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Welcome to the personal shop of: Gustav Restau 9144183

Your Wellness Centre – holistic wellbeing inspiration

Whether you’re starting your journey into the world of nutritional supplementation and holistic wellbeing or already well on your way, we have information, guidance and expert opinion to help and support you. Let us make it as easy as possible for you with a definitive range of trustworthy, authoritative and informative easy to read articles and advice.

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Discover the life of a professional cliff diver, Iris Schmidbauer

Reading Time: 4 minutes Building inspirational communities to inspire more and more people to lead healthier and happier lives. We recently sat down with German professional cliff diver and Red Bull Athlete, Iris Schmidbauer, who continues to push the boundaries of the sport as she works towards being the next world champion. We spoke with her about how she […]

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Meet Margaux from women’s cycling team, Lifeplus-Wahoo

Reading Time: 3 minutes Physical activity, work-life balance, happiness and community all play a key part in helping others unlock their wellness within and lead happier and healthier lives. There are many contributing factors to your overall wellness, as well as different approaches, and various levels. And when two powerful forces in the world of wellness align, the support […]

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The importance of a good support system

Reading Time: 3 minutes At times we may feel that we need to do things on our own, but the importance of having a support system can never be disregarded. Regardless of our age, needs and desires, we may see that at different points in our life, we have turned to different people for different things. And it’s just […]

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Best hobbies for the over 50s

Reading Time: 6 minutes Have you been keen to try some new hobbies but can’t find the time? Well, many people over 50 choose to make time, not simply for the pleasure of trying something new, but for the benefit of their mental health and wellbeing. It’s a brilliant way to make new friends, de-stress and have fun – […]

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What are 5 ways to show gratitude?

Reading Time: 6 minutes Gratitude is one of the most soul-nourishing acts you can do; it can heal your heart, lift your spirit, and raise your joy and well-being levels. While showing appreciation for someone or something else can become a wonderful part of your daily practice of meditation, kindness and connection. Everyone loves hearing these magic words, ‘Thank […]

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What are good daily habits?

Reading Time: 5 minutes It can be quite tricky to keep up good daily habits, can’t it? But, the benefits of choosing to prioritise your health and well-being are so positive that we should take the time to prioritise them. Good daily habits can help prevent overwhelm, burn-out, stress and even illness. By building a more robust immune system […]

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Gratitude Icebreaker Questions

Reading Time: 5 minutes Gratitude is an attitude: it may sound corny, but the truth is that if you seek out good things, you can always find them and the best part: your physical and mental wellbeing will improve overwhelmingly. Sometimes we struggle to see the good in the world, and even in our day to day lives – […]

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Can stress help you achieve your career goals?

Reading Time: 4 minutes The short answer is yes; stress can help you achieve your goals, BUT only with effective stress management. We all experience varying levels of stress throughout our lives, no matter our age, job, individual circumstances, or health status. However, it’s especially true at work, where we spend an awful lot of our time. Whether you […]

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Why personal accountability is the key to healthy living

Reading Time: 3 minutes There are various times in our lives when we’re more likely to address our current behaviours: a new year, a landmark birthday, or a significant life event to name a few. But as we all know, creating resolutions is far easier than sticking to them! So, rather than just setting goals and being disappointed if […]

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Why is eye contact important?

Reading Time: 2 minutes Our eyes provide us with the incomparable gift of sight, but they’re also excellent communicators. That’s right – your eyes are critical in facilitating communication. What they convey can completely change the mood of a conversation. From empathy to anger, our eyes are windows to what we’re feeling. Have you ever seen someone smile, but […]

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The six principles of Pilates

Reading Time: 2 minutes Pilates was founded with six key principles in mind: Breath, concentration, centre, control, precision and flow. By building a strong foundation in each of these areas, your practice will improve, and your body will respond more effectively to the gift of exercise you are giving it. Let’s take a closer look at each one of […]

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What does Pilates do, and how does it differ from other fitness regimens?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Many practitioners of Pilates find it to be more than a workout. In lots of cases, Pilates is a lifestyle. The benefits that come with practicing its exercises are incomparable, especially as a regimen you can teach and train yourself to master. What does Pilates do? Pilates is about training your muscle groups to work […]

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How often should you do Pilates?

Reading Time: 2 minutes When it comes to how often one should exercise, the answer is often subjective. Generally, the recommendation is thirty minutes of exercise daily for five days a week. But when it comes to Pilates specifically, what’s the right amount to practice? How often should you do Pilates? The creator of Pilates himself, Joseph Pilates, recommended […]

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Goal-setting with Olympic triple jumper, Christian Taylor

Reading Time: 7 minutes Whatever they may be, big or small, goals can be stepping stones to a happier life and the journey we take to reaching them can make all the difference. Working towards something we want (a goal) is an important part of being human. It may not always go smoothly and the route may not always […]

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Serotonin: A happiness chemical

Reading Time: 2 minutes Did you know that certain chemicals in our bodies (four neurotransmitters, to be exact) influence our levels of happiness? Serotonin is one of these wondrous neurotransmitters known collectively as happiness chemicals (in addition to dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins). Specifically, it’s associated with mood and the feelings of relaxation and calm. Designed to communicate information throughout […]

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Staying active: Olympic athlete James Ellington through the ages

Reading Time: 4 minutes Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can focus on for your health. From managing your weight, to improving your state of mind and overall fitness – the benefits of staying active are well known. And this is the case no matter your age. Whilst motivations and activities may be different […]

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What is Forest Bathing (Shinrin-yoku)?

Reading Time: 4 minutes We sat down with Lisa, qualified Forest Bathing Guide and self-confessed nature lover, to learn about the practice of Shinrin-yoku. So, what is Forest Bathing (and do you need a swimsuit?) Can you join in without a forest on your doorstep? And what benefits might you experience from this Japanese practice? So Lisa, how did […]

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How do the Japanese live a long life?

Reading Time: 5 minutes As of September 2022, the World Population Review declared Japan as having the second-highest life expectancy worldwide. Beaten only marginally by Hong Kong who hold the top spot, the Japanese are living to an average of 84.67 years. But why is this? Is it down to diet? Social practices? Exercise? Genetics? Or a combination of […]

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How rethinking happiness expectations can lead to hope and joy

Reading Time: 2 minutes With our own expectations, we can set ourselves up for failure. By thinking that the next new thing will finally help us reach that elusive feeling of happiness, we’re unknowingly hurting our chances for joy. Mis-wanting, adapting, and mis-predicting can leave us wanting, so we developed this guide to rethinking happiness and how it can […]

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How reference points affect our happiness

Reading Time: 3 minutes It happens every day. We feel content with ourselves and life, for the most part, until we see somebody else who is doing better. We begin to question our jobs, our choices, and even ourselves. What led us to this point and how is somebody else enjoying life so much more than we are? It […]

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The mental and physical health benefits for kids associated with playing football

Reading Time: 4 minutes Kicking a ball about is an age-old pastime enjoyed by boys and girls in countries across the world. Whether it’s playing after school, in a football leagues at the weekend, or just in their own garden, there’s something that draws kids in and makes them want to get out there and give it a go. […]

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How parents can support balance in kids

Reading Time: 2 minutes The excitement of an infant sitting up or crawling for the first time.  The wonder of when a toddler takes a few new steps or whirls around on a tricycle.  The awe of a child practicing cartwheels and riding a two-wheel bike. Not only are these momentous occasions ones of emotional amazement for parents, but […]

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Five reasons why encouraging an active childhood lifestyle is important

Reading Time: 2 minutes An active childhood is beneficial for physical, mental, and social wellbeing. It promotes bone health, enhances immunity, manages stress, and encourages connection with others.  Not to mention, it can just be plain fun. However, younger generations are currently facing a global pandemic with a limit on who they can interact with, an increase in societal […]

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Ten ways to enjoy an active family lifestyle

Reading Time: 3 minutes A snuggly night on the couch watching movies and snacking on popcorn may be a family favorite, but an afternoon of soccer in the park, swimming in the neighborhood pool, or hiking in the nearby woods can be just as enjoyable. However, the latter may not seem as easy these days. In recent times, many […]

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Creative garden ideas for kids

Reading Time: 2 minutes What’s more fun for kids than playing in the dirt? Getting rewarded for those soiled hands with beautiful blooms, fresh vegetables, and aromatic herbs that teach them the value of our earth and the beauty and abundance it offers. And it doesn’t just stop there. Gardening for children strengthens young microbiomes, teaches the importance of […]

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Cycling with Malcolm Vincent

Reading Time: 2 minutes Malcolm Vincent, Lifeplus’ very own Managing Director and bike enthusiast, sat down with us to talk all things cycling. We discuss the benefits of being out on your bike, how Malcolm refuels after a ride, and the oldest bicycle in his collection (hint – it’s over 100 years)! When and how did you first get […]

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Ten reasons why gardening is great for kids

Reading Time: 2 minutes For many of us, the joys of childhood were simple – a popsicle on a warm day, a book read to us, and hours of playing in the dirt. Little did we know that simply playing in the dirt (provided it wasn’t filled with toxins and chemicals) was strengthening our immune system and building its […]

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Three ways to give kids a strong foundation for lifelong healthy bones

Reading Time: 2 minutes Each little body boasts over 200 bones that allow for movement, protect organs, create blood cells, and store vital nutrients – quite an important system for growing kiddos. These bones continue to build density until around the age of 30. After this it’s important to maintain their strength to ward off breakdown as we grow […]

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Ikigai in new beginnings

Reading Time: 2 minutes Are you ready to welcome a fresh start with purpose? Do you want to set goals that sync with your values and strengths? Do you wonder if reaching these goals will bring fulfilment and joy? Using your ikigai can guide your determinations for success and enjoyment. Ikigai is the Japanese concept for living a life […]

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An introduction to Olympic triple jumper, Christian Taylor

Reading Time: 10 minutes Inspiration. Every day the Lifeplus community strives to inspire people around the world to live well. People get it from their work, their families, their mentors, their heroes and even their personal and business challenges. Our community is full of inspirational people and we’re proud to expand this by introducing a new sponsorship deal with […]

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Ikigai – what makes a good life?

Reading Time: 2 minutes Is it spending our days with those we love? Is it living out our passions? Is it safety and security? How about having good health? Living where you want? Or loving what you do? What is it that makes a good life? The answer to this ubiquitous question may hold the secret to happiness, and […]

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What is the difference between acupressure and acupuncture?

