health

  1. Weekly Tip - Goals

    Goals
     
    I have written about goal setting a few times now. But i’m writing again because it’s so important to learn how to set goals correctly. We all have hopes and dreams, but we need a plan if we want to achieve them otherwise that’s all they are - hopes and dreams.
     
    Always use the acronym SMART when you are setting a goal
     
    S - specific
    M - measurable 
    A - achievable
    R - realistic
    T - timely
     
    The first step is to write down your goal, and then check, is it SMART? Having these steps in place and written down is great as you can always come back to your plan and readjust if needed.
     
    There is another step
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  2. Weekly Tip - Good health comes above wealth

    I have written about this before - but thought it was time for a reminder.
    Looking after our health should be a top priority - but for many it’s not. Good health is often taken for granted, you don’t think about it and just carry on day to day. It’s only when an illness happens do we actually realise how good it is to be healthy.
     
    Living a healthy life style doesn’t need to be expensive, it’s about making small changes each day that will benefit your health in the long run. Most of the time when we talk about health, diets and exercise are what comes to mind….yes eating healthy and exercise is very important to our health, but so is getting enough sleep each night, learning to say no to things that you know will cause you anxiety or stress. There are so many things that we can do to improve our health and well-being, and we need to make it a priority before it’s too late.
     
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  3. Weekly Tip - Don’t let yourself get dehydrated during the heat wave!

    During this heatwave our bodies will sweat more, when the sweat evaporates from our skin it cools us down. The more we sweat the more likely we are to become dehydrated. 
     
    A small negative water imbalance can have an effect on our mental and physical performance. Dehydration is most commonly mild, but it can quickly become severe with vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, diuretics, kidney failure to name a few. When we feel thirsty we are already 1-2% dehydrated, so getting into the habit of always having a water bottle with you and taking regular sips often is important - and one of the most simple ways of improving your health and wellbeing.
     
    Drinking water is the best way to prevent dehydration and treat the symptoms of it. Getting into the habit of carrying around a water bottle and taking sips regularly will help keep you hydrated.
     
    Whilst drinking
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  4. Weekly Tip - Supplements to help with hay fever

    Following on from last weeks tip on foods that can make hay fever worse, I thought I would share 5 supplements that can help ease the symptoms too. Getting your nutrients through your diet is always the best option, but sometimes we need higher amounts that are not possible through diet or the specific food isn’t available or too costly to eat large quantities of…..thats where supplements come in.
     
    • Quercetin - Quercetin is a natural antihistamine and fights inflammation. It can be found in foods, but taking it in supplement form is preferred as you will get a higher dosage this way.
    • Bromelain - Bromelain is a digestive enzyme found in pineapple and is used to treat allergies. It is also effective in treating sinus inflammation.
    • Vitamin C - Boosts the immune system and acts as an antioxidant. It works together with quercetin, fighting free radicals, inflammation and allergic reactions.
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  5. Weekly Tip- Top 5 benefits of adding chia seeds to your diet

    Chia seeds are good for your digestive health
    Chia seeds contain about 10grams of fibre per 2 tablespoons which is nearly half your daily requirement of fibre! Because of the rich fibre content chia seeds do wonders for our digestive health. The fibre not only acts as a prebiotic feeding the good bacteria in our gut, but also helps promote
    regularity.
     
    Chia seeds are rich in antioxidants
    Chia seeds are a great way to get more antioxidants into your diet. Antioxidants are important in protecting our cells from free radical damage and inflammation which can lead a whole range of different illnesses and premature ageing!
     
    Chia seeds help improve heart health
    Chia seeds contain more omega-3’s than salmon gram for gram! Although it’s important to
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  6. Hay fever fighting nutrition

    With hay fever season just around the corner I thought I would share a few nutrition tips that can help relieve the symptoms. Eating a well balanced diet that is free from foods high in histamine is important before and during the hay fever seasons. There are many foods that can be increased during this time that have natural antihistamines and will help reduce the effects. Below are some of the top foods containing hay fever fighting nutrients that I would recommend adding to your diet to help relieve the symptoms.
     
    Red Onions - ‘An onion a day, keeps hay fever away.’ Onions contain a high amount of quercetin which is a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory. Onions have been proven to help stabilise the levels of histamine in our bodies which can increase when we have an allergy.
     
    Oily Fish - There are positive links between increasing oily fish consumption during hay fever season. Thi
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  7. Weekly tip - Calcium rich foods

    Calcium is the most abundant mineral in our body and unfortunately most of us aren’t getting enough from our daily diet! Calcium is mainly stored in our bones and teeth and released into our bloodstream when needed. Blood calcium plays a critical role in supporting many bodily functions as well as balancing pH levels. Symptoms of low calcium levels range from brittle bones, abnormal blood clotting and delay in children's growth and development.

    When we are born the amount of calcium we need slowly increases from about 200mg, as our body grows with children from age nine to early twenties needing around 1300mg a day. Adults both male and female need about 1000mg a day of calcium. As we age the amount of calcium we need increases again, especially for women.

    Another important time for an increase of calcium is during your second and third trimester and when breastfeeding.

    To make sure you a

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  8. Weekly Tip - Sleep

    Sleep is something we often don’t get enough of, but its essential to our health and wellbeing. Poor sleep can cause havoc not only on our physical health, but our mental health too. A good nights sleep is definitely something that we should prioritising.

    Easier said than done - i know….but read below to see some of the reasons why it’s so important.

    Brain function - when we don't get enough sleep our memory is impaired, we don't think as ‘quickly’ or rationally as we should. It’s also harder to learn new information when we are sleep deprived.

    Keeps our hearts healthy - when we sleep our blood pressure reduces giving our hearts and blood vessels a little rest. Studies show poor sleep can make you at greater risk for heart attacks or strokes.

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  9. Aloe Vera

    Aloe vera is perennial succulent plant that originates from Northern Africa. There are over 400 different aloe species that can be found around the world with aloe vera being the commonly used for medicinal purposes which dates back hundreds of years. If you walk into any health store today you will find it in many different forms, from gels, lotions, tablets to refreshing drinks.

    Aloe vera is made up of fleshy green leaves that contain a ‘gel’ which is  what will come to mind for most when they think of the plant. The gel contains antioxidants, antiviral, anti fungal, anti inflammatories and antibacterial properties. Interestingly aloe vera contains 20 amino acids, including 8 out of the 9 essential amino acids.

    Aloe vera is most commonly know for its use in wound healing and sunburn, but it has quite a few benefits when taken as a supplement or drink.

    When taken internally aloe vera can help with the below.

    Relieve constipation

    Aloe ver

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  10. Amino Acids

    Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and make a large part of our muscles and tissue. There are 20 amino acids in total which can be broken down into two categories essential and non-essential. There are 9 essential amino acids which our body cannot make so it’s important that we are getting them through our diet. The other 11 amino acids are non-essential as they can be produced by our bodies. That being said, within the 11 non-essential amino acids there are 6 conditionally essential amino acids, meaning that in times of illness or stress we may need larger quantities of the amino acid which our bodies are unable to produce so we must get it through diet.

    Eating a wide variety of animal proteins is the best way to insure that you are getting all the different essential amino acids in your diet. But good news if you are vegetarian or vegan there are plant based proteins you can eat such as quinoa, buckwheat a

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