Fighting the flab: 7 ways to achieve effective weight loss

It’s a reality faced by many of us at some point in our lives – the desire (or necessity) to lose weight. The trouble is, of course, it’s easier said than done. For some, it proves a very difficult thing to achieve; a good number of people not only find it difficult to get started but also to keep up a successful regime so they keep the weight off. Other struggle to find something that works for them at all; they may be confused and irritated that what works for one person (probably someone they know) simply doesn’t work for them. Yet, the fact is that everyone – and everyone’s body – is different. By definition, what works for one dieter, one faster, one improved eater or one patient undergoing treatment won’t work for another.

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Hair-raising supplements: can boosting your nutrient intake reduce hair loss?

Your first reaction may be to scoff at the idea, but you shouldn’t; evidence suggests that taking the correct, targeted nutritional supplements may help with hair loss. Not to mention the fact that we’ve received strong, positive anecdotal evidence as to their efficacy in this area – especially from women customers.

But just how could boosting your nutritional intake prevent or reduce you losing those much-coveted curls up on top? Well, it all comes down to how our bodies, practically every part of them (from the individual systems to the skin, the brain to the heart and so on), require a regular, high level of vitamins and minerals to function well and remain healthy. It naturally follows then, when you think about it, that supplying your body with these natural well being boosters – or, if you prefer, nutrient deficiency products – should be great for preserving your hair and keeping it healthy and lustrous.

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Toxic fix: protection from and cleansing yourself of heavy metals

When it comes to the danger of being contaminated by toxic (or ‘heavy’) metals, it’s easy to sound like a doom-monger; frankly, though, that’s a risk worth taking – because blithely exposing yourself to such dangerous substances most definitely isn’t.

The truth is, whether we like it or not, many everyday items contain toxic metal at low levels. They can be found in what we eat and drink, as well as the air we breathe (thus, they enter the body through consuming food and drinks, inhaling air and via skin and eye contact). It’s true that our bodies actually require a very small amount of ‘trace metals’ (iron and copper, for instance), but it’s very easy to consume and absorb too much; it’s all too easy because we require so very little.

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The big O: a lowdown on oxygen – and why you might try oxygen cleansing

Don’t doubt it; oxygen is an absolutely critical substance for humans. The odourless, colourless gas that accounts for a fifth of the air all around us (and is the third most abundant in space beyond the Earth), it’s absolutely critical to our wellbeing, given that, along with hydrogen it makes up water – the basis for all life – and is the single most common chemical element in the human body; accounting for a whopping 65% of the body’s overall mass3. To that end then, its functions and benefits in the body are many and plentiful – and what can go wrong when the body’s deprived of it are serious, indeed.

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The Truth About Urinary Tract Infections – And The Supplements To Treat Them

All of us experience it at some time or another; that need to pee that just grows and grows until, finally, we’re able to relieve ourselves. Usually that’s all it is – the necessity to empty our bladder – but sometimes it’s more. Sometimes it feels like you need to pee all the time and can even experience a regular burning pain when you do relieve yourself. And it can be joined by other very unpleasant symptoms; lower back pain, nausea, vomiting and dizziness.

If you experience all these things together then it may be you have a urinary tract infection (UTI). Women, young children and teenagers tend to be prone to them and they can recur, primarily targeting the bladder and kidneys. That said, there are a few misconceptions about UTIs – among undoubtable truths about them too – that it’s as well to be aware of. The following are some of the most important.

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Why is Co-Enzyme Q10 a crucial nutrient – and should you boost its levels in your body?

It’s a regrettable fact of life… we all age and our bodies simply don’t perform when we’re older quite like they did when we were younger. Now, many of this accept this; many of us believe there’s no fountain of youth (newsflash: there isn’t) and no way to reverse the ageing process. Well, while that may be essentially true, it’s actually false that there isn’t anything we can do about it.

