Triple Two Wellbeing

04/11/2025

Don't let stress become 'chronic stress'

During Stress Awareness Week, it's worth considering that stress is a natural part of life. But don't let it slip into chronic stress.

This is where our nervous system gets stuck in 'fight or flight' mode. The resulting cortisol and adrenaline changes our body from the inside, and longer term this can lead to high blood pressure, chronic inflammation, poor digestion, weakened immunity, increased risk of anxiety, depression and heart disease.

If you do suffer, then there's a couple of things you should do:

Stress causes cravings for sugary, fatty foods. That's your hormones talking! Get more fruit and veg in your diet to improve your gut. This boosts serotonin - the brain's 'happy' chemical. Also, magnesium-rich green leafy veg calms the nervous system. Plan lunches in advance (perhaps the night before) so that you're less prone to a 'quick', 'on-the-run', 'meal-deal-style' lunch. You can save some money while you're at it! Fuelling your body properly makes it more resilient to stress.

Secondly - take a little time out to move your body. Walking, dancing, stretching or even just doing deep breathing exercises resets your 'fight or flight' mode and boosts endorphins. Prioritise 'time out' as being just as important as any item on your to-do list (even if it's just 10 minutes) because it is, isn't it?!

If you're at the stage where stress is affecting your sleep, then that's definitely a wake-up call to deploy these 2 simple interventions that will make a difference to your day-to-day stress.

If you're struggling with stress, then a health coach could help you with your specific situation: https://www.ukihca.com/locations



[Image: craiyon.com]

03/11/2025

Is someone around you struggling?

I hope that Halloween was a fun start to the weekend just gone.
But many of us struggle a bit this time of year because of the dark mornings, short days and early darkness.
It's quite a dark and shadowy time of year and it's no coincidence that Halloween falls at this very time.

This can be an especially dark time for people who struggle with their mental health, whether it's depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), or something else. This time of year can add an extra veil of darkness for some.

So please look out for your family members, friends, colleagues and connections who may be struggling.
People are not so good at asking for help, so if you notice that something's not quite right, then do ask about it. You could be making a difference and even saving someone's life.

There have been many high profile examples recently that have highlighted the potential tragic outcomes, but these examples in the celebrity world represent only the tip of the iceberg.

💊Pharmaceutical developments mean that prescribed medication helps many, but it shouldn't be all about that. All sufferers (and those of us supporting them) need to be mindful that it's only part of the answer (an no answer at all for some), even if our time-pressured and overloaded GPs have a tendency to simply send people away with pills.

Don't get me wrong. Medication is important. It can give the sufferer some space and respite from the horrible symptoms, and space to regain some level of day-to-day functioning. Space to consider how to move forward to permanent relief. But the medication needs to be combined with some 'lifestyle medicine' to get a sustainable resolution. Just a few examples:

✅Good nutrition helps with the production and functioning of neurotransmitters that are crucial for a healthy brain and mind.
✅Exercise produces endorphins - one of nature's anti-depressants.
✅Taking action to make sure you're getting a good night's sleep is also key in stabilising one's mental health.

All of these were crucial on my own 'journey'.

Last but certainly not least: simply being able to talk to someone can often have the biggest influence of all in easing the pain. You don't have to be an expert in mental health to simply listen and offer a sympathetic ear.

Remember - keep a look-out for the people in your life. You're a potential life-saver.

30/10/2025

28/10/2025

Do you suffer from anxiety?

This time of year seems particularly difficult for the growing number of people who suffer.

The effects on the body can be significant, even debilitating, as the sympathetic nervous system puts the body into 'fight or flight' mode for extended periods of time, resulting in 'chronic anxiety'.

But where has all this anxiety come from?

