Far 2 Fabulous

Practical Wellness Tips for a Stress-Free Festive Season

• Julie Clark & Catherine Chapman • Episode 49

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Episode 49
We'll dish out practical tips to savour Christmas indulgences without the dreaded food coma. From mastering portion control to understanding the role of digestive enzymes, we've got the scoop on how to enjoy every bite. Let's not forget the holistic trifecta of sleep, movement, and hydration, essential ingredients to maintain your festive glow. Whether you're hosting or hopping from one party to another, these wellness reminders will ensure you soak up every festive moment without the side of regret.

And for the busy women balancing it all, we're diving into self-care practices that fit into your packed schedule. With tales from male-dominated industries and the importance of knowing one's limits, we bring you empowering insights and reflections. Discover how breathwork and meditation can transform your productivity and well-being, and get ready to extend those exhales for a healthier you. Finally, we invite you to join our vibrant Facebook community, celebrating the season together and sharing the episode to help empower a thousand women. Let's make this festive season far too fabulous, one breath at a time!

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For more information about Julie Clark Nutrition, click HERE
For more information about Catherine Chapman, click HERE

We look forward to you joining us on the next episode.

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Far Too Fabulous hosted by Julie and.

Speaker 2:

Catherine, join us on a mission to embrace your fabulousness and redefine wellness. Get ready for some feistiness, inspiration, candy chats and humour as we journey together towards empowered well-being. Let's dive in. Hello, hello everybody, and welcome to the far too fabulous podcast. And it was the week before christmas and all around the house was absolute chaos. Not a surface is clear. There's mayhem everywhere, and mothers, children and fathers and everybody alike are in absolute chaos.

Speaker 1:

If it's Christmas in your house, yeah, do you know what the chaos thing makes me laugh? Because we always record this podcast in my bedroom and I always try and tidy it up before you come so that we can sit down. But this time I said it's total chaos because of the packaging. I've got boxes everywhere and I'm trying to dry clothes and it's just, yeah, it is total chaos.

Speaker 2:

And the boxes that come are always like five times bigger than the actual package that they're sending to you.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, why is that? Why is that? Why is that, and you can't fit it all in the recycling bin, can you no?

Speaker 2:

And it's. I don't know about you, but do you end up then saving these boxes sometimes, because there must be something that we, you know we're going to be able to do with this? I've got, um, my uh, all my aesthetic stuff the uh, botox and the fillers and things all come in this polystyrene box, wrapped in another box. The uh stuff from the pharmacy is not very big, so the boxes are absolutely massive and then there's loads of wrapping. But it feels weird throwing this polystyrene box away because I don't know I must.

Speaker 2:

There must be a use for it there isn't a use for it other than to get if the kids got hold of it, the dog got hold of it is just like polystyrene balls all over the place, but that would be their use for it and then I'd have to tidy it up. But it's at the moment. It's sat by the front door because I just actually can't bring myself to throw it away, which eventually I will have to do, and I would have wasted all of that energy deliberating whether to throw it away or not so much energy wasted.

Speaker 1:

You don't want to waste any energy at this time of year.

Speaker 2:

No, absolutely that's what. When I am rummaging for something in the utensils drawer, I actually hear Kerry Hales talking to me about clearing. You know she had the thing about clearing a knicker drawer out and not holding on to any crappy old knickers.

Speaker 1:

I did that the other day. I actually cleared out my knicker drawer.

Speaker 2:

There you go.

Speaker 1:

And then I realised that I really do need some new underwear yeah, that's why I don't clear it out.

Speaker 2:

If I actually cleared it out, I'd have nothing left. I think that's why I don't clear my clothes out, because I I have to be walking around naked all the time, because if I, if I, either they didn't fit me or I didn't like them, that would be it.

Speaker 1:

They would all be gone no, I've told the kids to declutter their rooms because I said to them like Christmas is coming, stuff is coming in, more stuff is coming in. You've already got too much stuff, so you've got to make room. Yeah, they haven't done a very good job.

