Friday with Heidi: Salad dodgers…

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about quarantines and lockdowns it’s that time moves at a different pace. 

Days roll by quickly and it seems no time at all before it’s Thursday afternoon and I am in Friday with Heidi mode again.

A bit of me is worried that once we are allowed to roam more freely it will feel even quicker, but I guess we’ll have to wait just a touch longer to see how that goes.

How are you feeling after the announcement on Monday?

I didn’t realise it had an affect on me until Wednesday when I just felt really out of sorts. A mix between heightened expectation in my stomach and an overwhelming feeling of heaviness and apathy. 

Having spoken with other colleagues in my network and my clients I am not alone. 

Despite wanting to hear that there will be changes, we’re now wondering how to integrate these changes into our lives for the rest of this year. Any unanswered questions that we’ve been able to put on hold until now are resurfacing and needing some attention. Add all this to the expectation of families, friends and businesses who want to ‘get back to normal’ and it’s not surprising that many of us are feeling utterly emotionally drained.

So it was quite amusing to me that one of things that I would fall back on in times of stress (eating well) was rudely challenged this week!

Last week I did a food intolerance test to see how I was functioning. I have an underlying auto-immune condition and whilst it doesn’t bother my ability to do anything, I do want to make sure that I keep an eye on my health so that I can spot when something changes. 

The test is a simple, at home blood test and you get emailed your results some 5-6 days later. 

I already know that I have some issues around wheat and gluten. I have stayed clear of those for many years and, as such any foods that you actively avoid can’t be tested as they’re not in your system. 

The results were amusing and surprising in equal measure!

Firstly, it would appear that I have an intolerance to salad! Fancy that! A foodie, fitness instructor who can’t tolerate cucumber, lettuce and tomatoes! 

I seem to have consumed wheat somewhere along the line as it showed up on the report.

And yeast is a way bigger topic to consider than just cutting out bread. 

Part of the process is a 30 minute follow up call with a nutritionist. She pointed out some obvious but easy to forget things like the Pinot Noir reference could be to sultanas and raisins as well as grapes from the supermarket not just wine. I did have to confess that Pinot Noir has featured and it probably wasn’t raisins we’re talking about! 

That the yeast item includes all yeasts, fungus and moulds. So mushrooms, peanuts, pistachios, cured meats, bacon, vinegars, alcohol, bakers yeast, brewers yeast, yeast extracts are all encompassed in this one 5 letter word. It’s quite a big one to address and avoid.

The cucumber was an odd one. I barely eat the stuff, so she reminded me that anything that you put on your skin or eat is included and to check all cleaning and cosmetic products too. 

So, what now?

Quite honestly right now I can’t do all that. I feel full to the brim with other stuff to do, so I am taking dairy out (I’d let it back in over the last 6 months or so) and avoiding salad…a salad dodger, that’s me!

Once the other parts of my life have calmed down then I can look at it in more detail. I am not one for trying to do it all brilliantly immediately. I am much happier to take stock with what I can do now and then slowly work on the rest of it in due course.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, overworked, over-Zoomed, over your own four walls, over fed, over isolation, over-masked, over-home schooling and over it ALL. Please don’t take on anything else unless it’s going to have a positive impact. We’ve still got a way to go and I so really want all of you to get there ready, healthy and happy to participate in whatever way you choose.

Have a great weekend! I think it’s going to be a very mild one. 

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