Our physical and mental health are closely related; tightly interwoven like the threads in this rich tapestry we call life. They cannot be separated from one another without damaging the fabric – if one unravels, the other surely will too.

A healthy mind needs a healthy body to reside in and nourish it; similarly, for a body to function at its optimum level it requires a sound mind at the helm, telling it what to do. You body is the puppet, its actions only as fluid and streamlined as the decisions of the puppetmaster pulling its strings – your mind.

Someone who understands the power and importance of the mind/body connection is Anton Pattenden, a boxing coach living in Kent. Having made the link many years ago, he overhauled his own lifestyle and began reaping the benefits in all aspects of his health and relationships. Keen to pass on what he’d learnt, he began coaching boys and young men in football and amateur boxing.

Fast forward to 2020, and Anton is now a licensed professional boxing coach at Honour And Glory, complete with a fully-equipped boxing gym in the grounds of his Sidcup home. He has witnessed on many occasions the transformative power of exercise in general, and boxing in particular, on the people he trains.

“It’s incredible,” he says. “People who are suffering with chronic anxiety and depression – even PTSD in some cases – have shown a complete shift in their mental state after regular sessions in the ring. Even those who were so traumatised they could barely make eye contact or hold a conversation have totally come out of their shell. You can see the change in these guys’ personalities – and in particular their eyes – as well as their physiques and fitness levels. Their eyes are shining by the end of a session.”

The current pandemic has seen cases of mental health issues soar, with people who may have been struggling prior to lockdown now more isolated and in need of support than ever before. Which is why Anton’s new brainchild, Healthy Minds, a charitable organisation aimed at helping people with mental health issues through the restorative powers of boxing, could not have come at a better time:

“My aim is to help as many people as I can by building their self-esteem and reducing symptoms of stress and anxiety through these training sessions, as well as providing the social interaction that comes with being part of a boxing club; meeting new sparring partners and making new connections.”

Anton’s vision is to connect with other local mental health services and charitable organisations in order that they could cross-refer one another’s services, working together to give their members a multi-pronged, holistic approach to their recovery. He has plans for twice-weekly workshops and a brand new site lined up which is large enough to host them.

This scheme could be a lifeline for those struggling with the crippling effects of depression and anxiety, but is not without a struggle of its own: the one to fund it. Which is where you come in.

In recent months, Anton and his team have been busy training for various fundraising activities, including recently completing a 5-peak climb in the Brecon Beacons, and a gruelling SAS trial. Next week sees the team tackling their toughest challenge yet: the Three Peaks Challenge. This task involves climbing three mountains (Ben Nevis, Snowden and Scafell Pike) spanning three countries (Scotland, Wales and England) in 24 hours. He also has ‘fun walks’ factored in to support the cause, involving multiple 5k coastal hikes. Anton envisages that these types of fundraising missions will become annual events; by bringing people together to participate in these physical challenges they will strengthen all aspects of their health as well as forging social connections whilst simultaneously raising funds for the cause. It’s a win-win.

With so many people, and young men in particular, at grave risk of rapidly spiralling into the depths of depression, accelerated by the current pandemic, this campaign has taken on a particular urgency. Anton, his team, and their supporters are eager to get more of these sessions underway, in order to avoid vulnerable people sinking into the quicksand of mental illness.

Would you like to take part in a challenge to raise funds for Honour And Glory: Healthy Mind? Do you know someone who is struggling with mental health issues who might benefit from the Healthy Mind project? Or would you prefer to show your support by making a donation to this very worthy cause?

Mental illness is something any one of us could succumb to at some point in our lives, due to life events and difficult circumstances, so can we afford NOT to help?

Contact Anton on 07544 737278, or email him at ap@boxingandfitness.co.uk. To make a donation please follow the link below:

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/anton-pattenden

Thank you for reading, and for your support.

Sam x

Fancy reading my back-story before you go any further? You can find my other blogs at:

www.ifyouboozeyoulose.blogspot.com
www.samgoessolo.blogspot.com
www.mummymission.blogspot.com
www.worldwidewalsh.blogspot.com

www.costaricachica1.blogspot.com

Follow me:

Twitter: @SamanthaWalsh76 (lifeabirdseyeview)
Facebook: @lifeabirdseyeview
Instagram: @lifeabirdseyeview

The post Healthy Body, Healthy Mind appeared first on Life: A Birds Eye View.

The invitation to test the Essential Teatox 14-day detox couldn’t have landed in my inbox at a better time: a few days before my eventful trip to India.

To me, this was a green light to scrap the beach yoga and instead indulge in all the calorific curries and Kingfisher beers my little pot-belly could handle, safe in the knowledge that immediately upon my return I could flip the kettle on and brew up some evil-tasting concoction that would magically melt away the evidence of my gluttony.

Now I’m not overweight – my BMI is 22 – and at almost 6ft tall I have a lot of body to fill, BUT – having turned the big (whisper it!) 4-0 this year, I’ve decided to take a bit more care of myself. Let’s face it, the only place a muffin top looks good is on a muffin. And I’d been no stranger to the M&S bakery…

So I ditched the cigs and am eating my veggies like a good girl. Unfortunately ‘smoke-free’ is not synonymous with ‘sugar-free’: my taste buds – suddenly reawakened – start twerking furiously at the prospect of a cinnamon bun. I’m no GI (Glycaemic Index) Jane; I’m more familiar with Kettle Chips than kettle bells, admittedly. But I’m getting there. Kinda. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I love a prosecco (or 3), and I’m still partial to the odd Big Mac, but Rome wasn’t built in a day (and neither was Gisele’s body).

