Healthier Matters » Health

Top 5 Tips for Building Muscle

health girl — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:14:24 +0000

Top 5 Tips for Building Muscle

Many magazines give tips on how to build muscle, and make it seem like an easy task. The truth is that gaining muscle takes time and can be very challenging. You need to be disciplined and have an understanding of how muscle development works if you want to gain a toned body.

The following tips will help you gain the body you want:

1. Weight lifting – Weight lifting is a form of anaerobic exercise that focuses on muscles instead of calorie burning. By lifting weights you cause micro-tears in your muscles, when the muscle repairs its self it is slightly bigger and stronger than before.

2. Eat Lots of Calories – this tip can be tricky and requires careful monitoring especially on the food you eat. You can eat lots of calories but you don’t have to eat excessively. Calories are still required since it will help in developing your muscles. Think of it as your fuel for a more ripped body.

3. Infrequent Training – consistent exercise is required but you don’t just focus on one part of your body. Switching between building muscle and improving your cardio is suggested by many trainers. Your Muscles need time to heal after a tough work out and therefore building different areas of muscle on different days is a good tip to gain an all-round toned body.

4. Increase the Amount You Lift Each Time – this tip is directly related to infrequent training but it focuses on weight lifting. You have to make sure that you constantly adjust the weight you lift to build bigger muscles and improve your strength.

5. Stay Hydrated/Drink Lots of Water – when training it can easy to forget to drink. You will definitely sweat a lot during your weight lifting exercises and staying hydrated is important for a healthy body.

Opus Energy raise money for Motor Neuron Trust

health girl — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:58:12 +0000

Opus Energy is a supplier of energy to businesses around the United Kingdom. The Northampton based company raised £55,000 for a motor neurone disease charity through a clay-pigeon shoot.

The Opus Energy Shooting Challenge was held at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School based in Pangbourne. The event saw more than 100 patrons from across Europe attend the event and compete with Opus Energy staff in a range of team-based games. All of the money raised on the day went to Heaton-Ellis Trust, a Motor Neuron disease charity based in Berkshire.

During the day the company also hosted an auction which raised £25,000, nearly 50% of the total. The auction offered attendees skiing holidays, Saracens rugby tickets and helicopter lessons for attendees.

Motor neuron disease is a progressive disease which affects a person’s upper and lower neurons. This can affect a series of muscles that control movement including; walking, swallowing, breathing and speaking. Motor neuron disease leads to wasting and weakness of the muscles and can affect people of any age.

The money raised at the Opus Energy event will help towards finding a cure and improving technologies to find the defective genes which cause it.

Heaton-Ellis Trust employee Romilla Arber stated the day was a huge success for the trust. This year’s event gained the trust a considerable extra amount of income compared to last year. Everyone had a great time despite the chilly temperature and raised money for a worthwhile choice.

Charlie Crossley, Opus Energy’s Managing Director stated the event was a great success and we are very pleased to have raised £55,000 for the Heaton-Ellis Trust. We would like to thank everyone who showed up to the event and also a big thank you to the Royal Berkshire Shooting School for helping us organise the day.

How Walking can Reduce your BMI and Improve Insulin Sensitivity

health girl — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:28:09 +0000

Walking is one of the simplest types of exercises. It doesn’t require extensive equipment, it doesn’t require any training and it can be done by practically anyone. Although it’s a well known exercise with various benefits for health, additional discoveries have been made which prove walking can benefit us even more greatly when done in a regular fashion.

A recently published study by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute reveals that walking can also help reduce BMI as well as increase sensitivity to insulin. The reduction of BMI or Body Mass Index has been publicised for a long time. However, the findings that walking can also help improve insulin sensitivity is something new and should be considered especially by those who suffer from diabetes.

The author of the study believes that 10,000 steps on a daily basis should be enough to help a person improve their insulin sensitivity. Walking 10,000 steps is like walking five miles which should be very simple especially for those who are already working out.

Insulin sensitivity is a very important feature in our body. If your body has insulin resistance, your body will easily suffer diabetes. Insulin helps trigger the tissues in the body to absorb glucose. Without the ability to absorb glucose, the sugar level in the body increases and diabetes cannot be avoided.

Walking 10,000 steps on a daily basis may seem like a very challenging task but it’s a very healthy exercise with a wide variety of benefits.

A Beer a Day Could Be Good for You

health girl — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:00:08 +0000

The old adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is true because of the obvious health benefits of the said fruit. Change “apple” with “beer” and people will think that you have a drinking problem. You can’t just drink beer every day since there is a common conception that beer simply harms your body.

