Health and Wellbeing, What the Experts Think.
Our new Health and Wellbeing area will offer you insight and advice on a wide range of topics. I’ll call in the expert advice of private GP Jag Acharya and Nutritionist Caroline Davies as well as looking at topics beyond fitness to help better understand the wealth of information out there, to quell the confusion and hopefully offer simpler, straightforward advice. At Beachfitclub we believe in a holistic approach to your health.
Exercise well, nourish your body with good nutrition, look after your mind, sleep and above all laugh and have fun. A balanced life is key, we function best when we look after all aspects of our wellbeing and lifestyle.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be discussing broader aspects to health and well-being and calling for expert advice from GP Jag and nutritionist Caroline.
Here Dr Jag share advice and ideas for a healthy happy life. Highlighting your health and wellbeing
Surveys show that nearly two out of five adults in the UK don’t achieve the recommended levels of physical activity to benefit their health.
It is not always easy to fit in physical activity into our busy lives but being inactive and having a sedentary lifestyle will significantly contribute to developing illnesses which can be preventable. 
In case you need a recap, the benefits of exercise include helping:
Heart Health
Weight Maintenance
Mental Healthiness
Increased Sex Drive
Sleep Quality
Brain and memory preservation
Gut Health
Skin Health
Preventing Chronic Disease
So if you move every day, and increase your movement each day, you will notice subtle changes in your mind and body.
Exercise and Mental Health:
I think we all know by now the positive impact of physical activity on mental health.
Continue to make time, choose the right exercise, make it part of your ongoing daily life; start slowly and set small realistic goals.
Your Happy hormones: dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins. Power substances which we all produce naturally inside us and which can be activated through simple and easy actions. These include-Getting outside, exercise, laughing, cooking with spicy food, nutritional choices, dancing, good sleep hygiene, and stress management
Worry and anxiety affects most of us in our lifetime and in times of extreme stress, anxiety is one of the commonest mental health issues in the world.
Anxiety is usually a response to future concerns.
It can make people feel overwhelmed with emotion and trigger the feeling of being:
- Nervous
- Tense
- Worried
But physical symptoms are commonly felt and often misinterpreted as being something else.
Here are some of the commonest:
- Dizziness
- A Racing heart
- Sleeplessness
- Chest Pain
- Sweating
- Muscle tension, are just some of them.
Anxiety is caused by many factors including our:
- Biology
- Genetic predisposition
- Personal Views
- Coping mechanisms
- Stress response to different situations.
🌟The mind can become flooded with anxious thoughts and uncomfortable physical sensations.
☕️Reduce stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol.
🏃♂️ Exercise regularly but not too hard
🚬 Stop smoking cigarettes and taking recreational drugs if applicable.
🧘🏽♀️Get mindful- tune in to the mind-body connection and interrupt the vicious cycle of anxiety. Try @calm @headspace @mindcharity for useful techniques and tips.
Most importantly, speak to your Dr and keep talking.
Rest and Digest
🫀Less strain on the heart system, better immune and psychological responses, better sleep and sports recovery require the body to Rest and digest
⭐️ We all experience stress at one time or another and currently more than ever as we adjust to the new normal.
⭐️ Acute stress, positive stress from heavy exercise and chronic stress are all different but the same.
⭐️ The same hormone response from the body as it responds to stress via our heart rate, blood pressure and digestion.
⭐️ It is known as the Fight or Flight response and can make you feel a sense of lack of control.
⭐️ As a result non-emergency functions such as digestion, reproduction and immune strength are suppressed. They aren’t considered priority by the body.
⭐️ In turn the “rest and digest” system helps the body to recover from stressors and allow the inhibited functions to be reactivated.
Skin Deep
They say beauty is only skin deep but did you know that it is the largest organ of the body and it is in-fact 7 layers deep?
It is a guardian of underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and all your internal organs.
So it is precious in its composition and also in it’s preservation.
With it’s very own microbiome of trillions of micro organisms, it creates a supreme barrier and protective mechanism against offending organisms and from all external stressors including the sun.
To keep this vital barrier in tip top condition is as important (if not more so) than reaching for the latest cosmetic cream.
Sun exposure and UVA/B rays play a real part in this. Sensible exposure, a varied diet and basic maintenance help to optimise its integrity.
Genetic susceptibility and skin type also determine your self-care plan.
Moles can easily be selfied at home and discussed with your Doctor at routine intervals to ensure there is a clear and continuous care plan. Just for your skin.
