Health, Happiness & Alternative Medicine

Vegetarian Survey

2011-07-25T17:16:00.002+01:00

What’s it like being vegetarian in the world today? Is it easy, challenging, satisfying, fun? What’s difficult and is there anything that could really make a difference? The Big Veggie Survey, a major new research project, commissioned by the Vegetarian Society and carried out by market research company ORC International, aims to find out.

The Vegetarian Society, an educational charity, wants to hear from vegetarians, vegans, ex-veggies and meat-reducers to learn more about the experiences of vegetarians in today’s world. The Big Veggie Survey is also aimed at caterers, carers and teachers, indeed anyone with an interest in vegetarianism. The survey is open now and runs until 3 September at www.vegsoc.org/survey

Vegetarian Shoes

2011-07-15T09:22:00.000+01:00

I used to have a much loved pair of shoes from Vegetarian Shoes based in Brighton (but with an online shop too) that had a sticker inside saying: shoes for feet that don’t eat meat. It always made me smile when I put the shoes on. Sadly my most recent pair of shoes from this great company don’t have the sticker, but they’re still stylish and comfortable.

Vegetarian Shoes now has a sale on with some great bargains. So do take a look.

Learn More About The Bach Flower Reemedies

2011-05-31T14:55:00.001+01:00

Want to know more about the wonderful Bach flower remedies? There's a new web site where you can do that: Bach Educational Resource. This is a highly informative, internet-based learning programme with films, lectures, and archive material which is all free to view and use.

New book on Kinesiology now available

2011-04-17T09:23:00.001+01:00

My new book on kinesiology is now available.

In it you can learn about the history of kinesiology and the different systems that have evolved; read case studies from around the world and accounts of how practitioners and system developers got involved in this amazing therapy. Learn about the potential of kinesiology to help heal the world.

I have just discovered how you can avoid carriage charges altogether. The Book Depository is a large reputable online book company based in the UK, they offer free carriage to the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and lots of other countries. Seems bizarre, but it is true. You can see and buy all my books here. (I have seven in print now in English.)

Help small businesses in cambodia, Benin and other countries

2011-04-08T09:20:00.000+01:00

Lendwithcare is a UK charity helping people in the Philippines, Benin and other countries who need small loans to help fund their businesses. You can loan as little as £15.00.

Currently there is a reflexologist in the Philippines

A restaurant owner in Benin

A hairdresser in Cambodia

An internet café owner in the Philippines

Give someone a hand up, not a hand out. Feel good about yourself and the world.

articles and information

2011-03-23T14:03:00.000Z

just been looking around InfoZooms - seems like it has some good information in easily assimilated form.

Walking

2011-02-04T10:20:00.001Z

Walking is a great form of exercise, particularly if you haven't done much exercise before. Here are some tips from the US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases:

# Try to walk at least three times per week. Each week, add 2 or 3 minutes to your walk. If you walk less than three times per week, you may need more time to adjust before you increase the pace or frequency of your walk.

# To avoid stiff or sore muscles and joints, start gradually. Over several weeks, begin walking faster, going further, and walking for longer periods of time.

# Set goals and rewards. Examples of goals are participating in a fun walk or walking continuously for 30 minutes.

SLS & Personal Care Products

2010-11-25T15:46:00.001Z

Some recent research from Bath University brings into question the use of products containing sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). This detergent is used in a range of personal care products (face creams, toothpaste, bodywash, hair conditioner, shampoos, shaving cream, etc.) and also medicinal cream such as Aqueous Cream BP (commonly used to treat eczema). The research using aqueous cream BP showed that the thickness of healthy skin is reduced within 4 weeks.

Richard Guy, Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, says: “Our study has found that rubbing aqueous cream containing SLS into the skin thins [the] protective barrier, making the skin more susceptible to irritation by chemicals.

Check the ingredients list of all your personal care products and any medicinal creams - you're looking for sodium lauryl sulphate/sulfate - why thin your skin when there are good products that don't contain this harsh detergent?

If you're buying Christmas presents for other people, do them a favour ad check out what you plan to buy before you buy it.

Read more about this research>>

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes

2010-11-17T09:36:00.000Z

Vegetarians like to celebrate as much as anyone else. Here's a veggie menu from the Cancer Project.
here's some other ideas too for a cruelty-free thanksgiving.

Thinking ahead to Christmas, these menus would work for then too.

Improve Your Memory

2010-10-08T09:17:00.000+01:00

Gary Small, a psychiatrist at the University of California, Los Angeles, says that stress hormones have been shown to reduce short-term memory.

If you find you are forgetting things more than you want to, consider whether it could be down to too much stress in your life and ask yourself what you can do about it.

Read our article on how to improve your memory with tricks and tips and supplements.

Arthritis & Rheumatism

2010-09-29T09:38:00.000+01:00

Many people's arthritis or rheumatism gets worse at the change of season, so I thought it's time to highlight products and advice on our web site:

Long gone are the days when health care providers told people with arthritis to “rest their joints.” In fact, physical activity can reduce pain and improve function, mobility, mood, and quality of life for most adults with many types of arthritis including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and lupus. (US Government Centers For Disease Control & Prevention)

So what sort of exercise should you do and for how long? What if it hurts? Read our detailed article on arthritis and exercise.

We also offer natural arthritis supplements for the pain and discomfort of arthritis.,

Runo: A mixture of herbs specifically chosen for their anti-rheumatism properties, includng poke root, sarsparilla and prickly ash.

Devils' Claw: A traditional herbl remedy for arthritis, rheumatism, gout, lumbago, fibrositis and myalgia. It also works as an appetite stimulant and has a positive effect on digestion. Many older people find this herbal supplement particularly beneficial.

Glucosamine: Plays an essential role in the repair of cartilage in the joints, but there are no major food sources of glucosamine. This becomes a problem if the body does not produce enough itself. Glucosamine is not a pain killer; it works to repair the joints in a natural way.

Turmeric Tablets: It has been shown to be particularly useful if you suffer from shoulder, knee and elbow pain and stiffness. Irritable bowel syndrome and some digestive problems respond well to these turmeric tablets too.

MSM Joint Pain Cream: A soothing cream to apply to skin around the joints. Contains essential oil of limes, sulphur rich methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM), wheat germ oil, organic coconut oil and gently fermented soya protein.

Check out these and more in our online healthy living shop>>

Special Offer On Multivitamins & Minerals for Women

2010-09-27T14:10:00.001+01:00

we are currently offering 15% off RRP on our Women’s Multivit – this promotion ends on September 30th - buy now and save money on a supplement specifically designed for menstruating women.)

Not Losing Weight

2010-09-27T09:10:00.001+01:00

Nothing is more frustrating to a dieter than not losing weight when you expect to. Just when you’ve started to get the hang of a new lifestyle your body stops responding to the hard work that you are doing. This is generally referred to as a weight loss plateau.

What’s most frustrating about these signs is the fact that it might seem like you’re doing everything right. You’re eating what you’re supposed to be eating, working out when you plan to, and even cutting back further than you have to on your chosen diet plan.

Lynn VanDyke suggest 4 things to do if this happens to you:
• Increase your calorie intake slightly
• Increase the intensity of your exercise plan
• Try adding more protein to your diet
• Drink more water

Read more of her advice in her Weight Loss Plateau article.

Botulinum Injections For Smooth Skin

2010-09-13T13:52:00.001+01:00

Botulimum injections are popular but there are big costs to animals. The substance used is a toxin produced by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. The toxin is one of the most powerful poisons known, but, because it has a natural source, it is impossible to know how strong it is without tests. Batches are tested by injecting them into mice until the animals are paralysed, and most of them die of suffocation. Every batch of the poison used for these treatments has to be tested on animals to establish its strength. Each year, thousands of mice die a slow and painful death, just so that humans can have smooth faces.

Is Smoking An Addiction?

2010-09-04T11:53:00.001+01:00

A study published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology in 2010 suggest that people who smoke do so for short-term benefits like oral gratification, sensory pleasure and social camaraderie. Once the habit is established, people continue to smoke in response to cues and in situations that become associated with smoking. The researcher Dr Dar of Tel Aviv University believes that the belief that nicotine is physiologically addictive is over-rated and that it has much more to do with habit than addiction. Read more of this research.

If you want to give up smoking, think about the triggers and habits that keep you smoking. Hypnotherapy has a good track record in helping people stop smoking. This research suggests why that is the case.

Don't smoke, but know someone who does and wants to give up? Please take a moment and forward this email to them.

The best natural acne remedies I know

2010-09-01T10:22:00.000+01:00

Acne is a common skin and can lead to a huge loss of confidence for the sufferer.

Here are some natural acne remedies:

* Blue Flag Compound - A traditional herbal remedy for acne, containing 4 herbs known for centuries as being effective in skin problems.
* Tea Tree Cream - deservedly becoming more and more popular as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal cream. Apply to spots and stop inflammation and infection spreading.
* Zinc is vitally important for the skin and is particularly beneficial for teenage boys. If you are not sure if you're short of zinc, take the home zinc test and find out.
* If your spots are worse around your periods, agnus castus may be helpful.
* Flower remedies can help you maintain your self esteem and self-confidence while you sort out your spotty skin.
* Vitamin E taken internally may help reduce scarring.

