Get Back into Whack by Sue Ingebretson: Book Review

Front cover of 'Get Back into Whack' by Sue Ingebretson
AD: I was gifted an advanced PDF copy of ‘Get Back into Whack’ by Sue Ingebretson but I have also now purchased my own ebook copy. This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.


FURTHER READING:

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7 Tips For Getting Through Difficult Days With Chronic Illness

Aerial black and white photo of fog and mist through a forest.
Photography credit: Frances Gunn
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.

Living with chronic illness is challenging, both physically and emotionally. Some days can be especially tough.

In today’s post, I am sharing 7 tips for getting through the difficult days with chronic illness.

1. Focus on the present moment

Minimising stress is really important if you are experiencing a flare up as stress will exacerbate your symptoms.

Often the biggest cause of stress is wishing for the past or worrying about the future. Unfortunately, we can’t change the past and the truth is, you don’t know what will happen in the future either.

Worrying about either of these things is– to put it bluntly– wasted energy.

I appreciate it is not easy, but the best thing you can do for yourself right now is to focus on the present moment.

Take things day by day and focus the energy  you do have into things that will help you to feel as well as possible. That could be doing nothing and that’s okay.

2. Listen to your body

It’s human nature to want to ignore our symptoms and push through them. Sometimes we just want to experience ‘normal’ things or get on with life as best we can.

The problem with this approach is that pushing ourselves never works. At some point we will crash and the aftermath always feels devastating.

I empathise and understand that sometimes the only option is to push through and keep going. But, when you are able to, it is worth listening to your body and surrendering to its needs.

Prioritising rest can feel frustrating but trust that it is not time wasted. Quite the opposite.

Symptoms are unpleasant but they are your body’s way of communicating with you. A flare up is your body’s way of telling you that you need to slow down.

Would you rather take the time out now to give your body what it needs? Or would you prefer to keep fighting and potentially prolong your current state of health?

There’s no right or wrong answer there but this is what I ask myself before I decide to push through or rest. Will I be able to cope with the fallout or am I better preventing it?

3. Rest as much and for as long as you need to

Speaking of rest, so many of us fight it. I know I used to.

When I crashed hard I would only allow myself a set period of time to fully rest. I think I was scared that if I stayed in bed too long I’d get worse.

With hindsight, I can now see that this was illogical. I was fighting against what my body was telling me to do.

There can definitely be a disconnect between the brain and the body. Make sure you are listening to your body over your mind when you make decisions about what to do.

I wish I had valued rest and given myself permission to rest as much as I needed to.

This can admittedly be hard to do when the medical advice often given to overcome chronic fatigue is to exercise (which, in my experience, does not work).

The truth is, if your body doesn’t have the resources to do what you are asking of it, you are fighting a losing battle.

Rest up and only start to move and do things again when you actually feel like you are able to.

For me, that really only came when I discovered the underlying cause of my fatigue and had treatment (that was right for me).

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4. Tell someone how you are feeling

Having bad days is tough and it is even tougher to go through it alone. Open up to someone and share how you are feeling.

Getting the support of someone else can give you a boost when you so desperately need it. It also means you can get the help that you need so that you are able to fully rest and recover.

However, choose who you speak to wisely. You need to speak to someone who will understand and empathise with you.

If you open up to someone who doesn’t get it, then you will sadly create more stress for yourself.

I appreciate that not everybody has someone in their life that they can open up to in this way. That’s why I feel the online chronic illness community is so amazing.

There are many lovely, supportive and helpful people on social media, be it twitter or support groups.

If you don’t feel comfortable speaking about your situation another great thing to do is to read blogs by people who are going through similar. It can really help to feel like you are not alone in what you are going through.

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5. Pamper yourself

I use bad days as a perfect excuse to pamper myself. Whether that means simply getting into my best, comfy pyjamas or having a candlelit bubble bath, I will do anything that helps me to feel better.

I tend to make a list of things that I find enjoyable but easy to do and save those for my difficult days.

Although there have been times when all I could do was lie in a dark room and do nothing (and that’s perfectly okay to do if that’s what your body needs) if I am able to do these things it can help to lift my mood.

I am talking simple things such as colouring, drawing, listening to certain music or audiobooks. I also like to watch certain movies that require little concentration on my part.

6. Don’t beat yourself up about it

One of the most important things to remember when you are going through difficult days with chronic illness is that it is not your fault. You are dealing with challenging circumstances that are not your fault.