Speaker 2:

I have to say. There was a lady in my networking group today who is a professional declutterer, can you imagine, and she said you are not disorganorganized, you just have too much stuff. And I liked that because it kind of took the like the guilt that was all wrapped around in in mess and all and disorganization. And she just said, yeah, I think you've got just got too much stuff, which is so true. I really would like to. I there is a minimalist inside me just screaming to get out?

Speaker 1:

yeah, have you seen that guy that got everything down to just a rucksack? Um, have you seen he wrote? I think he wrote a book about it didn't he, yeah, yeah yeah, the rucksack guy. I could not imagine that though I would.

Speaker 2:

I said this the other week I would like to go and live in a camper van and just have enough that I needed in there, because I mean, I don't know when you go, when you go on holiday, and you stay in like a chalet or a caravan or something and you can clean up in like 2.3 seconds, because there's just not very much. You've only got your few holiday bits and pieces and everything's much smaller and easier to look after and I just I'm sure it's not just because you're on holiday, I'm sure it's just like sanity saving I'm going to go move into a caravan without the kids, probably yeah, it'll be really tidy and clean.

Speaker 1:

This is the thing, isn't it? Well, this is not the direction that we intended to take on this episode today. I can't even remember what we were going to talk about. Well, I thought, or I suggested, that we just because you know, we are only a few days away from Christmas now and it is a bit manic and we don't want to take up too much of everybody's time, because it's precious time, especially for us women that are rushing around doing everything going have you bought anything for the children for Christmas? Because I'm just doing like a rundown on what, what I've got for them and I just want to know if you've got anything. And I just find that hilarious that you're asking that, that I'm that, I'm asking that and the answer is no. I thought, I thought you, yeah, have you not done that? Well, yes, I have, but I'm just checking that, but it's lucky, isn't it, that you've done it?

Speaker 1:

yeah, otherwise it wouldn't be anything. Yeah, isn't it? Now I forgot my train of thought where I was going with that. What was I saying? Oh, just busy at this time of year and we're just gonna do a more condensed episode, but you know what we're like when we get talking.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, well, especially as we've got glasses of wine in the hands as well no, we have not, no, no oh no, it's, it's grape juice. What have you done, katherine? Oh no, if I shattered the illusion, they, they know, they know we're human this is very true.

Speaker 1:

So it's just before christmas and we're all busy and it's all a bit crazy, but we were thinking that we could just give you a few of our own self-care tips that we do over this festive period so that we can still drink the wine, enjoy the food, but we're still putting some basic things in place so that we don't feel like utter crap yeah, I'd say crap.

Speaker 2:

My mom won't be too cross with me, will she? Well she's, she's coming over christmas.

Speaker 1:

She'll tell you yeah, she will okay. So my first tip is that when we think about christmas dinner or any of those big meals around the, you know that festive period is that we tend to eat too much, don't we definitely? And I don't know about you, katherine, but I absolutely hate feeling like I've eaten too much. It's horrible, isn't it?

Speaker 2:

it's really uncomfortable yeah, I don't know what's worse, though feeling like you've eaten too much or really wanting to eat what's left on your plate, the greed over christmas, and it's not I mean like it's not like someone's going to take it away from you it's not as if you couldn't actually probably put it back in the fridge or something yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:

So smaller portions, yeah, you're not missing out, no, because you could do it again tomorrow, exactly yeah. But if you've got a smaller portion and you've paced yourself, yeah, then you're not going to overload your system. So your stomach is the size of your two fists together. I'm sure I've said this before on the podcast and it is happily. It will happily expand to twice that. But if you go beyond that, that's when you need to get in that position on the sofa. You know where you're. Slightly. You've got to make more room, haven't you?

Speaker 1:

You've almost got to lift your rib cage up haven't you, because your stomach's expanded too much and it's a horrible, horrible feeling. And then, on top of that, you feel really tired, because your digestive system takes up at that time about 70% of your energy. Under normal circumstances, then, if you've eaten too much, it has to put you in a coma. Yeah, because it's got to deal with the catastrophe that has happened going on. Yeah, especially if you then put alcohol in as well, because then your liver is going. You know, send out the troops. Yeah, send out the troops.

