Pharmacentre Limited > Blog > 2016 > August
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Stress, Anxiety and Low Mood – A.Vogel

Stress, anxiety and low mood are unpleasant emotions which are all interlinked. You may feel stressed about a looming deadline at work. The fear of not completing the task in time will make you feel anxious. The fact that you are now stressed and anxious makes it difficult for you to think about anything else, which in turn makes you feel a bit miserable.

The more miserable and anxious you feel, the less you are able to concentrate, which makes you stress more about the deadline. This in turn increases anxiety levels … and so it goes on.

Continuous pressure to succeed does nothing to help us relax. Against us is a need to perform at our best, and to keep up with the ever increasing standards. What is this doing to us? It’s putting us under stress, making us anxious and leaving us with a low mood.

Stress

Stress is not an illness in itself. It tends to manifest itself by way of unpleasant symptoms, both physical and mental. These include the feeling of nervousness, a racing heartbeat and sharpening senses, as well as a feeling of being overwhelmed, irritable or restless. It occurs when we are put under too much pressure and we struggle to react rationally or to relax.

Anxiety

Anxiety is the reaction to undue stress. It can be triggered by a wide range of circumstances including performing or speaking in public or social situations. Anxiety can be treated in a similar way to stress, and finding an effective management technique for you goes a long way towards easing your symptoms.

Low Mood

Low mood is found at one end of the unhappiness spectrum. This shares a border with mild depression if your mood continues to be low for a long period of time because you are unable to pick yourself up.

However, the boundary between the two is not clear. It often takes a medical professional such as a doctor or psychiatrist to determine if you are experiencing symptoms of depression or low mood associated with normal day-to-day living.

When you are feeling sad, down or fed-up, it is important to keep an eye on your feelings and symptoms as these will give you the clearest indication of the root cause of your problem. If you are feeling a bit down because it is the end of your holiday and are not looking forward to the normal routine of work and housework, or after some bad news, the chances are that you will feel sad for a few days but as things go back to normal, this feeling will lift. What is important with low mood is to distinguish it from depression.

Depression

Depression is a medical condition in which the sufferer experiences feelings outside the normal range of emotions. It is a serious condition which must be treated by a medical professional, particularly if accompanied by thoughts of suicide. It is important to establish if the emotions you are experiencing are due to low mood or depression. Although sharing many similar features, the two conditions are usually managed differently.

Low mood is part of the normal spectrum of emotions we go through in our daily lives. Moods tend to get better as circumstances improve or with the arrival of good news. Depression is a complex medical or psychiatric condition which may be severe and potentially life threatening if left untreated. Depression is also likely to interfere with everyday life – for example, someone with the condition may not have the motivation to leave the house for days at a time.

Understanding and treating

Having an understanding of these three conditions often helps us to tell if we are just having a bad day, or if we are indeed succumbing to the modern day illness of busyness. It is important to examine your symptoms carefully, as stress, anxiety and low mood may lead to more serious health conditions, including high blood pressure and heart problems. The good news is that they are all treatable, often through a combination of self-help techniques and herbal remedies, most commonly Valerian, Avena sativa and St. John’s Wort.

So take a deep breath and relax…

Written By Marianna for a.vogel.co.uk

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A Recipe for Successful Weight Loss

Summer is nearly over. However, for some, firm resolutions made at the beginning of the year have not been achieved: weight loss.  There is no need to feel guilty and no need to wait until next Monday to start a healthy weight losing transformation.  Do you feel those magic pills do not do their job, miracle powders do not achieve presumed goals or  jumping from one diet to another either?

Understanding ourselves is the key point to control and achieve our desires.  Something can work for most people, but maybe not for some of them and vice versa.  Going through the process of losing weight is not always cheap, however it can be affordable for every single pocket, and with a satisfactory result, with only 5 ingredients. Four of them are found easily in almost every kitchen: cucumber, parsley, lemon and ginger.  The most atypical one is Aloe Vera gel.

A combination of all these ingredients will help you reduce that extra and undesirable fat around your belly.  It will not happen suddenly, but with patience and perseverance the goal will get closer.

