A blog post about the benefits of homemade gummies. Whether you want to make them for your nutritional daily vitamins, or just as a healthy snack for your and/or the kids, then read on. This simple recipe will help you create tasty gummies that you’ll want to make again and again.
Gummies, those delightful, chewy treats loved by kids and adults alike, have long been a popular choice. However, the store-bought varieties often come with a laundry list of artificial ingredients, excessive sugars, and little nutritional value. But fear not! The solution lies in creating your own homemade healthy gummies. Join us as we explore the benefits of crafting these delectable treats in your very own kitchen and discover why they surpass their store-bought counterparts in every way.
Nutritional Control
One of the most significant advantages of making your own gummies is having complete control over the ingredients. By using high-quality, wholesome components such as fruit juices, natural sweeteners (like honey or maple syrup), and nutrient-rich gelatin or plant-based alternatives, you can create a snack that nourishes and energizes. Say goodbye to artificial colors, flavours, and preservatives that often dominate store-bought gummies and are no good for our health.
Customisation and Flavour Variety
Homemade gummies offer endless possibilities when it comes to flavours and combinations. From classic fruity delights like strawberry, orange, or raspberry to more exotic blends like mango-lime or blueberry-pomegranate, you have the freedom to tailor the taste to your liking. Our favourite at the moment (and particularly through the winter months of cold and flu season) are elderberry and honey, to help our immunity naturally. You can also experiment with adding extra nutritional boosts such as vitamin C, probiotics, or even sneaking in some vegetable purees for added nutrients.
Portion and Sugar Control
Commercial gummies are notorious for their high sugar content, which can contribute to health concerns, as well as being filled with ingredients that maybe aren’t the best for us, making them somewhat counterproductive. By making your own gummies, you have the power to control the amount of sugar added as well as the ingredients you use, allowing for healthier alternatives. Plus, with the ability to customise portion sizes, you can promote mindful snacking habits and avoid excessive consumption.
Sneaking in Nutrients
Homemade gummies present an excellent opportunity to sneak in additional nutrients that benefit both kids and adults. You can incorporate ingredients like freshly squeezed fruit juices, pureed vegetables, or even superfood powders to elevate the gummies nutritional profile.
Fun and Educational Activity
Engaging in the process of making homemade gummies can be a wonderful bonding experience for families. Involving kids in measuring ingredients, mixing flavors, and pouring the mixture into molds can cultivate a sense of curiosity and excitement about healthy eating. As they witness the transformation from liquid to chewy treats, they become more aware of what goes into their food and develop a deeper appreciation for wholesome choices.
Cost-Effective and Eco-Friendly
Crafting your own gummies can be a cost-effective alternative to store-bought options. Purchasing bulk ingredients and reusable silicone molds can save money in the long run, while reducing packaging waste associated with single-use commercial packages. Embracing homemade gummies not only benefits your wallet but also contributes to a more sustainable lifestyle.
How to make your own healthy gummies
Indulge in a guilt-free treat with our delightful and nutritious homemade gummies recipe. Get ready to satisfy your sweet tooth while nourishing your body with this easy and fun recipe.
Healthy Homemade Gummies
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours6 minutes
Ingredients
200ml of fresh juice
2 tbsp of manuka honey
2 tbsp of gelatin
Instructions
Simply heat your favorite juice (avoid boiling) in a saucepan
Add your honey and stir until perfectly combined.
Remove the pan from heat, sprinkle in the gelatin, and stir until dissolved.
Then, pour the liquid into moulds.
Refrigerate for 4-6 hours, and voila! You have your very own stash of deliciously nutritious gummies.
Notes
Gummies are fresh and will store, in the fridge for around a week - 10 days.
By choosing homemade healthy gummies over their store-bought counterparts, you unlock a world of benefits. From nutritional control and flavor variety to portion management and sneaking in extra nutrients, creating your own gummies puts you in the driver’s seat of your snacking choices. So, embark on this delicious journey, gather your loved ones, and unleash your creativity in the kitchen. Indulge in the wholesome delight of homemade gummies that nourish your body and soul, and redefine the way you snack for both kids and adults.
Have you ever considered how the products and foods we use on a daily basis can impact our overall well-being? Studies show that our exposure to harmful chemicals can have a significant impact on our physical and mental health. But what if we could improve our well-being simply by approaching things more naturally? We’re going to explore the benefits of embracing natural products and foods, reducing exposure to harmful chemicals, and practicing mindfulness. Join Roseanne and myself as we dive into how embracing a more natural way of living can transform your well-being and how you can get started.
