Ten Ways to Boost Your Health

Not sure how to keep healthy? Well here are 10 ways to boost your health! 

1. Check your health
2. Drink less alcohol
3. Eat less salt and fat
4. Exercise regularly
5. Eat more fruit and veg
6. Keep stress in check
7. Improve your sleep
8. Quit smoking
9. Get a sexual health check
10. Check that lump

These may all seem very obvious things to do to you, but some people are completely oblivious and don't realise that these 10 tips can really help boost your health! 

Gardening can help with depression?

A recent study has found that spending more time working on your garden can actually help beat depression. The Study from Gardener's World found that people who work in the garden a lot tend to be healthier and happier. Watch this video clip to find out more:  Gardening Can Help Beat Depression, a study says

Chronic Pain Syndrome

Chronic Pain Syndrome

Here you can find out what types of accident or trauma could cause chronic pain syndrome, and how you can claim if you believe you have this syndrome due to an accident. If you have an accident or trauma and the pain last over 3 to 6 months it is then describe as chronic, this is when chronic pain syndrome comes into it. Chronic pain syndrome is a syndrome which refers to persistent pain that doesn't tend to have an identifiable source. It is often caused by a minor or major injury but doesn't always appear straight away, but a short period after; which sometimes means it can take a while to actually diagnose. Due to it being so unspecific and not having an identifiable source chronic pain syndrome can have a very poor response to therapy.

Food Allergies - Tips for eating out

Food Allergies - Tips for eating out

Just because you have a good allergy doesn't mean you should find dining out risky. However, food allergies used to mean dining out WAS limited to your back garden or eating at the home of a close friend. But now restaurants are more aware of food allergies, making it easier for people with food allergies to eat out! To find out more click the link above...

Easy Exercise Ideas

Easy Exercise Ideas

Keeping healthy and exercising doesn't have to be a chore, or effort, as even house work could be your daily/ weekly exercise! So here are some easy exercise ideas to make exercising easy for you!

Mental Health

It's Time to Talk. Charities are urging people with mental health issues to speak up about their problems as they believe this will help! Suffering from mental health problems? Well, visit this site to find out more about how you can talk out about your problems...

http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/talk-about-mental-health

Dealing with Depression

"Depression drains your energy, hope, and drive, making it difficult to do what you need to feel better. But while overcoming depression isn’t quick or easy, it’s far from impossible. You can’t beat it through sheer willpower, but you do have some control—even if your depression is severe and stubbornly persistent. The key is to start small and build from there. Feeling better takes time, but you can get there if you make positive choices for yourself each day." For more information visit: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_tips.htm

Food Allergy and Intolerance

"Food allergy is an immune response, while food intolerance is a chemical reaction"
Some people are sensitive to some types of food such as: nuts, dairy products and cereals; and if you eat any of these foods and symptoms such as breathing problems, rashes or stomach upsets its likely you're having an allergic reaction. It is caused by the immune system. Then food intolerance is caused by a chemical reaction. For further information: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarti

cles.nsf/pages/Food_allergy_and_intolerance

What is Acupuncture? What are the benefits?

Acupunture originates from China and has been practiced there for thousand of years. Acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles through a patients skin as specific points on the body. It is known that acupuncture has some therapeutic benefits, including pain relief and alleviation from nausea caused by chemotherapy. Acupuncture usually involves several weekly or fortnightly treatments and most sessions last about 30 minutes.
Some studies indicate that acupuncture may help in treating low back pain, migraines, post operative dental pain, hypertension, nausea and vomiting. For further information click this link where you'll be taken to a website explaining it all in more detail. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156488.php

Treating Depression

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/depression/treatingdepression_000604.htm

Depression IS treatable. However, depression doesn't just go away straight away it takes time, but with the right and most effective treatment for the depression it will eventually be treated and cured.

Types of treatment for depression are:

• antidepressant tablets
• talking treatments such as: counselling
• mood stabilising medications and
• support

These are the most common types of treatments, however, there are others which aren't used as much which are:

• ECT - Electroconvulsive Therapy 
• special types of surgery (psychosurgery) and
• SAD - bright light therapy for seasonal affective disorder

And potential treatments which may still be experimental or more evidence is needed or order to begin using them are:

• Herbal remedies and
• TMS - trans-cranial magnetic stimulation
• 
  

What puts you at risk of depression?