Take for instance, if you’re getting older, boosting your body’s levels of Co-Enzyme Q10. Your what, you may ask? Co-Enzyme Q10 (or simply CoQ10, as it’s often referred to) is a naturally-occurring nutrient in the human body; although neither a vitamin nor a mineral, the important role it plays in ensuring your body remains healthy and functions as it should often means it’s mentioned in the same breath as them. Primarily, it’s recognised as a major contributor to helping cells generate energy and a critical fighter against highly disruptive molecules known as free radicals that, in order to ‘complete themselves’, greatly damage cells and DNA.

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The orange Juice Nutrient: How to Avoid and Beat Vitamin C Deficiency

Forever associated with orange juice, Vitamin C is perhaps the most easily recalled of all the family of vitamins whose consumption is crucial for our bodies to function exactly as they should. For, should you peel back the surface and break up the segments – yes, as would with an orange – of what Vitamin C does for us, you quickly find it’s impossible not to come to the conclusion it’s essential for healthy human life.

A natural antioxidant that also goes by the scientific name L-ascorbic acid, Vitamin C can actually be found in many fruit and vegetables, certainly not just oranges1. Among all the great things it does inside out bodies, it helps ensure growth and development take place as they should, especially as it aids in the repairing of damaged internal tissue2, 3 and, in helping produce the protein collagen, it plays a pivotal role in keeping the skin, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and blood vessels in good health4.

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Lyme Disease – What is it and How to Treat it?

There aren’t many people who, at one point or another, haven’t enjoyed time in the countryside; maybe a ramble across a moor, a pleasant stroll through green pastures or possibly a long walk in the woods. Few would credit the idea, though, that should you not live in the country, a visit could leave you ill, with exaggerated symptoms of fatigue; those similar to flu and even arthritic-like symptoms. How can this be so? Two words: Lyme disease.

To be clear, it’s pretty unlikely you’ll contract this illness via just a visit to the countryside; you’d be very unlucky to do so, but it is possible. Indeed, between 2,000 and 3,000 cases of Lyme disease occur in England and Wales every year1. So what is it? Well, Lyme borreliosis – to give its official name – is what happens following a bite from a tick, a creature (a bit like a miniscule spider) whose habitat tends to be woodland and heaths; it’s their bites that transfer the Lyme disease bacteria to an unlucky human victim.

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In the Right Vein: How to look After your Arteries and Veins

Of all the parts of the body, our arteries and veins may be one of those we take most for granted. There they are under our skin, sometimes visible, other times not, transporting the blood (and, in it, all the oxygen, vitamins, minerals, nutrients and more we need to survive and stay healthy, as well as the harmful entities like carbon dioxide so they can be expelled from the body). Yes, they’re just doing their job, while we get on with our lives and, for the most part, ignore them.

But should we take them for granted; let alone ignore them? Well, usually, as long as we’re in good health, looking after ourselves in general via a decent, balanced diet and getting regular exercise, we shouldn’t have too much trouble on the vein front. Yet, occasionally, it’s sensible to think about the welfare of the vascular system; about how important it is to maintain artery and vein integrity. After all, it’s the arteries and veins that are the highways of our bodies; like motorways, should they become clogged up or damaged, things begin to grind to a halt. And we can end up getting ill – potentially seriously.

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Tackling ulcerative colitis: the role of probiotics and supplements

For many of us, mercifully, an upset tummy – or unhappy digestive system – isn’t a regular occurrence and more an uncomfortable irritation that sets us back a little when it occurs. For others, however, it’s a far bigger deal; it can be an unpleasant, painful and frequent experience that leaves them feeling debilitated on a regular basis. In some cases, such people may be suffering from what’s known as ulcerative colitis (UC), which on occasions, along with the different but related Crohn’s disease, is referred to as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)1.

Symptoms-wise, ulcerative colitis is far from fun. Recurring diarrhoea, possibly containing blood, mucus or pus, as well as abdominal pain and the urge to empty your bowels more than you’d wish are very common; sometimes people suffer heavy fatigue and appetite and weight loss too1. Why do these things happen? Well, Ulcerative colitis is a long-term condition (its symptoms can be very frequent but equally not, as it goes into remission and comes back).