Chatting about living naturally with Roseanne
To delve deeper into the topic of living naturally, I had the pleasure of chatting with Roseanne, a friend of mine I met through Instagram, who is known for her dedication to all things natural. Roseanne has been living naturally for years and swears by its benefits accrediting it with so much, including improving her overall well-being. She shared how she had experienced an improvement in her physical health and mental well-being since making the switch. Roseanne believes that natural living is a lifestyle that anyone can adopt and shared practical tips on how to get started and recommended some natural products that have worked for her. Talking to Roseanne was a reminder that living naturally is not only beneficial for the environment but can also have a positive impact on our health and well-being.
The Benefits of Natural Products
Using natural products has numerous benefits for both our health and the environment. Unlike synthetic products, natural products are free from harmful chemicals and toxins that can cause long-term health problems. They are made using natural ingredients such as herbs and essential oils, which have healing properties that can improve our overall well-being. Moreover, natural products are gentle on the skin and do not cause any irritation or allergic reactions.
In addition, using natural products is a great way to support eco-friendly and sustainable practices. Many natural products are packaged using eco-friendly materials that are biodegradable and can be recycled. By choosing natural products over synthetic ones, we are contributing towards a cleaner and healthier planet.
Reducing Exposure to Harmful Chemicals
By opting for natural products, we can significantly reduce our exposure to harmful chemicals. These chemicals are present in everything from our food to the skincare products we use every day. Studies have shown that prolonged exposure to these chemicals can lead to various health issues such as allergies, hormone disruption, and even cancer. Making a switch to natural and organic products can mitigate the risks associated with exposure to these chemicals and pave the way for a healthier, happier life.
Embracing Your Diet
Embracing a natural diet is another way to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals. Filling our plates with fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole foods instead of processed and packaged foods can help us avoid artificial additives, preservatives, and other harmful chemicals.
Embracing a natural diet is another way to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals. Filling our plates with fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole foods instead of processed and packaged foods can help us avoid artificial additives, preservatives, and other harmful chemicals. Not only does a natural diet reduce our exposure to toxins, but it can also provide numerous benefits for our overall well-being. Natural foods are rich in essential nutrients and antioxidants that can boost our immune system, improve digestion, and promote healthy weight management.
Incorporating natural foods into our diet can also have positive effects on our mental health. A diet high in processed foods and sugar has been linked to depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. On the other hand, a natural diet that is rich in whole foods can help to stabilize our moods, improve cognitive function, and increase our energy levels. By embracing a natural diet, we can improve our physical and mental health, and ultimately live a more fulfilling life.
Mindfulness and Well-being
Mindfulness and well-being go hand in hand, and our diet plays a crucial role in achieving both. When we are mindful, we are fully present in the moment, aware of our thoughts and emotions without judgment. This state of mind allows us to recognize negative patterns and replace them with positive ones, leading to a greater sense of peace and contentment.
Incorporating mindfulness into our daily routine can have a profound impact on our mental and physical health. Meditation, yoga, and other mindfulness practices can help to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve sleep quality. By focusing on the present moment and cultivating a sense of gratitude, we can enhance our overall well-being and live a more fulfilling life.
One easy way to incorporate mindfulness into our diet is to practice mindful eating. This involves paying attention to the texture, taste, and aroma of our food, and savoring each bite without distraction. By eating more slowly and mindfully, we can better appreciate the nourishment our food provides and avoid overeating.
By embracing natural foods and practicing mindfulness, we can improve our physical and mental health and ultimately live a more fulfilling life. Taking small steps towards a healthier lifestyle can have a significant impact on our well-being, and the benefits are well worth the effort.
Incorporating natural products, reducing exposure to harmful chemicals, rethinking your diet, and practicing mindfulness are all powerful ways to improve your well-being. By taking small steps towards a more natural lifestyle, you can experience the countless benefits that come with it. As you swap out conventional products for natural alternatives, pay attention to how your body responds. You’ll likely be pleasantly surprised. So go ahead, make the switch to natural living. Your body will thank you for it.
You can find Roseanne on Instagram @home.ed.hopes – be sure to check her out!
