Why Energy Drinks Should Carry A Health Warning
March 7, 2011 by AnnA
Filed under Childrens Health, featured, Health
Help for Dry and Gritty Eyes
This is a very common problem that many millions of people suffer from, but a new and highly innovative eye drop formula has been launched to help tackle the problem. Rohto® Dry Eye Relief is a clinically proven eye-drop treatment that uses a natural bi-polymer called HydraMed to rapidly bring relief. Dry eyes mean that the normal tear film production and lubricating of the eye is not functioning adequately, sometimes leading to intense discomfort, as the eyes can no longer wet and lubricate themselves properly. This new product has been shown to improve this condition so that in less than a-month of regular use, the eyes feel more comfortable.
There are many reasons why we can suffer from dry and gritty-feeling eyes: modern lifestyles, an aging population, the contraceptive pill, some underlying illnesses and health conditions, as well as some medication can also trigger the condition. To treat it, you need something that will simulate as closely as possible the composition and effectiveness of the real tear film. This means that eye drops not only stay for as long as possible on the eye, but also have the right dynamic properties to allow proper mimicking of the natural tears during blinking to avoid blurring vision.
In healthy eyes, tears help create a lubricating and cleaning film over the eye, and dry eyes happen when there is not enough fluid to adequately create this film. What is needed is to rehydrate the surface of the eye, to recreate the tear film and relieve symptoms and the key component in Rohto® Dry Eye Relief contains HydraMed. This is an advanced patented formulation of two active ingredients – Hyaluronic Acid (HA), which helps restore and retain hydration, and Tamarind Seed Polysaccharide (TSP), which helps repair the surface of the eye.
Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is a naturally occurring polymer found within the human eye which has incredible water attracting properties and can draw 3,000 times its own weight in water. This greatly reduces evaporation, and therefore fluid loss, from the eye. HA mimics the natural tear film in the eye, which is crucial for good eye health.The other key ingredient – Tamarind Seed Polysaccharide (TSP) – is a naturally occurring polymer that produces a visco-elastic solution and has a chemical structure similar to important proteins called mucins on the eye’s surface.
These two key ingredients work together synergistically and the Rohto formulation mimics the behaviour of natural human tears, becoming less viscous and sticky during a blink and more viscous between blinks which allows for easier blinking. Combined with its excellent fluid-retaining properties, this mean that water loss from the tear film is minimised, so the formula stays on the eye for longer.
It’s effectiveness has been proven in a series of clinical trials where it was found to improve eye condition by 56.5% and be up to five times more effective in treating damage than using hyaluronic acid alone. Patients who used it for 60 days had a 35% reduction of stinging and foreign-body sensations, and when compared to other common treatments using Hyaluronic Acid (HA), it was found to be 27% better in the reduction of stinging symptoms.
A user survey carried out at the British Contact Lens Association annual conference found that 82% of practitioners that tried the product agreed that Rohto® Dry Eye Relief provided an immediate soothing and cooling effect and a majority felt it gave longer relief than they expected would offer it to their patients.
Rohto® Dry Eye Relief brings fast and effective relief and its special formulation has been shown in studies to last for a long time on the eye. This greatly reduces the number of applications needed throughout the day to maintain comfort. It is available in a re-sealable and easily carried 0.5ml daily dose vial, which uses a special cap that allows you to quickly and safely re-use the vial two or three times a day – enough to greatly ease regular dry eye discomfort.
For Smelly Feet – Smelly Slippers – and More!
I know that doesn’t sound like much of an improvement, but believe me it is. For anyone suffering from foot odour I have come across an amazing natural range of slippers for men and women that are infused with cinnamon so you even smell fragrant as you walk. And if problem skin on your heels is making you pile on the woolly socks then read on because Footkiss could be just what you are looking for.
This is certainly a new product to me as it was recently launched in the UK by Natur Boutique and my test-driving guineapig (actually my next door neighbour) was sceptical to say the least but bless him he was willing to give it a go. After a couple of days I enquired and he was full of praise and totally unwilling to give them back, which is certainly a vote of approval – and his wife is very happy with the results as well!
The sandals come in a variety of styles and wonderful natural fabrics from rattan to linen and even a softened (very softened) version of a loofah. The base on which your bare foot rests utilises the unique and powerful benefits of Vietnamese cinnamon which contains the highest amount of essential oils of any of the various species.
Cinnamon’s health benefits are well documented and include improving energy levels, and having antibacterial and antiseptic effects so they not only help keep your feet hygienic, relaxed and energized but also keep your feet healthy and looking, feeling and smelling great even on the hottest of days.
If you don’t believe that your footwear could be that beneficial to your health – and this all a bit too woo-woo and new age for you – then these cinnamon insoles were clinically trialled in a hospital in Vietnam. The trial confirmed that they helped with conditions such as fatigue, perspiration, foot odour, cold feet and toes, and dry and cracked skin.
