Tech Mahindra_Issue_I_52 pages_3

VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 1 • OCT 2017 

Is Stress 

At Work 

Affecting Your 

Relationships? 

Back 

Pain 

Focus On 

Can You Eat To 

Beat Back Pain? 

Helping Siblings 

Share A Room 

Break Out 

Of Your 

Comfort Zone 

The Best 

Workouts 

For Your 

Personality 

wellness nutrition // wellness debate // relationship wellness // emotional wellness

publisher’s note 

03 

Publisher, Editor & Printer 

Rakesh Dharavat 

Staff Writers 

Gayatri Pagdi 

Francine White 

Kirean Ball 

Jenny Catton 

Vaidehi Phansalkar 

Steven Miscandlon 

Advertising Sales 

shankar@yourwellness.com 

Senior Graphic Designer 

Mukesh Patel 

Back pain affects millions of people worldwide and is the leading cause of 

disability globally; in fact, low back pain is the 5th most common reason that 

drives people to the doctor’s office. This issue focuses on back pain and the 

nutrition section shows you the ideal foods for maintaining a good back. 

Elsewhere, we see the best ways to break out of your comfort zone and deal 

with loneliness, check out the ideal workouts for your personality type, and find 

out if stress at work is affecting your relationships at home. We also debate if 

newspapers have now been made redundant by the social media. 

Yourwellness is unique in covering all aspects of wellbeing, from health and 

relationships, through fitness and family, to work and finances. What’s more, we 

also explore all the options available, from Ancient to Modern and Scientific to 

Holistic. 

If you enjoy reading this issue, look for similar articles and features at 

www.yourwellness.com. Why not tell your friends so they can also sit down, 

take a well-earned break and browse our pages? 

Until next month, 

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Health Media Publishing Pvt Ltd. 

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Publisher 

PS.: You may notice these three symbols appearing throughout the magazine. These 

reflect which features relate to psychological, physical, or physiological wellness. 

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This issue contains 52 pages including cover. 

Disclaimer | yourwellness is dedicated to providing useful, well researched information on every aspect of your 

wellness. We do not pioneer any particular therapy or school of thought instead we offer all the options to allow 

our readers to make an informed choice. All our contents are not intended to provide medical advice or diagnosis 

of individual problems or circumstances, nor should it be implied that we are a substitute for professional medical 

advice. Readers are always advised to consult their healthcare professionals prior to starting any new remedy, therapy 

or treatment. 

yourwellness.com

04 

contents 

24 

Break Out 

Of Your 

Comfort 

Zone 

29 

Avoiding Late 

Night Arguments 

At Home 

09 holistic wellness 

23 modern wellness 

family wellness 

28 How A Family Food Journal 

Can Help 

30 Eco-friendly Pet Care 

31 ancient wellness 

10 wellness focus on 

Back Pain 

22 emotional wellness 

Feeling Lonely? 

You’re Not Alone 

26 family wellness 

Helping Siblings Share A 

Room 

32 exercise wellness 

The Best Workouts For 

Your Personality 

36 relationship 

wellness 

Is Stress At Work 



40 wellness nutrition 

Can You Eat To Beat Back 

Pain? 

exercise wellness 

34 Two Exercises That Will 

Keep You Fit For Life 

relationship wellness 

38 Boss Issues? Ways To 

Make Nice 

wellness debate 

39 Are Newspapers A Thing 

Of The Past? 

46 wellness experts 

48 wellness reviews 

50 scientific wellness 

49 

Give Your 

Mayo A 

Makeover 

44 

Poached Salmon 

With Quick Ceasar 

Salad Dressing 

35 

Exercise 

Your Mind 

05 wellness news 

07 kitchen wellness 

08 garden wellness 

yourwellness.com

- Leigh Hunt 

The groundwork of all 

happiness is health. 

A Radical Way To 

Treat Depression 

It might not be a traditional treatment for 

depression but scientists have found that the 

party drug ketamine, used in several countries 

of the world, might be a useful drug for helping 

people who suffer from depression. Ketamine was 

developed as a horse tranquilizer but is taken 

illegally by many people due to its hallucinogenic 

effects. By carefully restricting the dose, scientists 

believe they may be able to use Ketamine to treat 

patients who have failed to respond successfully 

to other drugs. In carefully controlled clinical 

studies, 42% of the participants trialling the drug 

responded positively. 

One of the world’s largest drug companies, 

Johnson & Johnson, is now trialling use of 

Ketamine as a nasal spray. Doctors and experts 

stress that more research needs to be done and 

the drug should only be used under careful 

supervision as misuse can result in several 

harmful physical and psychological side effects. 

Why Getting Older 

Isn’t Bad News 

Ageing is often portrayed as something to be 

avoided at all costs and people spend billions 

worldwide on face creams, vitamins and health 

regimes to try hold onto youthfulness for as long 

as possible. But new research suggests that getting 

older perhaps shouldn’t be viewed so negatively. 

That’s because a study by the Royal Voluntary 

Service found that 63% of people over the age of 

70 feel more content than at any other time in 

their lives. There are a number of reasons why 

people may feel happier as 

they get older and many 

cite worrying less and 

caring less about what 

others think as major 

reasons for improved 

happiness. Older people 

also have more time to 

spend on activities and 

more time to see friends, 

which can boost happiness. 

news 

Tea Prevents 

Dementia 

wellness 

If you love tea, you’ll be pleased to hear 

there’s another good reason to enjoy your 

favourite beverage. For researchers at 

the National University of Singapore have 

found that drinking tea daily could cut 

the risk of developing dementia by 50%. 

And the figures jump to 86% for those 

who have a genetic risk of developing the 

condition. 

During the study, the researchers 

studied the health of 900 Chinese people 

aged 55 and over, looking at the 

amount of tea they drank over 

a two-year period. They found 

that those who consumed 

at least two cups of green 

or black tea each day had 

dramatically reduced 

the likelihood of 

developing dementia. 

Getting Out Of 

The Wrong Side 

Of The Bed 

Which side of the bed do you get out 

of? The left or the right? You might 

think it doesn’t really matter but a 

study of 2,000 people has found that 

people who get out of the right-hand 

side are more likely to feel tired and 

grumpy in the morning than those who 

rise from the left. The study certainly 

puts a new emphasis on the question 

“Did you get out of the wrong side of 

the bed this morning?” 

You might be sceptical but if you 

want to improve your morning mood, 

perhaps there’s no harm in sleeping on 

the ‘other’ side of the bed and seeing 

what happens. 

5 

yourwellness.com

6 wellness 

news 

Price Awareness Is 

No Fun 

Our enjoyment of an experience or product decreases 

more quickly when we are aware of the price, researchers 

at Vanderbilt University, USA, have discovered. Their 

findings are available online in the ‘Journal of Consumer 

Psychology’. The investigators conducted a series of seven 

experiments in which consumers used a product over 

a period of time, and they found that enjoyment of the 

experience declined faster for people who were aware of 

the product’s price. “Being reminded of the price makes 

the experience less relaxing,” says Kelly Haws, PhD, lead 

author. The negative effect of pricing only emerged over 

time, not at the beginning, the researchers noticed. 

- Arthur Ashe 

Start where you are, use what 

you have, and do what you can. 

Wearable Health 

Devices Can Pose 

Privacy Risks 

According to a report by researchers at American 

University and the Center for Digital Democracy, 

personal health wearable devices for monitoring 

heart rates, sleep patterns, calories - like watches, 

fitness bands, and ‘smart’ clothing linked to apps 

and mobile devices - raise new privacy and security 

risks. “Many of these devices, promising to provide 

people with more efficient 

ways to manage their own 

health, are already being 

integrated into a growing 

Big Data digital health and 

marketing ecosystem, which 

is focused on gathering 

and monetising personal 

and health data in order 

to influence consumer 

behaviour,” the report 

explains. As the use of 

these devices becomes 

more widespread and more 

sophisticated, the extent and 

nature of data collection 

will be unprecedented. 

This can threaten the 

privacy of consumer health 

information. 

Fit Friends 

If you’re struggling to embrace a new 

fitness routine, perhaps it’s time to 

make some new friends. Researchers 

have found that being friends with 

people who enjoy exercise is more 

likely to make you enjoy physical 

activity too. 

Following a study of over one 

million people, researchers from the 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

concluded that going to the gym is 

contagious – especially for women, 

who are more likely to be motivated 

by one another than men. During the 

study, the scientists found that people 

were likely to increase their own 

activity if they saw a friend boosting 

their activity levels. 

Do Shorter Men 

Go Bald More 

Often? 

An international genetic study claims 

that short men may have an increased 

risk of becoming bald prematurely. 

Researchers at the University of Bonn, 

Germany, investigated the genetic 

material of more than 20,000 men. Their 

data shows that premature hair loss is 

linked to a range of various physical 

characteristics and illnesses. The work has 

now been published in the journal ‘Nature 

Communications’. It has already long been 

known that men with premature hair loss 

suffer from heart diseases and prostate 

cancer somewhat more often. The new 

genetic data now confirm suspicions that 

there are further connections 

to other characteristics and 

illnesses. “However, men with 

premature hair loss do not need 

to be concerned,” reassured 

Prof Markus Nöthen. “The 

risks of illness are only 

increased slightly.” 

yourwellness.com

kitchen 

wellness 

7 

Beware Of False 

Efficiencies In The Kitchen 

If you’re on a tight household 

budget, a good place to save 

money is in the kitchen. Look 

online and you’ll find countless 

articles offering kitchen-money 

saving tips. It pays to do your 

research but, sometimes, the 

changes you make to save money 

might actually end up costing 

more. 

Let’s look at some of the false 

efficiencies that could result in 

bigger bills: 

Using up ingredients 

No one likes waste and it makes 

sense to use up ingredients rather 

than throwing them away. Often 

you will have something left at 

the end of a recipe – for example 

a couple of egg whites. You might 

decide to make a dish to use up 

the whites such as a meringue. But 

is this really a cost saving? Not if 

it means keeping the oven on for 

a long time. Always consider the 

cost of preparing the entire dish, 

including energy costs before 

using up those last little scraps. 

Splashing out on 

multi-buys 

Almost every supermarket 

offers deals to try and get you to 

buy more. Buy-one-get-one-free 

deals or offers on larger quantities 

may seem like they will save 

money. But if it means you buy 

produce that you then end up 

throwing away, it’s the classic false 

economy. 

Making your own 

Baking your own bread 

or making your own cakes is 

incredibly rewarding. But the truth 

is, while it may be cheaper to 

make your own products, 

it can take a long time to 

reap the rewards. The 

first time you make your 

own cake, for example, 

may mean investing 

in lots of different 

ingredients and bakeware 

and so the initial outlay can be 

several times the cost of a shopbought 

cake. This isn’t a problem if 

you plan to carry on making your 

own cakes year after year – but if 

it’s a one-off, it’s probably cheaper 

to stick with the shop-bought 

alternatives. 

Gadgets 

You might decide an easy way 

to cut your coffee-shop bill is to 

invest in your own coffee machine 

to enjoy the coffee-shop experience 

without the daily expense. But 

so often we buy gadgets and use 

them only a handful of times 

before they are relegated to the 

back of the cupboard. 

Failing to replace old 

white goods 

If your fridge is on its last legs, 

you might decide to save money by 

trying to make it last a little longer. 

But buying a new one might cut 

your energy bills and keep food 

fresher for longer, saving more 

money. 

So, certainly, look to your 

kitchen for ways to save money. 

But beware and always do the 

maths before making expensive 

purchases. 

yourwellness.com

garden 

8 wellness 

Using Tea & Coffee 

In The Garden 

After a busy morning in the 

garden, there’s nothing quite like 

sitting down with your favourite 

beverage. But there’s plenty you can 

do with tea and coffee in the garden 

besides simply drinking it. 

If you take the time to make a pot 

of fresh coffee (rather than instant), 

you’ll have a ready supply of 

coffee grounds. These nutrient-rich 

leftovers contain several minerals 

including nitrogen, magnesium, 

calcium, potassium and there are 

lots of ways you can use them in the 

garden. 

Here are some ways coffee can 

be used in the garden: 

Combat slugs and 

snails 

If you’re looking for a natural 

way to keep slugs and snails away 

from your plants, coffee grounds 

are a great weapon to include in 

your arsenal. Simply put a circle 

of the grounds around the plants 

you want to protect. Slugs and 

snails will be put off by the rough 

texture and won’t want to cross over 

the grounds to reach your plants. 

Caffeine is also toxic to slugs and 

snails – another reason why they 

will be reluctant to come near your 

coffee grounds. 

Improve your compost 

Throw leftover coffee grounds 

into your compost bin. As they 

are rich in nitrogen, this will 

help improve the quality of your 

compost. 

Add to your soil 

You can simply sprinkle coffee 

grounds onto your soil to boost the 

nitrogen content. 

Create a liquid 

fertiliser 

Take two cups of leftover coffee 

grounds and add them to five 

gallons of water. Leave to steep 

for a few hours and you’ll have a 

free and natural fertiliser for your 

garden. 

More of a tea drinker? Don’t 

worry; we’ve got tips for using tea in 

the garden too: 

A boost for compost 

Just like coffee grounds, 

used teabags can be added 

to your compost bin 

or directly to soil to 

boost the nutrient 

content. You don’t 

even need to 

open the bag 

first as it will 

decompose 

just like other waste that you add 

to your compost bin. Just be sure to 

remove any tags that are attached to 

the teabags first. 

Treat mild sunburn 

If you’ve caught the sun while 

gardening and have a painful spot 

of sunburn, place a used cooled wet 

teabag on the area and it will help 

soothe the sunburn. If you have 

sunburn over a larger area, you can 

add teabags to your bath to create a 

soothing soak. 

