More People Turn to Nourkrin Despite
the Credit Crunch

The stunning Britt Ekland, looks fantastic at
65 and uses Nourkrin for healthy hair

It seems that many people in the UK are losing their hair and the word on the street is that it could be due to the credit crunch. As many other brands see sales fall as a result of the economy, Nourkrin, the nation's favourite natural hair recovery programme see sales continue to rise. Nourkrin is now the number one selling brand for the firth month running according to Health Food Business Magazine.
 
And Nourkrin has another reason to celebrate, they have just won an intellectual property infringement case. On 8th September 2008, the Danish Western High Court found that the trademark 'NouriSea' had infringed the Nourkrin brand and misused trade secrets. An injunction has now been issued towards the former manufacturer and finished boxes of NouriSea have been seized.
 
Morten Christensen, CEO of Pharma Medico International ApS says, "As the legitimate owner of Nourkrin® in the EU, we were confident that we would prevail in this case. We believe that the High Court's ruling sends a strong message to those who would continue to make false representatives to consumers and the industry regarding the Nourkrin® brand."

 
Nourkrin offers a unique and highly effective product range. Used by celebrity Britt Ekland, it delivers a clinically proven hair recovery programme to help you tackle hair loss and thinning hair.

One in three women are expected to suffer some sort of hair loss in their lives, but this appears to be on the increase as the credit crunch hits. So it's no wonder more and more people are turning to Nourkrin to combat the problem.
 
Nourkrin Extra Strength is a natural daily supplement that supplies the specific compounds needed to reduce hair loss. The key ingredient is a protein compound of marine extracts which is blended with an organic, soluble silica and Vitamin C. Nourkrin is effective for both men and women and is convenient to take.

The range also includes Nourkrin Man for the prevention of thinning hair in men. It has the same natural ingredients as the phenomenally successful Nourkrin Extra Strength (deep sea marine protein blended with an organic, soluble silica and Vitamin C) but also includes added Fenugreek and Omega 3 specifically to tackle the problem for men by preventing the miniaturisation of hair follicles.

For faster and more effective results the tablets can also be used in conjunction with Nourkrin Scalp Lotion, Nourkrin Shampoo and Nourkrin Conditioner. These nourish the scalp and remove any dead skin cells to create a healthy environment for recovery.

Nourkrin is available from Boots, Holland & Barrett, Superdrug, Lloyds Pharmacy, Alliance Pharmacy, independent pharmacies and health stores or by calling Direct Beauty Products, Telephone: 01508 491 301. Price is £49.95 for one month's supply.

You can also buy it from www.nourkrin.com
 

Howzat? Aussie Cricket Legend Bats for Short-Sighted Older People

Australian Cricket Legend, Chris Lawson

If you’re short-sighted and have experienced losing your glasses, even for a short time, then you’ll recognise the symptoms – a bit of panic, a feeling of helplessness. Maybe your eyes are bad enough that you can’t walk around safely or can’t read without those glasses – so suddenly, you are nothing short of immobile and illiterate.
 
It’s bad enough feeling that for a few brief moments. But for 95 million elderly people worldwide who are blind or vision impaired, this is their life, as no quick trip to the optician will sort them out. Many become a ‘burden’ on their family, maybe relying on a younger relative to be their eyes – perhaps preventing that person from getting an education, or job.
 
This is the painful situation that a ground-breaking new initiative is striving to deal with. The World Sight Day Challenge, taking place this year on October 9th, will see optometrists around the world donate their day’s fees to help develop local eye-care services in countries where these do not currently exist.
 
“We take it for granted in this country,” said Newcastle optometrist Mark Tomlinson, who is taking part. “If we can’t see very well, we go to an optician and get some glasses. But in many places that simply doesn’t happen, so people have to go through their lives with limited vision – and to me, that’s a very scary thought.
 
“Through the World Sight Day Challenge, we want to highlight the fact that people’s lives can be dramatically changed by an eye examination and a pair of glasses – which often will cost no more than £2.50.”
 
Heading the campaign is Australian cricket legend Geoff Lawson, who many readers of this website will remember demolishing the England teams of the 1980s. Now manager of the Pakistan cricket team, Lawson is also a trained optometrist.
 
