Can the scent of fruit help us make healthier food choices?

Mar 21, 2014

Psychologists at the University of Bourgogne in Dijon, France have released a study that reveals how smelling fruit before making a food choice can help us stick to healthier choices.

The study was conducted in two groups, one sat in a room fragrant with pears while the other sat in an unscented room.

Following this the two groups were presented with a three-course dinner. The smell of the fruit only affected how the dessert choices were made rather than the starter of the main course.

It showed how the room that was exposed to the fruit smell were more likely to make a healthy choice.

While more than half of the group sat in the fragrant room chose the fruity dessert option, three out of four of the other group chose the unhealthier option of a chocolate brownie.

Hmm, maybe that apple at the bottom of your bag may come in handy after all.

Get your good sexual health on with regular testing

Mar 20, 2014

by Amber Saunders

You may not want to give much thought of problems ‘down there’ when you’re young, free and having fun.

But if you’re sexually active, you’ve probably heard the following advice many times: Use protection and make sure you get tested.

This is really important to get regularly tested, because you could have a sexually transmitted infection (STI) without knowing it.

In many cases, no signs or symptoms occur, such as chlamydia, which is the most common STI amongst Irish young people.

What type of STD you’re testing for and how often you should be screened all depends on your age, your sex life and other factors, so ask your doctor or do some research online.

Don’t assume that you’re receiving STI testing every time you have a gynaecologic exam or Pap test. If you think you need testing, request it from your doctor.

If you notice any weird feelings ‘down there,’ or any unusual discharge or discomfort when peeing, you should see your doctor straight away as these may be signs of an STI.

Just how bad are high heels for your health?

Mar 19, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Most of us shudder at the thought of having to give up our favourite pair of heels.

The perfect pair of skyscrapers can make or break any outfit, but just how much of our health are we sacrificing for foot fashion?

Studies have shown that towering tootsies can take their toll on your spine, hips, knees, ankles and feet, while even altering your posture and gait.

Here’s how high heels affect different parts of your body and why it may be something you won’t stand for anymore.

Feet
The higher the heel, the bigger the impact. Normally, your feet act like weight-distributing shock absorbers, cushioning your skeleton from the intense, daily amount of pounding. However, one study found that four-inch stilettos can raise the amount of pressure on the front of the foot by 30 percent or more. Ouch!

Ankles and calves
Wearing heels forces your ankles to bend forward, a movement that could restrict circulation in your lower limbs. If you’re a regular heel wearer, this could eventually spell spider veins.

Back
In order to strut around in heels, your spine needs to sway unnaturally, a process that stresses your lumbar erector spinae muscle and in time this could result in a weak and painful lower back.

5 easy but important things you can do for your health

Mar 19, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Our busy and hectic schedules mean it can sometimes be hard to look after our health properly.

Here are some important health related issues we shouldn’t ignore.

1. Get 30mins of exercise daily
You don’t have to pound the pavements with the marathon runners (unless you want to!) but do try and get that heart rate up.

2. Don’t smoke
It’s one of the worst things you can do for your health with high risks of heart disease and lung cancer – is it worth it?

3. Know your body
Be aware of your breasts so you will notice any changes. Keep an eye on your moles and get any you may be concerned about checked out by your GP.

4. Look after your teeth
Oral hygiene is very important for our health. There have even been possible links between heart disease and periodontal disease. Brush properly, floss and use a mouthwash.

5. Get your beauty sleep
Sleep is so important for our health, both physically and mentally. So get to bed early and wake up refreshed and content.

Top tips to help you ease your hay fever

Mar 11, 2014

by Amber Saunders

With the summer just around the corner, hay fever suffers are already bracing themselves for itching eyes and sneezing.

However, sticking to these top tips will help you to handle your hay fever with no problem at all.

Wash your hair and change your clothes before going into your bedroom. This will help prevent you sleeping on pollen.
Smear a little nasal balm along your nose to stop pollen getting in and invest in a pair of wraparound sunglasses
Don’t hang your washing out at dawn or dusk as this is when the pollen counts are at their highest.
Pollen is carried in diesel fumes so city dwellers are equally pone to it.
Combine an antihistamine with a spray. The spray has an anti-inflammatory effect while the antihistamine blocks the chemical histamine.
If all else fails or you find the tablets are not working, acupuncture could be your answer.

Get those tissues ready as summer is on its way.

Introducing teff, the African grain to take over from quinoa

Mar 6, 2014

by Amber Saunders

It looks like quinoa’s time in the spotlight may be coming to an end as a new grain is hitting the headlines.

Teff, Eragrostis tef, is a species of lovegrass that is native to Ethiopia. Teff is a massive crop in Ethiopia, accounting for 20% of all land under cultivation.

It has all of the similar gluten-free and protein attributes that quinoa is famed for, and then some.

The grain is unusual in that it is a fantastic source of vitamin C.

Victoria Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow are said to be fans of the grain, so no doubt it will be hitting the shelves soon with that endorsement!

