Lowering Cholesterol

60% of people in Britain have cholesterol levels that are too high and increasingly are recommended to go on statins, but these have side effects and many are reluctant to go on a lifetime of pills. A small study conducted by Kings College, London, for the Trust Me, I'm a Doctor TV series, looked at whether cholesterol levels could be effectively lowered by changing your diet.

Most cholesterol is made in the liver and then sent to the cells that need it, bound to a lipoprotein called LDL (low density lipoprotein). LDL is often called "bad cholesterol" because high levels are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. HDL (high density lipoprotein) is known as "good cholesterol" because it carries cholesterol away from the arteries to the liver. Current recommendations are that levels of "bad" LDL-cholesterol should be less than 3mmol/l (millimoles per litre) and "good" HDL-cholesterol more than 1mmol/l.

Before the study, volunteers had their blood cholesterol levels sampled. They were then randomly allocated into three groups and followed one of three diets for four weeks.

• The first group was asked to switch from animal fats (full fat milk, full fat cheese, butter) to vegetable-based or low fat options. They were asked to cut out eggs, bacon and sausages, and stick to skinless chicken.
• The second group wasn't asked to give up any of the foods but were asked to eat 75g of oats a day, equivalent to three servings. Oats are full of fibre and any form of fibre - whether it is from grains, legumes (beans and lentils) or vegetables is likely to lower cholesterol by binding with fat and cholesterol in the gut and stopping it being absorbed.
• The third group was asked to eat normally but to add into their diet 60g of almonds a day (two handfuls). In recent years tree nuts such as almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts have become hugely popular thanks to studies which suggest they can lower cholesterol. Tree nuts are rich in fibre and plant sterols which may delay fat and cholesterol absorption.

Presenter Michael Mosley has a personal interest as his family tree is riddled with heart disease and, if unchecked, his cholesterol scores tend to soar. Rather than doing any one diet he tried combining elements of all three, cutting back a bit on bacon and sausages and adding the almonds and the oats. This approach is based on the Portfolio diet, developed by David AJ Jenkins in Toronto. The idea is to try lots of different cholesterol-lowering approaches at once.

The full Portfolio diet includes not only nuts and oats but plant sterols and soya. Plant sterols are found in fruit, vegetables and nuts, but in low amounts and they are in fortified margarines and yoghurts. Soya products have a reputation as a healthy alternative to dairy, but most randomised controlled studies don't show an effect. Soy seems to work by inhibiting cholesterol synthesis in the liver. Amounts of 15-25g have been recommended in order to get the maximum effect. A study published in 2011 found that people who tried the diet for six months saw an average reduction of about 13% in LDL-cholesterol. The best results were obtained by those who stuck closest to it.

So how did the programme volunteers get on? The results were not quite as expected.

•  Almonds: Half the group had a positive response and one person had an 18% reduction in their total cholesterol. However, some people had an adverse response. Their cholesterol actually went up, in some cases significantly. The raised levels of cholesterol in some almond eaters balanced the falls in others. On average there was no change.

• The porridge eaters and the low-animal-fat group did rather better, with an average fall in LDL-cholesterol of 10% and 13% respectively.

• Michael Mosley on the combination approach: His LDL cholesterol fell by 42%. This is in line with what most people experience who go on statins. Why did he do so well? Either the combination approach works better than isolated approaches, or his body responds more dramatically to the combination than most people.

Conclusion: Yes, you can drop your cholesterol significantly through modest changes to diet, but to get as big an effect as you would through taking statins you would probably need to combine a number of different approaches.

The 'Portfolio' Diet feature on Trust Me, I'm a Doctor, BBC2, July 22 2015

Care of Intimate Areas

Some useful facts about your 'lady bits'.

• The bits you can see are the vulva which consists of the labial lips, the clitoris and the urethra. The vagina is the tube that runs from the opening in this area up to the cervix (entrance to the womb).
• The bacteria that populate your vagina (vaginal flora) are mostly lactobacillus species and their role is to keep the vagina healthy by producing acids that inhibit the growth of yeasts and other harmful bugs. If this balance is disrupted, you become prone to infections.
• The inner lips of the vagina are the sweatiest part of your genitalia and very sensitive to emotional stress. The sweat glands prevent these super-sensitive areas from friction and over-heating.
• Do check with your GP any lumps or bumps (rarely a cause for worry), blisters or ulcers (may be caused by herpes infection) or warts (tend to have a cauliflower appearance, are contagious and can grow large).
• Some vaginal discharge is normal and is the vagina's own cleaning system. But check with your GP if it smells unpleasant, becomes blood-stained or very different from normal, or the area feels itchy or burning, as you may have an infection.
• Perfumed soap and feminine hygiene products and douching can upset the delicate pH balance of the vagina and leave you more prone to infection, and you may also have an allergic reaction to soap or shower gel in this area.
• Vaginal skin gets thinner and more fragile after the menopause. Your GP may prescribe topical oestrogen cream (not if you have oestrogen-dependent cancer). Non-oestrogen vaginal moisturisers are also available from your pharmacist.
• Cotton is best for underwear. Tight jeans and leggings and synthetic fibres raise temperature at the vaginal opening, leaving you vulnerable to yeast infections.
• Don't get a Brazilian wax. Your pubic hair provides protection for the vulva against friction, and helps prevent bacteria and other bugs entering your vagina.
• Use the loo after sex; urinating helps protect against urinary tract infections by washing away potentially harmful bacteria.

