Helping Your Brain - Part 3 - Start early

Many successful people start their day early - when most of us are tucked up in bed. I still recall when I was manager of a charity (realizing that was 18 years ago!! - wow) that I would be in the office for 7am to 7:30am every day. And when I worked in town around 10 years ago I would go to thew gym on the way to the office.

Your brain is amazing - so work it. Exercise helps to boost the oxygen and blood to the brain, so pushing yourself in early morning can set you up for the day. It also boost hormones that can keep you focused better, and lower stress levels.

It is also good to stay hydrated so the connections in your brain remain strong.  Early mornings are a great time to push yourself. By the evening you want to relax, and your brain is more tired. So get out of bed, find something to do, even go out for an early morning walk/jog/bike ride. Wake your brain up and use it better.

Helping Your Brain - Part 2 - Lower your sugar intake

If you want to try and help your brain, then the official advice is to avoid sweet snacks as much as possible. Keeping blood sugar levels steady lowers stress and makes it easier to concentrate.

Nutritionist Amanda Ursell says: "dumping sugary drinks can make a massive impact. switching from a full-sugar version to a diet variety can save seven teaspoons of sugar. Then look at not adding sugar to tea and coffee, and even avoid the syrups that are offered in coffee shops."

People do talk about natural sugars. If you look at the labels of breakfast cereals, oat bars, cakes, biscuits, and puddings. Many contain honey, fruit nectars, fruit syrups and agave nectar - but all these do count as sugars.

Obviously, HMHB says we all need treats - we all love a bar of chocolate, a nice cream cake, and the odd fizzy drink. But make them just treats, and not part of your regular diet, and look for healthy snacks as much as possible.

Helping Your Brain - Part 1 - Volunteering

Volunteering can have a positive effect on mental health , causing a spike in the feel-good hormone, oxytocin.

Stephen  Buckley, from the charity Mind, said: "our volunteers tell us that giving their time to those that need it can be extremely fulfilling, and help them to look at things from a different perspective. Your local hospice, school or charity shop are all likely to welcome an extra pair of hands."

HMHB has very good connections with Voluntary Action Islington, and in fact recently signed up on their Volunteer Network scheme. We have actively promoted volunteering as a way to boost your confidence levels, as well as a way to learn new skills and interact with others. But knowing it actually can help your physically too is a bonus.

Fat-related hospital conditions are on the increase - alarming stats here

Fat-related hospital admissions have doubled in the last four years, according to recently released statistics. And, it shows that women made up two in three of these admissions, heaping pressure on an already-stretched National Health Service. There were 616,961 cases in 2017, and that was compared with 292,404 back in 2013.

Conditions affecting the overweight include joint problems, heart and chest pains, and even pregnancy complications.

The NHS Digital report revealed that just one in four adults eats the recommended five-a-day portions of fruit and vegetables (i would actually think it is probably less than that). Among children, it is less than 16 per cent. The number of Brits given weight-loss surgery has risen to 6760, the highest for four years.

Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said: "a fifth more people going into hospital because they are too heavy is unsustainable. Obesity is preventable. But unless the Government gets to grip on this, it could bring the NHS down."

More than one in four adults are now, reportedly, dangerously fat compared with one in thirty-five back in the 1970s.  One in five children is said to be obese by the end of primary school.

HMHB brings the subject back to responsibility. Yes, we know they have introduced a sugar tax, and that many drinks and cereals, for example, are reducing sugar content.  Many food businesses are seeing how they themselves can reduce fat and sugar content in their meals.  But ultimately, it is the responsibility of people to look after their nutrition - and if they have children, to look after them too. Children only get fat if they are fed the foods that do that.

Lazy Lifestyles trigger ill health in 2 weeks

We all know we need to have a healthy lifestyle in order to have the best chance of a long, happy life. But did you know it does not take long for your health to deteriorate if you slip up for a while?

According to a recent study, an unhealthy lifestyle change can trigger a decline in the your health in just a couple of weeks. Researchers have warned that inactivity sows the seeds for future disease such as Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Attacks, and Strokes.

However, they found that the ill-effects of idleness can be reversed - also kin just two weeks - by reverting back to normal activity and a better lifestyle.

The study was run by Liverpool University, funded by Diabetes UK. Lead researcher Dr. Daniel Cuthbertson, said: "advances have led society to be a lot more sedentary, which can harm health over time.

They recruited subjects with an average age of 36 who walked daily. They were asked to cut down on their walking, use lifts, and sit down in front of the television more. But it was stressed they must not change their diets, and to eat as they normally did.  In just two weeks their fat levels and waists increased, amid signs of muscle loss and lower heart-lung fitness. Subjects were less responsive to insulin, a symptom that can herald diabetes. The bad effects vanished after 14 days.

HMHB, as we know, is all about looking after your mind and body, being more active, eating better and thinking positively - even when you are stressed. This study does demonstrate why we need to focus all the time. When bad situations happen it is very easy to slip down into a hole of anxiety and depression - but if you make the effort, and are willing to push yourself, you can also recover quickly. Our bodies are amazing. Let's feed them right, treat them, right, and they can maintain themselves beautifully.  

Even small exercise can let you live longer

Regular exercise can help you:

1. Have a healthier heart. Regular physical activity raises healthy HDL cholesterol levels and reduces unhealthy LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. ...
2. Keep your brain sharp. ...
3. Control blood sugar levels. ...
4. Possibly lower cancer risk. ...
5. Stay strong and mobile

We all are inundated with information telling you that you have to exercise more, and that it naturally does you good. A recent study found that just an hour of exercise in short bursts throughout the day can slash the risk of early death by 57 per cent. It makes bleeding sense!!!! And those who cram in 100 minutes daily cut the risk by 75 per cent. Why do people not do this???

Exercise can be a scary word, but it includes things like a brisk walk, using stairs, and even walking faster on that trip to the corner shop!!  And all can be done in bursts of ten minutes or less.

These bursts of exercise during the day, once accumulated together, are as good at reducing the risk of early death as sustained exercise, said scientists from the Duke University School of Medicine in North Caroline, USA.  They studied 4840 over 40s who had participated in a health survey between 2003 and 2006.

HMHB actively promotes exercise and fitness - but in a fun way, that does not feel intimidating. People think they have to exercise for at least half an hour, maybe attend a gym, and if they cannot do this then they might as well do nothing at all. We try and show that you are responsible for the continuing health of your body, and that includes keeping it moving, flexible and energized. You can do this quite easily during the day, if you are willing to put in the time and effort.

Four in Ten Cancer cases are preventable. What can you do?

A major new review has claimed that more than 2500 cancer cases a week are due to smoking, being too fat and sunburn. Medics say that four in ten, 135,500 a year, are preventable if Brits were to ditch unhealthy lifestyles. That's an incredible figure..

Smoking remains the biggest cause of avoidable cancer. Obesity is the second, with cases rocketing by 15 per cent in five years.

The Chief Executive for Cancer Research, Sir Harpal Kumar, said: "Obesity is potentially the new smoking."

Obesity caused 13 types of Cancer in 2015 - including bowel, breast, pancreatic, liver, stomach, womb and kidney. Being fat was behind 6.3 per cent of cases, up from 5.5 per cent in 2010. Other risk factors include alcohol and sunburn.

HMHB says that thee links between unhealthy lifestyles and various diseases, including cancers, heart disease, strokes and dementia, cannot be ignored. It is our own responsibility to make better life choices around nutrition and exercise. How often do we leave it too late before we make a change? Don't wait for the doctor to warn you that your health is affected by the way you live. Take action now!!