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Is your lifestyle affecting your health?

In today’s busy world of heavy workloads, keeping up with friends and family and sitting in traffic for your daily recruit your health can be affected in more than ways than you may be aware of. There are simple changes you can make to improve your general health, physique and body condition.

Read on to see how your lifestyle could be affecting your health and uncover our solutions for combating these issues:

  • Poor desk posture at work
  • Lack of nutrition in your diet
  • Vision and eyesight problems

Sit up for a more comfortable work environment

Is your back arched and posture poor? Do you suffer from backache, muscle spasms and sore shoulders? Does your neck become stiff and sore? If so, this could be down to your office environment. Sitting in the same position for five days a week hunched over a keyboard or laptop can have a detrimental effect on your body composition. Sitting uncomfortably for such a long period of time in this position should be addressed immediately to avoid further strain and complications. Aggravated joints and soft tissue damage can occur when you use repetitive movements or move the head to the same side repeatedly, resulting in poor sitting and posture habits. Start by assessing your workplace ergonomics – is your chair fully adaptable so you can adjust head height, arm length and neck rest? Could the position of your computer monitor and workstation be altered? If you are experiencing these symptoms, consult your Office Manager to review your office design for HR department for support materials such as padded wrist rests.

You are what you eat

As the saying goes, you are what you eat. A healthy balanced diet will keep your body in top condition, your brain active and skin glowing. If you consume a high fat, high cholesterol diet your body will suffer in terms of your overall health, you will find it difficult to exercise and your energy levels will decrease. If you lead a busy lifestyle it’s important to fuel your body with the correct food choices. Leafy green vegetables, complex carbs and lots of protein will hugely benefit your mind and body. Check out this guide to eating healthy which you can incorporate into your daily lifestyle.

Get your eyes checked

If your nose is touching your mobile phone screen or laptop, it’s time to look at your eyesight. When was the last time you had an eye examination? You could be straining your eyesight irreparably and causing unnecessary stress and strain on your eyesight. It’s important to visit your optician every two years to check your vision, and test for any undetected eye conditions. If your eyes feel gritty, dry or excessively tired at the end of the day you may need to wear glasses or contact lenses. Your prescription will determine how bad your sight is and dependency on glasses. At the end of the day, rest your eyes by staying away from prolonged use on mobile devices and use of these before you sleep.

 

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Cancer Fighting Foods

 

Cancer fighting foods

in 2014 there were 356,860 new cases of cancer reported in the UK, according to Cancer Research UK. Their research shows that about 9% of these cases could have been prevented by changes to diet. 9% may seem like relatively small amount of cases but that is over 32,000 cases of cancer that could have been prevented by some simple changes in diet. Lack of fruit and vegetables in your everyday diet is one of the leading cause of cancers attributed to dietary factors, followed by eating excess red meat and processed meats.

There are many ways to incorporate more fruits and vegetable into your diet, get creative and, somewhat adventurous, with your meal planning and you will be on the path to healthier living.

We have listed some of our favourite veggie recipes below along with the benefits of the vegetable it uses.

Potato

For a healthier version of mashed potatoes experiment with using diced callower in place of the potatoes. Lightly boil the cauliflower until soft and then mash and add additions the same way as you would with normal mashed potatoes.

Cauliflower has been shown to be in high in antioxidants that  can help prevent prostate and breast cancer.

Find out more about the connect between breast and prostate cancer here.

Carrots

Roasted carrot sticks are a delicious alternative to deep fried potatoes. Peel carrots and slice into sticks that are about about an inch and a half wide. Parboil the carrots in boiling water for 5 minutes and drain the carrots. Place the carrots in a bowl and then drizzle with olive oil, add some herbs and a splash of vinegar for a tangy flavour. Transfer the carrot sticks to a roasting plan and roast in the oven at gas mark 6 for about 20 minutes.

The beta carotenes in carrots not only give them their orange colour but they also help fight against a large variety of cancers including lung cancer.

Find out more about lung cancer and it’s treatments at the LOC.

Kale

Add kale to fresh salads for a crunchy mouth feel that has been shown to inhibit tour growth. Some varieties of kales can be quite bitter and require some form of cooking, however curly kale makes for a tasty addition to salads.

If you don’t like the taste of kale but want to get the health benefits of it, and you have access to a juicer, try a mixture of grapes and kale.  Red grapes are great at masking the kale taste and also have anti cancer befits of their own.

Find out more about the health benefits of kale here.

