Have you heard of the Lumen? It is the first hand-held device and app that tracks your metabolism and guides you towards healthy weight loss with a daily personalised nutritional guide.
 
I do have to admit - I found the results fascinating, especially once I upped my daily readings, I could see the benefits of my workout and how choosing a salad over a sandwich made a big difference to my metabolism. If I was struggling with the motivation to do my workout, taking a Lumen reading before and after was a good reminder of how much I benefit from moving my body!

Lumen is easy and intuitive to use. All you have to do is download the Lumen app, pair the Lumen device using bluetooth and start measuring your breaths. 

Lumen uses a CO2 sensor and flow meter to analyse your breath. You are asked to take a deep breath into the device, hold your breath for 10 seconds then exhale fully. It takes a bit of getting used to, but the Lumen app will teach you how to do this. For an accurate reading you are asked to relax, sit down, both feet on the floor and using the handheld device, follow the breathing instructions to get your Lumen Level - an indication of whether you’re in a fat burn or carb burn state. Lumen ask that you do a daily reading continuously for two full weeks to allow it to get to know you and your body and start to create the best daily nutrition plan for your metabolism.
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Collaborative Post | I am a complete convert to the home workout! Home gyms have grown hugely in popularity since the pandemic, whether it be a corner of your bedroom, a spare room, or a purpose built space in or outside of the house. For a while, I was lucky enough to have our log cabin as a home gym but unfortunately it has now had to go back to being used as my husbands office (temporarily I hope)! But whether you like to do strength training, running, power walking, HIIT workouts, yoga, weight lifting or follow a Youtube video ... the right workout kit is vital. It is all too easy quickly change into leggings and a t-shirt and set off for a run or start a workout, but how often do you make sure you are wearing a proper sports bra to support your breasts?

I am owning up .... I don't! But we should - the importance of a sports bra or a properly supportive, fit for purpose, running bra cannot be underestimated. It is essential!

I love skiing although sadly have not been since 2019 and I miss it so much.  The pandemic stopped us of course and then this year when we could have got back to normal routine, personal commitments haven't allowed it.  Our daughter starting her new job, our son having a hernia and of course the current financial climate which has affected our business and our finances!  

But I was asked if I would share a new ski safety initiative which originated in Morzine (my favourite ski resort), it is a really important campaign which aims to reduce accidents in the mountains.

Two mums living in the ski resort of Morzine were driven to start Piste X Code after recent tragedies on the slopes, find more information on the website and read the campaign details below:

Dry skin, oh the joy of menopause! With our decreasing levels of oestrogen one of the results is that our body is less able to produce and hold onto moisture. We go from the oily T zone and greasy hair of puberty to parched, dry skin appearing everywhere ... on our face, back, shoulders, legs and vagina and of course our nails and hair too. My problem area has been my shoulders, tops of my arms and my legs. But everyone is different and the severity varies as well.

Even if you have never been prone to dry skin or eczema, the changing hormone levels of menopause can lead to many women developing eczema for the first time in their life. Psoriasis is another dry skin condition that might flare up at this time, hot flushes, anxiety and stress can call contribute and make it worse.

Some of these dry skin conditions can be really debilitating, anyone who looked after a baby with eczema will understand just how sore the skin can get and that it is very difficult to get it under control and soothe the skin.  My son suffered and I had to be really mindful of choosing the best washing powders and dressing him in the right clothing.

So what can we do to help ease these menopausal symptoms? Our quality of life is important and we should not suffer in silence, there are lots of treatment options available as well as products and underwear that can be a much more comfortable choice for postmenopausal women.

Below I am discussing some of the dry skin conditions to look out for and how best to treat them ...
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