Category Archives: Health

Time To Take A Break? Get Out Of Your Chair, It’s Killing You

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If you think working overtime, skipping your lunch hour and staying chained to your desk will make you more productive, you need to cut yourself some slack and take a break.

Working non-stop without taking a break can increase your chances of weight gain, heart disease and worse. Staring at a computer screen for more than 2 hours per day can cause Computer Vision Syndrome, a real affliction, which causes blurry vision, headaches, dry eyes and can lead to long-term nearsightedness. However, getting up and away from your desk for just 5 minutes can alleviate eye strain and reduce fatigue in addition to making you feel better. The mere act of standing at your desk instead of sitting at it can help you burn up to 2500 calories per week. Not bad for just standing around.

Work hard and break hard; doing so will make you a healthier, happier and more productive employee.

Take A Break

Take A Break by LearnStuff.com

What To Expect When You’re Expecting: The Workout

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The pregnancy workout based on Heidi Murkoff’s best-selling pregnancy guide;
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING!
Stay fit & firm throughout your pregnancy with cardio, stretch, and strength workouts…

What To Expect When You’re Expecting: The Workout is the ultimate pregnancy exercise programme designed to help you fit fitness into all nine months of your pregnancy and is out for the first time on DVD 26th December (RRP £17.99). With six 10-minute mix-and-match routines, you can customise your workout to fit your fitness level, your mood and your growing body from day to day, week to week and trimester to trimester.

Workouts include: 3x Cardio, 2x Strength and 1x Stretch & Relax – plus bonus workouts you can do anywhere, anytime*…

CARDIO:
BAREFOOT & PREGNANT: Enjoy this gentle Pilates-based workout that focuses on balance, muscle strength and circulation.
BABY BUMP BOOT CAMP: Back-to-basics training to build stamina and strength for a healthier pregnancy.
BABY STEPS: Bust some baby moves with this fun, easy-to-follow dance routine.

STRENGTH:
CUTE TO THE CORE: Fight aches, pains, and flab while keeping your abs and hips strong and toned with Pilates-based moves.
BUNS IN THE OVEN: Target-tone your buns with this total-body workout designed to firm up your legs, buns and thighs.

STRETCH & RELAX:
MIND, BODY & BABY: Practice gentle yoga moves to help rejuvenate your aching body and tight muscles.

BONUS FEATURES:
• Working This Workout
• Exercise Smarts
• Your Main Squeeze
• Workstation Workout
• Bouncing Baby Ball

*Weights, a yoga mat, and a pillow are recommended

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING: THE WORKOUT Disc Details
·         Released: 26th December 2012
·         RRP: £17.99
·         Run Time: 60mins (TBC)
·         Cat number: LGD94953
·         Barcode: 5060223768120
·         Copyright line: Programme Content and Photography: © 2012 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Package Design © 2012 Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK. All Rights Reserved.

ALSO AVAILABLE: What To Expect When You’re Expecting the hit comedy about facing the challenges of impending parenthood starring Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Chris Rock and Matthew Morrison out to rent and own on DVD and Blu-ray now!

STEP UP MIAMI HEAT: DANCE WORKOUT

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An all-new, super-charged series of four fun dance workouts featuring moves from the hit film, Step Up Miami Heat. Learn the energising moves, step by step, before putting the entire routine together for an all-out performance to the actual songs from the movie. Once you’ve got it, turn up the volume and shake your hips to Latin Groove and Latin Hip-Hop Fusion, and get funky as you work it out to Hip-Hop and Hip-Hop Jam. From the living room to the dance floor, these are moves that you can do anywhere – and no partner required!

HIP-HOP JAM
Sweat it out to a fusion of various dance styles from the movie for a heart-pumping cardio hip-hop workout

LATIN HIP-HOP FUSION
Featuring an energising mix of Hip-Hop, Afro-Cuban and Samba, you’ll work your entire body with arm and body combos and core-firming moves

LATIN GROOVE
Spice up the dance floor with Salsa and Mambo-inspired moves that work your core, hips and thighs

HIP-HOP
Get your heart pumping with this fun fusion of Hip-Hop and street dance that sculpts your core, arms, legs and booty


·         Released: 26th December 2012
·         RRP: £15.99
·         Run Time: 87 Minutes Approx.