Repel pests 

Some gardeners claim that weak 

tea can help repel pests. Decant into 

a spray bottle and use to spray the 

leaves of your plants. 

Feed your roses 

Teabags can be used to create 

a natural fertiliser for your plants. 

Roses in particular are said to 

benefit from the nutrients found in a 

used teabag. 

So, there you go, next time 

you’re enjoying a wellearned 

coffee or tea break 

in your garden, save the 

grounds or the teabag 

and see whether they 

can give your garden 

a boost. 

yourwellness.com

holistic 

wellness 

Electroacupuncture Regulates Blood Sugar 

In Overweight Women 

Research appearing in ‘The FASEB Journal’ suggests that combining acupuncture 

with an electric current may be beneficial for women who are too overweight or 

obese to exercise. 

An international team of researchers used electroacupuncture to assist with 

muscle contraction, measured changes in blood sugar levels in a number of 

overweight women with and without PCOS, both during and after 45 minutes of 

acupuncture, and found that blood glucose regulation improved in both groups 

treatment. This research may also help women with polycystic ovarian syndrome 

(PCOS), the most common hormonal disorder among women, which is associated 

with an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. 

“This study has the potential to gain better quality of life for patients with prediabetes and reduced capacity to 

regulate blood sugar levels, especially for those who have difficulties performing voluntary exercise,” says author 

Elisabet Stener-Victorin. It could have important clinical implications for patients with prediabetes. 

9 

- Charles F. Glassman Breathe Into 

A Better State 

Of Mind 

Medicine’s a funny business. 

Dispensing chemicals is 

considered mainstream 

and diet and nutrition is 

considered alternative. 

Alternative 

Therapies More 

Useful For Bowel 

Disorders 

A review of past studies suggests that alternative 

therapies using probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, fibre 

and herbal medicinal products could be more effective 

when it comes to treating bowel disorders such as 

irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional constipation, 

and ulcerative colitis. The review, published in the 

‘British Journal of Pharmacology’, states that synbiotics, 

psyllium, and some herbal medicinal products, such as 

peppermint oil, do seem to be effective in ameliorating 

IBS symptoms. Furthermore, synbiotics and fibre appear 

to be beneficial in patients with functional constipation, 

while a non-pathogenic strain of Escherichia coli may 

be effective in patients with ulcerative colitis. Says 

lead author, Dr Diego Curro, “Patients with common 

functional bowel disorders who cannot find benefit or 

have adverse effects with the use of traditional drug 

therapies, or do not want to use them, should be told that 

alternative medicines are available that may be effective.” 

The Wim Hof Method, similar to 

Meditation and Pranayama, is a form 

of breathing carried out to promote a 

deeply relaxed state before beginning 

of a meditation session: 

Get comfortable. Once comfortable, 

practice deep breathing in and out of 

the mouth at a steady pace 30 times. 

Inhale fully but don’t exhale all the 

way out. As you inhale, you should 

feel your belly rise and, on the exhale, 

you should feel it fall. 

Next, empty your lungs of air 

and retain the breath for as long as 

possible. Inhale for 10 seconds - After 

breath retention, take a deep breath 

in and hold it for a further 10-15 

seconds, before exhaling. 

Repeat the process for three 

rounds, recording your times down to 

track your progression. 

Once complete, you should be 

relaxed and ready for your meditation. 

yourwellness.com

10 

focus 

- Will Rogers 

Pain is such an 

uncomfortable 

feeling that even 

a tiny amount of it 

is enough to ruin 

every enjoyment. 

Back 

Pain 

Focus On 

yourwellness.com

11 

According to the ‘European Journal of Pain’, back pain affects approximately 

700 million people worldwide and is the leading cause of disability globally. 

Says a study that appears in the journal ‘Spine’, low back pain is the 5th 

most common reason that drives people to the doctor’s office and, as per the 

Global Burden of Disease study, 2016, back pain is the number two cause of 

disability-adjusted life years. 

Back pain is extremely common and 

accounts for significant loss of work 

time. 

Most episodes of back pain go away 

within days or a few weeks - this is 

called acute back pain. Other pain takes 

longer to resolve, and if it lasts for 

more than 3 months, it is classified as 

chronic. 

According to the National Institute 

of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and 

Skin Diseases (NIAMS), USA, back pain 

can range from a dull, constant ache to 

a sudden, sharp pain that makes it hard 

to move. It can start quickly if you fall 

or lift something too heavy, or it can 

get worse slowly. 

Back pain can occur anywhere in the 

spine. However, most people experience 

pain in the lumbar spine, or lower back. 

Who gets back pain? 

Some things that increase your risk 

are: 

Age: Back pain is more common as 

you get older. The day-to-day use of 

our backs over time can cause back 

pain. Bones and disks in our spines can 

degenerate over time, causing stiffness 

and soreness. Says a 2015 report 

published in the journal ‘Menopause 

Review’, women, specifically, experience 

an increase in low back pain with 

perimenopause and menopause. 

Your work: If your work involves 

very long hours of sitting in the same 

position, or if you have to lift, push, 

or pull heavy load as a part of your 

job, you may get back pain. Sitting 

forward or slouching down in a chair 

can overstretch the spinal ligaments 

and strain the discs and surrounding 

structures in the spine. Over time, 

incorrect sitting posture and poor 

workplace ergonomics can contribute 

to or cause recurrent episodes of back 

pain. 

Lack of exercise: If you lead a 

sedentary life, without even minimal 

exercise, you will find that it can 

cause or worsen back pain because 

of increased stiffness and weakened 

muscles. Movement and exercise 

keep the spine healthy, flexible and 

strong. Gentle forms of exercise, such 

as yoga, Pilates, water therapy, riding 

a stationary bike or walking, are 

especially helpful. 

Obesity: Extra weight places a 

constant strain on the back, which 

can eventually lead to pain, hence 

overweight people have an increased 

risk for back pain. This is especially 

true for people with extra weight 

around the mid-section, which pulls 

the pelvis forward, creating stress 

on the lower back. People carrying 

extra pounds also may experience 

sciatica and low back pain from a 

herniated disc or a pinched nerve 

caused by compensating for the weight. 

Maintaining a healthy weight through 

diet and exercise not only reduces 

existing back pain, but also can help 

prevent certain types of back problems 

in the future. For example, overweight 

and obese people have an increased 

risk for osteoarthritis as they age. 

Stress: Most people who are under 

stress and don’t manage it effectively 

tend to sleep badly, have a poor diet, 

and get little exercise. Add stressrelated 

muscle tightness to this and 

back problems can result. 

Smoking: Smokers are almost three 

times more likely to develop low back 

pain than nonsmokers. According to the 

University of Michigan Health System, 

the nicotine in cigarette smoke thickens 

the walls of the blood vessels. This 

restricts blood flow through the large 

and small blood vessels of the lower 

back and increases the amount of time 

for healing and recovery if you have a 

back injury. 

Other conditions: Fibromyalgia and 

diabetes can trigger low back pain as 

well but, in many cases, doctors cannot 

pinpoint any specific cause of lower 

back pain, even with the use of x-rays 

and other imaging tests. 

How is back pain 

treated? 

Treatment for back pain depends on 

what kind of pain you have - acute or 

chronic. Options typically fall into three 

categories: 

• medication 

• physical medicine/therapy and, in 

some cases, 

• surgery. 

Acute back pain usually gets 

better, but you may want to take 

acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen 

to help ease the pain. Restricting 

activities that aggravate pain, physical 

therapy, including active therapy 

(stretching, weight lifting, cardio) and 

passive therapy (heat, ice, massage, 

ultrasound, electrical stimulation.), 

Chiropractic or manipulation therapy 

and Yoga or Pilates, which helps stretch 

and strengthen muscles and improve 

posture, help. 

Following are some types of 

treatments for chronic back pain 

• Hot or Cold Packs (or both): Hot 

or cold packs can soothe sore, stiff 

backs. Heat reduces muscle spasms 

and pain. Cold helps reduce swelling 

and numbs deep pain. Using hot or 

cold packs may relieve pain, but this 

treatment does not fix the cause of 

chronic back pain. 

• Physiotherapy/Occupational 

therapy: Trained physiotherapists 

and occupational therapists give 

supervised exercise that can help 

ease chronic pain. 

yourwellness.com

12 wellness 

focus 

Posture & Back Pain 

Sitting with poor posture for 

hours together, day after day, year 

after year, causes back pain. The 

stress that wrong posture places on 

your spine can lead to anatomical 

changes in your spine. This, in turn, 

can provoke back pain through the 

constriction of your blood vessels 

and nerves. In addition, the stress 

from poor posture can lead to back 

pain by causing problems with your 

muscles, discs, and joints. Back pain 

caused by poor posture may have 

the following characteristics: 

• Back pain that is worse at certain 

times of the day 

• Pain that starts in your neck and 

moves down into your upper and 

lower back 

• Pain that subsides after switching 

positions while sitting or standing 

• Sudden back pain that coincides 

with a new job, a new office chair, 

or a new car. 

How to maintain a 

good posture 

If poor posture can lead to back 

pain, it logically follows that good 

posture can help you avoid back 

pain. Here’s how to maintain good 

posture while walking, sitting, and 

lifting: 

Avoid drooping shoulders. While 

walking, it’s important to look 

straight ahead of you and to keep 

your head balanced straight above 

your spine. Additionally, avoid 

drooping your shoulders while you 

are walking, and make sure to land 

on your heel and then roll forward 

to push off the front of your foot. 

Always sit with support. One 

common posture mistake many 

people make is the ‘office chair 

hunch’, where a person sits at the 

front of their chair and hunches 

forward to reach their computer 

screen. Instead of hunching forward, 

here is how to sit with proper 

posture at your office: 

• Keep your back flush against 

your chair with your shoulders 

tall and your head level over your 

spine. 

• Keep your arms flexed at a 75 to 

90 degree angle at the elbows. 

• Keep your knees level with 

your hips or sit with your knees 

slightly above your hips if seated 

at a desk. 

• Keep your feet flat on the floor. If 

you are unable to reach the floor, 

use a footrest. 

Lift carefully. Improper lifting 

techniques can cause injury to the 

muscles, joints, and discs in your 

back. To help you avoid back pain, 

here are three simple rules for 

lifting both light and heavy objects: 

• Bend your hips, not your lower 

back, and keep your chest out. 

• When changing directions while 

lifting, lead with your hips to 

avoid placing additional strain on 

your back. 

• Keep the object you are lifting as 

close to your body as possible. 

yourwellness.com

13 

How Back Pain Affects 

Productivity 

Back pain not only takes a toll 

on the quality of employees’ lives, 

but impacts their productivity 

at work as well. In 2013, the 

US-based Integrated Benefits 

Institute (IBI), a leading workforce 

health and productivity research 

and measurement organisation, 

found that nearly one in four 

employees report experiencing 

low-back pain that costs the 

employers thousands of dollars 

annually in lost productivity and 

medical treatments. Typically, cost 

of treatment for the employees 

includes investigation fees, 

physician’s fees, lab tests and 

cost of complementary therapies 

if recommended. Wide range of 

treatment choice available for 

back pain often results in trying 

out multiple treatments increasing 

the cost. 

Says a June 2014 report in 

the ‘Journal of Industrial and 

Intelligent Information’, “Scientific 

evidence suggests that efficient 

ergonomic interventions can 

reduce the physical demands 

of manual handling with work 

activities, thereby lowering the 

incidence and severity of the 

musculoskeletal injuries they 

can cause.” A report by North 

East Business Group on Health 

(www.nebgh.org), that discusses 

value-based strategies to improve 

employee health, recommends 

the following in its report ‘Pain 

Management and Employers’ in 

2012: 

• Adopting flexible practices 

such as adaptive ergonomic 

design in the workplace, 

modified duty, or even 

telecommuting can allow 

an employee in pain 

to continue working 

at some level without 

incurring further 

injury. 

• Employers can 

better understand 

the pain experienced by an 

employee by administering 

employee-focused surveys. 

These surveys, that can ask 

about an employee’s selfassessed 

productivity level for 

instance, or how the employee 

manages the pain, can assist 

greatly in assessing pain’s 

indirect cost burden, while also 

revealing insights into how 

pain syndromes can be better 

managed. 

• Employers are quite aware 

that there are a range of 

relevant support mechanisms 

for those suffering chronic 

pain, including flexible work 

schedules, decision support for 

treatment referrals, return-towork 

programs, and behaviour 

support models. Furthermore, 

employers are beginning to 

embrace alternative therapies 

to manage pain, such as 

massage, acupuncture, yoga, 

and chiropractic care. 

Here is what you can do to 

avoid injuries typically related to 

computer workstations: 

• Watch your spine. Always 

keep your spine in a neutral 

position so that your muscles 

are aligned most naturally. 

This will reduce the strain 

on muscles, tendons and the 

skeletal system. 

• Use the right chair. The chair 

should have a firm lumbar 

support. The small of your back 

should feel rested. 

• Take frequent breaks. Sitting 

in the same position for too 

long can lead to back pain. 

Take 5-minute breaks every 

2 hours. Simply standing or 

walking around would help. 

• Stretch. Use arm, hand and 

finger stretches to relieve 

tension built up from repetitive 

motions. 

• Feet on the floor. Make sure 

your feet are resting on the 

floor. If you cannot adjust the 

height of the desk, ask for a 

footstool/footrest. 

yourwellness.com

14 wellness 

focus 

Choose The Right 

Mattress For Your Back 

Sleeping on the wrong mattress 

can lead to or worsen back pain. 

