Want
to stay feeling good during the time of the year when our bodies are often
at their worst? Jason Jones navigates us through the winter health minefield
10 WINTER SUPERFOODS
1. Cranberries are not only high in vitamin C, but also contain natural antioxidants.
The alkaline character of cranberry juice, as opposed to the acidity of oranges
or grapefruit, helps control the incurable common cold
2. Egg whites are pure protein with no fat, and one of the few dietary sources
of vitamin D, which the body needs to aid absorption of calcium from other
foods
3. Pears are a superfood because of their anti-allergy status – it’s
almost impossible to be allergic or intolerant to them – and they actually
help beat allergic reactions and the cold virus
4. Spinach is excellent for the eyes as it contains the protective carotenoids
lutein and zeaxanthin, which keeps the whites clear. Buy frozen for ease and
drizzle with olive oil for maximum healthy effect
5. Yoghurt is one of the few complete foods, which means it supplies all three
main body nutrients essential for the body: carbohydrate, fat and protein.
The star nutrients are calcium and phosphorus, a vital mineral for growth and
repair, important in the winter months
6. Blueberries, rich in bioflavonoid, bolster red blood vessels and prevent
them from breaking in the cold, which means you won’t end up looking
like Alex Ferguson meets Rudolph The Reindeer
7. Mushrooms fight free radical attack and boost the immune system. They’re
also a good source of vitamin B
8. Beetroot is a great detoxifier, cleansing the liver and kidneys, which is
perfect to combat any party season splurging
9. Avocados get a bad press for their high fat content, but they are rich in
oleic acid, the monounsaturated fat that helps sustain a healthy level of cholesterol.
They are also packed with vitamin C and E, magnesium, carotene, niacin and
biotin, which help ease muscle aches and pains
10. Watercress is good for healing skin complaints, especially chapping in
the winter. High in beta-carotene, vitamin C and iron, it helps maintain oxygen
in the blood, which can be compromised during very cold weather
TRY HYDROTHERAPY
Introduced to Britain by the bathhouse-loving Romans, hydrotherapy is now recognised
for its potential to promote wellbeing, reduce anxiety and alleviate chronic
pain due to the healing thermal properties of good old H20. The body’s
reaction to hot and cold water causes the nerves at the surface of the skin
to carry impulses deep into the body. This reaction is thought to lessen pain
sensitivity, stimulate the immune system, aid lymphatic drainage and increase
blood circulation. The best place to head to for a spot of hydrotherapeutic
action in Wales is St David’s Hotel & Spa. Situated slap-bang in
the centre of the Botoxed bay area of the capital, its newly refurbished spa
provides a roster of hydrotherapies, including multi-jet marine pools, underwater
jet beds as well as a hydrotherapy corridor with massage mountains. Failing
that, simply take a long soak in your own bath. It’ll still work hydro
wonders.
www.stdavidscardiff.co.uk
GET TESTED
Let’s face bare-ass facts, no-one, neither men nor women, are that fussed
on getting our sexual health checked out. Obviously, there’s the embarrassment
factor involved in dropping our drawers and getting below-stairs inspected,
but with STIs on the steady incline year on year – 397,990 newly-diagnosed
STI cases in the UK last year, up 6% on 2006 – it’s become a problem
we can no longer ignore. To help overcome our awkwardness, Innermost Secrets
has come up with a screening program to minimise any blushes. Based at Spire
Cardiff Hospital, the idea is to provide a more discreet way of having a sexual
health MOT. Rather than go to the local clap clinic where you might bump into
someone you don’t want to see or go to your GP where any information
will be permanently held on record, here appointments can be made and results
accessed entirely through a private and confidential mobile text service so
there’s no paper-trail back to your home or family doctor and if any
treatment is needed you can quietly visit one of their clinics and get the
problem sorted.
For more information call 0845 230 3386 or visit www.innermostsecrets.com
CALLING IT QUITS
If your New Year’s resolution is to pack in the fags, you’re not
alone. Of the UK’s 12 million smokers, three million attempt to quit
each year but the bad news is only 3% manage to stay on the wagon long-term.
As an ex-smoker, I know how hard kicking the habit to the curb is, because
I’ve been off the nicotine for three years and I still get the occasional
craving. If you want to take the sting out of stopping then smoking cessation
programmes are becoming increasingly popular, primarily because they’re
more likely to work. The late anti-smoking tsar Allen Carr’s much-vaunted
course is probably the most famous. Spread over five hours of one day in groups
of about twenty, it uses a psychotherapy/hypnotherapy double whammy approach
and focuses on why smokers continue despite the obvious disadvantages as opposed
to concentrating on why they should quit. It’s successful because it’s
about cognitive behavioural therapy: changing your behaviour to change the
way you think. The course costs £220 - private sessions are a couple
of grand - which sounds a lot but is a mere drop in the ocean compared to how
smoking dents your wallet over a lifetime - and this will actually prolong
it - and if it doesn’t do the trick then there’s a money back guarantee
to boot. For details of your local Allen Carr therapist log onto the website:
www.allencarreasyway.com 10 WAYS TO BEAT THE WINTER BLUES
1. Don’t sheep-flock to the gym with the masses this January, take up
a team sport instead. Try not to barf, but the camaraderie can be a real mood
elevator
2. Take up a new interest. I know this sounds Simon Says simplistic, but sometimes
simple is best
3. Lay off the drowning-your-sorrows approach, as alcohol is a potent depressant.
You may feel a temporary lift but the high is soon goodbyed
4. Eat spicy food. The substance that makes chillies hot, capsicum, stimulates
the release of feel-good endorphins in the brain. Think about it: have you
ever seen a depressed Mexican?
5. Drink green tea. It contains high levels of antioxidants that help fight
mild depression as well as protect against cancer and heart disease
6. Take vitamins. Zinc is especially effective at upping the brain’s
good mood medicine, serotonin
7. Do a negativity edit. If you’ve got a whinger mate who’s always
on the moan, limit the amount of time you spend together. Or, harsher still,
hit the delete button
8. Change your routine. Experiment by chopping and changing the ingredients
of your life to keep things fresh
9. Have a Thai massage. This is much more energising and rigorous than other
forms of massage, literally extracting stress from the body
10. Remember winter doesn’t go on forever so enjoy some of its perks,
like long walks on crisp, frosty days or having a Sunday roast in front of
a crackling country pub fire
THE HEALTH BULLETIN
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Want
to stay feeling good during the time of the year when our bodies are often
at their worst? Jason Jones navigates us through the winter health minefield