How a Healthy Diet is Essential for a Healthy Mind - Guest Post

There is evidence to suggest that good nutrition is essential for mental health and physical health. There are several mental health conditions that may be influenced by dietary factors.

In a recent study, two thirds of people who did not report mental daily health issues ate fresh fruit or fruit juice every day, compared with less than half of those who did report daily mental health problems.

Eating well balances mood and feelings of wellbeing, with leading mental health charities such as Mind advocating that healthy eating courses should sit alongside treatments from GPs and specialists.

27th February - 4th March 2016 - One Picture Everyday For One Year

This week has been a tough one. I have had my medication for depression changed yet again. Thankfully the new one seems, so far, better than the last.

This week has seen a lazy weekend, a tea party, cake, flowers and walks through puddles. This is my week in pictures...

Saturday 27th February 2016

On Saturday I managed to have some crochet time which was lovely. I got behind a few days with my sky blanket but now I am almost caught up.

Sunday 28th February 2016

12th July - 18th July 2015 - One Picture Everyday For One Year

This week has been a week of acceptance. Acceptance that I needed to admit that things were not right with regard to my depression. I recently took a turn and went down again. However I finally admitted that I needed to talk and called the doctors. This has resulted in getting a rocket up my backside to exercise more and a temporary increase in my medication. It has now been a year since my diagnosis and I am realising that there is no quick fix. It is going to take time and will be a roller coaster of a ride to recovery.

Anyway back to my Project365. Here is our week in pictures...

Sunday 12th July 2015

On Sunday I had a baking morning and made some delicious biscuits from Sweetpea Pantry. As you can see from this picture the twins loved tucking in to them. You can read about them here.

Monday 13th July 2015

On Monday morning I enjoyed going for a long walk with the dogs. We tried a new walk that was great!

Tuesday 14th July 2015

This was the only picture that I took on Tuesday and it is of Taylor's lovely sleepy face. Bless him, he was fast asleep on me in the afternoon and I found myself just sitting and gazing at how peaceful he looked.

Wednesday 15th July 2015

Wednesday was the day that I finally admitted to myself that I wasn't right and had my telephone appointment with my doctor. On Wednesday I made this lovely roasted Mediterranean vegetable pasta and finished the day with a great work out!

Thursday 16th July 2015

On Thursday we went to the schools annual leavers service. Now that the twins are older they are sitting a lot better through the services. As they go to a church school there are quite a few each term. This time Isabella went prepared with colouring and Taylor took a book.

Friday 17th July 2015

On Friday I needed to take the hubby's car to get some new tyres. Thankfully there are shops and a Costa coffee shop around the corner. So after buying some yummy Marks and Spencers food I went armed with my iPad and chilled with a coffee and free wifi! When the kids are back at school in September I am going to make it a weekly treat!

Saturday 18th July 2015

On Saturday I had some time out with my mother in law at a mini spa. We enjoyed an hour together in the spa area then took it in turns to have treatments and have some alone time. It has really refreshed me!

Hope you have a lovely week x

As always I am sharing with...

Negative Routines and How to Change Them

People can fall into all kinds of bad habits, and it's often tricky to get out of them on your own. I know this first hand after being diagnosed with depression last year. I am delighted to say that now, the majority of the time, I am me again. I have managed to change how I feel with changes in my lifestyle as well as medication. The biggest change that I have made is exercising. I find that I feel so much better in myself when I take regular exercise. This in turn has resulted in healthier eating and drinking more water. This and having a good routine in place has had a huge effect.

If you, a friend, partner, or family member needs help, why not take the first step to get back on track? Here are some examples of the kinds of negative habits people commonly develop, and some top tips to help them break the cycle. 

Eating Junk Food and Unhealthy Eating

With a lot of options when it comes to ready meals and snacks, and thanks to our busy modern lifestyles, it can be easy to fall into a pattern of eating the wrong kind of food. Healthier eating is something you can start together, as a family, by planning nutritious meals you'd like to cook, and purging tempting treats from the home. But with friends and family members it can be trickier. One great option is to get them a subscription with a healthy snack delivery service, or a fruit and veg box supplier. Healthy treats are often just as delicious as their naughty counterparts, and people often find that good, whole food fills them up quicker than junk food too. A lot of unhealthy foods have a high sugar content which can cause huge energy slumps which in turn bring you down.

Word of the Week - 20th March 2015

This week my Word of the Week has to be...

Challenging

This week has been challenging in many ways.

The twins have been challenging.