If a mattress is not right for you 

or is too old and hence sagging, 

it could create problems for your 

back. Sagging occurs when part 

of a mattress, usually the middle, 

becomes compressed and lower 

than the rest. It often puts a person’s 

spine into an unnatural position 

and leads to back pain. The greater 

the sagging depth, the more is the 

discomfort or pain both in and out 

of bed. 

The right mattress encourages 

good sleeping posture, relaxes 

muscles and generally provides 

healthy, wholesome sleep. The 

quality and type of the right 

mattress for you depends on your 

sleep position, height, weight, 

budget and health needs. All of 

these factors can impact your 

comfort. 

Changing your mattress for the 

right one will do wonders for your 

back pain. There are dozens of 

brands, models, and styles, and new 

technologies introduced every year. 

To choose the best mattress, you 

need to know all your options, and 

thoroughly research before you buy. 

Mattress technologies 

For many years, a mattress 

had been synonymous with the 

innerspring coil bed, topped with 

various layers of fibre and foam. 

However, today manufacturers 

compete to deliver best mattress 

technologies that are constantly 

updated. There are 3 basic 

categories: Inner spring, Specialty 

mattresses and Combination or 

hybrid mattresses. Inner spring 

mattresses could be either 

traditional coil inner spring, where 

all the springs are interwoven 

together, designed to give you great 

support or the individually wrapped 

coil springs, great for conforming 

to your body. This is also beneficial 

if your sleep partner moves a lot 

during sleep because the motion is 

not transferred to your side. 

Specialty mattresses remove the 

inner springs. The layers of foam 

give you the support, with memory 

foam layers on top to provide great 

conforming to your body. This is to 

relieve pressure points as you sleep. 

The Combination mattresses 

use more than one technology to 

provide comfort to the sleeper’s 

back. They could use memory 

foam, latex or gel. A 2010 study 

showed that replacing patients’ 

beds with new medium-firm 

mattresses, layered with memory 

foam and latex, provided significant 

improvement in both back and 

shoulder pain. Then there are 

also the innovative, elite Tempur 

mattresses, which are made of 

open-celled viscoelastic, pressurerelieving 

and temperature-sensitive 

material that moulds to the contours 

of your body, conform to your 

shape, and provide superior support. 

Orthopaedic 

mattresses 

Some brands also specialise in 

orthopaedic mattresses, which are 

meant for people with chronic back 

pain. They are designed to provide 

you with maximum support to those 

areas of your body, which mostly 

bear the weight of the body during 

the night – like neck, back, hips and 

lower portions of the body. This 

support distributes your body’s 

weight to alleviate stress on the 

spine, relieving painful pressure 

points, and helping to maintain the 

spine’s natural alignment. This leads 

to minimal aches and pains. 

Waterbeds & Airbeds 

Waterbeds and airbeds are also 

available through retailers, though 

people with more specialised health 

issues use them. When a person 

sleeps on a waterbed, the water in 

yourwellness.com

15 

the bed is compressed by the weight of 

the body, which relieves the pressure 

on the affected area. They are available 

in different types like no wave action, 

semi-wave action or full wave action. 

No wave action or semi-wave beds 

support your spinal cord while sleeping. 

Another advantage of a waterbed is that 

it does not restrict blood circulation in 

the body, which avoids bedsores in bedridden 

patients. The floatation feature 

of waterbed also helps pregnant women 

to have a comfortable sleep, even with 

their increasing belly. 

An airbed might be the solution to 

your back problems, especially if you 

are a side-sleeper. That is because it 

allows your hip bone and shoulder to 

sink in, minimising the pressure points, 

giving your back muscles rest and 

eliminating pressure on pinched nerves. 

Generally, however, there should 

be three questions to consider while 

choosing a mattress: 

• Support - Does the mattress hold the 

body in proper alignment? 

• Comfort - How does the mattress 

feel when you lie down on it? 

• Durability - How long does the 

mattress provide the aforementioned 

qualities? 

Other factors that matter while 

choosing a mattress will be pain relief, 

heat complaints, odour complaints, 

price and ease of availability. 

The ideal mattress for back pain is 

something that minimises stress on 

your cervical, thoracic, and lumbar 

spine. But it is also important to 

choose a mattress that fits your natural 

sleeping posture. When choosing a 

mattress for back pain, there are a few 

things to keep in mind: 

For back sleepers – Is the mattress 

firm enough to support your lower 

back when you sleep on your back and, 

at the same time, is it soft enough to 

contour to your body? Mattresses that 

are too stiff tend to push against the 

spine while too-soft mattresses don’t 

offer enough support. A medium firm 

mattress is ideal for this type of sleeper. 

For side sleepers – Your shoulders 

and hips need to be cushioned and your 

mattress ought to have some softness 

for this purpose. 

For stomach sleepers – You need a 

firmer mattress to remain comfortable 

all night. 

Since most sleepers tend to sleep 

with a combination of all these sleeping 

postures, there is a lot of movement 

in the bed. The ideal mattress for 

back pain is something that is not too 

soft and not too hard, provides great 

support, has a medium to mediumfirm 

feel (around 5-7 out of 10 on 

the firmness scale), has a slight to 

moderate body contour, and hugs and 

provides comfort and improves support 

to your back. Experts suggest that you 

learn how to sleep in the best position 

possible. Many recommend sleeping 

on your side with a pillow between 

your legs to support the hips and lower 

back. If you want to find out whether 

a firmer mattress would feel better 

than the one you’re currently using, try 

putting a plywood board under your 

mattress to dampen the movement 

from the bedsprings, or try placing 

your mattress on the floor. 

If you sleep with a partner next to 

you, you should have enough space 

to move into a comfortable sleeping 

position. Consider replacing your 

mattress every few years. If you have 

a back problem, ask your healthcare 

provider or physical therapist to 

recommend the type of mattress that 

would be best for you. 

Choice of pillow 

Your choice of pillow is important 

as well. If your pillow is not compatible 

with your mattress, specifically 

regarding its firmness level, then 

neck, upper spine, head and shoulder 

discomfort or pain are possible. Using 

a pillow that is too thick or too thin 

will put uneven pressure on the head 

or face, leading to discomfort, pain, 

and breathing difficulties. Avoid using 

very old pillows where the cotton is 

rolled up or has hardened. Certain 

pillows can also help promote less 

neck and back pain while you sleep. 

According to University of Utah 

guidelines, “Pillows are not just for 

your head and neck. Depending on 

your sleeping position, additional 

pillows can help keep your spine in the 

proper position. The pillow for your 

head should support the natural curve 

of your neck and be comfortable. A 

pillow that’s too high can put your 

neck into a position that causes 

muscle strain on your back, neck, and 

shoulders. Choose a pillow that will 

keep the neck aligned with the chest 

and lower back. Your pillow should 

be adjustable to allow you to sleep 

in different positions. Replace your 

pillows every year or so.” 

yourwellness.com

16 wellness 

focus 

Are Your Shoes Giving 

Your Back Pain? 

We spend a large part of 

the day standing and walking 

in shoes. Footwear may have 

an effect on the way the body 

moves, body posture, and gait 

– contributing factors to the 

presence of back pain. If you have 

been experiencing back pain, it is 

very likely that wrong or poorly 

fitted shoes are causing the 

problem. 

When choosing the best shoes 

to manage or eliminate back pain, 

evaluate your gait and the shape 

of your foot. Keep your level of 

activity and the types of activities 

you pursue in mind as you make 

your choices. 

High-heeled shoes: High 

heels are one of the biggest 

factors leading to foot problems 

in women, with up to a third 

suffering permanent problems 

as a result of prolonged wear. 

A high heel shoe puts your foot 

in a plantarflexed (foot pointed 

downward) position, placing an 

increased amount of pressure on 

your forefoot. This causes you to 

adjust the rest of your body to 

maintain your balance. The lower 

part of your body leans forward 

and to compensate for that, the 

upper part of your body must 

lean back to keep you balanced. 

This is not your body’s normal 

standing position. Women who 

wear heels also walk with their 

feet flexed and their toes pointed. 

As a result, they put greater strain 

on the muscles of the calf. Over 

time, this increased amount of 

muscle tension may amp up the 

risk of injury due to strain. 

Flip Flops: Because they have 

no support, they make the wearer 

scrunch up their toes to keep 

them on. This can change the way 

people walk, leading to back pain, 

as well as foot and leg pain. 

Flats: Absolute flats don’t 

provide much cushioning, and so 

when the foot hits the ground, 

the shock of the impact travels 

up the leg to the spine, stressing 

the joints in the back, the discs 

between the vertebrae, and the 

ligaments. 

Platforms: Platforms can put a 

strain on the spine, causing back 

pain, and can make people more 

likely to fall, which could cause a 

back injury. This is especially true 

when walking on uneven ground. 

What you can do 

Keep them short – Don’t let 

the heel of the everyday pair be 

more than 2.5 inches. 

Alternate shoe types – Try 

to alternate different styles of 

shoes on different days, changing 

the heel height and type of shoe 

regularly to allow muscles and 

joints to recover. Keep high 

heels for special occasions or 

alternate them with comfortable, 

supportive and well-fitting 

flat shoes with cushioning. On 

days that might require a lot 

of standing or walking, wear 

shoes with a lot of support and 

cushioning. 

Go wide – Shoes with a 

wider toe box avoid forefoot 

compression. 

Stretch – Take off your shoes 

and allow your feet and calves to 

stretch from time to time. 

Replace footwear regularly – 

Men, especially, don’t change 

their shoes as often as they 

should. This can ruin your back in 

the long run. Pay close attention 

to the state of your sole tread and 

if you notice a significant wear 

and tear, it’s time for a new pair. 

Good shoes are expensive, 

but they are vital to overall good 

health. If your purchase of good 

quality, supportive footwear 

does not resolve or improve 

your problems within a week or 

so, be sure to see your doctor, 

chiropractor or podiatrist for a 

proper diagnosis and treatment. 

yourwellness.com

17 

Why Weight Loss 

Would Help 

Back pain is more common 

in people who are overweight 

or obese. This is because the 

lower back - the lumbar region 

- supports the weight of the 

whole of the upper body, and 

extra weight puts an extra strain 

on the knee and hip joints. This 

can increase the burden on 

the lumbar region. This puts 

additional pressure on the bones, 

joints, muscles, ligaments and 

tendons of the back. 

In the long run, the extra 

weight can damage the discs 

between the vertebrae, can cause 

the spine to develop an unnatural 

curve, and can worsen the bone 

damage in osteoporosis. The extra 

weight can affect the posture. 

Extra weight can cause, or 

worsen, chronic back pain. It can 

also make it harder to carry out 

the core strength and flexibility 

exercises that can ease back 

pain. 

Losing even 10% of 

body weight can take the 

strain off the back, and off 

all of the other joints 

in the body, but it is 

important to lose 

weight slowly and 

safely. The best 

way to do this is 

by eating healthily 

with a wide range of 

fruit and vegetables, 

complex carbohydrates 

such as brown rice and 

wholegrain bread and pasta, and 

low fat sources of protein such 

as eggs, lean meat, fish, grains 

and pulses, and cutting down 

on sugar, alcohol and processed 

and high fat foods. Losing 

weight also has other benefits, 

reducing the risk of heart disease, 

diabetes and certain cancers, as 

well as potentially helping with 

confidence. 

yourwellness.com

18 wellness 

focus 

Top Dietary Tips 

To Reduce Back Pain 

Avoid inflammatory 

foods 

Refined white flour, white rice 

and their products including bread, 

pasta, noodles, cakes, biscuits and 

such must be eliminated. Sugary 

drinks and snacks, those with 

artificial sweeteners, high fructose 

corn syrup and such are bad news 

for pain. Fried foods, those with 

hydrogenated fats, foods with 

preservatives, foods with a long 

shelf life, crisps, crackers and 

pastries... all of these must go! 

Reduce alcohol and caffeine too. 

Feast on antiinflammatory 

fruits and 

veggies 

Think fresh, think whole and 

think colourful. Eat a largely plantbased 

diet. Bursting with healthboosting 

vitamins and minerals, eat 

a rainbow of fruit and vegetables 

to ensure a broad spectrum of 

nutrients. Make sure you have a 

daily dose of dark green vegetables 

like broccoli, kale, chard, spinach, 

bok choy, watercress and Romaine 

lettuce. Deep coloured foods like 

red cabbage, beetroot, carrots, 

pomegranate, cherries, berries, 

butternut squash and pumpkin are 

great additions. 

Include antiinflammatory 

fats 

Oily fish like mackerel, trout, 

sardines and salmon should be 

eaten at least twice a week. Other 

pain-fighting healthy fats include 

virgin coconut oil, extra virgin olive 

oil, avocado and its oil, flaxseeds, 

chia seeds, walnuts, almonds and 

their cold pressed oils. 

Bone and musclestrengthening 

nutrients 

Dairy like fresh milk, cheese 

and yogurt are dietary sources of 

calcium. Yoghurt also provides 

magnesium but make sure it is 

plain and sugar-free to receive 

the health benefits. Vitamin D3 is 

crucial for bone health too, daily 

doses of sunshine can provide 

enough. It is also found in fatty fish, 

eggs and high quality cod liver oil 

supplements. 

Did you know? Ingesting 

certain nutrients can improve 

the symptoms of back pain. 

Glucosamine and Chondroitin, 

Vitamin D, Omega-3 Fatty 

Acids, and Capsaicin are 

just a few of the natural 

supplements that can soothe 

your suffering. 