There's more detailed information about these great acne products here.

Happiness From Money?

2010-08-25T14:01:00.000+01:00

Money doesn’t buy you happiness, at least not once you’ve met your basic needs and have a bit more for emergencies, fun, personal development and maybe to support your children or give to your favourite charity. But though most people know that money doesn’t buy happiness, most of us act as though it does.

There’s always the thought that if we had a little bit more (we’re not being greedy) we’d be OK. It’s a seductive idea but it keeps you enthralled and never quite satisfied with what you already have.

I know people who have a lot more money than me, but are they happy? Do they moan and complain less? I don’t think so. But, of course, if we had more money, we wouldn’t be like this, would we? We’d be grateful and happy … but would we?

Read more about my thoughts on happiness and money.

School Anxiety - Help From Homeopathy

2010-08-15T15:19:00.000+01:00

Many children get anxious starting a new term but he,lp is at hand. Genie Rowson has written an excellent article on using homeopathy to counter school anxiety.

Another possibility is to use Indigo remedies - these remedies are specifically designed for children and are safe and effective - there are several that might apply for the school jitters - Confidence, Happy, No Fear - read more about the Indigo essences and make your choice.

Ovarian Cancer Survival

2010-07-11T08:04:00.000+01:00

Ovarian cancer has a relatively low survival rate, but research (March 2010 Journal of the American Dietetic Association) suggests women with this problem can increase their chances of surviving by adopting a more healthy diet:

*** High in fruit and vegetables
*** Low in meat
*** Healthy whole grains rather than white bread etc.

This is the diet we should all be following anyway. If you're not, focus on one of these three and make some healthy changes.

Check out our healthy vegetarian recipes here.

Natural Sun Cream Products

2010-07-01T12:58:00.000+01:00

With so many of us preparing for holidays we thought it important for you to know why a natural sunscreen is best for you and your family.
Conventional sun protection products use artificial sun filters and oil derived from petrochemicals, as well as parabens, synthetic fragrance, and other additives.

Many of these ingredients have been shown to have negative implications for health and a lot of people with sensitive skin find that sunscreen is one of the major culprits likely to cause a reaction.

So Organic offer a range of natural sun protection products using pure minerals such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to protect skin from the sun and never using paraben preservatives or synthetic fragrance, preferring instead to rely upon the natural properties of plant extracts and pure essential oils.

Cataract Prevention

2010-06-21T10:46:00.000+01:00

Women who eat foods rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals may have a lower risk of developing the most common type of cataract that occurs in the United States, according to a report in the June 2010 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

Cataracts, which increase in prevalence with age, are the most important cause of blindness in the world; in the United States, cataract is the most prevalent cause of visual impairment due to eye disease according to background in the article. "There are limited studies published to date in which nutritional risk factors are evaluated concurrently with a comprehensive set of other lifestyle, ocular health and physical risk factors."

Julie A. Mares, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, and colleagues studied 1,808 women who participated in the Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease study, residing in Iowa, Wisconsin and Oregon. The estimates of daily food and nutrition intake were made from previous responses to a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire used at the time as part of the Women's Health Initiative study. Additionally, "adherence to the 1990 dietary guidelines for Americans and the 1992 food guide pyramid, reflecting dietary recommendations at the time women entered the Women's Health Initiative, was estimated by the 1995 Healthy Eating Index scores adapted to this questionnaire."

According to the study, nuclear cataract was common in the sample with 29 percent (454 women) reporting the eye disease with a lens in at least one eye. Additionally, 282 women (16 percent) had reported cataract extractions in either eye. Overall, 736 women (41 percent) had either nuclear cataracts evident from lens photographs or reported having a cataract extracted. "Results from this study indicate that healthy diets, which reflect adherence to the U.S. dietary guidelines at the time of entry in the Women's Health Initiative study, are more strongly related to the lower occurrence of nuclear cataracts than any other modifiable risk factor or protective factor studied in this sample of women," the study states.

"In conclusion, this study adds to the body of literature suggesting that healthy diets are associated with lower risk for cataract," the authors write. "Lifestyle improvements that include healthy diets, smoking cessation, and avoiding obesity may substantively lower the need for and economic burden of cataract surgery in aging American women."

Choose Blue And Red For Better Sun protection

2010-06-19T14:45:00.000+01:00

Economy-minded consumers who want protection from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays — but rather not pay premium prices for sun-protective clothing — should think blue and red, rather than yellow. Scientists in Spain have reported that the same cotton fabric dyed deep blue or red provide greater UV protection than shades of yellow. Their study could lead to fabrics with better sun protection.

Continue reading about this research >>

Child Soldiers

2010-06-17T14:29:00.000+01:00

Today is International Day of the African Child - a day to commemorate the lives of the young boys and girls who were shot down whilst marching for their rights in Soweto in 1976, and a day to draw attention to the lives of African children today. Over the coming weeks local peacebuilder Henri Ladyi will launch a campaign on the rights of children - including the right to be children, not soldiers - in villages across eastern Congo. Just last month Henri negotiated the release of 30 child soldiers. 12-year-old Benjamin was one of them - he was nine when he first joined the militia.

Read Benjamin's story>>

Legionnaire's Disease

2010-06-16T10:34:00.000+01:00

A study published in the European Journal of Epidemiology (June 2010) suggests that using water for your windscreen wipers may not be a good idea, as it may encourage the bacteria responsible for Legionnaire's disease.

"Not adding screenwash to windscreen wiper fluid is a previously unidentified risk factor and appears to be strongly associated with community acquired sporadic cases of Legionnaires’ disease. We estimated that around 20% of community acquired sporadic cases could be attributed to this exposure. A simple recommendation to use screenwash may mitigate transmission of Legionella bacteria to drivers and passengers. "

You can have tips like this delivered to your email inbox every day - easy to subscribe and easy to unsubscribe if you go on holiday or don't want to receive them anymore.

The Dangers Of A Sun Tan

2010-06-02T08:21:00.001+01:00

There has been a lot of publicity about the danger of getting too much sun, but many people are hazy about what they need to do. Find out what the research is saying about the dangers of sun tanning and tanning beds.

Antacids And Bone Fractures

2010-06-01T09:20:00.000+01:00

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that there is a possible increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine if you take certain drugs for heartburn, acid reflux, or ulcers.

Read more about their advice here.

If you know someone who is taking antacids regularly, please pass this information on to them. Thanks.

Get a different health and happiness tip delivered to your inbox every day.

Older Vegetarians

2010-05-18T08:37:00.000+01:00

Many people think the typical vegetarian is a teenager or someone in their twenties, but the charity Vegetarian for Life has found that 22% of care homes in the UK have one or more vegetarian residents. they have lots of support and suggestions for catering for older vegetarians on their web site.

There are also tips on getting older positively, applicable whether or not you're vegetarian.

But do remember there are lots of health benefits in being vegetarian, and many of these become more and more evident as people age.

Special Offer On Ginger Tablets

2010-04-29T12:47:00.000+01:00

Ginger can help release gas from the digestive system, increasing general comfort and well-being.
A traditional herbal remedy long known for its effectiveness. Herbalists often use ginger to help colic and dyspepsia and maintain healthy joints. Recent research also suggests it may help headache sufferers (although unexplained headaches should always be investigated by a doctor).

We are currently offering a 20% discount on the RRP for this traditional, safe, effective product - give it a try.

The Dangers Of Sodas

2010-04-27T17:52:00.000+01:00

Here's another reason to kick the soda habit. New research published online in the FASEB Journal shows that high levels of phosphates may add more "pop" to sodas and processed foods than once thought. That's because researchers found that the high levels of phosphates accelerate signs of aging. High phosphate levels may also increase the prevalence and severity of age-related complications, such as chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular calcification, and can also induce severe muscle and skin atrophy.

Fat Genes

2010-04-09T10:46:00.000+01:00

You may have a family history of obesity, but it's not inevitable that you or your children will be obese:

Performance of an hour or more of physical activity per day by adolescents is associated with control of body weight even among those who are genetically predisposed to obesity, according to a report in the April 2010 issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

No Wonder people Are Getting Fatter

2010-04-06T10:20:00.000+01:00

An increase in childhood obesity reflects increased intake of oils, meat, cheese, and frozen desserts, according to a new PCRM study that will be published next month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Neal Barnard, M.D., looked at food availability data maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1909 to 2007. Oil intake increased from 35 pounds to more than 86 pounds per person per year. Meat intake rose from 123 pounds to more than 200 pounds per person per year (with a greater than six fold increase in chicken and turkey intake alone). In 2007, Americans also ate nine times more cheese and 16 times more frozen desserts than they did in 1909. Since 1970 (no prior data available), sweetener consumption doubled, mostly from carbonated beverages. Other long-term trends include decreased grain consumption, decreased fluid milk consumption, and increased fruit (mostly juices) and vegetable intake.

Beware Of Cooking Fumes

2010-04-01T11:34:00.000+01:00

If you’re worried about cooking fumes – and research suggests you perhaps should be – an electric stove may be a better choice, researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology have found.