Today I am going to delve into my own experiences within a multi level marketing company, It Works, and look back, in hindsight, and explore what may have been some of the more problematic parts of the industry, and some of the red flags that I can see now but couldn’t really see at the time. I also want to delve into a common question: what led me to leave and how I stumbled on the anti MLM community.
Check out my Youtube videos about my time in a multi level marketing company
If you would prefer, I have two video’s on this very subject over on my Youtube channel, where I am slowly opening up and building a small anti MLM playlist there. I would love you to subscribe if this kind of content interests you. You can also check out my most recent podcast about multi level marketing or check out the shownotes.
It Works Global
Before we carry on be sure to check out my disclaimer* at the bottom of this post. I was part of It Works Global for over four years and I feel like I have a good indication of what the company, team and culture was like while I was there. I reached the rank of Ruby which as per the income disclosure statement when I joined was an income of around $500 per month, but in the more recent income disclosure shows that this has dropped to an average of around $350 per month.
My experience with It Works started when I came across someone on Instagram who was talking about her side business and all the things it was doing for her family or that it would be doing for her family in the future. I don’t know whether she followed me or I followed her, but knowing what I know now and how they train you to follow people and grow your network (so you can either sell to or recruit these people) I am going to go ahead and presume she followed me, but really I don’t have any clue. I was definitely at a more vulnerable time in my life where I could really have done with an extra income and was probably extremely susceptible to an MLM’s messaging. I was working full time in a job I didn’t love, I was studying for my Master’s degree and therefore my tuition, books and materials cost a fair amount and was a drain on the money I did have. I was also in a long distance relationship with my now-husband and so commuting to see each other every weekend was also costly. I was definitely attracted to the idea that I could earn an extra income around the other commitments in my life.
I reached out to her in late 2014 and she replied asking me to email her. I did, but as it happened the email bounced and I did nothing more about it for a while. It would have been great if that is where the story ended but it didn’t, and in February 2015 I replied to something she had shared again and this time I followed it through and ended up enrolling as a distributor. I truly thought she looked like she was having so much fun and I wanted in on that. Of course I now know that is what these MLM’s do, they sell a dream and a lifestyle to hook you in and for more than 99% of people this life will never happen, at least not through the MLM itself. This is how they lure people in to the business opportunity.
When I was in the recruitment phase, that period of time where I was curious about the business, speaking to the person who would eventually become my enroller but I hadn’t yet joined the business, I tried to weigh up the pro’s and cons. I did a google search “reasons not to join It Works” and actually, at the time, nothing really came up. I have done the same search today and there is a lot more information about the company, along with the experiences of others too. I spoke to my now-husband about it and he trusted my judgement and I also spoke to my mum about it too. When I was discussing it with my mum something came up which I think is extremely problematic within MLM’s. I said to her that It Works was a faith based company, built on Christian values and because of that I felt confident, because surely a company with those values wouldn’t screw me over. I now know these companies use faith manipulation and it uses religion, God or whoever and whatever you believe in, to manipulate people into trusting the company to get people to join and to stay. It made me feel more confident in the company itself because of their values.
When I joined It Works it cost about £80, converted from dollars. For the most part while I was there it cost £99 and it is now between £130-£150ish. I put my joining fee on a credit card and although the company alludes to be helping people become debt free, there is to some extent (in my experience) and undercurrent amongst some reps to encourage people to join via debt, either a credit card, borrowing money or (at one point at least) getting people to use PayPal credit.
Once I signed up I was quickly added to a Facebook team page of all our immediate team (uplines, downlines, sidelines etc) where there was a massive outpouring of excitement when I was introduced on the team page. This was always the case when someone was welcomed onto the team page, and I now this is akin to the cult tactic of lovebombing, where participants shower new recruits in love. People would be leaving comments such as “You’re going to do amazing”, “can’t wait to see you run to the top”, “so excited for you” and “can’t wait to see your success” etc. These are people who have known you for about three seconds, they know absolutely nothing about you at this point. They don’t realise they are lovebombing you, they are completely unaware and are just following the way it has always been done. It was done when they started, they do it to you, then you do it to new recruits, and so the cycle continues. It encourages people to sink further into the group ideology.
This welcome made me feel amazing (which is its intention) and made me think “wow, maybe I have found the thing I have been looking for”, which looking back is the entire goal.