This recipe needs:

  • 1 cucumber
  • ½ handful of fresh parsley
  • lemon juice from one lemon
  • 1 tablespoon of ginger (Ginger could be either powder or a fresh cut into small pieces).
  • 2 tablespoons of aloe vera gel,
  • 200ml of filtered water.

Everything is added into a blender and mixed for 5 to 10 seconds and the powerful formulation is ready.  It must be taken before going to sleep, so the next morning when you wake up, you’ll run to the toilet to flush out all the excess water and with it, some fat.

Cucumber

The diuretic power of cucumber is remarkable, it will excrete all unnecessary water and fat from your body.

Parsley

Parsley is considered an amazing antioxidant due its nutritional value: it is high in vitamin C that prevents oxygen-based damage to cells.  It also supports kidney function, and as cucumber does, parsley flushes out excess fluid from the body. Parsley also has a sedative effect as it relaxes stiff muscles in the digestive system and encourages digestion.

Lemon

Lemon is well known for its strong function as an antibacterial, so it contributes to cleaning of the colon because it contains fibre pectin.  In some way, a start of the weight-loss process requires detoxification of the body.  Lemon in this case is your best friend as a natural cleanser,  it “kicks out” unwanted toxins.

Ginger

On the other hand, ginger has a beneficial effect in the whole of the digestive system. It helps regulate and aid the movement of food through the stomach, as well as small and large intestines.  When everything moves more smoothly, one benefits by losing weight more easily.  As ginger has a high fibre content, gastrointestinal mobility will also increase.  By increasing the rate of metabolism, ginger can help burn off some of the fat stored in the body.  Another remarkable point about this yellow root is that it controls and suppresses the effect of cortisol.  Cortisol is a steroid hormone necessary for energy regulation and mobilisation.  Chronic stress can cause cortisol levels to rise too high. Adipose fat moves to the visceral area where it receives an increased blood supply that encourages tissues to produce an excess amount of cortisol. High cortisol levels may increase excess belly fat and weight gain.

Aloe Vera

Finally, Aloe Vera gel is full of minerals and vitamins, but being used for losing weight is due to its laxative effect. Aloe Vera helps to turn carbohydrates and fats into energy rather than storing them.  So, as they are being used, they are basically being burnt.  And a very important point, this fantastic plant helps to control blood sugar balance. Quite necessary to avoid the feeling of cravings.

Several people have followed this detox-weight loss diet for a week and all of them are extremely happy with the recipe.  There is no secret. It depends on how disciplined every person is. However, the fact is, it is not very likely that with only this juice can someone become a fantastic “barbie girl or her boyfriend Ken” lookalike, it is extremely important to consider the rest of ones food intake and at least do some moderate exercise.

So, if you would like to take the number 1 position away from Barbie or Ken, please come and visit us at Panacea in Putney.  We could give you some useful advice on how to deal with a weight-loss process while using this drink.

If you have any medical conditions or are taking any medication please first consult your doctor or health practitioner

Written by Juan Lainez

 

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Giovanni 2chic Blow Out Styling Mist

Magda in our Watford store recommends Giovanni 2chic Ultra-Sleek Blow Out Styling Mist with Brazilian Keratin & Moroccan Argan Oil
She says: “This protects hair from styling, while it keeps my hair healthy and with volume and bounce!”

  • This moisture-rich, detangling mist protects tresses from mighty blasts of blow dryer heat
  • With Brazilian Phyto-Keratin and Moroccan Argan Oil
  • Get a major boost in manageability, without losing volume
  • Extreme heat protection
  • Defend hair from blow dryer heat
  • Moisturize for silky, voluminous bounce
  • Detangle for flawless brush glide
  • Banish frizz
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Eating Healthy on Holiday

Plan ahead.

Whether you’re flying or driving to your holiday destination, there is often panic before leaving the house doing your final checks is far more important at that moment than thinking about eating healthy. Pack a snack bag the day before that can easily be eaten on the way to the airport or popped in the car for when the first pangs of hunger occur. This will stop you having to find a meal packed with empty calories and saturated fats, leaving you feel hungry sooner and causing you to snack more on your trip. Plan stops and have your own packed meal instead of heading to the first fast food counter you see. If this is not possible, try to find out what outlets are available at your stop and get to know what foods they have.