Top tips to make kid’s bath time FUN without breaking the bank

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As research from Megaflo, the hot water expert has shown, more than 93% of parents believe that bath-time is one of the most important parts of a child’s day to help them relax, learn and have fun.  With the cold weather now upon us, bath time will be more important than ever.  We all remember there being nothing better than splashing about in the bath tub when we were little; so from bubbles to shampoo mohawks and bath crayons – here are a few top tips to bring the old favourites back and make your child’s bath time as fun and memorable as yours, without breaking the bank.

 

1.         Sail away!

Bath time just isn’t the same without a boat to play with.  Keep all of your clean, empty cartons and bottles as these make great play time accomplices for all of those budding pirates!  You can even create some pre-bath fun, by using use crayons and felt pens to help them make their dream vessel a masterpiece!  Remember – no holes… otherwise the boat will become a submarine! (Follow these instructions to make your creation. http://www.ehow.com/how_8161908_make-boats-out-plastic-bottles.html)

 

2.         Paint by bubbles!

A new era of children’s toys is upon us with bath crayons and bath paint pallets galore!  For the same effect and to save a few pounds, why not get a plastic egg carton and mix some shaving foam with food colouring… you have your very own clean-easy bath colour palette fit for any little artist.  Just be on hand to check that inquisitive little fingers don’t decide to try to swallow their creations..!

 

3.         Bath time Punk-Rockers!

One of the best ways to avoid the hair-washing tears is to get your little ones to design their own shampoo mohawk.  Create different soapy styles and faces – no doubt you’ll be creating one for yourself too!  Everyone’s a winner.  Remember to try and find a mild but soapy shampoo, for extra volume but minimal tears…

 

4.         Deep sea aquarium!

All children love aquariums and creatures of the deep sea.  Why not create your own right at home in your bath tub?  It will also make some good pre-bath entertainment.  Simply draw and decorate your fish, mermaids, crabs and other sea-side goodies, laminate them with sticky-back plastic and throw them in.  The kids will have hours of fun searching for them in amongst all the bubbles.  Why not create some treasure to go with your pirate ship as well?

 

5.         Trusty Rubber Duck never fails!

We all remember using a lovely rubber duck to play with in the tub and with the latest trend for bright and colourful Hippie, Pirate, Union Jack, Princess and Alien ducks, there is sure to be one to please every child!  What’s more – these ducks last a lifetime and look great as an ornament in your bathroom.  Why not build up a family of ducks and let their imaginations run wild!

 

Megaflo has teamed up with Pump Aid, the charity dedicated to providing clean water and good sanitation to sub-Saharan Africa, to support a phenomenal Malawi Schools project.  The £62k project, co-funded by Megaflo, will provide pupils and staff across 21 schools in the Mchinji District, Central Region of Malawi, with access to clean water and basic sanitation through the installation of 80 toilets and 10 pumps.

 

For more information, please visit www.megaflo.com.

The Mayfair Hotel Spa | Spa Review

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Did you know that The Mayfair Hotel is the official hotel partner of the BFI Film Festival in London? In association with it, Frost Magazine got invited down to enjoy a massage and some cocktails in the bar.

I had a Traditional Swedish Massage. It was a 90 minute massage. My full body massage was a calming experience. You are given a locker key and change into a dressing gown. You have an option of wearing disposable underwear – which I took- and then you are taken to the room and lie face down. My masseuse, Meera, made sure I was completely relaxed. This was my first full body massage, and it was quite weird. It marks the first time I have disrobed in front of a women! I am not that comfortable with nudity, other people’s or my own, so the fact that Meera made me relax was quite an achievement. My entire body, from my toes to my head was massaged. After the massage I was taken to the relaxation room and given some water. I really enjoyed the massage. Meera even gave me some advice about my back, which has a habit of playing up some time. Definitely worth it.

The experience helped my back. I think I may be converted.

Traditional Swedish Massage – 60 mins £99 or 90 mins £135

Afterward I had a drink in the bar with a colleague. I had a good Margarita.

I love the Mayfair Hotel. It even smells great.