There are many things that can trigger depression and cause somebody to get it. These triggers are:

Family History

• other members of family having depression
• traumatic childhood experiences such as: violence

Lifestyle

• excessive alcohol consumption
• recreational or party drugs
• social isolation
• lack of sleep
• poor diet or lack of exercise

Events

• death or loss of someone close
• relationship break ups
• traumatic life events
• financial pressure
• unemployment
• serious accidents
• long term illness
• medication
• stress of problems at work, school or university
• bullying or abuse
• some women can experience depression during and/or after pregnancy

Coping and Support for Mental Illnesses

The four key things to help you cope with mental illnesses are:

1. Learn about your mental illness,
2. Join a support group,
3. Stay connected with friends and family and
4. Keep a journal.

For further information on all four of these ideas on how to cope with mental illness visit this website: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mental-illness/DS01104/DSECTION=coping-and-support

Mental Health

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_health

"Mental Health describes a level of psychological well being, or an absence of a mental disorder. From the perspective of 'positive psychological' or 'holism', mental healthy may include an individuals ability to enjoy life, and create a balance life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience. Mental health can also be defined as an expression of emotions, and as signifying a successful adaptation to a range of demands" 

Yoga Headstands for Beginners

A common yoga position is a headstand. The video below shows you a step by step of how to do the perfect headstand and how to do it right without injuring yourself. Headstands increase nutrients and blood flow to the scalp decreasing onset of grey hair, they also strengthen deep core muscles. Furthermore, by reversing the flow of gravity a headstand stimulates a 'face lift'. The inverted position of the headstand flushes fresh nutrients and oxygen to the face. 

Yoga Headstand for Beginners - GetFitWithLeyla:

Yoga for Beginners

http://www.wikihow.com/Do-Yoga-for-Absolute-Beginners

Creating a better mental well being within yourself or even trying to become healthier doesn't mean you have to partake n strenuous exercising, why not try a bit of yoga? But.. Never done yoga before? Well the link above shows all beginners how to do yoga. Furthermore, below is an image showing simple but effective yoga positions which can be done daily to help weight loss and create a better mental well being.

Benefits of Acupuncture

Health Benefits of Acupuncture:

• Asthma
• Anxiety
• Fibromyalgla
• Depression
• Cystitls
• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Chronic Low back pain
• Strengthens the immune system 
• Improves blood circulation
• Helps overcome certain addictions such as: smoking, alcohol and drugs. 

Mental Health Issues

Mental health problems such as: depression and anxiety are very common. But many people don't actually know what they are and why people suffer. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depression_(mood)) Depression is a state of low mood that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and sense of well being. People who suffer with depression may feel sad, empty, hopeless, worried, helpless, guilty, hurt and restless. They may lose interest in activities that once they really enjoyed, experience loss of appetite or overeating, concentration problems, difficulty making decisions and may contemplate or attempt suicide. Insomnia, loss of energy and aches and pains are also very common when suffering with depression.

If you think you're suffering from any of these symptoms or feel as though you may be suffering from depression there are many ways to get help. Here is a website with lots of details about how to deal with mental health issues. http://www.makesachange.org.uk/submenu/isle-of-wight/how-to/deal-with-mental-health-issues.aspx

Mental Well Being

Being healthy isn't just about dieting and exercising to make yourself feel better, it is also your mental well being. Mental health is very important and there are some very common mental illnesses such as: depression and anxiety. But here are five steps to having a positive mental well being:

• Connect; with people around you such as family and friends.
• Be active
• Keep learning; learn new skills for sense of achievement and new confidence
• Give to others and 
• Take notice; be more aware of the present moment

This NHS page gives more detail on how to keep a positive mental well being and also has links to pages about mental health illnesses and how to deal with them: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/improve-mental-wellbeing.aspx

NHS - Food Allergy

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/food-allergy/Pages/Intro1.aspx
This is a more professional approach to what food allergies are, what the common symptoms are, what causes them, treatment and who is affected.

The most common causes of food allergies are: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish. Food allergies are caused when the immune system mistakenly treats proteins found in food as a threat to the body, when in fact they should be harmless. When it comes to treating food allergies there actually aren't any treatments which can fully cure it. However, finding out what food is causing the allergic reaction and avoiding it in the future is the most obvious and common treatment. Although there are medications to take which can calm down the symptoms, so for further information just visit the link above.

Food Allergies

Food allergies are very common within people and can be one of the reasons  you think you can't have a healthy diet/ lifestyle as there are certain foods you can't eat. However, this isn't true as there are many alternatives. For example; if you have a nut allergy there are certain foods that can be eaten as alternatives. Visit this site to find out more --- Battle your nut allergy with 6 healthy alternatives

A rash. A common symptom of an allergy.

But. What are food allergies?
"A food allergy is an adverse immune response to a food protein"
Further information on what it really is, signs, symptoms and how it can be prevented and treated https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_allergy
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