Keep busy.

There is nothing like boredom to make you want to snack, and the first foods are crisps, sweets and small nibbles full of saturated fats and sugars. Keeping busy is an easy way to prevent you from letting your hands wander into your snack pack. Make sure you have a good book, brain teasers, a game that will prevent you from getting easily bored, or if you’re a passenger in a car, make sure your tablet is filled with interesting videos. Keep the driver busy by doing a crossword or brain teasers. This will help keep them alert as well as passing time.

Don’t skip meals.

It’s easy to get carried away with the sights and as all the walking does great things for your health filling up on caffeine and sugary snacks to keep you going until dinner won’t do much for your health. Check out sites such as trip adviser and see what restaurants are recommended in the area you will be visiting. Some hotels will pack a lunch for you or maybe visit a local super market to pick up some nuts or dried fruit to snack on.

Watch out for jetlag.

Once the tiredness kicks in, it’s tempting to have the largest coffee you can find and have every type of pastry on the buffet, but drinking plenty of water and having a fresh juice with your breakfast can also give you a boost. Try Revive Active sachets in the morning to give you an action packed multi vitamin boost. It also contains Ubiqionol – a form of Co-Q10 that is essential for cell energy. Higher Nature make handy “Brighter Day” effervescent tablets that you can keep in your bag which is also great for a healthy pick me up

Buffets

With so much to choose from! Start by using a smaller plate. Fill up with salads, grilled or cooked vegetables, protein and fibre. This will keep you fuller for longer as well as keeping you, well… regular. Try to avoid fried foods. If you just have to have that dessert, do it, share it or just have a taste, it often looks better than it actually is.

Make your own meals.

If you’re staying somewhere with kitchen access, do it yourself. You’re more likely to eat something nutritious at home—and you’ll know exactly what’s in it. It doesn’t feel like a holiday when you’re cooking all the time but there are many fast, nutritious meals you can do. As well as being good for your budget, it’ll be good for your waistline.

Beware of drinks.

We all love a good cocktail on the beach but keep it to one. As well as being full of fruit juices most cocktails have some form of sugar or glucose syrup added. Alcohol is never good for the waist line but if you’re going to have a drink stick to the spirits or maybe have a spritzer.

Save space for treats.

You’re on holiday! And regardless of where you are, each place has its own unique cakes, pastries or sweets. Try them. Get some to take home, it’s all about quality, not quantity. Ask the locals where then best places are so you don’t try every teashop in Cornwall looking for the best Cornish cream tea.

It’s a HOLIDAY!

If you worry about food the whole holiday you won’t enjoy it.  Do your best and don’t sweat the small stuff. If you overdo it one day go for brisk walk on the beach the next day. Be active, sleep well and have fun!

Holiday supplement list:

Viridian Travel Biotic –  provides a unique type of good bacteria, Saccharomyces boulardii, that has a long and very well established scientific use as a dietary supplement in a convenient, professional-strength, one-a-day capsule. It is heat-resistant so no need to refrigerate. The perfect digestive companion for work and holiday travel.

Revive Active – Revive Active is a revolutionary nutritional supplement containing a powerful combination of Amino Acids, Vitamins,Minerals and natural sweetener Stevia. Click here for more info about this fantastic supplement

Higher Nature Brighter Day – A tasty, natural blackcurrant flavour drink to help when you’re feeling low. With vitamins to help with energy and normal psychological function. Turmeric is known to have anti inflammatory properties and may help with the inflammation in brain tissue caused by long haul flights.

A.Vogel Echinacea Forte – Because no one wants to get ill on holiday. A one a day immune support supplement to help keep colds and flu at bay. Find out more about Echinacea.

 

 

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DRINKmaple

Man collecting Maple WaterMade from one single ingredient, pure refreshing water collected from Vermont maple trees, DRINKmaple is naturally hydrating, has a hint of maple and is packed with nutrients.

With the slogan ‘amazing water doesn’t grow on trees it grows in them’, DRINKmaple sprang to life thanks to two American Ironman triathletes who discovered that maple water offered the most refreshing drink they could find.