Spice up your 

seasoning 

Herbs and spices add so much 

more than flavour to a dish. Ginger 

and turmeric are among the 

topmost anti-inflammatory foods 

and should be taken daily to help 

keep pain-free. Basil, cinnamon, 

rosemary, garlic, cumin, onions 

and oregano also contain natural 

pain killer agents. As well as adding 

to soups, sauces, dressings and 

such, try drinking infusions to 

help cleanse the body and reduce 

inflammation. 

yourwellness.com

19 

Exercises To 

Strengthen Your Back 

Exercises such as swimming and 

other water-based exercise, walking, 

cycling, yoga, Pilates, aerobics and 

exercise ball-based training can 

help with both weight loss and back 

problems. Research shows that 

yoga and stretching are effective at 

reducing discomfort and improving 

back movement. In the meanwhile 

here are a few exercises that can 

strengthen your back: 

Back Press 

• Keep your knees under your 

hips and your hands under your 

shoulders. Keep your spine in 

a neutral position. Be sure to 

maintain your neck’s natural 

curve. 

• Tighten your abdominal and 

buttocks muscles to press/arch 

your back upward. Let your head 

drop slightly. 

• Hold for five seconds. Return to 

starting position. 

• Repeat five times. 

Bridge 

This exercise strengthens your 

abdominal, buttocks, and hamstring 

muscles. This helps keep your back 

stable and aligned when you walk. 

• Lie on the floor with your back 

with your palms flat on the floor. 

Bend your knees. Keep your feet 

flat on the floor. 

• Contract your abdominal and 

buttocks muscles. Slowly lift your 

buttocks off the floor until there 

is a straight line from your knees 

to your shoulders. 

• Hold for five seconds. Repeat 10 

times. 

Elbow Press 

• To start, lie face down on 

your stomach, feet slightly 

apart, forehead on the floor. 

Breathe deeply. You should feel 

comfortable and relaxed in this 

position. 

• Raise your chest by pressing 

on your forearms. Keep your 

abdomen and hips on the floor. 

• Hold for 20 seconds. Lower 

slowly. 

• Repeat twice. 

• Return to starting position. 

Pelvic Tilt 

• Lie on your back with your knees 

bent and feet flat on the floor. 

Don’t press your neck or lower 

back to the floor. Breathe deeply. 

You should feel comfortable and 

relaxed in this position. 

• Tighten your abdomen and 

buttocks, and press your 

lower back toward the floor. 

This should be a small, subtle 

movement. 

• Hold for five seconds. Release. 

• Repeat five times. 

yourwellness.com

20 wellness 

focus 

Tips To Protect Your Back 

• Go in for a lifestyle 

modification: Giving up alcohol 

and smoking, doing regular 

exercises, modifying your diet, 

practicing yoga and getting 

adequate sleep on the right 

mattress helps. Maintaining a 

good posture and taking regular 

breaks from work just to stretch 

your body could minimise the 

stress on your back. 

• Avoid picking up heavy objects. 

Carrying a bulky laptop bag, 

suitcase, camera, or a load of 

groceries can also cause a strain 

on your back. When travelling, 

pack two lighter bags instead 

of one heavy one. Carry one 

bag in each hand. Get a suitcase 

with wheels so you can pull the 

weight instead of carrying it. 

• Be careful while picking up 

young children. If possible, have 

them climb up on a chair so you 

don’t have to bend down to lift 

them. 

• Sleep with a pillow under your 

knees. Sleeping on your back 

puts pressure on your spine. 

Elevate your legs slightly to 

relieve this pressure on your 

back as you sleep. 

• You can also implement a short 

stretching routine into your 

day. Aim to do a few stretches 

before you go to bed and after 

you wake up to help with spine 

flexibility. 

• Try incorporating back and 

abdominal strengthening 

exercises into your workout 

at least two times per week 

to develop a stronger, more 

flexible back. 

• When you exercise and if you 

have a bad back, don’t exert 

yourself to the point at which 

you know you’ll be sore the 

next day. 

• Osteoporosis is one of the most 

common causes of back pain 

later in life, particularly for 

women. Keep the bones in your 

spine strong by having plenty of 

calcium and vitamin D. 

yourwellness.com

21 

Complementary Therapies 

For Back Pain 

There are several 

complementary therapies like 

Yoga, acupressure, chiropractic 

treatment, naturopathy, etc. Here 

are some more therapies that could 

help ease back pain: 

Massage: Massage stretches 

the muscles and gets out the knots 

but, more importantly, it also 

manipulates the buildup of lactic 

acid and lymphatic draining in the 

body. Massage, when combined 

with exercise and patient 

education, helps greatly. 

Acupuncture: 

Acupuncture involves the 

stimulation of specific points along 

the skin of the body using thin 

needles. It is said to operate by the 

release of opioid peptides. Opioids 

are naturally occurring chemicals 

in the brain that have an analgesic 

effect. The release of these opioids 

plays a significant role in the 

reduction of pain. There has been 

considerable evidence to support 

that acupuncture stimulates the 

central nervous system, releasing 

these chemicals. The 2,000 points 

of the body that acupuncture 

focuses on are strategic conductors 

of electromagnetic signals. 

Stimulation of these areas is 

believed to start the flow of 

endorphins—the body’s natural 

painkillers. 

Behavioural therapies help 

retrain the mind to help lower 

pain. Like, for instance: 

Cognitive 

Behavioural Therapy 

(CBT): CBT is a well-established 

therapy for the treatment 

of chronic pain. It involves 

examining and working to change 

thoughts and behaviours that are 

known to increase pain, while 

establishing and strengthening 

coping mechanisms that decrease 

pain. 

Mindfulness Based 

Stress Reduction 

(MBSR): Mindfulness-based 

stress reduction (MBSR) focuses 

on increasing awareness and 

acceptance of moment-to-moment 

experiences including physical 

discomfort and difficult emotions. 

According to a study appearing in 

JAMA, among adults with chronic 

low back pain, both mindfulnessbased 

stress reduction and 

cognitive behavioural therapy 

resulted in greater improvement 

in back pain and functional 

limitations when compared with 

usual care. 

yourwellness.com

22 wellness 

emotional 

Feeling Lonely? 

You’re Not Alone 

Experts now believe that loneliness is 

twice as deadly as obesity and even more 

dangerous than smoking. As an emotion, it 

is as much a part of being alive as hunger, 

love or death, yet remains one of our greatest 

taboos. Even when surrounded by people, we 

can experience loneliness, because it is not 

about being alone, it’s about being unable to 

connect with others. 

And it can affect everything from your 

emotional wellness to your immune system. 

A growing body of evidence links 

loneliness to dementia, depression 

yourwellness.com

23 

and accidents, disrupted sleep, a 

weakened immune system, stress and 

inflammation. One study found that 

isolation increased the risk of heart 

disease and stroke by a third. Another 

found that socially isolated women 

had a 40% higher risk of recurrence of 

breast cancer and a 60% higher risk of 

dying. Data from 70 studies examining 

the lives of 3.4 million people found 

that the lonely were 30% more likely to 

die in the following seven years. 

Modern society is 

making us even lonelier 

Today there are more ways to 

connect than ever, yet more of us are 

suffering social isolation. Families are 

shrinking and more people are living 

alone. 

Single-person households are on the 

rise as opportunities for meaningful 

human connection are lost in a digital 

world. People watch films on their 

laptops instead of going to the cinema 

and social media leads us to believe 

that everyone else has a ‘perfect’ life. 

There’s even been the emergence of 

a ‘loneliness’ industry with countless 

books, dating sites and, ironically, apps 

to help deal with loneliness. 

But loneliness isn’t new – it has 

always been part of the human 

condition. 

Learning to deal with 

loneliness 

Loneliness may be the result of 

circumstances, such as emigration, 

bereavement or a job change, but it 

is among the elderly that it is most 

visible and acute. A study has found 

that one in four older people felt lonely, 

while between 6% and 8% experienced 

‘frequent, painful loneliness’. When we 

talk about ageing, the focus is usually 

on finances, but, in reality, health, 

emotional wellbeing and relationships 

are far more important. The best thing 

you can do for your health in old age 

is to stay linked to friends, family and 

community. 

Which is why it’s a good idea to 

recognise loneliness as part of the 

human condition and learn to deal with 

it early on. Stay close to the people you 

love, and allow them to build up your 

self-esteem. Avoid people who bring 

conflict. And realise, that no matter how 

great a time everyone else seems to be 

having, they’re probably feeling lonely 

and insecure too. 

yourwellness.com

emotional 

24 wellness 

Break Out Of Your 

Comfort Zone 

Self-esteem and 

confidence plays a 

big role in emotional 

wellness, which is 

why it’s important 

to actively look at 

ways of bolstering 

both. One way 

of doing that is 

by breaking out 

of your comfort 

zone. Research has 

shown that the less 

willing we are to 

experience sadness, 

the more prone we 

are to anxiety and 

depression. You 

only have to look at 

successful athletes, 

creatives and leaders 

to see that being 

successful means 

going the extra mile. 

Here is a five-step plan you can use to 

do the same: 

1 

Look at the cost of 

playing safe 

For many of us, it’s easier to play safe 

than take risks. However, the more you 

invest, the greater the rewards. So reflect 

on what you could be giving up by 

avoiding risk and staying in your comfort 

zone. Whether it’s in your personal life, 

or career, be as specific as possible. 

What tasks, people, conversations and 

emotions do you avoid? And what has 

doing that cost you? 

2 

Be compassionate to 

yourself 

Looking at what you’ve lost will 

elicit a host of unwanted thoughts 

and emotions that many of us would 

prefer not to acknowledge. It can also 

be tempting to blame yourself for 

procrastinating, which can lead to cycle 

of shame. Instead, to improve, we need 

to be able to be compassionate towards 

ourselves. 

3 

There’s no happiness 

without unhappiness 

You must be able to need to be able to 

embrace the emotions that, up until now, 

you may have been avoiding. Rejection 

and failure are part of life. Without them, 

we wouldn’t have success and happiness. 

So, instead of avoiding them, accept 

them. Use them as tools to grow better. 

Small steps to big 

4rewards 

Recognise your limitations too. The 

key to long-term success and breaking 

out of our comfort zone is to identify 

when to take action and when to stand 

still. Make a list of what you want to 

achieve, but break your goals and action 

plan down into manageable steps. Small, 

simple steps are often the best way to 

achieve big goals. 

Be accountable for 

5successes 

Most of us will blame ourselves 

for failure, but achievement is one of 

the greatest feelings you can have, so 

recognise when you achieve something 

- no matter how small. This is the key 

to true emotional wellness. When we 

recognise our achievements, we gain 

self-worth. 

- Robert Urich 

A healthy 

outside starts 

from the inside. 

yourwellness.com

‘Diet’ Drinks 

Increase Risk 

Of Dementia 

And Stroke 

Drinking one or more artificially 

sweetened ‘diet’ drinks each day has been 

linked with almost three times the risk of 

developing stroke or dementia compared 

to people who drank artificiallysweetened 

drinks less than once a week. 

The research was conducted on 2,888 

people over the age of 45 for the stroke 

study, and 1,484 people over the age of 

60 for the dementia study. 

Participants reported their diet habits 

over seven years and the researchers 

then looked at how many developed 

stroke or dementia over the next 10 

years. At the end of the follow-up period, 

the researchers noted 97 cases (3%) of 

stroke, and 81 (5%) cases of dementia, 63 

of which were diagnosed as Alzheimer’s 

disease. 

The researchers adjusted for various 

risk factors such as age, sex and the 

presence of a variant of the Alzheimer’s 

risk gene, apolipoprotein E, to determine 

potential links between ‘diet’ drink 

consumption and the risk of stroke or 

dementia. They found those who drank 

at least one artificially-sweetened 

beverage a day were three times as 

likely to develop ischemic stroke 

and 2.9 times as likely to 

develop Alzheimer’s. 

modern 

wellness 25 

Saturated Fat May 

Not Affect Heart 

A team of cardiologists have stated that the perception 

that foods with high levels of saturated can clog up the 

arteries is “plain wrong.” Instead, experts are saying, 

the emphasis should be on eating ‘real food’, exercise 

and cutting back on stressful lifestyles. 

Researchers Dr Aseem Malhotra, Professor Rita 

Redberg and Pascal Meier say evidence shows no 

association between consumption of saturated fat and 

heightened risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes 

and death. The scientists said that just 30 minutes of 

‘moderate activity’ each day, three or more times a 

week, can significantly reduce biological risk factors 

for sedentary adults. The authors also say the impact 

of stress should not be overlooked as it puts the body’s 

inflammatory response on permanent high alert. 

Pregnancy Linked 

To Car Crash Risk 

According to a Canadian study, you could be at 

increased risk of being injured in a motor vehicle 

accident if you drive during the second trimester of 

pregnancy. 

Dr Donald Redelmeier from the University of 

Toronto found that pregnant women were 42% more 

likely to be involved in a motor vehicle accident that 

resulted in an ER visit, compared to when they weren’t 

carrying a child. 

While the study can’t say why the risk of car 

accidents increased during pregnancies, Redelmeier 

suggested it could have something to do with the 

symptoms resulting from fluctuations in hormones. 

- Jerome K. Jerome 

We drink to one 

another’s health 

and spoil our own. 

yourwellness.com

family 

26 wellness 

Helping Siblings 

Share A Room 

- Brad Henry 

A family is the 

compass that 

guides us. It is 

the inspiration 

to reach great 

heights, and 

our comfort 

when we 

occasionally 

falter. 

Depending on 

the size of your 

family and the size 

of your house, 

there may be 

times when your 

children need to 

share a bedroom. 

Not every family 

has the luxury of a 

bedroom per child 

and when space 

is short, it makes 

sense for children 

to share. 

yourwellness.com

27 

Some children love the 

companionship and closeness that 

comes when sharing a room with a 

sibling. But just as many resent being 

forced to share. So how can you make 

sharing a room straightforward and 

stress-free? 

