Posts tagged “Lifestyle”

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Laugh and the world laughs with you

Posted on 1st December 2021 at 06:58

You may have come across these words of wisdom before and, perhaps, like us thought they came from a song. Well, no, they come from an American author Stanley Gordon West whose books revolved around life in rural America. So, once again, in writing a blog post we’ve learnt something new – perhaps you have too!?!

However, this isn’t where the inspiration for this week’s post came from. Instead, it came from one of those slightly random discussions about whether it takes more muscles to frown or smile. Modern folklore says it does, so why not smile instead? Or, to use another piece of conventional wisdom, “turn that frown upside down.”

The continued rise of vegetable oils, do they really live up to the hype?

Posted on 24th November 2021 at 07:33

In recent years the consumption of vegetable oils has increased dramatically while that of butter, lard and other animal products have shown a marked decline. As so often is the case, no single factor is responsible for this change, although the popularity of the Mediterranean Diet in the 1960’s and 1970’s probably helped kickstart this trend.

The logic behind the diet was simple, trying to emulate the health benefits from the diet of those living in and around the Mediterranean. In other words, a wholefood and locally sourced diet centring around fresh produce. Fresh vegetables, salad, fruit, nuts, beans and grains with smaller amounts of protein, predominately fish, along with unsaturated fats, such as Olive Oil. And it’s these last two foods which are key to what we’re talking about today, as you’ll see in a moment. Fish and Olive Oil. Other meat and dairy products were only occasionally eaten. Oh, and don’t forget plenty of red wine (!).

Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone

Posted on 17th November 2021 at 07:20

You may have come across these words of wisdom before and, perhaps, like us thought they came from a song. Well, no, they come from an American author, Stanley Gordon West, whose books revolved around life in rural America.

However, this isn’t where the inspiration for this week’s post came from. Rather it came from one of those slightly random discussions about whether it takes more muscles to frown or smile. Modern folklore says it does, so why not smile instead? Or, to use another piece of conventional wisdom, “turn that frown upside down.”

Snot glorious snot

Posted on 10th November 2021 at 07:38

Leaving aside the ongoing madness – deep calming breaths all round – this is the time of year when the annual Coughs and Colds season really gets underway. With it come the usual deluge of catarrh related calls and e mails or, as most people say, “I’m full of snot, can you help me?”

And, if you’re remotely squeamish, you may want to stop reading this post right now. Why?

Well, for the simple reason that the first question we ask often makes people squirm. Despite this, it’s a quick and easy indicator of what may be going on, as well as narrowing down the follow up questions we need to ask.

So, if you’re ready, here it is:

Small changes always win the day - and add up to something much larger

Posted on 3rd November 2021 at 07:32

It’s so easy to dismiss the power of making small changes, with many people preferring to focus on the big – potentially transformative – changes in their lives. The really BIG things. THE BIGGER THE BETTER!

However, this overlooks the simple fact that every BIG thing is made up of lots of small things. All the tiny steps along the way which come together to magically produce the BIG end result.

Osteoporosis - also known as honeycomb bone

Posted on 27th October 2021 at 07:47

Traditionally, Osteoporosis was thought of as a “woman’s disease”, affecting ladies of a certain age (!), with little that could be done about it. Whether proactively or reactively. Not an encouraging picture and one which is now proving far from true on both counts.

Sadly, Osteoporosis is now affecting many more people. Not only younger women, but children and men too. At the same time, research has found that it’s not simply a hormonal issue but, once again, lifestyle factors play a large part.

This is not the end of the story

Posted on 20th October 2021 at 07:38

This week, we’re going to give you a little thought to carry around with you. To mull over from time to time, particularly if you’re having one of those days. Or, as we seem to have been hearing from Clients recently, one of those weeks / months / years (!).

Wherever you are right now, however “good” or “bad” it may seem, it isn’t the end of the story. Nothing is ever set in stone UNLESS you decide it is…

Perceived wisdom, is it always entirely logical?

Posted on 13th October 2021 at 07:38

There are so many examples of perceived wisdom, in other words, things we accept without a second thought. Sometimes they fall into the category of “well everyone knows that, duh (!)”, perhaps coming from those around us or in the media. Sometimes they’re much more personal, often only making sense to the person concerned. And we can all think of examples of the latter, although it’s always easier to see them in other people, rather than ourselves…

As so often is the case, many of the things we automatically accept as true appear very different under closer scrutiny. And, not surprisingly, there are some perennial favourites we hear over and over again from Clients as well as friends and family. So, this week, we’re going to take a closer look at a few of the most popular ones.

Making room for inspiration

Posted on 6th October 2021 at 07:39

We’ve often talked about the current day obsession with being “busy, busy, busy”. How being busy and being productive aren’t necessarily the same thing (!).

And, yes, we know this simple observation tends not to go down very well, particularly with those who are “busy being busy.” If you need a quick reminder about why this is yet another example of backwards thinking, as well as a much simpler way to actually getting things done click here.

Why it takes a lot of energy to be ill

Posted on 29th September 2021 at 07:41

Having had similar conversations with a number of Clients recently – which is always a gentle hint that it’ll make a good topic for a blog post (!) – it seemed like a good time to share our rather different perspective on illness. One most people have never considered. And that is the amount of energy it takes to be ill.

Confused? Then read on, it’ll all make sense in a minute. Yes, it will!

If you’ve been unlucky enough to have Flu – or something similar (!) – the one thing you’re likely to remember above all others, was how exhausted you felt. As one Client so eloquently put it, if someone had offered him a £50 note to get out of bed and go downstairs, he wouldn’t have been able to do it.

Why is that?

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