The puppies have been challenging.

My moods are challenging and we have had an awful bullying moment which has been challenging for us all.

This week the twins seem to have lost their hearing. Obviously not literally but it has certainly felt that way. However we have found that the trusty time out spot is starting to work and is slowly becoming a good deterrent. On the other hand we have had some lovely play times this week. I am even more aware that their start date for nursery is getting closer and closer so am trying to get the most out of these last few weeks.

Having two puppies is certainly a challenge. If I am honest it is more challenging than we expected. The majority of the time they play lovely together and snuggle up to sleep together during the day but there are times when they get over excited and their play turns rough. We have realised that we need some dog training help and will hopefully be getting someone to come and see us next week to spend a few hours with us telling us how to train the dogs.

My moods are challenging me at the moment. I am not too sure why this is happening. I am wondering if it is all connected to the impending changes that the twins going to nursery is going to bring. I know that they will be positive changes as the twins will be learning more and I will have some me time but it is still a change. I have found that I am having moments of anxiety again and moments when I over react about and over think situations. I am sure that it will pass soon but I do find it challenging.

This leads me to the bullying incident. Unfortunately Joseph received some awful racial bullying on Monday. This was the first time that he has had remarks about his colour. An older child, who really should know better, called him the worst, racist name that you can think of, yes my 10 year old was called the N word. We were all disgusted to hear that children still use this word to intimidate and as a form of bullying. To have Joseph come home and ask me what that word meant was heartbreaking. I have contemplated keeping quiet about the incident and not sharing on my blog to the world but then I realised that the more people keep quiet, the more people will think that everything is ok. The reason that I am speaking out about it is because I want people to know that racial bullying between children is still out there. I naively thought that these days children could see beyond colour and was disappointed to find out, first hand, that I was wrong. I long for a day when skin colour is not an issue. My job as a mum is to make Joseph feel proud of the person that he is and to feel confident in the skin that he is in. God knows I am so proud of him and I want for him to grow into a proud mixed race young man and anyone who is too narrow minded to see beyond that are not worth the time.

Wow what a week! That is why this week has been challenging!

As always I am sharing my Word of the Week with The Reading Residence - Word of the Week.

The teapigs #MatchaChallenge

When I saw a request from teapigs for bloggers to take the two week Matcha Challenge I jumped at the chance. I was delighted to find out that I had been selected to take part!

To take part in the matcha challenge I was asked to drink matcha everyday for two weeks and see if I felt any changes at the end of the challenge. I was sent a teapigs Matcha Kit so that I had what I needed to get started. The kit contained:

• 30g tin of Matcha
• Electric hand held whisk
• A shot glass
• An information leaflet
• Matcha badge
• Spoon

If you are wondering what matcha is let me tell you what it is, and how it can benefit you.

Matcha is 100% natural, organic green tea leaves. It is like no other green tea, the leaves have been ground down into a fine powder. When you drink matcha you are drinking all of the goodness unlike with regular green tea where you only consume a portion of the goodness as the remaining nutrients are left in the bag and put in the bin. Matcha tea leaves are grown in Japan and are grown undercover for the final two weeks. This enables to plant to produce lots of chlorophyll which gives it the bright green "good stuff". Matcha is not new, it has been drunk in Japan for almost 900 years as part of their tea ceremony. It is also used by Buddhist monks as it keeps them alert, awake and focused during long periods of meditation.

Until recently all matcha was consumed in Japan, however it is now becoming more and more popular in the UK.

After researching matcha further on various websites I was amazed by the possible benefits from drinking this super green powder. They include:

• Packed with Antioxidants including flavonoids which help protect our bodies against harmful free radicals such as pollution, UV rays, radiation and chemicals which can lead to cell damage.
• Naturally detoxifies the body
• Improves mood and increases concentration
• Calms
• Boosts metabolism which ultimately burns calories
• Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar
• Contains the naturally occurring acid l-theanine which along with caffeine is a well know stimulant

Before Taking The #MatchaChallenge

If you are a regular Hijacked By Twins reader you will be aware that during the last 6 months I have struggled with depression and anxiety. This was one of the reasons I was so keen to try matcha. Having read that this super green drink can improve moods and calms I was excited and curious to see if it would work. Along with my depression came a lack of motivation which in turn resulted in a low mood. I was stuck in a vicious cycle.