Speaker 2:

And this is very and then you throw a a bit of dessert on top and you're sick actually just thinking about it yeah, and the sugar goes crazy.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so I'm not really a dessert person. Do you like desserts?

Speaker 2:

I. I like a little dessert. I'm not actually. I mean, if I had a choice between dessert and maybe like a sweet dessert, or maybe cheese and biscuits, I'd be choosing biscuits all the way. And I mean, if I could just go back for pizza then I'd be there instead.

Speaker 1:

I am far more of a savory girl so if, if I was going to a restaurant and you could only have two courses, yeah, I would be starter and main is that the same?

Speaker 2:

as you know?

Speaker 1:

I completely agree, yeah and you know some of those restaurants do. You can have a tea or a coffee and then you have a mini something.

Speaker 2:

Yes. That's my favourite thing Absolutely perfect when you get the mini something. I can't be dealing with the sugar overload, especially if it's got a bisque off, a little biscuit on top of it, then I'm sold, you're in, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. So going back to this overeating, so smaller portion for a start, you can still have everything you just you don't need, you know, three pigs in blankets. You don't need eight roast potatoes, you know, just a smaller amount. And then digestive enzymes are my go-to for Christmas. So digestive enzymes are basically a combination of the different enzymes that your body needs to break down the carbs, the protein and the fats, and what's good about this is that most of us are compromised with that digestive function anyway, because we're stressed, and what are we mostly at Christmas or the lead up? Yeah, absolutely yeah. So we lose the amount of digestive enzymes coming in naturally. So we can just take one before and you can get these in. You know, even places that I don't like, like holland and barrett's, you can't go wrong with a digestive enzyme. Yeah, so you can get digestive enzyme, but just a caveat here if you're taking acid reducing medications like omeprazole, you cannot use digestive enzymes.

Speaker 2:

Interesting. Okay, well, most people are on omeprazole or some sort of lansoprazole or something like that.

Speaker 1:

So they're even more compromised. Yeah, so they've got to be even more careful. So, smaller portion and slow down. Yeah, digestion starts in your mouth. Your stomach does not have teeth. Slow down, yeah, down. Yeah, digestion starts in your mouth. Your stomach does not have teeth.

Speaker 2:

Slow down, yeah, so that's my first tip, especially over christmas you've got, you've got all day to do all of this all this eating.

Speaker 2:

So, yeah, that's a really good point. Is it just slow down? I mean, that's the thing, isn't it? I imagine you've like, you've rushed for the next what two weeks you've? You've rushed to get to christmas and you've probably depending on on how many people you've got for christmas you've probably rushed around making all this food. It's really hard then to slam on the brakes, isn't it, and go. Okay, yeah, but yeah, absolutely so. With the digestive enzymes, do you take them on the day? Can you take them on the lead up to Christmas? When's the? What's the best thing to do with those?

Speaker 1:

well, they work right at the point that you're about to eat, okay, so you need to take them literally just before you take your first mouthful of food.

Speaker 2:

Okay.

Speaker 1:

That's how you use them.

Speaker 2:

So that could be your shot to start with, then.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and you could use them for a couple of weeks before if you want to, and you could use them afterwards, especially if food is more rich. Like you know, if you're going to do your roast potatoes in duck fat, that's going to be a lot harder on your system. So putting a digestive enzyme in that's going to help support your gallbladder and the bile roots to break down the fat Because of the fat, yeah, it's going to be helpful, especially if you're somebody that normally would do your potatoes in olive oil and then suddenly it's Christmas, you've got to use the duck fat. You know it's a big saturated fat for your body to break down.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, no that's amazing and that's. I love that thought actually, because, I mean, the thing I like the most about our Christmas meal is the variety of things that we have on the plate. So obviously you have the roast potatoes and the Yorkshire prunes, but the vegetables, the carrots, the Brussels sprouts, the cauliflower cheese, all of that, like the parsnips, everything. I love the variety of things that we have and you're right, I probably served the same portion sizes as I would have done had we had half that amount of variety in. So and we do actually, we always end up with stuff Boxing Day as well.