Reading Time: 5 minutes The benefits of acupressure for health and wellbeing are well documented throughout history, especially across Asia and the East. In recent years, the West has embraced these Traditional Chinese practices and understood their benefits to stimulate the flow of energy or Qi through our bodies, relieving disease and pain while restoring balance and harmony. What […]

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Three surprising happiness health secrets

Reading Time: 3 minutes What makes you happy? Is it a day at the beach listening to the sounds of the waves? How about a piece of your favorite chocolate cake? Or maybe a morning jog as the sun rises? All these things can bring about happiness, but did you know it’s actually due to the chemical reactions these […]

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How to support immunity in teens when they’re too busy to think about it

Reading Time: 3 minutes With a full school load, sports and hobbies, a possible part-time job, and an active social life, how many teens actually have time to pay attention to what they’re doing to support their immunity? It’s no surprise that teens are often too busy to be mindful of their bodies’ defences, but that doesn’t mean this […]

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Ten tips for a healthy immune system in kids

Reading Time: 3 minutes Children can be resilient when it comes to sickness, and their immune system is what’s to thank. But we all know it’s hard to keep little hands from germ-covered toys, screens, noses, and mouths.  That’s why it’s essential that kids are provided with the support they need to keep their immune system balanced and strong. […]

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The connection between oxytocin and happiness

Reading Time: 2 minutes If all you need really is love, then oxytocin may be where it’s at. This neurotransmitter is categorized as one of the four “happiness chemicals” (in addition to dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins) and is known for its link to feelings of love and connection. Oxytocin is created in the hypothalamus gland and released by the […]

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Support kids’ immunity with these five key nutrients

Reading Time: 3 minutes They’re explorers, thinkers, discoverers, and contributors. They love to play everything from make believe to organised sports and whatever they can find in between. No activity filled with fun is too big or too small – they want to do it all. And to do it all, they need a strong immune system. We’re talking […]

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The relationship between endorphins and happiness

Reading Time: < 1 minute Do you feel less stressed after a good run? How about more grounded during yoga? Or refreshed after a relaxing massage? That’s because of endorphins. Endorphins are neurotransmitters (chemicals that send messages throughout the body) released through aerobic exercise and other calming activities with the effect of relieving or reducing pain. They’re a type of […]

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Understanding the importance of the immune system

Reading Time: 3 minutes Our immune systems need our support.  Our immune system is designed to be our first line of defence for fighting off what can make us sick. It’s a protector, a supporter, and a balancer. What more could we ask of it? However, when our immune systems become compromised due to a variety of lifestyle and […]

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Ten ways to strengthen your immune system

Reading Time: 2 minutes The best approach to good health is one that’s proactive. That’s why it’s important we support the immune system, a complex structure dedicated to protecting us from harmful outside invaders and fighting off what we come down with. This intricate bodily system plays a significant role in overall health by protecting, supporting, and balancing our […]

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The link between dopamine and happiness

Reading Time: 2 minutes Doesn’t it feel good when you’ve completed a big project, learned something new, or achieved a set goal? That sense of accomplishment and fulfillment is a reward that’s attributed to our state of happiness. Quite often, that’s due to the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is one of four neurotransmitters known as happiness chemicals. Along with serotonin, […]

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Understanding our physical happiness chemicals

Reading Time: 2 minutes Contrary to what we may think, happiness is not all in our heads. Chemicals in our physical makeup play a significant role in the state of our happiness and the actions we take can inspire our bodies to make more. This means that what we think, the behaviors we exhibit, the food choices we make, […]

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How to eat for your immune system

Reading Time: 2 minutes Every time you eat, you have a choice.  Do you choose to eat something that is nutritious and healthy for you? Or do you opt for what tastes good and is convenient? We all have moments where we indulge in less-than-ideal meals, but on an average daily basis, what are the choices you make when […]

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What is an example of positive stress?

Reading Time: 5 minutes Stress is a normal part of life. Although we tend to think of it as a negative and use the word mostly to describe bad experiences, it really just refers to our body and mind’s response to any challenging demand. In reality, not all stress is bad for you. If you’re running a marathon, delivering […]

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Why is stress management important for students?

Reading Time: 6 minutes What is stress? All of us experience stress throughout our lives. There are common stressors we all recognise, such as major life changes, uncertainty about the future, illness, conflict, and financial problems. Although these can cause real challenges to our mental health, stress isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, in certain circumstances, short-term positive […]

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What is adrenal fatigue?

Reading Time: 3 minutes While it is not recognised as a medical condition, the term adrenal fatigue was coined in 1998 by the chiropractor and naturopath James Wilson and is thought to occur when one or more essential hormones, including cortisol, are not being produced in high enough amounts by your adrenal glands. When we are experiencing stress, our […]

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A year in review by James Ellington

Reading Time: 5 minutes Community is an important element that makes up Lifeplus. That’s why we’re so committed to driving initiatives that help others to succeed – on every level. And we’re delighted that our continued partnership with Olympic athlete, James Ellington, enables us to support his comeback through our quality products and enthusiastic community. James continues to inspire […]

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Why it might be time to consider giving kickboxing a try

Reading Time: 3 minutes The health benefits of physical exercise are well reported, and we all know that we should be doing more physical exercise but doing the same old workout routing day-in and day-out can become a bit boring. Perhaps it’s time you tried something different? Have you considered kickboxing? If not, then why not? The fun exercise […]

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How do therapy dogs help with depression?

Reading Time: 6 minutes Anyone who has ever owned a dog will know the companionship and comfort they can bring to their human owners. Dogs are very special creatures, which is why they are used more and more to help treat people with mental health issues, including depression. Simply stroking a dog can help improve your mood and calm […]

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What are the benefits of stress management in the workplace?

Reading Time: 6 minutes Thankfully, the benefits of stress management in the workplace are gradually becoming more widely recognised and implemented as part of workplace culture. Companies of all sizes are beginning to understand that good mental health is essential for their employees’ health and wellbeing, but it’s also good financial business practice. According to research published by Great […]

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The buzz about bone broth

Reading Time: 2 minutes Considering the nutritional value of bone broth paired with its deliciousness, it’s no wonder this simple concoction is on-trend. Bone broth, made from simmering animal meat bones in water with a variety of vegetables and herbs, is a nutritional powerhouse consisting of collagen (which converts to gelatin when cooked), vitamins, and minerals. It can be […]

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Ten self-care tips for a successful holiday season

Reading Time: 2 minutes Taking care of your mind and body during any time of the year is important. And during the holidays, it’s essential. The hustle and bustle of this time of year is often filled with scrumptious goodies and late-night parties – not to mention self-induced stress. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Make this […]

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Proper hydration during fall and winter

Reading Time: 2 minutes A crisp fall morning may call for a pumpkin spice coffee and a snowy winter afternoon can mean hot chocolate all around, but mindful hydration in cooler months should go beyond the occasional seasonal beverage. Hydration is important all year long. Not only does it help your overall sense of wellbeing, but specific benefits include: […]

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Seasonal living: Taking cues from nature for optimal wellness

Reading Time: 3 minutes In the modern world, we have the luxury of living in similar ways season to season, regardless of the time of year.  We can pick up a pint of strawberries in winter just as we can in summer. Sleep patterns can stay the same all year. And exercise in the gym can continue at a […]

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Delicious and nutritious winter foods

Reading Time: 2 minutes If you think fresh and nutrient-dense foods are only available in warmer months, think again. Winter is a wonderful time of year to take advantage of the abundance of delicious and nutritious foods.  Whether it’s roasting root vegetables for fibre and antioxidants, simmering broths for bone health and weight loss, or slicing citrus for immunity […]

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Ten ways to enjoy nutrient-dense winter foods

Reading Time: 2 minutes Winter is a time of hibernation in nature. For humans, this can make shopping for fresh produce feel stark and desolate. If you find yourself missing the sweet strawberries and ripe tomatoes of summer, don’t fret. Winter offers an abundance of nutrient-dense foods that can take your season from drab and boring to delicious and […]

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Supporting the immune system during holiday travel

Reading Time: 3 minutes Travel at the holidays is often exciting – the anticipation of getting away, the enjoyment of seeing loved ones, and the indulgence of our favourite meals all beckon to us. However, our immune systems can take a beating during this time, leading to susceptibility for colds and flu – not what we want our holidays […]

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How to detox naturally

Reading Time: 3 minutes Most of us know that when we’re sluggish, have gained unwanted pounds, and just aren’t feeling like ourselves that it’s probably time to detox. But did you know that in modern society, you probably need to detox just based on the pollutants we take in regularly? Whether it’s of our own doing or not, we […]

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Three simple ways to utilise the season for fitness inspiration

Reading Time: 2 minutes While an indoor targeted workout or organized class can be a wonderful way to manage your health, the great outdoors has just as much (if not more) to offer. Green exercise (movement practised in nature) can have positive effects on the mind and body that extend beyond the benefits of exercise inside.  In addition to […]

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Why and how to make a purposeful transition between seasons

Reading Time: 2 minutes Did you know the more connected we are with nature (like that of nature therapy), the healthier we may be?  Considering the great outdoors can do everything from nourish our bodies to boost our mood, it may be time to develop a deeper relationship with it in order to gain as many benefits as we […]

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Transitioning to a seasonal fall diet

Reading Time: 2 minutes In addition to the beautiful change of nature’s colours, the crisp feel of an autumn morning, and the cosiness of the early evening twilight, for many, falling in love with fall includes enjoying the rich, nutrient-dense foods that fill our plates. And for good reason. Even though today’s world offers the ease and accessibility of […]

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Foods to eat and avoid during pregnancy

Reading Time: 3 minutes Pregnancy is a time to be kind to yourself and listen to what your body needs. It’s also a time to be aware of certain foods that are less than ideal for the health of yourself and your growing baby. With a few tweaks, you can still enjoy a healthy and satisfying pregnancy diet that […]

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What are 10 benefits of meditation?

Reading Time: 7 minutes Over the past few decades, the practice of meditation has soared. Whether witnessed or experienced, the healing benefits of meditation are undeniable. Today, everyone from business people, professional athletes and children are learning how to meditate and embrace calm in both mind and body. The holistic benefits of meditation are diverse: It can help reduce […]

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How can you maintain good eye health and prevent sore eyes?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Eye health is impacted by a number of factors. Poor eye health can lead to symptoms ranging from sore eyes to dry, itchy eyes, blurred vision and more. As one of our five senses, eyesight is without a doubt important. Being able to see well is a huge benefit, and yet it’s something that is […]

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What is long COVID and how can you manage the symptoms?

Reading Time: 2 minutes When COVID-19 was first discovered, its main symptoms were quickly learned – a persistent cough, a temperature and a loss of taste or smell being the main ones. What isn’t as well-known though, are the symptoms associated with long term COVID.   What is long COVID? Long COVID is the term given for the series […]

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How can you improve your memory?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Some people seem to be able to retain information and reel off facts and figures easily, while others might frequently struggle to remember even the simplest of things. It’s important not to panic if you find yourself become more forgetful, as studies have shown that memory will naturally decline as we age, so it’s not […]

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Menopause, or perimenopause?