Unlike the heart, lungs and liver, this organ is visible to us and it’s beauty is most definitely in the eye of the beholder.
Take extra special care of it. And as ever, reach out for all your skin-related reviews and any concerning symptoms, we are always happy to help. @bsfcharityKNOWLEDGE IS POWER:
Gut Health
Gut Health and what it means to your mind and body is a key part of our focus during our Gut Health Checks.
🍉How it functions (or dysfunctions!) impacts on how you digest food and how this then influences absorption of vital nutrients.
🍓If the gut does not work optimally then how can you expect it to perform its multiple tasks?
These include reducing:
🦠Immune dysfunction
🍍Inflammatory Bowel conditions:IBS and Crohn’s Disease.
💚Cholesterol and Heart Disease
🍒Skin Problems
🫐Cognitive and Mental Health Disorders
🍖Obesity
Meal times, planning and shopping can feel a little like a minefield whilst we are trying our hardest to get in shape and eat well but it’s really worth the extra effort.
Gut Microbiome in Obesity
Among the risk factors contributing to obesity, the human microbiome (friendly bugs which live in the gut) has emerged with unprecedented intimacy in human metabolism and gut health.
Obesity accounts for over 60% of deaths related to high Body mass Index(BMI- over 30).
If the already rising global weight trend persists, 20% of the world’s adult population are projected to being obese by 2030.
We know that obesity is multi-factorial; genes, behaviour, socioeconomics and the environment, all play a significant role.
But the astonishing observation of finding more body fat in sterile mice than in the DIVERSELY colonised gut of lean mice with microorganisms, has confirmed that the microbiome is also playing a crucial role in weight control and therein, adiposity.
But what is the “microbiome”?
Well, it is the enormous collection of microbial organisms found living commensally (symbiotically) in the human gut and of which there are more of than actual human cells! Clearly therefore there is a significance by their sheer presence…
As research into their role within the body develops, we are discovering that disruptions to the microbiome (dysbiosis) are increasingly associated with the prevalence of allergies, autoimmune and metabolic disorders (including diabetes and obesity) and neuro-psychological disorders.
Dysbiosis can occur through bad eating patterns (such as high fat diet) whereby the bugs release toxins which in turn leads to chronic inflammation and eventually, abnormal weight gain patterns.
As fascinating as this all sounds, what does it mean for us in the rising epidemic of weight gain?
Simply put, it is helping us to acknowledge and empower us in gaining better control of our bodies in new ways. Ways which are easily implemented through diet and lifestyle choices.
The choices we make in the foods which we eat will directly influence and balance gut microbiota.
If we eat with diversity, we shall reap the benefits of an abundance of symbiotic microbiota.
Cholesterol
Our bodies produce it naturally. We need it in normal proportions. We do not benefit from it when present in persistently elevated levels.
Understanding your cholesterol number: Do you understand what it means for your body because it is highly individual and does not always need to be dramatically treated?
We know through medical experience that it can raise stress and anxiety levels in patients who have been told that their result is out of the normal range.
Knowing the good versus the bad cholesterol forms a crucial part of our results review process and is key to your understanding.
Knowing your cholesterol is just a small part of the 360 healthcare check we perform @biome in conjunction with your genetic and lifestyle status.
We use it having taken a carefully considered and comprehensive medical history. This screening is a vital part of our expert and unique service.
Family history, lifestyle and environmental factors are proven contributors in health and most disease processes.
But how what you eat or how much you move each day affects you is entirely unique to you. And it is through this basic principle that we tailor-make your “Game Plan”.
Your plan to modify and change risk factors such as cholesterol to major disease (Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes and Dementia) has always been an important part of the way we manage the preventative aspect of our care.
And we take great pride in using all of our resources to pull out all the stops for you.
Knowledge is key and control gives power.
Thyroid Under activity
- Feeling tired all the time
- Weight gain
- Dry skin
- Feeling cold
- Constipation
- Depression
- Heavy periods
These are some common symptoms of thyroid under-activity.
If you can relate to some or all of these symptoms then perhaps it is worth checking your blood profile.
It may be simply that your lifestyle choices are not exactly as you would prefer them to be, and that you just need to reconnect with yourself.
And it is alright to not feel in control of every aspect of your body all of the time.
However, when the feelings or symptoms drag on and are beginning to impact on your daily routine, then it is useful to know exactly where you are, biochemically speaking.
@biomemedicine we test your basic thyroid function along with more specific tests because the thyroid gland can be affected by something as simple as a common cold and cause a transient abnormal reading.