Speaker 1:

I could feed us for the next week all the way up to new year which is what you want anyway, because you want those few days afterwards to be using up the leftovers, don't you? Which actually is my favorite. Yeah, I love the leftovers yeah, me too.

Speaker 2:

Definitely now when we were talking about. So the lead up often is as rich and possibly as boozy as Christmas Day. And the other supplement you were talking about was milk thistle, wasn't it?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so when you drink alcohol, it has to be processed through the liver, of course, and it's highly toxic.

Speaker 2:

You you know, if we remember our conversation and so she put you off wine for almost a month then, didn't she?

Speaker 1:

I haven't really drunk that much, to be honest. So, yeah, it's definitely made me think more about it, which is brilliant.

Speaker 2:

The awareness is always the first step, isn't it? Yeah?

Speaker 1:

exactly so. Yeah, so it's highly toxic. It has to be processed through the, the liver. But again at this time of year, our liver is also processing the extra fats with cholesterol. It's processing the extra sugar and the extra hormones, because hormones also go through the liver. So it's it's got a lot to do, right. Yeah, it's working really. So then we put alcohol in. So a remedy that again can just be really helpful, a bit like the digestive enzymes, is milk thistle. Yeah, it's the traditional herb that's been used for many, many years and it's it's a simple one that you can, that you can add. Again, caveat if you're taking any medication, you always need to check that it's okay to take these things.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely yeah, and would you take it as a preparation drink and could?

Speaker 1:

you take it off.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you could yeah before and after yeah, and it's the one I had, was that? Um, I had a liquid one. You can get them in tablets as well. Yeah, and it was a ridiculous amount of drops, like 20 drops.

Speaker 2:

You had to sit there and count yeah and then you shot it and they health food shop in whitstable she said so. She said put a little bit of water in it. And she said and then hold it on your tongue until you can really feel that, that bitterness. I'm assuming that's to do with the absorption, is it?

Speaker 1:

yeah, so it doesn't actually yeah, so with the liquid ones, the reason why they're particularly good is that they're easier to get into the system, so they bypass almost the digestive function, which is compromised because we're putting all this stuff in. Yeah, right, so yeah, tincture like a company, like a vogel, which is probably the one that's the one I had with the flowers on the flowers on the front that is a really, really fantastic ethical company, high quality and yeah, you just put like 15 20 drops in in your water yeah and it's not expensive.

Speaker 1:

No, yeah, you can do that before and afterwards. Yeah, super, super simple.

Speaker 2:

We're saying obviously, if you are a oh I was going to start that conversation If you're a woman of a certain age, we'll not mention any chefs. If you're a woman of a certain age, then milk thistle is even more your friend, especially if alcohol's involved.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it is. And talking of women of a certain age, I think most of us, because we are that, women of a certain age, most of us know that alcohol is harder to process. Yeah, when our hormones are changing and that is because of the load on the liver.

Speaker 2:

So, if I seem to, happen like over my 40th birthday. I mean, it was probably a lot of alcohol.

Speaker 1:

Did you have a lot on your 40th birthday.

Speaker 2:

Probably did. Do you think that was it? The body was like that's it.

Speaker 1:

I'm done with this, Catherine.

Speaker 2:

Got nothing to do with the age, it was just that event. Yeah, quite possibly it probably wasn't. I genuinely have. I could probably count on one hand in the last 10 years that I have really, really overindulged in in alcohol, and probably never to the point like I used to. At the point you couldn't remember things and things like that. Just because it's still. I still I still almost get flashbacks from when I was very anxious and and it just exacerbated that whole feeling the next day and I just can't, I just can't, don't want to go there feeling no't, don't want to go there, feeling no, no, don't want to go there.

