Editor's Letter
Write your way to health
According to a study published in Psychosomatic Medicine, revisiting your childhood ‘Dear diary’ habit may have more benefit than simply allowing you to express your crushes, your dreams and your wrongdoings. Turns out that journaling about thoughts, feelings and emotions of upsetting events can lower stress hormone levels and help your body heal 4.4 times faster.
But baring your soul to paper isn’t the only pen exercise that can give you benefits. According to a study published in the Journal of Health Psychology, adults who wrote about personal life goals experienced lower levels of stress hormones.
In this issue Dr Sandi Nye takes a look at the often contentious debate about which fatty acids are actually ‘essential’. Dr Arien van der Merwe recommends what supplements to take during pregnancy and she also suggests following simple steps to promote bladder health and reduce the risk of recurrence of infection. Her article is entitled That Burning Feeling. With blood clots on the rise, we take a look at the role of vitamin E and how it reduces the tendency for platelets to stick together, helping further to reduce risk of heart attack and stroke.
One of the first steps in dealing with addiction is to discover the emotional cause of it. Read Dr Ronald Alexander's article on Mindfulness Meditation and Addiction. He is a mind/body psychotherapist, international trainer, and the Executive Director of the OpenMind Training Institute in Santa Monica, a leading edge organisation that offers personal and professional training programmes in mind-body therapies, transformational leadership, and mindfulness. He is the author of the widely acclaimed book Wise Mind, Open Mind that provides practical and innovative applications to help us through today’s challenging times.
Bonus content, we include a recipe on how to make salad jars – the perfect lunch box snack.
THANK YOU TO OUR EXPERTS
Our authors receive no payment or any other form of remuneration from us or from the industry. They take time out from their busy schedules to write articles to inspire and educate. Here’s to all of them! May their tireless and tremendous efforts bring them well-deserved rewards.
Yours in Healthy Living
Walking is Healthy
Table of Contents ↑|‘My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She’s ninety-seven now, and we don’t know where she is.’ ~Ellen DeGeneres
Mindfulness Meditation and Addiction
Table of Contents ↑|Mindfulness meditation can free us from the negative emotions that hold us prisoner, thereby helping us overcome addictions. One of the first steps in dealing with addiction is to discover the emotional cause of it, whether it is fear, depression, anxiety, or pessimism. Many times these unwholesome thoughts and beliefs come from what I call the ‘wanting mind’.
That Burning Feeling
Table of Contents ↑|Cystitis or urinary tract ingfection (UTI) is an unpleasant condition usually caused by a bacterial infection that needs prompt medical attention. Following simple steps to promote bladder health can reduce the risk of recurrence of infection.
Get your FATS Straight
Table of Contents ↑|People are often confused about exactly what an EFA is, what it does, and why it is (or they are) important in the human diet. Then, just to add to the puzzle, there’s the often contentious debate about which fatty acids are actually ‘essential’. Sandi Nye takes a look at these fascinating molecules.
Supplements During Pregnancy
Table of Contents ↑|Can you recommend what supplements to take during pregnancy? I am 40 years old and this is my third pregnancy. Thank you for a fantastic magazine – it contains such a wealth of info! Kind regards, Anna.
Spotlight on Vitamin E
Table of Contents ↑|What do we really know about vitamin E’s effects in the body? Vitamin E is the collective name for a group of fat-soluble compounds that exists in different forms, each different from the other depending on their source. Vitamin E has many benefits essential for healthy living. Yet, its antioxidant function is the dominant benefit.
Get Social