Health and well-being, can be something we all tend not fully to value until the day comes when we realise you’ve lost it. It’s a topic that’s often listed in clients ‘top 5 of importance’ on their ‘Wheel of Life’, but actually appears much lower down in their ‘to action’ priority list.
Over the past few years I’ve had traces of blood in my urine, which the doctors didn’t seem to get to the bottom of (always a bit of a shocker!), I thought it may be stress related. After numerous CT and ultrasound scans a small kidney stone was found in my right kidney (and a huge relief that it wasn’t anything worse) – with the cure being, to blast and break it down with ultrasound and naturally pass it through urinating… Ouch!
During that time, I didn’t quite feel myself and often suffered from a back ache, headaches and general fatigue – being 50 years old, pleasantly portly, not exercising enough, not drinking water/fluids enough and having a high protein/sodium diet also didn’t help my cause either..
They say ‘you are what you eat’, and I love sausage rolls – if they’re good enough for David Cameron then they’re good enough for me! So as an analogy I guess I have to liken myself to my favourite snack – meaty on the inside with a few layers of pastry on the outside!
With the thought of trying to help reduce the size of the kidney stone naturally, I decided to work harder on improving my fitness and diet. I stopped drinking alcohol on 1st November 2014 (which can cause dehydration and make the condition worse) and started going to the gym/swimming pool a couple of times a week. Over the last 5 months I’ve lost 1 stone in weight, I eat better, snack less, drink more water and my fitness/recovery levels have increased dramatically. I feel, think (and from feedback) look much better – and more importantly (with the healthy regime and fitness helping to reduce the size of the stone) I passed it naturally, without pain!
The positive impact and improvement this new ‘health and well-being’ plan I made, has for me, not only been a physical one but also a mental one. I feel much better about myself, which has improved confidence and self-esteem. I also sleep better, making me feel more alert during the day, which in turn has helped me think clearer, focus better and get more done.
I couldn’t recommend more, for others to take time to make their own ‘health and well-being’ plan.
If you find it something difficult to get stared and need help and guidance to get going, please contact me for your own personal life coaching sessions, where you can put your own ‘plan’ towards the top of your coaching topics and at the top of your priority list – take action, make it happen and feel good about yourself..
I still make a point of going to the gym, swimming pool, sauna and jacuzzi at least twice a week – and always on a Friday!
