Receiving a diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis can feel very overwhelming. Written from a patient’s point of view, this is some of what I wish I had been told when I was diagnosed with IBD 20 years ago, and what anyone who has been recently diagnosed should know now.

You can’t have a healthy body without a healthy mind. How you approach “healthy eating” matters enormously, both in terms of enhancing its effectiveness, but also for safeguarding against it turning into obsession.

A helpful meditation for when you’re feeling fearful and in need of grounding, but also when feeling a general loss of connection. It somehow manages to anchor you while simultaneously creating a feeling of lightness.

Do you sometimes feel your willpower unravelling? Is Project Health just feeling too difficult? Are you struggling to stick to your chosen health regimen? Do you feel like you are the walnut in the photo but you’re also the one holding the hammer? When we feel ourselves self-destructing, what should we do? Push harder or give ourselves a break?

 'Dance Around Like An Idiot' Therapy (aka DALAI Therapy) is a self-coined anagram for what I believe to be an absolute must for anyone, anywhere, anytime, but in particular during times of stress, anxiety and depression, which are precisely the times you will probably feel like doing anything BUT dancing around like an idiot - this is all the more reason to do it!

Yes, I'm quoting Matchbox 20. I am doing so because the phrase "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell" so perfectly describes what it feels like when you are living with a health problem and develop quirks, fears and coping mechanisms as a result, which other people may well find rather strange.