It seems a bit amiss to be writing a Paleo Diet update during the middle of a global pandemic, but since being furloughed I have a lot of time on my hands and I’m guessing you do too.

If you read my original post here, you will know that I originally started eating Paleo after a pretty nasty allergic reaction. However, I’ve got to be honest here, I have fallen off the wagon spectacularly. So much so, the wagon is no longer in sight.

Part of that is because panic buying initially meant that my Paleo staples were constantly out of stock in the supermarkets. Also, I’m a complete emotional eater, so all this extra anxiety surrounding COVID19 has been a great excuse to dive headfirst into comfort food.

Now we’ve got the disclaimer over with, I can say this:

I felt so much better in myself whilst eating Paleo.

I noticed that my energy levels were so much more stable throughout the day. Back in the glory days of working in an office, an afternoon snack was non-negotiable. Yet after a few weeks of Paleo, I just didn’t need the sugar high to see me through the rest of the day.

Once I got my head around what the basics of what you can/can’t eat it was actually really easy to follow. There are lots of recipes/apps/groups around to help you make the most of it and expand skills in the kitchen.

I was a bit worried a lot of the recipes would be time-consuming or complex, and not be manageable through the working week however many only took 30-40minutes or less. If you’re interested in trying Paleo cooking, the Paleo Leap app is a great place to start!

Admittedly, I was still calorie counting whilst doing Paleo, because I wanted to loose weight for my wedding (I’m a basic bitch, I know.) According to MyFitnessPal, I should have been aiming for around 1,200 calories a day – but this was hard!

Turns out if you’re eating Paleo, it is genuinely difficult to eat that many calories, unless you just eat for the sake of it. And even then, it’s hard (trust me, I tried.)

I’m naturally a huge fan of snacking, but even I was amazed at how much I could eat without going over the calorie target.

When it comes to downsides, the cravings for “normal” foods was really hard during the second week. Apparently, it’s completely normal and thankfully after a week or so they reduced dramatically.

The only times I really struggled with cravings were Friday/Saturday nights when water and fruit just didn’t seem enough. There’s lots of discussion about what treats/drinks are Paleo friendly so I’d suggest just having a look into it and making your own mind up.

Personally, I opted for wine and dark chocolate. If I was really struggling and wanted something savoury, salted cashews were a surprise winner and I basically became obsessed with them!

The biggest downside for me had to be the fact you cannot be spontaneous at all. Literally every single meal has to be planned. It’s so easy to buy a quick snack, but buying an on-the-go meal is a whole ‘nother ball game. The idea of picking something up on the way home is best forgotten.

Also, eating out is another huge problem, or at least it was in my local area.

Often the only Paleo-friendly option would be some sort of chicken salad, and who wants to go out knowing you can only order a salad?

That last sentence probably says a lot more about me than it does you. Oops.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been basically vegetarian. I’d like to claim this was for ethical reasons, but in all honesty, I just don’t like meat.

I might dabble with the occasional sausage or bacon butty, but when it comes to ‘proper’ meat, my stomach starts to turn.

There have even been times when I have flirted with veganism – as soon as I discovered vegan chocolate, it seemed barely different to my regular diet, which was heavy on veg & legumes.

However last month, I woke up to a horrific allergic reaction.

There have been many a time when I’ve been accused of being overdramatic, but this is not one of those times.

Admittedly the swelling went down within a week, meaning I could once again open my eyes and move my face, which is always good. However nearly two months later, I’m still sporting a ‘tide mark’ on my face from where the redness was and on my arms, I’ve got a heavy bout of eczema thanks to the stress. What can I say, I’m just a natural sexpot.

Since my initial reaction my mum, boyfriend and I have spent an inordinate amount of time googling. Whilst we wait for my hospital appointment, we’ve been trying to figure out what may have caused it, how to heal it and most importantly how to reduce the risk of it happening at my wedding in six months.

So far, all of our research has pointed to the gut-skin axis.

What is the gut-skin axis, I hear you ask? In short it’s the theory the bacteria in your gut affects your skin.

Often it is described as the bacteria ‘leaking out’ of the gut and attempting to exit the body through the skin. Some people argue this is why eczema sufferers feel the need to scratch – to subconsciously get the toxins out of their skin, just like other people would pop a spot.

Now that’s a lovely thought for you.

Within these studies of the gut & skin, dairy is often seen as demonic whilst grains and legumes are viewed as ‘skin disruptors.’

This basically leaves you with the Paleo diet, and after a bit more research I stumbled across the idea of the ‘Personal Paleo Plan’ or the ‘Paleo Reset’ which in short means following a strict paleo diet for a minimum of 30 days before you even think about re-introducing any of the banned foods.

If you’re wondering what you can eat on the Paleo diet, it’s the following:

• Meat
• Organ Meats (Slight vom.)
• Vegetables
• One Caffinated Tea or Coffee per day (before 12noon)
• Low Sugar Fruit In Moderation
• Nuts In Moderations (excluding peanuts)

Things that aren’t allowed at any costs include:

• Dairy.
• Grains (eg pasta, bread etc)
• Legumes (eg chickpeas, beans etc)
• Any added sugar
• Basically any processed foods or drinks.