The research in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, showed that frying beefsteak on a gas stovetop instead of an electric stovetop resulted in increased exposure to chemicals such as napthalene and mutagenic aldehydes, which may be a risk factor in lung cancer.

Frying also increases exposure to ultrafine particles, which are more readily absorbed by the lungs. While exposure to these substances was “considerably higher” when cooking with gas compared to electricity, the researchers, Ann Kristin Sjaastad, Rikke Bramming Jørgensen and Kristin Svendsen, suggest that all “exposure to cooking fumes should be reduced as much as possible.”

Comfort When You're Grieving

2010-03-29T10:34:00.000+01:00

Receiving soothing massages for eight weeks after the death of a loved one can provide much-needed consolation during an intense, stressful period of grieving, according to a study in the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

Read more about the research>>

Learn more about foot massage>>

Why say no to botulinum treatments?

2010-03-26T12:38:00.000Z

Here's some information from FRAME

FRAME is deeply concerned about the use of botulinum toxin (like botox) for cosmetic purposes, and the apparent indifference by its users to the intense animal suffering its production causes. There is no excuse for animals being subjected to painful and distressing procedures for the sake of human vanity.

The toxin is produced by bacteria, but, since it its strength varies, each new batch has to be tested separately, to determine its potency and its toxicity. It is tested on mice, which are dosed until they are paralysed and half of them die. There is currently no accepted non-animal, test to protect the safety of people receiving the treatment although there is a more humane one that ends when the mouse’s body goes limp, rather than full paralysis.

There are important medical reasons for the use of botulinum toxin such as treating squints and some forms of cerebral palsy, so some needs to be produced for those
reasons. UK law prevents animal tests on cosmetic products but botulinum procedures are invasive and performed by a doctor, so they are classed as surgery and the toxin is tested as a medicine.

FRAME believes batches of botulinum toxin should be tested according to the purpose for which they will be used so that those intended for cosmetic use cannot be tested
on animals. All trivial, non-medical uses of botulinum toxin should be stopped until it can be tested by humane methods.

Plastic Water Bottles

2010-03-23T10:55:00.000Z

Mineral water in plastic bottles is very convenient, but it does have possible health implications?

A study by Martin Wagner and Jörg Oehlmann1in in Environmental Science and Pollution Research (Volume 16, Number 3 / May, 2009) found "a widespread contamination of mineral water with xenoestrogens that partly originates from compounds leaching from the plastic packaging material." This is of real concern because xenoestrogens mimic estrogen, a major female hormone.It has been suggested that xenostrogens can cause fertility problems (particularly a reduction in the number and motility of sperm), increased breast cancer growth, endometriosis and adenomyosis (ectopic glandular tissue in muscle).

Many people re-use plastic water bottles and this should definitely be avoided.

Buy Cheap Vitamin B Complex

2010-03-22T11:02:00.000Z

The vitamin B complex is vital to health and many people are deficient in these powerful water-soluble vitamins. We can't store them in our bodies and so need a regular intake.

If you're deficient in the vitamin B complex you may suffer from asthma, eczema, irritability, headaches, mood swings, PMS and much more.

We're currently offering a 25% discount on our B complex supplement - get it while you can. It's high quality made in the UK where high qulaity control stanards apply.

50 mg of each of the main B vitamins - enough to be of real beenfit. many B vitamin supplements are a waste of money because they have so little of the vitamins in them.

Buy cheap but buy good:
http://www.healthandgoodness.com/catalog/product/vitamin-b-complex.html

Doctors Link With Pharmaceutical Companies

2010-03-20T15:26:00.000Z

Yet more evidence from the illustrious British Medical Journal about how the activities of pharmaceutical companies needs to be clearly monitored.

Read some other information I have gathered on our need to police the medical and pharmaceutical industries more carefully.

Finding Love

2010-03-18T11:21:00.000Z

Sitting around waiting for others to love you first so that you can love yourself is faulty thinking. It needs to be the other way around. How can you possibly expect someone else to love you if there is no love for the self. Ask yourself how much time you spend searching for love outside yourself and how much time you put into loving yourself first.

Read more of this article>>

Preventing Breast Cancer

2010-03-17T08:52:00.000Z

Consumption of soya, fruits, and vegetables helps reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Postmenopausal women who consumed plenty of soy, fruits, and vegetables had a 30 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer, compared with those who consumed relatively little of these foods. The research was based on 34,028 women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study. The longer the women had consumed these healthful foods, the less chance they had of developing breast cancer.
(Butler LM, Wu AH, Wang R, Koh WP, Yuan JM, Yu MC. A vegetable-fruit-soy dietary pattern protects against breast cancer among postmenopausal Singapore Chinese women. Am J Clin Nutr. Published ahead of print February 24, 2010. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28572.)

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

Exercise And HIV

2010-03-16T10:52:00.000Z

Aerobic exercise is a safe and effective method of treating symptoms commonly associated with taking HIV medications, such as fatigue, shortness of the breathe, weight gain and changes in body composition, according to a recent study led by Barbara Smith, Ph.D., professor of nursing at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Details of the study, conducted at Ohio State University in Columbus, appeared in a recent issue of the journal AIDS.

“We found that aerobic exercise, which has been proven effective in helping manage other chronic illnesses, is also effective in managing certain symptoms associated with HIV infection,” says Smith. “And, we found that someone with HIV can safely participate in an exercise program without compromising an already fragile immune system.”

The study, funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, enrolled 60 HIV-positive individuals over a course of three years. Half of the individuals were immediately assigned to an exercise program and exercised three times a week for 12 weeks, with each exercise session lasting at least 30 minutes. The other half of individuals did not exercise for the first 12 weeks, then participated in the same exercise program for the next 12-week period.

In particular, the study reports that participants showed significant increases in physical endurance. “This is important because increased endurance greatly reduces the difficulty of performing daily activities,” says Smith. “The less effort an individual expends to carry out an activity, the less likely they are to be fatigued.”

The study also reports significant reductions in body weight and changes in body composition. “Many of the participants were above their ideal body weight when they enrolled in the study,” says Smith. “Exercise effectively reduced not only their body weight, but their percentage of body fat, without participants making significant changes in their diets.”

Other researchers who collaborated are on the study are Robert Fass and Michael Para with the department of internal medicine at Ohio State University in Columbus; Judith Neidig with the departments of internal medicine, and adult health and illness at Ohio State University; Gladys Mitchell with the division of epidemiology and biostatistics at Ohio State University; and Jennie Nickel with the Ohio Department of Human Services in Columbus.

Overweight Dangers For Small Childen

2010-03-15T10:14:00.002Z

A study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers found that obese children as young as 3 years old have elevated levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation that in adults is considered an early warning sign for possible future heart disease.

“These findings were a surprise to us,” said lead author Asheley Cockrell Skinner, Ph.D., an assistant professor of pediatrics in the UNC School of Medicine. “We’re seeing a relationship between weight status and elevated inflammatory markers much earlier than we expected.”

“Most adults understand that being overweight or obese isn’t good for them,” Skinner said. “But not as many people realize that it may be unhealthy for young children to be overweight.”

It can be very difficult for parents to tell when their child is overweight, Skinner said. “Especially with younger children and smaller children, because they’re so short it only takes seven or eight pounds to change them from being a healthy weight to being overweight,” she said.

The study was published online March 1 2010 by the journal Pediatrics. Skinner and fellow Department of Pediatrics researchers Eliana Perrin, M.D., M.P.H., Michael Steiner, M.D. and Frederick Henderson, M.D. arrived at these findings after analyzing data collected as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2006.

It is important to make sure our children are active and eat healthily so that long-term health problems can be prevented.

Muscle Strength

2010-03-11T14:24:00.003Z

Even if you don't want to be a weight lifter, it is important to have good muscle strength for all those every day activities like walking upstairs, carrying shopping, gardening, playing sport, etc.

A lack of vitamin D has been firmly linked to reduced muscle strength. This is what the respected Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism has to say "Vitamin D insufficiency has now reached epidemic proportions and has been linked to increased body fat and decreased muscle strength." ( February 2010)

Vitamin D has all sorts of other benefits - studies have shown that supplementation can reduce the death rate by a whopping 7%.

Many respected medical and government agencies recommend vitamin D supplementation.

Read more about the wonderful benefits of vitamin D >>

Ovarian Cancer Survival

2010-03-08T11:26:00.000Z

Ovarian cancer has a relatively low survival rate, but research (March 2010 Journal of the American Dietetic Association) suggests women with this problem can increase their chances of surviving by adopting a more healthy diet:

High in fruit and vegetables
Low in meat
Healthy whole grains rather than white bread etc.

This is the diet we should all be following anyway. If you're not, focus on one of these three and make some healthy changes.

Check out our healthy vegetarian recipes here>>

Life Coaching – A modern therapy for modern times

2010-03-04T08:41:00.000Z

Modern life is hectic. People are expected to juggle a family, career, social life and lead a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes this all just gets to much, and life seems to be stuck in fast forward.

Life coaching is a modern therapy to help deal with the stresses and strains of modern day life. Life Coaching is different from most therapies as it can help with a wide variety of issues and problems you may be suffering from. It can help with things such as relationships, confidence to money management and spirituality.

