Convenience vegetarian food

More and more people wnat to be vegetarian but feel they don't have time to cook a nut roast, so this year's UK Vegetarain Society awards are a good reminder that there are some excellent convenience products out there.

This year's short list consisted of:

• Macsween Vegetarian Haggis 
• Cauldron Cumberland Sausages
• Tesco Vegetarian Cheese and Leek Sausages
• Goodlife Fairtrade Nut Cutlet 
• Linda McCartney Sausages

The winner was Macsween Vegetarian Haggis.

I've never tried this but I do like the Goodlife Nut Cutlets and our house is definitely a fan of Linda McCartney sausages.

Overweight And Old Age

A new study by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) researchers has found that, among a large study population of women who lived until at least age 70, being overweight in mid-life was associated with having more health problems later in life, including multiple chronic diseases, and impaired cognitive function, physical function and mental health. Women who were lean at age 18 and maintained a healthy weight through mid-life had the best odds of achieving optimal health later in life. It is the first study to show the role adiposity may play in the overall health of women who survive to older ages.

Read more on this research>>

Check out our weight loss remedies - 60-day money-back guarantee

Cough Remedies - The Natural Approach

Coughs can vary from dry, tickling coughs to what are known as productive coughs, where you produce lots of mucus. Any unexplained cough that goes on and on should be investigated by properly qualified health professionals, but here are remedies and nutrition supplements for those irritating coughs that can make you feel miserable and unhappy.

•    Zinc lozenges with Vitamin C and propolis can soothe a tickly cough caused by a dry throat.
•    Lobelia Herbal compound works to loosen mucus and help get rid of it from your chest, sinuses and throat.
•  A nervous cough may be helped by magnesium - this mineral can be helpful for stress and anxiety.
•  The Australian Flower remedy Calm And Clear can also help you relax and feel more confident.

Check out these cough remedies here.

What Happens If You Don't Get Enough Vitamin D

Here's a neat summary of all the health problems of being short of Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency may precipitate or exacerbate osteopenia, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, fractures, common cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases. There is also some evidence that the vitamin may reduce the incidence of several types of cancer and type 1 diabetes.

Buy a vitamin D supplement >>

Sit Up Straight For Confidence

Sitting up straight in your chair isn’t just good for your posture – it also gives you more confidence in your own thoughts, according to a new study.

Researchers found that people who were told to sit up straight were more likely to believe thoughts they wrote down while in that posture concerning whether they were qualified for a job.

Read more about this research >>

What It Means to Be Adopted

Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were discussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture had a different hair color than the other members. One of her students suggested that he was adopted.


A little girl said, 'I know all about adoption, I was adopted..'

'What does it mean to be adopted?', asked another child.

'It means', said the girl, 'that you grew in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy!'

Guided Imagery Can help Children

Children with functional abdominal pain who used audio recordings of guided imagery at home in addition to standard medical treatment were almost three times as likely to improve their pain problem, compared to children who received standard treatment alone.

Read more about this research >>

Buy a Guided Imagery CD for your child>>

Meat And Cancer

Red and Processed Meat Increases Risk of Prostate Cancer
Meat consumption increases the risk of prostate cancer, according to a recent study looking at more than 175,000 men as part of the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. The men who consumed the most red meat had a 30 percent increased risk of cancer, compared with those who consumed the least. Processed red meat was associated with a 10 percent increased risk of prostate cancer with every 10 grams (about one-third of an ounce) of increased intake. Researchers also investigated cooking method and content of heme iron and nitrites and nitrates for the various types of meat consumed. Heme iron intake, nitrite and nitrate consumption, and grilling and barbecuing all were associated with higher risk.
Sinha R, Park Y, Graubard BI, et al. Meat and meat-related compounds and risk of prostate cancer in a large prospective cohort study in the United States. Am J Epidemiol. Advance access published October 6, 2009. DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwp280.

For information about nutrition and health, please visit www.pcrm.org/.

Improve Your Brain - Learn to Juggle

Learning to juggle leads to changes in the white matter of the brain, an Oxford University study has shown.


The research, funded by the Wellcome Trust and Medical Research Council and published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, appears to show improved connectivity in parts of the brain involved in making movements necessary to catch the balls.

