Life with Chronic Illness – Battling to Thrive.
Coping with a chronic illness is pretty full-on. Between managing the daily effects it has on your life, to battling mental health issues it causes. Just trying to achieve some resemblance of the ‘person’ you once knew is a lot. Anyone reading this will no doubt be familiar with the term ‘chronic illness’, or may know someone with a condition, such as ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, or Long Covid.
Add to this if your chronic illness comes with a host of dietary needs. Not just the familiar gluten-free/coeliac, or food sensitivities. But now with an ever increasing number of people discovering the surprises that come with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, or MCAS. This extreme form of histamine intolerance is causing havoc for many people. Sadly at this point, there is little understanding of what triggered it, or how to treat it in the long-term.
But, for anyone living with a chronic illness, finding out the what/why is just the beginning. We still have to deal with the how/where/when, because we are the ‘who’ in this.
That’s where Mind, Body and Spoons may be able to help. Focusing on healthy foods, cooking techniques, and saving yourself time/energy in the kitchen. You may even find a moment or two of peace in the day with their Mindful Moment series. This initiative is very new, and is growing steadily, with a focus on real recipes and achievable outcomes.
The MBaS Chronic Illness Psychologist, Dr. Alice, is providing mental health support, spoon management advice, and a series of Mindful Moments. You can use these throughout your day, in 15s, 30s, and longer formats to ground yourself back to the present.
With the Chronic Illness Chef working to adapt and create recipes that are easy to make, can be prepared in bulk for batch cooking, and that actually taste great!
Which Chronic Illnesses does MBaS Cover?
All chronic illnesses that incorporate fatigue, whether mental or physical, and the physical and emotional effects that being chronically ill involves.
MBaS is for those who may struggle to sustain manageable kitchen routines or meal preparation, and are looking for an understanding community with both a mental health and physical health focus.
What are some well-known Chronic Illnesses that MBaS support?
The most widely known and accepted chronic illnesses that MBaS supports includes:
- Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or commonly known Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS),
- Fibromyalgia (FMS)
- Long Covid.
Whilst this is the most common chronic illnesses, we also aim to support those living with:
- MND,
- FND,
- MS
- other chronic illnesses
Does MBaS support Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) or Histamine Intolerance?
Yes! Fortunately, whilst there is on-going research into MCAS/Histamine Intolerance, bodies like Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI) have made resources available, like the SIGHI foods list.
This list heavily influences the recipes and techniques that The Chronic Illness Chef creates, with highlighted recipes for MCAS clients. These recipes are tried and tested, and can be relied upon for their consistency and quality. Whilst every effort is made to ensure they are low histamine, it does also rely on recipe users to know their own bodies, and to follow medical advice for their personal circumstances.
How is Clear Sky Psychology involved with Mind, Body and Spoons?
Clear Sky Psychology’s Dr. Alice is the key ‘Mind‘ behind ‘Mind, Body and Spoons‘. She works daily with people wanting to improve their mental health, and find ways to better manage their lives with a chronic illness. Alice has a specialised focus that aids those with chronic illness/es, and you can read more about that here.
In addition to this, she works with other members of the MBaS team in integrating ‘spoons’ into mental energy management, to help ease the mental load those with chronic illness often carry.