Although we can all fall into a negative mindset, it is grossly unfair to put yourself down, feel guilty or beat yourself up about your chronic illness.

We can be our own worst enemy at times and it can be helpful to challenge and reframe our thoughts.

For example, imagine it was your best friend or someone very close to you who was going through this. Would you be saying the same things to them as you do to yourself?

I highly doubt it. This is, therefore, a gentle reminder that you do not deserve to be told these things either.

7. Stay hydrated & eat nutrient-rich foods

I don’t know about you but when I experience challenging days with chronic illness, I can struggle to drink enough water and have a tendency to think “sod it” and eat foods I usually avoid.

I’m not someone who thinks of food in terms of “good” and “bad” as I don’t think that’s right. But, I have come to learn which foods help and which hinder me in terms of symptoms.

Over the years I’ve learned that one of the best things I can do for myself on the difficult days is to ensure that I am giving my body proper nutrition.

Eating well and drinking plenty of water sounds basic and boring. But, it honestly helps me when I feel very depleted.

I find using a refillable water helps me to keep track of how much I am drinking. I try to slowly sip water through the day and also drink herbal teas.

Preparing and freezing meals during the better days means I have healthy food readily accessible for the bad ones (slow cookers are great for this). Which means I am setting myself up to make better choices.


I hope you find these tips helpful. If there is anything else you would add to the list, please share your thoughts down below in the comments.

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Originally published: 29/02/16
Updated: 22/10/19

Working With Chronic Illness

Photo shows a square gold tray with a grey and white chevron pattern. On it are two small vases with white flowers, a cup of tea, two notepads with covers that read 'seek the unknown' and 'achieve'. Part of a laptop can be seen in the right corner.

After 5 years of being unable to, I am finally at a stage where I am working with chronic illness. Today, I thought I’d share a few tips and strategies that are helping me to find the balance between working and managing my health.

Invisible Illness Awareness with Welbeing

Photograph of Donna in her teal mobilty scooter on a path in a park.
AD [Sponsored Post]: This post has been sponsored by Welbeing.
Photograph from 2016.
Increasing invisible illness awareness is important to me. This is because it can be one of the most difficult aspects of living with illnesses, such as Fibromyalgia, M.E and chronic Lyme Disease.

Invisible Illness Awareness

With these illnesses, how someone looks on the outside doesn’t necessarily reflect the severity of their symptoms. This can lead to comments such as, “but you don’t look sick” or “you look well“, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

The problem with comments like these– and judging invisible illnesses by looks alone– is that it invalidates how the person is truly feeling.

The truth is invisible illnesses like Fibromyalgia, M.E and chronic Lyme disease can be severely debilitating. They can impact every minute of someone’s day and the choices they have to make.

Imagine living in constant pain and feeling the exhaustion of the flu day-in-day-out. Not knowing if you are going to be able to manage daily living tasks, let alone anything else.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Yet, invisible illnesses continue to be misunderstood or not taken seriously.

Young People and Chronic Illness/Disability

I think this is a problem that is further compounded by age. Too many hold the misconception that illness and disability are somehow reserved for the older generations.

The reality is that illness does not discriminate.

Many young people with chronic illness rely on mobility aids and care to help them live as well as possible.

My Experience

Personally, before my health improved, I often relied upon the care of my husband and parents and used a mobility scooter or a wheelchair when I went out.

I was an ambulatory wheelchair user. Meaning I could get up and out of my chair, walk short distances and I could personally manage a few steps.

However, if I was to walk longer distances I’d suffer from increased pain, feel incredibly ill and experience post-exertion malaise that could put me in bed for days.

My wheelchair and scooter were so important in helping me to participate more in life without it being to the detriment of my health.

Worrying About What Others Thought

Yet it took me a long time for me to feel confident enough to purchase one. This is because I was worried that I shouldn’t be using a mobility aid.

Was I sick enough? Was I justified in using one?

Unfortunately, I knew that society can be judgemental and this led to these fears and anxieties.

Thankfully, I did eventually overcome these feelings and I purchased my mobility scooter.

Despite it being the best thing for my health at the time, I had many looks and stares from people whenever I went out in my chair/scooter. I think this was because I didn’t look outwardly sick and because I would often get out of it.

I know that there are many young people who have had it worse and have been confronted with nasty comments etc.