‘We tend to think of the brain as being static, or even beginning to degenerate, once we reach adulthood,’ says Dr Heidi Johansen-Berg of the Department of Clinical Neurology, University of Oxford, who led the work. ‘In fact we find the structure of the brain is ripe for change. We’ve shown that it is possible for the brain to condition its own wiring system to operate more efficiently.’

Continue reading this research >>

As the article points out, you don't need to juggle to attain the benefits, but you do need to do new things and challenge your brain.

Read about other ways to improve your brain >>

Theatre For The Destitute

It's interesting to see the many unconventional ways in which people are trying to help those lessfortunate than themselves. Here's an example. I received this email from Mark Wentworth:

I'm writing to you to see if you are able to help promote awareness for a project I am heading to take a team of people to Kathmandu, Nepal in April 2010. We will be sharing Dynamic Theatre with abandoned children and destitute women to offer hope and encouragement. We have just started our fundraising and would really appreciate any help to promote and raise awareness with the desire to raise funds for our project called "The Dynamic Heart Project"

learn more >>

Getting Ready For Skiing

Here's some advice from Kristoph Thompson:

In addition to using the machines in the gym you can perform some exercises that require your body to move in the same way as when skiing. First try side lunges. Standing upright, take a large step to the right, bend your hips and knees slightly and push off with right foot and stand feet together again. Try the same only stepping the left, alternate sides and repeat 12-15 times.

Visit Kristoph's web site.

More advice about skiing preparation exercises.

Concerned about city pollution?

Some really simple measures - as simple as moving to the other side of the street - can help reduce your exposure to traffic pollution in cities:

Research, led by Professor of Environmental Modelling Alison Tomlin from Leeds University's Faculty of Engineering, has shown that air pollution levels change dramatically within small geographical areas dependent on wind patterns, the location of traffic queues and the position and shapes of the surrounding buildings.

The findings showed that pollution hotspots tend to accumulate on the leeward side of the street, (the sheltered side) in relation to the wind's direction at roof-top level.

They also revealed that that carbon monoxide levels were up to four times lower in parallel side streets compared to the main road.

Read more >>

Selenium A,C and E have been shown to be protective against pollution.

Green Tea Health Benefits

A study in Japan published in the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition (September 30th 2009) has shown that drinking green tea may help psychological distress.

Green tea compounds are also believed to increase the metabolic rate and act as a powerful antioxidant and free radical scavenger. It may also be protective against some stomach cancers for women (but not for men).

If you don’t fancy tea we sell green tea tablets.

Vitamin D And Breast Cancer Treatment

there just seems to be more and more research on the importance of vitamin D.

Women with breast cancer should be given high doses of vitamin D because a majority of them are likely to have low levels of vitamin D, which could contribute to decreased bone mass and greater risk of fractures, according to scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

“Vitamin D is essential to maintaining bone health and women with breast cancer have accelerated bone loss due to the nature of hormone therapy and chemotherapy. It’s important for women and their doctors to work together to boost their vitamin D intake,” said Luke Peppone, Ph.D., research assistant professor of Radiation Oncology, at Rochester’s James P. Wilmot Cancer Center. He is a member of the National Cancer Institute’s Community Clinical Oncology Program research base in Rochester.

Buy vitamin D >>

Winter Immunity

Here are some simple ways to boost your immune system and have you sailing through winter unscathed courtesy of There's A Remedy for That

1. Avoid extreme and sudden temperature changes. Wrap up warmly when you go outside as prolonged exposure to wet and cold weather lowers your resistance and increases your risk of infection.

2. Get your heart going. Get in your three workouts a week for optimal immune system health. Regular exercise boosts the immune system and increases oxygen in the blood which helps fight antigens more effectively. If necessary, put your gym dates in your diary to make sure you don't miss out!

3. Boost your body’s resistance to disease by using natural alternatives like homeopathy and herbal medicine. These come from nature, have been around since the beginning of time and really help to boost your health and vitality.

4. Get enough rest. Sleep has been linked to balanced hormone levels (including the stress hormone, cortisol), keeping weight down, clear thinking and reasoning, improved mood, and vibrant, healthy skin. So don't skimp on the shut-eye.

