Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Your health Little black dress diet
Lose a stone by Xmas
FEELING STRONGER
Last week was a real low after a summit of a high. You may recall, I finished my gruelling 250km race across Jordan feeling amazing, but disaster struck 48 hours later as I was about to head home.
Clearly I must have picked up a bug somewhere as I was uncontrollably ill, non stop, and there was no way I could fly home. I was rushed to hospital as not only was there a virulent bug in me but with the temperature at 35ºC, I’d become dehydrated.
It was a sobering feeling being in a foreign hospital, thousands of miles from home, separated from family and friends, not knowing what was wrong, with doctors who spoke little English.
Plus I needed to try to sort out my insurance to cover the hospital cost and fly me home at a later date, not knowing when I’d be allowed to.
It brought back memories of chemo with tubes in my arm, feeling rubbish and fearing the worst. I also was unable to take my cancer drugs (and still can’t) so the fear the beast was having a party inside me came into my head.
But immediately I had a visit from the hotel’s owners (the bug did not come from them, by the way), who translated with doctors, phoned my insurance company, as I was in and out of consciousness, and made sure I was looked after.
Hotel management came twice a day for the four days I was there. When I asked why they were being so kind, they said: “You are in Jordan, you have no family here so we are your family.”
As I recovered in their hotel later, for free, it made me feel so humble.
I am better now and back home running again but I hope my story inspires you to think about how you could help random people. I know I will.
Until next week Kev
Rules of The Little Black Dress Diet
One carb meal a day that is the size of your fist (large jacket potato or 1.5 cups of oats, pasta, quinoa, couscous)
As much fruit and veg as you like, but always have more veg than fruit
As much white meat and fish as you like
As many pulses as you like
1.5 cups of nuts/ seeds and dried fruit a day
No processed junk food, processed sugar, caffeine or alcohol
Two litres of water a day
PAINFUL SKIN
TRAINER
My red, itchy and inflamed skin used to dominate my life. It was horrible.
The mental health side of skin disease is often overlooked, but for me that was more painful than the physical. People can be so abrupt and rude.
I was on a 20-year cycle of steroid creams and thick greasy emollients. I hated that stuff!
I decided I had to make significant changes, switching to a plant-based diet, cutting out sugar and alcohol, and instead drinking cold-pressed greens. I also started to exercise and meditate. I switched to
Apple and ginger porridge Serves 2 1 Cook the porridge oats in the water. 2 Peel, core and chop the apple. Put in a pan with just enough water to cover and cook until soft, then drain off the water. 3 Serve the porridge topped with the warm cooked apple and sprinkle with the ground ginger.
Butternut squash and couscous salad Serves 2
For the dressing: 1 Steam the butternut squash for about 7 minutes.
2 While it’s cooking, make the dressing – finely chop the herbs and combine with the other ingredients.
3 Prepare the couscous according to the directions.
4 Heat the olive oil and fry the steamed butternut squash until golden.
5 Fluff couscous with a fork and combine with the rocket and squash. Toss in the dressing, divide between two plates and crumble the feta cheese over the top. natural skin care and the change in my skin within just 30 days was amazing.
My skin has now been completely clear for six years, without medication.
I sometimes wish I’d made these changes sooner, but living with chronic skin disease has taught me so much – most importantly, empathy and compassion.
I have my own plant-based skincare brand and love being able to help guide people who are looking to take the same steps I took six years ago.
Hannah Sillitoe, 40, Derbyshire