During The #MatchaChallenge

I was amazed by how quickly I noticed the change in my mood. At first I wondered if it was purely a coincidence but my mood continued to lift. I became more motivated which in turn lifted my mood further. I recently cut out coffee and have longed for a drink to replace it and at last I found it! Matcha became part of my morning breakfast routine and I felt that it gave me a kick start to the day. In general I felt better in both my mood and my body.

How To Drink Matcha

There are many ways to drink and consume matcha. So far I have drunk it...

as a shot using hot water at 70C

as a latte with almond milk

as a cup of tea

even in my slimming shake

and as Matcha Breakfast Cakes.

After The #MatchaChallenge

Once the Matcha Challenge had finished I decided to have a couple of matcha free days to see if I could really see a difference. After the first morning of having little energy I was straight back to drinking matcha. I have honestly noticed a change in how I am feeling both mentally and physically. I have the motivation for the day ahead. I feel that matcha has helped me over come my anxiety and has lifted my mood no end. I am me again! I have also noticed an improvement in my skin, I am more alert and certainly a lot less anxious. I will continue to drink matcha daily and am enjoying finding new ways to incorporate it into my diet further. Keep an eye out for more recipes using matcha!

For further information about matcha or to purchase matcha visit teapigs. Also during January 2015 teapigs are offering 20% off their matcha range when you use the discount code MATCHA15.

Disclosure: I was sent the teapigs matcha kit for the purpose of this post. No payment was received. All views and opinions are my own and 100% honest.

I am sharing with:

Word of the Week - 16th January 2014

This week my word of the week is...

MOTIVATION

Yes you have read that right!

This week I have seen my long lost motivation return. 

When my depression started last year my motivation disappeared. I struggled to do a great deal. I got behind with the housework, I didn't want to go out and my love of baking completely vanished.

This week I have felt an incredible change in how I feel. I am putting part of it down to drinking Matcha green tea (review coming next week) but I feel that I have turned a corner with my depression and anxiety. I feel like me again.

This week I have caught up with housework and am staying on top of it. I have been baking again, I have got my blog posts written, we have been out for walks and I played outside with the children.

I have missed feeling like this and I am delighted that I feel like me again. I feel as if the dark cloud has lifted and I sincerely hope it says away!

As always I am sharing my Word of the Week with the lovely Jocelyn from The Reading Residence.

Word of the Week - My #embracehappy Word of 2015

For this weeks Word of the Week I thought I would make it my Word of the Year.

I have been part of a fantastic Facebook group called Embrace Happy since it started but have not been active because of my depression and anxiety. However I am now taking control of my feelings and emotions and am taking part in daily recording my #3goodthings for each day. I am hoping that this will help me start the year as I mean to go on.

My Word of the Day/Year is...

POSITIVITY

I have chosen positivity because I am going to leave the negativity behind and look to the future. Today is also a special day as it would have been my grandad's birthday and I know that he would want me to be positive.

I do not believe in new years resolutions as they never seem to last. However I am looking at starting the year better than it ended. We have had a lot of hurt during the last 3 years due to loosing my grandparents.

This year has to be better and I am sure that we will make it a better year.

I am going to get over the depression and anxiety and stop taking the medication.

We will be seeing huge changes in our home and will be starting to plan an extension to create the perfect living area. This will include extra bedrooms so that the twins will have their own space.

We have a holiday planned.

I am going to Blog On MOSI and Brit Mums this year which I cannot wait for.

There are so many positive things planned already.

The sign below is now on my kitchen wall to keep me up and to remind me that things aren't as hard as they sometimes seem.

Embrace Happy is a fantastic group of people that have been brought together by the lovely Karin who created #embracehappy. This group has made me start identifying the positive things that happen during the day, no matter how small or insignificant. All of the little positives make a huge difference. I thoroughly recommend that you check out the website or join the Facebook page.

As always I am sharing my Word of the Week with the lovely Jocelyn from The Reading Residence.

My Happy List - Mums' List

When the lovely Aby from You Baby Me Mummy invited me to join in with the Mums' List linky I saw this as a perfect opportunity to create my happy list. I have to admit I write lists for everything.

This list is going to be a list that I will look back on when the dark cloud is hanging over me. I am struggling again with my depression but have found a new determination to get back to being me again. This list is another step in the right direction.

Here is my happy list, things and people that make me smile on both the inside and out...

1 - My hubby - Hubby is my rock, he is so supportive and loving. I really would be lost without him!

2 - My beautiful children - Yes they sometime drive me crackers, but they give me a reason to carry on. They fill my heart with pride and joy every time I look at them. They are my life.

