As we approach the end of this year and look forward to 2025, I reflect on everything that’s happened in the past 2-years and the things I’ve done, achieved, and actively navigated and changed for the better. I am amazed…
68. Follow Your Heart To Make 2025 Happier, Healthier, And Stronger!
67. How to stay strong taking on everyday life challenges.
October was a heavy month. The days got shorter and started staying darker for longer. We had World Mental Health Day (10 Oct), Baby Loss Awareness Week (9-15 Oct), and Stoptober for those quitting or reducing addictive habits like smoking,…
66. Feel the cold easily and want to improve circulation?
If you’ve always got cold hands and feet, like me, it could be due to poor circulation. In the extreme, there can be swelling, pins and needles, and muscle cramps. However, improving diet and lifestyle can tackle and banish the…
65. Best Cantonese desserts & favourite recipes
At the end of blog #57 – ‘How to eat nutritious, delicious, and authentically well-balanced Cantonese meals‘ I promised to share my favourite Cantonese Tong Sui desserts. As a child, I pestered Mum to make my all-time-favourite, Black Glutinous Rice…
64. How to think like a caregiver and practice mindfulness?
Empathy, adaptability, and patience are three strengths that distinguish exceptional caregivers. This is a shared belief in the online community, which I agree with wholeheartedly. By embodying these qualities, caregivers not only meet the physical needs of the people we care…
63. What is mental ill health and how to cope?
Throughout the years I have asked myself many times do I have mental ill health – and each time, the answer is yes. The truth is our mental health ebbs and flows to the rhythm of life and the constant…
62. How to feel less stressed and overwhelmed planning the summer holiday
These past few weeks I’ve been overwhelmed planning the summer holiday. It is my first time experiencing and having to navigate ‘school holidays’ as until January this year, my Son had been in full-time childcare. But, after turning 3 and…
61. Toddler food allergies review and new free-from discoveries
Two years after his last review, my Son and I optimistically, but with some trepidation, attended the allergy clinic. My husband and I kept our fingers crossed for his Paediatric Doctor to tell us our Son had outgrown some of…
60. Plan the perfect fun day out with your toddler
Looking for a great day out with your toddler? Look no further with this list of favourites. With the warm weather upon us, most will be after outdoor activities. But we are in the UK, after all! So, on rainy…
59. Why I struggle to make up my mind and how to be more decisive?
While many think indecisiveness is a personality trait, the more I read and learn to advance my knowledge and advocacy for mental health and holistic wellness, the more I understand that psychological factors, like anxiety and depression, invisible disabilities, like ADHD,…
#58. A Caregiver’s Life: How to Regain Zest and Energy When Down & Feeling Low
While Caregiving life is fulfilling and rewarding, it is equally demanding and intense. Given the chance to do it again, I would choose the same, ten times over. Caring for my parents, Son, and young family is a gift as…
#57. How to eat nutritious, delicious, and authentically well-balanced Cantonese meals
While caring for Dad in his final months battling the Big C and spending the May half term this year with Mum, a disabled stroke survivor, I enjoyed moments with them shopping, meal planning, and cooking Cantonese dishes following their…
56. How to get through half-term as a Sandwich Carer
In early 2024, I promised to spend more time with my family and create more moments and memories than in previous years. I promised not to let 2025 come around, which it will do quickly, without having actioned these good…
55. Powerful affirmations to think well: from one Caregiver to other Caregivers
As a Caregiver, affirmations help keep me motivated and stay resilient. Even before my Caregiving time, I used certain sayings and quotes to keep me grounded. I used them to help me think, feel, plan, and eat well to focus…
54. How to reset goals to lift mood and be happier
Thursday, 16 May, is the fourth anniversary of my Dad’s passing and a significant date in my calendar. Every year on this day since 2020, when Dad lost his fight to the Big C, I visit his grave. I reflect…
53. BBQ season and summer nutrition: how to create a perfectly balanced spread
Yesterday was glorious in the UK and gave us the perfect weather we always crave. What a treat to walk in the sunshine and drive around with the windows down and warm air blowing through our hair. However, what really signified the…
52. Why we over plan, its pros & cons, and how to take a breather
As a Caregiver, I constantly make lists, worry about the details, and struggle to relax and let go. I over-plan because it is an essential part of my Caregiving life. A well-organised schedule allows me to stay on top of…
51. How to boost employability & career progression using Caregiver soft skills
As a carer, time is limited and precious. Spare moments are reserved for family, loved ones, and me, myself and I! There is rarely time and mental capacity to think about employability and career progression. So, from one Carer to…
50. How to have the perfect ladies day out & overnighter in London for you and your (Mummy) besties
When you are a caregiver, self-care and self-love are vitally important. When mentally, emotionally, and physically unhealthy and unhappy, life becomes unmanageable. Being depleted, we run on empty and have little, if not nothing, to give to those relying on…
49. How to holiday-pack for a food allergies toddler with eczema
Packing for a family holiday changed to a sport when we had our Son several years ago. Ever since his diagnosis at 6 months old for multiple food allergies, eczema, and asthma (he’s now 3 years and 3 months), things…
48. How to make plans that work as a caregiver & working professional
To answer this question and make plans that work as a caregiver and working professional, I advocate discipline and a framework. I am pedantic about and never compromise on 6 things. My framework 1. Problem-solving Problem-solving is vital in a…
47. Why we overthink & how to stop
Many things contribute to us overthinking in adulthood. Usually, it’s things we experience and learn in our childhood and adolescent life. As Caregivers, we are susceptible to overthinking because it is a part of our survival response. It helps us…
46. The Good, the Bad & the Ugly of Mother’s Day
Since becoming a Mum 3-years ago, Mother’s Day has taken on a whole new meaning. Before having my Son, Mother’s Day was reserved for celebrating my Mum, mother-in-law, my sister, and my Mum friends. I used to shower my nearest…
45. Best foods & drink to recover from caregiver burnout
If you are always tired, drained, overwhelmed, anxious, and unable to complete your to-do list, you could be suffering from caregiver burnout. This is natural considering our responsibilities – and caregivers across the globe will identify with these emotions. It…
44. How to plan the perfect road trip?
Now we’re parents, any road trip my husband and I plan and embark on will look VERY different from the adventure of a lifetime we had in California – the Golden State – in 2018. The principles for planning the…
43. The power of positive thinking: lessons from Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, is China’s most important festival. Traced back to about 3,500 years ago, and as the most important celebration for families, it includes a week of official public holiday. It centres around…
42. Navigating New Year pressures as a Carer
In my New Year, New Me blog, I promised to eat, think, feel, and plan well for a healthier and happier 2024. As a certified mental health advocate, I believe in prioritising self-care and our own needs before the needs of those…
41. Food allergy best buys: nut, dairy & egg free
Hi! Welcome to Life & Soul Food. Since 2021, I have been a food allergy Mum and on a journey of exploration to find great nutritious and delicious alternatives for my Son. I’m sharing our favourite food finds to help…
40. How to plan for happiness & more in life?
Life has its ups and downs – and it is scientifically proven that when we’re rich with emotions, great relationships, and a sense of purpose in life, we accomplish things and feel happier and more fulfilled. So, to plan for…
39. How to think clearly under stress and pressure
Working professionals and Caregivers often operate under immense stress and pressure. Triggers are varied and come from all angles ranging from: If you identify with this, have experienced moments rendering you unable to think clearly, or are going through it…
33. Best foods for respiratory health & keeping infections at bay
Autumn and winter are the worst seasons for me when it comes to colds and chest infections. In the past two months, I’ve been ill twice and had to use antibiotics to fight off one round. Every year, before the…