How I worked (and yes, some of it is problematic)
There is a lot of “fake it until you make it” philosophy within this structure. I would predominantly use Instagram as my platform of choice when it came to my business, so it was a lot of sharing the products, being a product of the product, sharing the lifestyle of being a rep, adding people to grow my network and sometimes unfollowing people who didn’t follow me back. I was actively an It Works rep above everything else.
It was a lot of staying “plugged in” to the team pages, showing up to zooms, trainings, etc. There is a lot of gaslighting in multi level marketing, telling people that their level of commitment to these things is what will see them success (it won’t) but phrases like you “show up to go up” and calling out the people who don’t show up. It was always hard for me to show up, as most things were EST or CST ( 5-6 hours behind the time here in the UK) and almost always when I was asleep. I don’t know that anyone ever expected me to stay up but I rarely did because despite what MLM’s will tell you (that you should be working over sleeping) I always prioritise my health, wellness and sleep over absolutely everything.
It was very hard for me to stay plugged into a lot of what was going on and actually, in hindsight, I actually think that a lot of this really helped me because I was more of an outsider. I always felt as though some of the things that were trained we not right. I always used to say to myself and my husband “I don’t think that works for a UK audience” but actually what I think I was debating was actual red flags that were showing up in the business model. Things that really didn’t feel comfortable for me. Red flag after red flag, but only things I can see in hindsight. That definitely made me feel like I was disassociated with some of the more problematic parts of the training within the company/our team and I guess at least there is that and I felt like I can hold my head a little higher than I might have done had I been more of a part of these things.
However, I still recruited people into this problematic business model, albeit unknowingly, and ultimately involving them in a system that might lead them to either not making or losing money.
Get your mind right & all that personal development shiz
As there is in most MLM’s, there was a strong focus on personal development within our It Works team and that if you weren’t seeing success it was because you needed to get your mind right. Gaslighting at it’s best and throwing the blame onto you instead of the business model which itself insures that most people fail. You were encouraged to do more personal development, to get your mind right, that you didn’t believe in it or yourself enough or that you weren’t working hard enough.
The problem isn’t people’s mindset or work ethic but a business model where more than 99.6% of people don’t succeed.
Getting fired up
Something I have spoken about before, is that on team pages, trainings, zooms etc, there would be times where top leaders within your team/uplines would come on and speak to you about a certain subject, usually forcefully, sometimes a bit shouty and all in the name of “getting fired up”. It seems actually more likely to be a frustrating release of a sticking point in their business, that maybe they felt frustrated with their downlines over. After all, most are blissfully unaware at just how problematic the business structure is.
What was the focus?
Within It Works I felt, at least on our team and in the company at large, that there was an equal focus on the products and what they did, but also on recruiting people into the opportunity too. I don’t really know, even in hindsight, if I feel like one was pushed more than the other. What I do know is that the products were very hard to sell, were very expensive for what they are, and also I did really like some of them I ultimately cannot support a company (any company) than is formulated as an MLM, whether has been or still is. I cannot put my money into a predatory business structure where more than 99% lose. As for the business opportunity, I feel that was an easier sell but again difficult because people who are interested are the people who need the extra income (that’s wholly problematic in itself in hindsight too, because these people are in a vulnerable position) but they don’t have the money to start, which ultimately does save them!
Earning an “extra income”
Most people in multi level marketing aren’t making a profit, in fact, 99.6% are not making or losing money and the thing is, the companies themselves aren’t hiding this, the income disclosure statements are right there for everyone to see (except in FM World, who still after 15 years of business have no income disclosure statement – huge red flag). Across the multi level marketing industry as a whole, the average earnings of a distributor is £0.
Although these companies put this information right out there the manipulation tactics in these teams is so strong that you could smack people round the face with the income disclosure statement and the facts, and I include myself in this, and they will still be like “Well, my company is different”. But no company with a multi level marketing structure is any different I’m afraid, there might be some that are better or worse than others, but ultimately they are all predatory and unethical in their business model and practises.
There is so much to unpick and it would take me forever to go through everything in a single video or blog post. But let’s unpick some of what goes on within It Works it here.
At the beginning of every month, everyone’s (and this is in every MLM) is reset to 0, everyone is the entry level rep/distributor, then as the month progresses and you run your own order, your customers orders come in (or run if they are autoshipments), your teams orders run, their customer orders come in or run etc all the volume adds up and you will start to increase your volume and possibly your rank. This is why there is such an end of month culture in MLM’s, because that is the last opportunity to rank up before the end of the month and everything is reset.