Just by talking to you as an individual a Life Coach can help you overcome many issues that may be effecting you. The coach can support and encourage you to fulfil your potential so you can make the most of your life, by empowering you to take control of your life. Life Coaching works by exploring your beliefs, attitudes and values, the Life Coach then helps you work out what you want from life and helps you make a plan to get there.

Because Life Coaching is still a relatively new therapy in the UK it is hard to find a professional Life Coach. This is why Life Coach Directory was made. The site is a network of UK based fully insured and qualified Life Coaches. You can find one near you by searching by postcode town or county.

Pain Relief And Hearing Loss

2010-03-02T14:38:00.000Z

In a study published in the March 2010 issue of The American Journal of Medicine, researchers determined that regular use of aspirin, acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increases the risk of hearing loss in men, particularly in younger men, below age 60.

Read more about this>>

Check out our natural pain relief remedies>>

Free health and happiness tip delivered to your email inbox

2010-03-02T11:00:00.000Z

Get a different health and happiness tip delivered to your email inbox every day - easy to subscribe and each email comes with a link to unsubscribe (in case you change your mind). Information, reminders about things you already know, inspiring quotes. Find out more>>

Recent tips include:

Exercise While Cleaning Your Teeth
Stand on one leg while you clean your teeth in the morning. Stand on the other leg in the evening. This will strengthen your hamstring muscles and is good for balance.

Child’s Safety Seats
A child safety seat for children up to the age of 6 reduces the risk of death in a car accident by 28%. Archives of Paediatric & Adolescent Medicine 2006; 160: 617-21

Tea, Coffee And Minerals
Drinking tea and coffee interferes with the body's ability to absorb a whole range of minerals.Calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, selenium, chromium and iodine are just some of the minerals that are affected. These are all minerals that are vital to health, and studies show that many people have marginal intake of some of these, such as iron and zinc. So, if you're concerned about your mineral levels, cut back on tea and coffee, or at least drink it away from meals. And remember, if you're taking supplements containing minerals, don't wash them down with a cup of tea or coffee!

Money
“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.”
Will Rogers

Sign up here:
http://www.healthandgoodness.com/subscribe_tips.php

Crohn's Disease And Vitamin D

2010-03-01T10:46:00.002Z

A new study has found that Vitamin D, readily available in supplements, can counter the effects of Crohn’s disease. John White, an endocrinologist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, led a team of scientists from McGill University and the Université de Montréal who present their findings about the inflammatory bowel disease in the latest Journal of Biological Chemistry.

“Our data suggests, for the first time, that Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to Crohn’s disease,” says Dr. White, a professor in McGill’s Department of Physiology, noting that people from northern countries, which receive less sunlight that is necessary for the fabrication of Vitamin D by the human body, are particularly vulnerable to Crohn’s disease.

Buy a high quality Vitamin D suppldement>>

Hypnosis And Cancer Care

2010-02-27T16:42:00.002Z

Professor Lisa D. Butler of the University at Buffalo School of Social Work has said: "although hypnosis is not at present standard practice for treating a wide range of symptoms that trouble cancer patients, it is worth examining that potential," .... "Together, these findings (a study on hypnosis and breast cancer) suggest that there may be a number of benefits to the use of hypnosis in cancer care including, but not necessarily limited to, its more traditional application for pain control."

Read more about the research here>>

Read more about hypnotherapy and hypnosis here>>

Carbonated Drinks And Cancer

2010-02-26T09:23:00.002Z

Consuming two or more soft drinks (carbonated sugar-sweetened beverages) per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold compared to individuals who did not consume soft drinks, according to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Although relatively rare, pancreatic cancer remains one of the most deadly, and only 5 percent of people who are diagnosed are alive five years later.

Lose Weight Before Pregnancy

2010-02-26T08:42:00.000Z

An article published in the journal Nursing for Women's Health finds that obesity in pregnant women is associated with pregnancy complications, birth defects, as well as a greater risk of childhood and adult obesity in infants born to obese mothers.

Read more about this research>>

Try our weight loss rmedies>>

Post- menopausal women and strokes

2010-02-25T14:26:00.000Z

Post-menopausal women who reported consuming the most daily dietary fat had a 40 percent higher incidence of clot-caused strokes compared to women who ate the least amount, according to research from the University of North Carolina presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2010.

The incidence of ischemic stroke also increased by 30 percent in the quartile of women consuming the highest daily amount of trans fat (average intake 7 grams per day) compared to those who consumed the least (average 1 gram/day). Two common sources of trans fat are processed foods and fried foods.

Ischemic strokes are caused by blockages in blood vessels in or leading to the brain.

Read more about this report >>

Learn more about the different types of fats >>

Happiness And Heart Disease

2010-02-19T11:02:00.001Z

A report of a really interesting 10 year study on the relationship between positive emotions and a reduction in heart disease.

People who are usually happy, enthusiastic and content are less likely to develop heart disease than those who tend not to be happy
Read more >>

If you find it difficult to be happy, try the Indigo Essence Happy - even though the essences are aimed at children, many adults find them beneficial too.

Women In Business

2010-02-17T09:09:00.001Z

If, like me, you are a woman who owns her own business, take this interesting business quiz - it will make you think.

Smoking Outdoors Away From The Family

2010-02-10T11:03:00.000Z

Smoking outside (and away from other family members) is better than smoking indoors but nicotine residues will stick to a smoker's skin and clothing. Those residues follow a smoker back inside and get spread everywhere. The biggest risk is to young children. Dermal uptake of the nicotine through a child's skin is likely to occur when the smoker returns and if nitrous acid is in the air, which it usually is, then TSNAs (carcinogenic tobacco-specific nitrosamines) will be formed.
Learn more >>

Animal Experiments - Are They Really Necessary?

2010-02-09T15:11:00.000Z

Far too many animals are still being used in pointless experiments based on entrenched and old fashioned approaches. That is the view of FRAME, the Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments.

In spite of developments in many areas of research that could lead to the use of fewer animals, the numbers published by the Home Office continue to rise each year.

FRAME chairman, Prof. Michael Balls, says: “It is shameful that the number of procedures conducted in the UK in 2008 was higher than that in 1987, when the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 came into force.”

In the latest edition of the charity’s scientific journal ATLA (Alternatives to Laboratory Animals), he reviews articles from the charity’s 40th anniversary year in 2009 and cites authors who discussed concepts that would help reduce animal use, such as “changing the mindset”, “a clinical trial in a test tube”, “avoiding drug development mistakes early”, and “the best model for humans is human”.

He warns that continued resistance to change and insistence on using traditional animal models is preventing more-relevant, more-humane tests from gaining acceptance.

“The failure of the scientific community in general to improve the quality of the science through better experimental design and statistical analysis, whilst at the same time contributing to a steady and continuing fall in the numbers of procedures on laboratory animals, continues to be very disappointing.“

The full article can be read here: http://bit.ly/agTHZu

2010-02-08T15:15:00.001Z

Bad gum health has been linked to heart disease. Diabetics who are insulin dependent often improve if they get their gingivitis under control. Bleeding gums can be sore and painful, and can damage your long term health.

Eating grapefruit can help fight gum disease. In a study 58 people with gum disease ate 2 grapefruit a day for a fortnight and showed significantly less bleeding.

Try our powerful herbal mouthwash - it was recommended for treating gingivitis(gum disease by Dr Kellner-Read (dentist and author of Toxic Bite)in the May 2009 issue of Natural Health & Wellbeing. (It's on special offer at the moment with a 15% saving.)

Probiotics For IBS, Crohn's Disease And More

2010-02-03T14:50:00.000Z

We have now added a 80 capsule size of our diarrhoea probiotics - great for people who need to take them long term. The recommended dose is:

    * For diarrhoea, take 1 or 2 capsules depending on severity of symptoms, and up to 4 capsules per day, or as professionally directed.
    * For Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), take 1 capsule twice a day.
    * For Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) eg. Ulcerative Colitis, Diverticulitis, Crohn's Disease, take 3 capsules a day.
    * For recurrent Clostridium difficile infection, take 2 capsules twice a day.
    * For Candida Overgrowth, take 3 capsules twice a day.

Why Give Up Smoking?

2010-02-01T09:45:00.000Z

Beating the addiction to smoking will bring you a multitude of benefits. Not only will you lower your risk of getting various cancers, including lung cancer, you’ll also reduce your chances of suffering from heart disease,
stroke, emphysema, and other serious diseases. Also, stopping will help prevent heart disease and lung cancer in people who are subjected to your second-hand smoke.

Although there are benefits to quitting at any age, it is important to quit as early in life as possible to avoid getting one of these serious illnesses caused by smoking. Keep in mind that

smoking kills 1,200 people every day in the United States.
if you do not quit smoking, you have a one out of two chance of dying of a smoking-related disease.

Some people who smoke say things like “You have to die of something” or “When you’re time is up, your time is up” in order to justify continuing to think. They convince themselves that one day they are happy and well, then suddenly they are dead, but dying from a smoking-related disease is rarely like this – it is much more likely to be a slow and painful process – distressing for the smokers and for those who love him/her.

