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Let. Go.

4 August 2021 By Victoria Smith Leave a Comment

‘Inhale let, exhale go’, were the simple, yet powerful instructions of the yoga teacher leading our evening class last week on a breezy Polzeath beach in Cornwall. There is nothing like practicing yoga outside to be present and to remind yourself of the insignificance of your normal daily worries. Hearing the crashing of waves, watching the light changing all around you, feeling the sand under your feet and having a huge open sky above your head are wonderful reminders that we are only a very small cog in the vastness of the universe. 

I finished the class pondering what I could let go of in my life.

The following morning when walking Luna, my seven-month-old Labrador puppy, on the beach, the sea looked cold but inviting. The first time away by the sea, Luna found her water wings on this holiday and needed no encouragement to leap into the water with unabashed gusto at the earliest opportunity. My sister, who was staying with us for a few days, with similar enthusiasm as Luna, stripped off to her undies and started wading into the sea. Luna was delighted to have a watery companion and bobbed off after her.

Not having planned a swim and with no swimming costume or towel either, I watched my sister and Luna from the beach. But after a little while and with the growing feeling that I was missing out, I decided to let go and I too stripped off to my smalls and in I went. This holiday is the first sea swimming I have done for several years, and it doesn’t get any easier to submerge into the cold. But in I went, and after the initial shock and accompanying shrieking, it was glorious.

Getting into cold water is not easy, but my goodness you feel a huge sense of achievement. No wonder cold water swimming is now being recommended for depression and a way to have an immediate improvement in your mood after each swim. I certainly felt more present, elated and more positive afterwards.

At some point in life, you need to start saying yes to things and let go. Spontaneity is the spice of life after all, and my goodness, we could all do with a bit more of that after a long time of restriction and being confined to our homes over the past 18 months.

Back in London now, I have been reflecting on being away and the joy I found in very simple pleasures. Now, I do realise that sadly, I cannot bring the beach back home to London with me. But what parts of being away can I incorporate into my daily life back home? 

Essentially, what it comes down to is slowing down, being present and appreciating the very small and simple things in life. It is easy to get caught up in the speed of normal life and feel worn out all the time. That is why being on holiday is so special, as you have the gift of time. 

But what can you bring into your life right now to prolong that holiday feeling and bring some of the beach back with you?

These are the three things I want to bring into my life:

  1. I have rediscovered a love for swimming, so I have just re-joined my local gym after a gap of three years and went for a swim early this morning. I did give myself an imaginary high five as I was swimming lengths in the pool at 6.15am and told myself, ‘Well done me!’
  2. I really enjoyed spending more time preparing and eating family meals whilst away. So, spending some time in the week planning and preparing our meals as a family is my second focus. Even for a nutritional therapist, it’s easy for weekday mealtimes to become functional, very repetitive and a routine part of the day. However, with a bit of thought and planning, this can be transformed into a highlight. This is something I want to start addressing and I am planning to document my journey with this, so watch this space. 
  3. In the spirit of taking the plunge and letting go, I want to let you know that I am expanding my work to include energy work, in the form of Modern Energy Tapping (a type of EFT). I have been beavering away with energy work in the background for a while now and I have been blown away by the power and simplicity of this work. The feedback I have had from people who have experienced this with me has been remarkable. If you are struggling with anxiety, stress or simply feel stuck somewhere in your life, then this could be for you. 

So, if you are going away this summer or having a staycation, then bring some of that beach feeling home with you. Live more in the present, incorporate simple things that bring you joy, but most of all take the plunge and Let. Go.

 

Filed Under: Nutritional Therapy

About Victoria Smith

My name is Victoria Smith. I’m a Registered Nutritional Therapist & Health Coach, and I’m passionate about helping people take control of their health in small achievable steps.

