If you want to lose weight and need some help keeping the pounds off these quick tips will not help you to lose a large quantity of weight but will help to slowly and permanently take a little weight off for a long term solution and a generally healthier you.

1. Switch whole fat milk or cream for full skimmed milk. The switch isn’t easy at first because you are used to the flavour of full fat milk but give it a while and you will get used to the flavour and texture of skimmed just as if it were whole milk.
2. Switch white bread for brown (or even the half and half bread). This will cut down on the bad stuff in white bread while adding the extra whole wheat goodness you get in brown.
3. Replace crisps and chocolates with fruit. Even if you are not big on apples and bananas try buying something a little more exciting like grapes, lychees and melons to keep your taste buds entertained.
4. Cut down on car use. If you can walk it, then you should. Using the car only helps add pounds to the bum and tum area while simultaneously adding to your carbon footprint.

The Acai Berry looks similar to a blueberry. Acai Berry is becoming increasingly popular within the western world an is relatively new as a health drink despite the fact that the Amazon Basin have been enjoying this wonder fruit for many, many years.

The Acai Berry is well known for it’s healthy properties and medicinal uses in the Amazon and is more commonly known for it’s abundant growth in Brazil but it can be sourced elsewhere too.

The best way to gain all the rich antioxidants and other healthy benefits of the Acai Berry is to drink pure Acai Berry Juice and not powdered or from concentrate.

What we wear and what we surround ourselves with can affect our mood and they way we think from day to day. Colors hold a different significance depending on where in the world you are but there are some soild truth behind all perspectives that coincide.

For example, Red is a warm vibrant color that attracts nearly everyone’s attention. It can signify danger, passion and heat. Many people paint thier homes in red to craete the illusion of extra warmth. It has however been found that red can cause headaches, raise tension and shorten tempers. If you are thinking of painting a room in red, try out a softer variation instead such as terracota.

Blue (at the other end of the spectrum) is a healing and tranquil color used to alleviate headaches, tension and stress. Surrounding yourself inn blue will help clam you down, relax you and soothe your mood.

We are often used to seeing information thrown around about how what we eat affects our body, our health and our activity. What we also need to remeber, but often forget, is that food also affects the way in which our brains work. Good mood food often means food stuffs that pump out alot of good feelings for us only for us to come crashing down again when we realise it was loaded with sugar and unwanted fat. What we eat and drink clearly has an effect on our mood, our thought processes and how we feel and eating the right healthy foods can leave you feeling much more positive and energetic. Research is also underway to study the effect of our diets on mental health overall. If you are in need of some

positive thinking, try a new healthy diet plan aimed at the brain.

It’s no new news that Salmon is good for you but we thought you should get to know exactly how good this pink fish really is when it’s true wild salmon (not farmed). Salmon is without a doubt one of the best foods to eat when it comes to health foods. Salmon is true brain food and as an added bonus it’s good for the body too. Salmon is one of the best sources you can get for Essential Fatty Acids such as Omega 3, rich in protein, low in saturated fat, has minimal contaminants present and a wealth of other attributes that help us become healthy individuals.

If wild, Salmon can help prevent Dementia, adjust mood for the better, improve synaptic connections (that’s good too), improve your arteries (good for the heart naturally), reduce your risk of stroke and Alzheimer’s.

Flax seed oil is quickly taking over Cod Liver oil in the supplements market today as more and more people are deciding flax seed oil is more beneficial to you. One of the main reasons people switch to flax seed oil is because cod liver oil is known to have some possible harmful side effects whereas flax seed oil has a clean bill of health.

Flax seed oil contains omega 9 and omega 6 fatty acids as well as B Vitamins, potassium, magnesium, fiber, protein and zinc. Flax seed oil also contains 50% more omega 3 than you would find in cod liver oil. Flax seed oil is also free form the horrible fishy taste we have to endure with cod liver oil and more importantly is Vegan and Vegetarian friendly.

Nearly every system in the body has been shown to benefit from the properties of flax seed oil including the immune system, cardiovascular system (a healthy heart), circulatory system, nervous system and even the reproductive system. Flax seed oil also promotes healthy working joints and muscles.

There are lots of do’s and don’ts during pregnancy and many women are concerned about what supplements they should take more of and which ones they should avoid. Here is a quick do’s and don’ts list to help you figure out the basics of pregnancy supplements.

List of Good Supplements

• Folic Acid
• Iron
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin B6 (Also relieves morning sickness!)
• Calcium
• Iodine (Should not be necessary to make more)
• Biotin
• Zinc
• Probiotics
• Vitamin C
• Ginger (Also helps with morning sickness)

With all of these supplements you should ask your doctor beforehand on dose requirements and necessity. You will not need most of these supplements and it always safer to check with your doctor beforehand.

List of Supplements to avoid while pregnant:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D
• Dietary Supplements
• Untested Supplements
• Caffeinated Supplements

There are a large variety of herbs you should avoid whist pregnant. It is safer to stay away from them entirely barring Ginger.

Insomnia makes us feel run down, lethargic, irritable and unfocused as well lower our immunity making us more vulnerable to colds and flu. Having insomnia is frustrating and debilitating for the individual and you may have already tried out several different insomnia tips to no avail. Keep trying, what works for one person may not work for you and vice versa.

Top 10 things to try out if you have insomnia, perhaps one of these methods will work for you?

1. See a doctor
2. Take a relaxing warm bath before bed
3. Get a massage before bed (if you can!)
4. Listen to relaxation music
5. Try out a hypnotherapy session
6. Drink warm milk or a malt drink before bed
7. Drink a herbal tea such as camomile
8. Avoid caffiene, alcohol and tobacco just before bed
9. Avoid naps during the day
10. Don’t sleep in (difficult when you have insomnia but very effective)

Breathing is the most essential part of Yoga exercise. You need to be able to control your regular breathing pattern to help successfully complete a Yoga pose. You should never hold your breath during a pose because that stops the flow of oxygen around the body and results in Lactic acid being produced as a means for your body to acquire oxygen. This acid is toxic to us and Yoga aims to detoxify the body not increase dangerous toxic levels.

You should also ensure that your breathing pattern is never forced or strained. This is a sign that you need to either stop the pose you are in or ease it out a little bit. During Yoga you need to be relaxed and comfortable, if you feel uncomfortable at any time you should come out of the pose immediately.

For Yoga beginners you can expect to be able to hold each pose for approximately 3 breaths but only for most poses. Some poses may be more difficult for you if you are a complete beginner.

We all know that alcohol when you drink too much is bad for you and many of us know that alcohol in moderation can be good for you. Finding the balance between these two can be difficult especially when given conflicting messages about units. Is a glass of wine every day a unit? Well, that depends on the size of the glass.

There are two different things to consider when you consume alcohol. The first is how much liquid there is, and the second is what the percentage alcohol content is. Both the size and strength of your drink has an affect on the unit size.

Here’s how you can calculate the units you drink and avoid stepping over the moderation mark:

Find out the percentage of alcohol in the drink (%ABV)

Find out how much you are drinking in a glass (175ml, 250ml, 1 pint…)

Multiply both of these values together and then divide by 1,000.

For example: 175ml of red wine with an alcohol content of 13%
175ml x 13% = 2275
2275 / 1000 = 2.275 units

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