Category Archives: Health

Why is Everyone Dying?

Arts & Humanities, Health, Lifestyles, News & Current Events, Society,

In 2016 there have been a spate of celebrity deaths that actually kicked off just after Christmas of 2015 with Lemmy of Motorhead.

Obviously the big death that shocked everyone initially was David Bowie on 4th January 2016 but then it seems like a lot of high profile people have followed over the past few months.

So why are so many people dying you may ask? Well one theory is that popular culture really started kicking off in the 1950s and 60s and that is when television became much more widespread. By the beginning of the 1960s around 3/4 of the population had a television in their homes and so you could say that celebrity became much more common and accessible at that stage.

This enabled not only TV celebrities but also musicians to gain much more notoriety and in much larger numbers.

So those people who were becoming well known in the 50s and 60s were likely to be born in the 30s and 40s, which would make a lot of them in their 70s right now.

With life expectancy for men being in the 70s it becomes logical for many of the popular figures in the 60s to now be hitting that kind of milestone.

Obviously there are other factors involved too and in particular it seems that a lot of the deaths in 2016 have been from cancer including Bowie, Alan Rickman, Dan Haggerty, Johan Cruyff,  Victoria Wood and Billy Paul, but cancer is a big killer. Currently 44% of the population are expected to get cancer in their lifetime (in the UK) and of those 50% will survive for 10 or more years.

So really we have to think that maybe it is not a case of lots of well known people dying in 2016, but maybe more of the case that there are more well known people around so we are likely to hear about more celebrity deaths in the coming years as the generation that became celebrities in the 60s and beyond become part of the older generation.

It does seem that 2016 has started pretty badly, but overall life expectancy is getting higher each year and women in particular can expect to live until they are around 83 years old in the UK and 81 in the US. Men are a little behind with an average life expectancy of 79 in the UK, 76 in the US.

Life expectancy is rising continually so anyone born now could have a life expectancy in their 90s and by 2050-60, anyone born around that time may be expected to live until 100!

Where Can You Get Inulin?

Food & Drink, Health,

There are a couple of reasons why you might be wondering where you can get Inulin as shown below.

If you were watching the BBC TV program ‘How to Stay Young’ recently you may have seen a segment whereby Angela Rippon, who is 71 but in very good shape for her age, underwent an MRI scan to check her insides.

Although she had come out well in other tests, there was an obvious excess of visceral fat showing in the scan pictures both around her heart and in her abdomen, the levels she had were much higher than they should have been for her age group.

The results of having too much visceral fat can be very detrimental to your health – for example you have an increased risk of health problems such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease as well as strokes and dementia, and if you can it is worth trying to reduce the amount of visceral fat in your body.

As a result of this she was recommended by doctors to take inulin for 6 months to try and reduce the levels of visceral fat in her body. You can take inulin in powdered form and just add it to your food. So if you saw the program maybe you are wondering where can you get inulin?

Well you can get it at local specialist health food shops and you can also get it online. There is quite a wide selection of Inulin available from Amazon mostly in powdered form and in different quantities. Check out some of the links below for different options:

 

What is Inulin?

Inulin is a natural product that is found in plants. You can get the same effect as taking inulin by eating certain foods, however, if you wanted to have the same effect by eating things like chick peas and lentils, you would have to eat a very large quantity of them so perhaps the inulin supplement is the way to go.

It seems likely that a lot of us are carrying extra visceral fat that could be damaging our health but unfortunately we are unlikely to be able to have an MRI just to check the levels. But if you have a protruding abdomen and you are carrying extra weight around your belly then it is quite possible that you have too much visceral fat.

If this is the case then it is worth thinking about taking an inulin supplement to try and decrease those levels. You can add the powder to your food so that you don’t even notice that you are taking it.

Angela Rippon is now taking the supplement and it will be interesting to see if they do a follow up to see what kind of effect it has had on her visceral fat levels.

The Nemecheck Protocol

The other reason you might be wanting to get hold of Inulin is if you are thinking of following the Nemecheck protocol. This is a protocol of supplements that are supposed to help with non-verbal autistic children and getting them to speak. Inulin is part of that protocol.