Reading Time: 5 minutes When people talk of going through the menopause, what they are often actually talking about, is the perimenopause. Menopause is the end result – the time when your menstrual cycle stops, you no longer experience periods and you are no longer fertile. The process of reaching this point – the perimenopause – can take years. […]

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Everything you need to know about the menopause

Reading Time: 6 minutes All women will go through the menopause, yet for many, it’s a sensitive and sometimes difficult topic to discuss. We are aiming to demystify the cause and symptoms of the menopause, offering help and advice whether you are experiencing the menopause personally, or if you would like to be better equipped to offer support to […]

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The importance of improving lymphatic drainage

Reading Time: 3 minutes We all know that blood moves around the body, but did you know that lymph does too? ‘What on earth is lymph?’ you may wonder. Lymph is the fluid that flows through our lymphatic systems – the system responsible for removing toxic build-up from the body. It is part of our immune system and protects […]

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A holistic guide to your Mental Wellbeing

Reading Time: < 1 minute What are feel-good hormones? How do they lead to better physiological health and how can we boost them naturally to maintain a healthy mental state? Adopting an optimistic outlook is key to maintaining a healthy mind. Understanding how you think and feel inside is an essential part of your wellbeing. But sometimes, especially in challenging […]

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Create a Resilience action plan with James Ellington

Reading Time: 5 minutes What does it mean to be resilient? No matter what life stage you’re at, it’s inevitable that we all come across the ups and downs of life. Resilience is the ability to deal and bounce back from those difficult events. It doesn’t mean that emotional upheaval or varying stress levels aren’t experienced, it’s the way […]

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The importance of staying active during pregnancy

Reading Time: 3 minutes Taking care of yourself and your growing baby is the priority during any pregnancy. However, there’s an understandable temptation to view this as a green light to let exercise take a back seat for 9 months. The good news is that you can, and should, take things easier than usual – but this doesn’t mean […]

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Alternative therapies and their benefits

Reading Time: 3 minutes There are few things in life as important as our health. As incredible as modern medicine is, it’s also great that there are alternative therapies we can consider when looking for ways to keep ourselves healthy or address certain concerns we may have. While some may sound weird and wonderful if you haven’t come across […]

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What are the health benefits of sushi?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Famous as a Japanese cuisine, sushi has amassed an equally strong following in the West. In recent years, Japanese restaurants have been popping up in capital cities to small towns across the globe. Interestingly, sushi actually originated in China, where farmers first began fermenting fish with the rice from their paddy fields, rice vinegar and […]

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What is the connection between sleep and gut health?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Our bodies work in weird and wonderful ways! It might seem strange, but sometimes, things that affect one part of your body can also have an impact on a totally different part too. One such relationship is now thought to exist between gut health and sleep. Your gut can’t think and feel in the traditional […]

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Positive Stress

Reading Time: 3 minutes Can stress actually be a good thing? Most of us grew up believing that stress is a bad thing, after all, when we speak of stress it’s usually in relation to something bad. This is what’s known as ‘negative stress.’ It’s that unpleasant feeling of being out of control or unable to cope, which can […]

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Exercise during the menopause

Reading Time: 3 minutes Everything you need to know about exercise during the menopause All women will experience the menopause at some point and, while there may be some common ground, the symptoms that come with this will be unique to them. You might be lucky in experiencing only mild and short-lived symptoms or you might experience the dreaded […]

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What is chromotherapy?

Reading Time: 3 minutes It might sound like a long, complicated word, but chromotherapy is essentially ‘colour therapy’ – the ability of certain colours to impact our physiological health. You only have to look at the way we all wish to decorate our houses in a certain way or choose to wear particular colours to see that colour really […]

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What is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)?

Reading Time: 3 minutes New styles of movement workout seem to be popping up everywhere, promising incredible results and claiming to be the next big thing. With High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), there appears to be some truth to that claim. HIIT is essentially a style of movement workout that alternates between high intensity movements and periods of rest. […]

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Maximising your metabolism

Reading Time: 3 minutes Your metabolism is important in keeping you healthy but what exactly is a metabolism? Your metabolism is – in essence – a way of describing the chemical processes that continuously occur within your body to keep your organs functioning optimally and to keep you alive. 1 It is responsible for helping you breathe, for repairing […]

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The mental side of sports recovery

Reading Time: 2 minutes Sports injuries are common for most people who regularly take part in any form of movement workout. Hopefully, any injuries you sustain will be minor, but the more you do something, the more likely it is that will experience a more serious injury at some point. From sprains, strains and breaks to sports-specific injuries such […]

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Five myths about activity and aging

Reading Time: 3 minutes Too old to exercise? There’s no such thing! It’s time to dispel the top five myths about activity and aging. Have you fallen into the trap of believing you are too old to exercise? Don’t! The reasons you have been avoiding it are more than likely just myths. It’s time to reveal the truth so […]

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A focus on ‘feel good’ hormones

Reading Time: 2 minutes What on earth are ‘feel good’ hormones, you might wonder? Well, as the name implies, they are the hormones that make you feel good and help us maintain a healthy mental state. But what exactly are they and how do they have this power to influence our physiological health? Our hormones are essentially chemical messengers […]

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The 6 secrets to maintaining a new habit

Reading Time: 4 minutes When something is a habit you do it almost automatically and without thinking, but sometimes things we want to become a habit can seem a bit of a chore. Why is this? We all set ourselves goals and it’s great to do this, but with the best will in the world, much of the time […]

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The best exercises for strong respiratory health

Reading Time: 2 minutes The importance of good respiratory health cannot be stressed enough. Afterall, the ability to breathe is fundamentally what keeps us all alive. Our lungs are responsible for the process of breathing in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide, but there are some factors that can make their job more difficult – pollution, smoking and lack […]

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What are calisthenics?

Reading Time: 3 minutes What are calisthenics and why should you be doing them? Developed in ancient Greece, calisthenics are exercises of differing intensities and rhythms that can be completed using nothing but your own body weight – although you also have the option of introducing light handheld equipment. The variety of exercises you can perform target everything from […]

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The importance of warming up and cooling down

Reading Time: 3 minutes The importance of warming up and cooling down to improve your athletic performance Since our school days we have been told that it’s important to warm up and cool down whenever we perform any type of movement workout. We probably haven’t questioned it. After all, we know and accept that warming up and cooling down […]

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Dynamic stretching – what is it and why is it so important?

Reading Time: 3 minutes When you think of stretches, you’ll probably picture what is known as a static stretch. This is the type of stretch you would typically do at the end of exercise as part of your cool down routine and would involve standing in a relatively still position while moving parts of your body to gently stretch […]

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Sustainable living and how it affects our wellbeing

Reading Time: 4 minutes Sustainable living, at its core, involves considering how our actions affect the environment around us and doing what we can to reduce our impact on the planet. While the environmental impact of sustainable living is clear though, what you might not have realised is that sustainable living can also help to improve our own mental […]

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United by emotion – breaking down language barriers

Reading Time: 2 minutes As Allen Klein once said, “There are no language barriers when you are smiling.”  Although we may not all speak the same language, simply being human grants us a common bond in the ability to feel and share emotions, which allows us to communicate without the need for any words.1 While languages might be different, emotions […]

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The benefits of different types of running

Reading Time: 4 minutes If you’re not a regular runner, you might think of running as two distinct types – sprinting and long distance. After all, those are the ones you see on tv. Professional runners seem to be competing for the quickest time over a short distance, or over a longer distance, like in a marathon. If you […]

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The importance of the correct running form for injury prevention

Reading Time: 4 minutes Running is a great example of an accessible movement workout that can really help you reap the health benefits of physical exercise. While it’s relatively easy for most people to pick up, it’s also easy to run without using the correct form and technique, which can lead to a whole host of injuries from the […]

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Benefits of exercise for children’s mental health

Reading Time: 2 minutes How can positive mental health in children be enhanced by exercise? Mental health issues can affect people of all ages. And children, while often more carefree than adults, are also not immune. The health benefits of physical exercise extend beyond the physical and into the mental. With a proven link established between exercise and a […]

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Staying Healthy

Reading Time: 6 minutes Inspiring people to lead healthier lives is at the heart of all we do at Lifeplus. In light of the various questions circling around viruses, particularly Coronavirus, we wanted to remind you that we’re all in this together and share some advice from our very own Dr. Dwight McKee. Perspective is key. Remaining calm whilst […]

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Intestinal Health

Reading Time: 12 minutes Why healthy intestinal flora is so important The gut is the cradle of good health and the basis for your general well-being.1 Its large surface area makes it a very important organ in our bodies with its own ecosystem. Healthy intestinal flora contains 80% of all our immune cells, making it a significant protective shield […]

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Mental health and social media

Reading Time: 8 minutes Managing your mental health in the age of social media Social media is the great paradox of this generation, one that inspires intense debate and emotion. I, myself used to have a complicated relationship with it. Social media is a cornerstone of modern communication, one that makes networking easy, and connecting to friends all over […]

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Mental Health Tips

Reading Time: 9 minutes Mental health tips to avoid depression and improve your state of mind Having reviewed the Lifeplus: Attitudes to Mental Wellbeing Full Report conducted by Cambridge Market Research I recognise the concerns about use of antidepressant medications, including the frequency of use and long term effects, an increasing desire for alternative mental health support. About depression […]

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Healthy Eating

Reading Time: 10 minutes Live a healthier life with these easy tips You are what you eat, as they say. What we eat plays a huge role in our physical health. If you want to live a healthier lifestyle, eating well is essential. We know it’s not always easy to change your diet. So we want to pass on […]

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Leaky Gut

Reading Time: 7 minutes Leaky gut – what is it exactly? The term leaky gut, or what scientists call ‘increased intestinal permeability’, refers to a disorder in the protective barrier of the intestinal wall, primarily in the small intestine. As such, “leaky gut” therefore quite literally means a “leaky gut”. When the gut is “leaky”, incompletely digested protein (larger […]

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Why do we sometimes not lose weight when we exercise?

Reading Time: 4 minutes There are many health benefits of physical exercise, but sometimes, the one we want is simply weight loss. There’s nothing more annoying though, than being committed and disciplined on the exercise front and then getting on the scales at the end of the week only to find you haven’t actually lost any weight – or […]

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How to overcome sports performance anxiety

Reading Time: 3 minutes Suffering with anxiety is never a pleasant experience. The charity mind.org.uk describe anxiety as feeling tense, nervous or unable to relax. You may feel a sense of dread or of fearing the worst, or you may feel like the world is speeding up or slowing down and everyone is looking at you judging you for […]

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How can training your brain help with physical performance?

Reading Time: 3 minutes We all know that our brains and bodies are linked. But how do our cognitive abilities and our psychological health affect our physical abilities? How, for example, does training our brains help to improve response times, visual accuracy, memory and more? Sports performance requires a wealth of cognitive functions, such as attention, decision-making and working […]

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How do our recovery needs change as we age?

