Want to know some easy tips to being healthy? Here are a few facts to help you on the road!
Gorge on tomatoes for healthy arteries
Scientists in Japan have found a nutrient in tomatoes that can help stop fatty acids and cholesterol building up in your body.
It’s the 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid in these salad fiends that tackle the heart stopping cholesterol clogging up your arteries and sparking vascular diseases.
We’re not sure chucking ketchup on everything counts but why not try snacking on organic cherry tomatoes if you’re feeling peckish, instead of diving straight for the biscuits?
Stave off dementia with green tea
Scientists at Newcastle University have found that sipping on green tea won’t just make you feel cleansed and refreshed; it could also protect you from developing Alzheimer’s and senile dementia.
The ancient Chinese medicine was also found to slow down cancer cell growth so it might be worth switching your mug of English Breakfast for a cup of the green stuff.
Boost your mood with music
You probably don’t need to be told that music can make you happy, but now scientists in Montreal have proved it.
They’ve found that listening to your favourite tunes can actually trigger your brain to release the pleasure neurotransmitter, dopamine.
It’s normally released to reinforce survival-friendly behaviour, like eating and sex. So now you have the perfect excuse to spend your lunch hour browsing the shelves of HMV...
Ditch your desk for a thinner waist
Exercise regularly but still can’t shift that tummy tyre? A report published in the European Heart Journal might have found why.
Apparently, sitting for long periods can leave your waistline wider than if you were constantly flitting up out of your chair. Luckily just little bursts of activity like walking to the photocopier, standing up to answer the phone or popping to see someone instead of sending over an email will make all the difference.
Time to get moving!
The tan-tastic diet plan
If summer seems forever away and you’re bored of plying your skin with bronzer, researchers at the University of Nottingham have discovered a short-cut.
They found the antioxidants and carotenoids (pigment) in fruit and veg will have a similar, if not better, effect on tinting your skin than tanning outdoors.
Dr Ian Stephen who led the study said, “If you want a healthier and more attractive skin colour, you are better off eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables than lying in the sun." Well, it’s worth a try until bikini season…
A website has been launched in the West Midlands which lets people use a postcode or place name to find the nearest defibrillator in an emergency.
St Ives Apricot Facial Scrubs, Blemish Control, RRP £5.10 for 150ml, tested by Emma Turton. It's certainly no secret that I love a good scrub, and this is one that will definitely go on my beauty list
A keep fit programme for the over 65's has been extended borough wide. Forever Fit started as a step class at Weeping Cross health centre last year but is now available across Stafford.
We've all read how long you should keep your mascaras, eye creams and lipsticks but honestly - when was the last time you really spring cleaned your make up bag?
Walking: it's simple, cheap and so very good for you. It can be done anywhere, with no specific equipment, and unlike some exercise, it requires no special agility. And in Staffordshire, we are lucky to have great countryside