Unfortunately, too many people still wrongly believe that mobility aids are reserved for people who are non-ambulatory or elderly.

Welbeing’s Campaign

All of this is the reason why Welbeing, one of the UK’s largest telecare organisations, is campaigning to raise invisible illness awareness.

Welbeing provides services to over 75,000 users. One of these services being personal alarm systems.

Welbeing is finding that personal alarms are typically seen as something associated with the elderly. However, they want to highlight that they can be invaluable to young persons living with chronic illness/disability too.

Personal Alarms Can Help Young People Too

Close up of a man using a laptop wearing a personal alarm bracelet by Welbeing

Having a personal alarm can offer a sense of security that alleviates the anxiety of being home alone.

It’s something that never even crossed my mind as being available to me when I was sick. And, I can’t help but wonder how many young people could benefit but don’t know it’s a service that’s available to them?

There were many times when my health was poorer where I chose not to do something because I was home alone (e.g. going for a bath). I’d wait until my husband was home because it made me feel safer.

Yet, it wasn’t always the best or most suitable time for me (in terms of how much energy I had). I can’t help but wonder if I would have been that bit more independent if I had the security of a personal alarm.

I felt passionate about helping Welbeing raise invisible illness awareness and to share the services they have available.

Their campaign is called “Making the Invisible, Visible”.

The more we talk about the reality of chronic illness, hopefully, the more people will understand and empathise with what it is like to live with them. With that, I hope to see an increase in access to services that could help make a positive difference to someone’s life.

LEARN MORE ABOUT WELBEING


Would you consider using a personal alarm? Is it something you think would help you live better with chronic illness? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

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Chronic Pain Art: ‘Within the Shadows of Pain’

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Limited Edition art print ‘Within the Shadows of Pain’.

 

Today, I want to take the time to write about my piece of chronic pain art titled ‘Within the Shadows of Pain‘. This is my first piece of artwork directly inspired by my experiences of living with Fibromyalgia and Lyme Disease.

The Reality of “Looking Well” When Chronically Ill

Portrait of Donna taken from slightly above looking down. She has ombre brown-red hair, wears a red rose headband, purple glasses and a white shirt with horse print. She is looking down and smiling gently.,
A photo taken of Donna in 2015. Would you know that she was ill from looking at her?

Today, I am writing a blog post that I’ve wanted to write for years but couldn’t. Now that my health has fortunately improved— I feel okay writing about certain topics that felt too close or too upsetting before.

The topic for this post is looking well when chronically ill. I am sure you can relate and I welcome your thoughts in the comments, which you’ll find at the bottom of the page.

I Can’t Believe I Can Do This…

 


It started three years ago, back in 2015, at a time when my symptoms were often overwhelming.

Due to unrelenting fatigue, I needed substantial rest and was spending the majority of my days in bed. As my concentration was so poor, I would pass the time by watching vlogs on Youtube.

As someone who loves to travel, I particularly liked watching travel vlogs. I enjoyed seeing the world through others’ adventures.

It was classic escapism.

Something In The Travel Vlogs Caught My Eye

And, it was in one of those travel vlogs that I saw something my mind totally latched on to; snowboarding.

Wow“, I thought. “I would give anything to be able to do that!

It was incredible to watch as these vloggers effortlessly glided down the mountain. The elation on their faces said it all.

I am a dreamer and I immediately decided if I ever reclaimed my health, this was what I wanted to do. Learning to snowboard became my overarching goal.

I was enthralled by the idea.

A Symbol of Complete Freedom

How incredible would it be to spend time out on the mountain snowboarding? To me, it symbolised complete freedom and the epitome of recovery.

Admittedly, there was a part of me that was upset by this sudden desire to snowboard. Because, deep down, considering my health challenges, I knew it was highly unlikely I’d ever be able to do it.

However, I parked that and instead chose to use it to my advantage.

Using Visualisations In My Healing

I started using snowboarding as a visualisation to help get me through the dark, difficult days. I’d visualise myself snowboarding and imagine the elation and joy I’d feel doing it.

I can’t even begin to explain how much this helped me mentally. It was incredibly healing.

And, I was content with this up until a couple of years ago when things changed.

My Friends Started Snowboarding

My friend met someone who was really into board sports and he encouraged her to learn to snowboard. She loved it and, soon after this, my husband Ross and a few more friends took lessons and were hooked!

I hadn’t told a soul about my dream to snowboard. It felt so out of reach and the visualisations were my private coping mechanism.