Reading Time: 3 minutes While it would be nice to have the same energy and ability to bounce back in our 40s, 50s and beyond, as we did in our teens and 20s, it’s sadly just not the case. As we get older our bodies don’t respond to our regular movement workouts in the same way. Tiredness, aches and […]

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Feet – the foundation of movement

Reading Time: 3 minutes Our feet are something that are very easy to take for granted as we use them daily and don’t even really think about it. Often it’s only when something goes wrong with our feet that we pay any real attention to them. This is doing our feet a disservice for they truly are the basis […]

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How can flexibility training benefit your overall fitness?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Flexibility is fundamental for everyday life. In fact, it’s so important that we often don’t think about it until something goes wrong and we start to miss it. Without flexibility we wouldn’t be able to perform everyday tasks, like bending over to pick something up, or sitting down in a chair. Flexibility also enables us […]

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How to enjoy a detox – naturally

Reading Time: 3 minutes Just the word ‘detox’ can quickly instil fear into people. It’s understandable – after all, when we think of a detox, we think about ‘getting rid’ of things. Often, these are things we enjoy and no one wants to be deprived of something that makes them happy. The good news is however, that not only […]

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What is endurance fitness?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Why endurance fitness should feature in your movement workouts Endurance is one of the four pillars of fitness and relates to your physical ability to sustain a movement workout for a prolonged period. The biggest threat to good endurance is fatigue, but by keeping at it and continuing to exercise, you will find things are […]

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What is strength fitness?

Reading Time: 2 minutes Why strength fitness should form a big part of your planned movement workouts. Being physically fit comes in different forms. For example, someone who can run a marathon is no doubt physically fit, but they might not be able to lift heavy weights. Someone who might be able to lift heavy weights on the other […]

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How to figure out the best personal exercise plan for weight loss

Reading Time: 4 minutes Losing weight isn’t always easy. That being said, it doesn’t have to be all that difficult either. To set ourselves up with the best chances for long terms success, sometimes we just need to step back and look at our current lifestyle so that we can come up with an exercise plan that is right […]

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Exercise and sustainable long term weight loss

Reading Time: 3 minutes Losing weight is a challenge, but it’s really only half the battle. The other half is keeping it off. Many people who lose weight ultimately gain it back, with research showing that only around a fifth of those successfully keeping the weight off in the long term.1 Don’t lose faith though, as there are scientifically […]

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Breathing exercises for weight loss

Reading Time: 3 minutes How and which breathing exercises can help you lose weight When we’re considering how best to lose weight, more often than not our thoughts will probably be centred around what we eat, and whether we regularly take part in a movement workout. That makes sense. These are, after all, two major factors that influence our […]

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Exercise to support a mental health issue

Reading Time: 3 minutes Getting started with exercise when you have a mental health issue The importance of mental health is thankfully becoming something that is more commonly spoken about. Our physiological health, and maintaining a healthy mental state, is just as important as our physical health. It affects how we think, feel and act, determines how we handle […]

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What is mindful exercise and why is it important?

Reading Time: 3 minutes The term ‘mindfulness’ is all around us these days, and there’s a huge emphasis on the importance of doing things ‘mindfully’ – but what does this mean? When it comes to exercise, psychologist Dr.Aria defines mindful exercise as  “letting go of unwanted thoughts and distractions, and instead, directing your attention to your physical sensations, breathing […]

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The importance of physical exercise for children

Reading Time: 2 minutes When we talk of children and physical exercise, it’s a lot different to how we would approach a movement workout for an adult – you certainly wouldn’t expect to see a child lifting weights at a gym, for example. For a child, any form of movement could be classed as physical activity, from running around […]

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Fitness at 40 and beyond

Reading Time: 3 minutes What to know about midlife exercise needs Turning 40 is a big milestone in life. On the one hand you may feel as youthful as you did when you were 20, but all you have to do is walk into a greeting card shop and you’ll be faced with rows of cards telling you that […]

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Stress and the effects it can have on your immune system

Reading Time: 3 minutes Stress affects different people in different ways, and we all have a different ability to cope with it depending on our genetics, early life events, personality and social and economic circumstances.1 According to the Mental Health Foundation, stress is the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure. What triggers […]

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The importance of nutritional education

Reading Time: 3 minutes What constitutes ‘good’ nutrition can sometimes get a little confusing, particularly when the words ‘nutrition’ and ‘diet’ can be closely linked. Nutrition education is the process of teaching the science of nutrition – what your body needs, why you need it, and where you can get it.1 A ‘good’ diet, for example, is going to […]

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Why we need vitamins and minerals – a focus on Magnesium

Reading Time: 2 minutes Vitamins and minerals are important for our overall health and it’s important to consume a full range, in the adequate amounts, so that our bodies function optimally. One of the minerals that is sometimes taken for granted is magnesium. Magnesium is prominent in the earth’s crust, so it’s not surprising that it’s incorporated into the […]

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Overcoming barriers to physical activity

Reading Time: 4 minutes Quite often, the most difficult thing about any type of regular movement workout is simply finding the motivation to start. It’s not even that moving your body is necessarily going to be hard… but not moving it is almost certainly going to be easier. Not moving your body won’t bring you the wonderful health benefits […]

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The fascinating benefits of cold water therapy

Reading Time: 3 minutes Traditional cold water therapy, also known as cold hydrotherapy, involves water that’s around 59°F (15°C) to treat heath conditions or stimulate health benefits. It might sound more like torture than therapy, but cold-water therapy is something that professional athletes have been harnessing the power of for years! Ice baths are known to help muscles post-workout […]

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Strength and conditioning – often overlooked but extremely important

Reading Time: 3 minutes Strength is a term that is often considered to be exclusive to those who lift weights or need power to exert force, such as a boxer or wrestler, but the truth is that all of us – both sportspeople and those with no interest in sports whatsoever – can benefit from a focus on strength […]

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James Ellington’s top ten tips to staying mentally focused

Reading Time: 5 minutes What is mental focus? Olympic athlete, James Ellington, is someone that has proven his mental focus through his incredible and inspirational journey to elite level athletic competition after a major road accident in 2017. Having suffered multiple severe injuries which saw him in a wheelchair, he experienced a knockback that not only threatened his career […]

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Multivitamins

Reading Time: 2 minutes What are multivitamins and why do we need them? Multivitamins can help give you a strong foundation for your overall health. If you are struggling to sleep, suffering from stress, or working in an environment that exposes you to more common illnesses such as coughs and colds for example, a multivitamin can ensure that you […]

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Snacking as part of a healthy living diet

Reading Time: 3 minutes How to enjoy snacking without weight gain as part of a healthy living diet Snacking gets a lot of bad press as it’s typically thought of as simply eating high-calorie foods between meals when you don’t really need them. But when done mindfully, snacking can actually be a great way to boost your diet with […]

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The importance of stretching

Reading Time: 4 minutes Is stretching really that important? How can something so simple bring such huge health benefits? It’s common to associate stretching with something only athletes and sports people need to do but stretching is beneficial for absolutely everybody! Stretching shouldn’t just become a priority when our muscles start to feel tight, or when we feel pain, […]

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The importance of finding a balance in your diet

Reading Time: 3 minutes The number of diet plans out there is vast and they cover a range of principles depending on your goals and lifestyle choices. Vegetarian, Vegan, Keto, Paleo, intermittent fasting… no wonder it’s confusing. What can make it even more confusing, is that often these diets will focus on one of the three main macronutrients (carbohydrates, […]

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The importance of using our five senses for wellbeing

Reading Time: 3 minutes Wellbeing is something we all aspire to, but it’s also something that we need to work at. Fortunately, by simply being mindful and becoming attuned to our five senses, we can learn to improve our wellbeing in all manner of ways. The link between wellbeing and our five senses Our brains are responsible for processing […]

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What are chemical imbalances and can they be controlled by diet?

Reading Time: 3 minutes All of our bodily functions, messages and impulses come from our brain, so what happens when it is deprived of certain nutrients, or when it isn’t getting the fuel it needs for us to function optimally? This is known as a chemical imbalance – it’s when the neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers in the brain are […]

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The health benefits of physical exercise and dance

Reading Time: 3 minutes How to harness the power of dance for better health Taking part in physical exercise offers many health benefits including better physical fitness, a better ability to manage weight and the reduction of stress levels. When we hear the word ‘exercise’ though, it can sound like a bit of a chore. It doesn’t have to […]

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How breathing differently can improve our wellbeing

Reading Time: 3 minutes Breathing is something that we all do, every second of every day, so it’s easy to take it for granted. We enter the world by inhaling air, and we leave it by exhaling air. Breathing brings us energy. It helps send oxygen into our cells to keep them functioning optimally and helps them get rid […]

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James Ellington’s insight into nutrition for athletes

Reading Time: 4 minutes An athlete’s nutritional approach to optimal performance Whether you’re exercising to improve your mental and physical health or at more of a professional athlete level, sports nutrition plays an important role in optimising the beneficial effects of physical activity, no matter what type of movement workout you do. Making the right choices with your nutrition […]

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Berries – a super tasty, superfood

Reading Time: 3 minutes The humble berry may be small but it is certainly powerful! Berries not only taste delicious, but are packed full of nutrients and antioxidants, making them incredibly good for you too. You may not have thought of berries as a superfood before but this is exactly what they are. Superfoods are foods that can offer […]

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Winter skin care

Reading Time: 3 minutes While some of us love the colder winter months, for many, life seems to slow down and we go inward. Because of this, winter is the perfect time to do more self-care, particularly when it comes to skin care. Just because the sun isn’t shining every day, it doesn’t mean our skin can’t glow. Top […]

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It’s all about balance – managing your weight with the 80/20 rule

Reading Time: 4 minutes There are many different diets that promote great results but the key is to find the one that works best for you. This will partly come down to your lifestyle – how much time you have to prepare meals, whether you have others to cook for in your household, and whether you have any particular […]

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What is manifestation and how can it improve your life?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Manifestation is strongly linked to the law of attraction.   If there is something you desire, you have to ask for it in order for it to happen. Essentially, it is the process of thinking positively or having aspirational thoughts with the purpose of turning them into reality. Bob Proctor, the famous Canadian self-help author […]

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Sophrology – a mind-body technique

Reading Time: 2 minutes What is sophrology and how can it help as a relaxation technique for stress control? In Switzerland and France, sophrology is widely used for stress control, but it’s a term that is not as widely recognised as it is elsewhere in Europe. That could soon be set to change though as the trend is beginning […]

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Summer and skincare

Reading Time: 4 minutes Your guide to fabulous skin in the warmer months! We all love summer but summer and skin problems go hand-in-hand. Skin conditions can be caused by gut health, foods and allergies but weather, pollution and other seasonal factors can also contribute to skin issues – particularly during the summer months. It’s common to think of […]

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How to progress from a healthy diet to a lifestyle change