Not so fast

Recent studies in Spain suggest that drinking a pint of beer a day can actually have multiple health benefits. Among the health benefits of drinking a pint of beer is lowering the risk of diabetes, helps in preventing high blood pressure and even foster weight loss.

The Protective Effect of Beer

Beer may not look like a healthy drink but it actually has vitamins, folic acid, iron and calcium. It’s an impressive list and comparable to drinking a glass of wine every day. Since the beer’s alcohol content is relatively lower than other alcoholic drinks, it’s still safe to drink. A pint, when it comes to alcoholic content, is almost the same as a glass of wine.

The Catch

But the mere fact that beer comes with impressive healthy benefits doesn’t mean you can just drink beer everyday and expect to have a clean bill of health. According to research, preventing high blood pressure and diabetes as well as fostering weight loss is only possible with the help of a Mediterranean diet. This means your diet will focus on fish, vegetables, fruits and lots of olive oil. According to the research, those who went through this diet with a pint of beer noticed that they are also losing weight aside from feeling healthy.

Lack of Outside Play Can Cause Short-Sightedness in Kids

health girl — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:04:33 +0000

Recent study shows that kids who constantly avoid playing outside increase the risk of becoming short-sighted. The researchers from the University of Cambridge made an extensive study on the effects of outside play to kids in terms of their physical aspect especially their eyesight. According to the researchers, every hour of playtime outside can reduce the dangers of myopia or nearsightedness by as much as 2%. It’s a relatively small change on the eyes’ ability to see clearly but the kids who put in more hours will see the difference.

The relationship of outside play to eyesight is very unique considering outside play often revolves around muscle development, skills improvement or simply weight loss. But according to researchers, there are two factors involved in outside play that helps reduce physical problems related to myopia. The first factor is the sun, looking directly to the sun is dangerous for kids and adults alike but the sunlight that radiates during the day for kids can help reduce myopia.

Another factor that helps reduce myopia is the fact that kids playing outside can enjoy a wider view of the area instead of the confined spaces at home. Looking at objects at a distance is a form of exercise to the eye. Kids who play outside prevent myopia because their eyes are already experienced and can easy deal with the sun.

But even though outside play can reduce the risk of short-sightedness, it doesn’t mean that you just stay outside the whole day. The UV rays from the sun can still cause significant damages.

Coffee Reduces Depression in Women

health girl — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:26:20 +0000

Women drinking more than three cups of coffee every week have lesser chances of experiencing depression. A study published in September 26, 2011 in Archives of Internal Medicine indicates that coffee drinking women will less likely develop depression. The study was made on more than 50,000 women in USA with an average age of 63. It’s also a survey that covers the past 10 years of the participants’ coffee drinking habit.

Prevention not Cure

It should be noted that the study only tries to take a closer look at the relation between coffee drinking habits of women and depression. This means the survey only indicated that coffee has assisted women in preventing depression. No indication was made to tell that coffee was used to assist women deal directly with depression and other minor mental problems.

Caffeine and Depression

One curious fact about the study that relates coffee and depression is the type of coffee women take. It can be assumed that women do not experience depression because of caffeine. However, some of the women who drink more than three cups of coffee every week only drink decaffeinated coffee. Simply put, the reason why women do not feel depression is not due to caffeine.

Warning of Overdrinking

The study does warn women that such early conclusions should not be taken as a definite preventive method for depression. Drinking too much coffee can still cause some health problems due to caffeine. Regular coffee consumption should be more than enough if the study proves to find a definite relation between coffee and depression in women.

Top Tips for Reducing Stress the Healthy Way

health girl — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 10:57:27 +0000

One of the common work-related problems that can affect a person’s productivity is stress. Under stress, a person will have a hard time concentrating and common office tasks become increasingly difficult. Stress could even lead to actual physical problems with fatal complications.

However even though stress can be a big problem if no actions are taken, it can be easily remedied with the right attitude. The most popular trick to deal with stress is to change the environment, situation or stimulus.

Calming Techniques While in the Office

It’s very easy to experience stress while in an office environment because of the pressure of the work load. But anyone can easily deflect this type of condition with simple changes in their environment and some stimulus. A very simple trick is to listen to very soothing music every once in a while. It’s also important to take a real break during lunch time which means you should not think of work and enjoy the quiet environment.

Dealing with Stress Outside the Office

Dealing with stress is a lot easier outside the office because of the additional facilities available. A simple walk in the park, jog or bike ride can be a good stress reliever not to mention a good way to exercise and burn fat. Some individuals join yoga classes and different types of meditation to experience serenity and practice the calmness while at work. Hans Selye, a pioneering Hungarian endocrinologist, who discovered the General Adaption Syndrome (also know as stress sydrome) stated “Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one”.