I’m not going to lie, initially, I was jealous and I was bitter. I had grown used to missing out on things but being left out of this stung deep.

It’s one thing to dream of doing something and it’s another thing to actively be missing out.

I kept those negative emotions to myself, though. And, I found a way to be happy for them.

Missing out Hurt

However, that didn’t take away from the hurt I felt every time I missed out. It sucks to be left in on your own when your friends are off doing something you long to do.

And, it wasn’t just snowboarding sessions it was holidays too. Admittedly, I could have maybe joined them but I didn’t for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, it was a big expense for me to go and just hang around a cabin. Secondly, I knew it would result in my husband missing out on time on the slope because he would choose to spend part of the day with me.

More than anything though, I knew it would hurt more to be there and see what I was missing out on.

Heading To Infusio Frankfurt

In October 2017, I headed off to Infusio in Frankfurt for my stem cell treatment. I hoped that this would be the step I needed to regain my health.

However, I had no idea if it would work.

It took until February of this year until I allowed myself to believe that snowboarding may truly be a possibility for me.

When I was at Infusio for my follow-up and ACT treatment, Ross got to talking to Dr Bijan about snowboarding. It turned out that Dr Bijan loved to snowboard too.

I said to him that it was my dream to be able to do it. Dr Bijan followed this by placing a bet with me.

He bet that I would be snowboarding by the following February.

I Started To Believe Snowboarding Could Be A Possibility

To have the doctor who is treating you say that they believe you will be able to do something… well it means a heck of a lot!

I took him up on his bet and I set my sights on learning to snowboard.

I worked as best as I could on improving my leg strength. Starting by doing just 5 squats every other day and building from there.

In addition to that, I was getting out for walks with my dog Oscar and I began playing a virtual reality game called Beat Saber, which is an excellent and fun workout!

It wasn’t a linear path by any means and there were days I couldn’t do any exercise.

Booking In For My First Lesson

However, I saw a big improvement in my health in June. At the end of the month, I decided it was time to book my first lesson.

Glasgow has the UK’s longest indoor real snow slope and this is where I went to learn how to snowboard.

I booked my lesson a few days before it happened and I just hoped that my health would be good on the day. Fortunately, it was!

My first lesson was fun but incredibly challenging. Snowboarding is not easy to start with but, more than anything, I wasn’t really fit enough to be doing it if I’m being totally honest!

Photo is taken from behind Donna at the top of the indoor snow slope. The photo is cropped at her waist and Donna is looking ahead, down the slope. Donna wears a teal hoodie with black sleeves and a white helmet.

Pushing Myself To Learn To Snowboard

I pushed myself to the absolute limit and was physically shaking at points due to the exertion. My quads felt like they were on fire pretty much the entire time.

But, I loved every minute and I was surprised by how quickly I picked it up.

A huge positive was that, despite feeling very unfit, I didn’t feel like I was behind or struggling more than anyone else in my lesson. Which, gave me a boost.

My lesson was a huge test on my health but I was amazed at how resilient my body was and how I recovered afterwards.

The Fatigue & Pain Afterwards Felt Completely Different

Don’t get me wrong, I hurt like hell and my energy was down for a good while afterwards. However, I feel this was a “normal” response that anyone at my level of fitness would have experienced.

Given I used to suffer from exercise intolerance and post-exertion malaise from doing everyday activities… this was huge for me!

I want to explain that how I felt after snowboarding was completely different to the suffering I experienced every day with chronic illness. It just didn’t compare.

The pain and fatigue from living with Lyme, Fibro & CFS is on a totally different scale. I believe it’s something you won’t fully understand unless you have lived through it.

Further Lessons

It took me over five weeks until I felt ready to take on lesson 2 and I absolutely smashed it. I think I put even more effort into this lesson as I literally couldn’t move from my bed the next day without my husband’s help!

Again, I was amazed by the fact my muscles recovered in a few days.

A couple of weeks later, I had my third lesson. This turned out to be a bit too ambitious and I hadn’t given myself enough time to recover in between.

During lesson three my body gave out on me before the end. It’s funny how you know when you can push and when you have to call quits.

I stopped before the end of the lesson but I was happy with how I had progressed.

Photo shows Donna stood at the top of the indoor snow slope. She has turned her body towards the camera and is smiling. The photograph is cropped at her knee so you cannot see the snowboard attached to her feet. Donna wears a teal hoodie with black sleeves and a white helmet. Her dark hair is braided.

