For our international readers!

We have been reviewing the amount of traffic our blog gets and we see we have numerous readers from abroad - including Russia and the United States. You don't have to be living in Bluntisham, Cambridge or indeed the UK for us to help. Marion recently supported a client whilst they were travelling in the States, all via the wonders of technology! Why not take a look at the PACT session of our website and see if we can be of help to you. We can even do a personalised workout with you via webcam!

Exercise prevents prostate cancer

To all the men out there, this is another reason to make sure you are getting enough exercise. A recent study has found that men, particularly, Caucasian origin, who exercise regularly have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer and especially have a lower risk of the aggressive high-grade disease. So up your activity levels and you could reduce the risk by up to 49% You don’t even have to join a gym just try and achieve 30 minutes of activity that raises your heartbeat 5-6 times a week. Walking the dog and doing the garden all count! More info regarding the study can be found here

Live Longer No 4

4 Drink in moderation One or two units a day may help reduce heart disease, but most people drink a lot more and it is doing us an increasing amount of damage. Alcohol can cause cirrhosis, which is now the 12th-highest cause of death and ill health in western Europe, fatty liver disease and liver cancer. It is also implicated in other cancers – mouth, throat and breast. And then there are all the accidents and fights in which people get hurt or killed.

OK - all you out there who like to work from a firm research base - a newly published report (in the journal of Psychological Medicine) written by Dr Dregan of King's College London tells us a great deal about the benefits of a life time of exercise. The longitudinal study shows that those of us who have engaged in regular intense activity since childhood perform better in mental tests at the age of 50. Dr Dregan says ' It's widely acknowledged that a healthy body equal a healthy mind'. He also tells uys that exercsie represents a key component of lifestyle interventions to prevent cardiovcascular disease, diabetes and cancer. So, lets all get active - its never too late to start! Contact us if you want help to be your best!

And here's your handy hint number 3 - helping you to live longer. 3 Eat seeds – not junk Curiously, the Global Burden of Disease lists not only eating too little fruit (sixth-highest risk factor for early disease and death) but too few nuts and seeds (not far behind, at eighth). Too few vegetables are 12th, and low omega-3 (in oily fish, not tablet form), high processed meat and low fibre follow in that order. Too much trans fat is 19th, low calcium is 22nd and low milk consumption 23rd. So, yes, diet matters a lot and not just because eating too much makes you fat – high BMI or body mass index has a separate ranking as the fourth highest risk factor, causing heart disease, strokes, diabetes and cancers. But on a diet of nuts and seeds it is also pretty difficult to get overweight.

your second 'Live Longer' tip 2 Get your blood pressure checked Like checking the pressure of the tyres on your car, this is a very good idea. Some people have high blood pressure in the family. Others eat too much salt, don't take enough exercise, are overweight, stressed, smoke or drink too much. Most of this you can do something about, but for those who don't, a trip to the GP, who will prescribe pills, may prevent a heart attack or stroke. High blood pressure is the No 1 risk factor for early deaths and years of poor health in Europe. But if you have low blood pressure and none of the above risk factors, just a routine check on any visit to the GP for other matters is enough.

Live longer!

want to live longer? Want to be healthier? We have the NHS and much of the rest of the world envies us for it, but how long and healthily we live is not so much about how hospitals look after us – medical care contributes only about 20% to our healthy lifespans – as how we care for ourselves before we get there The Guardian has published an article today with lots of hints on how we could all make a difference to our health - I'll post one tip a day. However, today's one is 'Move to Japan' - maybe not realistic ? But some hints none the less! 1 Move to Japan With the highest healthy life expectancy in the world, as well as the longest lives for women (men in Andorra just pip their Japanese counterparts to first place), Japan is clearly the place to buy a 1LDK (one room apartment with a living, dining and kitchen area). Space may be limited but a healthy life is not. On average, Japanese women can expect 75.5 years of good health while men enjoy 70.6 years. In the UK, we get 70.1 years and 67.1 years respectively. It is not just about sushi and rice, according to Professor Kenji Shibuya and colleagues at the University of Tokyo, writing in the Lancet in 2011. "Japanese people give attention to hygiene in all aspects of their daily life," they said. "This attitude might partly be attributable to a complex interaction of culture, education, climate [eg humidity, temperature], environment [eg having plenty of water and being a rice-eating nation] and the old Shinto tradition of purifying the body and mind before meeting others." (Not something we can replicate with a little bottle of hand sanitiser on the desk.) They have regular health checks. We weren't designed to sit around – so get running.