To find out more call 020 89 7837 40 or vist www.naturboutique.co.uk
And More For Feet!
Thick hard skin builds up on the heels during the winter and our feet are not a pretty sight – more like an old drystone wall in fact as they become cracked, dry and rough. If you are not ready to show off your feet in sandals or indeed the backless cinnamon slippers there is a solution.
Footkiss Callus Removal Kit works in only ten minutes and uses professional, salon-based ingredients – Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) to gently soften and dissolve dry, dead skin build-up without the use of pedicure knives and skin graters. So safer then, though I admit the process is a bit messy and squishy as you simply apply the special gel onto the supplied patches and stick on where required, leave for ten minutes and then remove the unwanted skin with the tool contained in the pack.
My tip is to spread a towel on the floor of the bathroom, sit on the loo seat and sit reading an improving book while it works. Then slough off the skin and rinse feet clean before applying the moisturizing balm they give you. You will find it at www.peak-nutrition.co.uk so get ready, the sun will shine soon!
The Serenity Code: A Personal Journey to Wellness
Being well is not just about the absence of disease; it is about how your whole being resonates with energy, vitality and enthusiasm for life. I hope I give you practical information to help you achieve that state and sometimes it is helpful to beyond the details of diet and medicines to the core of what wellness really is all about. Jason Clare and Louise Pardoe have written an inspiring 16 step book out of their own experience of the healing journey that is paradoxically spiritual, and a very practical guide with exercises and step by step support to inspire and motivate the reader to reconnect with their own healing ability and potential.
There are few of us who have not encountered illness in our lives, but it is how we choose to deal with it, and learn the lessons it brings, that can make all the difference to our ultimate state of wellness. The book is well structured and easy to follow with an interesting mix of beautiful illustrations, scientific research and ancient philosophies all bound up with ‘stepping stones’ for each chapter to help the reader focus on the learning it has contained.
The exercises are straightforward, and include a number of meditations, and guide the reader on the path to attaining a healthy, contented life. The couple founded and run the Serenity Holistic Solutions Training School & Therapy Centre which is an approved National Open College Network (NOCN) and Complementary Medical Association (CMA) Registered Centre. If you would like to go deeper into how to stay, or get, truly well then this is an easy and engaging read to help you do that. The book is available here: The Serenity Code: A Personal Journey to Wellness
An Effective 6 Week Plan to Give Up Smoking
I am not sure how many people there are out there who still smoke, but if you are one of them – or know someone who is – then this new book claims to help, even if you have no willpower! Think I will pass it on to the group who huddle out in the shelter of the doorway outside our choir rehearsal room whenever we have a break!
‘Love Not Smoking’ (£8.99) is the brainchild of Professors Karen Pine and Ben Fletcher and what it offers is a simple, effective, 6 week programme that guides the reader into being smoke free for good without beating them over the head with a sharp implement every time they reach for a cigarette. Leave the beating over the head to their fellow non-smokers!
Professors Ben (C) Fletcher and Karen Pine are both professors of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire and have pioneered successful behaviour change using their Do something Different technique and their research is internationally recognized, published in academic journals and presented at conferences worldwide.
They focus on motivating the smoker to quit so they can realise that they’ll “love not smoking” and get to put lots more back into their life. Giving up smoking does leave a void, so the book doesn’t preach or lecture the reader about how much they’ve smoked in the past or why they should be giving up now. Its unique approach is more holistic in its outlook and treats the individual’s psychology and their behaviours, not just their habit.
The authors’ tools and techniques are based on groundbreaking research about why people get trapped or stuck with particular habits and then enable them to break free. At its simplest it is about recognizing habits and patterns (like always having a cigarette after a meal, or with a coffee) and offering suggestions on how to change to make quitting easier.
It is all about doing something different and not being judgmental or beating yourself up if you haven’t managed to quit before. They suggest you forget willpower and withdrawal – or even the crutch that is the nicotine patch – and with this powerful method they claim you can break the cycle and pattern of smoking. With daily tasks, inspirational ideas and a wide range of instant habit-breaking tools you even get a Love Not Smoking support network on Facebook where you can share stories and get support from fellow quitters.
If you order a copy now you will have read it in plenty of time for NO SMOKING DAY on March 9th – could be a great day to start putting a plan into action – and if you have a Kindle reader there is a free download of an extract from the book at Amazon, just go here: Start to Love Not Smoking: Free Introductory Extract
March 2011 Update: The Love Not Smoking App for Iphone & Andriod is available now!
If you are a smoker, or have a loved one who smokes and wants to quit then the Love Not Smoking App will help you on your journey. It’s National No Smoking day on the 9th March so there’s no better time to start afresh and stop smoking for good.