Something that has never sat right with me in It Works was their rank structure. You can see your current rank but you also have a lifetime rank, which is the highest rank you have achieved but bears no resemblance to where you are now. Effectively someone could tell you they are an Ambassador Diamond (the top rank in the company and earning life changing money) but actually they could have dropped rank and be earning nowhere close. It feels extremely unethical. Let’s also remember that most people are sitting at the bottom ranks of the company, in every MLM company.
So why did I decide to leave It Works?
Looking back there were times where I felt I was totally all in so I won’t do anyone the disservice of saying “oh, I always felt like something was off” but to some extent there was always a lot of questions, and I also felt that a lot of these were explained away to a minor extent. I feel like you were almost encouraged to stop thinking of them and just get on with things.
Sometimes when I was recruiting people and they were asking how much money they could make, I had that question in my mind, that I didn’t know whether I would achieve it and I didn’t know if they would either. I obviously believed and hoped, but I don’t know that I ever felt that confident in it looking back. I knew people who were making that money but I hadn’t seen it myself.
They like to draw you in on this idea of time freedom, but once you’re in you find out that you’re required to work a lot more than anyone ever alluded to. While you do have your own free will, and I always thought to myself I worked more because I enjoyed it, but really working more is expected and encouraged. It isn’t just in the pockets of time in your day that distributors promise when they are trying to recruit you. It requires you turning into an MLM robot (ie, a hunbot), you talk only about your business, the products, what it has to offer, how it’s changing your life etc. You lose yourself and don’t even realise it.
One day, a new mum of a 6 week old baby I had down the outrageous thing (in MLM culture) and not worked since just before I went into labour. This is not the norm in a culture where you are encouraged to work through every single life event. Hello hustle culture. I was not about to do this, but one day when my baby was 6 weeks old I thought I would log onto the team page and see if there was anything I had missed. At this point I had no idea how I word work my business around my baby (in MLM culture they’ll call this “using my why as my excuse”). I saw a top leader on our It Works team was doing a Q&A and I casually asked a question (more to just ask one if I am honest, as I’d been mia for a few weeks) asking how people found the time to work when they were new mums, tired, feeding, being woken through the night. Well, the answer I got was that I should just work, pass my newborn baby to my husband, he should pick up the slack. I live in country where I get a years maternity leave and honestly I am still a bit shocked, but not surprised, that this is the culture. Being a new mama is full of new experiences, experiences that you will never get back. Don’t sell your soul to a company/team/upline that will rob you of those life experiences. It’s 1000% not worth it.
That didn’t sit right with me, being told that my newborn baby was basically getting in the way of my business a little bit and it would be best to get her out of the way.
And that was it for me. I was done.
So I left It Works, I turned everything off and waited for my account to expire. In the meantime almost everyone I was friends with (the like minded community of inspiring women) blocked or unfriended me, or they certainly have done since I started sharing anti mlm content. See that’s what they do, they don’t want anyone like me infiltrating those who were friends who are still in the company. They don’t want people like me putting a doubt in peoples mind or getting them to question anything. It is the reason creators like me are dubbed as haters, people who weren’t successful or people who are just negative. They don’t want the truth to come out so calling us names or discrediting us is all they have. The problem is this: the facts are out there, they are glaringly obvious and staring us all in the face. The reports, the research, the income disclosure statements are all in the public domain. The countless stories of people who have been in mlms, even those who were in the top 1%. You can’t argue with facts so all they have is to try and discredit you.
Everything written & spoken here is for educational purposes and to spread awareness of my personal experience and opinion. My opinions don’t represent the company I partnered with, or any other network marketing or multi level marketing companies. They are my experiences and not facts.
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.
It’s been a year, actually, it’s been two. Living through a pandemic is anything but easy but something these last two years have enabled me to do is live life a little more intentionally. Spending more time at home than ever before has made me think more about our home, the way it is organised, how the spaces we have ebb and flow, and more importantly it has taught me how to live with less.
There are so many things in the way we chose to live overall that I have been thinking about recently and I have been unpicking how it is all connected. Slow living, living with less, living small, and intentional and inspired living is my jam. We don’t live in the biggest, most expensive home but it is my dream. It’s a space I have loved to create, being inspired by living with less.
