Health drive

 As part of my weight-loss programme, I'm also cutting out certain things that I've realised are not good for me. 

Coffee - The most significant thing I've dumped is coffee. Now, coffee is for me a very strong drug. I never have more than two cups a day or I won't sleep that night. 

For 15 years or more I've had digestive problems that doctors couldn't solve. After a lot of thought, I suspected that caffeine might be the cause, but decaffeinated coffee made no difference, and tea and soft drinks that also have caffeine don't have any effect, so I looked elsewhere for causes, without success. A few weeks ago, I decided to forego coffee for a while to ensure best sleep and within a fortnight my digestive problem vanished. Although I've drunk coffee since my teens, it used to be that instant stuff. Fifteen years ago I started working for myself at home and had time to make real Italian-style coffee and that's when the problems began but I didn't put two and two together then. I wish I had. Still, at least I know now. The coffee machine has been retired.

Alcohol - As part of losing weight, I have inevitably reduced the amount of wine and beer I drink. In much of the Western world, alcohol is a social lubricant that gets conversation and bonhomie flowing, and here in Italy a glass of wine with a meal is so normal that there are no taxes on it. But it's very fattening, hence my reduction now. I've noticed how much better I sleep, work and feel without it. And I'm wondering if very low alcohol intake may also be helping a bit with the body temperature regulation problem that was what caused me to move to the Mediterranean in the first place. So I think that unless it's a significant social occasion, I'll go without booze from now on. It also saves a lot of money!

Sugar - Obviously, the sugar has to be cut down if you want to lose weight. For years I've known how too much sugar can really irritate my gut so I've always been moderate with it, although I have a sweet tooth so sweeteners are part of my daily diet. The artificial ones like aspartame are best avoided as, over time, they are not good for your liver. Things like sucralose are better, but even they provoke your body to make excess insulin as it anticipates sugar from the sweet taste but doesn't get it. I'm gradually cutting down on this, too. 

All this is the stuff from the East that Western mercantilism and consumerism have asked us to buy and swallow for centuries. Curse you East India Company!

So I am excited about my weight loss. Today I am just half a pound (0.2 kg) short of a two stone (12.7 kg) loss to date. My target was to lose 50 pounds (22.7 kg) by May 1st so have a gigantic (and dangerous) effort to make if I want meet that now, but the main point is that I am now much lighter than I was. In fact, I am probably the lightest I have been for ten years and still losing so I can get back into those cute little dresses and short skirts I used to wear.

What a waist!

As for the hay fever or allergy I have been suffering from these last few weeks, which arose in a warm week in February when I did lots of spring cleaning with the windows open, apparently there is an epidemic this year involving not only regular hay fever sufferers but also a huge number of people who don't normally suffer from hay fever but who have been affected for the first time because of a combination of pollen and pollution at an unusual season. My condition is improving. 

It's been unusually wet this winter which has made me feel cold but the benefit has been that the local reservoirs are full, a relief after the worrying drought of 2021-23.

There is a very strong, cold wind blowing which is set to remain for a week. I think I shall stay indoors and plan my trip to Britain in May. It's never cold and wet there!

Here's to perfect health.

Sue x