😓Modern lifestyle
🚫Poor sleep negatively affects the areas of the brain that regulate emotion
🚫A lack of regular physical activity causes inflammation and reduces endorphin release
🚫Processed foods including refined carbohydrates, sugar, preservatives, regulators and emulsifiers contribute to inflammation and poor gut health are linked to anxiety

😓Social and environmental issues
🚫Worries about economic instability, wars, pandemics and climate change
🚫Over exposure to the news (which is heavily negatively biased)
🚫Global troubles (economic change, wars, pandemics and climate change)
🚫Social media and technology use (comparison anxiety, "FOMO", reduced face-to-face interaction)
💡Heritability is a factor in baseline risk, but environment is the stronger factor

😓Psychological Factors
🚫Children raised in anxious environments (anxiety is modelled by parents)
🚫Societal pressure to achieve or conform
🚫Cognitive patterns reinforce fear and worry

What can we do about our anxiety?

By focusing on what's within our control, we can eradicate many of the sources/triggers of anxiety listed above through behaviour change and some basic lifestyle medicine. Here are just some ideas that I often work on with clients:

✅Fix poor sleep (this is priority 1 for nearly ALL of my clients regardless of why they approached me)

✅Manage our exposure to the news (avoid it even)

✅Have strict boundaries for social media and technology use, especially for children

✅Avoid processed foods (read ingredients and avoid anything with items you don't recognise!), refined carbohydrates, sugar

✅Adopt an anti-inflammatory diet (see my previous post on this). Inflammation is the hidden cause of all manner of issues!

✅Look into proven remedial techniques and exercises, e.g. breathing exercises, meditation and EFT Tapping. Results with these techniques can be transformational. I've seen it first-hand. If you make it a daily habit, you can expect results.

What action have you taken to calm your anxiety?

[Image courtesy of craiyon.com]

24/10/2025

A good day to start a good habit

21/10/2025

Are you someone who suffers from anxiety?

More and more of the people I speak to seem to be. Not just everyday fleeting worries, but accumulated anxiety that has started to impact their lives. Sometimes chronic anxiety has even developed into depression.

The causes do vary, whether it's work pressures, constant negative world news, or family stresses. But the effects are always the same - low mood, poor sleep, a lack of motivation and low energy.

The trouble is we are born worriers. It is literally programmed into our brains to ensure that we have the built-in protection from potential threats.

When we evolved threats were very real. The potential of coming face to face with a wild animal required our nervous systems to quickly switch into 'fight or flight' mode with the associated injection of cortisol and adrenaline to shut down bodily systems that are not essential in that moment and enhance those that could make the difference to our survival.

The trouble is in modern life our brains don't differentiate too much between threats. A run-in with the boss can have the same effect as a close call with a tiger. Anxiety around a future event or recounting that conversation where I said the wrong thing and wrecked my upcoming promotion chances are often as violent on our nervous system as an immediate threat. Especially in environments with relentless pressures - all-too-common in today's world.

It's essential that we develop a resilience to anxiety. One effective method is to train our minds to spend more time in the present moment.

Most anxieties are about potential events in the future that may not even come to pass, or something in the past that we can't change. Most accidents happen when we're busy visualising the past or future scenes and not watching what we're doing in the present moment!

What if we could train our minds to stay in the present moment.

You may have heard the phrase, "neurons that fire together, wire together" - a simplified version of
Donald Hebb's theory of how the brain learns and forms connections through neuroplasticity.
In a similar vein: "Focus is the art of knowing what to ignore" - from James Clear (author of Atomic Habits).

So learning to focus on the present moment can train your brain to focus less on the past and future, along with their associated negative thoughts and anxieties.

Techniques like mindfulness and meditation, or even breathing exercises like 'box breathing' give us the tools to teach our brains to be more in the present moment, and in doing so, help us to nurture periods of presence that are free of anxiety. Over time you will experience less anxiety, and, better still, you will subconsciously become more resilient to stress!

[Image courtesy of craiyon.com]

17/10/2025

Happy Friday!

Have you heard of the 'Roseto Effect'?

It refers to the exceptionally low rate of heart disease and mortality observed in the Italian-American community of Roseto, Pennsylvania, in the mid-20th century.

Researchers attributed it to the strong social cohesion and community bonds of the Roseto population, despite traditional diets and lifestyles that are often associated with heart disease.