Reading Time: 3 minutes A healthy diet and a lifestyle change can be similar but they are not the same thing. If you confuse the two, it can leave you feeling uncertain about what your actual goal is. Switching to a healthy diet is something you would usually do if you had a specific goal, such as weight loss. […]

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Everything you need to know about summer and hair care

Reading Time: 4 minutes Most of us long for the warm summer months but there’s no doubting that the change in seasons brings with it challenges for our hair. Part of the reason we need to rethink our haircare routine is down to temperature and humidity, and another part is a direct result of seasonal activities (think chlorinated pools, […]

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How to get a natural energy boost with superfoods

Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s so easy to run out of energy. We lead busy lives, full of responsibility and we have to find time to work, relax, sleep and of course, enjoy ourselves though the things we love, like socialising and keeping fit. All of these things require energy, which can be difficult to come by, but with […]

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The 11 components of fitness

Reading Time: 3 minutes Fitness is often thought of as a ‘one size fits all’ thing, whereby you are either fit, or you aren’t, but the science of fitness actually goes a lot deeper than that and demonstrates that there are a number of components that go into a person being physically fit.1 The strongest, most musclebound person may […]

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The unknown benefits of growing your own foods

Reading Time: 2 minutes From better nutrition to improved mental and physical health, the benefits of growing your own food are plentiful. Whether you are growing a small pot of kitchen herbs or an allotment full of fresh fruits and vegetables, you’re doing good for both your own health, and the environment. Here are our top five reasons to […]

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Mental wellbeing during a pandemic

Reading Time: 9 minutes Maintaining positive mental wellbeing during a pandemic. After reviewing the Lifeplus “Attitudes to mental wellbeing – phase 2 report” conducted by Cambridge Market Research, Dr Elizabeth Robinson RMN BSc (Hons) PhD ENB 985 DipMan IPT comments on the impact and context of Covid-19 and makes suggestions to help maintain positive mental health. Mental health in […]

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Balance – why it’s so important and how you can improve it

Reading Time: 3 minutes For any movement we perform, balance is a fundamental aspect of it. Often it will come without having to think about it, for example, simply standing upright on our own two feet requires us to maintain balance. While it often comes without thinking, that doesn’t mean it’s something that should be taken for granted. Studies […]

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Hydration, hydration, hydration – the importance of water!

Reading Time: 3 minutes Water is essential to life. Our bodies are made up of around 60% water so if we don’t keep this topped up, we run the risk of dehydration and illness. You literally cannot survive without water. Your body loses water regularly, through excreting it as waste but also through breathing, sweating and digestion. This is […]

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The benefits of working from home

Reading Time: 3 minutes Working from home benefits – are you making the most of them? While it may have seemed a year ago that everyone was working from home, that wasn’t the case.1 Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, with its required social distancing and stay-at-home mandates, remote working was increasing in popularity but it certainly wasn’t the […]

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Can you improve your mental strength and resilience?

Reading Time: 4 minutes Life throws us curveballs when we least expect them and there are many situations we may have to deal with that will test our feelings of being able to cope. Whether it’s the breakdown of a relationship, a job that doesn’t give satisfaction or a health concern, it can seem hard to steer clear of […]

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What is the role of electrolytes within our body?

Reading Time: 2 minutes You have probably heard of electrolytes before. They’re often found in sports drinks, or in recovery sachets to be added to water if you’ve been unwell, but do you know what they actually are and how they work? An electrolyte is a mineral that carries an electrical charge when it is dissolved in water. They […]

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What’s inner beauty?

Reading Time: 4 minutes What’s inner beauty got to do with how we look on the outside? The notion of beauty has changed over the decades and no longer conforms to a singular body type or a specific, enhanced physical feature. Instead, more women are embracing beauty as a multifactorial concept, with wellness at its nucleus and a recognition […]

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What’s intuitive eating?

Reading Time: 4 minutes What’s intuitive eating and how is it different to eating mindfully? Intuitive eating is the antithesis of dieting, calorie counting, food obsession and body shaming. The idea was first written about on a mainstream level about twenty years ago by Evelyn Tribole and Elise Resch. They wrote a book that among other things highlighted some […]

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What are toxic emotions and how can you stop them?

Reading Time: 5 minutes The term ‘toxic emotions’ is regularly used, but what are they exactly? They are feelings of anger, guilt, shame, anxiety, fear, self-loathing, regret, bitterness, and resentment – feelings that bring no positive benefit to our lives or our mental wellbeing. These are all toxic emotions that are harmful not just to us but to everyone […]

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Grey hair causes

Reading Time: 3 minutes Busting the myths about grey hair causes, once and for all. There are many urban myths about why our hair turns grey. Is there a link between grey hair and stress? Can a single scare turn a person’s hair white? Are smokers more prone to going grey early? It’s a fact of life that sooner […]

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What are superfoods and what makes them so special?

Reading Time: 4 minutes We’ve all got our own ideas of what a superfood is – many would argue that chocolate, for example, is a ‘super’ food, thanks to its delicious, morish flavour. But superfoods did not get their name because of the way they taste (although they do taste delicious!) but because of their very high nutritional density […]

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Raw cacao – better than chocolate? Here’s everything you need to know!

Reading Time: 3 minutes If you love chocolate but know that processed foods and sugars are not the best thing for you, then raw cacao could be just the answer! Note the spelling though, as while they are similar and look almost identical, cacao and cocoa are not the same thing. So, what exactly is raw cacao? Cacao could […]

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What helps joint health?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Many of us may not even think about our joints until something has gone wrong — particularly if they become swollen or painful. This is often the case in particular when it comes to exercise. It’s probably safe to assume that many of us exercise in order to keep our muscles strong and our cardiovascular […]

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What is floral therapy?

Reading Time: 4 minutes What is floral therapy and how does it benefit our wellbeing? There are many practices that have received a lot of attention in recent years for their soothing effect on our minds and how that plays into a more robust wellbeing: Mindfulness. Nature. Aromatherapy. Aesthetic pleasure. Manual and craft therapy. Utilitarian art. Creative expression. But […]

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Healthy Eating and Wellbeing Influences Generations to Come

Reading Time: 3 minutes Every action has a consequence and this is even true in terms of how our diet affects those who will be born after us. The diet you eat today will affect the bodies and worlds of your children and grandchildren. From epigenetics to environmental sustainability, your own eating habits—for better or for worse—will influence generations […]

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Gardening and wellbeing

Reading Time: 3 minutes Why gardening is good for you and how to reap its rewards Some people love gardening and view it as an enjoyable hobby. Others see it as a necessary chore. Whatever your viewpoint though, part-time or avid gardeners will be pleased to know that gardening and wellbeing are very closely related! Whether it’s by presenting […]

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The relationship between sport and correct nutrition

Reading Time: 5 minutes How to achieve your sporting goals Reducing fat or building muscles – the targeting of sports nutrition is versatile and can have different effects on the body. Sports nutrition that includes a balanced combination of minerals, vitamins, and essential nutrients offers the most benefits. The individual composition of the diet in sport not only depends […]

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How to boost mood with food

Reading Time: 3 minutes There are so many ways food can contribute to improved mood, which is one of the reasons why our relationship with food is a complicated one. We do not eat simply to fuel our bodies. We break bread with friends and families, passing on family recipes with fondness. We share meals to grow deeper in […]

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Altruism and happiness

Reading Time: 3 minutes Helping others and the link between altruism and happiness Have you ever wondered what altruism means? Altruism is the principle and moral practice of concern for the happiness of other human beings or other animals, resulting in a quality of life, both material and spiritual. Essentially by caring for others, it benefits your own wellbeing. […]

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Friendships and mental health

Reading Time: 3 minutes What is the link between friendships and mental health? Nurturing friendships is important throughout the life cycle. When we place value in our friendships, this positively affects our wellbeing – friendships and mental health are intrinsically linked. The evidence has shown us time and time again that we are influenced by our social groups and […]

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What is protein?

Reading Time: 4 minutes Everything you thought you knew but didn’t. Most of us know what protein is. Along with carbohydrates and fats, it makes up the three most important macronutrients of our diet.  Research has shown why it’s so beneficial as part of a balanced and healthy diet, as it plays a key role in the creation and […]

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Looking after your gut health

Reading Time: 3 minutes What affects gut health and why gut health matters so much in maintaining good health.  Gut health has taken centre stage in the world of natural health for many years and it is finally breaking into the mainstream – but do you know why gut health matters so much? Our gut houses a tremendous collection […]

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An interview with an Olympic Athlete – James Ellington

Reading Time: 6 minutes Ever wondered what it’s like to walk in the footsteps of an Olympic athlete? Lifeplus has entered a sponsorship deal with British Olympic athlete, James Ellington, as he continues his incredible and inspirational journey to elite level athletic competition after a major road accident in 2017. While we’ll be joining him on his journey from […]

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What are the best foods for a heart healthy diet?

Reading Time: 4 minutes Say yes to heart-healthy eating A healthy diet is one of the key factors for heart health, of which there are three pillars – eating well, staying active, and mindfulness.Even just making a few small changes to your diet now will have positive implications for your heart, but the aim should be to change your […]

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Nutritional supplement types

Reading Time: 3 minutes Nutritional supplements – types, and how to optimise their impact There are many types of nutritional supplements available to us and they all provide different benefits to our health and wellbeing. But it’s not always a simple case of popping a supplement and letting it do its job – how and when we take that […]

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Best herb combinations

Reading Time: 3 minutes What are the best herb combinations to enhance your dishes? Herbs. They don’t just add an extra element to your meals in terms of flavour, but they deliver great health benefits too! Have you ever wondered what the best herb combinations are though? Where should you start and what should you try to bring a […]

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Staying fit with age

Reading Time: 4 minutes Why exercise is important in helping us stay fit with age There are many physical and mental benefits of staying fit as we age which is why exercise is so important. Yoga is one of the most popular low-impact, high-result fitness options for seniors but it is far from the only one. Have you also […]

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Discover the best exercises for heart health

Reading Time: 3 minutes How regular exercise helps us live a heart-healthy life Being physically active is one of the three pillars of heart health, along with eating well and mindfulness. Studies have shown that taking part in regular exercise improves factors linked to cardiovascular health, resulting in lower blood pressure, healthier cholesterol levels, and better blood sugar regulation.1 […]

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Inflammation and weight gain

Reading Time: 4 minutes Is there a link between inflammation and weight gain? Inflammation is a natural and healthy bodily reaction when the body is fighting off an infection or responding to some other injury. But there is another aspect to inflammation we need to be aware of – it’s potential to cause weight gain. There is nothing quite […]

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Declutter to reduce stress levels

Reading Time: 4 minutes Why you should declutter to reduce stress levels We all know how good it feels to open a wardrobe and be able to easily see everything inside it, or to sit at a desk that isn’t cluttered with papers. On the flipside, do you remember the last time you walked into your kitchen after someone […]