This unique, six week scientifically-proven psychological programme retrains your brain, breaking old smoking habits and changing your life for good. The programme gets you ready gradually for your first smoke-free day, then provides daily bursts of advice and support to establish your new, smoke-free life. It has a wide range of tools including:
Daily tips, tasks and alerts
Inspirational videos from the authors
Illustrated Habit-Breaker cards
Addictive games for those Twitchy Finger moments
Inspire Me! messages to help you beat your cravings
Money Saved calculator
Love Not Smoking wallpaper for your iPhone or iPad
Advice and ideas from the Love Not Smoking Facebook support group
Integration with Twitter and email to help spread the word to your loved ones
Check out more info here:
www.hayhouse.co.uk/lovenotsmokingapp
The Positive Side of Coffee
February 1, 2011 by AnnA
Filed under featured, Food & Nutrition, Health, Medical Research & Studies
If you have forsworn the beverage as part of your New Year healthy eating plan you may want to rethink as new research is showing some benefits you won’t want to pass up on. Personally coffee, like butter, is something I have never given up on but have cut down to two cups a day because my health philosophy has always been everything you want in moderation.
Coffee is actually one of the richest sources of antioxidants there is and remains so however you drink it as its high antioxidant content of the coffee is still absorbed easily by the body. Antioxidants help to protect our cells from free radical damage caused by oxidative stress – a fact that is backed up by hundreds of intervention studies on polyphenols and polyphenol-rich foods including coffee.
According to Gary Williamson, Professor of Functional Food, School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds, “Coffee is in my top 20 lifespan essential foods.” Many people can’t start their day without it and if you want a quick and high oxidant boost then look for Nescafe have even developed a special blend that is higher in antioxidants than their standard coffees so look for their Green Blend in supermarkets.
Other Caffeine Benefits:
A new review has indicated that antioxidant supplements may benefit couples who have difficulty conceiving naturally. The review provides evidence from a small number of trials that suggest the partners of men who take antioxidants are more likely to become pregnant so coffee could well play a part in that antioxidant increase.
Another new study also shows that caffeine energizes cells, boosting virus production for gene therapy applications. Now why would that concern you? Well it helps move research forward faster because if you give caffeine to cells engineered to produce viruses used for gene therapy then those cells can generate 3- to 8-times more virus, according to a recent paper published in Human Gene Therapy.
Lentivirus vectors are commonly used for transferring genes into cells for both research applications in the laboratory and, increasingly, for gene therapy procedures in clinical testing. The addition of caffeine should significantly decrease the cost of lentiviral production for research and clinical uses and James M. Wilson, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief, and Director of the Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia can certainly see the advantage. “It is ironic that the ingredient in beverages like colas and coffees that helps keep us awake and alert is also useful in jazzing up cells to produce more gene therapy vectors. An increase in vector production of 5-fold may prove critical in establishing the commercial viability of lentiviral based products.”
New Relief for Period Pain
Women who suffer from this have usually tried everything available from the simple hot water bottle to prescribed painkillers and some things work some of the time – but not always. A new treatment that is an effective, clinically proven, non-drug and non-heat alternative is to be welcomed to add to the options available.
Menstrual pain is caused by the uterus contracting, and the level of pain suffered from is dictated by the level of prostaglandins in the body, as this is what stimulates the uterus to contract and shed its lining. The Allay Patch has been designed to help the majority of women who suffer discomfort every month but will be invaluable for the 10% or more for whom it can mean excruciating and crippling pain that can temporarily disable them.
While painkillers (or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are usually suggested, they are not always effective for the cramping and have side effects for regular use including the distress of gastric upsets. . Whilst the Allay patch cannot alleviate the severe pain associated with endometriosis, it can reduce a sufferer’s reliance on other, medicated forms of pain relief.
The Allay is a small wafer thin patch that is designed to be worn over the lower abdomen for anything from a few hours, to a few days. It contains a microchip that utilises pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy to stabilise the membrane of the uterus cells and stops the release of pain. This has been used in hospitals and clinics worldwide since the 1930s in treatment of tissue trauma, and the Allay patch has been specifically designed to be a miniaturised and cost-effective version of this technology.
The natural electric balance in the cells is restored and actually helps to accelerate the body’s natural healing process, as it treats pain and swelling at the source.
Recent clinical trials showed that 77.1% of women who tried the Allay patch reported either complete elimination or reduction in their typical menstrual pain and discomfort. The trials concluded that the Allay patch could be offered as a primary, drug-free treatment method for women suffering from moderate menstrual cramping and in more severe cases of dysmenorrhea it could be used alongside other treatment to reduce the duration of, or to eliminate use of, oral medications.
The Allay Patch is £9.95 plus £3.95 P&P and you can find out stockists, or order, by calling 0844 272 5528 or visiting www.buyallay.co.uk.