A longer-term study showed that as traditional social structures weakened over time the mortality rates in Roseto rose to match those of neighbouring towns, suggesting that social and environmental factors play a significant role in health outcomes.

This isn't the only research into how social connection and community affects health and wellbeing.

Dan Buettner identified "Blue Zones" around the world where people live exceptionally long and healthy lives. Community and social connection were shown to be a key factor (among others) in this research too.

So this weekend, reach out to those family members, friends or ex-colleagues that you haven't seen for a while, feed your own social connections and give your health and wellbeing a boost.

[Image courtesy of craiyon.com]

14/10/2025

Take a moment to destress!

For people who suffer from stress and anxiety, the effects on the body can be significant as the sympathetic nervous system puts the body into 'fight or flight' mode for extended periods of time.

I use a little exercise which you can use as a tool to calm your nervous system, reduce blood pressure, encourage your immune and digestive systems to function normally, and retrain your parasympathetic nervous system to kick in to ease your anxiety.

Here's what it involves:

Ideally, close your eyes, or if your environment makes that awkward, simply adopt a soft gaze.
Then relax your body as much as possible. Really relax your arms and your shoulders, letting your hands flop into your lap.

Focus on your breathing. Focus only on your inbreath and your outbreath.
Use your diaphragm - in other words breath into your belly. Breathing nice and deep.

Once you start to feel yourself relaxing as much as possible, breath in while counting to 5.
Then hold the breath for a count of 5, then breath out while counting to 5.
Hold that breath for a count of 5, and then repeat the whole process 4 or 5 times. Then return your breathing to normal.

During the exercise, an important aspect is that when you breath out, you should let go as much as possible. Really relax. Flop your body as much as possible. Only expend the energy required to maintain your posture and nothing more.

This is something that you could combine with that mid-morning coffee break or your cup of tea in the afternoon. Habit stacking in this way means that you're more likely to remember to use this tool for managing stress and anxiety. Alternatively, set a reminder for set times during the day. Many people who sit at a desk for much of the day do this already for remembering to get up from their desk and move their body for a short while (another good habit). Why not habit stack with that habit.

If done consistently you'll notice a real difference over time in terms of how you deal with stress and anxiety when it occurs. You will be amazed at how transformative it can be if you get into this habit.

You can use this technique at ad-hoc moments during the day too - standing in a queue, sitting in traffic. When it becomes natural to you, you can also use it when you actually experience a stressful moment during the day, or ahead of a meeting/event that you're nervous about.

There are variations on this technique and deeper protocols. Let me know if you're interested in the wider techniques and interventions. I will share them for free and no strings attached.

30/09/2025

We all need support from time-to-time…

Your health coach...

💚Is a sensitive listener who supports and respects YOUR perspective on YOUR health and wellbeing.

💚They are your trusted confidant who will listen, support, and offer accountability - in that order - and without judgement.

💚They have lived through many of the health and wellbeing challenges that their clients are facing (at least this one has), so they can offer lived experience alongside their Health Coaching training.

💚They are qualified and recognised by the UK and International Health Coaching Association, which maintains the health coaching register of people that meet the highest standards of training and experience, so they offer peace of mind too!

If your health and wellbeing journey has taken a diversion into the wilderness then give it some thought.

If you…
⚠️…have objectives relating to a medical diagnosis or warning, such as pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular issues, sleep issues, stress, mental health or cancer
✅ …want to take a preventative approach to guard against future ill-health or chronic disease
💡 …see the benefits of incorporating a Health Coach into your corporate wellbeing strategy to deliver real value rather than just 'ticking the boxes'…

…then get in touch - find out more at http://222wellbeing.co.uk, or find a local qualified Health Coach here: http://ukihca.com/locations



[Image courtesy of counselling-directory.org.uk]

26/09/2025

Happy Friday all,

A few of my ex-colleagues from my 33 year IT career have been asking what I'm doing now, so I thought I'd post a brief summary.