Speaker 1:

Do you know what? I've always been really good with the limit on the alcohol. So even if I like to have a drink every now and then, it it's very rare that I go like too far with it. I just know I I get to the point where I just know that I've had enough and it's never to that point where I'm not like I'm, I'm not out of control. I don't remember what I've done. You know, I've only been like that very few times in my life and I think when I think about those situations, at least half of them the drinks were spiked oh, that wasn't even my fault.

Speaker 1:

No, yeah, but then that teach me for working in the construction industry. Right, oh right. So they were people.

Speaker 1:

You know that spiked them yeah because, the first time yeah, the first time this happened to me was absolutely awful, but it was because I was a bit known as a goody two-shoes and I was because I just loved dancing. Yeah, I would go out, I would be the driver. I still love dancing, I would be the driver. I never really liked alcohol when I was younger and so I would be the driver and I would have a great night and I would dance and we were going out on a work stew and for whatever reason I wasn't driving and then the guys took it upon themselves that they thought it was a really good idea to put vodka in my really drunk yeah, but I was really, really ill.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, what's horrible? Yeah, it was horrible. So maybe they did me a favor because it's very, like I said, it's very, very rare for me to go beyond that. I know, I know my limit and it's not normally past three glasses, I would say, is my limit that's really interesting.

Speaker 2:

You talk about like working in the I was gonna say growing up in the construction industry, but in your work life, growing up in the construction industry. There's a lady in my networking group today who is an accountant uh, was an accountant and uh, and she is either writing a book or it's going to become a podcast on things she would tell her daughter when she when she starts work. So I think she wished she knew when she'd started in her industry that there were so many men and she said people kept saying you know, the women are going to come, the women are going to come. And she said, and they never did in things like accounting and uh, yeah, so she's going to either write a book and say, or a podcast to to let all these young women that are starting in industries that are still quite like male dominated, yeah, yeah so that'll be very interesting.

Speaker 2:

And so, talking about my networking group, that I did today we, because it was the last one of the year we I decided well, you are the leader.

Speaker 1:

I am the leader, so I decided yes, that we were going to.

Speaker 2:

we're going to use my skills, so we were going to have a breath work and a meditation session. So normally we have a guest speaker that will come and talk about all things business and what I wanted to do, because I know that all the women that come to this group are busy women with families and their businesses.

Speaker 1:

They're running around like headless chickens right now Exactly.

Speaker 2:

And I knew that this was going to be a hard sell because we weren't necessarily doing something- business with your fingers, with my bunny ears exactly so and it was trying to convince them that to come and just lay on the floor for half an hour, listen to me talk with some music and do this breath work, do this meditation. We did a bit of timeline therapy, so we were putting into their um 2025 timeline what they wanted to achieve and clicking it in, which was just lovely.

Speaker 2:

Somebody said she could literally see it, see the timeline. It was sparkly and gold oh, amazing she was clicking them in.

Speaker 2:

It was just. It was amazing. However, there were still lots of people that messaged me and said I'm too busy, I can't come. Can't come lay on the floor? I mean nothing, katherine. Yeah, they did get the irony, they did, but it was trying to convince these ladies and all of my clients and all of you listening that that few moments, that that it first of all, that it was that easy. We literally laid on the floor, I turned the lights off and I played some music.

Speaker 2:

You don't have to have me talking out, you can just breathe on your own. I don't need to instruct you, but I will do. I'm very happy to do that. That will make you far more efficient. Yeah, for the rest of the day, for the rest of the week, potentially, and actually for me, the even just the feedback, just being in that that darkened space with the energy that we created between us. I've done so much work this afternoon. Normally I come I do come back from that meeting buzzing, absolutely buzzing, because it's so fabulous and I've drunk a lot of coffee, um, but yeah, I came back and I did loads of work just because it was a. Really it was a. It was a more peaceful, more calm, buzz, yeah, if that's, that's the right words it's the same with, like a morning routine.

Speaker 1:

You know we could all make excuses that we've got a lot going on, we've got kids, that we got to get out the door, all the things, yeah, and so we could easily say I haven't got time, yeah, for a morning routine. But I know 100 for sure that that morning routine is vital to how the rest of my day goes.