The Feel Good Factor to Boost Your Mood and Motivate Yourself
If you are looking for a new approach to health and nutrition, then Patrick Holford is one of the first people to consider. His new book ‘The Feel Good Factor’ is very well timed as January is indeed when many people are flagging under the weight of the post festive season and those grey January skies. He offers you ten proven ways to get yourself into the best of moods without resorting to a doctor’s prescription.
This is a very practical book that offers commonsense advice and some highly effective methods of changing your physical and emotional health. If you want to regain your enthusiasm for life, or find out exactly what is holding you back, then this book will guide you through a series of questions and provide you with the information you need. Whether your diet needs some help, or you aren’t sure what supplements you need, he will guide you through the maze of low moods, depression and apathy. There are a number of simple questionnaires in the book that can help uncover any biochemical imbalances you may have, but be unaware of.
Simple things to do today to make your tomorrow a more welcoming and positive one are what he specializes in and you could make a start now by going online for a comprehensive free health check at www.patrickholford.com/feelgoodcheck
to find out where you rate out of a 100% score. Make sure you click on the free report button at the end, unless you want to pay for a full report. If that inspires you to make some changes you can buy the book on the site itself or from bookshops or Amazon.
Revolutionary Toothpaste that Re-calcifies Teeth
If you suffer from sensitive teeth then you know that the problem is due to tooth enamel being prone to damage, which can give rise to a rough pitted surface and exposed dentine that can create the conditions for teeth sensitivity. This is why we react so swiftly and painfully to both hot and cold stimulus either from the weather or food and drink.
Help is on hand from SensiShield which offers a fast and effective solution in a toothpaste which is clinically proven to re-calcify tooth enamel, helping cover that exposed dentine. The revolutionary product uses a bio-tech formula that actually mimics nature to re-calcify the tooth surface enamel and dentine, leaving teeth less sensitive and brighter in appearance.
There are products available that either mask the pain or temporarily coat the surface of the teeth, but SensiShield offers a permanent solution. Its advanced formula is based on surgical bone regeneration and contains an active ingredient that copies the way mouth salvia naturally re-calcifies teeth, faster than nature can by itself.
SensiShield is a revolutionary new toothpaste that actually raises the mouth’s pH to activate the formation of hydroxyapatite crystals (HCA) exactly as saliva does, which helps reduce plaque. After brushing with SensiShield teeth surfaces become more resistant to organic stains and nerve exposure can be lessened. It is also anti-bacterial and anti-plaque helping to protect your gums as well as your teeth.
It is available at Boots and some major supermarkets at 5.95 for a 50ml tube.
30 Days to Better Health
There is no better time of year to start thinking about getting healthier, but many people are put off because they see it as beyond them, or will take too long. The good news is that only 30 days of eating a naturally better diet can improve your health and guard against many of the leading chronic diseases that take the lives of millions worldwide each year. The less good news is that even one unhealthy meal can have a negative effect on hundreds of your genes.
The results of a study performed at Lund University in Sweden have shown the link between healthy food combinations and reduced disease risk. Their research focused on forty-four adults aged 50 to 75 who were fed a diet that included high antioxidant, low glycaemic sources including oily fish, barley, blueberries, almonds, cinnamon, vinegar and a high fibre wholegrain bread for a period of 4 weeks.
They were able to demonstrate the influence of food on our genome as a single unhealthy meal can negatively impact hundreds of individual genes. The usual suspects I am afraid: processed foods packed with sugar, refined carbohydrates and hydrogenated fats. These all lead to a continual state of inflammation throughout the body and metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer`s are all fuelled by the release of dangerous chemical messengers that are the result of inflammation.
Blood samples taken at the end of the test period showed that a natural diet exerted a powerful effect on all key biomarkers associated with inflammation, blood sugar and blood clotting. Results included:
• Oxidized LDL cholesterol was reduced by 33%
• Blood pressure dropped 8%
• Total blood lipids improved 14%
• Blood clotting marker fibrinogen dropped 26%
• Systemic inflammation was greatly reduced
• Memory and cognitive function were improved
Previous and extensive research has shown that eating a diet that was consumed during the course of human evolution is the best way to prevent and treat diabetes and heart disease. Basically that means you think natural and unprocessed so focusing on fruit, vegetables, nuts, lean meat and fish as these food sources regulate blood sugar and insulin response as they are low in fast-releasing carbohydrates, and eating a minimum of grain-based foods such as breakfast cereals and pasta.
So let’s hear it for the good news, which is that even small changes in diet over a short period of time like 30 days have been shown to significantly lower your risk of diabetes, heart disease and dementia. A diet of unprocessed foods can provide protection from disease and reverse the progression of serious illness and also seriously improve your quality of life.
