Four simple ways to improve sleep and ease your stress

I DON’T know about you, but my sleeping pattern has been all over the place over the past few weeks. I obviously know the reason for it (not too difficult to work that one out!) and I’ve been doing something about it.

But I know from so many people in our lovely community that it’s not just me who’s been affected!

Stress has a habit of giving us sleepless nights and it also makes us eat more.

Few people realise the implications of being sleep deprived and how it can increase our appetites and as if that’s not bad enough, it can drive us to eat the wrong foods too!

Watch my video for four great tips on how to improve sleep by calming the stress.

Read more on stress

Two positive strategies to keep stress at bay

Don’t let the virus drive you to comfort eating

Control stress at evening danger time

Tell me how you feel

Please leave a comment below to let me know how your sleep is affected right now and what’s it’s doing to your life.

And feel free to share this blog with all your friends because they probably need a little bit of help, too!

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How nurse Julie’s life is totally transformed in just 10 weeks

ALMOST every week I get emotional when people get in touch and share their stories – even though the Slimpod programme has been helping people to lose weight and live happier lives for over 10 years.

It makes me very happy to hear how Slimpod has turned people’s lives around and the first question I ask when I reply is:

“Would you PLEASE allow me to share your story on my blog so I can help and inspire your fellow Slimpodders?”

Last week I received a truly remarkable story from a lovely nurse called Julie and I was SO excited when she agreed to share her story.

But better still, she was happy to have a conversation on video

If you’re struggling with everything we’re going through at the moment and getting bogged down with all the negativity in the world, I urge you to watch this video.

I know it will really help you. Just click on the picture below and you’ll be taken to my Slimpod Channel on YouTube (while you’re there, hit the red button to subscribe to the channel):

 

 

Julie’s inspiring letter

This is what Julie wrote when she first contacted me:

“I want to say a personal thank you for the Slimpod programme and everything you do on a daily basis to support us all.

“I am a 56-year-old nurse working in the private sector. For years I have been a typical yo-yo dieter, like so many of us.

“In 2007 I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and consequently I had to drastically cut my exercise down because of chronic pain and extreme fatigue and obviously my weight increased as a consequence.

“I joined up for the free trial on January 23 and within days found that my relationship with food immediately changed.

“I still weigh once a week but even when my weight stayed the same for two weeks I just shrugged it off as my body readjusting with no risk at all of self-sabotage (100% opposite to what I used to do).

“Now I have lost 1 stone 11 pounds.

“But other benefits that weren’t expected are:

1) for the first time in my life I look at myself in the mirror and am no longer disgusted

2) I am happier, less stressed and feel more positive than ever before

3) by setting myself small goals I have been able to gradually increase my exercise…I now do 10 minutes on my exercise bike and 20 minutes jogging on my trampette THREE times every day.

4) My chronic pain is reducing

5) I am sleeping better, only waking 2 or 3 times a night instead of 20+ times a night

6) I feel normal.

“As I am asthmatic I am currently on a 12-week lockdown at home. I live alone and I know that in my pre-Slimpod days I would have become very isolated and depressed, taking comfort from food.

“Instead I am going to come out the other side as a far better version of myself.

“This is because of you and the wonderful Slimpod community. So THANK YOU again.

“Those two words are totally inadequate to express my gratitude to you. Thank you for Slimpod, your compassion, your enthusiasm and also your team including Debbie and Trevor.”

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Two positive strategies to keep you well and keep stress at bay

I’M not sure about you but I’m usually a glass half full person.  I’m Mrs Positivity and Optimism and can sometimes drive the people around me mad.  Especially my husband!

But I’ve not always been like that. I’ve had to work at it. But that’s something everyone has to do because our brains naturally incline towards being negative.

So in the current situation we’re all experiencing, we need to work even harder at this because there’s SO much negativity in our environment and it’s contributing to a ridiculous amount of stress and anxiety which in turn will begin to affect our immune system and wellness if we don’t take action.

We have to work on our mental health and actively do things to support it.

I’ve been working on this a lot with the folks in our Slimpod Club and I wanted to share some of these important strategies with you too.

