How to stay well if you are sick

This week I have been sick. Despite a healthy diet, regular exercise, a good sleep pattern and a stress reduction programme - sometimes we will get sick. That is just life.

However I have been frustrated this week as being sick has totally disrupted all of the above:

When I am ill I want comfort foods because quite frankly I felt miserable and wanted to creep back into old habits and the link between what I eat and my mood.

I could not do my normal exercise pattern and had to post pone starting a boot camp as a chest infection does not tally with an intense outside exercise plan.

I could not sleep well as I was coughing so much I kept waking myself up.

I could not sing, excercise or chat to friends as I totally lost my voice and did not want to expose people to my bug. So none of that relaxation and therefore stress reduction policy.

So what to do to counteract all this when everything is going against you!!!.

Let yourself have a little bit of what you want but do not let it get out of control and undermine all your hard fitness and diet work. So I had a low fat cocoa with some marshmallows and some cake. Just not too much so I did not wallow in it.

Look for alternative comfort foods. I had more porridge and honey or bananas than normal. It was warming and slow release. Plus the honey and bananas gave me stuff that helped my throat and mood levels.

I am also drinking plenty of fluids and vitamin C juices etc to promote getting better.

I am doing some alternative exercise. Walking the kids to school rather than driving all the way. Some gardening and today a little gentle tennis. Some that I can cope with whilst keeping myself wrapped up.

I cant sing so I am listening to more music and I have rediscovered my sewing and (sad but stimulating) online scrabble with friends on facebook.

I cant talk so I am socialising through social media. My fingers are flying off that Keyboard. It is not the same as face to face communication but it is a temporary stand in!!.

One fringe benefit of not being able to talk - I am listening and observing more. It has been a useful lesson. But thats the next blog!!