Stress can be devastating to anyone. Before it becomes dangerous; deal with stress by changing your environment and focusing on quieter locations. It’s also ideal to exercise and practice yoga and meditation in order to better deal with stress in the office.

Using Hypnotherapy to Stop Smoking

health girl — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:15:08 +0000

A person under the state of hypnosis is often thought to be asleep or under full control of the hypnotherapist. But in reality, a person under hypnosis is actually fully aware of his conditions. He or she is simply in an advanced state of focus and concentration and the therapist have increased capacity of suggestion. Forget about magicians with pocket watches trying to control their subjects. Hypnotherapy is basically a method to increase one’s attention and focus.

The beauty of hypnotherapy is that it can be used for medical purposes. Among those is to help stop smoking permanently. Under the right hypnotherapist, a person can quit smoking after a few sessions. It’s even possible for someone to quit smoking after just one session especially if they go through intense hypnotherapy sessions.

The main advantage of hypnotherapy in dealing with smoking is that it doesn’t require any type of medication. It’s also the best therapy for many smokers because the only reason they can’t stop is that they don’t have any will power. Through hypnotherapy, they go through powerful suggestions that they should stop smoking.

Hypnotherapy is not only limited to one-on-one sessions. There are also CDs and DVDs that can act as a hypnotherapist. This is often the choice of busy people since they can’t find the time to visit a therapist. The option is also cost effective since it doesn’t require an actual interaction with a person. However seeing a hypnotherapist in person is likely to yield better results and stop you from smoking sooner.

The Harley Health centre offer this service to patients and claim to have a 95% success rate. To find out more about the company visit their site here; http://www.harleyhealthcentre.com/stop-smoking

Circle Health – The New way forward for UK Healthcare?

health girl — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:17:02 +0000

Circle Partnership is an organisation made up of some of the best clinicians in the field. The group is the biggest healthcare partnership in Europe with over 2,500 members. Circle currently have 4 hospitals within the UK, these are located in; Bath, Nottingham, Stratford-up-Avon and Windsor. The Bath branch has already won an award for its services despite having only being open for a year.

The company structures its hospitals in a slightly different way to other UK medical centres. Circle has allowed medical professionals to co-own the places they work in. The company believes that Doctors and Nurses have an important view of how the company runs and puts them in charge of their specific areas. The company call this approach “Circles”, where each separate unit has a lead doctor, nurse and administrator. They believe this maximises the hospital footprint and harnesses the collective wisdom of the large group of professionals. Departmental managers work with Clinical leaders for each of the companies departments and together make decisions on how to improve their area. This allows the doctors treating the patients to make decisions in their patient’s best interest.

Circle employs many top professionals within its hospitals to make sure it provides the highest possible level of service. Executives on the company’s Bath team board include; Shelagh Meldrum, Neil Bradbury and Jonathan Boulton. Most of the company’s staff have been within the industry for a long period of time. Some staff have also trained with top professionals in their field outside of the UK including Neil Bradbury, who worked in Australia and the US with top knee surgeons.
The company has made a case for more companies to change their management style to improve their service. Using their real world evidence they have approached NHS management, politicians and healthcare opinion formers. Many of the healthcare professionals also provide their thoughts on hospital leadership in this debate. The company believes that their centres are proof that this form of management does work.

Understanding the Cause, Symptoms and Cure on Cellulitis

health girl — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:26:25 +0000

Cellulitis is a type of skin infection that affects the inner layer of the skin. This infection affects dermis, the fat and lower tissue area of the skin. Although it doesn’t concern the outer layer of the skin, the infection caused by the skin diseases is still visible.

Cause of Cellulitis

The skin is one of the body’s major defenders against different types of infections. However, it is still susceptible to different types of attacks, especially when it is cut. A wound could become an entrance for germs and bacteria that will ultimately infect the skin which could lead to cellulitis.

Aside from skin cuts, skin-related diseases and infections such as athlete’s foot and eczema could also lead to cellulitis. While they do not directly cause the infection, the patient’s susceptibility to cellulitis increases with these skin diseases.

Coverage of Cellulitis

Cellulitis is usually found in the lower portion of the body. The reason for this is that athlete’s foot is the common indicator of cellulitis because this skin disease causes cracks on the foot where germs could enter. However, cellulitis can happen anywhere in the body. There’s even a report in orbital cellulitis (an eye infection) which is a very rare but dangerous skin disease.

Treating Cellulitis

The body has the natural capability of treating cellulitis. But it’s still possible that the infection could spread to other parts of the body. If the infection lasts for days and continues to spread, we recommend you immediately contact your private gp to seek medical attention and prevent further infections.