Seasonings

Use more seasonings! Chilli peppers, garlic and turmeric have anti-cancer, immune building and anti-inflammatory properties respectively, adding more of these to your everyday dishes will have positive health effects.

Speak to your doctor or a nutritionist if you have questions about foods that could be helpful to your overall well being.  Your local health food store may also be able to offer guidance as to how to incorporate more cancer fighting foods into your diet.

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Treating sports related injuries

Those who partake in fast-paced physical sports such as tennis, basketball or tennis that puts a lot of pressure on the legs often experience shin splints.  They’re common in people who do a lot of running or other activities that involve repeatedly putting weight on the legs, such as tennis or basketball. Pain travels down the front of the legs and can affect the patient for days or even weeks. The condition is not serious, but the patient should refrain from exercising or putting the legs through a lot of strain. There are many things that can attribute to your body suffering from shin splints such as running or uneven or hard flooring, increasing distance covered in your run, having tight or weak ankles. It’s important to rest for at least 14 days to allow your legs to recover from shin splints. Regularly apply ice to help with pain and swelling and take pain relievers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol. To ease back into exercising, you could try low impact activities such as yoga, swimming or cycling. Wait until you have completely healed to resume your workout regime.

Shoulder instability

It has been commonly reported for athletes to suffer from shoulder instability. Contact sports, particularly hockey, rugby, baseball and football are common activities where players can experience this injury due to repetitive movements or hard tackles. The condition is caused when the shoulders muscles, tendons and ligaments are no longer securing the joint of the shoulder. The result of this is dislocation where the upper arm bone pops out of the shoulder socket or the bone partially is displaced out of the socket. The patient will then suffer severe short bursts of pain, arm weakness and a lack of movement. Bruising and swelling are also to be expected. Shoulder instability can be treated by non-surgical options depending on the severity of the injury. Initial treatment may involve physiotherapy and painkillers from a pharmacy, it is best to consult your GP for medical advice. Rehabilitation can take some time to ensure a full recovery.

Knee joint damage

Knee joint damage can occur for two reasons – wear and tear due to advanced age or conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. However, knee fractures or severe damage may lead to a patient requiring a total knee replacement. This procedure aims to relieve knee joint damage and pain by replacing the knee itself. Patients can explore options for knee replacement surgery when the join is damaged and worn beyond repair that is impacting their mobility and quality of life. In searching for a private provider of this procedure, make sure to do your homework and find a reputable surgeon. Contact Circle Health for more information about knee replacement surgery https://www.circlehealth.co.uk/rehabilitation/total-knee-replacement/. After the operation, the initial recovery will encompass targeting pain relief and movement to reduce the possibility of DVT and infection. After initially using a walking frame or crutches, a rehabilitation programme will be designed to help the patient gain aid-free movement and be walking. The final stage will be focused on achieving weight-bearing exercises that do not cause pain or discomfort.

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Are you smoking yourself to death?

Although we are well educated on the effects of smoking through advertising on cigarette packets and campaigns by our health boards, there is a still majority of the population who refuse to accept the consequences of smoking on our bodies. From emphysema, cancer, diabetes and heart disease, the list of fatal conditions passed on by smoking fumes are endless. However, the good news is that any damage done to your body can be rectified in some way – only if the damage is not too far gone. If you are considering quitting smoking check out our list of conditions that are caused by smoking which you could develop – this may make you change your mind.

Heart Disease

There is scientific evidence to prove that Cardiovascular disease can be brought on by smoking. Conorary heart disease and stroke are just some of the effects of smoking frequently. It damages the lining of your arteries leading to fatty material building up and narrowing the artery. As a consequence, you will be at high risk of a heart attack or stroke. Coupled with a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet, this combination could have serious effects on your mortality and lead to further health complications.

Cancer

There are many types of cancer which can occur in the body as an effect of smoking. Although these differ, it’s important to understand how smoking can affect your organs, skin and overall health. Fumes pollute your body in irreversible ways causing damage to your quality of life. As a result of persistent smoking, you may develop cancers such as a Gastrointestinal Tumour.  Find out about what your symptoms may mean, treatments and prevention here. By cutting down your intake of cigarettes or ceasing to smoke altogether, you could make a substantial difference to your health and prognosis of such diseases.