5. Reduce stress. A relaxed mind and positive mental attitude makes a big difference to how your body fights disease. In dealing with stress find a daily relaxation technique to help you unwind such as breathing techniques, listening to calming music, yoga, Pilates, or simply enjoying time with your family.

CoCa Cola Ads

The UK Advertising Standards Authority has found against Coca Cola this week. The findings are in relation to 3 posters and a leaflet featuring Coca Cola's Vitaminwater range of soft drinks. You can see the full judgement here, but below is an exerpt

"We noted Coca-Cola's assertion that the product could be defined as "low calorie"; however, we also noted from the ingredient breakdown supplied that the products contained 4.6 g sugar per 100 ml or 23 g per 500 ml serving which constituted 26% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) based on 2000 calories per day. We considered that the appearance of the product, its colour, and the fact that it was fortified with vitamins made it clear to consumers that they were not "pure" water without calories or sugar. However, because we considered the ads made claims that were likely to be understood as referring to the nutritional and health benefits of the drinks, it was likely that, in conjunction with these claims, readers would infer that the range of drinks were "healthy". Because the drinks contained a significant proportion of a consumers RDA for sugar we concluded the ads were likely to mislead."

African Organic Cotton

Thousands of African smallholder farmers grow organic cotton, used in clothing sold in Europe and North America. Organic cotton cultivation has brought these farming families significant benefits in health, welfare and income but global cotton prices are notoriously unstable, even for organic cotton. So farmers are anxious not be dependent on cotton alone for their cash income and keen to find better markets for the food crops they grow. But selling for local markets is not always an attractive option as prices are often low and local demand for organic versions of their food crops is limited.

Farmers in organic cotton projects in Senegal and Benin are therefore exploring opportunities for exporting selected food crops.

Read more>>

What Makes Us Happy?

In the last few years the field of positive psychology has started to produce significant results to this important question.

Positive psychology researcher Dr. Nansook Park and her colleagues Dr. Christopher Peterson and Dr. Martin Seligman have looked at precisely this question. A study with more than 4000 participants revealed that five significant factors --gratitude, optimism, zest, curiosity, and the ability to love and be loved--are more closely and consistently related to life satisfaction . In other words it's not money or business success that makes us happy, but good old fashioned virtues of being in the community and being interested and excited by life.

Martin Seligman, commenting on this research, writes: “In my opinion, the most compelling reason to give special attention to these five key strengths is that each strength on the list is, by definition, mutable. We can all become more grateful, optimistic, zestful, curious, and loving if we are willing to make a concerted effort to do so.”

Martin Seligman has written an interesting book on this topic called Authentic Happiness.

Breast Milk And Sleeping Babies

The levels of the components in breast milk change every 24 hours in response to the needs of the baby. A new study published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience shows, for example, how this milk could help newborn babies to sleep.

Breast milk contains various ingredients, such as nucleotides, which perform a very important role in regulating babies' sleep. The new study confirms that the composition of breast milk changes quite markedly throughout the day.

Isn't nature wonderful? Why are we so arrogant that we think we can replace it easily?

Read more >>

The Benefits Of Selenium

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) has concluded that selenium could offer “protection of DNA, proteins and lipids from oxidative damage, normal function of the immune system, normal thyroid function and normal spermatogenesis." DNA damage has been implicated in cancers and spermatogenesis is the process by which mature sperm are produced.

Read more about senium supplements >>

new organic baby wash launched.

Green People have launched a new Certified Organic Baby Wash. It's fragrance free and is suitable for washing body, hair and nappy area. It can also be used by children and adunlts who suffer from eczema and psoriasis. as it protects delicate skin from dryness and irritation.

Green People do a great range of skin care products - do take a look.

Are Drugs The Answer?

Since the drug companies began using their power for profit, health care has gone spiraling down the tubes, and so has the general population's well being. Prior to the 1930's the only available medicines were picked from plants. Since the 1950's and television, the rate of drug use in the U.S. is out of control. Too many people rely on drugs made from chemicals, and those chemicals have dangerous side effects, often creating more health problems in other areas of the body.

Read more about this and watch the video >>