“If you can’t see, you can’t read, which means you can’t learn, work or in many cases care for yourself - you become reliant on others,” says Lawson.
 
“Recently in Lahore, in traffic – which is one of your worst nightmares because it includes everything from carts to camels, motorbikes to cars - there was a traditionally dressed man pulled up in front of traffic with a load on his donkey cart. He was smoking a cigarette, talking on his mobile phone and reading the national newspaper – using his ill-fitting spectacles. It was a wonderful contrast in a country like Pakistan. Lots of people are illiterate but the difference between this fellow and his equivalent in the hills would be the guy in the rural area won’t have a pair of glasses.”
 
The World Sight Day Challenge is organised by Optometry Giving Sight, which is the only global initiative that specifically targets the prevention of blindness and impaired vision due to “uncorrected refractive error” - ie, the need for glasses.

 
Last year, the first year for this initiative, hundreds of optometric practices participated in the Challenge raising more than £127,000, which is already funding projects that are providing vision care, local training and infrastructure support in Sri Lanka, East Africa, East Timor and South Africa. This year the charity expects to significantly increase the number of participants and money raised.
 
For more information about World Sight Day click on www.givingsight.org
 

Positive Thinking Can Help With
Your Back Pain
By Garry Trainer, D.O. B.Ac.

As we get older, the ageing process cruelly and inevitably takes its toll on our bodies and certain daily activities we took for granted, suddenly become slightly more challenging to complete.  When one is young we are blessed with natural mobility and balance and injuries recover almost without thought.  As we grow older we lose flexibility in our muscles, tendons and ligaments.  Backpain often increases with age as our backs becomes less pliable. Our back is the core of our skeletal and muscular system and it is important that we maintain it in a healthy state in order for us to carry out our daily activities free of pain. 

Back Care Awareness Week (4 – 10 October) is celebrating its 40^th anniversary at the same time as I am celebrating 25 years practicing osteopathy, acupuncture and massage.  The focus this year is staying positive and believing that ‘you can do it’ and get through your back pain. 

Backpain as well as physically causing imobilisation, can cause mental imobilisation and many people feel trapped by backpain.  Even something simple like getting in or out of a car – an everyday activity taken for granted – can become an enormous and painful challenge, so much so, that some people stop doing it and become housebound.  So begins a downward spiral of pain, depression, lack of self-belief and loss of positivity.

Mechanical back pain accounts for 80% of all back pain and occurs because you make the wrong move at the wrong time.  It often self- regulates without treatment and just needs some time.  My advice is to observe the 3 day rule – the 1^st 24 hours are often unpredictable and painful, the 2^nd you often have more of a bruised feeling rather than pain and on the 3^rd day the intensity of the symptoms drop down – they are still there but less intense.  If you have a treatment during these 3 days, this will speed up the recovery process.  If you are unsure if you have muscle or nerve pain, here’s a quick checklist.  Muscle pain is worse in the morning, eases with movement, responds when you apply heat and is much more localised.  Stretching is best for muscular pain.

Nerve pain feels better with rest, is aggravated by movement and gets worse as the day progresses.  Rather than being localised, it refers to different parts of the body.

As a rule of thumb, muscle pain responds better to heat and inflammatory pain responds better to ice but it’s best to apply them within the first 24 hours.  Both hot and cold de-sensitise the nerves.

If you are a back pain sufferer, please don’t stop everything you do on a daily basis, just find a different and more manageable way of doing it that most importantly works for you.  For example, gardening – Why not garden at an outside table rather than kneeling down and bending over your pots?  If you do feel stiff and achy after gardening or daily activities, have a warm bath or shower and follow it by a few simple stretches.

Backpain does require careful consideration but even now you can improve the condition of your back by introducing a simple and gentle stretching routine.  To keep it simple, the back only moves in 6 directions – it flexes forward, extends back, sidebends right & left and rotates right & left.  Therefore to stretch the back thoroughly we must stretch it ideally everyday in all 6 directions.  These basic 6 stretches can be done standing or sitting (you can also stretch lying down) and ideally each stretch should be held for around 30 seconds – but work up to this gradually in stages – never force or overhold a stretch.