 3 - My family - I am so thankful to have my mum and dad living so close. They live round the corner from us and they are a huge part of our lives. My mother in law doesn't live close by but I know that if I need her she will be there.

4 - Hijacked By Twins - My blog makes me happy. It has become a part of me that I love. I am incredibly thankful for the amazing opportunities that it has brought to us.

5 - Blogging community - I have found, over the past year, how supportive the blogging community is. I have found many to be better friends than real life friends. I am really looking forward to a weekend in London next year for Britmums Live and meeting more in person.

6 - Garden - I love our garden. Just being outside and enjoying the peace and quiet brings a relaxing calm to life.

7 - Baking/Cooking - This has to be my favourite pastime. Baking and cooking always relaxes me, It is not very often I get quiet kitchen time, I usually have the children shouting and playing around me, but when I do get the odd quiet time in the kitchen I am able to forget everything and just enjoy what I am doing. When the twins start nursery next year my mornings are going to be for me to enjoy my kitchen more.

That is my happy list.

I am hoping to add to this over time and make it even longer. I will get to the point where I will not need a happy list because I will be in a better place and the depression will be a thing of the past. But for now I will use it and will add to it.

As I mentioned before I am sharing my list with the lovely Aby from You Baby Me Mummy who is hosting Mums' List for Mums' Days. Thank you Aby for inviting me to share my list, you gave me the motivation to write my happy list x

- See more at: http://mumsdays.com/mums-list/#sthash.g5IyF6rc.dpuf

Word of the Week - 22nd August 2014

It is Word of the Week time.

What word would sum up my week?

I'm afraid that to say I have struggled to find a positive word this week. But in the end I have chosen a word which is positive, I think, that word is...

DETERMINATION

Why have I chosen determination?

Well, this week has seen me go down again. But it has also brought out a new determination. I am determined that this will not beat me down. I am determined to get over it. Determined to me again.

I have started by getting a brand new hair cut! I have had a lot chopped off and have added a fringe. Next week we are on holiday and I have booked in a couple of spa treatments to help pick me up. I am determined to use this holiday to leave everything behind me and just spend quality time with my family. I am even leaving my blog at home! I am pleased to say that I have got my posts scheduled so that it'll keep ticking over while we are away. I am leaving the laptop behind but I have bought a lovely new note book and stationary and plan to write the good old fashioned way!

I am finding that there is no quick fix to depression. I am finding that it is a roller coaster ride of recovery. I had thought that I was better but after this week I am realising that it is going to take time but I am confident that with my new found determination I will get out of the darkness. I am focusing on my reasons to smile, my hubby, my children, my family and even my little blog.

My new hair

Thank you for listening to me x

What word would sum up your week?

As always I am sharing my Word of the Week with the lovely Jocelyn at The Reading Residence.

#RealMumsAllBran 5 Day Challenge

I have to admit that before I took the Real Mums All Bran 5 day challenge I was a breakfast skipper.

If I didn't eat breakfast you may be wondering why I decided to take the 5 day challenge.

I was offered the challenge at the same time that I was diagnosed with depression. As soon as I was diagnosed I knew that I needed to make some lifestyle changes. This included the way I ate. I do love food, I love cooking and baking but during the day I tended to pick about and not eat proper full meals.

When I researched further I found out that 90 - 95% of the "happy" hormone serotonin is made in the gut! Therefore it is essential to have a good, balanced, healthy diet to make serotonin. As soon as I read this, I knew I had to make changes. That is where the #RealMumsAllBran 5 day challenge came in.

I was challenged to eat an All Bran breakfast for 5 consecutive days and see if I could tell a difference in my digestion and in my general well being.

I was sent three delicious flavours to try, All Bran Golden Crunch, All Bran Red Berry Crunch and All Bran Chocolate Wheats. For once I was actually looking forward to breakfast time and changing my diet.

I decided to start with the Red Berry Crunch. I love anything berry so had high hopes for day one and I was not disappointed. This cereal is packed with yummy berry bits. A cereal which is not only good for you but tastes good, this really was a winner! With just 184 calories per typical serving it is an ideal way to start the day.

When it came to trying the Chocolate Wheats I will admit to being just a little dubious as to whether they would be truly chocolaty. I was amazed to find the the bite sized wheat packages contained whole chunks of naughty but nice chocolate! What is even better is that you can enjoy the delicious chocolate flavours without the guilt as a typical serving contains just 185 calories! A perfect, sweet start to the day!

