Does eating 5 a day of fruit and veg actually help?

I agree that we increase our intake of vitamins and nutrients and fibre by consuming five portions of fruit and veg daily.  This helps with our immune system and digestion and hair /skin etc.

It also helps us lose weight as the body is almost fooled into becoming satisfied that we have eaten and yet taken very few calories in the process.

The hard part is being strict with ourselves and making sure we stick to the 5 a day or 6 a day or 7 a day targets we set ourselves.

Brain gender

Recently completed an online quiz on whether I think as a female or a male.

The questions were quite complex especially looking at 3D diagrams but the answer to the whole quiz was that I think as a female and a male !

So I don't think I learnt too much from it but I am an empathic person and also good at recognising eye expressions in people ! Lol Go Figure

Back and blogging !

Doesn't time fly! Am back on my blog and hope to update readers very soon. Apologies for my abscence

Dr Abs

Do you have diabetes?

Often a silent illness.  Several of my patients have been diagnosed via routine blood tests for other reasons.

The main symptoms that can usually occur tend to be as follows:

1) excessive thirst
2) passing urine more often
3) weight loss
4) fatigue
5) recurrent unexplained infections

A positive family history is also a risk factor for diabetes.

A glucose test by the doctor can easily aid diagnosis.

Treatment depends on the severity of the diabetes and ones diet and exercise levels.

IBS relief

A very common and frustrating problem for many is irritable bowel (syndrome).

IBS is a diagnosis by exclusion.  This means if the doctor has excluded the other causes for altered bowel habit then ones bowel is diagnosed or labelled as being irritable.

There are several triggers for this including stress, certain drinks, caffeine, spices, lack of fibre etc.

A focus on ones diet does help greatly.  Simple measures including eliminating caffeine and alcohol and consuming more water improve the bowel environment.  Peppermint in tea or capsule form calm the bowel.
Bananas and melon also promote healthy bowel action.

Fibre supplements and antispasmodics may be prescribed by the doctor to treat constipation and bowel cramps.

Success at last

Yay I finally have a gardener!

After weeks trying to get hold of one I finally had some luck.  Going to get the flower beds done and the lawns and plantars and the bit I hate the most weeding!!!!

Here's to sitting outside and enjoying the most of my garden - that's if I ever get any time to ! lol

Riots in the UK

Hopefully things have calmed down from the horrific wave of rioting that has hit our towns and our streets.

Its been tough but the public and police have worked side by side in stopping the mayhem that was fast developing.

Things seem calmer now but sadly and tragically lives have been lost.

I wonder what the cost will be to the country to fix the damage caused by the riots and in their wake. My thoughts are with all those that have suffered