Forward Flexion Stretch

Stand with your feet hip width apart, stomach pulled in, spine long.  Reach up to the ceiling with both hands without arching your back.  Slowly let your arms reach down towards the floor keeping your stomach pulled in and fold over from the waist.  Don’t worry if you can’t touch the floor.  Let your head and arms hang heavy.  If you find it difficult to bend forward then bend your knees.

Side Bends

Stand with your feet hip width apart.  Place your right hand on your right thigh.  Pull your stomach in as you take your left arm up and over towards your right side.  Imagine there is a sheet of glass in front of and behind you to keep you well aligned – your hips should remain facing forwards and level throughout.  Repeat on the left side.

The Twist

Stand with your feet hip width apart with your arms crossed in front of your body, hands clasping opposite forearms.  Keeping your hips facing forwards, slowly twist round to the left, using your arms for leverage.  Return to the centre and repeat on the left side.

Back Extension (perform this stretch last)

Stand with your feet hip width apart.  Stretch your arms up above your head, then take them back behind you so that you are hyper-extending your back.  Keep your stomach muscles pulled in for support.  Be careful that you don’t extend too far back.

Now repeat the forward flexion to stretch out any tissue that may still be compressed.

A new simple, but brilliant stretching aid, I discovered on a recent trip to the States is a product called CoreStretch®.  It is a proven, effective stretching and mobilising device for your back, shoulders, hips, hamstrings and legs and I think is better than traditional and more conventional methods which can be difficult to use or force the back into a curve rather than elongate it.

It’s unique and simple design elongates the back, stretches the muscles, ligaments and tendons not only in your back but also those in your legs that work in conjunction with the back.  I have found when using it in treatment it stimulates circulation and eases pain as well as providing excellent and importantly, achievable stretches.

My advice is to focus on what you can do, rather than what you can’t and take small steps towards achievables rather than giant strides that can sometimes get you nowhere.  So please, stay positive at all times and believe you can do it – because you can.

Garry Trainer D.O. B.Ac. is one of the foremost practitioners of osteopathy and acupuncture in this country, specialising in not only the treatment, but management and prevention of back pain, with 25 years in clinical practice in Harley Street and now Primrose Hill.  He is also the author of two books ‘The No-Nonsense Guide to a Healthy Back,’ £5.99 published by Fingertips Press and his most recent ‘Back Chat – the Ultimate Guide to Healing and Preventing Backpain’ £10.99 published by Aurum Press.

Garry Trainer Clinic, Tel 020 7722 6203  www.garrytrainer.com

CoreStretch® is available from www.bodyopathy.com
 

Seven Seas Helps You Cope With the Gloomy Weather

Latest advice from experts is that Britain’s gloomy weather is storing up health problems for the winter months as many of us won’t have produced enough vital vitamin D due to lack of sun. Vitamin D is proven to assist in keeping our immune system healthy as well as helping us to combat conditions like Seasonal Affective Disorder. It can also prolong life and protect against conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and mental health conditions like depression. It is therefore important that people help themselves to get through the depressing and darker days by getting enough of the crucial vitamin to keep them healthy and in top condition.

Jane Griffin, expert nutritionist says, “Vitamin D is an essential vitamin needed for keeping a healthy immune system, for the absorption and utilisation of calcium in the body and therefore important in helping to keep our bones and teeth and immunity strong and healthy. As most of our Vitamin D intake comes from the sun, it is important that even if the sun isn’t shining, or for those that don’t get much exposure to sunshine, people can get their daily intake of vitamin D from their diet. One of the best dietary sources of vitamin D is oily fish but lots of people don't eat much, if any, in their regular diet so I would suggest a sensible option would be to use a supplement such as Seven Seas Extra High Strength Cod Liver Oil.”

Each capsule contains over 100% more natural Omega-3 nutrients than standard Cod Liver Oil capsules of the same size and ensures the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin D is achieved at the same time. Cod Liver Oil not only boosts our low mood and immune system it also slows down the ageing process.

In addition, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects about half a million of people in the UK during September to April, so preparing ourselves with natural vitamins and minerals is key. Seven Seas Extra High Strength Cod Liver Oil, also known as ‘nature’s Prozac’, is a great way to start to reduce the risk of suffering from depression, stress and anxiety by up to 50%. Rich in Omega-3s, Seven Seas Extra High Strength Cod Liver Oil supplements are important in regulating serotin levels which in turn prevents depression.