Hitting The Slope By Myself

From that point on, I’ve been able to hit the slopes by myself and this has been much better for me. It removes me from the pressures of trying to keep up with a lesson.

I can pace myself and snowboard for as long (or as little) as I want to. And, I can take rest breaks in between runs for as long as I need.

I can also go from the half-way point on the slope when I need to (which takes less exertion than riding the poma/button lift all of the way and snowboarding from the top).

It’s not come easily though. I learned very quickly that snowboarding isn’t an activity I can do whenever I want to.

As much as I’d like to plan when to go snowboarding, it’s really a decision dictated by my body and energy levels.

Having My confidence Knocked

After my third lesson, I went snowboarding because my friends were going and I didn’t want to miss out. But my body just wasn’t up to it and I completely crashed after about 20 minutes, injuring myself in the process.

This really knocked my confidence. I decided I needed to take a break for a few months to build up my strength and fitness before I tried again.

I returned on the 2nd of November and had a great session, which I show in the video at the top of this post.

It went well and was a great confidence boost. I have been a couple of times since and each time my confidence continues to grow.

That said, it’s taking time for me to trust my body and my ability to do this. Not from a skill point-of-view, I hasten to add, but from trusting that I am physically able to do it.

After years of chronic illness, it’s almost mind-boggling that I am able to snowboard. Especially given my health can still fluctuate up and down.

The NExt Step

Hopefully, as time goes on, my new found health will become more stable and my fitness will continue to improve. Until then, I am just taking things as they come and enjoying life as much as I can.

When I decide to go snowboarding, it’s a very last-minute decision based on how I am feeling that day.

That said, I have set my sights high. This all started with the dream of snowboarding down a mountain and, for me, that’s the next step.

Watch this space…


READ NEXT: Health Update February 2019

How to Practise Mindfulness & Meditation for Fibromyalgia (and other chronic illnesses)

Photo shows a white piece of paper resting on a windowsill with the word "mindfullness" written in a calligraphy style with black ink. There is a window behind the note but the view out of it is blurred.
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Today, I want to discuss mindfulness and meditation for Fibromyalgia (and other chronic illnesses).

I’ll be sharing the definitions and benefits of mindfulness and meditation. Plus, I’ll describe how to easily incorporate both of these practices into your everyday life.

Supplementing With Organic Turmeric Capsules & Bio-fermented Liquid Turmeric by Turmeric Vitality

Photo shows the Turmeric Vitality products. From left-right: Berry flavoured liquid turmeric, organic turmeric capsules and pineapple flavoured liquid turmeric.
AD: This post contains affiliate links* from which I may make a small commission at no cost to you. Click here to read my full disclosure policy. This is not a sponsored post. However, I was gifted Turmeric Vitality products.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to try organic turmeric capsules* and bio-fermented liquid turmeric* from a company called Turmeric Vitality. The opportunity came at a time when I was considering adding in supplements to help with my digestion and overall wellness.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult with your doctor before taking any supplement.

Why Take Turmeric as a Supplement?

Although it’s most commonly known for its use in cooking in India, many people take turmeric in supplement form for its purported health benefits.

Turmeric contains compounds known as curcuminoids, which are believed to have medicinal properties.  The most commonly known is curcumin. At therapeutic doses, turmeric is believed to:

Why I Personally Decided To Take Turmeric

It’s been a year since I received stem cell therapy for my chronic health issues. My health has, thankfully, improved significantly in the past 12 months. And, I am now at a stage where I am researching supplements I can take to help maintain my better health.

I knew I wanted to take a natural anti-inflammatory and I also wanted to be proactive and take supplements that would help to keep my immune system strong.

The main reason for this is because I suffered from Lyme Disease. Two of the ways in which Lyme Disease wreaks havoc in the body is by causing inflammation and suppressing the immune system.

Even though I don’t consider myself to have an active Lyme infection anymore, there’s no guarantee the bacteria has been completely eradicated from my body. I, therefore, feel it is sensible to take precautions to look after and protect my health.

In addition to these reasons, I also have some areas of my health that are still a work-in-progress. The main one being my digestive health as I have been suffering from nausea.

Turmeric, therefore, fit the bill perfectly. I hoped turmeric would help to support my immune system, keep inflammation in my body low and support my digestive health.

