Jules’s first thoughts on applying Purrrrrfect Foundations.

Nourish

Food… well, I’m not brilliant about that. I’m dieting at the moment – using Slimfast shakes, which seem to work for me. I wouldn’t ever go to Slimming World or Weight Watchers or anything like that. But with the shakes it helps me not to eat chocolate, biscuits, crisps and all that sort of shit. And then I have an evening meal. I don’t do ding meals and I don’t do anything elaborate either just something without too many calories like beans on toast, or s’ketti – or scrambled or poached eggs which I suppose is not really cooking. I’ve been dieting for about three weeks now and long may it last. I did this a few years ago and lost a couple of stone – which is what I’m hoping to lose this time.

I don’t drink any more – alcohol that is; I don’t suppose I’ve had more than a pint of shandy in the last year. Actually, I don’t get the opportunity to drink as it’s always me who does the driving – plus I don’t want to get into the habit of drinking on my own. I used to drink heavily in the past – just to get me through, I suppose.

Ordinary drink-wise – I’m better than I was. I tend not to drink coke – more like barley-squash type drinks. No, I don’t drink water – I’ve never liked it and I just never have – just too pure for me – I like something with a bit of a blemish.

Moving

I don’t do loads of exercise because I can’t due to my back and neck injuries. But, that said, I do have to walk a quarter of a mile twice a day to get my car from the multi-storey car park up the road. It nearly kills me with pain to do this – but needs must, I have to get my car.

I do enjoy times spent indoors at home, but I also like going out to visit friends; I like both – an unusual balance (for me) I suppose you’d say!

Relax

I suppose you’re talking about mental health and I would say the most serious way I deal with this is by a lot of prayer – as well as by taking my medication, of course. I have got a personal relationship with God, so I don’t need to go to church. I go through phases of going to church and phases when I don’t – but I don’t lose my faith if I don’t go to church – because my faith is always there.

I do like to sort things out by myself and I don’t like sharing my mental health issues with other people because for me it’s a personal thing.

If you’ve read my story you’ll know that I did have a turning point in my life when I was forced to make significant changes to my life – with the help of friends who also introduced me to their church – which is where ‘things’ changed for me.

Rest

I don’t get long periods of sleep; at a push I suppose it’s about four hours a night. It’s because of not being able to get comfortable with all the neck and back pain – so I do take a sleeping tablet – which does, at least, enable me to get the four hours. I’m not one for power naps. I’ve tried that and it just ruins the four hours of sleep I do get.