January may be in full swing but just because you celebrated the New Year in and made oodles of resolutions, it doesn’t mean to say that life still won’t throw in a few curve balls to trip you up now and again.  You can be the most determined and confident of people but there will still be times when you can’t see the woods for the trees and for a period of time, any stressful situations can take over, paralysing you into taking no action.
The longer you hold on to stress, the worse it will get. Think about times when an annoying work colleague has made you bite your tongue so that you didn’t say something that you shouldn’t. Think about an annoying habit that your partner has that manages to wind you up beyond belief. What about a toxic boss who takes all of the credit continuously? These may be [...]

Whether you love garlic or hate it, there is no denying that this tiny bulb is packed full of goodness. It’s from the same family as the onion and contains sulfurous compound which is the substance that causes bad breath but you may have also noticed that the odour of garlic can even come out of your pores. If you love garlic, you may not even care that you smell of it, in fact if you eat a lot of it, you won’t even notice the odour any longer. If you want to take advantage of the benefits without the distinct aroma, you can always purchase non-odour garlic capsules.
Garlic was actually quite rare in the UK but was a very common ingredient in Europe. In Roman times, Emperors were thought to be using it as an aid to ward off poisons. It was once believed that garlic was a powerful resource [...]

Your liver plays a vital role in your overall health and has hundreds of important and different functions. It helps to fight off bacteria, toxins and viruses and all you need to do in return is to have a healthy diet so as to nurture this important body part. If you have been experiencing indigestion, muscular aches and pains, consistent nagging headaches or dry skin, then it may be time to give your overall health a boost and to detox.
Drinking a glass of freshly squeezed lemon juice mixed with some warm water will really help to start off the detoxifying process and it’s important to hydrate your body sufficiently by drinking plenty of water and to step up with lots of vitamins, minerals and proteins again. Lots of fruit, vegetables and white meat will help you to feel much better.  Eating regularly and drinking increased volumes of fluids will really [...]

The start of your day may be a manic rush but it’s important to find the time to start the day properly. Some days, this may seem impossible to do. For some reason the alarm did not go off, you didn’t make the packed lunch for the children the night before, your partner is late for work and flies out of the door without breakfast and to make it worse, your toast burns a lovely shade of dark in the toaster and it’s no longer edible. By the time you have ushered the children out of the door, you glance at your watch and you realise you have to go to work straight away, with no drink, no breakfast and no sandwiches for your own lunch break.
For some people this constant running around in the morning is an everyday affair but a little forethought can make a bid difference and can [...]

It’s that time of the month and you are reminded just how miserable PMS can make your life. There is no escaping from it either. Once you are in your hormonal cycle and until you enter the decline of the menopause, your cycle can have a dramatic impact on your whole life.
The problem with Pre-menstrual Syndrome is that it can affect how you think, feel and act. In fact the whole lead up to the actual period can become a bit of a blur. Your concentration will be impacted; you will feel less than energetic and may feel extremely fatigued. Any patience that you once possessed would have long flown out of the window and those closest to you may well sigh when they see the usual monthly signs and change of temperament.  So what can you do about it?
You may not feel very energetic in the lead up time but [...]

Yes it’s that time of the year when hangovers seem to become the norm for many people. It may sound ridiculous but yes, some people actually go out of their way to get drunk irrespective of the throbbing  head, the nausea and the general feeling of being ill the next day in the form of a hangover.  This ‘whatever’ approach tends to happen at key times of the year – birthdays, office parties, Christmas and of course, the New Year celebrations. A hangover can be a very painful reminder of why you shouldn’t drink.
If you know you are going to succumb however to the perils of drinking, it is better to play it smart and safe than to simply accept that you are going to be suffering the next day. Don’t forget, a hangover may not seem particularly daunting on the actual night but headaches, nausea and an upset stomach [...]

Stress can peak at any time of the year. Holiday times and family visits usually can send even the most patient person’s blood pressure and stress levels up a notch but there are many external factors that can now make you feel less than your best.  Time management is often considered the evil aspect when your work load seems a mile high but you can actually turn time management into a much needed friend.  If your to –do list is painfully long, then you need to learn how to prioritize  You may have heard that many times of course, but unless you do it, you won’t manage to free up some quality you time.
If you don’t find some ‘you’ time, you will put your health at risk. Hard work never hurt anyone but if you don’t have that balance between work and play and stress and relaxation, it can make [...]

We have all experienced those annoying coughs that irritate and frustrate and stop you from sleeping well but you don’t have to suffer for long periods of time when you start developing a cough, you can kick it into touch quite quickly. These remedies work much better if you can catch the cough virus before it gets a nasty grip on you and that means acting from the first sign of a sore throat or that niggling tickle but it’s still worth taking even if you already have the killer cough.
If you know that you are in for a rough ride every time that you get a cold or cough virus, then you will know first-hand the misery of those night-time tickles that make it impossible to sleep for long periods. Poor sleep also makes you tired, irritable and less able to fight off a virus so here’s what you do:
Try [...]

In an ideal world we would all be living in the most wondrous surroundings with the most glorious views from every window. One room would overlook a mesmerizing seascape and another would reach out onto snow peaked mountains that shimmer in the winter sun. We could feel instantly revived and a sense of eternal peace would wash over us. Scenes like these can be extremely therapeutic and beneficial for health but sadly, most of us do not live in or near these areas so in instead we have to create an inner sanctuary by turning our homes into a place of peace and calm.
The chances are that there are times when your home doesn’t seem restful but more like a battlefield but there are things that can be done easily to change your inner sanctum so that it reflects an inner balance. Firstly, choose one room in the house that you [...]

Have you had the opportunity to sit quietly lately with no music or background noise and to just enjoy the sound of silence? The chances are that you don’t know when you last had time to simply rest your mind and your ears. Nowadays manic lifestyles dictate that we are on the go most of the time and even those down times mean that the television is on in the background or someone is needing your attention.
 
Some people struggle to embrace silence, the sound of nothingness can seem to be set at a high volume and silence can also depict loneliness for some. But for those who welcome this quiet time, the problem is to find or create those moments when true relaxation can occur.
 
When you tune into those moments of silence, you have the perfect opportunity to listen to your own inner thoughts, to check that they are positive and [...]