Feature in Good Housekeeping, April 2015

Living Longer

Some myths about ageing.

• It's inevitable our brains will decline. No. While we may get slower at problem solving or decision making, other skills (vocabulary, knowledge, number skills,etc.) peak in middle age and then remain fairly constant.
• We will all get dementia. No. The latest research shows that overall prevalence in the population has gone down by 1.8% to an estimated 6.5% of the population. Other high income countries show the same trend. This seems to be the result of better education, more stimulating environments and reductions in cardiovascular risk.
• Our best and most creative years are behind us. No. Highly creative people often live fast and die young which skews the data.
• Your work life is virtually over at 60. No. There is no evidece that older workers perform less well, have lower levels of motivation or are less productive. Highly personalised work arrangements may be available.
• You'll end up a grumpy old witch. No. A wide range of studies indicate we are increasingly happy until the age of 30; then there is a low point around 40; then people get happier again. This happens regardless of money, employment status or children. (And its the same for chimps and ornagutans.)
• You will wind down with age. No. Inactivity is what ages us. There is an age-related decline in aerobic capacity and muscle mass but bodies expect to be exercised. With age, muscles become deaf to the body's calls to take up amino acids to stay strong, but if you combine exercise with a small amount of protein around the time of exercise your muscles get the trigger they need to do this.
• Sex will peter out. No. People who have never liked it much give it up, while those who did like it continue to enjoy it.
• We will be miserable and dependent on others. No. The Newcastle 85+ study found that 84% had complete or a reasonable degree of independence, while only 8% needed intensive levels of care.
• There is nothing you can do about old age. No. Longevity has long been associated with restricitng calories. It seems we are designed to function at our optimum when hungry and active.

Feature in Good Housekeeping May 2015

What Style of Hat to Wear

Check the dress code for your event. For example, at Royal Ascot in 2015, headpieces were allowable as long as they were at least 10cm in diameter.

Try lots of shapes and styles, with the outfit you will be wearing. Here are some general tips for your face shape.

• Oval: a wide range of designs will suit.
• Heart: disc headpieces work well. Avoid tine pillboxes which look out of balance.
• Square: wide brims and assymetric lines. Avoid narrow crowns. if opting for a pillbox, select a larger one and wear at an angle.
• Oblong: Avoid too-small pillboxes. Add volume and width with flowers and feathers.
• Round: Suit taller hats and pillnbox shapes, especially with trimmings that take the eye up and off the face.

Feature in Good Hoousekeeping, June 2015

10 Stroke Facts

Stroke is the third largest cause of death in the UK after heart disease and cancer with one in eight people dying within 30 days of suffering a stroke.

