Nourishing Body and Soul: How Health & Nutrition Can Support You When Managing the Task of a House Clearance After Bereavement

Dealing with the emotional and physical toll of clearing out a late parent or relative’s home can be overwhelming, especially for midlife women who often find themselves caught in the sandwich generation, balancing family, career and other commitments. In this interview with Vicki Chisholm founder of CENTRED, a wellness and nutrition expert, we explore how prioritizing your own health plays a pivotal role in managing both the emotional stress and physical demands of this challenging season. From boosting energy levels to maintaining mental clarity, Vicki shares valuable insights on how mindful self-care practices can provide the foundation women need to navigate this bittersweet chapter with strength and resilience.

Hi Vicki , can you introduce yourself and tell me more about your business CENTRED ?                                                                                    

Hi Janet, yes I would love to. I am Vicki, I am a Holistic Health Coach & Personal Trainer based in North Yorkshire where I see clients face to face and online. I have a varied range of clients, however my main area is working with women in midlife. Many of them are going through major changes & living with a lot of pressure and overwhelm around work, personal & family life.

In a lot of families, in my experience, it often falls to the women to take the lead to clear a loved one’s home. Not surprisingly when ageing parents pass away, this usually happens when a woman hits midlife and grieving can often lead to neglecting one’s health. How important are nutrition and exercise for midlife women who are going through the bereavement process and how can they support emotional well-being during this time?                                                                                   

Really important. When we are under pressure all the fundamentals of good health can seem just a step too far or just fall to the wayside, while we deal with everyone and everything else. The list of tasks increases and it becomes harder to keep on top of it all. Especially looking after our own health and wellness. This can often come after a parent has had a long illness so our own needs may have been put on the back burner for some time already. We really need to address our own health needs before we can face the next challenge. Otherwise we can become ill ourselves and the health of our family will suffer too.

For women who are balancing bereavement, house clearance and other responsibilities, finding time for exercise and healthy eating can be challenging. What simple strategies would you recommend to help someone try to look after themselves when they are so short on time?

The simplest things sometimes can have the biggest impact and also have a cumulative effect over time. I would advise some meditation or breath work daily. This could be sitting with a cup of tea first thing on a morning before starting the day - 5 to 10 minutes to gather a realistic to-do list can make a big difference offering a sense of control & the gratitude of small achievements. Taking a step back from intense exercise is actually a good idea when there is a lot of stress and overwhelm, as this is just adding to the physical stress to the body which will not be helpful and will impact the nervous and immune system negatively. Taking slower forms of exercise like yoga or pilates would be of greater help or just taking a walk in nature will serve best during these times. Meal planning may be a step too far at this point but can make a big difference, put the list where the whole family can see it and if you have someone to delegate making a meal to, then encourage them to do it. Make it simple, set up a weekly staples list with fresh fruit & veg, if possible, then either order a weekly delivery or again delegate to a partner or even a friend who would like to help.

Grief often affects appetite and energy levels. How can maintaining good nutrition help people cope with the emotional and physical demands of bereavement, especially when undertaking tasks like house clearance?

Food is energy, we need it to function well. Choosing nourishing foods is going to serve the body & brain best in these highly emotional times. Eating smaller meals could help with digestive issues brought on by anxiety but trying to eat at regular intervals even if smaller amounts will be really beneficial for health and energy levels. If you can, try to choose whole foods like vegetables & fruits, over highly processed foods or high sugar alternatives like pastries, sweets or crisps as these do not fill us up for long and play havoc with energy levels. Eating a good quality protein like chicken, beef, eggs or legumes with every meal will help with satiety and is useful for avoiding energy dips. Pop an apple and banana in your bag everywhere you go so that there is something for you to nibble on when you have forgotten or been too busy to eat a meal. Also remember to hydrate, try to drink around 2 litres of water per day and keep the water bottle with you. Dehydration can show up as hunger, so make sure you are drinking plenty.

Many women struggle with a lack of motivation or energy after the loss of a loved one and during periods of grief it’s easy to turn to comfort foods. What are some practical tips for incorporating healthy meals, foods or snacks that can help raise your energy levels naturally? 

Tips for this period of time would be first and foremost to take a little time to just be kind to yourself, you have just been through one of the most traumatic experiences in life. Honour that. We turn to comfort food as this gives us a hit of dopamine which is a feel good hormone, fortunately we can get this in other ways too. Exercise is one of them. I would highly recommend walking, it is easy to do, free and also can be done with a friend or in a group if desired, adding to a sense of community. Committing to an activity with a friend brings accountability which is really useful when lacking motivation. With food choice I would avoid highly processed foods with many ingredients as they provide quick energy but then cause dips. I would recommend making sure that meals are balanced, so this would mean having good sources of protein (fish, meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, legumes & pulses), complex carbohydrates (vegetables, fruits & brown rice) & healthy fats (olive oil, sardines, salmon, mackerel, avocado, nuts & seeds) within each meal. Choose something from each category & make sure that is on your plate. Breakfast examples: Eggs & avocado or greek yogurt with berries & nuts. Lunch example: Chicken or tuna with salad or wrap. Dinner example: Chicken or Chickpea curry with brown rice.

Grief and the stress of handling everything after a loss can disrupt your sleep. What would you recommend to someone who might be struggling with this ?

I would suggest trying to reset the sleep cycle whenever you can.

Some simple strategies would be:

-   Try to go to bed at the same time every evening

-   Set the alarm for the same time on a morning

-   Avoid caffeine after midday & high sugar foods 2 hours before bed

-   Take exercise in the morning outside if time allows as this is really good for resetting the circadian cycle (24hr body clock) 10-15 minutes will do.

-   Try to avoid screens an hour before bed

-   Lavender pillow spray or diffusers can be good for relaxation

-   Warm bath before bed to relax the body (with Epsom salts for added muscle relaxation)

-   Avoid alcohol before bed - even though you may feel this helps you fall to sleep it will have a detrimental effect on the quality of your sleep.

Vicki Chisholm is the founder of CENTRED

With 30 years working in the health and wellbeing space, she has taken everything she's learnt to build a holistic health & fitness coaching business for women. Designed to improve overall wellbeing around 3 foundational pillars of simple mood, simple moves & simple food.

Contact CENTRED

www.centred.coach

hello@centred.coach

(+44) 07813 892279