Archives for May 2025

May 7, 2025 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Goodbye Sugar, Hello Health: A Real-Food Approach to Managing Diabetes

Have you ever wondered if you could take control of your diabetes rather than letting it control you? What if the secret wasn’t buried deep on a pharmacy shelf, but already sitting on your plate?

Welcome to the world of DIP (Diabetes Improvement Programme) Nutrition – a low-carb, real-food philosophy that’s helping people across the globe rewrite their diabetes story.

The Sugar Trap: Why We’ve Been Getting It Wrong

For years, conventional advice has often pointed those with type 2 diabetes towards a low-fat, high-carb diet—ironically the very combination that spikes blood sugar. We’ve been told to count calories, watch portions, and rely heavily on medication.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: more carbs mean more glucose, and more glucose means more insulin… and the cycle continues.

The DIP approach flips the script. It starts with one simple but powerful change: ditching sugar and refined starches. Think white bread, rice, pasta, sweets, sugary drinks – the usual suspects. Cutting these out helps reduce the constant glucose overload and gives the body the breathing space it needs to heal.

Low-Carb, Real-Food: What’s on the Menu?

This isn’t about deprivation or fad diets. It’s about getting back to basics. Real food – the kind your great-grandparents would recognise.

Think:

Above-ground vegetables
Healthy fats like nuts, seeds, and olive oil
Good-quality protein
And yes, even eggs and cheese

The DIP philosophy is rooted in nutrient-dense, whole food that nourishes rather than spikes.

The result? Lower blood sugar levels, improved insulin sensitivity, weight loss, better energy, and most importantly — hope.

Real Stories, Real Change

Across communities, people who follow the DIP way report feeling more in control than ever before. They’re reducing medications (under medical supervision), shedding stubborn weight, and finally breaking free from constant cravings and crashes.

It’s not magic. It’s metabolic science meets mindful eating.

Is This the Beginning of Your New Chapter?

If you’ve felt frustrated with traditional approaches…
If you’re tired of chasing highs and crashing lows…

Maybe it’s time for a fresh start.

“Goodbye sugar, hello health” isn’t just a catchy phrase – it’s a powerful reality waiting to unfold.

Let your first step be this: rethink what’s on your plate. Your body will thank you.

#BeTheForce

May 6, 2025 By GOQii Leave a Comment

ADHD and Sleep Disturbances: Solutions That Can Help, Regardless of Racy Ideas

For most individuals with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), night is a time to run uphill rather than a time to unwind. The body is tired, but the brain is alert, buzzing along on a whirlwind of ideas, reminders, recollections, and worries. The very fuel of restfulness to bring about clarity and peace is constantly lost. But why is ADHD so persistently interrupting night time sleep? And more to the point, what is to be done about it?

The ADHD–Sleep Relationship: More Than Just Restless

ADHD is so much more than mere overactive restlessness or inattention. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by an imbalance in brain control over attention, emotions, impulsivity – and even over sleep-wake cycles. Several studies conducted over the years show that between 25% to 55% of individuals with ADHD continually experience sleeping problems.

But, it is interesting to note that sleep disturbance is both a symptom and a cause of ADHD-like behaviours. A bad night of sleep can aggravate inattention, moods, and emotional control and mimic the manifestations of ADHD – or make them even stronger if already in place.

Why ADHD and Sleep Don’t Always Mix

ADHD isn’t just about attention or hyperactivity – it’s about regulation. That includes regulating thoughts, impulses, energy levels… and yes, even sleep cycles. Research has shown that adults with ADHD often experience:

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS): The body’s internal clock shifts later, making you feel more alert at night and sleepy in the morning.
Increased mental hyperactivity: Even at rest, the ADHD brain can feel like it’s stuck in fifth gear.
Low dopamine levels: Dopamine plays a role in sleep regulation, and ADHD is linked to lower dopamine activity.

Together, these factors can make bedtime feel like a battle.

Common ADHD-Related Sleep Issues Include:

Difficulty falling asleep (extended time to fall asleep)
Night-time restlessness and excessive night-time awakenings
Resistance to bedtime routines
Morning struggle to wake up
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Sleep-disordered breathing (e.g., obstructive sleep apnoea)
Restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movements

What Is to Be Done? Evidence-Based, Proactive Solutions

Let’s face it – there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to sleeping with ADHD. But these effective strategies, derived from science and everyday experience, can calm the ADHD brain and facilitate restful sleep.

Prioritise a Sleep Routine (But Keep it Flexible)

Strict bedtime routines may not always work for ADHD brains. Establish a realistic and soothing routine to signal to the body to relax and slow down. This can include:

A warm shower
Reading (ideally fiction, but not stimulating stuff)
Listening to calming music or white noise
Deep breathing

Trial Behavioural Sleep Interventions

There is evidence to suggest that behavioural therapy for sleep issues is extremely effective. Some examples include stimulus control, cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), or light therapy for a circadian rhythm issue.

Assess for Underlying Sleep Disorders

These conditions have to be ruled out—namely, obstructive sleep apnoea, restless legs syndrome, or delayed sleep phase syndrome – all of them more likely to occur in individuals with ADHD.

Time Medications Strategically

If medication is prescribed for ADHD, discuss timing and dosage with your doctor. Changing when or what type of medication is taken may help reduce disturbance to sleep.

Make Use of Environmental Cues

Your bedroom is for relaxing in:

Turning out the lights one hour before bedtime
A refreshing, serene room
Weighted blankets (which are soothing to certain adults with ADHD)
No screens at least 30 minutes before bed

Manage Mental Overload

Writing down one’s ideas or tomorrow’s to-do list in the evening is a means of clearing one’s head. There are sleep meditations in apps like Calm or Headspace specifically aimed at racing minds.

Looking to the Future: A Whole-Person Approach

Managing sleep in ADHD is more than a matter of sleep hygiene—more about understanding the interconnected systems at play. Mood, medication, comorbidities, environment, and routine are all important factors. It is for this reason that it is advised by leading experts to assess sleep pre-treatment and review it on a regular basis in conjunction with a more overall management plan.

The Goal Is Not to Sleep Earlier. It Is to Wake Refreshed.

To greet the day with greater vigour, less disorientation, and fewer crashes.

Sleep Is a Skill – And It Can Be Learned

Sleeping should be something you can do naturally. But for a decent number of adults with ADHD, it takes work, experimentation, and copious self-compassion. You are not a failure—you’re a learner. And in learning to sleep more healthily, you’re investing in a gift of a less frantic, less blurry life.