1. A stroke is actually a ‘brain attack’ when the blood supply to part of your brain is cut off. Blood carries essential nutrients and oxygen to your brain; without blood your brain cells can be damaged or die. 
2. Around 110,000 people have a stroke in England every year. It is the third largest cause of death in the UK after heart disease and cancer. Brian injuries resulting from strokes are a major cause of adult disability in the UK.
3. Although older people are most at risk, strokes can happen at any age – including in children and infants. In fact, one in four strokes in the UK happen in people under the age of 65. If you are South Asian, black African or black Caribbean you are at a higher risk of stroke than other people in the UK; it isn’t completely understood why this is, but it’s probably connected to the fact that you are more likely to have conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes.
4. Up to 80% of strokes can be prevented. You can significantly reduce your risk of having a stroke through a healthy lifestyle, such as eating a healthy diet, taking regular exercise, drinking alcohol in moderation and not smoking. Lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol levels with medication also lowers the risk of stroke substantially, as does taking anticoagulant medication if you have an irregular heartbeat due to a condition called atrial fibrillation.
5. If a close relative – be it a parent, grandparent, brother or sister – has had a stroke, you are at a higher risk of suffering a stroke. Studies have found certain genetic conditions can cause strokes. For example, sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that affects your red blood cells and makes them more likely to block your blood vessels.
6. Symptoms and signs of stroke can differ from person to person but usually occur quite suddenly. As different parts of your brain control different parts of your body, your symptoms will depend on the part of your brain affected and the extent of the damage. The test to use is called the Face, Arm, Speech, Time test – or FAST. If a person’s face has dropped to one side, if they are having trouble lifting their arms or legs or if they have slurred or garbled speech – then head for the emergency room as quickly as possible. 
7. Strokes are like fingerprints and no two are the same. For some people the effects may be relatively minor and may not last long, while others may be left with more serious problems that make them dependent on other people. Unfortunately not everyone survives – around one in eight people die within 30 days of having a stroke.
8. You need to see a doctor if you have a mini stroke. There are mainly three types of strokes: haemorrhagic stroke – caused by bleeding around the brain, ischaemic stroke – caused by a blockage cutting off the blood supply to the brain and transient ischaemic attack or TIA – also known as a mini-stroke. TIA is the same as a stroke, except that the symptoms last for a short amount of time and no longer than 24 hours. This is because the blockage that stops the blood getting to your brain is temporary. Just because symptoms go away doesn’t mean it should be ignored. About one in three people who have a TIA later suffer a full-blown stroke.

30 Oct. 2015

Beauty Cream Abbreviations

Q. Increasingly beauty creams are referred to with abbreviations - but what do these actually mean and are they really that different? A. There is little difference between the different types of cream; they are basically  tinted moisturizers with added benefits.  

BB = “beauty balm” or "blemish balm"

• Texture is creamy and moisturising.
• Offers daily sun protection, extra hydration, and a touch more coverage than a tinted moisturizer.
• They tend to be a bit heavier and better for dry skin, with a focus on prevention and maintenance.

CC = “color correcting”

• Texture is lightweight and fast-absorbing.
• They contain a skin brightening primer, light foundation, moisturizer, sunscreen, anti-aging ingredients and sometimes collagen boosters.
• They tend to be slightly lighter in texture (so better for acne-prone skin) and focus on concealing existing issues.

 DD = "daily defense"

• Texture is creamy and moisturising.
• Offers daily sun protection, extra hydration, and a touch more coverage than a tinted moisturizer.
• Overseas DDs were created for dry areas like feet, knees, and elbows.

Are they worth it? They are a quick fix to give your skin a boost, but don’t have as much impact as applying separate products. They don’t cover up skin imperfections as well as using a proper foundation, and they don’t come in many shades. Useful if you are in a hurry but that's it.

Piercings and Inkings

Inkings (tattoos) and piercings of various body parts come in and out of fashion. But they both carry health risks. And they are usually permanent.

Tattoos:

• Blood poisoning, hepatitis and other diseases can be spread by unsterilised equipment.
• Newer laser tattoo removal techniques can tone down and sometimes eliminate a tattoo with minimal side effects. They break up the pigment colors of the tattoo with a high-intensity light beam. Black tattoo pigment absorbs all laser wavelengths, making it the easiest to treat. Other colors can only be treated by selected lasers based upon the pigment color.
• Tattoo removal is not cheap. There is also the risk of scarring, and the treated areas may end up lighter than the surrounding skin. Check the dermatologist is properly qualified.

Body piercings:

• Can introduce infections, cause bruising, swelling, an allergic reaction or blood poisoning.
• If a blood vessels is pierced and bleeds, you can end up with the type of ear a rugby player has.
• Multiple piercings (such as the 2015 trend around the edge of the ear) leave permanent scarring where the holes later heal over, or dangling skin if very heavy earrings are often worn or very large earings have been inserted.

Hair Care

Frizzy hair?  Use a leave-in conditioner once or twice a week and an intensive conditioning treatment every couple of  weeks. # Ensure your hair is completely dry before you go out, as damp hair frizzes up in all but the driest climates. # Frizz at forehead and ears is due to drying hair from underneath with head flipped forward forces cuticles up. Use a round bristle brush to smooth areas down while drying and and a nozzle to control airflow.

Hair dye allergy. Allergies caused by the molecule pPD (found particularly in dark shades) are a concern. So Wella have introduced ME+, a new dye molecule. It has good colour coverage and vibrancy, with a reduced risk of allergy. The range isWella Koleston Perfect Innocence Colour.

How hair ages
We stop producing melanin as we get older, so colour looks less vibrant and greys appear. Decreased sebum production means hair gets drier. The follicles shrink so hair grows with a smaller diameter, and looks finer as a result. The hair growth cycle shortens so it can be harder to grow hair as you age. Damage from over-use of appliances and frequent colouring (especially bleach) can make hair look dull and more prone to breakage.