Bedtime 

When children share a room, you 

might think it makes sense to give them 

the same bedtime. But having your 

sibling around when you’re trying to 

drift off can make it harder for kids to 

get to sleep. 

If the children are different ages, 

it might make more sense to give 

them different bedtimes, appropriate 

to their age. This way, the younger 

child can get to sleep before the older 

one joins them (quietly). This also 

means children can wind down before 

bedtime rather than being tempted to 

play with their sibling. It also gives an 

older child time one-on-one time with 

their parents before bed. 

Space and belongings 

Just because they are sharing a 

room doesn’t mean children must share 

everything else. Make sure each child 

has a designated space for their own 

toys and clothes and teach them to 

respect the other’s personal belongings. 

If an older child is sharing with a 

toddler, perhaps let the older sibling 

have a shelf that’s out of reach of the 

little one. 

Privacy 

While younger children might not 

be too concerned about privacy, as they 

get older they’ll begin to want their 

own personal space. So, it’s a good 

idea to plan for the future – whether 

that means saving for a bigger home, 

restructuring your current home, 

or changing sleeping arrangements. 

Experts recommend that children of the 

opposite sex shouldn’t share beyond 

the age of six. If this isn’t possible 

straightaway, perhaps let your children 

change clothes in the bathroom or 

behind a screen to give them the 

privacy they crave. 

Ownership 

It’s important that both children feel 

like the space in the bedroom belongs 

to them and not that they are simply 

sharing their sibling’s space. This is 

particularly important if older children 

are being made to share for the first 

time – for example, after a house move, 

the merging of two families or the 

arrival of a new baby. 

Avoid referring to a room as the 

elder child’s room, if it’s shared. Let 

each child choose their own accessories 

for the room such as bedding and 

pictures for the wall so that they 

can feel that it’s theirs. Maybe even 

redecorate the room to mark its 

transition from being a room for one to 

a room for two. 

Time to move on 

When the time comes for your 

children to stop sharing, you might be 

surprised to find they want to carry on 

sleeping in the same room. Don’t worry 

too much, children are often reluctant 

to change but as they get older they 

will naturally decide they would prefer 

their own space. 

yourwellness.com

family 

28 wellness 

How A Family Food 

Journal Can Help 

If you’re thinking about putting 

your family on a diet, whether for 

the purpose of weight loss or then 

opting for a healthier lifestyle, 

keeping a food journal can help 

you reach your goal. 

Getting started: Start 

your family journal a week or so 

before you start making a change 

in the choice of foods. This will 

give you the opportunity to know 

your family’s weaknesses and 

strengths while making their 

choices of foods. 

Make your own rules: 

How much? What kind? When? 

Where? You decide what works 

best for you while jotting down 

the family food details. You could 

either divide them into different 

food groups or take pictures of the 

foods your family has eaten during 

the day to track how healthy or 

unhealthy your choices have been. 

You can then discuss the choices 

your family members are making 

and if they’re really helping 

everyone’s health. 

Assess your family’s 

goals: One of you might want to 

lose weight, the other more keen 

on building up muscle...a food 

journal will help you see where 

each individual is falling short of 

the boost needed to reach their 

goal. 

Have nutrition 

guidelines: Consult a 

nutritionist and have certain 

nutrition rules. At the end of the 

day you and your family can 

write down what you ate and 

check them against the nutrition 

guidelines that you have for the 

family. There are free, printable, 

family food journals with daily 

slots for five family members 

to record their daily intake, on 

the Internet. There are also food 

journaling apps available, which 

range from snapping photos to oldfashioned 

logging. 

Menu planning: 

Be realistic about your meal 

plans. You may have the best of 

intentions and not a lot of time. 

Take a look at your calendar and 

create a menu plan that will serve 

your family well. What kinds of 

healthy foods can you rustle up on 

busy days? What would you prefer 

on lazy Sundays? Use your grocery 

days for chopping and dicing for 

quick wraps and salads for times 

you don’t have much time to cook. 

Journal the family 

favourites: Everyone has a 

favourite dish. Include, at specific 

intervals, a family favourite. This 

will help the family members to 

not feel deprived. 

yourwellness.com

29 

Avoiding Late Night 

Arguments At Home 

The old saying, “Never go to 

sleep on an argument” is a good 

advice. Resolving quarrels before 

bedtime helps make your home 

life harmonious and lets you 

get a better night’s sleep. But 

if you always seem to end up 

quarrelling with your partner 

just before bedtime what can 

you do to prevent it? 

Know the triggers 

Are there particular reasons 

why you’re more likely to argue 

at nighttime? Perhaps you stay up 

late and become tired and cranky. 

Maybe an early night or a relaxing 

bath might put you in a better 

mood and help avoid arguments. 

Avoid alcohol 

While drinking in moderation 

might not be too harmful, if 

you’re drinking every night or 

drinking large amounts, the 

depressive effect of alcohol might 

be contributing to your bad mood. 

Many couples find they argue 

more once under the influence of 

alcohol so if you suspect this is 

the case, try avoiding alcohol for 

a while. 

Stay up longer 

You might want to get to bed 

on time, particularly if you have 

work the next day but staying 

up an extra half hour to resolve 

an argument is much better than 

lying awake half the night feeling 

stressed. 

Park the argument 

If you really can’t resolve your 

differences straightaway, schedule 

a time for the next day to sit down 

and discuss things rationally. This 

way you can make up and go to 

bed knowing that you have both 

agreed to come back and discuss 

issues at a time when you’ll 

be feeling more refreshed and 

relaxed. 

Make a list 

If an argument has left your 

brain whirring, get up and make 

a list of your worries. Once it’s 

down on paper, you’ll find you can 

drift off more easily. 

yourwellness.com

family 

30 wellness 

Eco-friendly Pet Care 

There are no downsides to trying 

to reduce waste and eliminate 

harmful chemicals from your life. 

Of course, you can also incorporate 

some more earth-friendly practices 

into your pet’s care regimen. Using 

ingredients that are eco-friendly, 

non-toxic and effective makes a lot 

of sense when you are controlling 

odours, dealing with pet litter or 

giving your pet a bath. 

Odours & pet 

accidents 

Completely safe, home-made, 

green cleaning solutions of baking 

soda, vinegar, salt and lemon juice, 

are any day a better option than 

harmful bleaches, chemicals and 

toxins. If you haven’t completed 

your pet’s potty training, or your pet 

has had an accident, scrub the area 

with club soda as quickly as possible 

and let it dry. Then sprinkle the area 

with baking soda and let it stand to 

help control odours. Vacuum the 

rug after about an hour. 

If there’s a stubborn stain or 

discoloration, apply lemon juice to 

the area generously. Let it soak for 

about half an hour and then rinse 

the area well with vinegar and water 

solution. Let it dry naturally. If the 

spot is not too big, you could also 

try to clean the area directly with 

vinegar. 

Pet bedding 

Your pet is adorable but the 

smells it leaves on its bedding 

aren’t. Washing it in hot water often 

is a good idea. You can also sprinkle 

it with baking soda from time to 

time and then use a vacuum cleaner 

after that. Do it regularly and there 

won’t be ‘dog-smell’ in the room. 

Repel ticks 

Rose geranium essential oil is 

successful for repelling ticks from 

dogs. Apply a few dabs to your 

dog’s collar. A dose of brewer’s 

yeast mixed with a bit of garlic in 

dry food daily will help to repel 

fleas for dogs. Don’t use garlic with 

cats for it can lead to anemia. You 

could also rub a small amount of 

lemon or orange juice from time to 

time on your pet’s fur to repel ticks. 

Dry bath 

Pets, whether dogs or cats, hate 

water and there are times when you 

need to give your pet a dry bath. 

Simply sprinkle some baking soda 

on the pet’s coat and merge it well 

with your hands. Afterwards, take 

a coat-combing brush to spread it 

all over till it’s no longer visible. If 

you have run out of dog-soap or 

dog-shampoo, or if your pet reacts 

to it, then simply use a vinegar and 

water solution instead and then give 

a rinse with clear water again. 

Don’t flush cat litter 

down the toilet 

Don’t flush cat litter down the 

toilet. According to experts, cat 

feces can contain Toxoplasma 

gondii, a parasite that can survive 

in soil for more than a year and 

also contaminate drinking water 

and sewage systems. Rather than 

reach for your clay cat litter, go for 

litters that are made from wheat 

or recycled newspaper. These 

will protect both your pet and the 

environment. Cat litter should always 

be bagged and tossed in the trash. 

Doggy bags 

Use biodegradable doggy bags 

for the poop. As a responsible dog 

owner, you know that when you 

take your dog for a walk you have 

to clean up the poop. But if you use 

biodegradable bags, then you’ll be 

helping out the planet as well as the 

neighbourhood. They are a more 

sustainable choice than petroleumbased 

polyethylene. 

Make your own treats 

Pets can live on perfectly healthy 

diets with meals made at home. 

Consult your veterinarian for advice. 

Homemade treats are another way 

to use ingredients you already have 

while saving a trip to the store and 

reducing packaging waste. 

You can browse websites 

that have dozens of recipes for 

homemade goodies for pets that you 

can whip up in your kitchen. 

Toys 

Take time to look at the labels 

when choosing your pet’s toys. 

Try to pick ones that are made of 

eco-friendly materials. Because 

regulations on pet products are not 

universal, imported playthings could 

potentially contain unsafe materials. 

You could make your pet’s toys 

yourself. Grow your own catnip, 

and sew little mice out of discarded 

clothes. You can also make some fun 

doggy toys from an old t-shirt: Just 

cut it into strips and braid them. 

They can make a great rope toy. 

Look online for more ideas. 

yourwellness.com • Volume VI • Issue IV • September 2017

Hippocrates 

Recommended 

Curative Foods 

Hippocrates recommended making healing 

drinks from raisins, grapes, saffron, and 

pomegranates. He noted that those suffering 

from lung infections would find relief if they 

had roasted cumin, white sesame seeds, 

and almonds, mixed with honey. Pressing 

fig juice on a vein could stop bleeding and 

oxymel, a honey-vinegar mixture, as well as 

hydromel, a concoction of honey and water, 

could help patients breathe better, cough 

up phlegm and clear the windpipe. A great 

believer in barley water, he described it as 

‘justly preferred before all’ other medicinal 

drinks made from other types of grains, as it 

nourishes the body and has a pleasant taste 

and consistency. 

Why Ancient 

Egyptians Used 

Coriander 

Coriander seeds have been found in ancient tombs 

of Egypt, and have been known as one of the 

first herbs mentioned in its ancient scripts. The 

Egyptian name is for the herb is ‘Kuzbarah’. The 

Egyptians knew it for its pain-relieving properties 

and used it to relieve headaches, muscle pain and 

stiffness of joints. 

Coriander essential oil was known to remove 

toxins and stimulate circulation. Rubbing it on 

the body eased muscular pains, arthritis and 

inflammatory conditions. The seeds were used as a 

paste for mouth ulceration and a poultice for other 

ulcers. 

ancient 

wellness 

Native American 

Tobacco Cure 

For thousands of years Native Americans used 

herbs to not only heal the body, but also to 

purify the spirit and bring balance into their 

lives and their surroundings. They learned about 

the healing powers of herbs and other plants 

by watching sick animals and passed on their 

knowledge in an oral tradition, from generation 

to generation. Tobacco was very important in 

Native American culture for social, religious, 

ceremonial purposes as well as in medicinal 

remedies. The leaves were used to treat pain, 

colic, kidney problems, dropsy, fever, colic, 

worms, convulsions, toothache, as an antidote 

for poison, skin conditions, boils, tuberculosis, 

vertigo, and to treat insect and snakebites. 

31 

- Nathaniel Hawthorne 

A bodily disease may be a 

symptom of some ailment 

in the spiritual past. 

yourwellness.com

exercise 

32 wellness 

The Best Workouts For 

Your Personality 

- Alan Thicke 

Fitness needs 

to be perceived 

as fun and 

games or we 

subconsciously 

avoid it. 

yourwellness.com

33 

Research suggests 

that people 

who engage 

in personalityappropriate 

activities will stick 

with the activities 

longer, enjoy their 

workout more and 

ultimately have 

a greater overall 

fitness experience. 

In fact, who you 

are determines 

how you stay 

fit, suggests a 

University of 

Florida study that 

links personality 

as one factor in 

an individual’s 

willingness to 

stick to an exercise 

routine. 

According to researcher Amy Hagan, 

those who advocate regular exercise 

need to tailor their programs to suit 

the personality types of buff wannabes. 

“If people’s personalities can predict 

what conditions are most favourable 

for them to exercise, then an exercise 

program can be tailored to fit their 

personal needs, making it more likely 

they will stick with a routine,” she adds. 

The study divided people into different 

groups of personalities. Personality 

type was determined by whether or not 

someone scored high on a particular scale 

representing each of the five personality 

domains: 

Extrovert: If you are an extrovert, 

you may have more success exercising 

in a gym than in the privacy of your 

home, because you prefer the excitement 

and companionship of large groups in 

a gym, and those of you who crave new 

experiences could be better off with 

physical activity outdoors. 

Neurotic: Neuroticism gauges 

emotional stability and refers to the 

tendency to feel fear, embarrassment, 

sadness and guilt. If you find yourself in 

this group you are least likely to exercise, 

but you would benefit the most from 

the activity because it would help 

reduce your anxiety and stress. 

Cardiovascular exercise indoors, a 

home treadmill rather than a gym 

membership, and low-intensity workouts 

work the best for you. 