What inspired living is all about?
Living a slow, more intentional way of living is a wonderful adventure. It is a constant work in progress and consequently is something that people always want to know more about, especially over on Instagram. About the connection between being intentional about the way we live, living with less, decluttering, creating intentional spaces around our home, our commitment to living a more simple life, the way we approach our finances, consumerism, our commitment to being as eco-conscious as possible, our wellbeing and even down to our digital connections. It is all connected and it runs so deep. It is a wonderful journey as you slowly unpick it all and unlock how to live a more intentional, inspired life.
I am about to embark on a fresh start (when it comes to our home) on the other side of Christmas and I would love for you to join me. I have created a fun and inspiring email series where I’ll be sharing my thoughts about why we started living intentionally and why it works along with my best tips for decluttering, organising, and what I have found works over the past few years. Plus there will be lots of freebies to help you simplify your home, your life and live that slow, intentional life you’ve always dreamed of.
You still have time to join us on the journey we’re going to take together early next year. Just pop your details in the box below and we’ll be starting in the new year.
You will hear from me once a week, on Sunday morning, with a little email covering some of my favourite topics and tips when it comes to living more intentionally.
I can’t wait to see you there and to take this journey together.
2020 has been a year hasn’t it? The year we never saw coming. I was with the masses at on New Years eve & day declaring I was ready for whatever this next year and decade had in store. If only I knew I was in for a year of change and social distancing.
For 6 months of this year so far we’ve been locked in this global pandemic that has been sweeping the globe. For much of that we’ve been in quarantine and staying at home. Here in the UK, things had eased off somewhat but seem to be on a worrying rise again. Todays post is a title I had in mind back in early April and never got round to writing. As the world continues to tackle this virus and we’re getting a little more adept about what our new normal looks like I thought I would share with you how I protect my mental health when social distancing.
Don’t let anyone tell you how to cope with what is happening right now. None of us expected what is happening right now. Nobody on this planet is handling it, despite what appearances might suggest. Allow yourself to feel sad, annoyed, unhappy, suffocated and a whole other range of emotions that might come up. This situation is as unique as you are and each of us will handle it differently.
I make sure I give myself time to feel what I feel. This can be a whole range of emotions from worry about my vulnerable relatives, frustration that I can’t spend time with family and friends and even annoyance sometimes to do with how other people are acting. I’ll reiterate what I said; nobody knows how to handle this in the right way. We have to allow ourselves to feel our feelings and not suppress them. It is also important to give people grace as they navigate the muddy waters alongside us.
Whoever you are, whatever you’re circumstance and however you feel about the current world situation – you’re doing great. I promise.
Don’t beat yourself up about what you do or don’t achieve
The first weeks of being holed up at home social distancing were a novelty and I had so many plans on the things I could get done. Of course I didn’t get them all done in the time frame I expected. However, due to vulnerable relatives and still being very much quarantined at home and barely leaving I have managed to accomplish many home projects. If you have way to go. If you haven’t way to go.
There is literally no right way to navigate through a pandemic. Some days I feel like I’ve nailed it as I sit an admire the home decor project I’ve completed, the meal I’ve made and the banana bread I’ve baked. Other days I am annoyed with myself that I have done nothing. Such is the ups and downs of pandemic life.
With us all home much more this year we’ve all been on top of each other in our household groups much more than usual. Home has become an office, a restaurant, an entertainment venue, a school and much more. It’s important to still make time for yourself whether you read a book in another room, take a bath or stick some headphones on and pretend nobody else exists do it. Taking time for yourself is always important but in a stressful pandemic it’s even more important to take care of yourself.
This too shall pass
It doesn’t feel like it right now, and there is no current time frame, but this will pass. This will be a footnote in history, social distancing will be term that makes us all shudder and we will see our families and friends again the way we want and are used to. Stay strong, hang in there and do what’s right for you and your family.
If living through the Coronavirus pandemic has taught me anything it has taught me some valuable lessons about the things that are important to me, what I value of high importance in my life and what I need for a more quiet, easy life. With that being said, one of the things I have evaluated is my time online and I have found in most cases, Instagram aside, that social media hasn’t made the cut.
