Do you suffer from Hayfever?

So, here we are in springtime again!  What a beautiful time of the year.  New life starts coming up from the earth.  People get a little skip in their step and a twinkle in their eye as the weather warms up.  Thoughts of lovely afternoon barbeques fill the mind.

However, there are many people that associate spring with something far less pleasant than anything I just described.   For many people, spring can be a dreaded time of year, as Hayfever kicks in.

For anyone who  hasn’t experienced it, consider yourself lucky.  For anyone who has experienced it, you know it can be a terrible experience.  It can interrupt your work day, cause problems  your sleep, and just make life miserable.  I didn’t believe that until I started suffering from in a few years ago.  I felt like the symptoms went on forever!  And I’m sure I went through at least a tissue every five minutes.

There are many things out there that are supposed to help relieve your symptoms, but none of them worked very well for me. I tried nose sprays, anti-histamine pills, acupuncture, small diet changes, and other things.

I’m happy to say that my days of suffering are over now, though.  Do you want to know what worked for me eventually?  It was an unintentional discovery, but a great relief!

I did a food intolerance test.  That is it.  I did the test and cut certain foods out of my diet and Voila – no more hayfever.  I don’t know if this can also work for you, but if you have bad symptoms, I would recommend giving it a shot.   It certainly has been a godsend for me!

Here’s to your health.

Kimberly

Do Americans have the worst health habits?

Hi everyone,

I read a fascinating little article recently in Healthyspan magazine’s Feb/Mar 09 edition.  It was written by Lindsay Gill and was titled ‘Exposed: UK vs US diets…’

It gave some statistics about the habits of Americans versus the habits of the British population.  I think the stats, which I’ve shared below, are quite interesting.  Having lived in both the US and the UK, I am surprised at some of them, but not so surprised at others.  I think we can each learn something from the other country!

Each statistic below shows the US vs UK:

Obesity – 32% v 22%

Diabetes – 9% v 4%

5 portions of fruit/veg per day – 30% v 14%

Arthritis – 8 out of 10 v 7 out of 10

Use of Supplements/Vitamins – 50% v 35%

Fast Food – £792/year v £508/year

Exercise – 48%/51% of women/men get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day v 24%/40%

For the exercise point, the article also mentioned that 20% of the UK don’t get any exercise at all!  Yikes!

Did any of those surprise you?

Here’s to your health!

Kimberly

Get in shape…for free.

If I asked you what you could do for exercise that didn’t cost you anything, didn’t make you leave the house, and didn’t make you learn any crazy positions or dance moves, what would you think?  I’m sure some of you could guess right, but in case you didn’t think of it, I’m talking about….gardening!

Yes, that’s right.  Gardening in your own back yard.  It is fantastic for your heart and for your soul.  I have read a statistic saying that an hour of gardening is similar to walking a brisk 5k.  And I should add that the gardening will work more muscles than just walking, so you will get stronger!

If you’ve never gardened before, I would suggest doing just an hour the first time.  I would also recommend doing some exercises (such as hand strengthening) to get yourself ready.  Now, that probably sounds crazy – “training” to do gardening?  Hmm…  If you think I’m joking, go do some gardening and see how you feel the next day.  It is hard work!

Another benefit of gardening is that it keeps your body flexible.  Being on your knees while digging in the soil, or bending your back while using a rake are both great for keeping you nimble.

And just think of the satisfaction!  Working to make your own home a more beautiful place is extremely satisfying.  It is a brilliant way to reduce stress too.

Ready for the icing on the cake?  You can grow your own produce – fresh, scrumptious fruits and vegetables!  That is the ultimate satisfaction.

Give it a try!  Just don’t forget to wear a hat and some decent sun screen.

Kimberly

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