Nutrition And The Immune System

2010-01-28T13:57:00.000Z

A realy interesting article about how the body compensates when food is short -

Prof. Michael Hoch from the LIMES Institute who carried out the study explain: "What is fascinating about this is that a function of the immune system directly depends on how much and what we eat." In situations of hunger which mean stress for the body cells, the body releases antimicrobial peptides as a precaution in order to protect itself. The professor said: "The barrier between body and outside world is apparently fortified in a potentially dangerous situation in which we have too little energy."

Our bodies are so clever and work for us .. it's easy to see your body as the enemy when you are ill or tired, but in reality it is doing its best in often difficult circumstances.

Let's Give Parents More Information

2010-01-27T14:53:00.000Z

Most parents want to make the right chocies for their children's health and wee-being. In a new study from the Seattle Children's the amount of calories selected by parents for their child’s hypothetical meal at McDonald’s restaurants were reduced by an average of over 100 calories when the menus clearly showed the calories for each item.

At a pediatric practice in Seattle, 99 parents of 3- to 6-year-olds who sometimes eat in fast food restaurants with their children were surveyed about their fast food dining habits. They were presented with sample McDonald’s restaurant menus which included current prices and pictures of items, and asked what they would select for themselves and also for their children as a typical meal. Half of the parents were given menus that also clearly showed calorie information for each item. Choices included most of the items sold at McDonald’s, including a variety of burgers, sandwiches, salads, dressings, side items, beverages, desserts and children’s “Happy Meals.” Parents who were given the calorie information chose 102 fewer calories on average for their children, compared with the group who did not have access to calorie information on their menus. This reflects a calorie reduction of approximately 20%.

Sadly knowing calorie content didn't influence parents' chocies for their own meals.

How To Resist That Cake Or Cookie

2010-01-27T11:39:00.000Z

Many people's best intentions come undone in the face of cake or chocolate or Pringles or a cookie. Research suggests that one way of dealing with this is to exaggerate the threat.

According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research Authors Ying Zhang, Szu-Chi Huang and Susan M. Broniarczyk (all University of Texas at Austin), your ability to resist that tempting cookie depends on how a big a threat you perceive it to be. “Four experiments show that when consumers encounter temptations that conflict with their long-term goals, one self-control mechanism is to exaggerate the negativity of the temptation as a way to resist, a process we call counteractive construal,” the researchers write.

If you wnat to resist temptation repeatedly exaggerate the powerof that food to your health and well-being. For example, exaggerate in your mind the amount of calries in it or the amount of transfats or salt or the effect it will have on your hips or your skin. Doing this could just help you resist temptation next time and the next time.

Mid Life Crisis

2010-01-26T11:01:00.000Z

Four tips to avoid a mid-life crisis from Professor Carlo Strenger of Tel Aviv University's Department of Psychology

"First, and most important," Prof. Strenger suggests, "invest some sincere thought in the fact that you have more high-quality adult years ahead of you than behind you. Realize what that means in planning for the future."

Second, he says, think about what you've learned about yourself so far. Consider what you've found to be your strongest abilities and about the things that most please you, not what your parents or society expected of you when you were young.

Read the rest here >>

2010-01-25T14:59:00.000Z

I really like these new year resolutions from the Keefe Clinic newsletter:

TAKE MORE WALKS. If you haven't taken a walk for awhile, go for a 15-minute stroll during a work break or after dinner; we bet you'll immediately feel more refreshed and less stressed about the world. The simple act of walking - away from the relative confines of your office or home - allows you to enjoy nature and exercise all at once.

WATCH LESS TV. We're not suggesting you eliminate TV altogether, particularly if it's news- or education-based, but a few less hours a week of reality TV and late-night B movies wouldn't hurt. Substantial evidence links TV viewing to negative health outcomes, not the least of which is obesity. So turn off the boob tube now and then.

TRY NEW FOODS. Most adults are fairly locked in to their food preferences, which can be dangerous on several levels: If your preferences aren't healthy ones, you're in trouble; and if you don't mix things up occasionally, you risk getting bored. The solution? Try at least one new food a week, preferably the healthy variety.

MAKE TIME TO PLAY. Games, that is; games with your kids, your significant other or yourself that keep your mind sharp and take you away from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind. Whether it's a board game, a crossword puzzle or even a sport that keeps you on your toes (literally and figuratively), make more time to play.

SPOIL YOURSELF. Your last New Year's resolution is perhaps the most important one, because you can't be healthy, at least not over the long haul, if you don't spoil yourself occasionally. Schedule a vacation, plan a date night, or just commit to taking an hour or so at least once a week and relaxing all by yourself. You're worth it.

Supplements For The Over 50's

2010-01-22T11:23:00.000Z

Many people in their 50's and olders take normal supplements that everyone esle takes. We don't encourage that and on our site have a special Multivit for the over 50's.

Recent research suggests that if you're over 50 and want to take a multivit, you need one tailored to your age:

With scientific evidence linking high levels of copper and iron to Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and other age-related disorders, a new report in ACS’ Chemical Research in Toxicology: “Risks of Copper and Iron Toxicity during Aging in Humans” suggests specific steps that older consumers can take to avoid build up of unhealthy amounts of these metals in their bodies. “This story of copper and iron toxicity, which I think is reaching the level of public health significance, is virtually unknown to the general medical community, to say nothing of complete unawareness of the public,” George J. Brewer states in the report.

The article points out that copper and iron are essential nutrients for life, with high levels actually beneficial to the reproductive health of younger people. After age 50, however, high levels of these metals can damage cells in ways that may contribute to a range of age-related diseases.

“It seems clear that large segments of the population are at risk for toxicities from free copper and free iron, and to me, it seems clear that preventive steps should begin now.” The article details those steps for people over age 50, including avoiding vitamin and mineral pills that contain cooper and iron; lowering meat intake: avoiding drinking water from copper pipes; donating blood regularly to reduce iron levels; and taking zinc supplements to lower copper levels.

Diabetes And Glucose Levels

2010-01-21T14:30:00.000Z

Diabetics may soon be able to wear contact lenses that continuously alert them to variations in their glucose levels by changing colours – replacing the need to routinely draw blood throughout the day.

The non-invasive technology, developed by Chemical and Biochemical Engineering professor Jin Zhang at The University of Western Ontario, uses extremely small nanoparticles embedded into the hydrogel lenses. These engineered nanoparticles react with glucose molecules found in tears, causing a chemical reaction that changes their colour.

Zhang received $216,342 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) this morning to further develop technologies using multifunctional nanocomposites.

These technologies have vast potential applications beyond biomedical devices, including for food packaging. For example, nanocomposite films can prevent food spoilage by preventing oxygen, carbon dioxide and moisture from reaching fresh meats and other foods, or by measuring pathogenic contamination; others can make packaging increasingly biodegradable.

Overall, Western was awarded $2,659,595 for 12 projects from the CFI’s Leaders Opportunity Fund today.

More information >>

Another Reason To eat Your Veggies

2010-01-20T08:36:00.000Z

Increased intakes of antioxidant-rich vegetables may reduce the risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma by about 30 per cent, says a new study.

Increased dietary intakes of specific antioxidant nutrients, like vitamin C, alpha-carotene, and proanthocyanidins were also individually associated with significant reductions in risks for the cancer, according to results published from the Iowa Women's Health Study in the International Journal of Cancer. Read more >>

If you can't bear to eat your veggies, taking a good quality antioxidant supplement may help. If you wnat some more ideas for veggie recipes check out our free vegetarian and vegan recipes.

A Healthy Vegetarian Diet

2010-01-19T11:59:00.000Z

The UK Vegetarian Society has put together a week's healthy eating plan with detailed recipes. You can do the whole week or just try what you fancy. Read more >>

Vaccination Results Are Not All Beneficial

2010-01-15T11:21:00.001Z

The discussion on the benefits or otherwise of vaccination can get heated, so this study from the UC Davis researchers is particuarly interesting:

A comprehensive US national study has found that the introduction of an early childhood vaccine for bacterial pneumonia nearly a decade ago has decreased the incidence of pneumonia, but the drop was accompanied by a dramatic increase in the incidence of a serious and sometimes life-threatening complication.

The researchers conjecture that the doubling of the incidence of the complication, which causes pockets of purulence, or pus, around the lungs, may partly be the result of the vaccine eliminating certain types of pneumococcus, creating the opportunity for other bacteria to take its place.

Despite a 50 percent drop in hospitalizations from pneumonia due to pneumococcus since the introduction of the vaccine in 2000, and an overall decrease in all bacterial pneumonias, the empyema rate jumped 70 percent.

Homeopathy And The Placebo Effect

2010-01-10T19:46:00.000Z

There's a lot of negative publicity around for homeopathy at the moment, which I find really sad. I know from my own experience and from bringing up 2 boys just how effective homeopathy can be.

There's a web site called Homeopathy Heals which has been established to put forward positive information on homeopathy. I particularly like this article about a afremer and his experiencing of using homeopathy for his herd of cows. Difficult to see how this is down to the placebo effect.