Do hair products stop working after a while?
No - hair is an inert substance with no living biological process in the fibre, so there is no way it can get used to an ingredient (unlike antiobiotic resistance). If we switch hair-care products, we do notice a difference  - but that is because the ingredients and their amounts can differ, which means the results won't be the same.

Best Blow Dry: To hold volume and stay frizz-free, hair has to be bone dry. To tell if you've missed damp bits, give hair final blast with cold air, and run fingers through it; areas that aren't dry will feel cooler.

How to wash your hair: sources don't always agree, but here are the most consistently cited tips.

1. Most people do not need to wash their hair every day. If you do, perhaps you are using the wrong products for your hair and scalp type.
2. Apply and massage hair oil (coconut, olive or mustard oil) into your scalp and hair 2 -3 hours before you plan to wash your hair. Shampoos contain harsh ingredients which can strip essential oils from your hair strands and oiling helps to fight this problem.
3. Rinse your hair properly for a minute with lukewarm water before applying shampoo.
4. Only apply shampoo to your scalp. Massage gently in small circles for a minute, then rinse with lukewarm water. (Piling your hair on top and scrubbing it will cause knots.)Work shampoo gently down to the ends of your hair and rinse thoroughly.
5. Forget about lather, rinse and repeat. You only need to shampoo once.
6. If you use a lot of silicone or wax products, try using a clarifying shampoo once or twice a month instead of your normal shampoo.
7. Curly hair is often dry; washing with conditioner alone will freshen hair without drying it out.
8. If you get skin flaking at hairline or temple area, dilute your shampoo by mixing it with water before applying. This will lower the concentration of shampoo applied on the hair and scalp.
9. If you have an itchy scalp after washing your hair, stop applying conditioner to your roots. Start from the mid-lengths and really condition the ends of your hair. Gently comb through and allow it to work for at least 1 minute, the longer the better.
10. Rinse your hair in cold water after making sure you remove all your conditioner as any residue can harm hair and make it look dull.
11. Never brush your hair when it is wet, use a wide comb to gently smooth your hair.
12. Don't rub your hair with a towel; this will cause damage and make hair dull. Gently squeeze out excess moisture and allow hair to air dry.
13. Leaving too much water in your hair after washing will dilute any product you put on and lessen its effect; squeeze out excess water and gently pat hair dry with a towel before applying any conditioner or styling or heat-protecting products.
14. Hair masks are essential if you use heat stylers or colour your hair. Normally this is applied between shampoo and conditioner.
15. Blow dry with hairdryer nozzle point downwards. This flattens the hair cuticle, helping to smooth hair and reduce frizz or flyaways.
16. Use the cold shot on your hairdryer. Hair sets as it cools, so blasting chillier air through your finished style helps keep it in place.
17. Dry shampoo is not just for cleansing; it is also great for reviving flat, limp locks - a few spritzes into the roots can add volume and texture.

Sources
http://www.hairromance.com/2011/04/how-to-wash-your-hair-10-tips-for-great-hair.html
http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/best-hair-wash-tips/
Items in Good Housekeeping, February 2015 and January 2016

What a Baby Eats

Your mother's diet at the time of your conception has an impact on the rest of your life.
An analsyis of data on births and deaths in Keneba in The Gambia since the 1940s reveals that those adults who were conceived in January (dry season - grains form a major part of the diet) and born in September were seven times more likely to die in any given year than those conceived in September (rainy season - less grains available but more green leafy vegetables) and born in June. But the effects while profound don't appear immediately; up to age 15 children show no noticeable difference.


Dutch Famine study. "At the end of World War Two, the Germans blockaded parts of the Netherlands in retaliation against a rail strike called by the Dutch government. For several months people lived on starvation diets until the Allies liberated Europe; thousands died. The Dutch Famine Birth Cohort Study followed the health of babies of pregnant women caught up in the famine, finding that if you were a young embryo at the time of the famine then you were twice as likely to develop heart disease in later life, and also far more prone to schizophrenia, obesity, diabetes, cancer and stress-related illnesses. The effects persist into the next generation - the children and the grandchildren of a woman caught up in the famine went on to have worse health in later life.

Experiments in animals show it is possible to make the genes in an embryo more active, or turn them off entirely, simply by varying their mother's diet. So eating a diet rich in leafy greens will permanently change how active some of the child's genes are due to a process called methylation; researchers in The Gambia found that babies conceived in the wet season have very different levels of activity of a particular gene that's important for regulating the immune system. Matt Silver, part of the MRC team, says: "Variation in methylation state in this gene could affect your ability to fight viral infections and it may also affect your chances of survival from cancers such as leukaemia and lung cancer."