Swedish massage combines a universal collection of techniques designed primarily to relax specific muscles and help relieve tension. This technique is ideal for reducing both physical and emotional stress, and is suggested as a regular program for stress management. The pressure can be varied to suit your taste.

Located at London’s iconic May Fair Hotel, in the heart of Mayfair, the May Fair Spa epitomises pure indulgence and tranquillity. Escape the hustle and bustle of the city and discover a hidden retreat of relaxation and wellbeing.

Exclusive yet friendly, laid-back and sumptuous the May Fair Spa lists an impressive menu of treatments for men and women, including a range of facials, micro-dermabrasions, scrubs, massages using Booster guns, body wraps and mud-baths inspired by beauty rituals from all over the world.

Using the most exclusive treatments, the May Fair ensures guests experience maximum relaxation and
invigoration with the best results from every visit. Specialist treatments include the Crystal Clear Oxygen

Therapy and a number of signature treatments including the Algotherm Soap Massage, designed to leave skin moisturised and glowing, and the Jetlag Reviver package, which combines an energising facial, a full body aroma massage with a May Fair mud bath and a remineralising wrap.

The spa also features the luxurious May Fair mud bath – an unparalleled indulgence – which involves applying toning muds and natural salts to the body in a private steam chamber as cleansing steam is jetted out of a crystal ball.

The ceiling of the steam chamber, lit by tiny optic fibre lights, has been designed to give the feeling of a warm summer night – a perfect escape for those fed up with the hubbub of the capital. Guests can choose to treat themselves to a Cleopatra mud bath alone or better still, with a partner to have fun covering each other in mud.

The stylish spa has been carefully designed for optimum indulgence and features the best of understated luxury in its seven treatment rooms, traditional sauna and herbal steam room. To help cleanse the body and mind, the herbal steam room has a gentle aroma of essential oils and the sauna is filled with the sweet smell of fruits and fresh herbs roasting on a cast iron plate.

Therapists at the May Fair Spa also place strong emphasis on the pre and post treatment stages. Guests are encouraged to arrive an hour before their treatments to allow enough time to unwind in the steam room and sauna.

Once treatments have taken place, it is recommended that guests chill-out in the Spa’s tranquil relaxation room, which features scented candles, gently warmed marble loungers and heated floors. In the relaxation room, guests are served herbal teas, freshly squeezed juices and fruit sorbets, to reflect their treatments. A jasmine tea for instance is recommended to complement jasmine oil based treatments.

The May Fair Spa also features an exclusive members’ Health Club, with the very latest exercise equipment.

May Fair Spa offers members a complimentary laundry service – just leave the workout kit behind and it will be fresh and ready to wear again on return for the next gym session.

For bookings and further details on the May Fair Spa and Health Club, please contact 020 7915 2826 or log onto www.mayfairspa.com

* The May Fair Hotel is one of the best 5 star hotels in London, and it the official hotel partner of the 56th BFI London Film Festival.

Strictly Come Dancing Hits Our Screens, Keep Your Feet In Tip Top Shape

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 Frost has reviewed some foot products to get your feet in tip top condition as Brucey has dusted off his dancing shoes, fake tan and false eyelashes have been ordered by the truckload and dance classes up and down the country are bursting at their sequinned seams with a new influx of dancing fans. With the show’s rehearsal’s now in full swing, the nation is primed and ready for Strictly fever to hit once again.  
Stars Denise Van Outen and Kimberley Walsh are loving their new roles as dancing diva’s in training, but it seems their string of foot woes has been holding them back in rehersals.
Denise Van Outen has been forced to rehearse barefoot due to extreme blister pain.  Denise says on her blog: “I feel that I’m at a disadvantage this week as my feet are so badly blistered due to dancing in heels, that I can’t even get my shoes on and I’m having to practice barefoot until they heal.” Denise had to don extra high heels in order to dance with her partner, the lovely but very tall James Jordan.  Kimberly Walsh tweeted of her painful feet woes earlier in the week, declaring ”OK so now my feet are really sore #scd.”  And it seems Olympic gold medalist, Victoria Pendelton’s feet aren’t safe either.  Victoria Tweeted from rehearsals yesterday with her professional dance partner Brendan Cole, Victoria admitted: ‘Day 2 feet are so sore!’
With so many tootsie troubles this early on in the competition, Carnation Footcare feel it’s their duty to protect the nation’s feet.  Get bunion to beautiful with these top feet treats….
A luxurious Exfoliating Foot Scrub with apricot seed and walnut shell, perfect for keeping toes in tip top condition ready for their ballroom debut.
This great smelling foot scrub really does the trick, leaving your feet nice and smooth.
 
