Today I had a Health Scare

by | Jul 20, 2018 | Healthy Living

Today was a day I won’t forget!

Today I was sent to the specialist with the suspicion that I might have a thrombosis in my leg. A number of growing symptoms over the last days and weeks had led to me visiting my general doctor and there I was, after the doctor’s visit, full of fear, a recipe for blood thinners in my pocket, so that there was no risk of me ‘dying over the weekend’, before this could be checked by the specialist!

Luckily I got an appointment for the same day with the specialist. I cannot tell you the fear and worry I was in, on my way to his praxis and then in his waiting room! Well, I also don’t really take those sort of news very well, as you can gather…

Now I am so so relieved as the verdict was „no thrombosis“! Believe me, I could have kissed that doctor when he told me!

But this was a loud wake-up call for me!

In the last months, but maybe even year, I had slipped too frequently from my health-food-journey and from my resolution to move a lot more. I had gained weight as a consequence and don’t really feel as fit and healthy as I‘d like to. That stings especially when you are a health coach and want to walk your talk at all times!

Today’s scare has finally brought me back to my senses! My parents health was not too good and chances are high that genetically I carry that heritance. But genes are only what prepares the terrain, it is to a large extent lifestyle and nutrition that leads to harvesting from that terrain or from another, cleaner one. This means that with the right food and right habits we can not only free ourselves from migraines, pains and chronic diseases, but we can also lay the foundation for our overall health for now and the years to come. It means that we can live in peace with ourselves, knowing that we are doing our best. Not perfect, but the best we can.

Because to be honest: the worst part in today’s worry was the feeling of fear and guilt! Guilt for not having followed my own advice and for having overdone it with my 80/20% rule (eating healthy 80% of the time and enjoying whatever you want for the remaining 20%), letting it slip too often into a 50/50 thing or even worse. Well guilt is never good, but today it served me into cherishing again this one life and one body I got and to start afresh!

Time to realize that NOW is the time to enjoy life and live well.

NOW is the time to start again with supporting my body and my mind with healthy and preventive food, habits and behaviours.

Because this is what I help my clients with, so why should I treat myself worse? But between late nights at the computer, not moving much and eating sweets and bread when stressed, I did treat myself worse…

Admittedly this is a long story to also tell you, why I have been absent from here and why I am back with this blog post for you today.

It’s that I felt such a strong need to connect with you, as I don’t want anybody to go through health scares like the one that I had today! I also don’t want anybody to suffer from migraines and headaches or other chronic health issues. To this day I am still so grateful to have found a way to free myself from my migraine many years ago and it’s my passion to see others achieve the same and help them start on their path to health.

That’s why I want to invite you to talk with me if you have health issues that are troubling you and that you want to tackle. So that YOU can feel as fit and healthy as you want to!

My 1:1 services are available in English and Italian besides German and I am here to support you in any of those languages. If you are ready to take action (and why wait any longer?) simply reserve a free 30-minutes slot to discuss how I can help you. Just click here.

To your health! So that you can live your full potential and enjoy every day of your precious live!

Martina

Why is it that you have to feel pretty bad before going back to living healthier?

by | Aug 25, 2017 | English, Healthy Living, Healthy Mindset

 

That’s a question that has got me thinking this week, through my personal experience.

Because at the start of this week I had a colonoscopy.

I had been really terrified of it and my feelings right after waking up from the light anesthesia were so indescribably beautiful! I just thought ‘it’s over’, ‘I’ve made it’ and I felt so light and free.

Then I remembered that I still had to have the conversation with the doctor about the result and immediately I felt fear creeping back in, fear that she would give me bad news. But I was nevertheless very relieved that the investigation was behind me, because I had been terribly nervous, imagining the worst. In addition, the preparation a day before had been made really difficult by a migraine attack, making it a very painful experience and I had truly panicked.

Well, yes, I guess you can tell by now that I am not a hero, but unfortunately, as far as doctors, examinations and medical interventions are concerned, I am a chicken, if I may say so. No rational attempts to calm myself are working in those cases.

Luckily the doctor had only good or no serious things to report and my relief was huge.

I felt joy for life filling me up again.

As I walked outside from the clinic, I saw around me only beautiful things and every little sign of the ‘normal’ life made me really happy and grateful. Before the examination I did not have any appreciation for it, at the contrary everything seemed gloomy and heavy then.

Because when we are dealing with health challenges, pain or emotional issues it is extremely difficult to raise one’s mood and energy through mental work or positive thinking.

When we are dealing with something really heavy it is so heard to get out from that downward spiral and often it’s not possible at all.

That’s why prevention is so valuable and that’s why it is so important to listen to the signals that our body is giving us as early as possible. And then to take action, so that these signals diminish.

I had actually neglected this, and had become somewhat sloppy with my healthy habits. It was partially because of this that the colonoscopy had become necessary.

My body had spoken out with strong signals and I could not ignore them any longer.

After the examination, I was again really aware of how precious every moment is and that we could be so much more grateful for everything we have, for our health wherever it is at. As almost always we are not the ones suffering the most, there is always somebody who is much worse off, who would be grateful for having our level of health.

And I do not want to only appreciate my health afterwards, when I feel better after having been sick or in pain.

Because I noticed that it is then that I vow solemnly to myself to really improve in those areas where things are not ideal yet, so that I don’t even get into those kind of situations anymore. I usually stay on track for a while, but then I start to sway off my path, because the last scare or preoccupation is war away and as I feel better I forget my vows.

But really I don’t want to feel again like I have been feeling before the colonoscopy and want to do everything possible, so that it does not happen again.

My weak spot is my digestion, so it means for me, besides healthy food, to move more and pay attention to drink enough each day. I will also get a few additional tests done to get a more complete picture of my health status. And I’m looking for help and support, so that I can stick with it.

A health coach also for me, as an investment in my own health and future.

Also, as an easy yet beautiful ritual I will start again to make a list of 3 things to be grateful for each day. This is not only about “things” like a nice apartment or a great job, but also something like gratitude for being able to see, for being able to sleep in a bed and to have running water. Or it could be gratefulness for being able to breathe freely, to walk, to hear, to swallow our food without problems.

Things which we often take for granted, but which are not granted to everybody.

So this week especially I had huge gratitude for the fact that my body is so strong and that he showed me with his signals the path to a better way of life.

What signals is your body trying to give you?

And what are you going to put on your gratitude list?

I would be really happy to hear what it is that makes your heart full with gratitude!

And if you feel that you want to get help for your health and want to learn more about working with a health coach, then book a free 30 minute conversation with me, right here in my calendar.

Your path to health is easier when you have support and don’t have to walk it alone!

 

Much love,

Martina