I can’t emphasise enough how important this is right now to keep you well.  There’s also a freebie up for grabs so stay with me!

Here’s the two important things you must do…

Protect your mind from the constant onslaught of negative news

Whether that’s on TV, radio or social media.  You must inoculate yourself from it.  The constant drip drip of negativity will add to already high stress and anxiety levels.

Let yourself off the hook a bit with your weight

And I don’t mean eat for Britain.  I just mean so many people get obsessed with ‘I must be a size 12’ that it just adds so much stress to life.

We don’t need this extra stress right now.  Give yourself permission to be human.  Stop stressing about your size and how you wish you could be and focus on taking care of the person you are right now.

It may be that getting into three sizes smaller has been your goal for your entire adult life but now is time to focus just on being healthy by eating  and let yourself off the hook for the end goal.

But guess what!  This is a really good thing if you’re on our Slimpod programme because it will allow your subconscious to take control!

Because you’re not making a conscious effort, there will be no self-sabotaging, no limiting beliefs no anxiety and no stress! This is when most people succeed, when they literally let their body get on with it.

Next up! Routine and structure to your day

We’re creatures of habit.  We like routine.  And lack of routine and structure to our day is what’s causing added stress right now – and this is a real big one because routine really helps with the feeling of being in control and it reduces stress!

This in turn helps your immune system because as I mentioned before, stress puts an enormous amount of stress on the immune system and then you are more at risk of being sick.

I mentioned earlier in my blog that I had a freebie for you.  Well, Trevor Silvester, the voice you hear on the Slimpod, has created a fabulous download which helps to give you inner strength therefore helps you avoid the negative effects of stress.

Our Slimpod Club community were the first to get this on Wednesday and this was one of the comments:

“Thanks Trevor!  I now feel surrounded by a golden light not unlike the Ready Brek glow, calmer and able to face the day.  If you haven’t listened to it I heartily recommend it.”

Here’s the link and enjoy!

https://www.questinstitute.co.uk/products-downloads/downloads/

Now you have some wellness strategies and a free download  – what’s the one (or two) things you can do over the next seven days which will help you get back to a routine and make you feel proud?  Let me know below!

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Stay healthy and mentally strong with a corona victory goal map

STRESS and anxiety can play havoc with our health and wellness.   I know my Slimpod programme – and specifically the Chillpod – is really helping people at the moment.  But I’m always keen to go that extra mile to help people.

So I asked my friend, the creator of the excellent Goalmapping system Brian Mayne, to join me on a video call to help our community get through this challenging time.

We met up last night via the regular Slimpod Club Live chat, and everyone loved the wisdom and inspiration Brian shared.

Brian has spoken about goalmapping in 30 different countries so he’s definitely a world leader in his field.

Here’s some of the comments from our lovely Slimpodders who were watching the chat:

“This is amazing.  Thank you so much Brian and to you too Sandra for arranging this evening. I’ve not done a goal map online before and I can see how much it will help  in so many ways. ”

“Thank you so much, I feel better already!” 

“This is fab.  It makes so much sense.  Doing mine now.  I can totally see how this will help me”

“Brilliant live chat last night – I’ve woken up with a totally different mindset. “

“Wow! What an amazing live session – I’m completely buzzing!”

If you’re not in our private group you can click on the picture below to watch the video on my YouTube Slimpod Channel.

Please do share this with everyone you think will benefit – I’d be so delighted if Slimpod could help as many people as possible to get through this difficult time in a calm way and with mental strength and wellness.

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Slimpod helps first sugar-free hospital to win coveted NHS award

THE annual NHS Sustainability Awards are highly prized and that’s why I’m delighted and proud that one hospital I’ve been working with for the past three years has been awarded first place in the food category and was shortlisted for a second recognising staff engagement.

The judges said Tameside Hospital’s innovative approach to meals and menus and its pioneering work with me and the Slimpod programme, to identify and create ways to help overweight and overworked medical staff, was truly outstanding and was a model to be shared with the wider NHS.