Buy Clothes And Donate Money To Charity

2010-01-10T09:32:00.000Z

Many of us like to buy new clothes but we also care about the world and other people. Oxfam's second hand store is a great place to buy new clothes while supporting a very worth while cause. They've got vintage stuff, quirky stuff, very cheap clothes and they've also got lots of new clothes.

You can search by condition. For new clothes there are several options:

New
BNWOT – brand new without tags
BNWT – brand new with tags
Factory seconds

Under "condition" you have to keep expanding it to see all the options.

This is particularly true for women’s clothes but also for men’s. I bought one of my grown-up sons a sleep bundle (new and donated by Marks and Spencers):

One pair crisp checked cotton short with drawstring waistband and side slit pockets
Two pairs stretchy cotton shorts with drawstring waist, one dark blue, one grey,
One white t shirt top with three button front
One multi stripe t shirt
One plain white t shirt.

Great value for £19.99, particularly for M&S quality.

I also bought myself a Nike top - not brand new but excellent condition - great for my spinning class at the gym - a beautiful lime (my favourite colour) blouse, two really nice skirts. I had a really great shopping spree.

You can also search by brand and by size.

You’d need to keep a regular eye on it to see good things but a nice way to donate to Oxfam!

They don't charge postage, although they encourage you to make a donation. You can also return things you don't like. Do have a look and see if there is anything you want to buy.

Exercise Goals For A Fitter You

2010-01-06T12:15:00.000Z

Is your goal to be fitter and healthier this year? Then use these tips to help you on your way:

Make a goal with a friend to achieve the new Physical Activity Guidelines! Visit CDC's Physical Activity for Everyone for details.

Regular physical helps with weight control, reduces the risk for many diseases, and strengthens muscles, bones and joints.

Sign up for a 5K walk or run to keep your mind focused on physical activity goals.

Find fun, creative ways your friends and family can spend time being active instead of eating.

No Matter How Old You Are - Give Up Smoking

2010-01-02T11:33:00.000Z

Just in time for New Year's resolutions, a UCLA study finds that even after age 80, smoking continues to increase one's risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in Americans over 65.

The American Journal of Ophthalmology publishes the findings in its January edition.

"The take-home message is that it's never too late to quit smoking," said lead author Dr. Anne Coleman, professor of ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA. "We found that even older people's eyes will benefit from kicking the habit."

Read more>>

Surviving Christmas

2009-12-22T15:02:00.002Z

Many people find Christmas stressful and a time for arguments and unhappiness. Peace Direct, a great charity that worksto promote peace throughout the world, has put together a Christmas survival guide.

Keep The Calories Under Control!

2009-12-21T15:15:00.000Z

Family, fun…and FOOD! It's what the holidays are all about, right? But that doesn't mean you have to pack on the holiday pounds. Start the New Year — and the New You — off right by balancing the calories you consume with the calories you burn, and avoid any holiday weight gain. Here are some ways to help jump start your New Year's resolutions:

Take the Extra Calories Out of Cooking!

•   If you're heading out to a party — holiday, birthday or any sort — eat a light, healthy snack before you go. Broth-based soups, cereal with skim milk, or just plain fruit are all good options! This will help curb your hunger and decrease your visits to the buffet table.
•   Modify recipes to reduce the amount of fat and calories. For example, when making lasagna, use part-skim ricotta cheese instead of whole-milk ricotta cheese. Substitute shredded vegetables, such as carrots, zucchini, and spinach for some of the ground meat in lasagna.
•   Bring a low-fat, holiday dish to the party. Need some suggestions? Visit CDC's Healthy Recipes for details.
•   When eating or snacking in front of the TV, put the amount that you plan to eat into a bowl or container instead of eating straight from the package. It's easy to overeat when your attention is focused on something else.

Gum Disease and Diabetes

2009-12-16T12:40:00.000Z

i've written before about the link between gum disease and heart disease, but studies are also showing a link with diabetes.

Using guidelines established by the American Diabetes Association, new research determined that 93 percent of subjects who had periodontal disease, compared to 63 percent of those without the disease, were considered to be at high risk for diabetes and should be screened for diabetes.

My hygienist tells me that if you improve gum health in diabetic patients they find it easier to manage their diabetes.

Check out our gum disease remedies.

Food Advertising And Children

2009-12-15T11:08:00.000Z

An interesting new study from the University of Arizona. I think the press release is worth quotingat length:

A report authored by UA communication professor Dale Kunkel says children are still bombarded with television ads for unhealthy food choices.

A new study released Monday in Washington, D.C., criticizes the nation's food and beverage industry for failing to shift their marketing efforts aimed at children. The report said television advertising continues to contribute to epidemic levels of obesity, despite industry promises of reform.

Children Now, a California-based public policy group that advocates for children, commissioned the study, conducted by Dale Kunkel, a professor of communication at the University of Arizona, and UA graduate students Christopher McKinley and Paul Wright. The study can be seen on the Children Now Web site.

The study – "The Impact of Industry Self-Regulation on the Nutritional Quality of Foods Advertised on Television to Children" – analyzes the impact of the 2007 Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative. It is the first ever independent, comprehensive evaluation of industry self-regulation on advertising food to children. Kunkel also will present his findings on Tuesday at a Federal Trade Commission hearing in Washington.

The industry initiative was launched three years ago by the U.S. Council of Better Business Bureaus as a voluntary, self-regulatory program designed to shift the mix of advertising messages targeting children. The goal of the initiative is to significantly improve the nutritional quality of food and drink advertised to children.

More than a dozen of the nation's largest food and beverage companies signed on. Together they represent about two-thirds of that industry's advertising budget.

However, Kunkel's study concludes that the industry has failed to meet the principal recommendations from a 2006 Institute of Medicine report to shift marketing away from foods low in nutritional quality and to emphasize advertising strategies promoting healthier food, beverage and meal options.

"My colleague, Dr. Dale Kunkel, and his collaborators at the University of Arizona have demonstrated that advertising of low-nutrient high-density foods continues to be a significant preventable variable in the childhood obesity epidemic," said former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona, now the distinguished professor of public health at the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

"This new scientific information should be a renewed ‘wake up' call to all elected officials, teachers and parents to take appropriate action to prevent childhood obesity and in doing so improve the quality of life and reduce the cost of care for our children," Carmona said.

Kunkel, who has researched children and media issues for 25 years, served on the Institute of Medicine/National Academy of Sciences committee that issued the report concluding that food marketing is a significant contributor to childhood obesity.

The study's key finding is that, despite industry self-regulation, nearly three out of four, 72.5 percent, of the foods advertised on television to children are for products in the poorest nutritional category. Known as "Whoa" foods, these products should be consumed only on special occasions, such as birthdays, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Advertising for truly healthy foods such as vegetables and fruits, known as "Go" foods, is virtually invisible. Commercials for these foods account for only one percent of all food advertising to children.

Kunkel said that in 2005, before the initiative began, 84 percent of ads were for products with the poorest nutrition, based on criteria from the Department of Health and Human Services Go-Slow-Whoa food rating system.

"Four years later, under self-regulation, they have only moved the bar to 72.5 percent," Kunkel said. "We cannot win the battle against childhood obesity as long as we continue to allow industry to bombard children with ads for foods that they really shouldn't eat very often."

Kunkel said it would require watching 10 hours of children's programs to find one healthy food ad. That same amount of viewing time would contain 55 ads for "Whoa" foods, and 20 for "Slow" foods.

The study also criticizes the use of familiar, "licensed" characters to influence children's decisions. While the food industry claims that licensed characters are only used to promote healthy foods to children, Kunkel's research has found that nearly half, 49 percent, of all food ads with licensed characters, such as Spongebob Squarepants, promote foods in the poorest nutritional category.

Because of the failure of industry self-regulation, the report recommends that Congress should step in to regulate advertising to children, a step also advocated by the Institute of Medicine.

Caffeine Does Not Sober You Up

2009-12-15T10:52:00.000Z

At this time of the year people tend to drink a lot more alcohol and often use coffee to sober themselves up. Resarch has now shown that it doesn't work.

According to new laboratory research. Instead, a cup of coffee may make it harder for people to realize they're drunk.

What's more, popular caffeinated "alcohol-energy" drinks don't neutralize alcohol intoxication, suggest the findings from a mouse study reported in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience, which is published by the American Psychological Association. Read more>>

Alcohol And Breast Cancer

2009-12-14T10:50:00.003Z

Moderate to heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages (at least three to four drinks per week) is associated with a 1.3-fold increased risk of breast cancer recurrence. Women who are post-menopausal or overweight may be most susceptible to the effects of alcohol on recurrence. Drinking less than three drinks per week was not associated with an increased risk.

Read more>>

Soya And Breast Cancer

2009-12-10T11:54:00.000Z

Soy consumption improves breast cancer survival, according to a report in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers found that women diagnosed with breast cancer who consume soy products, such as soymilk, tofu, or edamame, have a 32 percent lower risk of recurrence and a 29 percent decreased risk of death, compared with women who consume little or no soy. The report included 5,042 women in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study, the largest population-based study of breast cancer survival, and followed them for a four-year period.