Incidentally, your body works for you in a 24/7 capacity and it can self-correct thyroid function when you are better from your viral illness or over time. This is a truly unique function.
Thyroid gland function is central to producing hormones which help regulate metabolism, growth and other homeostatic mechanisms.
It is quite remarkable how a small butterfly-shaped organ which is present at the front of your neck can connect you to your inner wellness in such an intricate and magnificent way.
Knowledge is empowerment. Empowering our patients is key to our ethos.
Emotional or mental health and it’s wellbeing work in parallel with physical health, and so create a harmonious effect upon the body.
Mental health is everyone’s business because every one of us have times when we feel sad, scared, anxious or even so bad that we have intrusive thoughts which do not pass with time or using simple coping skills
Most importantly your mental health is extremely fluid and is constantly changing-hourly, daily or seasonally as seen in SAD.
What is important is working out what the triggers might be and techniques which will enable you to face similar problems if they were to recur.
It is a form of conditioning and reinforcement.
Whatever your state of mind today, always consider how you might benefit from talking to someone you trust if you are feeling vulnerable and this feeling does not pass.
Check-In With Your Immunity
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⭐️The immune system forms our main defence mechanism, present in each and every one of us and is highly sophisticated in the tasks it performs.
⭐️From nasal mucus, to the skin, the gut microbiome to the highly sophisticated cells in the blood. They all form part of a dedicated army of infection fighters.
⭐️There are many ways we can prepare these systems and develop a unique balance of all these components so that they are always ready to jump into action.
⭐️5 immunity facts⭐️
- 🏋🏽♂️Immunity Training🏋️♀️
- You can actually train your immune system just like a muscle. In turn developing a memory system.
- Just as you would your biceps in the gym, you can strengthen your immune function through healthy lifestyle choices. 💪🏽👊🏽
- 💫Boost your immunity💫
- This term is used often but can be misleading.
- What we really want is a fine balance of active immune organs and cells which are ready and prepared to do some serious damage to any harmful invaders. 🦠💥
But What we do not need is to over excite these cells as that too can lead to it’s own problems.
- 🧐WHERE IS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM?
- An incredible 70% of your immune system is regulated by the trillions of bacteria in your GUT.
- Nurturing your gut bacteria will help consolidate your immunity. 🥕🌽🥦
- 🌱ANTIOXIDANTS NOT ONLY PROTECT AGAINST AGEING, BUT THEY ALSO HELP IMPROVE YOUR IMMUNITY
- Turmeric has well-known anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-tumour properties. 🧡
“Turmeric is integral to curries but I have grown up in a household obsessed with it in both edible form for sore throats and bloating, and also used as an ingredient in DIY face mask!” Dr Jag, Founder @biomemedicine
- 🏃♀️ EXERCISE (BUT DO NOT OVER-EXERCISE) 🧘🏼♂️
- There is compelling evidence between physical activity and the immune system.
- However, if you over-do it then it can release an immune-suppressing or stress response. 😩🥱
FEELING HORMONAL?
🌟 FEELING HORMONAL?
If you embark on a Journey of Self Knowledge this will lead to better health.
🩸 Understanding your hormones, for example helps us explain to you where you are thriving and also where you may be under strain.
🧠 Your brain is the epicentre for hormone production.
It maintains a regulatory relationship with many hormones to form a betweenness with the rest of your body. Calm brain. Good balance.
👩🏽🤝👨🏼 All of us benefit hugely from learning about how hormones act as powerful messengers and help control cells and organs do their work. An art in itself.
🌟 Here are 5 important hormones you may have heard about:
1) Insulin: Regulates your metabolism and thus your weight. 🍫🍩
2) Melatonin: Regulates your sleep/wake cycle. 🥱
3) Oestrogen: Crucial in women. Periods, bone strength, skin, nails and mood are all directly influenced. 🙋🏻♀️💄
4) Testosterone 🤸🏽♀️🏋🏽♂️ Sex drive, muscle and bone mass in both men and women
5) Cortisol: 🌪 A stress hormone. High levels of which can give you anxiety, weight gain, migraines and sleep problems.
🌟So hormones are important components of functional capabilities.
🌷 And if you know your hormones then you gain better understanding of how you function.
🪴 Hormone profiling helps us formulate plans with you and advise you on exactly what type of lifestyle is suitable for your body.
🧬 Mastering your body’s abilities helps to bridge the gap between science and life.
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