Flu & Fitness: A Lurg Shaped Wake-up Call

There have been two helpful things which my Dad has taught me to date…

1. When walking down a steep hill adopt a sideways ‘crab-like’ walk to avoid falling down said hill
2. If ever the genie in the bottle scenario turns up on your doorstop. Don’t wish for a thousand wishes, or more money. Instead wish for good health, without your health you can’t do anything.

Now this coming from a man who smoked about 20 cigarettes a day is kind of ironic, I agree. However, my experience over the past five days has shown me that even being slightly run down can make you a lot less productive and, well, a helluva lot grumpy.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve not been properly, properly ill. But a migraine, awful skin, the mother of all sore throats, a cold and an, er, ladies complaint are all signs that my body is supremely run down. I’m not sure why I’m surprised at this. I’ve not been exercising, I’ve been mainlining coffee and taking the ‘oh go on then, I deserve it’ approach to treats for a few months now. Yes, I have truly taken a tumble from the wagon.

And, I don’t like it. My Dad was right, in this instance, without your health you don’t have anything. Plus, there is the slight alterior motive of wanting to look uh-mayzing on our forthcoming January holiday. So from now on if you see me slacking, eating crap and not getting my five a day. Feel free to lambast me. Expect lots of photos of annoyingly healthy foods and exercise updates on my Twitter on Facebook feed.

Yours healthily with granola and juice…

Fotos: 30 Day Snap Days 10 – 15

I’m not going to dwell on it too much. Well, not in this post at least. But I’ve not been too well over the past week. That day nine photo of me taking a nap because my hayfever was so bad? Turns out it was more than hayfever. Anyway, I’ve still been taking photos albeit exceedingly dull and lurg inspired ones, but not uploading them, so here’s a catch up…

Day 10 – When lurg takes over (yeah, yeah), you know you need Kleenex

http://instagram.com/p/aYvde4sAoQ/

Day 11 – I couldn’t concentrate on reading, or writing, or even TV so You Tube and Candy Crush became my source of entertainment…hi-brow!

http://instagram.com/p/aoKBi9MAoH/

Day 12 – My bogies too lurgilicious for yo’ babe. My husband is one lucky man!

http://instagram.com/p/aoKRJzMAoj/

Day 13 – Someone call Guinness World Records. Sixty snotty tissues before 9am has to be a record, right?

http://instagram.com/p/aoKh5vsApC/

Day 14 – My saviours!

<imagine a photo of various decongestants here… the photo seems to have vanished from my phone>

Day 15 – Get well soon flower! Some beaut get well flower from my bestie.

http://instagram.com/p/alpoxNMApT/

Not the most exciting I’m afraid. I hope this explains why I’ve bene sadly AWOL. I’m currently missing the family Father’s Day meal and I missed Race For Life earlier today as I am determined to be fighting fit for the week ahead. It’s going to be a good one without any lurg… right?

Flu: An Unwelcome Interruption

Image Credit: whatisstomachflu

Life is full of ups and downs. When fun, fabulousness and fulfillment come a’knocking, you can guarantee their ‘friends’ faff, failure and f*ck up are never too far around the corner. Which is why after spending the last few weekends lording it up in Madrid (it did get good once we got clothes, honest, I just haven’t got around to telling you about that bit yet) and watching the uber-tastic Queen Bey, I found myself struck down with a proper layed-up in bed, sweating and aching stomach bug.

We spent last weekend redecorating the kitchen. Nothing out-there, just another coat of white on the ceiling, magnolia on the walls and gloss on the wood and metal work. It looks better for it, although it didn’t look that bad before to be honest. Not wanting to ruin our handiwork, we decided that eating out was the best option. Oh it was lovely. A morning of painting followed by a nice meal. So, when I woke up on Tuesday morning (it was a Bank Holiday weekend remember) feeling a bit iffy I just thought I’d overindulged. I downed some Immodium and headed out to work.

Bad move. Having become intimately acquainted with the ladies loos and realising I wasn’t achieving anything I asked my boss (who had been in meetings all day) if I could go home. He told me I looked terrible and to go home and rest. I got home and crawled into bed and slept, and ached, and sweated… Oh it was not pleasant.

I’m still dehydrated and off my food. But I’m feeling much better than I was. Although randomly have an achy foot now (answers on a postcard please?).