Read full article at: 

The amazing significance of what a mother-to-be eats by Michael Mosley

BBC News Magazine, 14 September 2015

Eczema Care

Eczema is made worse by chemicals and harsh weather conditions, as dryness and cracks in the skin make it easier for bacteria to get in. Here are some tips to help manage the condition, in addition to any topical steroid creams you may be prescribed.

• The best way to prevent against flare-ups is regular use of unscented moisturisers.
• Pharmacies sell the same ones your doctor prescribes.
• You don't need to slather them on.
• Ideally smooth in the same direction as body hair growth 3 or 4 times a day, as they only work for a few hours.
• E45 is effective but contains lanolin, which some people are sensitive to.
• Non-lanolin alternatives are Cetraben lotion, Cetaphil lotion and Aveeno products.
• A natural alternative to steroids is Cardiospermum (ballon vine), which is an effective anti-inflammatory. Currently (March 2017) Cardiospermum gel is only available from skinshop.co.uk.
• Washing with soap can also affect the skin; use aqueous cream instead and avoid bubbles completely.

Articles in Good Housekeeping, July 2014 and April 2015.

Improving Your Memory

Past memory: this is our store of memories we have already laid down, our recollections of past experiences.

Present memory: this is our ‘working’ memory, our short term memory, the ability to juggle the tasks we have to do daily.

Future memory: this is prospective memory, ‘remembering to remember’; this is remembering to do things in the future like post a letter on the way to work, remember to take your warfarin at 6pm, remembering to pick the children up from school.

In a Northumbria University study looking at the effects of aromatherapy oils on prospective memory, volunteers took a test in a room scented with either rosemary oil, lavender oil or no scent. Rosemary oil improved results over the control group by 10%, while lavender oil (known to have a sedative effect) showed a decrease against the control group.

Listening to music before revising. - see blog post on Music and Revision.

BBC2 Trust Me, I'm a Doctor, July 2015 Aromatherapy and Memory

A study of 30 volunteers aged between 50 and 90 who had a number of things in common: all fairly sedentary, didn’t regularly do crosswords or Sudoku, and were not artist or painters. Their mental abilities were tested at the beginning of the study, then they all were asked to do something extra for 3 hours every week over 8 weeks. Split into three groups, 1 did Suduko and other puzzles, 2 walked every day and 3 had a daily life drawing class. They also wore an activity monitor.

While cognitive test scores improved in all three groups, the art group had the highest average improvement in their scores. Learning life-drawing was a new mental challenge for our novice artists. Research suggests that the 'new' aspect of the activity is key - learning a new skill seems to be more effective than practising an existing one. Also data from the activity monitors showed that across all three groups, the volunteers who were the most active showed the greatest improvement in the mental tests. Life drawing was done standing up, so the art group activity levels were higher than previously.

The puzzle group tended to see improvements in problem solving.

The exercise group saw less variation in their improvements across the cognitive tasks. It’s thought that the increased blood flow during exercise helps to improve general brain function by maintaining a healthy supply of blood, oxygen and glucose to the brain.

BBC2 Trust me, I'm a Doctor, July 2015 Keeping your Mind Sharp

Music and Revision

People often think they revise better when listening to music they like, but a 2010 study at the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff suggests that music may actually work against you if you are trying to memorize an ordered list, such as facts, numbers, elements of the periodic table.

The study looked at the ability to recall information in the presence of different sounds: (a) quiet, (b) music that they'd said they liked, (c) music that they'd said they didn't like, (d) a voice repeating the number three, and (e) a voice reciting random single-digit numbers.

Participants performed worst while listening to music, regardless of whether they liked that music, and to the speech of random numbers, and best in the quiet and while listening to the repeated "three."

Music may impair cognitive abilities because if you're trying to memorize things in order, you may get thrown off by the changing words and notes in your chosen song.

However, other studies have found benefits to listening to music you like before performing a task. The explanation may be that when you hear something you like, it heightens your arousal and mood, which improves performance.

So it may be best to listen to music beforehand, then revise in quiet.

Full report in September 2010 issue of Applied Clinical Psychology.

The Chart Blogs, Music may harm your studying, 27 June 2010

Cleaning Stainless Steel Sinks

Use soda water to clean your stainless steel sink. Pour some on a soft sponge and rub away. Rinse off the grime and there is a sparkling sink.

From Classic Household Hints by Susan Waggoner via Ruby's Musings blog.