I’ve thought that I needed a social media detox for an extremely long time and although I haven’t been showing up on every platform for many years now, I kept my profiles and would occasionally dip in and out, and occasionally just lurk. For me, working as a content creator and having your entire business online, taking a social media detox was something I found a little more difficult to navigate because of where my work and content was tied up but instead of using this as a roadblock to taking that detox I instead found ways around it. When Coronavirus swept the globe and we were abruptly stopped in our tracks as we retreated into our homes and cut physical social contact you would think this might be a time where social media really might come into its own, but if you’re craving a detox and want to re-evaluate how you show up online then this article is for you.
Why I don’t believe in being everywhere
You don’t have to be on social media to make an income or promote your business to be touched by the overwhelm to show up on every platform. Many of us will be connected to others via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at least and may even have explored others such as TikTok or Snapchat. Over the years I have picked up many different platforms; Facebook first, then Twitter and in more recent years Instagram. I have worked on all of them for myself and for clients, but also just as a personal user, and I’ve loved and hated them all in equal measure over time.
Long before this pandemic took over I had been working on myself and focusing only on the things that bring me joy and serve me in positive ways and social media was one of those. I knew where I loved showing up and I knew what brought me negative energy but it definitely took a while to take the leap and cut ties entirely.
I am a strong believer in not having to show up everywhere; I tell it to myself, to my Instagram followers and to my clients. It is not worth showing up on every platform if that is detrimental to your mental health. I would rather show up in one place, that serves me, that inspires me and connects me with like minded individuals, than show up on platforms I find toxic and negative.
If you’re growing a business or a personal brand right now I know you’re questioning what I am saying now because it isn’t the norm, right? Social media is the place to be and you can’t grow a business if you don’t have a presence on each and every one of these platforms….right?
Wrong. Show up where you are inspired, where you find connection and where you feel at home. Show up there and show up well. Tackle one thing at a time because you will find more success in showing up well than spreading yourself thin and achieving nothing. Stop showing up in places that don’t do any of the above, because that is a negative impact on your life that you just don’t need.
Drop the platforms that don’t serve you
I knew a long time ago that Twitter and Facebook did not serve me. To me they are inherently toxic places and while they do have a great amount of good to them the negativity ultimately shines through and to me it was something which I just wasn’t prepared to keep in my life.
You might feel differently about those platforms in particular, and that’s fine, but I want you to think about your social media platforms and where you feel doesn’t serve you. What platform makes you roll your eyes? What platform isn’t fun for you? What platform affects your mental health negatively? Whatever you’re thinking right now – get rid of it.
I deactivated both my Facebook and Twitter profiles and it has been the most liberating thing I have done. I have instantly cut that negativity out of my life and with Facebook in particular (because I haven’t had the Twittter app on my phone for months) I know I no longer mindlessly scroll and focus whatever time I was wasting there on something else in my life.
Remove apps
If you don’t quite want to go the whole way and deactivate and wave goodbye to these platforms try removing the apps instead. This can help us mindlessly opening up apps and scrolling, and is great if you find a lot of your time being sucked away this way. You can still access the platforms via your browser but that requires a tad more work and therefore can definitely slow the amount of times you head to scroll.
Silence all notifications
This is something I have done for many years and there is honestly so much power in it, and that is removing almost all push notifications from all the apps on my phone, except my phone, text messages and whatsapp (although on the whole I mute most of my whatsapp chats too). This is a great way for keeping some peace in my life, not feeling permanently switched on and not having my phone buzz with notifications every few minutes.
These days you will only find me on Instagram, blogging on my website and quietly pinning over on Pinterest – so Instagram is the only social media platform I am on, and even that can sometimes feel like a bit too much.
Listen to yourself and listen to what you need. Don’t show up where is doesn’t feel 100% right and only commit time to the things that are important to you.
Do you have any other tips for social media detox tips?
Today I want to talk to you about my experience with lactose intolerance. For the longest time I have suffered with what we turned in our house as ” a dodgy stomach”. IBS is prevalent in pretty much all of our family, and is something I have suffered with as well. It is because of this, the symptoms of IBS being similar to that of lactose intolerance that for the longest time I didn’t realise that I was experiencing anything more than IBS. I had seen the doctor many times over the year with my IBS but I started to notice a difference. You don’t need me to tell you the symptoms of lactose intolerance, you can look them up here on the NHS website. For me I absolutely lived for dairy. I am/was a huge cheese lover, I loved milkshakes (although I never could stand milk by itself) and I didn’t mind dairy chocolate from time to time. I just couldn’t imagine and not being able to eat cheese ever again.