 

 

Where to Buy a Home Drugs Test

Beauty & Personal Care, Health, Home & Garden, Lifestyles, Shopping, ,

Buying Home Drug Testing Kits

Are you looking to buy a cheap but effective home drugs test? Is the easiest way to get hold of one for you to order it online and get it delivered to your home rather than having to go to a pharmacy?

There are many reasons why you might want to buy a home drug test, perhaps you want to test that your system is clear of drugs after stopping or perhaps you are worried about a family member.

Whatever your reason, if you are looking to buy one that has accurate results and is very simple to perform, then it is very easy to buy a home drug test kit on the internet and perform the test in the comfort of your own home.

These home drug tests can test for a variety of drugs and most of them use a urine test strip that you need to dip into a sample of urine and it will bring up two lines if any of the tests are positive. There are some tests that are combination tests and will test for Illicit drugs such as marijuana or cocaine and there are also tests that check for prescription drugs such as anti-depressants.

These drug tests vary in price but generally you can get a simple home drug test for around $10 or less. You can buy home drug tests in greater quantities if you want to test on an ongoing or regular basis.

It is easy to buy home drug tests online and they are sold by Amazon, among other retailers. There is a good selection of FDA approved products by various manufacturers.

Check out some of the tests shown below that may be suitable for your needs or else click through to be offered a greater selection of tests.

The Dangers of Fad Diets

Food & Drink, Health

Dangers of Fad Diets
Dubai-UAE: 30 December, 2015 –

Dr Ganesh BhatThe New Year brings with it the hope of a fresh start and resolution lists. Many will have losing the excess holiday weight on top of their goals for the New Year. Playing to these weight loss sentiments are a series of fad diets – the high protein diet, the liquid diet, the zero fat diet – all claiming to leave those who try them out slim and trim.

However, these fad diets can wreak havoc with the digestive system and other body processes. “People resort to a quick fix to lose weight without realising the strain they put on their body and organs. Our body requires food from the three main food groups namely carbohydrates, proteins and fats which are complemented by vitamins, minerals and fibre,” said Dr. Ganesh Bhat, Consultant Gastroenterologist at Medeor 24×7 Hospital, Dubai. “Omitting a certain food group from the diet or going on an all liquid diet can hamper bodily functions and make a person undernourished.”

Liquid only juice cleanse diets, that promise to rid the body of toxins and result in weight loss, are fast gathering popularity across the world. One such diet involves the drinking of 6 to 12 glasses of a concoction of lemon juice, cayenne pepper, maple syrup and water during the day and a laxative tea in the night.

“One of the main functions of the liver and kidneys is to rid the body of toxins and hence we do not need to do so through these detox cleanses. Liquid only diets are low in protein which will hamper the building of cells and muscle regeneration,” Dr. Bhat said. “Rather than lifting one’s mood like detoxes promise they result in mood swings, fatigue and irritability. It also affects the digestive system causing stomach pain, irritable bowel syndrome and acidity and in the long run stomach ulcers. With no food to digest, the stomach acids can begin to digest the walls of the stomach.”

Another popular fad diet is the one that encourages dieters to consume up to 50% of their daily calorie intake in protein with little or no carbohydrate. “Consuming a diet high in protein can be detrimental to one’s health. Sure, it helps you feel fuller and hence you consume fewer calories in the short run. In the long run, the lack of carbohydrates equates to less fibre consumption bringing with it constipation,” the Doctor continued. “It can also hamper kidney function in the long run as our body may have trouble eliminating the large quantity of by-products of protein metabolism.”

The word fat has many bad connotations especially in a world where size 0 models continue to walk the runways. However, cutting out fat or consuming very little fats puts your health at risk.

“Our bodies use fats to help in the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K, which are essential for growth, immunity, cell repair and blood clotting. When fats are cut from a diet, these vitamins are not utilized and are stored in the liver tissue and eventually excreted resulting in vitamin deficiency,” Dr. Bhat said. “Another risk of low fat diets is that it brings down the level of HDL or the good cholesterol level in our body. It is important to maintain optimum levels of HDL as it transports LDL or bad cholesterol from the blood to the liver so it can be excreted from our body. When the balance is thrown, our LDL levels are heightened putting us at risk for heart disease.”

