive than the Nivea Soft.

Neals Yard- Melissa Hand Cream & Wild Rose hand cream

This is why I love Neals Yards products and am a consultant with them. Both these hand creams are workhorses. The Melissa Hand cream is deeply nourishing with soft mallow extract and has a lovely lemon balm scent. It absorbs well, leaving skin feeling soft. Whereas the Wild Rose hand cream is more of an everyday use cream, not only does it smell divine it absorbs quickly.

Whilst I’m on the topic of Hand Creams, I though I’d also quickly cover hand sanitises that I carry around with me.

Note: ( Do not leave high concentration alcohol sanitisers in your car, especially on a sunny day, apparently there have been reports of combustion! )

I use -Dr.Bronners/ Lavender Hand Sanitiser

also

Neals Yard Hand Defence Spray- Both have a ton of natural elements and essential oils as well as 70% alcohol content. They are easy to apply, both are a spray pump bottle ( recyclable) Neals Yard can also be refilled! But equally they help centre and calm once spritzed. I often get comments of “ Oh what is that lovely smell” they are surprised when I say it is my hand sanitiser. I prefer to use the pump sprays for two reasons, it is easy to apply and in measured amounts whilst also creating a fine antibacterial mist around the area I am spraying. Gels I find tend to squirt out in a blob, either too much or too little and have little scent.

Neals Yard Remedies do an amazing line called ‘Defend & Protect’ which extend to a hand wash and hand lotion and some refills making this an eco friendly and sustainable purchase.

Do let me know what your go to sprays and creams are?

Also, here is the link to my Neals Yard Consultant website if you were interested to learn more https://uk.nyrorganic.com/shop/meadowsweet