Speaker 2:

I I totally, totally agree. I think I said on episode a few weeks back that I've been doing robin charmer's five questions that he journals in the morning, and so one of them is what, what are you grateful for? Which is just a lovely way to start the day, yeah. The second one is um, how are you winning? Um? Again, and I end up getting those mixed up. I do this, whole, end up with a whole paragraph mixing those two together, which is, which is fine, yeah, um. And then the third one I think it's the third one is oh, the third one's what are you going to let go of that? How are you going to create space for what you want to call in? Yeah, that's, which is just lovely. The fourth one is what's your day going to look like? Yeah, this has been invaluable because it gives me like it gives me signposts.

Speaker 1:

You get to decide, yeah. You set your intention and it is so powerful, yeah, and it's so simple and it makes you it makes me quite driven.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I want to achieve all these things that I wrote down in the morning. Yeah, it's really. Yeah, it's really helpful. And actually then what it's done, it's had that knock-on effect the night before, because often there'll be a load of I I'll write in my in my journal, like desk work between I don't know 10, 30 and 12 or something like something like that, and so then what I will do the night before is actually decide what that desk work looks like, what I actually need to do to sort of make those steps forward. Yeah, that's really good, really nice. And the last one, which is just an absolute bonkers question, is what would you like people to either think or say, or what would you like to think or say on your deathbed?

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah, that's a really powerful question, isn't it, Isn't it?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, like what would you want people to think about you? Often I think about what my children would think, or say about my, about my life and what I've achieved.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, so you just take that time in the morning to do that whatever. Yeah, and then in the evening, before you go to bed, you have that reflection time as well, do you? I?

Speaker 2:

have a bit of reflection time, but often it's it's trying to work out exactly what I want to do the next day, because I am, I have that what's it called analysis paralysis. Yeah, when I'll sit at my desk and there be so many things that I want to do that I do absolutely nothing. And I mean that's that we can definitely apply to all this christmas craziness as well, can't we? It's like like ten, nothing. And I mean that's that we can definitely apply to all this christmas craziness as well, can't we? It's like like tenfold. And I imagine, I imagine people I don't know.

Speaker 2:

I stand in the middle of the supermarket sometimes like going around in circles, going I don't know what, whereas if you've got a list of things in front of you, then it's, it's a lot, lot easier to do. Yeah, yeah, it is so. That has to be one of our top tips. Right for for christmas is right write a list. Don't go into a shop. Oh my god. Don't go into a shop without a list. Don't go into a shop. Did you see my post the other day? It should be illegal to be able to walk into a supermarket.

Speaker 2:

I did see that made me laugh, yeah, if you are thirsty, or if you're cross or upset in any way, or hungry, yeah, even I would. Just, I was really thirsty, and so I did try to rectify that with a big thing of coconut water, because I know that's quite. It's quite hydrating, isn't it? As long as it's not evil sugary ones they sneak it in, don't they? It's really hard to.

Speaker 1:

You've got to read the labels on the coconut water. But yeah, you're right, it is hydrating because it has the correct ratio of electrolytes.

Speaker 2:

Coconut water is amazing so, yeah, so I grabbed that, but yeah, what I ended up doing is using that to wash down the mini mince pies that I bought just randomly and then ate about two or three on the way home.

Speaker 2:

So, yeah, that's funny. It shouldn't be allowed. I can't remember what I was cross about, but, uh, probably going shopping because I don't like doing it. No, it's such a chore, isn't it? Yeah, especially so. That was. That was as a result of not being organized and not doing my shopping list at the beginning of the week, not doing like planning my week's food and doing my shopping list and just shopping all in one go, and so I was just randomly shopping because we didn't know what we were having that night, and it's that doesn't often happen, but this is why it should never happen, because I come back with mince pies yeah, I'm glad.

Speaker 1:

I don't like mince pies. I just don't. I think they're horrible. What we're talking about. Last time that I said, I just didn't like I can't remember what it was now something you were saying that you was eating. I was just going no, I don't like that we would.