Open: Openness refers to one’s 

receptiveness to new experiences. You 

do the best while exercising in step to 

music, perhaps because it broadens the 

experience. Your preference for variety 

makes regularly scheduled exercise less 

appealing, and you would rather exercise 

outdoors than inside. 

Agreeable: You want to exercise 

regularly. You also prefer morning 

workouts, perhaps because being 

compliant you like to know it has been 

completed. 

Conscientious: You have 

the tendency to be strong-willed and 

determined. You prefer scheduled 

workout sessions along with highintensity 

exercise, and would rather lead 

yourself in cardiovascular exercise than 

have a fitness instructor do it. You are 

very self-disciplined who strive to achieve 

something. You want to take charge of 

your own exercise routine to make sure it 

will get done. 

“Understanding personality is 

important for predicting people’s exercise 

habits,” said Danielle Symons Downs, 

director of the exercise psychology 

laboratory at Pennsylvania State 

University. “By identifying certain core 

attributes that are associated with 

physical activity, such as extraversion and 

motivation, researchers and practitioners 

are better equipped to design effective 

intervention programs promoting exercise 

for different groups of people.” 

yourwellness.com

exercise 

34 wellness 

Two Exercises That Will 

Keep You Fit For Life 

We already know that if you 

want to live a long and healthy life, 

you should get exercise regularly 

throughout life. Indeed, many 

researchers have found that, in 

those that do, many fit older adults 

have the muscles and bones of 

people years younger. And while 

any exercise is good for you, some 

is better than others – especially 

depending on your age. 

According to physician and 

researcher, Dr Michael Joyner, one 

of the world’s top experts on fitness 

and human performance, to stay 

fit and strong while you age, two 

exercises are essential: Burpees 

and jumping rope (ideally using a 

weighted jump rope). 

Your body starts to lose strength 

as you age, with most people 

peaking between 25 and 28, 

but if you want to say fit into 

later life, then you need to 

build strength to combat 

the body’s natural loss of 

muscle mass. Doing so 

could keep you feeling 

younger for longer. In fact, 

studies show that simple tests of 

physical performance are highly 

predictive of future mortality. To 

achieve peak physical performance 

at any age, you need to go beyond 

endurance to build strength. 

Lifting weights and adding 

intervals to endurance workouts will 

both work, but alternating burpees 

with a weighted jumping rope 

routine is a proven way to build 

both endurance and strength. 

Burpees 

Burpees are hard to beat in 

terms of single exercises that will 

work your whole body and many 

trainers recommend this exercise 

for a full-body workout. That’s 

why they’re commonly used when 

training Special Forces soldiers. 

However, you’re not a Special 

Forces soldier, so make sure you 

start slow with burpees to get 

the exercise right and to gain 

maximum benefit. 

Start in a normal standing 

position, squat down until you can 

put your hands on the ground, 

kick back into plank position, do a 

push-up, then kick your legs back 

into your squat position. Finish with 

a jump. 

You can also do burpees with a 

wider stance, which can be more 

stable for someone not accustomed 

to this particularly challenging 

exercise. 

Jumping rope 

Using a weighted jumping rope 

is more straightforward, but still 

very challenging. There are a wide 

variety of workouts and routines 

which you can try to see which suit 

you best. Once you get up to speed, 

you can then do a series of sets, 

perhaps alternating with another 

exercise, such as burpees, if you’re 

feeling tough enough. 

Just remember, these workouts 

are intensely strenuous. Take 

the time to practice to get the 

movements right and to build up 

the levels. Depending on your 

age, it might be a good idea 

to talk to your doctor first if 

you’re worried you might injure 

yourself. And always integrate 

rest days into your exercise 

schedule. 

yourwellness.com

35 

Exercise Your Mind 

Want an all-natural way to lift 

your mood, improve your memory, 

and protect your brain against 

age-related cognitive decline? 

More aerobic exercise might be the 

answer. 

New research suggests that any 

exercise that raises your heart rate 

and gets you moving and sweating 

for a sustained period of time has a 

beneficial impact on the brain. 

While some benefits, such 

as improved mood, can occur 

almost immediately, others — 

such improved memory — may 

take longer to appear, but all the 

evidence seems to suggest that 

any aerobic exercise performed 

regularly for at least 45 minutes 

at a time can help. One study 

found that 30 minutes of treadmill 

walking for 10 consecutive days 

was sufficient to produce a 

clinically relevant improvement in 

people with severe depression. 

And if you’re over 50, another 

study suggests the best results 

come from combining aerobic 

and resistance exercise, which 

could include anything from 

high-intensity interval training, 

to dynamic flow yoga, which 

intersperses strength-building 

poses like planks and push-ups 

with heart-pumping dance-like 

moves. 

Another study provides 

evidence that walking just 30 

minutes per day four times per 

week for 12 weeks strengthened 

connectivity in an area of the brain 

linked with memory loss in adults 

aged 60-88. 

Researchers believe it 

may have something to 

do with the effect of the 

increased blood flow in 

the brain. 

yourwellness.com

elationship 

36 wellness 

Is Stress At Work 



- Bryant H. McGill 

There is no love 

without forgiveness, 

and there is no 

forgiveness 

without love. 

yourwellness.com

37 

It’s a common story: 

Your other half 

comes home from 

work irritable, tired 

and grumpy. The 

result is often a fight 

or argument, usually 

over something 

trivial, leading to 

bad feeling and 

resentment. The 

lack of a sensible 

work-life balance 

can have a hugely 

destructive effect on 

relationships, leaving 

partners feeling 

lonely, neglected and 

disillusioned. 

In the past, we were told that, in 

the future, we’d be working less and 

spending more time with family and 

loved ones, but, in reality, the opposite 

has happened. In recent years, there 

has been more pressure on individuals 

to work longer hours with higher 

expectations of effort and input for 

lower levels of reward including job 

satisfaction, pay and job security. People 

find themselves overworked with 

pressure from unrealistic deadlines that 

make them doubt their ability, as well as 

pressure from home to spend more time 

with family. 

Modern life & skewed 

work-life equation 

It’s an imbalance in the worklife 

equation that has contributed to 

unhappiness, both at a personal level and 

in relationship problems which, in turn, 

affects work, impacting on concentration, 

productivity and attendance. 

Workplace bullying is on the 

increase, leading to emotional distress, 

exhaustion, sleep problems, anxiety and 

depression, all of which affect home 

life. Even witnessing bullying can lead 

to fear and anxiety about a worker’s 

own security and in a digital age, more 

workers are taking work home with 

them, checking emails during free time 

and vacation, so they never really get 

any time to disconnect completely from 

work. Bringing work home further 

devalues their personal life and leads to 

relationship conflict and disharmony. 

In response, some people develop 

maladaptive behaviours to cope with 

stress. These include aggressive 

behaviour, substance abuse, eating 

disorders, or a pornography addiction. 

These behaviours, in turn, lead to 

multiple issues within a relationship, 

including communication issues, lack 

of equality when it comes to household 

chores and a lack of emotional and 

physical intimacy. 

One place stress and fatigue is felt 

most is in the bedroom. For overworked 

women, desire for sex wanes, while 

stressed, anxious men are increasingly 

affected by impotence and erectile 

problems, sometimes turning to porn 

for a quick sexual fix in an attempt to 

alleviate stress. 

It’s a difficult problem. Work is vital in 

order to meet the bills and look after our 

families, yet that very same work creates 

problems within the family unit. However, 

there are a few things you can do to limit 

the damage: 

Maintaining a happy 

balance 

• To begin with, always be mindful 

of the importance of maintaining a 

healthy work-life balance. Be aware of 

what you stand to lose. A person rarely 

looks back with regret at not spending 

more time in the office, but will regret 

neglecting their partners and children. 

• Do what you can to separate work 

and home. Leave work issues in the 

office and be selective about what 

work-related issues you discuss with 

your partner. That said, let them know 

if you’re unhappy about something 

in the workplace. Sharing concerns 

is much better that bottling them 

up. They may be able to help by 

reminding you that “It’s only work.” 

• Switch off before coming home. If 

you commute, use the journey home 

to quieten the mind, calm down and 

relax. Mindful breathing can help. It 

can be tempting to check emails or 

do ‘research’ work on the Internet, 

but when it comes to time off and 

holidays, make sure you disconnect 

completely to gain any real benefit. 

• Learn to manage stress. You can’t 

remove all stress from life, but you 

can learn to control and reduce it. 

Identify the source of the stress at 

work and ask yourself what you can 

do to improve the situation. That 

might mean asking for help. Practice 

self-care too. Try some relaxation 

techniques, exercise regularly, make 

sure you have a good diet, get enough 

sleep and take up a hobby. 

• If you absolutely have to work at 

home, limit it to a home office or work 

area. Disconnect electronically in your 

living and bedroom space. 

• Make time for your most important 

relationship. Text or call regularly 

when you’re at work to stay connected. 

At home take time to relax together, to 

listen and engage emotionally. Sharing 

chores together, even shopping 

together, can be enjoyable. Organise 

date nights and stick to them. Develop 

a shared interest. 

• Don’t forget your sex life. Sexual 

intimacy starts outside of the bedroom 

so be mindful of creating a romantic 

space to connect emotionally. 

yourwellness.com

38 wellness 

relationship 

Boss Issues? 

Ways To Make Nice 

Having a good relationship with 

your boss is essential for helping to 

make your working day enjoyable 

and stress-free. 

When you get on well with your 

boss, you can share problems, discuss 

ideas and enjoy an open and honest 

relationship that benefits everyone. 

But not everyone is lucky enough to 

have a good relationship with their 

manager. Many people struggle to get 

on with their boss and this can lead 

to stress, tension and bad feelings at 

work. Here are some ways you can 

improve a failing relationship: 

Suggest a meeting 

A good boss will be proactive and 

hold regular meetings with their staff 

but if your own boss doesn’t do this, 

suggest a regular catch up yourself. 

Simply sitting and chatting to your 

boss on a regular basis can help bring 

issues into the open and give you 

chance to chat through any problems. 

Understand their 

pressures 

You might feel that a difficult boss 

is unreasonable or unfair but try to 

understand why they act that way. 

Whether they are asking you to put 

in extra hours or are criticising your 

work, it’s often because they are 

facing pressure from their own boss. 

Try not to take things personally and, 

instead, look for ways to help your 

boss. 

Apologise where 

appropriate 

If your relationship with your 

boss has taken a turn for the worse 

because of something you did, the 

best thing you can do is apologise. 

Show that you’ve learnt from your 

mistake and help rebuild the trust in 

your relationship. 

Give your boss chance 

to apologise 

Perhaps your relationship 

has broken down because of 

something they have done. If this 

is the case, make sure they know 

why you are upset and give them 

chance to apologise. Once they 

have apologised, it’s time to move 

on. Don’t dwell on past mistakes. 

Remember, even though your boss 

might be senior to you, it doesn’t 

mean they are perfect. 

Log anything serious 

If the relationship with your boss 

doesn’t show signs of improving 

it may simply be due to a clash of 

personalities that can’t be changed. 

If this is the case, you’ll need to 

decide whether you can bite your 

tongue and continue to work for your 

boss without causing any further 

stress within the relationship. If this 

isn’t possible, you might be able to 

consider a transfer depending on the 

size and nature of your business. But 

if the behaviour of your boss slides 

into bullying or unfair treatment, 

it’s a good idea to keep a log of any 

difficult conversations and actions so 

that you have a record for the future 

in case your boss tries to unfairly 

dismiss you. 

yourwellness.com

Are Newspapers 

A Thing Of 

The Past? 

wellness 

debate 

Against 

For 

39 

Are you For or Against? 

For – Christine Pereira, Student 

They have been on a decline for at least a decade now. Or could be even more. 

With the television giving us breaking news and minute-to-minute updates 

and also providing us visuals of the event, who wants to look at a newspaper 

that comes after 24 hours? As for the Internet, sky is the limit when it comes 

to news sources from anywhere and everywhere in the world. Someone in a 

small town can easily watch live streaming from the other end of the world. 

You don’t have to rely on a newspaper, which comes hours after the event and 

is limited to a few hundred words of news items, which may or may not do 

justice to the event that has taken place. Also, frankly, young people like me 

are not much interested in the ‘Views’ aspect of the newspaper. We don’t have 

patience to sit through or read up what different experts think of a particular 

event. We are the generation that browses books on our cellphone. Do you 

seriously expect us to go back to a hard copy of a newspaper? An offline, hard 

copy of a newspaper was for my grandparents’ generation that still buys and 

reads it. I just don’t understand why. 

With the availability of 

media like TV and the 

Internet, the newspaper, 

once highly important, 

has significantly declined 

in many places across 

the world. This has left 

many to suggest that 

newspapers are a thing of 

the past. Are they, indeed? 

Against – Harsha Patel, Homemaker 

I prefer a real newspaper in my hands and my day will not be complete till I 

read every page. It’s a habit and even though the television is blaring at home 

most of the times, I don’t have the time to sit in front of it. My only spare time is 

in the afternoon and the soaps simply cannot replace my need to keep abreast 

when it comes to national and international politics. Besides, I can’t sit in front 

of a computer screen and read papers for hours. I like the feel of newspaper in 

my hand and it’s perfect with a cup of tea! Besides, television channels and even 

Internet news channels have too many advertisements that tend to disrupt your 

experience. When it comes to a newspaper, we can simply ignore them. You 

can sit and read a newspaper in a natural light, which is difficult when you’re 

reading on a screen. It’s possible that in the world many newspapers have 

folded up due to a decline in readership or have turned electronic but there are 

also those who have been going on for more than 100 years. It’s a habit that 

has continued over generations. I don’t think newspapers are a thing of the 

past. In any case, past and present can both exist simultaneously in some fields 

– don’t we use traditional medicine along with modern? It will take a very long 

time for the entire world, by which I mean every village, every hamlet across the 

globe, to turn digital. The newspapers are certainly not dead. 