People who suffer from SAD complain of feeling miserable, experience mood changes, lack energy and feel constantly tired. It is therefore important to increase your daily intake of vitamins and minerals to help improve your mood in the winter months.

Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil is available in different strengths and formulations to meet everyone's health needs - all produced to the Ocean Gold standard of quality and purity.

In addition, Seven Seas High Strength and Extra High Strength Cod Liver Oil have now been formulated without Vitamin A. The Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil range is available at Boots, other pharmacies and supermarkets nationwide.

For more information on the Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil range click on www.codliveroil.co.uk
 

And for stockist details Telephone: 01482 375234

Get Outdoors and Enjoy Daylight for Good Autumn Health

Actress Jane Seymour enjoys the Autumn sunshine in a Country Casuals coat

Get outdoors and experience real daylight good for Autumn and Winter health, advises the Mental Health Foundation.

In the Autumn and Winter months, people should wrap up warm and go outdoors for a dose of daily light, according to the Mental Health Foundation.  This is because, even in the depths of winter, daylight in some parts of Britain is up to 25 times brighter than the recommended lighting level for most offices - and exposure to light is known to bring important health benefits.

The human body needs light – particularly in the mornings - to regulate its internal clock to keep it in tune with the 24 hour day-night cycle.  Disruption to the body’s biological clock, or circadian rhythms, has been linked to a variety of health problems including Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), sleep disorders, reduced immune function and even cancer.

Research also shows that levels of serotonin, the important mood controlling brain chemical, change according to light exposure. Low serotonin levels are associated with depression, anxiety, insomnia and fatigue. Light therapy is sometimes used to treat non-seasonal depression and other mental health problems.

Dr Kam Dhillon, Head of Research at the Mental Health Foundation, says that a lack of daylight could be detrimental:

“Modern lifestyles keep many people indoors during the day, limiting their exposure to daylight. During the Winter it’s quite common to travel to and from work in the dark, and with light levels usually quite low in the office or workplace, people may not be getting enough light during the day.

“Because a person’s eyes adjust instantly to the light level wherever they are, it can seem gloomy outside and not worth the bother of leaving the house or office but light plays a vital role in regulating our bodily systems.

"For those whose mental health is affected during the autumn and winter months it’s especially important to get as much exposure to daylight as possible.”

Seasonal Affective Disorder

For most people, the gloomy Winter months can seem to drag on.  For some, a lack of light during the winter is thought to cause SAD.  Sufferers begin to be affected by many of the symptoms of depression in the autumn and usually begin to feel better again as the days lengthen in the spring.  

Estimates vary as to how many people suffer from full blown SAD, but it’s thought that around 1 in 100 are affected by the most disabling form of the condition, with many more suffering from sub-syndromal SAD or ‘Winter blues’ where symptoms are less severe. 

People’s experience of SAD will in many ways be similar to that of other types of depression, including persistent low mood, lack of interest or pleasure in day to day life, decreased libido and inability to concentrate or make decisions.

For most SAD sufferers, symptoms will resolve themselves with the arrival of spring but in the worst cases these problems can have a detrimental effect on a person’s ability to work or get on with their daily life. SAD sufferers may also notice other symptoms that aren’t so common with other types of depression including:

· Increased duration of sleep, known as hypersomnia – in other types of depression, insomnia is more common.

·  Increased weight gain, often accompanied by a craving for carbohydrates.

Advice to beat the Winter blues

As well as getting outdoors during daylight as much as possible – particularly in the morning, the Mental Health Foundation recommends the following ways to beat the Winter blues:

·    Light therapy using specially designed ‘light boxes’ has been shown to be effective in treating SAD symptoms.

·    Listen to your body – if you’re a little slower during the Winter then try not to over do it.

·  Exercise and maintaining a balanced diet are excellent ways to look after your mental health.  Outdoor exercise during the hours of daylight could be particularly helpful.

·   Some people may also find anti-depressants or talking therapy helpful – talk to your GP about these options.

For more information about SAD and advice on how to look after your mental health, visit www.mentalhealth.org.uk

Mulberries Hailed as New Superfruit   

Health experts have hailed mulberries as the new superfruit  with the highest levels of antioxidants of any red berry fruits. The mulberry, which resembles a raspberry, boasts an impressive nutritional CV outperforming cranberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.

