Body And Soul - Keeping It Together!

LET'S START WITH THE BODY . . .

H E A L T H

It is said that the primary thing a person does when he wakes within the morning is to ascertain m out of the window to see how the weather has changed overnight. Therefore the very first thing a woman does on waking is to determine m within the mirror to see what the night has done to her face. Enough said ... but if your look within the mirror is followed by 'Oh, my God ... I could do with a face-lift, etc. etc.' (don't worry, we've all been there) before you begin layering on more make-up and deciding to embark once more on another diet/exercise regime (which will probably are forgotten anyway by the weekend), let's stop wishing, and begin by trying to form the simplest of what we've got.

We might not be ready to recapture the healthy glow of youth, but we could also be prepared to inject a touch sparkle by giving the maximum amount thought to the within of our bodies as we do to the surface. Just consider what would happen to a house if it weren't built on firm foundations. Also, how would our cars run if we filled them up with the incorrect fuel? Similarly, how can we expect our bodies to function smoothly if we worry about the paintwork and not consider the engine? So analyze what you're putting into your body. Is it mainly 'comfort/grab-a-snack - I'm during a hurry' food, e.g., buns, crisps, chocolates, etc., or is it nourishing food with all the vitamins and minerals the body requires to work efficiently?

Many moons ago, a colleague of mine, who had a reference to a drug company, said the thought had been muted within the corporate that because the elderly often start the day with a cup of tea and a digestive biscuit, then an honest way of ensuring that they receive all the required vitamins and minerals was to feature them to the digestive biscuit It seemed an excellent idea. Still, once you consider how we absentmindedly read a packet of biscuits, then we might probably overdose on vitamins. Although we'd like vitamins, we will even have an excessive amount of an honest thing. It's worth remembering that whereas the body will expel an excessive amount of say vitamin C, the body will store Vitamins A & D, and an overload of those vitamins can have a detrimental effect. So please leave it to the experts to urge the balance right. It's better to start the day (together with your nourishing breakfast) with an honest multi-vitamin and mineral tablet. The tablet container will show the RDA (which stands for the 'recommended daily allowance'), and it'll also show how the tablet equates with this.

A good multi-vitamin and mineral supplement is that the Holland & Barrett's

The formula for the 50 PLUS called ABC PLUS SENIOR (on half-price offer at this time).

Another supplement I might recommend for those folks whose memory isn't what it wont to be is 'Ginkgo Biloba.' (Also on half-price offer at the moment). This has been in use for years on the continent as an aid to improving the circulation. It's said that it not only improves the availability of blood to the top and subsequently improves the memory (so hopefully we'll remember where we put the bottle of tablets), but it also improves the blood supply to the extremities, which is excellent if you suffer from cold hands and feet. Ginkgo, by the way, comes from the Ginkgo tree, which is one among the oldest trees known to man. You'll, therefore, appreciate how vital it's that we don't allow plants to become extinct.

Remember the old wives' tale that 'fish is sweet for the brain'? (When I hear this saying, my mind always goes back to a teacher jokingly saying that his mother decided that he would have best and ever made him eat fish before an examination, and, of course, to her delight, he did do well). Well, now it's been proved that Omega 3 (pure fish oils) not only benefits the brain but the entire body. It's high in essential fatty acids, which help to take care of a healthy heart and circulation.

Another excellent supplement is Selenium. This was naturally present within the earth and in our vegetables years ago but sadly has become depleted over the years with intensive farming and chemicals. So we will replace this missing ingredient. I certainly felt a difference in taking this as a supplement.

Now, if you're susceptible to numerous infections, coughs, colds, etc., then your system needs a lift. Additionally, to the standard vitamin C, a few excellent supplements for this are Zinc and Echinacea. It is a good idea to require Echinacea well before the 'flu time' is upon us to urge it into the system.

We have always known the importance of creating sure that we've enough calcium to take care of bone strength, but it's only within the past few years that Glucosamine has come to the fore as an aid to the joints. Glucosamine is believed to stimulate cartilage growth and stop it from wearing down and hopefully reducing the next pain. I even have a lover who swears this has helped her painful joints. Chondroitin is usually added to the Glucosamine as this helps to draw in fluid into the cartilage Healthy Direct (www.healthydirect.co.uk) features a special offer on this powerful combination of Glucosamine, Chondroitin and vitamin C. They also operate free postage and packing with a prompt delivery service, which is great if you've got difficulty in going to the shops.

Notice that throughout I even have been using the word 'supplement' as no tablets are getting to replace a healthy diet. I remember being told by a doctor once I was in my twenties that the way towards a healthy life was to eat a little amount of the right sort of foods that form the body would obtain the required vitamins and nourishment. While I accept as accurate with the 'variety' advice, I'm unsure with this day treatment and overlong storage of foodstuffs (mainly fruit and vegetables) whether there are many vitamins left by the time they reach the table. It came as a shock to listen to at one lecture that once they tested an orange for its vitamin C content, the results came back as a surprising 'nil.' Still, to finish on a cheerful note, the fiber content was there, and that we must eat many FRESH fruit and vegetables not just for the vitamins but also for the fiber and enzymes necessary for the digestive process to function correctly. But more thereon - alongside a breakdown of all the essential vitamins and my favorite subject - FOOD - (I'll try not to believe or mention chocolate cake)

IT'S ... 'HOLD-BACK-THE-YEARS' FOOD ...... next time

Looking forward to chatting with you again and also looking forward to hearing from you ...