In the past, soy has been a controversial topic for cancer patients. However, an editorial accompanying this new study suggests that inconsistencies in prior research may be attributable to the comparatively low soy consumption in the United States, making beneficial effects harder to identify. In China, soy intake is higher and diets tend to include traditional food sources of soy, rather than soy supplements.

Shu XO, Zheng Y, Cai H, et al. Soy food intake and breast cancer survival. JAMA. 2009;302:2437-2443.
Ballard-Barbash R, Neuhouser ML. Challenges in design and interpretation of observational research on health behaviors and cancer survival. JAMA. 2009;302:2483-2484.

Source www.pcrm.org/.

Don't expose your children to your smoking

2009-12-10T10:41:00.000Z

Children exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke have an increased risk of developing lung cancer in adulthood, even if they never smoked.

Results of this study are published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, as part of a special tobacco focus in the December issue.

This year alone, more than 219,000 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer; more than 159,000 will die from it and some of those may be people who have never smoked. Studies to date have shown that exposure to secondhand smoke in adulthood has detrimental health effects, but data are limited on one's risk of developing lung cancer when exposed as a child.

What makes this study different from previous research is that it was conducted in two independent cohorts and included a molecular analysis of gene variants of innate immunity - the mannose binding lection-2 gene, or MBL2 gene. The MBL2 gene is known to affect susceptibility to respiratory diseases.

Using the ongoing National Cancer Institute-Maryland Lung Cancer study (624 cases; 348 controls), Curtis C. Harris, M.D., chief of the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis at NCI, and colleagues collected information on secondhand smoke history among men and women. They used DNA for genotyping the MBL2 gene. Then, to compare, Harris, Ping Yang, M.D., Ph.D., professor of epidemiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and colleagues used results from a Mayo Clinic study (461 never smokers; 172 cases; 289 controls).

Harris and colleagues found an association between childhood exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke and increased risk of lung cancer in adulthood. Furthermore, MBL2 activity was associated with an even more increased risk among those who were exposed to secondhand smoke in childhood.

Based on the results of this study, Harris said "children should not be exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke due to the long-term health implications they can face in adulthood." He added that these results warrant further investigation in a larger study population.

Smoking ban has not increased secondhand smoke in homes

2009-12-03T14:26:00.000Z

A new study has shown that the introduction of smoke-free legislation has not led to an increase in children's exposure to secondhand smoke in their own homes.

Before the ban on smoking in public places, many people had voiced concerns that smokers would light up more frequently at home, putting children at an increased risk of the dangers of secondhand smoke.

But a new study in the journal BMC Public Health indicates that this has not been the case.

Researchers at Cardiff University measured the levels of cotinine - a substance formed from the breakdown of nicotine in cigarette smoke - in the saliva of 1,750 Welsh schoolchildren both before and after the ban.

Youngsters were also asked about their exposure to passive smoke.

Analysis revealed that the degree of exposure to secondhand smoke tended to be similar before and after the introduction of smoke-free legislation.

Dr Jo Holliday, from Cardiff University's School of Social Sciences, commented: "Concerns have been expressed regarding the potential displacement of smoking from public places into the home, affecting non-smokers and, in particular, children.

"We found that the smoke-free legislation in Wales did not increase secondhand smoke exposure in homes of children aged ten to 11. Nevertheless, the home did remain the main source of children's exposure."

Does smoking increase cancer risks?

Help With Fear Of Flying

2009-11-30T13:59:00.000Z

A visitor to my web site sent me this email:

I read your article on Fear of Flying. I have had a fear of flying since 5 years. I enjoyed flying and had no issue with it for the first 22 years of my life but since the past 4 years I am terrified of it. I get very anxious, scared, and very aware when there is even the slightest turbulence and cannot get my self to book flights. I have tried psychiatry and hypno therapy they did work when I went one way but on the flight back I was a wreck again.

I am keen to get over this phobia as it is hindering by life in more ways than one. I have been advised to try kinesiology and was wondering whether you had any suggestions or advise for me.

This was my reply:

I think kinesiology may well be able to help you. My other thought would be to try this self-help technique from kinesiology which really helps if you're stressed.

By the way we now have a travel health products section in our online shop.

Help The Planet By Eating More Veggie Meals

2009-11-28T13:51:00.000Z

Here's some interesting information from the UK Vegetarian Society:

According to the United Nations 18% of world global greenhouse gas emissions come from livestock production, whereas 13.5% comes from transport.
A typical diet requires up to 2.5 times the amount of land compared to a veggie diet and 5 times that of a vegan diet.
Estimates of the water required to produce a kilo of beef vary, from 13,000 litres right up to 100,000 litres. The water required to produce a kilo of wheat is somewhere between 1,000-2,000 litres.
By feeding grain and vegetables directly to people (rather than livestock) we can increase the amount of food available to everyone.
It has been estimated that eating a kilogram of beef represents roughly the same greenhouse emissions, per passenger, as flying 100 kilometers of a flight.

UK Banks And Cluster Bombs

2009-11-27T10:09:00.000Z

A report released by Cluster Munition Coalition members IKV Pax Christi (Netherlands) and Netwerk Vlaanderen (Belgium) has found that 138 financial institutions worldwide still provide over $20 billion to the producers of cluster bombs.

The report’s findings show that in the UK, 15 banks and financial institutions are investing in cluster bomb producers. Barclays, HSBC and the Royal Bank of Scotland, between them provide loans and investments to the tune of some £800 million. This means that some of the UK’s most prominent high street banks are providing some form of financial support to these shamefull and indiscriminate weapons.

So if you bank with Barcalys, HSBC or Royal Bank of Scotland email the chairman and ask them to change their policy. Better still bank with the Co-op Bank or its online sister Smile like we do, and tell the chairman why you've changed banks. You do have options to help change the world.

Can thinking of a loved one reduce your pain?

2009-11-24T13:07:00.000Z

Can the mere thought of your loved one reduce your pain? Yes, according to a study by University Of Claifornia psychologists that underscores the importance of social relationships and staying socially connected.

The study, which asked whether simply looking at a photograph of your significant other can reduce pain, involved 25 women, mostly UCLA students, who had boyfriends with whom they had been in a good relationship for more than six months.

The women received moderately painful heat stimuli to their forearms while they went through a number of different conditions. In one set of conditions, they viewed photographs of their boyfriend, a stranger and a chair.

"When the women were just looking at pictures of their partner, they actually reported less pain to the heat stimuli than when they were looking at pictures of an object or pictures of a stranger," said study co-author Naomi Eisenberger, assistant professor of psychology and director of UCLA's Social and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory. "Thus, the mere reminder of one's partner through a simple photograph was capable of reducing pain."

"This changes our notion of how social support influences people," she added. "Typically, we think that in order for social support to make us feel good, it has to be the kind of support that is very responsive to our emotional needs. Here, however, we are seeing that just a photo of one's significant other can have the same effect."

In another set of conditions, each woman held the hand of her boyfriend, the hand of a male stranger and a squeeze ball. The study found that when women were holding their boyfriends' hands, they reported less physical pain than when they were holding a stranger's hand or a ball while receiving the same amount of heat stimulation.

"This study demonstrates how much of an impact our social ties can have on our experience and fits with other work emphasizing the importance of social support for physical and mental health," Eisenberger said.

One practical piece of advice the authors give is that the next time you are going through a stressful or painful experience, if you cannot bring a loved one with you, a photo may do.

The study appears in the November 2009 issue of the journal Psychological Science.

Controlling What You Eat

2009-11-23T12:18:00.000Z

If you feel like you’re in a losing battle with a triple-chocolate cake, a “mental budget” can help, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

“There are some behaviors that consumers try to limit but have trouble doing so,” write authors Parthasarathy Krishnamurthy (University of Houston) and Sonja Prokopec (ESSEC Business School, France). “Even as one aims to curtail consumption of sugars and fat, one ends up consuming the tiramisu or the triplechocolate
cake. Such discrepancies between one’s goals and actual behaviors represent instances of self-control failure.”

About 70 million Americans are attempting to control their food intake. So, how do consumers rein in overeating? In weight-loss systems like Weight Watchers ®, each food is assigned a point value and members are encouraged to limit their total daily consumption to a pre-specified amount of points. The authors conducted several studies where they encouraged some participants to set mental budgets and compared them to people who did not set budgets. They examined their consumption of sweet treats.
They discovered several patterns.

First, having a mental budget alone was not sufficient. Participants also needed to have an active goal of not wanting to consume sweets. Second, the information about the products needed to match the units of the mental budgets. Third, mental budgets succeeded when consumers followed specific numerical recommendations, like the Weight Watchers® points.

“For those who wish to cut out those desserts, our research suggests some simple tips,” the authors write. “First, it is important to have a mental budget. At the very least, it allows you to keep track of how you are doing with respect to your goal. Second, make sure the budget works as a limit rather than a license for the consumption behavior. To do this, it is important to have an active goal of controlling the consumption.”

Parthasarathy Krishnamurthy and Sonja Prokopec. “Resisting That Triple-Chocolate Cake: Mental Budgets and Self-Control.” Journal of ConsumerResearch: June 2010. A preprint of this article (to be officially published onlinesoon) can be found at http://journals.uchicago.edu/jcr).