Maple water itself was first drunk hundreds of years ago by Native Americans and is ‘collected’ by simply tapping maple trees, a process that doesn’t harm the plants, and allowing the water, jam-packed with a host of nutrients and minerals the trees have amassed through their roots, to run into buckets. The organic maple water is then bottled without anything being added or taken away and without any boiling.

DRINKmaplehandsUnlike maple syrup the tree’s water isn’t high in sugar, in fact maple water has only about half the sugar of coconut water (less than 1.5g per 100ml), but does contain 46 other nutrients, including more manganese than a cup of kale – a nutrient which plays an important role in our bodies’ energy systems. Maple water is low calorie, gluten-free, dairy-free and non-GMO and also contains naturally occurring polyphenols, antioxidants, prebiotics, minerals and electrolytes.

Although it’s low in sugar DRINKmaple does still retain a subtle maple taste and offers a unique and refreshing flavour that will quench the thirst of even the most parched pallet.

It’s not just your health and taste buds that DRINKMaple helps. For every bottle sold 200 gallons of fresh clean water is supplied to individuals in developing nations beset by drought and disaster through the organization More Than Sport.

So whether you’re looking for a tastier thirst quencher for your gym session, a low sugar alternative for the whole family or an interesting base for a jug of summer cocktail look no further!

to found out more about this fantastic product visit DRINKmaple

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Nuzest Clean Lean Protein

Juan in our Putney store is a big fan of Nuzest.

He says: My favourite product at the moment is Nuzest Clean Lean Protein. Do we need add extra protein in our diet? Is a protein shake just for sporty people? Could a protein shake replace a meal if I am on a weight loss diet? Could too much protein damage kidneys? When shall I take the protein? 

These are some of the most frequent questions that I answer every day in the store.  There is nothing set in stone in the nutrition world and that is why every person needs to find out what it works best for them. Generally speaking, I will say that protein powder intake is safe; however there is a red flag for those with a history of kidney problems.

People usually link protein powder with body building and athletes, however this idea has been changing, and every day more and more customers look for protein to add to smoothies, baking etc.

It is true that a sporty person needs extra fuel, especially if they want to build muscles quicker, but a protein shake could be a good and healthy “snack” between meals for anyone. Better a delicious Nuzest Clean Lean Protein shake than a regular “full” sugar bar or bag of processed chips. 

I believe Nuzest Clean Lean Protein, made from golden peas, is the cleanest vegan protein that there is in the market at the moment and also with the highest protein content per serving.

It is unique because the way to extract the protein is very particular and special. Nuzest doesn’t denature it, so protein is not exposed or heated at a high temperature. If protein is excessively heated it loses a big part of the nutritional value, thus if the package mentions 2.5 grams of Valine, the real figure is possibly less than half. 

This is one of the main reasons why Nuzest is a great product. You get what you pay for. Clearly, as it  is produced in a very particular way, Nuzest contains all 9 essential amino acids in just one serving (nearly 25 grams).

Another remarkable point is that it is really easy to digest, some researches show up to 98% of digestibility. Plus, it is free from gluten, dairy, lactose, soy, nuts, GMOs and polyols. There are 4 flavours, in addition to the natural one. My order of preference is Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Cappuccino and Just Natural. Another very important point – there are no artificial sweetners at all. The sweetness tasted in the flavoured proteins is an amino acid extract which has no affect on blood sugar and totally natural.  

I used whey protein for many years in the past and at some point it made me feel bloated, sometimes constipated or opposite, gave me diarrhoea. I understood that my digestive system was telling me that something was not right. I looked for alternative to whey and I started to use vegan proteins.  All digestive issues disappeared immediately.  I have tried a few brands of vegan protein, but at the moment I am a big fan of Nuzest. Apparently whey protein raises the acidity in the body, which means the pH balance is disrupted and the body needs to overwork to lower pH to the right level. Nuzest works in the opposite way, it alkalises the body and the risk of inflammation is reduced to the minimum level.

If we come back to some of the first questions, Nuzest could replace a meal. It could also be a snack between meals. Nuzest could be taken after or before training and Nuzest is for almost anyone.

So, I highly recommend Nuzest. If you would like to get more information about this amazing product, please feel free to visit us in store. 

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