Respiratory diseases

Lung disease is a condition that is caused by smoking damage to your airways and small air sacs. Emphysema, chronic bronchitis and many other diseases can be contracted as a result of smoking.   Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is the collective group name for these conditions. Symptoms include breathlessness, chronic wheezing, tiredness, physical exhaustion and frequent chest conditions. The likeness of contracting this disease increases if you smoke – the lungs become inflamed, damaged and narrowed. Although the condition can affect those who do not smoke, COPD is mainly caused by smoking.

To seek advice on quitting smoking or to speak to someone if you experience any symptoms mentioned, make an appointment at your doctor’s surgery or call NHS24.

 

 

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Have a dodgy bladder? try out these exercises

There’s exercises out there for your bum, your legs, your arms etc etc! Your bladder itself is a muscle so you can exercise this too! Childbirth, old age or genetic all contribute to having problems with your bladder. 25% of women have problems with incontinence but with a few simple crucial moves you can have some relief!

So if you’ve got a dodgy bladder, give some of these a go and hopefully you’ll see an improvement!

 

Kegels Exercises

I’m sure you’ve heard this before, everyone talks about Kegels but most people perform them wrong. Look into proper techniques a bit!

Pelvic Floor Ball Squeeze

Sit up straight, lift your head and your chin so its parallel to the ground and make sure your shoulders are in line with your hips. Put an exercise ball in between your legs and squeeze the ball. Do this for 10 seconds or so and repeat this 10 times. This strengthens the inner thighs and abs with help the pelvic floor muscles too. If you’re looking for an exercise ball you can use a pillow instead.

Elevator Lunge

Check out how to do this one! quite a challenging one, but one of my favorites! You also don’t need the equipment shown in the video.

Pelvic Floor Activators

 

Do 3 sets of 20 with a 10 second break between each set. Do this 5 times a week.

Squats With Pulse

Keep your feet shoulder width apart and point your toes slightly outward. Lower yourself down into a squat position and tilt your pelvis forward a bit. This will help engage those pelvic floor muscles. Pulse up and down an inch or two and do this 10 times exhaling as you contract the muscles.

Plus squats are a great exercise to strengthen your leg and give yourself a big butt!

C Curve Abdominal Contraction

 

Running

If you’ve got a dodgy bladder you might think running isn’t feasible.
However just a little change can really help improve those pelvic muscles, try imagine yourself running in more of a ski jump position.

Further help with a dodgy bladder

There are experts out there like LUA who can help with problems like a dodgy bladder. They have a team of nine consultant urologists who are well experienced and experts in various fields.  The close knit team are your best bet at finding the highest standard of urological care!

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Injury prevention tips

Most of us love playing sports, some are a bit more prone to injuries than others. Sports are great, they help us keep our bodies fit and in good shape. However injuring yourself could potentially put you off work.

Injury Risks
All sports have a chance of causing an injury. Fortunately for us though the benefits of playing sports outweigh the risks! The more contact in a sport will increase the risk of traumatic injury, like Rugby or Boxing. The majority of injuries athletes get though are because of the amount of time they play sports. Overuse is the biggest cause of traumatic injury in sports!

More frequent types of injuries are sprains which are injuries to ligaments, strains which are injuries to muscles and stress fractures which are injuries to the bones. Injuries can occur when an excessive amount of stress is placed on your bones, muscles, joints and tendons.

To reduce the risk of injury:

If you really want to prevent an injury you should ensure you have a day off at a week from training. You should also wear the right gear and make sure the gear fits properly so neck, shoulder, elbow, chest, knee and shin pads, helmets, mouthpieces, face guards, protective cups, and eyewear should all fit you properly.

Young athletes shouldn’t think that just because you’re wearing protective gear you won’t get any injuries. Strengthen your muscles and do conditioning exercises to strengthen your body for the sport you play. Increase your flexibility too, stretching should be done before and after practices and games too. Stretching should be a part of your daily fitness plan too and this will help prevent injuries.

Play safe too, no headfirst sliding in softball, no spearing in football etc. You should also never play through pain and be careful when the weather is warm. Drink plenty of fluid before, during and after exercising or playing games. You should decrease or stop training/playing if it’s really warm or wear lighter clothing.

 

The last thing you need is to become ill or get injured that cause you to have to take time off work. If you work in a physically required job and break a leg you’re not going to be able to work which means you won’t be able to bring income in. This adds more stress and the whole thing can end up being quite a problem.  This is where things like Income protection come in and it’s definitely something to consider if you’re playing a contact sport. Places like hello.ie can help you with choosing the right plan for you.

