Category: Info

Research just released by the British Medical Journal highlights 5 factors that are associated with a longer life free of major chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer (1). These are: 1. Not smoking 2. Having a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9 3. Engaging in moderate to vigorous activity for at least 30 ...

After the indulgences of the festive season January is seen as a time for new beginnings; a time to get into new habits, behaviours, lifestyles and diets. Often these involve the desire to better oneself – to lose weight, do more exercise, drink less alcohol, and generally to give things up. Often the focus is on what is wrong with oneself. This ...

If you’ve read the blog posts Happy Healthy Christmas Tips and Be Prepared! you’ll have some ideas for how to ease the pressure over Christmas. It’s also a good idea to have a few well chosen ingredients in stock so that you, or someone else, can rustle up quick, easy, delicious meals without too much bother. Below are a few ideas for the ...

For thousands of years midwinter has been considered a sacred time of ritual, reflection and renewal. Midwinter celebrations date back to long before Christianity; indeed, it is likely that the early Christians chose this time to celebrate the birth of Jesus because it was already a time of celebration. In recent times we’ve lost touch with the ...

Evidence is growing for the relationship between nutritional deficiencies, diet quality and mental health, and for the use of dietary changes and nutritional supplements to improve mental well being (1). The blog post The Microbiome and Mood shows there is increasing evidence for the gut microbiome as a key factor in the link between diet and ...

The gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem of organisms comprising bacteria, yeasts, fungi, viruses and protozoans that live in our digestive system. These organisms are vital for breaking down food and toxins, making vitamins and playing a role in our immune systems. More recently it has become clear that the gut microbiota have an important ...

As the nights get longer and the temperatures and opportunities to be outside reduce many people start to feel blue. For some people this is more serious and the shorter days lead to depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This form of depression affects about 1% to 2% of the population. SAD comes on during the autumn and winter months ...

If you have read the blog post on The Benefits of Seasonal Eating you’ll know that eating foods when they are in season is good for health, flavour and the planet. Seasonal foods vary depending on where you are in the world. Here we’ll focus on what’s in season in most of the UK, Europe and North America during each season. If you are in the ...

We live in a world that is almost completely cut off from the turning of the world around the sun. We are cocooned in houses and offices that remain at a constant temperature all year round. If the weather is unfavourable we take the car rather than surrendering to the elements. And as for our diets we could be eating food from 5 different ...

Essential oils are widely available and have many useful properties. They are powerful so should be used with care. In general they should be diluted in a carrier oil before applying to the skin. See the posts on Herbal Remedies and Supplements for more ideas. Carrier oils – any oil can be used as a carrier oil to dilute essential oils ...