So I was sitting on the beach in Goa, eyeing my physique appraisingly. Hmmm, hardly the stone cold fox I’d envisaged. More an urban fox. You know the ones: weathered; mangy-looking; furiously tearing open rubbish bags with their teeth in search of scraps; existing on a diet of old tea bags, sandwich crusts and discarded bacon rind…and perhaps the occasional small child if they can squeeze through an unlocked suburban cat-flap.

“You’re in shape, darling,” soothed Andy, in an attempt to rebuild my flagging body confidence. “Oh yeah,” I replied, resignedly…..”the shape of a barrel,” vowing to take action upon my return…

As soon as I squeezed (sideways) through the door when I arrived home, I tore at the packaging with my teeth (see, fox?) and scrutinised the contents. Hmmm. The teabags themselves are aesthetically pleasing: silky little pyramids; high quality. It was the contents that I was more dubious about: bits of bark and plant material. Well, it certainly looks organic, I thought. A few minutes later I took a tentative sip of my new brew…..and was pleasantly surprised. I expected rank-tasting swamp water….but it’s actually….very nice. No involuntary screwface. The licorice sweetens it nicely, and there’s no bitter aftertaste. Result!

In the evening, I steel my tastebuds for the PM blend. Again, to my surprise, it tastes fresh and sweet. The detox is simplicity itself: a tea each morning and a different blend every other evening. I made the decision not to adjust my diet or exercise regime at all for 2 reasons:

1. I don’t diet or have an exercise regime, and
2. I wanted to ensure any results were 100% down to the tea.

Over the coming days, I find myself looking forward to my Teatox. I know people are always sceptical about these things, and I was too, but I swear I saw an uplift in my energy, and my mood, within a few days. Even if this was partly the placebo effect, caused by me feeling all virtuous and thus projecting a smugly satisfied glowing aura, then surely even that’s a good thing?

The list of ingredients is impressive, all renowned for their energising and slimming properties, so I’m convinced there’s a bit more at work than my imaginary shiny halo. Judge for yourself:

The programme costs £19.99, so 95p per cup: a third of the price of my usual coffee-shop skinny hot choc with chocolate sprinkles (and yes, I’m fully aware that there’s really no such thing as a skinny hot chocolate thank-you-very-much), and leaves me feeling far more energised than the over-priced Starbucks sugar-rush that’s soon followed by a crash. The only place I lose weight with my regular beverage is my purse, as I empty all my hard-earned coins onto the counter.

As the tea tastes so good, I leave the teabag in whilst drinking to make it as strong as possible, and even find myself topping up the hot water a further few times to really get the most out of each bag. This is not in the guidelines, but I figure you may as well get maximum benefit and value from the detox, right?

A week in, and I’m feeling great. On a night out with my girlfriends I feel confident and happy in my silky dress and get a few cheesy compliments from some randoms in the pub. I’m not in the market for a new fella, but it’s nice to be appreciated nonetheless, hey?

Working in retail at Christmas time is flat-out busy, and I often resort to double-dropping Pro Plus in a desperate attempt to pep up my flagging energy levels with caffeine (since I hate coffee and you need arms like Popeye’s for the mammoth stock deliveries), but during the detox I find I’m awake before the alarm and don’t feel tired during the day at all. My sleep is better too: although I still wake up super-early, I’m not waking as much during the night.

At the end of the 2 weeks, I’m sad to see my tea supplies come to an end. I haven’t lost weight (unsurprising, considering I’ve had fast food a few times, boozy nights out with the girls and my usual sneaky snacks), yet I definitely feel less bloated, more energised, and happier overall with my figure.

Would I use Essential Teatox again? Yes – particularly before a holiday or a special occasion. Who knows, next time I may even combine it with a healthier diet and some exercise to get the maximum slink-factor. Stranger things have happened (erm, it begins with T and ends in ‘rump’).

Oh, and did I mention I’m also a Victoria’s Secret model now? Best keep schtum for the time being – it’s such a secret that even Victoria doesn’t know…

Seriously though, I’m bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and feeling fierce. So you wanna be a Stone Cold Fox?  Get Teatox 

Use code TEATOX10 for 10% off when placing your order.
For a chance to try the 14-day Teatox for FREE,  enter my competition here.*

UPDATE: This competition is now closed and the winner has been chosen at random. Congratulations to Kirsten Hyde – your Teatox is winging it’s way to you!

Find more opinions and reviews on Essential Teatox via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

*Competition T&Cs:

– the competition will run from Monday 5th December until 11.59pm on 30th December GMT.
– entrants must be UK residents aged 18 and over.
– all entries to be completed using the Rafflecopter link above.
– all entries will be checked and verified.
– the winner will be chosen at random from all valid entries.
– the winner will be announced by the 5th Jan (emailed as well as via social media and as a blog update).
– the winner will have 72hrs to respond with their details, otherwise a new winner will be picked following the same procedure.

Thanks for entering – good luck!

Sam x

Fancy reading my back-story before you go any further? You can find my other blogs at:

www.costaricachica1.blogspot.com
www.samgoessolo.blogspot.com
www.mummymission.blogspot.com
www.worldwidewalsh.blogspot.com

Follow me:

Twitter: @SamanthaWalsh76 (Life:ABird’sEyeView)
Facebook: @lifeabirdseyeview
Instagram: @lifeabirdseyeview

The post Wanna be a Stone Cold Fox? Get Teatox! appeared first on Life: A Birds Eye View.