Posts tagged “Health”

Back to all posts

What's the difference between Bronchitis and Pneumonia?

Posted on 5th December 2018 at 08:15

Over the last few winters, there’s been a marked increase in the number of chest infections, particularly Bronchitis and Pneumonia. While many different causes have been suggested for this – colder, damp winters and changes in the bugs doing the rounds being the most common – as yet there’s no definitive answer.

Like many conditions with similar symptoms – such as Sprains and Strains, Dementia and Alzheimer’s – they’re easy to confuse. However, if you know what to look for, they are quite different. So, this week, let’s take a closer look at them.

Why it's important to connect to the natural world

Posted on 21st November 2018 at 07:30

We often talk about the importance of spending time outside every day. Not only does it feel good to have a break away from the hurly burly of modern life, but natural daylight plays an important part in helping set our natural body rhythms. Often referred to as the circadian rhythms, they control many different body functions including the sleep – wake cycle, release of hormones, body temperature, eating habits and digestion.

Before we go any further, let’s quickly dispel one very common misconception. So far as your body’s concerned, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a beautiful sunny day or a wet overcast one. It’s being outside in natural wavelength light that’s the important thing. You’ll still reap the benefits regardless of what the weather’s doing.

Fibromyalgia, is it all in the mind?

Posted on 7th November 2018 at 08:00

It’s a myth of modern medicine that there’s a definitive test / investigation / scan to allow every disease / condition / syndrome to be conclusively diagnosed. And, once this has occurred, a treatment protocol is ready and waiting to address the issue.

Sadly, this isn’t the case, with many patients failing to get a definitive diagnosis for their particular set of symptoms. Spending years in limbo trying to make sense of what’s happening to them.

Keeping active...

Posted on 24th October 2018 at 08:00

It’s no secret that regular exercise has a myriad of health benefits, both mental and physical.

Sadly, it’s equally true that exercise is a dirty word for many people. Often this can be traced back to those dreaded games lessons at school which put them off exercise for life. And, as someone who was always last to be picked for any teams – not to mention a fully paid up member of the “two left feet” club (!) – Elaine knows all about this first hand…

What’s so sad, is that there are many different forms of exercise – particularly these days – which are light years away from those inflicted at school. And, even better, many of them don’t really feel like exercise at all. Just something that’s fun to do.

Why does your stomach rumble and does it always mean you're hungry?

Posted on 10th October 2018 at 08:00

Having answered the question of why joints “pop” a few of weeks ago, we weren’t expecting to be answering another one of those questions so soon. It must be something to do with schools going back; as we’ve been asked lots of similar questions recently, only some of which will feature in future blog posts…

The medicine chest lurking in your kitchen

Posted on 26th September 2018 at 08:30

We love passing on tips of things you can do at home to help yourself, particularly using things you already have close at hand. With the temperatures already starting to drop – and farmers busy in the fields – this week we’d like to highlight the medicine chest lurking in your kitchen ready for the season ahead.

Are Dementia and Alzheimer's the same thing?

Posted on 12th September 2018 at 07:45

Despite all the press coverage – and scare stories – over the last few years about Dementia and Alzheimer’s there still seems to be a huge amount of confusion about them. And we should quickly say that no pun was intended.

In talking to clients, we’ve noticed that most people seem to use these two words interchangeably. And, even when there’s been a diagnosis of one or the other, they don’t seem to be much the wiser. To know what it actually means. Or what can be done to help.

Why do joints "pop"?

Posted on 29th August 2018 at 07:45

Yes, it’s time for another one of those questions people love to ask us. And in the process answer that perennial question of whether deliberately cracking joints, particularly your fingers, damages them longer term.

Before we start, did you know there’s a medical term for joint noises?

It’s crepitus, one of those words you can really enjoy saying – although how often you’ll be able to drop it into the conversation is another matter!

Is fruit juice as healthy as you think it is?

Posted on 15th August 2018 at 07:45

Over the years we’ve noticed a large number of food related mantras – for want of a better word – that people automatically accept as true without ever giving them a second thought. And, more worryingly, long after research has shown them to be untrue. Or, at best, misleading.

Some of these we’ve tackled before in this blog. Such as milk being an essential part of a healthy diet, providing the high levels of calcium needed to build strong teeth and bones. Or, one of our perennial favourites, coffee and tea counting towards your daily water intake (!).

Sadly, both are untrue. And, if we had a pound for every time someone said them to us, we’d be very rich indeed…

The BMI Paradox

Posted on 1st August 2018 at 07:30

If you’ve joined a gym in recent years – or had a medical – chances are you’ll have been given your BMI. Body Mass Index.

It’s used as a general measure of obesity as well as an indicator of risk for many lifestyle diseases such as Diabetes, high blood pressure and Heart Attacks / Strokes. As one of the current buzz words it sounds very objective and scientific but, sadly, its over simplistic approach causes many problems and what has become known as the BMI paradox.

News & Blog