As a Health Coach, I help mainly busy professionals and business owners with their Health and Wellbeing goals which are often triggered by issues with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, pre-diabetes, weight and diet, although a growing number of clients are contacting me for an ill-health prevention strategy, which is very encouraging.

As well as supporting clients to thrive today, I also work on a preventative plan to avoid ill-health and a need for medications in the future.

It's not just about calories and exercise. Sleep, stress, inflammation, metabolic health and gut health need to be central to everyone’s health and wellbeing plan if objectives are to be properly tackled.

Typically over a 12-week programme (although other options are available), I provide advice, support and accountability as we make gradual changes that won't overwhelm the client and their already-busy life, and, they'll learn how to take control of their health and wellbeing so that they are self-sufficient from the end of the programme.

If you know any guys (I focus mainly on helping men because there's a shortage of health coaches for us!) in their 40s and 50s who need a little support with their health goals, then please tell them about my FREE, no-obligation 30 minute 1-2-1 discovery session. They'll learn how my lifestyle medicine approach might be exactly what they need.

They can find more info and book their free discovery here: https://222wellbeing.co.uk/

If they'd prefer to find someone who can work locally face-to-face, then they can find a fully qualified health coach with peace of mind here: https://www.ukihca.com/locations

Have a great weekend all!

23/09/2025

Some good news, please!

Given the turmoil of the modern world and the ongoing crises that seem to be constantly threaten our stock markets, this may be a time when you're more focussed on the health of your retirement funds and investments rather than your actual health!

However, there's a growing realisation in the world that health is the new wealth!

Let's start with the bad news (I promise there's good news in a moment!)…

💵 It's a sad fact that many of us consider our finances ahead of our health, whether it's investing in our future via a pension, or investing in stocks and shares to ensure financial stability in the future.

🙁 But what's the point if we're not investing in our health and wellbeing to ensure that we're around to reap those financial benefits and can enjoy them in later life with good health?

📉 Unfortunately, the latest statistics from the World Health Organisation indicate that the number of years we're living in "full health" has dropped to 68.6 for the UK (66 for Europe, and 63.9 for the US). Unbelievable?

💊 Well, most of us will know people who have battled, or are battling with a chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, or dementia. So when you stop to think about it, this average starts to make sense.

OK - enough doom and gloom!

✅ The good news is that it's never too late to start investing in your health (or should that be 'whealth'?).

✅ Many chronic diseases are preventable!

✅ Lifestyle medicine is starting to take off, although we have some way to go before prevention is prescribed more commonly than remedial prescriptions for medications after the 'ill-health horse has bolted'.

✅ You don't need your doctor to prescribe Lifestyle Medicine, and taking ownership of your health and wellbeing will help to take significant cost out of our health services. Prevention is so much easier than cure.

✅ A little lifestyle medicine can steer you well away from those depressing stats and averages. 📉

👏 Health coaches are qualified in lifestyle medicine and focus on all its dimensions, including: diet, exercise, sleep, stress, mental health, and more. 'Holistic' in their approach, they provide support and accountability for a 'whole-person' perspective, taking your unique health status, history and lifestyle into consideration before developing your unique plan.

👏 Lifestyle medicine doesn't have to be about expensive gym memberships. The emphasis is on looking at how you can move your body more within your lifestyle schedule, and within your budget. Small habits = big results.

👏 Lifestyle medicine doesn't have to be about expensive health foods, supplements and time consuming food preparation. Small, smarter, informed changes can make huge differences to your health. Small habits = big results.

👏 The UK & International Health Coaching Association (UKIHCA) runs the register for qualified health coaches here: https://www.ukihca.com/locations

🚦 Start investing in your health today. Investing in your health costs far less than you think and will maximise your 'whealth'! Your beneficiaries will be grateful for their inheritance, but surely you've earned a slice of it for yourself to enjoy well into a long life of "full health"!

Statistics source: World Health Organisation: https://data.who.int/countries/826
Data on many other counties is available here too!

More on Lifestyle Medicine:
https://bslm.org.uk/lifestyle-medicine/what-is-lifestyle-medicine/