It’s caused by the colon (the gut or small intestine) and the rectum become inflamed. This sees small ulcers forming on the lining of the colon, which often bleed and produce pus1. The reasons why this happens are debated by experts, but it’s commonly held that the condition’s autoimmune-related – the thinking goes that the immune system confuses harmless bacteria in the gut for harmful organisms and, thus, attacks the colon’s tissue1.

Ulcerative Colitis Treatment

Owing to the relatively widespread nature of UC – there’s a reported 900,000 sufferers in the United States alone2 – treatment for the condition is nowadays available in all different kinds, shapes and sizes. Some of these forms of treatment are pretty obvious; others less so. Here are those worthy of note:

  •  Medication – as you’d expect, prescribed drugs are one of the most prevalent UC treatments and often they’re corticosteroids, but it depends on the condition’s severity and how the sufferer responds; in fact, after a year’s worth of medication treatment, around one third (30%) of patients experience remission3,
  •  Surgery – for non-responsive sufferers, surgery is common and may involve two- or three-stage procedures; indeed, recent research suggests that three-stage surgery may not actually be as safe as was originally believed
  •  Acupuncture – moxibustion (heating an acupuncture site) in addition to treatment via a traditional UC drug has apparently shown good results of late, while a study found that use of the Kuijiening plaster, again in addition to medication, appears to be better than taking the medication on its own
  •  Probiotics and other supplements – finally, naturally-derived supplementation is gaining more and more attention as a UC treatment8 and rightly so, as results of probiotics and other ulcerative colitis supplements look favorable9; the following, as well as many more, are all available viaThe Finchley Clinic and come highly advised among our customers for promoting improved bowel health and treating the symptoms of ulcerative colitis:

Saccharomyces boulardiiSaccharomyces Boulardii – a probiotic that may support good bowel health, comfort and function; also recognised as the number one probiotic for managing diarrhoea.

 

Oxy Powder 120 capsulesOxy-Powder – designed for optimum colon health via helping to cleanse and oxygenate the intestines.

 

Colostrum PlusColostrum Plus – a supplement that promotes digestive health, tackles inflammatory problems and supports the immune system.

 

References:

1. ‘Ulcerative colitis’. NHS Choices. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ulcerative-colitis/Pages/Introduction.aspx. Last reviewed: 17 Mar 2016.

2. Manfred E. ‘True Stories: Living with Ulcerative Colitis’. Health Line. http://www.healthline.com/health/ulcerative-colitis-take-control-true-stories. Last reviewed: 15 Feb 2017.

3. Mehta S. J., Silver A. R. and Lindsay J. O. ‘Review article: strategies for the management of chronic unremitting ulcerative colitis’. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 38 (2): 77-97. doi: 10.1111/apt.12345. July 2013.

4. Reinisch W., Sandborn W. J., Panaccione R., Huang B., Pollack P. F., Lazar A. and Thakkar R. B. ‘52-week efficacy of adalimumab in patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis who failed corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressants’. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 19 (8): 1700-9. doi: 10.1097/MIB.0b013e318281f2b7. July 2013.

5. Hicks C. W., Hodin R. A. and Bordeianou L. ‘Possible overuse of 3-stage procedures for active ulcerative colitis’. JAMA Surg. 148 (7): 658-64. doi: 10.1001/2013.jamasurg.325. July 2013.

6. Zhang L. C., Zhang S., Zhong W., Long J. X., Li X. N. and Chen L. S. ‘Observation on clinical effect of ZHUANG medicine mediated thread moxibustion combined with medication for patients with ulcerative colitis’. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 38 (5): 399-402. Oct 2013.

7. Huang L., Cai Z., Zhu Y. and Wan H. ‘Treatment of ulcerative colitis with spleen and kidney yang deficiency by kuijiening plaster: a randomized controlled study’. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 33 (7): 577-81. July 2013.

8. Kruis W. ‘Probiotics’. Dig Dis. 31 (3-4): 385-7. doi: 10.1159/000354706. 14 Nov 2013.

9. De Greef E., Vandenplas Y., Hauser B., Devreker T. and Veereman-Wauters G. ‘Probiotics and IBD’. Acta Gastroenterol Belg. 76 (1): 15-9. Mar 2013.

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