Health and Well-being. 

 

Hey there, welcome to my Health and Well-being page. 

So, it won't come as any surprise that I've had to make some lifestyle changes, and yeah, sacrifices too. I’m still working on them. Those first few months after the stage 4 diagnosis? Let’s just say my mental health wasn’t exactly thriving. 

I’m not here to tell you what to do or push some miracle solution on you. I just thought I’d share what I’ve been trying out to help my body and mind deal with everything—managing my mental health and coping with the side effects of the meds. I mean, those meds are literally keeping me alive, but they really take a toll on your body. 

Honestly, I’ve had to change the way I think about making changes. I used to avoid anything that looked too complicated or hard to stick with. 

When I was first diagnosed, everyone—family, friends—you name it, came at me with recommendations. It was overwhelming, but I know they were just trying to help, hoping they’d stumble on something that could fix it all. And then there’s the internet. Wow. If you’ve ever gone down that rabbit hole, you know it’s just endless “you need this” advice. It’s a lot. 

I didn’t rush into anything, though. At first, I had to focus on getting my mental health in a better place. I’ve spent time figuring out what my body and mind actually needs, and how to meet those needs without falling into the “ I can't be bothered” trap; It’s all about finding something sustainable, and yes it’s all connected. 

Look, I’m not some master chef or a mental health expert, but I do know life can be tough. And sometimes? It can be really, really tough. 

 

The Basics in the Fridge

 

In an attempt to help my body manage the cancer medication, and the medications that supports the side effects of the cancer medication, whilst trying to salvage what liver I have left, I have had to look at changes to my diet. 

For me, I need things that are easy, and taste nice, if not, I switch off, regardless of how good they are for me. 

I have looked into the Mediterrean Diet. It appears to be easy to manage, whilst suiting my taste palette, and has numerous benefits; A Mediterranean diet meal plan focuses on a wide variety of plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, along with moderate amounts of fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy. It emphasises healthy fats like olive oil and limits red meat, processed foods, and sugary drinks. 

I feel to maintain things, for me anyway, it's about adapting to suit your time, money, and the taste buds of everyone that has to eat it with you, let's be honest, no one wants to be making two different dinners every night. 

I tend to buy these basics :  Tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, cheeses, olives, homous, salmon, sweet potatoes, onions, chilli's, garlic, ginger, olive oil, wholemeal bread, berries,  honey, porridge, and oat milk. Having those ingredients gives the basics for quite a few dishes, and cooking from scratch always has its benefits. 

Some examples of recipes:

Over night oats with oat milk and honey,  and pop some kefir yogurt and raspberries on the top in the morning.

Tomato soup - base of tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil, and onions, added extras thrown in depending on what is in the fridge i.e sweet potato, carrots and peppers etc..

PIzza -  I buy the pizza base and add my own topping

Air Fried chicken or salmon with sweet potatos, and a side dish of coleslaw : red cabbage, red onions, peppers, and carrots - thrown in food processor and some mayo added in with tumeric. 

Sandwich - smoked salmon, spinach, homous and olives. 

@bluecurtains2025 instgram. 

 

 

Breaking Down Barriers

I understand that one of the biggest challenges surrounding mental health, is having a safe place to 'hand-over', and trust your audience.  I hope my journey, and experience may help someone to also feel confident enough to talk to someone about what is going on for them. 

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