Can Magnesium Help Tinnitus?

2009-11-23T10:59:00.000Z

I recently received an email asking me this question. Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is an extremely annoying complaint. Although there doesn't seem to be any scientific studies showing that a magnesium supplement is beneficial for this problem, there is quite a bit of anecdotal evidence, so it may well be worth giving it a try.

It definitely won't be a quick cure, so you will need to take it for about 3 months to be certain whether or not it is helping. The magnesium supplement we sell is of a suitable strength and in a form that is well absorbed.

Supplements for urinary tract infection

2009-11-11T12:28:00.000Z

I rceently received this enquiry:

Can you tell me if you sell any supplements for urinary tract infections please.

This is my answer:

Yes, we do. Cranberry extract can be very good.This suplement has been shown to stop harmful bacteria attaching to the ballder wall, so helping the body get rid of them.

and

I’d also think about taking a probiotics formula designed to support your immune system. This particular product contains the strains thta have been shown to be beneficial for the immune system and also antioxidants that help strenthen the immune system. A great product!

Got a problem? Find a natural remedy solution

2009-11-10T13:03:00.000Z

We often put up with things, thinking nothing can be done about them, but often there are natural remedies - nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, flower remedies, soothing creams, etc. - that can help us feel a lot, lot better. The problem is how to find them. We've simplified the process with our natural remedy finder - there are now 59 different problems listed with details of the natural remedies that can help:

•   Acne
•   Ageing Support
•   Alcoholism Help
•   Angina Remedies
•   Anxiety Remedies
•   Arthritis Remedies
•   Asthma Remedies
•   Bloating Remedies
•   Blood Sugar Problems
•   Cancer Prevention
•   Catarrh Remedies
•   Cholesterol Problems
•   Cold Remedies
•   Colitis Help
•   Constant Tiredness
•   Constipation Remedies
•   Cough Remedies
•   Cravings Help
•   Cystitis Remedies
•   Depression Remedies
•   Dermatitis Remedies
•   Diarrhoea Remedies
•   Eczema Remedies
•   Exam Stress Help
•   Eye Problems
•   Flatulence Remedies
•   Gum Disease
•   Hair Loss In Women
•   Hay Fever Remedies
•   Headache Remedies
•   Heart Health
•   Indigestion Remedies
•   Insomnia Remedies
•   Irritable Bowel Syndrome Remedies
•   Memory Problems
•   Menopause Remedies
•   Migraine Remedies
•   Mood Swings
•   Mouth Ulcers
•   Oily Skin Remedies
•   Pain Remedies
•   Pregnancy Health
•   Premenstrual Syndrome Treatment
•   Psoriasis Remedies
•   Raynaud's Disease Remedies
•   Rheumatism Relief
•   Rheumatoid Arthritis Remedies
•   Scar Tissue
•   Shingles Remedies
•   Sinusitis Remedies
•   Smoking Help
•   Sore Throat Remedies
•   Stress Incontinence Remedies
•   Stress Remedies
•   Syndrome X
•   Urticaria Remedies
•   Varicose Veins Remedies
•   Water Retention Remedies
•   Weight Loss Help

Do take a look and find the right health remedies for you.

Can Christmas be sustainable?

2009-11-08T11:36:00.000Z

Can Christmas be sustainable? Tricky one. The average family will produce around one tonne of CO2 over the 12 days of Xmas. All that wrapping paper, twinkling lights, piles of food…
Difficult to make it wholly sustainable and still keep all the relatives happy.

But very possible to make it Greener – through smaller actions which really make a difference. Recycled wrapping paper, solar lights, food with low carbon footprints, and presents that promote sustainable lifestyles.

And then there are all the retrofit energy saving appliances that will lower your bills and reduce CO2 emissions.

Check out products to help at Nigel's Ecostore

International Therapist Listing Relaunched

2009-11-06T09:50:00.000Z

We have revamped and relaunched our international therapist listing. We have over 4000 therapists listed - practitioners of kinesiology, homeopathy, chiropractic, reiki, Bowen, herbalism and many more practicing in the UK, USA, Germany, France, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and lots of other countries.

You can search our therapy listing or, if you're a therapist you can sign up

We do not sell, exchange or give away your details. This is therapist listing exists because I know complementary and alternative therapies work and can make a big difference to people's lives.

Please pass this on to any therapists that you know - thanks

Eat Fast, Eat More, Gain Weight

2009-11-05T12:00:00.000Z

According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), eating a meal quickly, as compared to slowly, curtails the release of hormones in the gut that induce feelings of being full. The decreased release of these hormones, can often lead to overeating.

“Most of us have heard that eating fast can lead to food overconsumption and obesity, and in fact some observational studies have supported this notion,” said Alexander Kokkinos, MD, PhD, of Laiko General Hospital in Athens Greece and lead author of the study. “Our study provides a possible explanation for the relationship between speed eating and overeating by showing that the rate at which someone eats may impact the release of gut hormones that signal the brain to stop eating.”

In the last few years, research regarding gut hormones, such as peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), has shown that their release after a meal acts on the brain and induces satiety and meal termination. Until now, concentrations of appetite-regulating hormones have not been examined in the context of different rates of eating.

In this study, subjects consumed the same test meal, 300ml of ice-cream, at different rates. Researchers took blood samples for the measurement of glucose, insulin, plasma lipids and gut hormones before the meal and at 30 minute intervals after the beginning of eating, until the end of the session, 210 minutes later. Researchers found that subjects who took the full 30 minutes to finish the ice cream had higher concentrations of PYY and GLP-1 and also tended to have a higher fullness rating.

“Our findings give some insight into an aspect of modern-day food overconsumption, namely the fact that many people, pressed by demanding working and living conditions, eat faster and in greater amounts than in the past,” said Kokkinos. “The warning we were given as children that ‘wolfing down your food will make you fat,’ may in fact have a physiological explanation.”

Other researchers working on the study include Kleopatra Alexiadou, Nicholas Tentolouris, Despoina Kyriaki, Despoina Perrea and Nicholas Katsilambros of Athens University Medical School in Greece; and Carel le Roux, Royce Vincent, Mohammad Ghatei and Stephen Bloom of Imperial College in London, United Kingdom.

help For Internal Scarring

2009-11-04T17:18:00.000Z

I received this email query today:

I wonder if you can offer me any advice. My dad has recently finished chemotherapy and radiotherapy for pancreatic cancer. Fortunately it was caught early for this sort of cancer and he is doing extremely well. However, he has internal pains when he turns - especially in bed and after a large meal. He has been told that is normal and is the result of scar tissue around the internal area blasted with radiotherapy as scar tissue is less stretchy/ flexible etc than normal tissue.

So, is there anything you could recommend to ease this? I wonder if there's any product that he could take to improve the stretch or condition of internal scar tissue?

This was my reply:

Sorry to hear about your dad. I’d recommend zinc and vitamin E. It’s not a quick cure though and he might not see nay improvement for a month, but well worth doing. People are often short of zinc anyway and it helps fight infections etc. etc.

Children And Vitamin D

2009-11-03T11:39:00.001Z

In this month's Pediatrics researchers suggest that all children in the USA take vitam in D supplements, because of the generally low levels that they found and the potential health benefits of boosting vitamin D to normal levels. Vitamin D improves bone health and prevents rickets in children, and recent studies suggest that it also may prevent a host of common childhood illnesses, including respiratory infections, childhood wheezing, and winter-related eczema.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease And Skin Cancer

2009-11-02T10:38:00.001Z

A new study has shown that people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), especially those receiving the thiopurine class of medications to treat IBD, may be at risk of developing non‐melanoma skin cancer (NMSC).

Read more about this >>

Look at the alternative too. We offer Turmeric supplement which has been shown to be very beneficial for IBS.

Avoiding Office Cakes, Biscuits and Candies

2009-11-01T11:56:00.002Z

Here's a great idea if you work in an office:

"When I worked in a busy office, most of my co-workers kept jars of candy on their desks to enjoy and share with others. Constantly battling the "bulge," I hated these temptations, but neverthless often gave in to them. I decided to put out a jar of my own "feel good" stuff, with no calories. I bought a beautiful jar with a lid and spent one whole weekend at home cutting up colorful strips of paper and writing down inspiring quotes. I filled the jar and put it on my desk. It took a while to catch on, but soon, everyone was stopping by my "food for thought" jar daily to fill up on something much better than empty calories. They would take one out, read it, smile knowingly, and then fold it up and replace it for the next co-worker. It's something that never needed to be replenished unless, I saw a new quote I wanted to add. If you work in an office environment, try this out and see how much everyone loves it."

Source

H1N1 Flu - Can Antioxidnats Help?

2009-11-01T11:39:00.000Z

In a press release (november 1st 2009) entitled "Scientists discover influenza's Achilles heel: Antioxidants" from the Federation of American Societies For Experimental Biology the scientists say: our research shows that antioxidants may prove beneficial in the treatment of flu. Read more >>

Check out our antioxidant supplement here.

Convenience vegetarian food

2009-10-30T12:27:00.002Z

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

2009-10-28T11:36:00.001Z

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

2009-10-27T10:58:00.000Z

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.