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Overtraining

Reading Time: 3 minutes How much exercise is too much? Anyone actively training to increase their performance can be at risk of overtraining – especially when using high training loads to achieve your fitness goals and improve performance. As studies have shown these can only be tolerated by your body through periods of rest and recovery.1 When considering how […]

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Omega 3 fatty acids

Reading Time: 4 minutes What are omega 3 fatty acids? Omega 3 fatty acids are single or polyunsaturated fatty acids. You may be more familiar with them as “good fats”. They are also called essential fatty acids because they are essential for human life. The three most important omega 3 fatty acids are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) […]

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Flexitarian – the choice is yours

Reading Time: < 1 minute Flexitarians: what it means to be a part-time vegetarian Every day there are more and more opportunities to try out lots of different trends, and that goes for what we eat as well, especially at this time of year. With different nutrition approaches now available, the term ‘flexitarian’ has become popular among many for a […]

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How Chromium works

Reading Time: 3 minutes How Chromium works – everything you need to know about this powerful nutrient As the perhaps lesser-known as some of the other minerals we know of, you might be wondering what chromium is and how it works. Chromium is a mineral that helps our bodies metabolise carbohydrates and fats on a microcellular level and it […]

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Exploring Eco-therapy

Reading Time: 4 minutes Tune in to what’s important by stepping outside… It might not be a huge surprise to hear that being outside, getting fresh air and exercise is not only good for your physical health it can also be beneficial for your mental health. But did you know that so-called eco-therapy – a form of therapy based […]

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The importance of sleep

Reading Time: 3 minutes How can you achieve a more restful and restorative sleep? Sleep is vital. We know that, because we all, at one point or another, will have failed to have enough and suffered as a result. Lack of sleep causes physical effects like grey eyes, dull skin and headaches, but the importance of sleep is also […]

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Amino acids and their effects

Reading Time: 3 minutes Why amino acids are vital for our health Amino acids are our body’s building block of proteins, giving them a key role in supplying us with energy. If the body is supplied with enough amino acids, it can have a positive effect on our wellbeing. Many people associate amino acids exclusively with fitness. Yet amino […]

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Why are eggs healthy?

Reading Time: 7 minutes The health benefits of eggs Are eggs good for you? This question has long been a subject of debate, the reason being that many people associate eggs with harmful cholesterol and its negative effects on the body. However, studies have shown that eggs contain many valuable nutrients important for our body’s health.1 This makes chicken […]

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The benefits of doing Pilates

Reading Time: 4 minutes How Pilates can help your body and mind Pilates has become more and more popular in recent years. The benefits from doing Pilates are becoming better known and it’s now a form of exercise not only popular with dancers or people who also like yoga but rather a sport for anyone wanting to get to […]

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The influence of epigenetics

Reading Time: 2 minutes Can leading a healthy lifestyle affect our cells at a genetic level? Epigenetics involves the control of our genes by factors other than our individual DNA sequence.1 We’re all made up of a series of DNA – this cannot fundamentally change but the gene activity within our DNA can be altered. The study of epigenetics […]

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Nutritional Psychiatry

Reading Time: 2 minutes Is nutritional psychiatry the key to understanding mental health? Mental illness accounts for a significant proportion of global health. This is why it poses such a substantial social, economic and health worry.1 While treatment has historically been dominated by prescribed medication and psychotherapies, such as talking therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy, nutritional psychiatry is showing […]

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Calcium

Reading Time: 3 minutes The mineral that is stored in our bones and teeth Calcium is one of the essential minerals. Since the body stores large amounts of the substance in bones and teeth, calcium is the most important mineral in terms of quantity.1 Calcium intake is mainly covered through food when eating a healthy and balanced diet. Find […]

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Improve your health with community sport

Reading Time: 2 minutes If you’re new to an area, or have recently decided to get more active, why not take a look at the community sports available locally? Many towns, villages, charities and schools offer local people the chance to get involved in a wide range of activities, from walking to water polo. And whatever you choose, if […]

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Probiotic bacteria

Reading Time: 4 minutes A cornerstone of intestinal health Probiotic bacteria are desirable inhabitants of the intestine which have positive effects on our health. The bacteria accompany us for a lifetime and we acquire our first probiotic bacteria at birth – also called lactic acid bacteria.1 The probiotic bacterial cultures are present in our body from the very beginning. […]

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What are micronutrients?

Reading Time: 8 minutes Vitamins, minerals, trace elements & other nutrients Nutrients are divided into two groups: micronutrients and macronutrients. By definition, micronutrients are components of food that do not give the body energy but are still essential to life due to their function and various processes in the body.1 Micronutrients include vitamins, minerals and trace elements in addition […]

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Understanding the mind-body connection for positive mental health

Reading Time: 3 minutes How can developing mindfulness support positive mental health? Positive mental health is determined by a variety of factors and while it’s impossible to control everything that happens around us, developing mindfulness can be a strong step in the right direction when it comes to experiencing greater happiness and a positive state of mind.  Why should […]

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The macros

Reading Time: 5 minutes The macros: carbohydrate, protein and fat Macronutrients, or macros for short, include carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Almost everything we eat contains a certain amount of macronutrients. Our body needs the nutrients for various important functions such as growth, development and energy supply.1 Learn more about what macronutrients can do in our body. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are […]

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Reflect, Reset and Rebuild!

Reading Time: 4 minutes The New Year is here and it brings a time of reflection and goal-setting. Last year was historic in terms of challenges but it was also a year of resilience. Whilst we may not know what challenges are ahead, we’ve all proven our resilience by actively progressing forward in life — physically, personally, professionally, emotionally […]

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Raw food diet

Reading Time: 9 minutes Strengthen your body naturally Is raw food healthy or just a trend? Many people are sceptical about meals that are prepared with a blender, juicer or spiraliser, and prefer to pull out a frying pan or switch on the oven instead. That being the case, we often overlook the fact that not all foods have […]

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Facial yoga

Reading Time: 6 minutes Relaxation through self-care Anger, sorrow or joy – our emotions can sometimes be clearly written on our face. This is not the only reason why the muscles in our face are in motion around the clock. And as a result they become a little looser as the years pass. Facial yoga can be used to […]

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Feeling the effects of exercise

Reading Time: 2 minutes Regular exercise is the best solution for a healthy body, offering a whole host of short and long term benefits. The main benefits can be split into three areas: 1. Aerobic endurance 2. Strength gains 3. Psychological benefits Whilst helping to improve your physical shape externally and the health of your body internally, exercise can […]

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Vegetarian nutrition

Reading Time: 4 minutes Healthy living as a vegetarian More and more people are opting for a vegetarian diet. Vegetarians don’t eat meat and fish — and in some cases, they avoid other animal products as well. Many vegetarians want to make their diet healthy and balanced. The issue of animal welfare also often plays a role in the […]

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Laughter is healthy

Reading Time: 5 minutes This is how laughter affects our body “A day without laughter is a day wasted,” Charlie Chaplin once said. And he isn’t the only one to think this. Dr Lee S. Berk of the Loma Linda University School of Allied Health Professions, and one of the pioneers of laughter research, also encourages people to laugh every day. Why […]

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Secondary plant metabolites — also known as phytonutrients

Reading Time: 2 minutes What are phytonutrients? Secondary plant substances are also referred to as phytonutrients, phytochemicals or secondary plant ingredients. But how do the substances work? Secondary plant metabolites are responsible for dyes, bitter substances, fragrances and flavours in food. Phytonutrients do not belong to the essential nutrients of the body, but are involved in a variety of […]

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Green vegetables

Reading Time: 4 minutes Why it’s worth eating green vegetables and fruit A colourful diet brings variety to the kitchen. You can support your own health by cooking different coloured vegetables. Many people like to grab yellow peppers, purple aubergines or red tomatoes in the supermarket — but green vegetables can also be regularly added to the shopping basket. […]

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The Magic Window of Recovery

Reading Time: 2 minutes Regular, prolonged exercise is one of the best ways that we can strengthen our bodies and boost our overall health – and the best part is that the benefits don’t stop working when we do! Post-exercise is the time when your body is working its hardest. You’ve done the hard bit and you’re allowed to […]

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Antibiotic resistance

Reading Time: 2 minutes Antibiotic resistance has the potential to impact human health across the globe and is a top point of action for the World Health Organisation. Used to prevent and treat bacterial infections in people and animals, the high availability and misuse of antibiotics has caused some bacteria to become resistant to the very medicines aimed to […]

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Preventing sports injury

Reading Time: 3 minutes Top tips on preventing injury and enjoying the health benefits of physical exercise. Sustaining an injury is one of the quickest ways to derail your fitness efforts. Whether you’re an avid exerciser or are just about to embark on a new fitness programme, it’s important to know how to move and exercise properly so that […]

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Rheumatism, arthritis and diet

Reading Time: 3 minutes How the well-being of people with rheumatism can be supported by the right diet According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, arthritis affects nearly half of all adults over 65,1 and the pain and discomfort of arthritis can be enough to lower a person’s quality of life. A particularly painful form of arthritis […]

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Try something new!

Reading Time: 2 minutes Human beings are truly exceptional creatures. Think about those very first few days, weeks and months of a baby’s life, of your own life. We are born into a world of extraordinary change from day one. All around us are brand-new sensations, sounds, smells, tastes, sights. Absolutely everything is unknown. The wonderful thing is that […]

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Taking nutrients on the go

Reading Time: < 1 minute Whether you’re training for a particular sport, or just trying to keep in shape you need to make sure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs – before, during and after exercise. While stopping to refuel is easier if you happen to be in the gym, it’s not always convenient to carry full-sized […]

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How to prevent meningitis in your teenager

Reading Time: 4 minutes A healthy diet and a strong immune system can help to avoid meningitis Meningitis is a serious infection whereby the lining around your brain and spinal cord becomes inflamed. There are two types of meningitis – viral and bacterial. Bacterial meningitis can be life-threatening. Viral meningitis is usually not but can still leave you some […]

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Embracing Change

Reading Time: 5 minutes Positive ways to greet life’s biggest challenges Stress affects each and every one of us in all manner of ways, but one thing we generally all have in common is that we certainly don’t try to seek it out. It most often comes when we don’t expect it. As much as many of us try […]

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The mental health benefits of exercise

Reading Time: 3 minutes What role does regular exercise play in your mental wellbeing? The health benefits of physical exercise are many and varied and, given the obvious affects it has on our fitness, shape and health, it’s understandable that this is where attention is often focused. Exercise is not just about increasing fitness and gaining bigger muscles though […]

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Why is zinc important?

