Health & Fitness

lifestyle Health & Fitness

HOW TO NAIL DRY JANUARY

by Dr HELEN FLAHERTY, Head of Health Promotion and Education at Heart Research UK

Dry January is a great way of addressing the effects of overindulgence during the festive season by making a conscious decision to stop drinking alcohol for the month. Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of high blood pressure, some types of cancer, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other long-term conditions. Whether you are taking part in Dry January or not, here are some tips from Heart Research UK to help manage your drinking habits for a healthier 2022!

Understand alcohol units

Alcohol content varies between different types of drink and different brands of similar drinks. Check the labels so you know exactly how many units are in each serving of your chosen tipple. Go online to find easy-to-use unit calculators to help you track your intake over the week and compare drinks.

How much can I safely drink?

For men and women, the maximum recommended alcohol units each week is 14, spread over three or more days. If you are pregnant, it’s recommended that you don’t drink alcohol at all. Drinkaware provide assessment tools that you can use to track the amount you are drinking – see drinkaware.co.uk/tools

Stay on track

Try to keep yourself on track by regularly reminding yourself of the health and financial benefits of cutting down on drinking. Avoid temptation by removing alcohol from your home or hiding it away. Even if you are not seeing friends and family in person, you can connect with people online who are also trying to cut down or quit drinking to provide support and motivation. By telling other people about your intention to control your drinking, you are more likely to stick to it. Instead of drinking, focus on positive activities, such as setting physical activity goals or learning a new skill.

Alternatives to alcohol

Develop your taste for alcohol-free alternatives, such as reduced calorie soft drinks and squash, herbal teas or water with slices of lemon, lime, mint leaves and ice. Try making your own mocktails or mix things up with some sparkling water or tonic water as an alternative to alcoholic bubbles and garnish with chunks of fresh fruit to add colour.

Reward yourself

Decide on a reward that will motivate you to achieve your goal and keep reminding yourself about it whenever you are tempted to have a drink. Avoid using alcohol as a reward.

Getting help when needed

If you are consuming more than 14 units a week, take steps to address it. You can get support by visiting: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-support/

Get your swim on!

According to Swimming.org, more than 3.4 million seven to 11-year-olds in England are failing to meet minimum standards that have been brought in for swimming lessons outside of school. The research, released by national governing body, Swim England, found that 96% of youngsters are stopping lessons too early. As a result, Swim England is recommending that parents and guardians only consider stopping lessons for their children when they are ‘competent’ swimmers, rather than just displaying confidence in the water. Local company, Aquakids, runs weekly lessons as well as intensive courses, with the next course due to start in April. The company’s Lorna Crust, said: “The benefits of keeping swimming up means that strong swimmers can develop and enjoy other aquatic skills such as water polo, outdoor sports such as surfing, as well as lifeguarding and swim assisting.” For details see www.aquakids.co.uk or email info@aquakids.co.uk

True or false: Hearing loss is a symptom of COVID-19

True – although it’s rare! Research from the University of Manchester has identified a link between COVID-19 and hearing loss. If you’re experiencing upper respiratory symptoms, you might experience pressure on the ears, or infections. These infections can cause hearing loss. However, the majority of people with COVID-19 will not experience this unusual symptom. As you get older, it is always important to have regular check-ups. A free online hearing test is available with Hidden Hearing. See hiddenhearing.co.uk/hearing-tests/ online-hearing-test

Q: I have been invited to a wedding and would like to attend. However, the wedding is in America, and I have to go by plane and I have a fear of flying.

Do you have any advice?

A: As a hypnotherapist, I see many different types of phobias but a fear of flying, called aviophobia or aerophobia, is common. A fear of flying is seen as a learned behaviour and so hypnotherapy can help. A consultation session is first carried out to discover the triggers of a phobia and the physiological effects. In the session itself, and with consent,

I would get the client in a trance state to use their imagination, feel and see themselves going on a plane. Still using their imagination, I would make sure the client continued to feeln safe and protected the further the plane went. When communicating with a client's subconscious mind, I can address issues that a client would like to eliminate. The aim is to change the person's uncomfortable thoughts and feelings about flying and replace them with positive ones. There are several different hypnotherapy techniques to use when treating a client of this nature. The success rate is positive in overcoming your fear of flying using hypnotherapy.

For details call 07462-532287 or see vmdavishypnotherapy.webnode.com

HOUSES OF NATURE REVIEW

We tried a selection of Houses of Nature products including the hand sanitiser, deodorant and hand cream. We loved the deodorant’s push-up stick concept and it had a nice, subtle scent (made from essential oils) which wasn’t overpowering. The creamy texture also meant that it was easy to apply. The hand cream’s smell was lovely and the cream absorbed quickly. It left the skin a little tacky for just a couple of minutes suggesting it’s quite a rich cream for hands. And finally, the hand sanitiser came in a lovely little package (ideal handbag size) and a little went a long way in terms of application. The smell was also pleasant (I could smell eucalyptus) and it’s nice to know it’s free of petrochemical preservatives, synthetic fragrances, dyes, enzymes, genetic engineering and nanotechnology.

Need to know: We love the fact that products are used with raw materials derived from organic farming – there are no nasties in any of them – something that more and more people are realising is very important. Prices are a little higher than items you’d see on supermarket shelves for example, (the deodorant is £14.99), but we believe they are good value and you pay for what you get. What’s more, the company uses sustainable packaging and is environmentally-friendly – a win-win.

There’s a whole range of products online too - for more information see www.housesofnature.com

5 tips to prevent winter skin damage

by Dr. Olivier Amar, cosmetic surgeon and CMO of Uvence 1. Hydration is key: Drinking more water helps to flush out toxins from the body, leaving the skin looking more radiant and youthful. Try drinking at least two litres a day to really notice the benefits. 2. Moisturise: During winter, the air loses its moisture

which often leads to dry, cracked skin and chapped lips. To combat this, use a moisturiser as part of your everyday skincare routine that is suited to your skin type and its needs. 3. Use SPF: Over a quarter of Brits did not know that the winter sun can still cause much damage to our skin. Make sure you're using a moisturiser that contains an SPF of at least 15 - even under make-up - to help protect your skin from harmful UV rays. 4. Exercise: Exertion of the body helps increases blood circulation to the face. Red blood cells help carry oxygen and vital nutrients to parts of the body that really need it - more blood cells mean more nutrients. Exercise, therefore, helps to combat the drying effects of the winter air which can cause dullness in the appearance of skin. 5. You are what you eat: Eating a balanced diet and getting in those essential vitamins helps your skin from the inside-out. Ensuring you get your five-a-day will increase your intake of antioxidants, helping reduce pigmentation as well as wrinkles. Including healthy oil-rich foods in your diet, such as tuna, has also been shown to increase collagen production in the skin, improving its overall texture.