Bad habits that damage our emotional health

Feb 28, 2014

by Amber Saunders

When life beats us down, we can do two things about it: accept our situation or try to change it.

A lot of the time, we blame ourselves for what goes wrong without realising the damaging affects the self-blame has on our health.

Here are more bad habits that damage our emotional health:

Self-criticism
We are the worse critics for ourselves and often demoralise ourselves when we fail. Remember, failure is a sign that you’re trying and it’s also a great teacher.

Unnecessary pride
Even when we know we should apologise, our pride doesn’t let us. If you want to gain the forgiveness of others, then admit your mistakes and take responsibility for what you did.

Internal-dialogue
This is probably the most damaging of the three. We often tend to use negative internal dialogue when we talk about ourselves. This monologue decrease self-esteem and self-worth.

Remember, positive minds live positive lives.

Eat cake and still lose weight

Feb 21, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Even though Marie Antoinette never actually said, “Let them eat cake” it hasn’t stopped her name being used for the latest fad diet.

Dieters will be ecstatic to hear that they can lose weight by eating cake in the morning.

The diet, which was discovered by Parisian-based writer Karen Wheeler, claims that by eating dessert in the morning you won’t crave sweets later on in the day.

Wheeler’s book The Marie Antoinette Diet: Eat Cake and Still Lose Weight doesn’t just talk about when you should eat, but also what you should eat.

Karen says: “The more I looked into the Queen’s diet, the more I became convinced that it held the key to the so-called ‘French paradox’” (the age old question of how French people can eat so much fatty food but still avoid heart disease).

The book explains that the wife of Louis XVI ate her meals in a roundabout way: she had dessert for breakfast, fish and veggies at lunch and soup for dinner.

The author claims to have lost a stone and a half in ten weeks which is pretty impressive although a healthy balanced diet and exercise still tops any fad.

Victoria Beckham runs four miles every morning

Celebrity

Feb 18, 2014

by Amber Saunders

So that’s how she does it!

Victoria Beckham has revealed to Allure magazine that she runs at 6.00 am every morning for four miles. Now that is dedication!

The designer also spoke about speculation she had a boob job in the past, finally revealing: “I don’t have them anymore. I may have purchased them.”

Speaking about her husband, David, Victoria only had great things to say fourteen years into their relationship: “He’s a fantastic father. He’s incredibly talented, a wonderful husband.”

We’re not sure what it is but Victoria is becoming more likeable as the days go by. Take notes, Gwyneth.

Are you doing this daily activity right?

Feb 17, 2014

by Amber Saunders

We all walk every day, whether it’s to the car or to the bus at last some part of your daily activity involves walking. However, you might be doing it wrong without even noticing.

Here is how you should be walking:

Take shorter steps
When walking you should be taking short steps rather than long strides as they can lead to hyperextension of the knees which is when the knee joint is taken further than its normal range of motion. If you push your stride too far you risk your calf muscle having to push backward in order to push the body forward, which is not good.

Lean forwards
Most people think they walk with a slight hunch when in actual fact people tend to lean slightly backwards. We should be taking full advantage of gravity and engage core walking muscles.

Alternate your arms and legs
With each step you take your arms and legs should be working in opposition with your left arm moving just as far as your right leg.

It’s not hard to change the way you walk – it will eventually become natural.

The most important spices to have in your cupboard

Feb 11, 2014

by Amber Saunders

1. Salt
Salt enhances the flavour of food. Choose salt that is not white if you can as it contains more minerals. Salts such as Celtic sea salt or Himalyan pink salt are much healthier than regular white table salt.

2. Black Pepper
Black pepper promotes intestinal health.

3. Cinnamon
Not only is cinnamon the perfect addition in curries and sweet desserts, it also stabilises blood sugar levels, reducing sugar cravings.

4. Cumin
A curry wouldn’t be the same without cumin.

5. Cayenne
Cayenne adds strong heat to your food and boosts the metabolism.

6. Tumeric
Tumeric is an anti-inflammatory and provides a bright colour for your food.

7. Ginger
Ginger is really versatile and can be used in sweet and savoury dishes. It also relieves headaches and queasy stomachs.

Is sugar killing us?

Feb 10, 2014

by Amber Saunders

At some stage or another it seems as if everything is bad for us but now it would seem doctors and health experts around the world finally agree on one thing – white refined sugar is killing us.

With a massive rise in obesity and diabetes worldwide and in Ireland, is our massive consumption of sugar the root of these problems?

Sugar is in almost everything that we eat including chocolate, sweets, all fizzy and juice drinks, cereals, even beans and ketchup have high levels of sugar!

While we have learnt to check the calories and grams of fat on the products that we eat, are we ignoring the biggest threat of all to our health – the sugar content?

We can tackle our intake of sugar by checking the foods we eat and trying to eat less processed food and eating more fruit and vegetables. Swap white, refined sugar for raw honey or agave syrup.

Try to avoid sweeteners as they are laden down with chemicals – yuck.