Reading Time: 2 minutes Aside from contributing to our DNA, what else does Zinc do for us? It’s surprising just how much! This ubiquitous mineral helps not only to maintain our immune system but also our bones, our skin,  nails and our hair. It’s also vital for our cognitive function and protects our cells from oxidative stress. It even […]

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Understanding happiness and how it helps our mental wellness

Reading Time: 2 minutes Does defining it help us to achieve it? Most of us would say we would like to be happy. We have a rough idea of what happiness is: that good feeling about ourselves, our work, our life and everyone around us. We certainly know when we feel unhappy. But it can be quite difficult to […]

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Positive mental health for wellness

Reading Time: 2 minutes The true power of positive thinking We human beings do spend an enormous amount of time worrying. It’s a bit like living in a badly insulated house. All of that energy we expend on having negative thoughts about the past, present or future simply heads off into the ether without achieving anything useful. And guess […]

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Me time makes a positive difference to your mental health

Reading Time: 2 minutes Generosity of spirit is a fine thing, no doubt about it. Giving time to other people and saying yes to requests for help reflects the value of your good nature.1 Yet in the middle of so many other demands on our time – juggling tasks, getting the basic chores down, sorting out family needs, fitting […]

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Teamwork: The secret ingredient to success

Reading Time: 2 minutes “No man is an island”, as the 17th century English author, John Donne, famously declared.  We quite agree. People are at their best when they work together towards a common goal – especially when this has benefits for the group and also the wider community at large. Cooperation for mutual benefit is fundamental in the […]

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Generosity matters for our mental health and happiness

Reading Time: 3 minutes Sometimes it’s worth stating the obvious: our world would be a better place if we were all a bit kinder towards each other.  So how can we make that happen? I read somewhere that today, generosity is today almost as endangered as rainforests – as we all strive to pursue our own happiness. But don’t […]

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The Habits of Happy People

Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s one of the age old questions; what is the secret to happiness? Being happy is not just a mood – it’s a state of mind that frames our outlook on life and has a confirmed positive effect on our mental and physical health.1 It’s easy to sit back and wait for happiness to come […]

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The benefits of developing daily mindfulness exercises

Reading Time: 4 minutes Developing presence of mind Have you ever had difficulty remembering the last paragraph of a book you just read – or perhaps even where you were just a few minutes ago? Have you walked in a particularly beautiful spot, yet missed the breath-taking scenery because you were so caught up thinking about past or future […]

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Reducing stress at work

Reading Time: 2 minutes The benefits of working in harmony There are some things that people just can’t do alone. No matter how smart, fast or strong you may be, it’s a given that everyone can still achieve a whole lot more when we face things together. From solving a tricky problem to achieving a shared goal, cooperation is […]

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Why is vitamin D important?

Reading Time: 4 minutes Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins for our overall health but it’s also one that some of us aren’t getting enough of. Vitamin D is probably best known for its contribution to our bone health by helping our bodies to absorb calcium and phosphorus, key minerals for strong bones. It’s important to […]

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The best foods and nutrition for your hair

Reading Time: 3 minutes How a healthy diet and healthy hair are connected Good nutrition will benefit your whole body, including your hair, because healthy hair begins from the inside out. Issues on the inside, such as nutritional deficiencies, can often present themselves in the condition of your hair, in areas such as hair loss or brittle and weak […]

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What does diet really mean?

Reading Time: 2 minutes We are what we eat, goes the saying. Certainly food plays a major part in our life, punctuating every day, often determining how we organise our time – and having a significant impact on the way we feel, mentally, physically and emotionally. As part of our attitude to food, we often talk about being on […]

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Foods to sharpen your focus

Reading Time: 2 minutes Eat your way to improved concentration! Some days it can feel like your brain is stuck in first gear. You might find it hard to concentrate or discover your attention is wandering from the task at hand. While there can be many reasons for your mind suddenly deciding it’s going to take the day off, […]

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Fasting and nutritional supplements

Reading Time: < 1 minute How important is nutritional supplementation whilst fasting? While fasting can be very beneficial it’s important to do it safely and in a healthy way. Fasting, put simply, is when you do not consume food for a given period of time. But for optimal health it’s important to ensure that, when you’re fasting, you’re still getting […]

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Food waste matters: how to be less wasteful

Reading Time: 3 minutes For our grandparents, food was precious, packaged foods are a rare treat and growing your own a necessity rather than a fashionable hobby. Nowadays processed food can be found everywhere. We are bombarded with statistics – from the mountain of food that is thrown away to the number of people relying on food banks. You […]

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Making healthy diet choices

Reading Time: 2 minutes Vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, flexitarian, fruitarian…with so many different diets to pick from, making healthy diet choices can be confusing. It really doesn’t have to be though. In fact, when followed effectively, a diet doesn’t have to be a ‘diet’ at all. It can open you up to a life of abundant eating where you get […]

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Self-Tracking: learning about your health

Reading Time: 3 minutes What is self-tracking? There are different ways to track aspects of your lifestyle, in areas like fitness, sleep or nutrition, and while technology has made it easier than ever to do, it’s something that has been accessible to everyone for a long time. You might already keep a gratitude diary for example, where you log […]

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Adaptogens – herbs and other plants

Reading Time: 3 minutes Natural helpers in stress relief Adaptogens are growing in popularity around the world as people try to cope with stressful, modern lifestyles. Adaptogens can be taken in supplement form, but there are a variety of natural adaptogens that can easily be integrated by eating well through a healthy and balanced diet. What are adaptogens? Adaptogens […]

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Overcoming self-criticism

Reading Time: 4 minutes When enough really is enough We all juggle many roles and responsibilities in life —parent, spouse, employee, friend, neighbour, sibling, child. Amongst this though, it’s important to remember that we also have many responsibilities to ourselves and our own welfare. Many people deal with self-criticism on a daily basis so if you feel like they […]

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Nail health

Reading Time: 4 minutes How your nails and your health are connected When was the last time you took a close look at your fingernails? Did you know that nail health is actually a really good indicator of overall health? Nails are primarily comprised of an important protein called alpha-keratin which helps to establish the first protective barrier of […]

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The connection between skin care and self-care

Reading Time: 2 minutes All too often we can be made to feel guilty for putting ourselves first but looking after our own wellbeing is not a form of selfishness at all! Showing kindness, love and compassion to ourselves is a wonderful form of self-care and is one that we should always try to find time for. Self-care is […]

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Variety in a healthy diet is key

Reading Time: 2 minutes Many eating plans focus on limiting or cutting out entire food groups, but they each play an important role in keeping us healthy. A balanced diet is actually not about ‘cutting out’ in the traditional sense at all. It’s about striking a balance that gets the right nutrients into your body while limiting the foods […]

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The importance of taste in our diet

Reading Time: 2 minutes Do you take milk or lemon in your tea? Maybe you like to add a generous dollop of delicious natural honey to sweeten your favourite hot beverage? Or do you prefer to keep things plain – to savour the flavour as Mother Nature intended?1 It’s all a question of taste – but what we can’t […]

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Reflexology for the health of your body

Reading Time: 3 minutes What reflexology can do for you       Reflexology focuses on the zones of energy in our body. It involves stimulating pressure points distributed throughout the body, but mostly on various parts of the foot. If pressure is applied to the right points, energy can flow through the body to remove toxins and support the nervous […]

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Choosing the best quality in nutritional supplementation

Reading Time: 2 minutes Whenever we make a serious investment – in a house or flat, or a new car – we naturally spend a large amount of time checking that we have the best possible information available because we want to make a good choice. It’s our money at stake, after all. So if you are thinking about […]

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Increase your productivity in life

Reading Time: 3 minutes How can I increase my productivity? In today’s busy world, it seems like we’re often expected to do it all: perform at our job, keep a clean house and spend quality time with friends and family. Often we can over-commit and create mile-long to do lists. Therefore, we all need time to relax and step […]

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Can diet boost your immune system?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Whilst there are no foods or supplements that can stop us getting highly contagious viruses, we do know certain nutrients and vitamins are more important than others when it comes to our immune systems. That doesn’t mean we should become slaves to them or that we should become fixated on what we eat. You’ll be […]

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Do macronutrients matter?

Reading Time: 2 minutes The importance of macronutrients for a healthy body The Oxford English dictionary defines a nutrient as ‘a substance that provides nourishment essential for the maintenance of life and for growth’. But what is a ‘macronutrient’? Macronutrients, or ‘macros’ are the new buzzwords, but don’t let that lessen their importance as the science of macros is […]

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Health benefits of honey

Reading Time: 3 minutes Why honey is good for your health  Not everything that tastes sweet is bad for you. Processed and refined sugars are low in micronutrients and can lead to an insulin spike, but there are less processed sugars like honey are good for you. Honey is a popular and tasty natural alternative to processed sugars, created […]

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Speed of life

Reading Time: 3 minutes Why do some people find it hard to adjust to the apparent increase of speed in so many areas in life? Sociologists and psychologists can help us understand our perception of time1 – and how different people have differing views. 1. Technical advances give us higher expectations Hartmut Rosa, a German sociologist, describes how progress […]

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Yoga and mindfulness for kids

Reading Time: 2 minutes How yoga exercises improve concentration, balance and self-confidence in children Yoga is not only good for the body but also has a positive effect on mental health. It helps you to calm and center your mind by quieting your thoughts and helping you to focus on the present. Controlled breathing and meditation are also aspects […]

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Lifeworks for the young at heart

Reading Time: 2 minutes With growing up comes wisdom, experience and often better self-confidence and less insecurities. When we refer to growing up, it’s not a specific age, it’s a sense of being. You’ve probably come across a younger person who already acts older than their years, or a parent, or grandparent, who has a better social life than […]

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Eat superfoods for winter wellness

Reading Time: 2 minutes Traditionally, winter is not the season we tend to associate with good health. But why? Is it the masses of cold, flu and cough remedies that suddenly start to take over our cabinets? The harsh, biting wind that whips around slowly freezing us, or the long dark evenings that lower our mood and drain our […]

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Supporting healthy digestion

Reading Time: 4 minutes Your diet and nutrition choices can impact on your life in a variety of ways, including the way they affect your digestion. We all have different profiles and sensitivities when it comes to how we digest and process the foods we eat, and this can also change over time as we get older. More often […]

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Eating for wellbeing and energy

Reading Time: 2 minutes Should you decide to explore a more active lifestyle, it pays to think about the foods you should eat; there are many great ingredients for meals that are ideal to support and sustain your energy and activity levels. Your overall eating pattern may need a bit of readjustment. We are all familiar with the importance […]

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Antioxidants: Protecting Cells from Oxidative Stress

Reading Time: 4 minutes The power of antioxidants in supporting wellbeing Antioxidants are well known to be beneficial to us, but their potential health benefits may go even further than we thought. Studies have shown that Vitamin C, for example, is a natural antioxidant that plays a role in the healing of wounds by producing collagen. It is also […]

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Dietary guidelines – confusing but useful!