What do you think? Are Newspapers A Thing Of The Past? 

Visit www.yourwellness.com to register your vote! 

yourwellness.com

40 wellness 

nutrition 

Can You Eat To 

Beat Back Pain? 

Research suggests that what you eat 

could be contributing to your back pain 

and making certain dietary changes 

could actually be a lot more effective 

than popping pain pills. Reducing foods 

that trigger inflammation, a major cause 

of back pain, whilst increasing those 

foods with anti-inflammatory properties 

can make for a much tastier alternative 

to drugs. The added benefit of fresh 

healthy ingredients is the natural boost to 

overall health and wellbeing rather than a 

paragraph full of detrimental side effects. 

Eating a predominantly vegetarian diet 

with oily fish 2 to 3 times a week and 

the occasional serving of organic meat 

or poultry is the best way to ensure you 

gain plenty of anti-inflammatory nutrients. 

Replace refined grains with wholegrain 

alternatives but still limit these to no more 

than one serving per day. Add essential 

fat and mineral-rich seeds like chia, flax, 

pumpkin, hemp and sunflower seeds to 

breakfast, salads and smoothies. Make 

sure you have at least two servings of 

greens daily and experiment with spices 

like ginger and turmeric. 

- G K Chesterton 

Tell me what you 

eat, and I will tell 

you what you are. 

yourwellness.com

41 

Pesto And Goat’s Cheese Mushroom Burgers With 

Caramelised Shallot Topping 

(Serves 2) 

Perfect for a quick and easy 

vegetarian supper, these make a 

great alternative to inflammationcausing 

red meat. Use jaggery, or 

whichever alternative to sugar you 

prefer, to make the caramelised 

shallots a really tasty topping. 

Ingredients 

2 large Portobello mushrooms 

8 shallots, peeled and quartered 

4 tbsp vegetarian pesto, plus a 

little extra 

1 tsp olive oil 

½ tsp coconut sugar 

(jaggery) 

85g round soft goat cheese 

2 whole grain rolls 

For the anti-inflammatory pesto, 

1 handful fresh basil leaves 

8 -10 walnut halves 

50ml extra virgin olive oil 

2 cloves garlic 

A pinch of rock salt 

1 tsp fresh lemon juice 

Method 

1. Blend all the pesto ingredients 

together in a food processor to make 

a smooth paste. Add more oil if you 

prefer it runnier. 

2. Pre heat oven 200c/180c fan/ 

gas 6. Remove the stalks from 

the mushrooms and chop them 

very finely. Finely chop one of the 

shallots and mix it, and the chopped 

mushroom stalks, into the pesto. 

Place the whole mushrooms gill 

side up on an oiled baking tray, fill 

with the pesto mix and cook for 

approximately 15 minutes until 

softened. 

3. Whilst they are cooking, place 

the shallots in a pan with the olive 

oil and coconut sugar, cook over a 

low heat until softened and lightly 

caramelised. 

4. Top the mushrooms with the 

goat cheese and return to the oven 

alongside the whole grain roll for 

a few minutes until the cheese is 

beginning to melt and the bread is 

warmed through. 

5. Serve in the split whole grain 

buns topped with the shallots and an 

extra drizzle of pesto. 

Cook’s Tip: The goat cheese can be 

replaced with gruyere or any other 

easy-to-melt cheese. Serve with a 

rocket and watercress salad tossed 

in a little lemon juice and olive oil. 

Recipe courtesy of www.ukshallot.com 

yourwellness.com

42 wellness 

nutrition 

British Asparagus And Sweet Potato 

Hash With Avocado And Egg 

(Serves 2) 

Zen Nutrients 

VitaBack High-potency 

Nutraceutical is the first 

daily natural supplement 

for neck and back pain. It 

supports healing of spinal 

disorders, improves 

flexibility and mobility, 

helps restore ligaments, 

eases pain and stiff 

joints, and is a nutritional 

booster for neck and back 

injuries. It is an ideal 

solution for patients with 

sciatica, muscle strains, 

and patients looking 

for relief of both lower 

and upper back pain. 

A proprietary herbal 

synergistic pain blend 

with natural ingredients 

This colourful dish makes a great 

creative pain-killing breakfast or 

brunch. As well as including antiinflammatory 

avocado, olive oil, 

garlic, sweet potato and shallots, 

asparagus are also high in antiinflammatory 

nutrients and provide 

a variety of health boosting 

antioxidants, including vitamin C, 

beta-carotene and vitamin E. 

Ingredients 

1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 

small chunks 

1 bunch asparagus, spears halved 

3tbsp olive oil 

1 shallot, finely sliced 

2 handfuls of sweet corn, frozen is 

fine 

1 tsp garlic granules 

1 tbsp sliced jalapeno peppers from 

a jar (optional) 

1 avocado, sliced 

1 lime 

2 eggs 

Method 

1. Boil a kettle and fill a saucepan 

with the hot water. Add the sweet 

potato chunks and bring back to the 

boil. Simmer for 5 minutes and then 

add the asparagus for 2 minutes 

until softened; then drain and leave 

to steam while you heat half the oil 

in a large frying pan. 

2. Tip the sweet potatoes and 

asparagus into the hot pan with 

the shallots, sweet corn, garlic 

granules and jalapenos. Toss to 

coat in the oil and season. Cook, 

stirring occasionally, until the veg is 

browned and toasty. 

3. While the veg is cooking heat 

another non-stick pan with the 

remaining oil and fry the eggs. Tip 

the vegetables into 2 bowls, top 

with slices of avocado, squeeze 

some lime over and top each with a 

fried egg. 

Recipe courtesy of 

www.britishasparagus.com 

proven to help reduce 

pain and inflammation, 

some of its ingredients 

are Boswellia, Devil’s 

Claw, White Willow 

Bark, Glucosamine, 

Collagen, Curcumin, 

Bromelain, L-Proline, 

Zinc, Magnesium, 

Manganese, Vitamin C, 

Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, 

and Silica. Quantity: 120 

capsules. Available on 

amazon. Visit 

www.zennutrients.com. 

yourwellness.com

43 

Roasted Spicy Squash Salad 

(Serves 4) 

Loaded with anti-inflammatory 

ingredients including your daily dose 

of leafy greens, this sweet and spicy 

bright salad is the perfect autumnal 

dish. 

Ingredients 

1 kg butternut squash - peeled, 

deseeded and cut into 2cm dice 

3 tbsp olive oil 

1 tsp crushed chilli flakes 

1 tsp paprika 

50g pumpkin seeds 

1 tbsp dark soy sauce 

1 tbsp white wine vinegar 

1 tbsp honey 

140g bag watercress, rocket & 

spinach salad 

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas 

mark 6. 

2. Place squash in a large roasting 

tin, toss in 2 tbsp oil, chilli flakes, 

paprika and pumpkin seeds, season 

and roast for 20 minutes until tender. 

3. Whisk together the soy, vinegar, 

honey and remaining oil. Place 

the leaves in a bowl and toss the 

dressing into the salad leaves. 

4. Gently mix in the warm squash 

and serve immediately. 


www.makemoreofsalad.com 

yourwellness.com

44 wellness 

nutrition 

Poached Salmon With Quick 

Ceasar Salad Dressing 

(Serves 2) 

Anchovies and salmon provide 

anti-inflammatory essential fats and 

the crispy crunchy Romaine lettuce 

provides plenty of pain fighting 

minerals. A simply scrumptious 

quick and easy take on the classic 

salad! Feel free to sprinkle with 

walnuts and seeds for extra 

nutrition. 

Ingredients 

2 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained 

and finely chopped 

1 clove garlic, chopped 

2 tbsp low fat mayonnaise (50g) 

3 tbsp semi skimmed milk 

25g parmesan cheese 

1 whole Romaine heart, leaves 

separated and roughly torn 

2 poached Salmon fillets 

For poaching the salmon 

1 onion 

1 stick celery 

A sprig of fresh dill 

Half a lemon 

A few peppercorns 

Method 

1. In a fish poacher or pot large 

enough to hold the salmon fillets 

add 3 inches of water, an onion, 

Anself Back Roller 

Massager eliminates 

soreness and aching 

of muscles, reduces 

fatigue, promotes blood 

circulation, and makes 

a great gift to yourself 

or to your friends. Even 

though it is best used on 

your back by another 

person, you can use it on 

your shoulders and neck 

easily by yourself. It can 

also massage calves, 

feet, thighs and arms 

effectively and comes 

in different colours. 

Available on ebay. 

celery, some sprigs of fresh dill, 

juice of half a lemon and a few 

peppercorns. Bring to the boil, then 

reduce the temperature to a simmer. 

Add the fillets, which should be fully 

submerged. Cover and simmer for 

around 8 minutes or until fish is 

cooked through. Turn off the heat 

and allow to stand for 5 minutes 

before serving. 

2. Mix together the anchovies, 

garlic, mayonnaise, milk and half the 

parmesan, finely grated. 

3. Toss the Romaine lettuce leaves 

in the Ceasar dressing. Break the 

salmon into flakes and arrange 

over the top. Shave the remaining 

Parmesan, scatter over the salmon 

and serve. 


www.makemoreofsalad.com 

yourwellness.com

45 

Berry Chia Seed Superfood Bowl 

(Serves 2) 

Brimming with pain-relieving, 

immune-boosting, healthy 

ingredients this delicious dish can 

be served as breakfast or dessert 

or anytime you need an energy 

injection. Pumpkin and Chia seeds 

may be small but they both pack a 

powerful nutritional punch providing 

healthy fats, magnesium and zinc. 

Ingredients 

22 cups mixed berries (can be 

frozen) 

handful of blueberries extra to 

garnish 

2 bananas 

1/4 cup chia seeds 

2 cups almond or coconut milk 

1 tsp vanilla essence 

1 tbsp maple syrup (or stevia to 

taste) 

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds 

Method 

1. To make Chia Seed Pudding: 

Blend 1 cup almond/coconut 

milk with 1/2 mixed berries. 

Pour into a large glass mason jar 

with chia seeds, vanilla essence and 

sweetener of your choice. Leave 

overnight. 

2. Blend 1 banana, the rest of the 

berries and 1 cup of milk into a 

smoothie. Divide into two bowls. 

Add half the chia seed pudding to 

each bowl. Garnish with slices of the 

remaining banana, pumpkin seeds 

and blueberries. 

Delight your family and your guests the Norwegian way with the 

gloriously good golden brown Ski Queen Gjetost Cheese a uniquely 

different taste treat. It has a flavour that tastes like sweet caramel with 

a smooth texture. Delicious with butter or preserves on crispbread, 

crackers or biscuits, it is equally great with fresh fruit or crunchy 

vegetables and is perfect for breakfast, lunch or snack times. Best served 

in wafer thin slices or curl--use a cheese plane or thin-bladed knife. 

Quantity: 250g. Available on amazon. Visit www.jarlsberg.com. 

yourwellness.com

46 wellness 

experts 

Dr Vidhya Pathare, 

Family Physician 

Dr Tiejun Tang, 

Traditional Chinese Medicine Expert 

Francine White, 

Nutritionist 

Jasmin Waldmann, 

International Life Coach 

I am a 50-year-old man with a history of clinical depression. When 

I was depressed, my memory, especially short-term memory, was 

affected. Today, even though I no longer suffer from depression and 

have regained my psychological health, my memory is not too good. 

What are the ways in which I could boost it? I am willing to look at 

lifestyle changes, traditional as also modern medicine, and everything 

that contributes to wellness. 

Dr Vidhya Pathare says: The brain has the ability to grow, repair, heal, and 

establish new neuronal connections, provided you give what it needs. It needs the 

right foods, memory supplements, brain workouts (Neurobics), a healthy lifestyle, 

physical exercise and memory techniques. 

For a ‘Mind diet’, eat avocadoes, asparagus, all berries, almonds, walnuts, oily 

fish, eggs, dark chocolate, fermented food, green leafy vegetables, all coloured 

veggies, turmeric, condiments, and iodised salt. They have the vitamins, minerals 

and antioxidants required by the brain for its optimum function, nutrition and 

repair. Avoid sugars, processed food, canned food, fast food, refined flour, refined 

oils, MSGs-containing food. These can cause mind fog, lethargy and fatigue. 

Drink at least 3 to 4 litres of water per day. Even 2% of dehydration can cause 

brain to shrink and affect its functioning. Caffeine and red wine in moderate 

amounts are memory boosters. Quit smoking. Inhaling essential oils of rosemary, 

sage, and peppermint through a diffuser is wonderful tonic to our brain. Brain 

exercises (Neurobics) like memorising your shopping list and memory techniques 

like using code words, abbreviations, mnemonics to remember helps boost 

memory. 

Learn a new language or take up a hobby. Meditation, even five minutes per 

day, is good. Have physical exercise 150 minutes every week. It increases brain 

volume, clears it and makes it sharper. Have a good sleep, for it repairs the 

neurons, clears the brain, washes off the toxins and gives you a brand new canvas 

to work upon. 

It’s wonderful that you are out of depression and now raring to go. Good luck 

to you! 

