Posts tagged “Health”

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Cholesterol myths - are statins a wolf in sheep's clothing?

Posted on 10th September 2014 at 07:30

In the last few years cholesterol has been one of the media’s favourite subjects, with many column inches being devoted to it. The current focus is on statins – cholesterol lowering drugs – and proposals to automatically prescribe them to certain groups of patients on a “just in case” basis.

Sadly the picture portrayed in the media that cholesterol is bad for you is only part of the story. While it is true that excess levels in the blood stream can lead to clogging of the arteries, cholesterol also plays a vital role in the overall functioning of the body.

Stress, is it all a matter of perception?

Posted on 3rd September 2014 at 07:30

Last week’s post focussed on the physical side of stress. What happens to our bodies when we experience a stressful event – and how it’s changed little over the millennia.

But have you ever stopped to wonder why we each have our own unique list of things that press our “stress buttons”? True, there are some things which we all tend to find stressful but, even then, you’ll still find those who are exceptions to the rule.

So, if it isn’t the thing itself which is inherently stressful, what determines whether we find it stressful or not?

Stress, the modern epidemic

Posted on 27th August 2014 at 07:30

Stress is the modern epidemic and scarcely a day goes by without it appearing in the papers or on the news. With it being such an ingrained part of our culture, it’s surprising that so many people struggle to explain exactly what it is.

In part this is because there are so many possible causes but, more importantly, what is considered “stressful” varies from person to person. What is one person’s “enjoyable challenge” is another’s “last straw”.

Beauty products - does natural always mean good for you?

Posted on 20th August 2014 at 07:30

Nowhere is the advertising hype greater than in the beauty industry, with “natural” or “organic” being some of the favourite claims. But what do these words actually mean – and are they worth paying extra for?

Thanks to “our friends” in Europe, you’d have thought it would have been a simple job to find some regulations setting out the criteria to be met before any of these words could be used. So did we.

Is Ebola the new Swine Flu?

Posted on 6th August 2014 at 07:30

Here in the UK, August is traditionally known as the “silly season”. With many people away on their summer holidays, the media are busy looking for stories to fill their newspapers and news bulletins.

This year the silly season has started early, with stories about Ebola sweeping across the media. From the coverage you could be forgiven for thinking that it had already reached epidemic levels and was sweeping out of control across the globe.

If you’re thinking you’ve seen this all before, you’d be right. Just think about Bird Flu, Swine Flu or SARS. Go back to the 1980’s and it was HIV and AIDS.

So are we saying that you should ignore Ebola and hope it’ll go away? No, of course not.

Type II Diabetes and diet - is it really that simple?

Posted on 30th July 2014 at 07:30

Soaring rates of Type II Diabetes, particularly among teenagers and young adults, continue to make the news. While it’s often linked to obesity, few reports go into specifics – or mention that it can be reversed with a few simple dietary changes.

So what is Type II Diabetes and why are rates soaring?

What to eat - or not to eat - that is the question?

Posted on 16th July 2014 at 07:30

July is here, the summer holidays are on us and the papers are full of the latest wonder diets. Whether it’s the 5:2, 4:3, Paleo, Honey or Reboot diet – to name but a few – every year brings yet more weight loss programmes to choose from. And each one comes complete with its own success stories, celebrity followers and endorsements.

Have you ever stopped to wonder why one diet can work like a dream, while another turns into a complete nightmare?

The miracle that is the human body

Posted on 9th July 2014 at 07:30

Let’s talk about something we completely take for granted. That is until we have a problem. The magnificent creation that is the human body. And we’re not talking about the super fit or beautiful. Your body. All 100,000 billion cells of her (or him, with apologies to male readers!).

Take a straw poll of your friends and family and we guarantee that most of them will say the same thing. They never gave any thought to their body until they had a problem. Or decided she needed changing in some way. Whether it be cancer, excess weight or acne; the reaction is usually the same. And it goes along these lines: “why did this happen, I had no idea anything was wrong.”

Welcome to the Smart Holistics blog!

Posted on 2nd July 2014 at 07:30

It’s something we’ve been meaning to do for ages and here it finally is!

There will be a weekly post, usually on a Wednesday, so if you have any suggestions for a topic please let us know.

It seems like everyone has a blog these days – some good, others not so good – so how is ours going to be different you may ask? Well by offering you a different perspective on everything health related, as well as life in general.

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