Reading Time: 3 minutes Governments around the world delight in offering their citizens detailed advice on what they should and should not eat.  Some have food pyramids, some have perfect plates, and others have simple notes. We like this simple Danish version: The Danish 8 diet tips • Eat fruits and vegetables 6 pieces per day • Eat fish […]

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The timing of nutritional supplements

Reading Time: 2 minutes When is the best time to take them? Taking your supplements at the ‘wrong’ time doesn’t mean they won’t work, but for optimum effect there are certain key times when you should take different vitamins and minerals. The ‘correct’ timing can help in terms of bio-availability and there are optimal times when the body will […]

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Don’t Overanalyse What You Eat

Reading Time: 3 minutes When sitting down for a meal, what do you see? Something delicious? Something necessary to get you through to the next meal? Something to enjoy? A mixture of numbers or a scientific breakdown? For the health conscious, one of the great benefits of the modern age is that we can enjoy limitless access to information […]

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Can positivity lead to happiness?

Reading Time: 4 minutes Sometimes life throws things at us that we just weren’t expecting. Out of the blue a massive curve-ball comes round the corner.  It doesn’t even have to be something major – just something we didn’t anticipate and had no control over. What do we do? You’re probably thinking “Where are we going with this?”. The […]

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Success – a dish best shared

Reading Time: 2 minutes The simple act of recognising success is incredibly powerful, but so often in life it seems that the natural thing to do is to be humble and shy in coming forward to celebrate our successes. We fear being recognised, but why is this? Some believe, it’s because at a deep internal level, we can all […]

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The seeds of satisfaction

Reading Time: 4 minutes Many of us already know that organic whole foods are highly nutritious with little to none of the additives and preservatives that can be found in some of the processed foods lining our supermarket shelves. Yet many also believe that sourcing good quality produce involves specialist suppliers or higher price tags. Yet there’s another option […]

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Enzymes: catalyst for energy

Reading Time: 3 minutes Don’t we all wish there was a magic button that made our day-to-day tasks go twice as fast, so that we had more time to do the things we actually want to do? Until we discover some magic technique or device, doing the laundry is always going to take time. Perhaps we can take comfort […]

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How creative activities can be beneficial for adults

Reading Time: 5 minutes Rediscover your creative mind When did you last pursue a creative activity? Creativity is something that’s so natural to us as children, but as we grow older, it’s all too easy to become side-tracked by daily life and forget to take time out to satisfy our creative desires. Creativity in adults is just as important […]

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Little red wonders

Reading Time: 3 minutes Small, shiny, tasty – and good for you too, no wonder cherries are a firm favourite for so many. In fact, cherries are beloved in countries around the world, with National Cherry Day1 in the UK, and whole festivals dedicated to them in the USA. We just can’t seem to get enough of this small […]

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Understanding Carbs & the Glycemic Index

Reading Time: 3 minutes Many of the terms we come across in articles or advice on healthy eating or developing a balanced diet seem deliberately designed to baffle and bamboozle us.1 ‘Glycemic index’ is a case in point. You’ll often hear it mentioned in the context of blood sugar, but it is not immediately obvious what it relates to, […]

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What will boost your mood?

Reading Time: 3 minutes You could try chocolate – a tried and tested go-to for most of us. And we know, scientifically, it can help. Chocolate contains a small amount of tryptophan, an amino acid used by our brains to make serotonin (the neurotransmitter linked to feelings of happiness). 1 But we also know it’s likely to have an […]

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Vagus Nerve Exercises for your nerve stimulation

Reading Time: 3 minutes Why should I do exercises for the vagus nerve? The vagus nerve is integral to your health as it connects your brain to the other organs in your body and helps regulate all major bodily functions. The nerve wanders through your entire body and can therefore influence not only your physical health and wellbeing but […]

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Guarana as a natural energizer

Reading Time: 3 minutes What is guarana and how does it work? Guarana, also known by its scientific name of Paullinia cupana, is popular as a natural energy booster and can be added to drinks as an alternative to drinking tea or coffee. Guarana extract naturally contains caffeine, but studies have shown that it can also have a positive […]

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Rowing – the boat sport

Reading Time: 3 minutes What rowing has to offer If you are seeking a great workout for the entire body, rowing is well worth considering. This historic sport is wonderful for building overall body strength and it provides a fantastic cardio workout at the same time! Rowing is not a fast-moving trend but requires patience and dedication to achieve […]

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How our wellbeing needs change through life

Reading Time: 3 minutes In our journey through life, the nutritional support our bodies need alters just as we do.1 Eating well is a core part of achieving a state of wellbeing, however old we are. But as we age, gracefully and graciously, we can also learn how adjusting elements of our diet and nutritional intake can be a […]

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Exercising mind and body in older age

Reading Time: 3 minutes Life is a precious commodity, one that most of us are lucky enough to take for granted during our younger years, when the future seems infinite and our energy boundless. Then time intervenes. As the decades pass, that energy seems a tad less boundless. There’s less in the tank. It’s a little more difficult to […]

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Balanced eating habits

Reading Time: 4 minutes We asked ourselves, why is it that so many people take a more pronounced perspective at different times of the year, only to realise that reality doesn’t catch up with expectations and the gap between what should happen and what really happens remains considerable? Scientists from the University of California looked at the effectiveness of […]

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Is your diet fit for purpose?

Reading Time: 2 minutes Making well-intended resolutions, aimed at positive lifestyle changes, is not uncommon and especially after moments of indulgence. At such times it’s only natural to give some serious thought to a sensible diet and maybe doing a bit more in the way of exercise. However, it’s important to understand how “healthy eating” differs from diets aimed […]

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Maintaining healthy habits

Reading Time: 2 minutes When we’re on holiday some of us struggle to maintain a healthy relationship with food.1 The temptation of treats is extremely enticing and while some people diet before to allow themselves room to indulge others just resign themselves to being frugal afterwards. The truth is that neither way is good for your overall health and […]

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Staying active at home

Reading Time: 4 minutes We all know that exercise is good for us. Aside from the obvious health benefits of exercise to manage your weight or keep fit, it’s also proven to help boost your immune system and your mental health.1 So, if it’s not already part of your daily to-do list, now is the time to add it […]

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What is vitamin C good for?

Reading Time: 3 minutes When it comes to the benefits of vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid) the list is quite impressive. Not only does it help the normal function of our immune system including during and after physical exercise, it contributes to our normal collagen formation helping the normal function of major parts of our body including […]

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Supplementing your busy lifestyle

Reading Time: 2 minutes Work hard, play hard is a motto that many people can relate to. With increasing demands on our time from work, family, friends, hobbies – even exercise –  you’re probably no stranger to trying to cram in as much as possible to your waking hours. The trouble is that making such prolonged demands on your […]

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Kindness: Good for our minds?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Throughout history, difficult times have drawn out the best in human nature. Across the globe natural disasters, wars and economic recessions have been testament to this and it’s no different today. Each situation has been unprecedented and each has had its own unique struggles but, in each, we have seen truly inspirational acts of generosity […]

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How not to overeat

Reading Time: 3 minutes For millennia humans had barely enough to eat. Yet these days many people find it difficult to keep their eating in check. Knowing the health consequences isn’t enough. So here are some ideas we’ve found on how not to overeat from experts around the world 1. Change your crockery Using a smaller plate can offer […]

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Balancing high and low impact exercise

Reading Time: 4 minutes We all know that regular exercise is beneficial for our health and wellbeing, but some types of exercise may not seem right for you if you’ve suffered from injuries or have other health conditions. Broadly, exercise can be broken down into two camps – high impact and low impact. There are pros and cons of […]

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Boost your skin health with Aloe Vera

Reading Time: 2 minutes Aloe Vera is well known for giving a cooling, calming effect on the skin and the use of the Aloe plant for its therapeutic properties is not new. In fact, it is well documented in history as being used by the ancient Greek and Roman healers. The succulent Aloe is recognisable by its thick, fleshy, […]

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Food quality counts for weight management!

Reading Time: 2 minutes Why is quality more important than quantity when it comes to your eating habits? When it comes to managing your weight, we all know there is a link between calories and weight, and most of us accept that there is a mathematical formula of ‘calories in Vs calories out.’ Theoretically though, this would mean that […]

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Food and Mood

Reading Time: 2 minutes Can what we eat really affect the way we feel? The link between the mood we find ourselves in and what we decide to eat has long been known. When we are feeling down and unhappy we frequently turn to food – classic comfort eating. When we are happy we will often celebrate with food. […]

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Stand up to feel better!

Reading Time: 3 minutes Discover the benefits of getting out of that chair…. On average we spend 8.9 hours sitting down every day1 and when you add in the seven hours a night we spend sleeping – it’s easy to see how most of us are spending just one third of our time on our feet. Leading a sedentary […]

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Get moving your way!

Reading Time: 2 minutes Upping your general activity levels is a well-established way of improving both your physical and mental health.1 But that doesn’t have to mean joining a gym. There are plenty of fun, even quirky, ways you can start to increase your activity levels without the need for Lycra, Barbells or even a pair of trainers. Home […]

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Eating seasonal foods

Reading Time: 3 minutes With many fruits and vegetables available year-round it’s easy to forget that nature knows best, and that the foods it provides us with do in fact have an optimal eating time.1 Seasonal fruits and vegetables not only support our nutritional needs more efficiently, but they taste better too! These are just a couple of the […]

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Rediscover Cycling

Reading Time: 3 minutes How do you feel when you get to the office after being stuck in morning traffic or on the train? Like most of us who drive to work, probably slightly hassled and unnerved. Maybe you’ve caught yourself looking enviously at the cyclists passing by the long queue of cars or gliding across a railway bridge, […]

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The Foundation of fitness

Reading Time: 4 minutes An active life needs a solid backbone… When we think about staying active, we normally envision walking, running, cycling…using our arms and legs to get the heart pumping. We think less often about the foundation of all our movement – the unsung hero that is our back. Barely any of us pay attention to it, […]

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Keeping fit as a family

Reading Time: 2 minutes Exercise. Whether the word brings a rush of excitement or sparks a fear of dread, there’s no denying the fundamental truth that it’s good for us.1 Taking part in regular exercise not only makes you feel better about yourself, it has a couple of pretty impressive shorter-term effects too. Exercise helps us sleep better, reduces […]

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What is bioavailability?

Reading Time: 3 minutes And why is it essential for nutritional supplements? Sooner or later, if you are exploring the world of nutritional supplements you will come across the term ‘bioavailability’. It sounds slightly off putting, but is actually an extremely important factor in whether supplements are effective or not. Like many scientific terms, it is better understood if […]

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Understanding Supplements

Reading Time: 2 minutes Restoring the body’s natural balance The combined onslaughts of processed, nutrient-poor food and lifestyles that can be at one and the same time hyperactive and sedentary, relentless and disorientating, mean that it is no surprise that our bodies sometimes feel the strain. A healthy body naturally strives to achieve a balance between a rounded diet, […]

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