Dr. Bhat advocates a balanced diet of proteins, carbohydrates and good fats coupled with vitamins, minerals and fibre along with an active lifestyle to achieve weight loss.
“Cutting out foods high in refined sugar, processed foods and fast food can result in weight loss over a sustained period of time,” he said. “Make sure you get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily too.”

“At Medeor 24×7 Hospital, we are committed to the health of the UAE population and believe in a holistic lifestyle that promotes a balanced diet and an active lifestyle which will not only help an individual lose weight but also cuts down their risk of lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes,” said Dr. Mohammed Berer, Medical Director at Medeor 24×7 Hospital, Dubai.

What We Bought in 2015 – According to Mary Portas

Beauty & Personal Care, Clothes and Fashion, Entertainment, Fun Stuff, Health, Home & Garden, Lifestyles, Shopping

The Big Trends of 2015So as one of the end of year TV programmes on Channel 4 in the UK, Mary Portas went on a mission to find the best selling things of 2015. Here is a summary of what she found that we bought the most of in 2015 and also details of where you can buy it all:

 

At the start of the year we all want to lose weight and the massive big seller of 2015 in terms of fitness DVDs was Charlotte’s 3 minute belly blitz.

Next on the list were 2 kitchen aids whose sales went a bit crazy in the first part of the year. One was the nutribullet and the other was the spiralizer. Both were designed to help you to eat more healthily and sales on both were massive.

On the back of the sale of the spiralizers came the bestselling book by vegan blogger Ella Woodward – Deliciously Ella.

In February came the film of the best selling book 50 Shades of Grey. As the DVD is now out, if you haven’t read the book or seen the film then you can watch the DVD.

In 2015, Mary Portas reports, the beard revolution was upon us. According to the program in some cities over 50% of men are now sporting beards. With celebrities endorsing the fashion came the trend for beard products which went a bit crazy, in particular beard oil.

There are a huge number of people selling beard oil on Amazon and jumping on the bandwagon so we have just chosen one option to show you on the right!

70s fashion was the next item on Mary Portas’ best selling list of 2015 but we will leave you to peruse the high street to choose your favourite 70s clothes options which could include flared trousers, A-line skirts and fake fur jackets!

Another massive bestseller which has been popular with friends of SpikyMouse was the adult colouring book. This trend suddenly hit our shelves in 2015 and was taken on by those needing a bit of relaxation in their lives from the craziness of everyday.

One of the best selling adult colouring books was the Animal Kingdom colouring book by Millie Marotta but there are numerous different books available and they are obviously not only available online but also in your local bookshop by the dozen.

Another trend that we have been promoting at SpikyMouse for a few years is coconut water. But sales of this also really took off in 2015 as well as other coconut based products like coconut oil to cook with.

Next in line is another fashion item that has been dubbed ‘athleisurewear’. Having seen the increase in leisure wear over the last decade or so, with whole shops dedicated to clothing that looks like you should be wearing it for playing sport but it really isn’t suitable, comes clothing that is suitable for both sports and leisure.

Quite a few brands of clothing have been sponsored by celebrities particularly in the music industry and many of the items are sold out online before you even have a chance to look at them.

One big seller in this area was leggings which had been elevated to a major fashion item with the addition of bright colours, patterns and stripes. Rita Ora was one person who had her own range of Adidas clothing which sold really well.

A fun trend which hit the shops and took off in major way was the pastel hair dye – another trend that was endorsed by quite a few young celebrities, including Pixie Lott who brought out her own range of pastel hair dyes.

There were some pastel hair dyes that were suitable for pre-lightened or very light blonde hair or there were chalk hair colours that just gave a temporary effect.

So at the end of the year came Star Wars which sent all fans into a major frenzy and thoughout the year Prosecco was our favourite drink.

How many of these trends did you embrace? And what is going to be the next big thing for 2016? We can only guess!