What To Consider When Choosing A Turmeric SUpplement

The problem with turmeric, however, is that it is well documented that curcuminoids are not well absorbed in the human body. So, it’s important to choose a high-quality turmeric supplement to ensure you will actually benefit from taking it.

Below are a few things I considered before deciding to take the Turmeric Vitality supplements:

1. I Wanted Organic turmeric Capsules

For me, I feel it’s important to choose organic where possible. This is to ensure the supplements are free from pesticides and chemical fertilizers that may be harmful to my health.

I was pleased to see that the organic turmeric capsules* from Turmeric Vitality were certified as organic by the Soil Association. Additionally, their products are tested to ensure there is no contamination from heavy metals or other pollutants.

I wanted capsules as they are an easy and convenient way to take turmeric. It means I can carry my supplements with me if I go out for the day. Or take them with me if I travel.

2. I wanted a Product With Good Bioavailability

Turmeric may be difficult for the body to absorb, but there are effective ways to increase its absorption. The most common way is to combine turmeric with black pepper.

Peperine in black pepper is known to help increase absorption. I, therefore, wanted a turmeric supplement with black pepper included in the ingredients. The Turmeric Vitality supplements fit that requirement.

Top Tip:

To further increase the absorption of turmeric, take your turmeric supplement with a fat such as coconut, olive or flaxseed oil.

3. I Wanted To Avoid Unnecessary Additives, Fillers and Preservatives

As far as I’m concerned, the fewer ingredients on the list the better. And, I also want the listed ingredients to be recognisable.

Personally, I try to avoid products that use bulking agents and other unnecessary additives or preservatives.

The organic turmeric capsules* from Turmeric Vitality contain turmeric, black pepper and ginger as ingredients. The capsule is of vegetable origin.

Photo shows a bottle of berry flavoured liquid turmeric with a 15ml dose measured out.

Trying Bio-Fermented Liquid Turmeric

In addition, to taking the organic turmeric capsules*, I also opted to try Turmeric Vitality’s bio-fermented liquid turmeric*.

This liquid turmeric uses bio-fermentation to predigest insoluble molecules into a liquid that is easier for your body to digest.

The ingredients list for the bio-fermented liquid turmeric is turmeric, black pepper, ginger, papaya leaf & fruit extract and glycerol.

Additionally, the pineapple flavour* contains pineapple and passionfruit. Whereas the berry flavour* contains forest berry, elderberry and maqui berry.

There is 900mg of liquid soluble turmeric per 15ml serving.

The part that really interested me, though, was that this product contains live cultures, which I felt would be of benefit to my digestion.

Probiotics

The product goes through a five-stage fermentation process, using 8 diverse strains of live bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. casei, L. plantarum, Bifidobacterium, L. Bulgaricus, L. lactis, L. fermenti, S.boulardii and S. cerevisiae).

The end result– after 21 days– is a liquid that contains 6 billion bacteria.

From previous stool tests, I know I had practically no Lactobacillus species in my gut! I’m not sure how much this has improved since then, to be honest.

This product, therefore, seemed like a good one for me to try. Hopefully, it will help in boosting the presence of Lactobacillus in my gut while providing the benefits of turmeric at the same time.

Additionally, I know that S.boulardii is effective against candida. I have actually taken it in the past for this issue (as I had high numbers of candida in my system). So, given I still have an issue with my gut, I figured it would be a good one for me to take again.

What is Liquid Turmeric Like?

I take 15ml of the bio-fermented liquid turmeric* in the morning just before breakfast. To be honest, I can be a bit funny with liquid products, given they usually aren’t pleasant!

I have taken numerous herbal tinctures over the years that have tasted horrid. Plus, a couple of liquid medications that have been far from pleasant (if anyone has had to dissolve colestyramine in a glass of water you will feel my pain here!).

Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised by the Turmeric Vitality liquid turmeric. It comes in two flavours: berry* and pineapple*.

They both taste like concentrated squash, with a hint of spice from the pepper and ginger. I take my dose neat and find it easy to take as a shot.

However, you can also dilute it in water if you find that easier.

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My Experience of Taking Turmeric Supplements

I started by introducing the Turmeric Vitality organic turmeric capsules* (2 capsules daily). At the time, I was going on holiday to Valencia in the immediate future and it didn’t make sense to start the liquid turmeric until I had returned from my trip.

It also meant I could start at a lower dose and build up by adding in the liquid turmeric later.