Changing you life?
When you find out that you have an intolerance or an allergy is really difficult to imagine adapt your life. I really couldn’t imagine not having the things that I loved. I loved cheese, I loved creamy curries and at the time I was also becoming partial to a pudding as well (despite always loving savoury food much more than sweet). For the longest time I tried to cheat, I put up with the side effects in order to eat the things that I loved but that can get you down, especially when you have unpleasant side effects, and I soon realised that I really did need to be sensible about it. A good friend of mine who has also suffered from food allergies gave me some great advice and said that soon enough I will just find I am used to it, and she was right.
What is lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance isn’t the same as an allergy. When you are lactose intolerant it means that your body is unable to digest lactose, which is a type of sugar found in dairy products. It was because my personal symptoms of lactose intolerance, although sometimes severe, were never life-threatening that is was sometimes easy to cheat to still be able to enjoy the things I loved. At first it seemed like a huge change. Milk was a huge part of my diet how milk is in so many things that you can purchase from the supermarket. Becoming lactose intolerant men I started to look into my food and what I am consuming. One of the things I came across in my research was obviously that of the dairy industry, well for me milk is a huge no no I’ve come to realise that this is not a big loss, I could drink cows milk again I definitely would not. For me cheese is also off there are many great alternatives in the supermarket for people who cannot have cheese use not to have cheese, is definitely satisfy the cheese need.
How easy is it to be dairy free?
When I first became lactose intolerant over six years ago it was incredibly difficult to find anything that was dairy free. As time goes on more and more dairy free options are becoming available, however compared to other food allergies and intolerances I still feel that dairy free options have a long way to go. For example, when you go out to eat there are many many options now for wheat and gluten free alternatives, however it is rare to find dairy free alternatives when eating out. In my everyday life I drink non-dairy milk, I eat special cheese, I stick to dairy-free yogurts (coconut milk yogurts are the bomb) and puddings and even throughout the summer months I can have dairy free ice creams and lollies. The supermarkets are getting there with their dairy free options as well, things have definitely vastly improved over the past six years. When we have shopped in Sainsbury’s I have been very pleased with their variety of dairy free food items and the same with Morrisons. We haven’t shopped in Tesco’s at all but I recently shopped in ASDA and was disappointed to find that they had no dairy free yogurt range. I think as time goes on this will change more and more but I still feel that lactose intolerance and dairy allergies are being left behind compared to other allergies and intolerances, which as you can imagine is frustrating when you don’t have a choice in what you can and can’t eat.
What if I think I might be lactose intolerant?
Lactose intolerance can come in many forms and is certainly thick to each individual person. I find I am able to tolerate goat’s milk and ewes milk in small doses, where is cows milk is completely off. I don’t often eat products with Coates or use milk in it however sometimes when I have a salad I do have a little bit of goats cheese. Finding out of suspecting you have lactose intolerance and be a shock and a potential huge change to your diet. As more and more people are finding out that they have issues such as these you will be able to find comparable products in many supermarkets, making that transition much easier. Giving up your favourite foods can be tough but when you realise how much better you feel for it you won’t want to go back and will wonder why you never did this sooner. Education is so important in lactose intolerance so read up about it find a way through it that works for you. If you suspect you have lactose intolerance or problem with dairy make sure you go and visit your GP and don’t just diagnose yourself online. You may just have an issue with IBS, have another kind of digestive issue or you may be lactose intolerant. It is always important seek medical advice and get the right advice before removing any products from your diet. A GP will be able to tell you the best ways to get all the nutrients you need in your diet previously got from dairy. Exclusion diets should never be done alone without being seen by a GP or a nutritionist.
It doesn’t have to be scary!
I am a firm Believer that a dairy free diet can be better than a dairy diet. You just need to know the ins and outs nutritional aspects you need to cover to live a healthy life. These days I don’t really miss anything. As with anything it is a big change and it seems like you will never get used to it, do and one day you will realise you no longer miss the things you once thought you would never be able to live without.
The most important thing is to maintain contact with your GP for as long as an intolerance or any digestive issue is presenting you with problems. This means that you should make an appointment any time you’re about to embark on a new diet, and also see your GP if your symptoms don’t improve after treatment, because sometimes you’ll need to rule out other issues before confirming a full diagnosis.