My work is my passion, and to be included and recognised in the national NHS Sustainability Awards this way for the contribution Slimpod has made reaffirms my belief that changing the way people behave towards food is the best way to create healthy eating habits.

The awards reward and showcase the best hospitals in the country who are working to reduce their carbon footprint and make the environment for their staff, patients and visitors more healthy and sustainable.

Working with the Tameside Chief Executive, Karen James, who I find has a pioneering approach to all things, we persuaded the catering team at the Manchester hospital to go sugar free – the first in the NHS to do so.

For well over a year sugar has been ditched from all meals and the only drinks on sale in the staff and public restaurant are tea, coffee, milk, water and sugar free soft drinks and juices.

More recently, all plastic cutlery and packaging has been removed and replaced with wooden and cardboard alternatives. And the vending machines now stock healthier options.

Pioneering CEO Karen James

I couldn’t be more pleased; I’ve always said that to deliver high quality patient care the NHS needs staff who are healthy, well and at work. That’s more true than ever in today’s climate, where NHS workers are playing such a vital and demanding role in protecting the health of the nation.

Even in normal times, many report the demands of the job – long hours and snatched meals – have resulted in an unhealthy lifestyle and weight gain.

There is a wealth of evidence to suggest that looking after the health and welfare of colleagues directly contributes to the delivery of quality patient care.

That’s why doctors, nurses and healthcare workers at Tameside Hospital are taking part in a unique, ongoing project which is seeing great results.

Me on the right with some lovely Tamesiders

The 140 volunteers signed up for Slimpod hoping to show that improvements to their own health and weight will also demonstrate a knock-on benefit for their patients.

The Tameside team include consultants, midwives, community nurses and medical support secretaries. I personally oversee the programme, and my team log the results, which we are beginning to share with other healthcare professionals and the Department of Health.

Two studies have now been held with staff at Tameside hospital, with great results.

Significantly, 97 per cent of staff reported they lost interest in snacking and as a result ate healthier food and lost weight.  Because Slimpod retrains the brain, the weight loss for many has been permanent.

Nurses from Tameside who took part in the second study featured on Channel 4’s How to Lose Weight Well. They were asked to report weight loss; sleep patterns and general improvements in their health and wellbeing in a weekly journal and through on-line group chats.

I’m proud of what everyone at Tameside has achieved and delighted to have been able to play such a major part in the hospital’s exciting new healthy eating regime.

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Don’t let the stress of the virus drive you towards comfort eating

THE last 10 days have been unsettling, uncertain and worrying for most of us. COVID-19 is creating a unique situation and it is forcing so many people into new routines and different lifestyles. A lot of people are working from home. Most of us are living in a different way than usual.

We’re getting a lot of medical advice from top medics and scientists so I’ll leave that up to them.  But we all have a role to play right now and mine is to help my community to keep as calm as possible and in control of your eating.

I know there’s a LOT of people who will have emotional eating issues and the stress of this situation we find ourselves in won’t be helping.

In times of uncertainty the feeling of fear is a very real problem.  Stress hormones run rampant and hijack the brain, which means we can’t think rationally or clearly.  And uncertainty is one of the brain’s biggest enemies!

At Slimpod HQ we want to do everything we can to help you through this difficult time.  Each and every one of you is important to us.  I’ll be sending regular videos and help on how to deal with emotional eating and to help keep you positive!

However, If you are feeling anxious or fearful I would  strongly suggest you listen to the Chillpod that’s included in your programme, twice a day.

This is no ordinary relaxation download.  The Chillpod specifically helps with anxiety and fear and really calms things down meaning the stress hormones don’t run rampant and take over your brain and your life.

It will help you keep the faith and banish the fears.

Here’s some comments from people in Slimpod Club who rave about it:  

From Swazi:  I’ve been listening to this every day during the most stressful time of my life – it’s been invaluable.

From Lynn: I have spent most of my life being a worrier, often hiding it behind humour but it has always been there, lurking in the background. Chillpod has been life changing for me! I have listened to it after Slimpod since day 1 & can honestly say, even with bad news arriving on almost a daily basis I am still calm & rational & find myself saying “Never mind, it will pass” to almost everything! X

From Carol: My daughter has had the most awful stressful time over the last 3 months she says the Chillpod has been the one thing that has truly helped x

From Catherine: I listen to the Chillpod every night, it’s been a life saver!!