The mulberry’s levels of antioxidants are 79% higher than blueberries and 24% more than those found in cranberries. It is packed full of vitamins and fibre and contains high levels of resveratrol, the antioxidant super hero which helps combat heart disease, cancer and helps lower cholesterol and other diseases associated with chronic inflammation.

Amazingly this antioxidant appears to fool cancer cells into believing DNA has already been damaged and so possibly help prevent the spreading of the disease. It’s early days but scientists at Harvard University are excited about another insight into how cancer may be tackled.

And mulberries can help to keep you fighting fit throughout the winter too - a recent report in the Journal of Infectious Diseases states that resveratrol decreased the reproduction of the influenza virus, in other words it may be useful in preventing or treating the flu.

Leading UK nutritionist, Anita Bean BSc, R.Nutr says, "Drinking a glass of mulberry juice every day will help boost antioxidant levels in the body which is thought to help prevent or reduce cell damage caused by oxidation, a process that damages cells in the body. This has been linked to the development of diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Mulberries really are the next generation of super fruits."

If you aren’t lucky enough to have a mulberry tree in your garden, you can buy mulberries from your local farmers market, as dried fruit from well-known health stores or in juice form from Mulberry Fair which is available from Waitrose.

Fresh mulberries can also be picked from fruit farms across the country.

For more information about Mulberries click on www.fairjuice.co.uk

Britain Under Pressure - Avoid The Blood Pressure 'Ticking Time Bomb' 

The credit crunch is taking a dramatic toll on the nation’s health, diet and fitness and is putting us at risk of a blood pressure 'ticking time bomb,' warns UK charity the Blood Pressure Association.

Almost 29 million people in the UK – that’s nearly two-thirds of the nation - feel more stressed, less fit and healthy, and more prone to illness than they did just three years ago, according to 'the 'Britain Under Pressure' report released by the Blood Pressure Association.

The report, launched by Friends Provident and the Blood Pressure Association, revealed that diet and exercise are losing out to the credit crunch, with more than half (56%) of the UK buying cheaper food as a cost cutting measure, 15% cutting spending on fresh fruit and vegetables, and almost a quarter (21%) of adults having cut back on gym use this year, many specifically because of the economic situation.

The charity says these factors can all have a serious effect on blood pressure, yet one in five (20%) admit they know little or nothing about the dangers of blood pressure.

Professor Graham Macgregor, Chairman of the Blood Pressure Association, says: “It’s clear that Britons are under pressure and this could have serious health consequences. The dual effect on lifestyles of the credit crunch and lack of concern over long term health is putting the nation at risk of a blood pressure ticking time bomb."

This report has shown that in addition to leading more unhealthy lifestyles which can cause high blood pressure, almost half of those surveyed hadn’t checked their blood pressure in the last year and almost two thirds (61%) didn’t know their blood pressure numbers.

Around 16 million adults in the UK have high blood pressure which, uncontrolled and undetected, leads to the nation’s biggest killers; strokes, heart attacks and heart failure. This is preventable, but only if people start taking the right action now.

The Britain Under Pressure report found:

· Many respondents are reliant on take-aways and ready meals with more than three quarters (77%) of adults regularly buying ready meals and/or ordering takeaways and it is women (80%) rather than men (72%) leading this trend.

· One in three adults (33%) never or rarely eats the recommended amount of fruit or vegetables.

· Almost one in seven (15%) have cut spending on fresh fruit and vegetables. Even more (16%) expect they will have to cut back on spending on fresh fruit and vegetables in the next six months

· 42% never, or hardly ever, monitor the salt content of their food.

· 7% admit they have already started drinking more alcohol than before the crunch, and 9% anticipate consuming more alcohol during the next six months.

· Half (50%) of UK adults admit they do absolutely nothing to keep blood pressure at healthy levels.

· And almost one in five (18%) say they just get on with living their lives without much thought to their health.

These are all potential risk factors for high blood pressure, warns the Blood Pressure Association.

If you are concerned about your blood pressure, visit your doctor and get it checked out.

Or take a look at the Blood Pressure Association website at www.bpassoc.org.uk for tips to reduce your blood pressure.