The last one that I tried was the Golden Crunch. This cereal was malty flavoured multi grain clusters that had the goodness taste with a sweet bite. With icy cold milk this cereal gives another yummy start to the day. This All Bran variety contains the lowest amount of calories with just 182 calories per typical serving.

My #RealMumsAllBran 5 Day Challenge Verdict

Since starting with the #RealMumsAllBran 5 day challenge I can honestly say that I can feel a difference in both my mental well being and my digestive system.

Breakfast has now become a part of my daily food routine and I have found that I am not only snacking less but I am also feeling less bloated. After having the twins two and a half years ago bloatedness is something which I have suffered with. However I have found that my tummy is feeling happier since I added the extra fibre that All Bran provides into my regular diet.

As for the depression, I have started to feel more like my old self. I feel that this is due to a combination of medication and eating more regular meals and starting the day as I mean to go on, with a good breakfast. I feel confident that eating a healthy breakfast with All Bran is kick starting the serotonin that I need to make each day a good day!

Thank you Kellogg's and BritMums for setting the challenge which really has made a difference to my life.

If you would like to know more about the Real Mums of All Bran 5 day challenge or would like to take the challenge yourself visit Kellogg's All Bran.

This post is an entry for the Real Mums of All Bran linky challenge sponsored by Kellogg's.

Word of the Week - 11th July 2014

My word of the week is a really basic word but it sums up my week perfectly.

My word of the week is

Me

I have chosen this word as this week I have started feeling like me again.

I have my motivation back.

The black heavy cloud has lifted.

I am still grieving my Nanna but it is not pulling me further down. I am dealing with it and managing it. Yesterday we went to her bungalow for the second time. The first time broke me. But yesterday it was still hard but not as much as the first time. When we arrived the twins shouted "Yay Mamars!" but when we went in and she wasn't there Isabella said to me "Mamar is hiding". A week a go I would have fallen to pieces but yesterday with my mums help we explained that Mamar is a shiny star with Gramps.

I definitely feel like my tablets are working. I am my calmer, smiling self again. My smiles aren't false anymore, I feel like smiling! I am also feeling stronger and determined to be me again.

I am also enjoying the children more again. I am cherishing the happy moments and giggles we have playing. At the moment our favourite thing to do is playing on the swings.

Life is getting good again. I am becoming me again. After next Wednesday, Nanna's funeral, I feel that I will be able to move on a step further. I will always miss her terribly but I will start to live with the loss and smile with the memories that I treasure.

As always I am sharing my Word of the Week with the lovely Jocelyn at The Reading Residence

Word of the Week - 27th June 2014

I will pre warn that this is not the happiest of post, I am sorry.

This weeks word undoubtedly has to be..

Anxiety

I am feeling extremely anxious.

Yesterday I took a huge step and went to see the doctor.

For the last 3 - 4 months I have had a huge black cloud hanging over me. Thinking back, it arrived 10 months ago when we lost my grandad. But during the last few months it has really been effecting me. I finally decided at the beginning of the week that I needed to confront it and admit I have a problem. There are only so many melt downs and tears that one person can take! I knew there was something wrong as this is just not me. I am not like this. I have a happy home life, three beautiful children and an incredibly supportive husband. I have no reason to feel like this.

But I do.

As soon as I walked into the doctors room I broke down and it all came out. I have been diagnosed with depression. The doctor has said that it may be a delayed form of PND or it may be a build up of everything and it has suddenly come to a head. I cannot believe that I am saying any of this. This is not me. Or that's what I thought anyway.

Today is the start of change. I am going to tackle it and dig myself out of the hole that I am in. I have started some medication today which I am anxious about. She did warn me that the side effects can be horrible for the first 2 - 3 weeks. I have researched on line and so many people have said how awful they are so reading that has made me more anxious. It is is worrying but the doctor said that if I can stick them out they can really help. So I am trusting her and am hoping I am strong enough to stick out whatever side effects I get, if any.

I want to be proactive on my recovery. I am planning to get out more. I want to attend play groups with the twins, there is a new twins group which I was contacted about so I might start there. But first I need to get in the right frame of mind. I just know I don't like the way I am feeling at the moment.

Sorry if I am rambling on. The doctor told me to talk, but I am not a talker. But I am a writer, I can write about my feelings and emotions in a way I cannot talk. It is easier to write it down. To get it out of my head. So thank you for "listening". 

As always I am sharing my word of the week with the lovely Jocelyn at The Reading Residence