Health & Fitness

In recent years, there has been a significant shift in dietary preferences, with more and more individuals embracing a plant-based lifestyle. As the world becomes increasingly health-conscious, people are recognising the transformative power of a plant-based diet for their overall well-being. Not only does this way of eating provide numerous health benefits such as improved heart health and weight management, but it also addresses ethical concerns surrounding animal welfare and environmental sustainability. With an ever-growing body of research supporting its advantages, it is no wonder that the popularity of this diet is on the rise.

Benefits of a plant-based diet

A meat-free diet has the power to transform your health in ways you may not have imagined. By basing your meals around fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, you can reap a host of benefits for your body and mind. Firstly, these diets are naturally low in saturated fat and cholesterol, which can reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Secondly, they are rich in fiber, which helps with digestion and keeps you feeling fuller for longer periods of time. This can support weight loss efforts or help maintain a healthy weight.

Embracing a plant-based lifestyle means consuming a wide variety of colourful fruits and vegetables that are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These nutrients play essential roles in boosting immune function, preventing chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes, as well as promoting glowing skin and shiny hair. What’s more intriguing is that many celebrities such as Beyoncé have embraced this lifestyle shift with great success.

In addition to the physical benefits; it also has an impact on our mental well-being. Numerous studies have linked plant-based eating to improved mood stability and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. One reason for this could be the positive effect that certain nutrients found abundantly in plants—such as omega-3 fatty acids—have on brain health.

It’s been estimated that at least a third of us enjoy making New Year’s resolutions every time December rolls over to January, but the vast majority of us never actually stick to them. How many times have you found yourself making the same resolution as you made last year, but saying it with a little less confidence than last time?

Unfortunately, a lot of these resolutions tend to be about our health. We’re aware of the problems we may be facing and the risks we might take unnecessarily, but we’re still reluctant to change our habits. Perhaps the problem is we aren’t thinking through the potential benefits of making straightforward, realistic commitments and planning how to stick to them. Here are a few examples that you may benefit from in 2017.

1) Weight Loss

This remains one of the most commonly proclaimed resolutions: next year I’ll be lighter! One of the most common problems with actually sticking to this is that people expect great results very quickly. In reality the process should be as gradual as possible, because this vastly increases your body’s chances of adjusting correctly and not bouncing back to your old eating habits as soon as things get difficult.Continue Reading

There are many misconceptions about cervical screening, including the purposes and benefits of it, as well as the fears women have which prevent them from having regular screenings. In particular, women below the age of 30 have a particular aversion to the idea of smear tests and gynaecologist clinics in general, perhaps assuming that they are in a low risk group, although this is not necessarily true. Millions of women every year choose to avoid cervical screenings entirely, but unfortunately this carries dangerous risks, most notably the risk of cervical cancer developing undetected and passing the stage where it is easily treatable.

In the UK, the NHS Cervical Screening Programme was set up, as well as Cervical Screening Awareness Week (13^th-19^th June 2016), to help ensure all women are aware of the importance of regular check-ups. On average only around 75% of women who have been invited to be tested have actually had the test completed, and despite cervical cancer being detectable from an early stage, it still causes hundreds of deaths every year.Continue Reading