A Cool Foot spray for on the go refreshment.  A sneaky spray will help keep feet dry and comfortable throughout the sweatiest of swing and jive sessions. 
This cooling spray sorts out embarrassing problems like smelly, sweaty feet. A must for dancers on their feet all day. This is a good spray. It does the job.
 
Tip Toes invisible gel cushions, helping to keep your perfectly polished toes looking dance-tastic at all times.
I love these. They are brilliant at helping the burning pain you get in the soles of your feet. It is a lot easier to wear heels with these handy gel cushions.
 
An Anti-Blister Stick, whip this in your training bag and ensure blisters don’t ruin your salsa night or dance class. This clever little device creates a light non-greasy layer on the skin, which eliminates the friction that causes blisters.
This handy stick stops blisters. Which might make it one of the best inventions ever, as nothing is more painful and annoying than blisters on your feet. A must buy if you are on the go all the time.
 
Pedi Roller, use at the end of any dance-off to help banish the achey feet blues.  5 minutes using the Pedi Roller will help ease heel and arch pain associated with prolonged standing and walking.  The ridged design massages tired feet, reducing tension and stimulating circulation. Pedi- Roller can also be used as a cold massage therapy by chilling or freezing before using.
I love this roller. It is easy to use and It really helps your feet after a long day. It is good for cramp too. It eases arch and heel pain.
Carnation’s Hydro Blisters are small dressings which offer rapid blister pain relief and protect from dirt and bacteria.  So there’s no reason to miss a dance class now!
These really helps with blisters. Pop one on and it will stop any painful rubbing and prevent against dirt and bacteria. They make a huge difference.
All these Carnation Footcare products are available from www.carnationfootcare.co.uk 

The Food Hospital’s Fibre Challenge Success

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The Food Hospital Fibre Challenge app has had over 60,000 downloads to date following the return of the new series of The Food Hospital on Channel 4 last month. The application available on iPhone and Android devices has got the nation reaching for the fruit bowl and monitoring their toilet habits on a daily basis.

The Fibre Challenge application encourages viewers to record their bowel movements and increase the amount of fibre in their diet for 21 days. Participants are challenged to eat an extra five grams of dietary fibre every day in the first stage, and an extra ten grams per day in the second stage. Each day, they should record how many bowel movements they have had and the stool type using the Bristol Stool Form Scale. At the end of the challenge, participants hope to see a noticeable improvement in bowel health. The anonymous data will be added to the national results, with the overall findings published on The Food Hospital website.

The Food Hospital Fibre Challenge app has been devised by specialist dietitians and is a mass participation initiative to assess the effect of fibre on the nation’s bowel health. Most people don’t eat enough fibre. The recommended minimum daily intake of dietary fibre is 18 grams, but few get anywhere near that. Increasing the amount of fibre in your diet is believed to provide short-term health benefits and help prevent serious disease.

Alongside the app and as part of the new series, each week volunteers who have previously participated in The Fibre Challenge will have their results analysed to help viewers gain a better understanding to whether a high fibre diet significantly improves short-term bowel health. Fifty volunteers took part in The Fibre Challenge earlier this summer and for 21 days, they ate extra dietary fibre and sent information about their bowel movements anonymously to an expert team for analysis.

In a recent study, British Medical Journal reported that dietary fibre can potentially reduce bowel cancer risk by up to 20%. Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer: one person dies every half an hour from the disease, often because of late diagnosis.

The Food Hospital Fibre Challenge app has been devised by betty, the production company behind the series, in consultation with Channel 4 and specialist dietitians. Betty’s executive producer Neil Smith says, “betty has a track record for creating innovative content that captures the imagination. Our challenge was to translate this into a digital form, so we’re thrilled that it’s been so enthusiastically embraced. It’s engaging content with the potential to save lives”.