It’s definitely something to consider and you’ll be extremely glad if it ever came to you actually claiming. The packages usually aren’t too expensive but they do take your scenario into consideration, so if you smoke, play rugby or do mma, drink alcohol etc you might be paying a bit more.

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3 Healthy Brands for Great Snack Options

In your journey to health, it is important to keep balance. If you deprive yourself of anything that isn’t considered super-healthy, you might end up massively binging on bad foods. We are only human and sometimes we just need a little treat during or after a taxing day to keep us going. Why not prevent feeling guilty about eating something “bad” by allowing yourself a healthy, yet still amazingly delicious snack. Nowadays, there are many brands out there you provide you plenty of healthy options. If you know where to look, you will notice some of these brands in supermarkets like Tesco or Sainsbury, though usually a shop like Holland & Barratt will carry a plethora of healthy brands as well.

Graze Boxes

graze snack box

Graze is, pardon the pun, a massive craze. Not only are their snack-packs already perfectly proportioned, Graze is well-aware that you’re not always in the mood for carrots with low-fat hummus. They have amazing options such as high protein flapjacks in various flavours, white chocolate & raspberry and jaffa cake-inspired snack packs. They have a healthier version of all the most popular snacks.

Not only are Graze’s products available in various supermarkets, they still offer their original service: they will post you a variety of 4 snack boxes in the post. When you sign up for this service, you tell them what treats you enjoy most and they then handpick four snacks for you. This is based on a subscription service, and you could get your Graze-boxes delivered straight to your office. What’s not to like?

Of course you don’t have to sign up for their subscription service. If you only want one snack box per week, you can order straight from their website. You can buy in bulk, stash the treats at home and reach for them whenever it strikes your fancy.

Innocent Smoothies

Innocent drink bottles

While you are usually better off eating your fruit and vegetables, sometimes this just isn’t realistic when you have a busy day. Not only are Innocent bottles visually very pleasing, they also offer small juice drinks for those moments on-the-go. It’s ideal when you just like drinking your fruit rather than eating it. Unlike some other juices that have loads of additives, added sugar and other ingredients, Innocent juices and smoothies just contain crushed fruits and juices. Due to Innocent’s preparation process, one serving of juice actually provides one of your recommended 5-a-day, whereas a smoothie provides two portions of your 5-a-day.

Their small bottles of juice and smoothies make perfect snacks and treats. It’s enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, whilst providing fibre, vitamins and more. If you are worried about their sugar content, the drinks do not contain more sugar than is naturally present in the fruit. So, if you come across any critics stating you might as well be eating a donut rather than drinking a glass of smootie, silence them with that bit of information.

Skyr Yoghurt

Marketed as a healthy yogurt, skyr is actually more an Icelandic cheese than a traditional yogurt. It is made with more milk that other yogurt, giving skyr its amazingly thick and creamy texture. Due to the production method, skyr yoghurt is naturally low in fat and high in protein. Nutrionally, skyr can even offer more protein than some protein shakes!

You have probably seen Arla’s skyr yogurt in supermarkets like Tesco or Sainsbury, but even more budget supermarkets like Lidl carry their own brand of delicious skyr. You don’t have to buy a big 500gr pot; instead supermarkets carry smaller snack pots with different flavours – perfect for a quick, fulfilling yet healthy snack to keep you going after a big work-out.

You can also use skyr breakfast, mix in berries, other fruit or some seeds and nuts, and you will have a healthy breakfast that will sustain you for hours.

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7 Foods To Help Build Muscle

For many people who aim to increase their muscle mass, the diet is the part that lets them down. Those who don’t stick to a diet specifically intended to build muscle will normally find themselves struggling to put on each and every pound of muscle, that can be lost in a heartbeat. I for one definitely find the easiest part of a training programme to be the lifting weights part. It’s easy enough to turn up to the gym for an hour and bust your hump, but to maintain a focused diet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for months on end is the difficult part. That’s why I’ve made a list of the foods which should be incorporated into every muscle building diet, so pick your favourites and start forming your diet. Continue reading “7 Foods To Help Build Muscle”

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4 Tips For Increasing Muscle Mass

Building muscle may seem like it should be as simple as ‘go to the gym and lift weights’, but if you want to pack on some serious gains then it becomes a more thorough process than that. You need to start thinking about your diet, what and when you’re eating, and to seriously plan your training schedule so that you’re working the right muscles and doing the correct exercises to enhance growth. If you’re serious about building muscle then read on for some of our best tips so you can start seeing results sooner rather than later. Continue reading “4 Tips For Increasing Muscle Mass”