If you have read my 1-year post stem cell treatment update, you will know that I wasn’t feeling well in the weeks prior to my trip to Valencia. Thankfully, a few days before the trip I started to feel better.

I can’t claim it was the turmeric alone that did this, but I believe it may have contributed.

Thankfully, I had a great trip to Valencia and I continued to feel well when I returned home. This was despite my husband Ross catching a cold the day we returned.

Fighting off a Cold Virus

Usually, I am the one who gets sick. It’s not uncommon for me to catch a cold after flying. It happened to me in September following my trip to Disneyland Paris.

But, this time I did a good job of fighting it off for two whole weeks! I didn’t feel affected by Ross’ cold during that time and managed to go about my daily activities as usual.

My pain was very low or non-existent and my energy was good during this time. The biggest bonus for me was that I didn’t feel nauseous either (which had become an almost daily occurrence for me).

Again, it’s hard to put this entirely down to taking turmeric, but I have to think it has played a role.

In this past week, I have been feeling tired and run-down, though, so I do think the cold virus finally got me. However, it hasn’t been too bad at all and I can’t complain about it.

I Haven’t Been Symptom-Free

Although I have generally been feeling good during the past month I’ve been taking turmeric, that’s not to say I have been completely symptom-free. I have still encountered my usual monthly struggles with my menstrual cycle.

I won’t go into this again here, as I’ve chatted a bit about it already in my recent stem cell treatment update. And, I’ll probably chat about it in more detail in a future post too.

But, I wanted to mention it as I have read that turmeric can help to reduce PMS symptoms. However, this hasn’t been my experience, unfortunately.

I Plan To Continue Taking Turmeric

I think the differences I’ve been feeling since taking turmeric are subtle but positive. It’s certainly not a miracle supplement but I do think it has a lot of benefits to offer.

I plan to continue to take turmeric as part of a health maintenance plan going forward.

Where To Purchase Turmeric Vitality Products

If you are interested in trying turmeric for yourself, I would recommend the organic turmeric capsules* and the bio-fermented liquid turmeric* from Turmeric Vitality. They are affordable and high-quality.

I believe many people take the two products together as I have been doing.

However, if you were considering trying only one, I think the liquid product is best for digestive health, whilst also giving the benefits of turmeric. And, the capsules are best for convenience.

Both products can be purchased from Amazon UK* or directly from TurmericVitality.co.uk.


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Have you tried supplementing with turmeric? Would you try the organic turmeric capsules or bio-fermented turmeric from Turmeric Vitality? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Using Posture Support: My Active Posture Shirt Review

Photo shows Donna wearing the black Active Posture 2.0 shirt with front zip. Donna is looking and smiling at the camera and has long, dark curly hair and wears glasses. The photo is cropped at her waist.
This is not a sponsored post but I was gifted the Active Posture 2.0 shirt to try. As I was impressed with the product, I have decided to write an Active Posture Shirt review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and this review has not been influenced by the company.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to try an Active Posture shirt. This is a posture correcting shirt that is designed to improve poor posture by offering support and retraining the body’s muscles back into the correct position.

Read on for my Active Posture shirt review and to find out if I think using a posture support is helpful. Stick around until the end of the post and I have an exclusive 10% discount code to share with you!

What is the best CBD oil to purchase? 5 helpful tips for buying CBD oil

 

Photo shows a CBD oil tincture and salve to the right hand sign. Behind them is a decorative cardboard storage box (pink, green and marble), a succulent in a glass terrarium, a plant in a yellow pig planter and a sign that reads "today I'm feeling amazing".
This post contains affiliate links where I may make a small commission at no cost to you. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Cannabidiol oil (CBD oil) derived from industrial hemp is increasing in popularity and becoming more readily available. Full spectrum CBD oil stimulates the body’s endocannabinoid system and may offer relief from symptoms such as chronic pain, anxiety and disruptive sleep.

Recovering from Fibromyalgia, CFS & Chronic Lyme Disease

Image shows a close up of a woman's hands holding soil from which a small plant is growing.
This post contains affiliate links from which I may make a small commission at no cost to you. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Recovery, when mentioned in relation to illnesses like Fibromyalgia, CFS and chronic Lyme Disease, is a controversial topic.

I’ve encountered people who remain hopeful and believe that recovering from Fibromyalgia, CFS and Lyme is possible. And, I’ve also come across others who completely shut down the idea given that there is no known cure.