Speaker 2:

We were talking about mcdonald's, we were talking about those. I still can't get over that.

Speaker 1:

Just sounded vile. I'm glad I've never had one and I'm never going to eat one.

Speaker 2:

I was howling as I was editing that. It was absolutely hilarious.

Speaker 1:

You're getting plastic cheese. Plastic cheese, you weren't selling it, that was the thing, yeah, anyway, moving on, moving on, talking about planning and making lists, the other tip that I would give is that we have so much focus on Christmas Day that we sometimes forget the meals, kind of the few days before, yeah, and so I kind of like I've got to do my meal plan leading up to Christmas and then Christmas Day, I know what's happening, yeah, just got to make sure that I've got everything, especially because I've got a lot of people coming this year, but that meal planning leading up to it, can really, really help take the pressure off.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and that's where I try and fit in even more healthy stuff, because you think, well, it might all go horribly wrong on christmas day, although I mean still, our christmas dinner is pretty healthy veggie heavy, definitely, but we have on um christmas eve. I stick the slow cooker on in the afternoon and we have this um like veggie, veggie stew and dumplings, nice. So that's what we come back in. We go to the crib service and then we have that open our Christmas Eve fairy presents Nice.

Speaker 1:

And away we go. That sounds like fun. So we've got a few tips already, but just going back to you saying about, you know, taking that break and the fact that the more busy you are, the more you need it, do you remember back in episodes ages ago, I was saying about that? I had to do that four hours of doing nothing, and I protested about it because, you know, you don't know my life, I haven't got time to do nothing for four hours. And then I was told, you know, out of the group, you know, everyone do four hours except Julie you need six.

Speaker 1:

That is so true though, isn't it? Yeah, you know, but you don't have. It doesn't have to be long, it, but you don't have. It doesn't have to be long, it didn't have to be. You know, it doesn't have to be going to a two hour networking event. It could literally be you saying I just need to take five minutes now and just slowing your breathing down, Because when we're rushing around again, we hold our breath, we breathe too fast, and yet just taking a minute to do that like breathing is perfect for that, isn't it?

Speaker 2:

yeah, yeah definitely, and thinking about it's more like when people think about breathing, I think they think about the in-breath, don't they that? That kind of thing? And it's not. It's that all about the exhale and just making it much longer, and I've had this actually highlighted. I was listening to a podcast the other day and he was talking about when you inflate and you let the diaphragm from drop, and many people find it really difficult to let, I think, especially ladies that have been trying to hold their tummies in for like ever ever yeah, to then let go of your tummy, and we've been doing

Speaker 2:

this in pilates this week actually, because the guy that was on the podcast was talking about how this would help with a whole connection of your body and he was talking about actually being able to, like increase the stretch through your hamstrings and things like that, just through just taking three or four great big, lovely, deep breaths, but allowing your your diaphragm to drop right down, so allowing your belly to balloon as you inhale and it's. It feels weird because that actually is the point. You need to relax, you need to relax and let the belly go. Yeah, whereas often people think about that exhale as you're, as you're relaxing one, but that's I find, if I draw my tummy in just a little bit as I'm breathing out, you can feel the contrast then when you really let go of your tummy yeah and that I find that that helps me kind of get it there.

Speaker 2:

I was gonna say the right way around and I'm sure there are um breathing snobs that will tell me that there is a right way around and a wrong way around.

Speaker 1:

But I often say to my clients you can't get this wrong, but it it definitely is a nicer way to do it, just to really inflate your tummy yeah, and also moving your diaphragm around, like it's meant to, helps your digestive system, helps your lung capacity, and the other thing that I found out recently is that it has a direct impact on that bladder function. So when we get issues with that stress, incontinence that issue um, you know, as we get older, again because of hormones change, not being able to let that belly relax is associated or connected with that issue as well yeah, yeah, absolutely, and probably partly to do with that um over engagement of the pelvic floor, pelvic floor.