Speaking of life dealing some duff cards. This morning was supposed to be beautifully sunny so I could sit at the dining table looking out of the juliet balcony and writing this. Instead I’m on the sofa with my achy foot propped up and looking at a grey, drizzly sky. Ah well. On the plus-side… I’m listening to this fab Great Gatsby playlist on Spotify – can’t wait to see the film. I’m supping chamomile tea from my fab Orla Kiely mug. And I’m looking forward to hubby’s forthcoming birthday celebrations. Oh and is that a bit of sunshine I see trying to make an appearance…

Flu: An Open Letter to My Lurg

Feeling rough, looking rough

Dear Lurg,

This has to stop. The fact that you have resurfaced four times in the past eleven weeks is just NOT ACCEPTABLE. Do you get that? NOT ACCEPTABLE. You made me write in capitals. Twice. That’s how strongly I feel about this.

Now you’ve had your fun. You’ve spoiled some of my early festive plans, so now GO AWAY and let me enjoy the build-up to Christmas without a sore throat, runny nose, cough, headache or any of your other annoying symptoms. And energy? Yes, I would like some of that back too please. You obviously know where I live so please return it pronto.

Please give me back my taste buds so I can once again enjoy tea, Starbucks red cups, chocolate and other festive indulgences. I have a hot chocolate recipe which I am simply desperate to make, but there seems little point when my mouth tastes like I’ve been licking the armpit of a tramp whose just completed a Zumba class.

PAY ATTENTION! I’ve been taking those vitamin c and Echinacea tablets for a reason. The same reason that I’ve been eating enormous amounts of vegetables and not going out with wet hair. The reason? To ward you off!

YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE ANY MORE – PLEASE DO NOT DARKEN MY DOOR AGAIN.

Sam

Flu? So Not Fabulous

OK, so I can’t categorically say that the lurg I had was flu, but it was close. I spent most of the weekend in bed. If I wasn’t in bed I was lounging on the sofa catching up on cookery shows, or in the bath – trying to soak those aches and pains away. The lurg invaded my body on Wednesday and started with a slightly tickly throat. By Friday my throat was killing me and I was left unable to speak and making a delightful (?) clicky noise every time I swallowed.

I seem to have become a pro at this ‘being ill’ thing. This marks the third lurg I’ve had in nine weeks. All with the same symptoms. Some would say it’s a sign of something else. My doctor just says I’m just ‘unlucky’ and keep catching different viral infections. Joy!

Either way, I’m sick of being sick. So starting today I am trying to boost my immune system in a way that, whilst not scientifically proven, I think might work for me, which is why…

I’m up at this ungodly hour – 6am to be precise. I had a nice romantic notion that I would sit at the laptop writing my blog whilst looking out of the juliet balcony and watching the sunrise. Tsk, it’s still the middle of the night out there! But one has to get up early to fit all this healthy malarkey in it would seem…

Drinking a vitamin C drink. OK, so there is some science here. The doctor recommended I take 1000mg of vitamin c and zinc everyday to ward off any other nasties. According to the packaging on my chosen vitamin c supplement, the body is unable to store vitamin c for any length of time and therefore it needs to be replenished.

Taking Echinacea – jury is out on this one. It’s a herbal cold remedy which the doctor suggested. Not two things which usually go together.

Drinking green tea/trying to cut down on my caffeine intake – s’gotta help surely?

Eating porridge – known for its cholestrohl beating properties, anyone who knows me in real life will know that me eating breakfast at all is an amazing feat. I tend to be a grab something ‘on the go’ kinda gal most days.

Catching the bus to work – whilst I sort my finances so I can purchase my dream car (my dream car being one that has four wheels and drives) I have been walking to work. Now whilst walking (a very hilly) two miles to work and back has gotta be healthy as the weather has become decidedly chilly and down-right soggy I thought it wasn’t the best plan for someone who evidently already has a cr*p immune system. So this week I’ll be experimenting as to which bus route gets me to work the quickest and the smoothest (I know my life is just full of glamour).

Doing the Tara Stiles 7-week-plan. OK so I’m a little late to the party. But being a (lapsed) lover of yoga – following a feel-good programme has gotta help hasn’t it..? Hasn’t it?

I’ll let you know if I’m blowing my nose into Kleenex Balsam again before the year is out.

What are your stay-well strategies?