Deborah Alsina, Chief Executive of Bowel Cancer UK says: ‘We are delighted the Fibre Challenge app has been so popular as it is an important early step to improving bowel health. It is well known that simple changes to your diet and lifestyle, such as increasing your intake of fibre can make you feel better and help stack the odds against bowel cancer. Therefore the makers of The Food Hospital are to be commended for bringing this into the mainstream. We now need to keep momentum and continue to raise awareness and encourage action around this important public health issue.’

Lizzy Keene, Senior Producer for Factual at Channel 4, adds “We are delighted with the success of the app and to have reached over 60,000 downloads already. Our aim was to encourage people to talk openly about their bowel habits and visit their GP with any concerns. Bowel cancer can be successfully treated if it’s caught early enough and we wanted to break down the ‘poo taboo’ in a fun but informative way.”

Potter’s Herbal Elixir of Echinacea Plus & Kwai Heart + Immune Supplements | Health Review

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miranda kerrAs winter comes in colds are inevitable. Echinacea is well known to ward of colds and boost the immune system, but does it really work?

The first thing I have to say about Potter’s Herbals Elixir of Echinacea is how nice it tastes, rare for something that is good for you. I am more used to taking pills but taking the elixir is no problem. I take it three times a day and I don’t get a cold, and feel that I have been given a health boost. In fact when I get more busy and forgot to take it for a while I ended up getting a cold. I start taking the Echinacea again and I immediately feel better. I think it works and I am impressed. It even makes my skin clearer.

I also start taking Kwai Heart+Immune with vitamins A, C and E; 30 tablets RRP £6.12; 100 tablets £16.33; Available from Boots. When I first take it I worry that I will smell of garlic but a friend says I don’t. After I start taking the supplement I feel much more energetic and healthier. The Pills are also easy to swallow.  My skin tone also improves when I am taking the pills. With the Kwai Heart+Immune and Potter’s Herbals Elixir of Echinacea I am all set for winter.

Commenting on Kwai Heart+Immune, independent dietitian Dr Carrie Ruxton says: “It is now well accepted that vitamins A and C and garlic have a vital role in supporting a normal immune function, while vitamin E is a potent antioxidant, helping to protect cells from oxidative stress which leads to cell damage. Human research on garlic shows that it is antimicrobial and can reduce levels of harmful bacteria and viruses which cause disease.”

The immune system as you know is crucial to help prevent colds/flu/virues and potentillay fatal illnesses. New research by the Henry Potter Advisory Committee also reveals that nearly half of 2,000 respondents in survey (46.4%) believe that they appear physically less attractive when their immune system is lower, with nearly one quarter (23.9%) stating that you could tell how good someone’s immune system is from their skin tone.

 

New stats also revealed that:

  • Worryingly almost three quarter’s (73.9%) of those researched (out of 2,000 respondents) did not know that our immune system is capable of distinguishing foreign bacteria, fungi or viruses, thereby preventing cellular damage.
  • Nearly one third (30.9%), incorrectly believe that vitamin C will ward off a cold, with more women believing this than men (35.3% vs 26%).
  • When it comes to symptoms of a poorly functioning immune system, the most commonly cited symptom was tiredness (61.2%). Over one third of people (38%) commented that they thought their immune system was lowered when they felt physically weak, or when they caught a cold (37.9%) or a virus (37.1%).

Potter’s Herbals Elixir of Echinacea Plus – contains a unique formula of the highest quality Echinacea angustifolia, wild indigo and fumitory. RRP £10.16, available in Boots nationwide. Potter’s Herbal remedies also include cold and flu relief products, as well as sleep aids, and stress releif aids. The whole range are licensed herbal medicines – celebrating 200 years this year.

World class immunologist and medical herbalist Dr Serene Foster says “It is encouraging to see effective herbals available over the counter. The cold and Flu season costs the nation a lot in terms of lost days at school, work, and while on holiday. Now we can all benefit from good mixtures which address all aspects of colds. When Potters Herbal Elixir of Echinacea Plus is taken at the first sign of a cold, it will support and balance your immune system to reduce the symptoms and shorten the time you suffer a cold and make you feel better faster.”