Speaker 1:

That's exactly what it does. Yeah, it gives you that. Yeah, that that over reaction is exactly the right word. So there is a type of breath work.

Speaker 2:

But, um, I've had. I've had an email teaching me how to do it sat in my inbox for I don't know how many years. If, if emails and inboxes can collect dust, it's definitely got it.

Speaker 1:

It's waiting for the right time for you to read it when I'm ready for it exactly, or when it's ready for me, and it's.

Speaker 2:

It's a certain style of breathing and it's particularly related to continence.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah it's all connected funnily enough all connected shocking yeah. So to finish up, I think you know we've we've given some good tips there. Drinking water, it's just again. I'm like it's so easy to do, but we sometimes forget when we get up on that Christmas morning and I know lots of people that will have like their what's the orange juice, bucks, fizz, bucks, fizz.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, the orange juice with the champagne. And then you know, and then you've not had any water and that is going to impact your energy, that's going to impact your bowels, your digestion, everything. So, drink water, get outside. So are you going swimming on, like christmas morning or something? What? What happens with the sea swimming? They do something crazy, don't they? On, like, if we can yeah, do you know what?

Speaker 2:

weirdly, for the last probably three or four years, the sea's been crazy on christmas day and we have still been able to get it. It depends what time high tide is. My, my ideal would be to be able to go and do park run on christmas morning. The kids are still, I think, like mikey's 16, kitty's 13. I'm still not quite at the point where I can disappear just before nine o'clock. We're still in the midst of presents and stuff, yeah, but eventually I would love to be able to go and do park run on Christmas Day. I think that would be my absolute ideal.

Speaker 2:

But, yeah, depending on what time high tide is on Christmas Day, I'll try and get a swim in. But I mean, either way, we've got to get out with the dog anyway, yeah. She'll drive us mad until we give in and we have the same.

Speaker 1:

And it's kind of helpful because again, when you've had that Christmas dinner and you've taken your time and you've enjoyed it and everyone else is sitting on the sofa in that certain angle, someone's got to take the dog out. And I quite like the fact that you know I will always go and do that walk. It's nice. I like to get out and move because moving after eating is also beneficial for regulating blood sugars, helping digestion again.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It makes you feel so much better and it makes room for dessert.

Speaker 1:

Oh, did I say that cheese and biscuits later? Yes, you know, you've had that little gap in, like oh, I could just do so, yeah, yeah, oh, I'm starving again.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, exactly so, yeah, absolutely so, yeah, so drinking water, but it's all those legs of a chair where I mean we are literally almost right round to episode. What two or three that we did sleep.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, movement hydration, yeah. Yeah, it's all. It's all there, isn't it?

Speaker 2:

yeah, absolutely so just it's. It is a balancing act and I know that it kind of it tips the other way at this time of year, but just try, it doesn't have to be all the time. You're not out. Well, some, most people are not out every single night of the week and the lead up to christmas. There's still breakfast, there's still lunches that can be healthy. There's still the middle of the day, hopefully, but you're drinking the water and, yeah, and maybe you're I don't know maybe having a power nap in the middle of the day. If you've been sort of burning the candle at both ends, just, yeah, making sure that you look after yourself, just so you can enjoy it. Otherwise it's otherwise, it's not much fun. And then what's the point? Yeah, exactly what's the point? Yeah, because I? Exactly what's the point? Yeah, because I mean, instagram don't care that you're feeling rubbish, even though you've posted beautiful pictures. Your neighbours don't care that you're feeling like absolute crap. Just, yeah, just look after yourself.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, be kind to yourself and have a fantastic Christmas.

Speaker 2:

Yes, very, very Merry Christmas from us. And, as always, always. How about? Our Christmas present from you to us is to come into the far too fabulous Facebook group and say Merry Christmas to us in there, because we would love to have you in there yeah, great idea. See you in the group thank you for keeping us company today. If you enjoyed the podcast, don't forget to subscribe and leave a review.

Speaker 1:

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Speaker 2:

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Speaker 1:

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