What’s the answer? …There’s no one real answer as why we stop. Exercise needs to be a priority – It’s time to move.

Paradoxically, we can shake the lethargic washed out feeling we get and re-energize in the winter months with a regular exercise routine. It helps revitalize the mind in these stressful months, it helps shake the winter blues, and provides us with our healthy, ever elusive “me” time.

By having a sporadic exercise routine throughout winter, or even stopping completely, we increase our risk of injury when we DO participate in that social bike ride, tennis game or football match. By being active we condition our body to an increased performance level, to muscular efficiency while minimizing risk of injury. The body also maintains a heightened baseline for fitness, for which we can build our peak performance levels.

Caution must be used when exercising outside with the colder temperatures, and particular attention must be paid to:

• Cold air. Asthma and cold air are not the best combination. Proceed carefully
• A thorough exercise specific warm up
• A thorough post-exercise stretching session
• Be aware of your current fitness levels. Injuries occur when one progresses with exercises ‘too much too fast’ or when unfamiliar/inexperienced with the exercises.

As the days get shorter, colder, wetter, busier and darker, we need to select the right time for certain exercises, or modify the exercises we do for the conditions.

Here are some options. On a rainy winter day, why not swap your outdoor walking session for the treadmill or stationary bike; try an in-home yoga or Pilates session, or even a local indoor fitness class with a friend. We have the luxury of indoor fitness centres, and even free online yoga videos at our disposal, why not use them. Let’s keep moving – shorter, sharper and often.

We can help you!

Come and talk to us today about how you can get through the winter months, and prepare for the warmer months.

The post Time to Move! first appeared on Medicus.

The post Time to Move! appeared first on Medicus.

Many factors influence skin appearance and characteristics including:

• Genetic and Hormonal differences
• Gender
• Age
• Lifestyle factors and environment insult

Environmental factors play a huge role in drying skin during the winter period. Have you ever noticed that your skin dryness, itchiness and scaling becomes more severe in the winter months, though tends to spontaneously improve during the summer months?

The reason is that the summer months bring with it heat and humidity (skin oils, sweat and atmospheric conditions), with quite the opposite occurring in winter. Some of the biggest culprits during winter for poor skin hydration include high winds, low partial pressure and low relative humidity; factors such as cold and windy weather, long hot showers, air-conditioning and heaters. Don’t ditch the foot heater just yet, though. The relief and prevention of dry skin (Xerosis) is centered on the maintenance of proper health and hydration of the skin. The key here is in restoring the skins normal barrier function, to prevent dry skin conditions.

Prevention is ALWAYS BEST so it’s imperative we address the dry skin and associated breakdown as they are the first steps leading to dermatitis and eczema.

These three easy steps should help protect your smooth skin this winter, in the battle against the cold weather. They are:

1. Use moisturising based soap alternatives and avoid using soap products or other irritants.
2. Moisturise, Moisturise, Moisturise … properly!! Moisturising helps to reduce moisture lost from the skin.
2.1 Apply straight after a bath/shower, and apply during the day as needed/recommended
2.2 Use a simple fragrance free moisturiser or alternatively sunflower seed oil works well.
3. Be conscious of moisture-sapping air-conditioners and heaters in your environment, and avoid long or frequent (hot) showers.

We can help!

Come and talk to us today about how you can improve and maintain your skin through the winter months in preparation for the warmer months.

The post Aesthetic Medicine: Skin Care in Winter first appeared on Medicus.

The post Aesthetic Medicine: Skin Care in Winter appeared first on Medicus.

We all know the symptoms of the common cold: sneezing, sore throat, runny nose and fever. Although these symptoms are usually mild, colds and flu are the leading cause of visits to your doctor and days missed from school and work.

Dreading the winter months?

The common cold strikes many people every year, especially during these frosty winte r months. Many people often dread winter, not because of the cold, windy, wet weather, but because they suffer terribly with the symptoms of the flu or common cold. Eating a well-balanced diet and taking natural supplements can assist your body’s natural immune function. Let us help you get through the winter months without suffering those terrible cold and flu symptoms.

Instigators of a weakened immune system

There are many factors that may contribute to the weakening of your immune system. In order to maintain a healthy immune system you should try to minimise these factors:

• Physiological, psychological and emotional stress
• Lack of regular exercise
• Lack of sleep, rest and relaxation
• Poor diet
• Nutritional deficiencies

An apple a day keeps the doctor away!

There is a lot to be said about this old saying.
Maintaining optimal nutrition is extremely important in maintaining health, wellbeing and a balanced immune system. In order to give your body a fighting chance against the common cold, we suggest you follow these tips for a healthy immune system:

• Eat fresh, wholesome food that provides high fibre and complex carbs, moderate protein and low fat.
• Let it go! Swap stress for rest and relaxation.
• Exercise regularly.
• Aim for around 2 litres of water a day
• Supplement your diet as required with herbs and nutrients

How can we help?

When colds or flu strike, we recommend using natural supplements to help support and boost your body’s natural immune function. Fortunately, there are herbs and nutrients that can help management of the common cold, and viral conditions or infections such as the flu.

Boost your immunity with herbs

The following herbs can kill the common cold and flu viruses and have been combined into one easy-to-swallow tablet for your convenience.

• Andrographis paniculate is known for combatting bacterial and viral infections, heavily used in Ayurvedic medicine
• Clinical studies have demonstrated that Andrographis paniculate can reduce the duration and severity of colds and flu, with the anti-inflammatory properties being able to relieve common symptoms.
• Picrorrhiza kurroa is an ingredient that has traditionally been using in Chinese and Indian medicine to promote a healthy immune system with its anti-inflammatory and immune-stimulating properties.
• Sambucus nigra, more commonly known as elderberry, has long been used for its fever-reducing and anti-catarrhal properties. This makes it useful for catarrhal inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, which happens during sinusitis, recurrent or acute coughs and the common cold/flu, sinusitis and recurrent or acute coughs.

Nutrients to support your immunity

Zinc is perhaps the most important mineral to support your immune system, with a zinc deficiency causing a weak immune response and thereby leaving you vulnerable to lengthy and severe colds.

Vitamin C is another essential nutrient as it increases the proportion of white blood cells, which combat infections. Vitamin C can therefore prevent and reduce the duration of the common cold. We offer these two nutrients in a tasty powdered supplement.

So even if it is cold and flu season again, it doesn’t mean that you need to walk around with a throat that is on fire, congestion and high temperatures . There are many natural supplements available to help boost your immune system, and prevention is much better than cure.

We can help you!

Come and talk to us today about how you can get through the winter months fit and healthy.

The post What to do for colds and flu! first appeared on Medicus.

The post What to do for colds and flu! appeared first on Medicus.