6 important symptoms of poor health you cannot ignore

By the time we are adults, we know our bodies pretty well. We will usually know which foods agree with us and which don’t, we know about PMT, and we might already be aware that we have chronic or recurring conditions such as diabetes, irritable bowel or migraines.

But as we grow older, some things can start to change: the menopause may begin, conditions such as arthritis or high blood pressure can become apparent, and we can start to generally ‘feel our age’.

While changes in our bodies are an inevitable part of growing and ageing, there are certain signs and symptoms that should not be simply put down to increasing years and ignored.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the following six symptoms should always ring alarm bells loud enough to send you to see your GP:

1. Unexplained weight loss, which can be caused by various conditions such as overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), undiagnosed diabetes, and liver disease, as well being a possible sign of depression or cancer.

2. Persistent or high fever, which can be a sign of infection somewhere in the body. If you have a persistent fever or very high temperature (39.4C/103F or higher), seek medical advice as soon as possible.

3. Shortness of breath, such as not being able to catch your breath, wheezing or gasping for air, needs prompt evaluation as it can be a sign of acute and chronic heart or lung problems.

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What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?

Despite cervical cancer being the one that seems to get the most attention,  with screening and vaccination programmes now established as part of routine care for women, ovarian cancer is actually the second most common gynaecological cancer (after uterine cancer) and the fifth most common cancer affecting women in the UK.

Caught early, it can have up to a 90% survival rate, but unfortunately it cannot be easily detected through screening tests, and the early warning signs of ovarian cancer are not well known.

Often described as a ‘silent killer’, it was previously thought that ovarian cancer did not produce symptoms until it had spread, making treatment all the more difficult. However, recent research has highlighted the fact that many women diagnosed do experience signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer in the early stages.

So, what are the symptoms of ovarian cancer? Ovarian Cancer Action (www.ovarian.org.uk) gives the following advice:

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The health benefits of lemon juice

Lately, I have been taking lemon in my tea. And in my water. And considering adding it to my coffee, too!

I recently bought a bottle of lemon juice for cleaning purposes, based on the advice of Joanna Gosling in her fabulous book, Simply Wonderwoman: A survival guide for women with too much to do (available through Amazon.co.uk and other good bookshops).

It’s a great cleaning fluid, naturally antibacterial and leaves everything with a lovely fresh scent, even the inside of a microwave used alternately for curries and heated slippers!

I was using it the other day to clean up the sticky tablecloth after the latest of this year’s family birthdays (my daughter, now the proud age of 5!), while simultaneously cursing my inability to say ‘no’ to another slice of ballerina cake complete with solid sugar tutu, when I remembered the old theory that adding lemon to your drinking water can help speed up your metabolism, giving you something of a weight-loss boost.

So, naturally I decided to give it a go.

I didn’t have any fresh lemons to hand, so reached instead for the bottle of juice. Ignoring the oddness of taking something from the cleaning cupboard and making a drink with it, I poured a good tablespoon or two into a fresh glass of cold water. Expecting it to have to endure rather than enjoy the taste, I was pleasantly surprised!

I like water on its own, but water with a splash of lemon juice – especially now I’ve switched to real lemons – is so much more refreshing, and whether they are due to the lemon juice or not, I do seem to be experiencing some unexpected benefits.

I would say I have shed at least one layer of fat, having made no other changes to my diet or exercise regimen and despite birthday season followed closely by Easter, and my skin seems clearer than usual.

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Plant based foods are a growing trend

All this talk of ‘the obesity problem’ may have sparked a nationwide change. A recent survey by Redshift Research suggests that many of us are ditching a meaty diet in favour of plant based foods.

Four out of 10 of us are eating more vegetables, fruits and plant based foods than we were a year ago. And six out of 10 of us are eating more of these types of foods than we were five years ago.

The majority of consumers looking to change their diet are those aged between 18 and 30. More than half of 18 to 30 year olds surveyed have added more vegetables, fruits and plant based foods into their diets in the last year alone. I smell trend!

There’s nothing cooler than hitting Whole Foods on your lunch break and buying a bean salad with an organic juice to go with it. Also be sure to flash it about so that everyone knows you’re ‘eating plant-based’.

(Whatever it takes to get people healthy!).

Interestingly, of all those surveyed, one in five admitted they ate meat and dairy-based foods merely ‘out of habit’.

So what exactly is ‘plant based food’? Plant-based eating does imply a vegan or vegetarian diet but this isn’t necessarily so.

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New unisex hairstyling range

No one’s hair should be shy – as alluded by new hair styling range No Inhibition.

Keep your locks loud and proud (well – proud at least) with No Inhibition’s extensive range of sophisticated hair styling products, from smoothing creams, styling gels and shaping pomades to moulding muds, modelling wax and texturising foams.

The gourmet new unisex hairstyling range can be used by both guys and gals. Whether customers are looking for that little bit of volume whilst holding their hair style or they need pomade to shape and texturise, there is something for everyone and for every hair style.

I don’t know about you ladies, but I am a sucker for great wrapping – pretty bottles and attractive branding. (I will sometimes buy products just because they look so cool – shhh… don’t tell anyone!).

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