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It’s amazing that women and men are now beginnin It’s amazing that women and men are now beginning to talk about the perimenopause
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For too long it’s been swept under the carpet, ignored or worse, made fun of.
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The perimenopause is like the rebellious younger sister of the menopause.
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It is a stage in a women’s life where you are still having periods, but you may start noticing they are becoming irregular and other symptoms start appearing. This can start as early as 35.
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The menopause is only one day and marks the one-year anniversary since your last period. The average age is 51. 
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So, what are some of the symptoms of the perimenopause?
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•. Irregular cycles and changes to menstrual flow
•  Depression and anxiety
•  Rage 
•  Joint and muscle pain
•  Brain fog
•  Poor memory and concentration
•. Vaginal dryness and painful sex
•. Insomnia
•  Night sweats or hot flushes
•  Low bone density 
•  Panic attacks
•  Headaches and migraines
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The list is endless! And it is estimated that 13 million women in the UK are either perimenopausal or postmenopausal.
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If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and are in your late 30s onwards, you could well be in the perimenopause.
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The first port of call should be your GP. But the menopause is more than just about oestrogen and there is a lot you can do naturally to support yourself through this stage. 
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When you make simple changes to your diet and lifestyle, so that you balance your blood sugar, support your digestion and reduce stress levels in your life, amazing things start to happen.
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You go from feeling exhausted, foggy and irritable to feeling calmer, more energised and more confident in yourself again.
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Send me a DM if you want to know more x
If, like me, you like a glass of wine or two but a If, like me, you like a glass of wine or two but are aware that drinking too much can be harmful for your health, how do you find a happy medium?
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I have had times in my life where I haven’t drunk at all (before and during my two pregnancies and also during a prolonged 10-month break in 2021) and I have times in my life where I found myself drinking more than I should (during 2020).
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Neither is a happy place for me. 
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I enjoy having a glass or two of good quality wine at the weekend and the marking of a different time of the week.
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But I do not enjoy the disrupted sleep, irritability, sugar cravings, weight gain and tiredness that comes with drinking too much.
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Let’s be honest, it is easy for one glass to turn into a bottle and before you know it you're drinking well over the recommended 14 units of alcohol for both women and men a week.
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I would advise keeping it to below 10 units a week.
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So, how can you still enjoy a drink but keep it in hand? Here are my top tips:
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🍷 Get real and track how much you are drinking.  The @drinkaware_trust app is a useful tool for this.
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🍷Plan to have some alcohol-free days. I have at least 4 a week.
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🍷 Buy yourself a special small wine glass. This is absolutely key to keeping on top of how much you are drinking at home. I have one that is 140mls, so it is a good size for a small 125mls glass of wine. 
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🍷Learn to savour each mouthful and slow down. 
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I often have a couple of small glasses on a Friday and Saturday night and then possibly the odd glass on a Sunday. I don’t drink Monday to Thursday.
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This is just over 8 units a week. It may not be for everyone, but for me feels like a happy medium and realistic in the longterm.
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What are your strategies to keep your alcohol intake in hand? I'd love to hear x
For two years after I had my second daughter, I th For two years after I had my second daughter, I thought I was going mad. 
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I was a mum to a toddler in my mid-40s and I was supposed to be tired, right?
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But this was different
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I was so forgetful
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It wasn’t just things like where my keys were or forgetting friends’ birthdays or what I had walked into a room for
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It was more that it didn’t even cross my mind to remember things. Almost as though parts of my brain were missing
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On many occasions I worried that this might be the beginning of early onset dementia.
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What I realise now is that I had brain fog, which is a common symptom of the peri-menopause
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At the time it didn’t cross my mind that I might be peri-menopausal. Wasn’t the menopause something that happened in your 50s and was all about hot flushes, insomnia and night sweats?
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Brain fog is a common symptom caused by declining oestrogen and testosterone levels. Add in increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which also has a negative effect on memory and brain function and you get a perfect storm in your mid-40s. 
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So, what did I do about it? I tweaked my diet, added in more rest and took the right supplements to help support my memory and brain function. 
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And now, my brain fog has lifted. I feel clearer, less anxious about it and more myself again.
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For many women HRT may also be a good option and the first port of call is to go and talk to your GP. But there is a lot you can do alongside this to support the peri-menopause. 
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I am excited to be running a new small group programme called Sail Through the Perimenopause starting on Thursday 9th June. 
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This is for you if you would like support to have more mental clarity, energy and confidence. 
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Send me a DM if you want to know more x
There is so much in the news at the moment on the There is so much in the news at the moment on the menopause thanks to @davinamccall 
 
Finally, this important area of health is getting airtime
 
Women’s midlife hormones are no longer the butt of jokes
 
And people are now understanding that the symptoms of brain fog, anxiety and loss of confidence are real and distressing for millions of women.
 
This is an area I am passionate about
 
Supporting women to rebalance their midlife hormones
 
Teaching them to make simple tweaks to their nutrition
 
Guiding them on how to look after themselves better
 
Helping to bring themselves back to life
 
When they begin to prioritise themselves for the first time in years
 
The changes can be extraordinary
 
Take my client who went from feeling overwhelmed, anxious and that she couldn’t cope to feeling on top of things, more relaxed and more present with her family.
 
Or my client who went from feeling worn-out and unimportant to feeling that she was nourishing herself for the first time in years, feeling more connected to the joy in her life and enjoying time being active with her family.
 
Or my client who went from feeling anxious and that she was no longer herself and a passive spectator in her life to feeling calmer, happier and more energised to live her life fully.
 
It is easier than you think to feel better, calmer and more yourself again.
 
Send me a message if you would like my help too
 
I am here when you are ready x
How to overcome the fear of failure around change How to overcome the fear of failure around change and move forwards in your life
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