Dr Vidhya Pathare is a Family Physician 

Dr Bina Wadhawan, 

Complementary Medicine Therapist 

Dr Tiejun Tang says: For Traditional Chinese medicine theory, memory 

deterioration is associated with the heart. During your depression your liver and 

heart were probably disharmonious. This can be caused by stress, ageing, or 

genetic weaknesses in the kidney. The good news is that all of the above can be 

addressed by Qi-Gong exercising, Chinese herbs and acupuncture. There is a herb 

yourwellness.com

47 

called ‘Yizhiren’ (bitter caramon) that 

has a very good function of benefitting 

memory. Walnut is a good for food 

therapy of memory loss. Acupuncture 

on ‘Si Shen Chong’ the Four Alert 

Spirit, Four Mind Hearing, acupuncture 

points also can benefit the memory. 

A good Traditional Chinese Medicine 

(TCM) practitioner can tailor an 

integrated plan of herbs, exercise, and 

acupuncture to best fit your individual 

needs. 

Dr Tiejun Tang has over 30 years of 

clinical experience, authored several 

papers and books, and is Clinical 

Tutor & Senior Lecturer at Middlesex 

University, UK. He is Fellow of 

ATCM (The Association of Traditional 

Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture, 

UK) and practices in Central London. 

For online consultation mail him on 

knowhowacupuncture@hotmail.co.uk or 

call Tel: 0751 600 8921. Visit his blog 

http://chinesemedicinesalon.blogspot.uk 

Francine White says: In the past 

it was believed that brain function 

peaked in early adulthood and then 

declined leading to brain fog and 

memory issues. Now we know that 

lifestyle can actually play a significant 

role in cognitive decline. Exposure to 

toxins, stress, lack of sleep, poor diet 

and such actually slows the functioning 

of the brain. This means that a healthy 

lifestyle and diet can support your 

brain and even help it grow new cells. 

In fact, if you give your body the right 

nutrients and conditions your brain’s 

memory centre or ‘hippocampus’ is 

actually constantly able to regenerate 

throughout your life! What you eat 

and don’t eat is vital to your memory. 

Antioxidant-rich fresh vegetables 

especially greens like broccoli, kale, 

Romaine lettuce and spinach are key 

to protecting your brain. Healthy fats 

such as avocado, oily fish, extra virgin 

olive oil, virgin coconut oil, walnuts 

and flax and chia seeds must be eaten 

to boost your memory. B vitamins 

found in leafy greens, eggs and fish 

have been shown to help prevent 

cognitive impairment and choline in 

eggs is another nutrient important for 

brain development. If it’s not possible 

to get a daily dose of sunshine take 

a daily dose of vitamin D3. Avoid 

inflammation-producing sugar and 

grain carbohydrates as well as refined 

vegetable fats that all wreak havoc on 

brain health. 

Francine White is a Nutritionist and 

writes for Yourwellness Magazine 

Jasmin Waldmann says: 

Congratulations for the hard work 

you put in to conquer depression. It’s 

not an easy path. To boost memory 

put your brain to work. If you don’t 

use it, you’ll lose it. Play games 

like Sudoku and other such games, 

memorise phone numbers and dial 

them instead of going to the contact 

list, remembering people names and 

recalling what you ate, when, etc can 

also ensure brain fitness. There are 

many apps as also special magazines, 

good books and huge content on the 

Internet. But our daily life is also full 

of opportunities. Attend aerobic and 

dance classes for inter-coordination 

training, learn a new language, find 

something, which ‘lightens up’ your 

heart, undertake adventure trips, 

hiking tour with a group etc. Fifty years 

of age is too early to hold you back. 

Try diving deeper into the subject of 

your work; make sure that you collect 

as many amazing memories in your 

life as possible. Finding something 

new to do can also help bring about 

positive changes in your lifestyle. Wish 

you a happy transformation and great 

memory capability. 

Jasmin Waldmann is an International 

Life Coach in India, Germany, USA 

& Australia, Public Speaker, Author, 

Leader of Seminars and Mind & Body 

Transformation Expert. She is the 

inventor of Pilardio® and JaWa Diet and 

has appeared on German television. Visit 

www.jasminwaldmann.com 

Dr Bina Wadhawan says: Memory 

problems are a very common 

complaint, especially with increasing 

age. Our modern lifestyle plays a 

significant role in memory lapse 

like exposure to toxins & chemicals, 

sleep deprivation, stress, depression, 

nutritional deficiencies (particularly B 

vitamins), under-active or overactive 

thyroid, drinking alcohol, smoking, 

and the use of certain medications 

(antidepressants, antihistamines, antianxiety 

medications, muscle relaxants, 

tranquilisers, sleeping pills and pain 

medications). 

Lifestyle factors that may improve 

memory and promote neurogenesis 

include eating a healthy diet, exercise, 

and getting proper sleep and 

meditation. 

• Boost your memory by adding 

certain foods in your diet. 

Almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, 

flaxseeds, chia seeds, whole grains, 

quinoa, beans, broccoli, spinach, 

tomatoes, red cabbage, avocado, 

berries, celery, curry leaves, dark 

chocolate, omega3, cinnamon and 

honey. Take 1 tablespoon cold 

compressed coconut oil daily which 

is an essential healthy fat for brain 

function. Mix half teaspoon of 

Brahmi powder in honey and have it 

after meals on a daily basis. 

• Avoid processed vegetable oils 

& foods, alcohol, tobacco, and 

excessive caffeine. 

• Exercise encourages your brain to 

work at an optimum capacity and 

releases numerous chemicals that 

promote brain health. 

• A good six to eight hours of night 

sleep can enhance your memory and 

ability to think clearly. End your day 

with a 10-minute meditation session 

to relax into a restful sleep. 

• Avoid multitasking as it may actually 

slow you down, learn new skills 

and play brain games. Engage in an 

activity that is mentally stimulating 

for you and gives you great 

satisfaction. 

Dr Bina Wadhawan is a Complementary 

Medicine Therapist, Naturopath and 

Reiki Master. To know more, 

visit www.drbina.com or 

call 9322232098 

Do you need expert advice? Send your problem, in confidence, to: ask@yourwellness.com. Problems can only be 

answered on the page, we are unable to answer personally. You can also visit the forums at www.yourwellness.com and 

ask advice from other readers online. 

yourwellness.com

48 wellness 

reviews 

Fun Feeding! 

Aikiou Activity Food Center for Dogs is a dog feeder that replaces a slow feeder. With 14 

different openings to challenge your dog’s mind and prevent gulping, it replaces a food 

bowl. It’s a new feeding experience and a mind challenge for your dog, an interactive dog 

puzzle-feeder, enhancing the use of their sense of smell in a daily food search. Available on 

amazon. Visit www.aikiou.com. 

Yourwellness verdict: It is great for your dog’s weight problems, because it will 

control the ingestion speed. It can also help prevent bloating in dogs since they eat at 

a slower pace - a healthy feeding experience. 

Brew Great Beer Every Time 

Brewers Publications, ‘How to 

Brew: Everything You Need 

to Know to Brew Great Beer 

Every Time’ by John Palmer, 

is the definitive guide to 

making quality beers at home. 

A perennial best seller since 

the release of the 3rd edition 

in 2006, ‘How to Brew’ 

is a must-have to update 

every new and seasoned 

brewer’s library. From 

ingredients and methods 

to recipes and equipment 

for brewing beer at home, it is loaded with valuable 

information on brewing techniques and recipe formulation. 

The completely revised and updated edition includes 

additional emphasis on Palmer’s top five brewing priorities: 

Sanitation, fermentation temperature control, proper yeast 

management, the boil, and recipe development, as well as 

five new chapters covering malting and brewing strong 

beers, fruit beers, sour beers, and adjusting water for style. 

Available on amazon. Visit www.brewersassociation.org. 

Yourwellness verdict: 

This new expanded 

and enhanced edition 

improves on the original. 

Owning ‘How to Brew’ is 

like having a brew master 

as your best friend. 

Smooth 

As Silk 

Chi Keratin leave-in 

conditioner instantly 

transforms your dry, 

frizzy keratin-depleted 

hair into healthy, 

smooth locks. It utilises 

sustained release 

system technology for 

all day treatment and 

protection. This highly 

sophisticated compound 

replenishes and protects 

hair’s natural keratin 

protein, dramatically 

improves elasticity 

and prevents future 

breakage, while adding 

intense hydration that 

restores softness and 

shine. Available on 

amazon. Quantity: 6fl.oz. 

Yourwellness 

verdict: The ease of 

the spray bottle is a 

plus point. Lightly 

mist your hair after 

washing and it feels 

soft, and styles 

easily. If your hair is 

thin don’t overuse it 

or it will feel greasy. 

yourwellness.com

49 

Reiki Healing For Wellness 

Keep your inspirational Reiki amulet stones with you 

everywhere you go and attract balance, positivity and 

harmony into your life with the energies of the Cho Ku Rei 

stones from Best Amulets. It’s a set of six engraved and 

colourful glass stones with inspirational Reiki symbols. Each 

glass stone is approximately 1.5 inches. Cho Ku Rei essentially 

means ‘Placing all the powers of the universe here’ and is an 

all-purpose symbol used by trained Reiki practitioners for 

distance healing, clearing negativity, improving relationships 

and for a better quality of life in general. Available on amazon. 

Visit www.bestamulets.com. 

Yourwellness verdict: It’s great as a unique gift 

idea for your loved ones, for Cho Ku Rei has been 

known as an amazing law of attraction-tool when 

used for the highest good of all. 

Let This Catch 

Your Eye... 

Pamper the delicate skin around your eyes with 

this restorative ELASTIderm Eye Cream from 

Obagi that replenishes elasticity and builds 

collagen for better-looking skin in just 14 days. 

The bi-mineral complex and malonic acid in 

it is for tighter, smoother-looking skin around 

the eyes and the blueberry extract provides 

antioxidants that help eliminate free radicals. 

Penetrating Therapeutics, an Obagi technology, 

drives ingredients deep into the skin to help 

achieve optimal results. Available on ebay. 

Quantity: 15gm. Visit /www.obagi.com. 

Yourwellness verdict: This oil-free, 

light, smooth eye cream gives you firmer, 

younger and more resilient-looking skin 

around your eyes with regular use. 

Give Your Mayo 

A Makeover 

Chosen Foods Avocado 

Oil Mayo is made with 

pure avocado oil instead 

of genetically modified, 

industrial seed oils like soy, 

corn and canola. The avocado 

oil mayo is high in Omega 

9, the heart-healthy (cardioprotective) 

fat that is also 

found in olives and olive 

oil. Chosen Foods avocado 

oil contains eggs, but is 

free of and not processed 

on equipment that handles 

gluten, tree nuts, and soy. 

The eggs come from cagefree 

chickens, the ingredients 

used are 100% non-GMO, 

and it uses rosemary extract 

as a natural antioxidant to 

preserve freshness. Available 

on amazon. Quantity: 355ml. 

Visit www.chosenfoods.com. 

Yourwellness verdict: 

A delightfully creamy 

condiment with a touch 

of organic honey instead 

of refined sugar. 

yourwellness.com

scientific 

50 wellness 

Can Psychobiotics Help Your Mood? 

yourwellness.com 

Scientists at the APC Microbiome Institute in Ireland may have 

found a way to counter low mood and erratic behaviour just 

by eating the right foods. Their study looked at including two 

prebiotics in the diet that encouraged the growth of certain 

gut bacteria that appears to have a direct impact on mood and 

behaviour. Prof John Cryan, with Prof Ted Dinan, tested two 

promising prebiotic candidates called Fos and Gos, found in a 

range of foods rich in fibre, to see if they could reduce chronic 

stress and anxiety. Says Prof Cryan, “We could see changes in 

different gene expression relevant to stress in the brain. We may 

have a whole new ‘psychobiotic’ way of managing disorders such 

as depression and anxiety disorders.” 

The research is at a very early stage and the team is hoping to 

set up a human trial as soon as possible to assess which prebiotic 

alone, or in combination, might provide the best results. 

Stress Increases 

Risk Of Excessive 

Drinking 

A study at the University of Pennsylvania has 

warned that stress could be a contributor to 

the downward spiral of alcoholism. The team 

found that periods of stress causes changes in 

the brain’s chemical makeup and can encourage 

an increase in drinking by altering the reward 

system. It changes what the body thinks it needs 

to survive, so stressed drinkers keep coming 

back for more. 

Their research found that signals in the brain 

released by stress involve the same neurological 

pathways as those stimulated through addictive 

substances. Misfiring neurons causes changes in 

the brain’s reward centre prompting excessive 

drinking. 

Understanding this brain chemistry could 

be helpful when it comes to treating people 

suffering from conditions such as post-traumatic 

stress disorder (PTSD). Says Professor Dr John 

Dani, “This line of research has implications for 

people with PTSD who have an increased risk 

for over-use of alcohol and drugs.” 

- Frederick Sanger 

Scientific research is one 

of the most exciting and 

rewarding of occupations. 

Stem Cells 

Could Create An 

Endless Blood 

Supply 

A UK-based research team has overcome 

a major barrier to creating red blood cells 

in the lab that could eventually ease blood 

shortages. The scientists infected stem cells 

with cervical cancer genes to create the first 

‘immortal’ adult red blood cells that could 

multiply an infinite number of times. As the 

cells mature, the nucleus is expelled giving the 

cells a signature dimpled shape. Jan Frayne 

and her team at the University of Bristol were 

able to filter these cells out, so the final batch 

did not contain active cancer genes. These 

stem cells could then be used to create Type O 

cells, known as the ‘universal donor’, as it can 

be used for nearly any patient’s blood group. 

There are other benefits of lab-grown blood 

too as it doesn’t contain other materials such as 

blood-clotting platelets or infections, so avoids 

problems for people with certain conditions, as 

well as the transmission of other diseases. 

The first human trials will begin in England 

later this year, however, right now, the mass 

production of blood using the method would 

be prohibitively expensive.

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