Some people go so far as to claim that daily your intake should be approximately 40% meat, 40% Veg and 20% fruit & nuts to really reduce the symptoms of eczema.

As a non-meat lover this is going to be hard but I’m hoping to power through and share the results with you in the middle of February – so keep your eyes peeled!

This time last year I was knee-deep in my Master’s thesis, juggling academic research with a full-time job and planning a wedding. So you could say I was a bit busy.

However even with deadlines looming on all fronts, there were times when I became a procrastinator extraordinaire. Which in turn meant there were periods where I simply had to get shit done.

During my periods of procrastination, I came across more than my fair share of productivity tips, but by mixing a few together I managed to find a strategy that actually works. And not only does it work, it’s flexible too. So you don’t have to worry about setting your alarm an hour earlier or starting a gym membership a lá many of Linkedin’s Bro-motivators.

Now that I’ve started my own business, I’m putting the strategy to use once again so I thought it was high time I share it with you guys.

…And you know, actually post a blog.

My 3 Step Productivity Strategy

Step 1. Firstly, you need to learn about the Pomodoro technique.

In a nutshell, this includes working in bursts of 25minutes. After 25 minutes you can have a 3-5 minute break. Once you have completed four lots of 25 minutes you can have a longer break of 30 minutes.

You then basically repeat this process ad infinitum.

Step 2. Download the Forest: Stay Focused app.

There are many things I love about this app, the main one being you can sync it across both mobile and desktop devices so you can’t get distracted no matter how sneaky you try to be.

Set your timer for 25 minutes, in line with the Pomodoro technique and start working!

You may be wondering why you need to bother with this app, but I find it so, so useful. If you attempt to go on your phone/different websites it encourages you to stay strong and reminds you of your finish time.

Without this app and its gentle reminders, I find 25 minutes to be a lonnng time when it’s a task I don’t particularly like. I’ve also noticed that having an alarm set also stops me from clock watching, as I know to keep working until the bell goes.

The child-like part of me also finds it really rewarding/satisfying to see my forest flourishing – a visual representation of all the hard work I have done!

Step 3. Schedule some screen-free time.

I know this may seem counterproductive – and don’t worry I’m not going to push you into taking up some new fitness hobbies (though these can help!.)

All I’m saying is after you’ve completed your task, step away from the screen. Go for a walk. Read a book. Maybe even just make a brew.

Once you’ve started working it can be so tempting to stay glued to the screen, ticking off more and more tasks. However, I’ve found that even a five-minute screen break means I’m a lot less likely to lose concentration or momentum in the following hours.

Now, I can’t promise this will make your To-Do list a thing of the past, but hopefully, it will make getting through it a whole lot easier.

When I was growing up, I was lucky enough to be taken on lots of days out. However, if I’m being brutally honest only a few still shine in my memory now that I’m in my late twenties. And the Ingleton Waterfall Trail is one of them.

So What Is The Waterfall Trail?

Well babycakes, the clue is in the name. The trail follows two rivers and covers around four and a half miles. Whilst the pathways aren’t man-made we went after a week of non-stop rain and found them to be OK. This said, a few areas were boggy and slippery, so maybe don’t wear you box fresh trainers if you want them to stay white.

We saw plenty of people with push chairs, toddlers and babies but be aware that there are quite a lot of hills and steps. There are also generally loads of dogs. If you’re a dog lover, this place is fairly close to heaven when it comes to meeting friendly pooches.

Over the course of the walk there is around six waterfalls, and admittedly some are more impressive than others. With most of the waterfalls you can get up, close and personal and it’s not unusual to see some people swimming in the shallows or climbing under the rocks. Though obviously, I’d recommend not doing so unless you are 100% confident (no matter how good the photo op is.)

What do you need?

I’m just going to go ahead and state the obvious – shoes you can walk in that you don’t mind getting muddy and wet.

The last time we went, it was a spur of the moment decision so we were in jeans and a t-shirt and it was completely fine. If you’re more organised than us though I would recommend leggings/tracksuits etc though you will also see lots of the Seriously Outdoor People in full walking gear, with the pointy little hiking sticks and everything.

Even though this is a nice old fashioned country side walk, take cash. In fact, let me double down on that take cold hard cash, not a card. You have to pay for parking and there is a small shop half way round where you can buy drinks/ice cream/sandwiches etc.

Towards the latter quarter of the trail you’ll find an ice cream van stuck in the middle of nowhere, like a gift from the Gods. Maybe I’m just being tight, but be warned a standard ice-cream from here is nearing £4.00 and if you power through for just a bit longer the trail will end outside a fish and chip shop that will have your mouth watering.

Also, the coins come in handy as there are ‘money trees’ dotted around the trail where you can use rocks to push a coin into the tree for good luck.

If you’re taking a dog I’d recommend taking a towel for the car, because they will get muddy and wet.

Top Tip: Get there as early as you can.

This views on this trail are truly wild and untamed, making you forget about all of the trappings of the modern world and really help me feel connected to the earth. Both in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense.

However the Ingleton Waterfall Trail is immensely popular so I would recommend getting there as early as you can. Otherwise you may find yourself caught up in families and coach groups. Plus the earlier you get there, the less likely it is you will end up queuing to get that Instagram shot.