So please, use this great tool – I know it will help you!

One of the things I’m constantly grateful for is the wonderful people we attract on to our programme, and so many are in our Slimpod Community on Facebook.

This lovely community of over 4,000 people constantly amazes me with the support and kindness they show to other like-minded people in the group.  Now more than ever the community is pulling together to encourage, inspire and support each other to get through this uncertain time.

Last night many of those lovely people joined me as I hosted my regular weekly live chat which was packed full of strategies to help you be calmer and keep a positive mental attitude right now.

We’re also starting some challenges to help keep us focussed on our goals, because we will get through this!  So if you’re a member of the group but missed the ‘live’ – please search #Sandraislive6 and you’ll find it.

 If you’re not yet a member of Slimpod Club, there’s no better time to join. You can watch the video if you search for the hashtag above. 

The community, including Debbie and myself, is there to support and encourage each other and we’ll support you too.  If you’re not on Facebook, you can easily join simply to be part of this group.  If you’re not sure how to do this, simply email us and we’ll help.

Early next week I’ll be sending a video which will help you with emotional eating, maintaining a positive mental state and staying in control of food.  Look out for it – I know it will help!

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Mary proves that if you want something enough you can get it!

ONE thing that I know is true about life: If you believe you can do something, then you can! A positive mindset is the key to achieving, whether it’s losing weight or running a marathon. So when I had a video chat with a lovely lady called Mary this week I just knew I had to share our 15 minutes or so with everyone. She is so inspiring!

Because Mary, who is a very young 70, is living proof that if you want something enough, you can get it (within reason of course!).

Her age and the illness chronic fatigue syndrome (also known as M.E.) didn’t stand in her way of reaching her goal of being fit enough to dance, dance, dance.

She believed she could do it and she took action.

Here’s the video which will give you a big lift (while you’re over on my Slimpod Channel on YouTube, why not subscribe so you get priority alerts every time I post a new video. Hit the Like and Share buttons too, to inspire others):

I talked with Mary because she sent me a wonderful email. Mary, who lives in the north of Scotland, said that this time last year she wanted to lose about 9lbs to get back to around the 10 stone mark – “where I know my weight feels right.”

She wrote:  “I was pretty thin all my life and never needed to think about my weight until I developed M.E. for the fourth time in my early fifties. It took nine years to clear this time and at the end of it I found I was 11 stone 2!

“I managed to shed the extra stone but then the weight crept back up to 10 stone 9lbs and I felt uncomfortable. I dance anything from three to five or six times a week – various styles, ballroom, Latin, jive, Appalachian Step and tap, and knew I needed to be lighter on my feet!

“At 70 I now have osteoarthritis in several joints, noticeably in the left hip and knee, so being lighter was a good plan. Those last 9lbs, and the heavier  feelings that came with them just had to go, but how?

“I read about Slimpod and figured it was certainly worth a try. I do have a weakness for puddings and cakes and usually have some sort of control but those early sessions with Slimpod really helped me to get back to more sensible eating.

“I have to admit that I have never stuck rigidly to your programme, nor joined Facebook or even taken a turn through the worksheets, but even so the support from the pods and regular videos made the difference.

“I made it to my target and have maintained it more or less ever since. I allow myself to play with 2 or 3 pounds but always make it back to the base line!

“I took up tap dancing aged 69 and now have a bronze and a silver medal! Proves that we can do things we want to if we try (don’t know how the gold exam will go!!!).

“My arthritis is controlled with meds. I loved the attitude of the consultant when I expected to be told to cut out impact dancing (I also do Appalachian step dance as well as more regular dance styles) that “we’re here to keep you doing the things you want to do, not stop you.”

That’s such an important message for all of us. Life is for living (although it can seem tough some days) so we must set our goal, step over the obstacles and go for it!

Please let me Mary and I know how much you were inspired by her story by leaving a comment below. We’ll read them all!

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