About Health

Friday, August 2, 2013

Summer Clothes Haul

Summer Clothes Haul

If you hadn’t guessed already today’s post is a haul. I haven't actually done one for a while as I haven’t been buying many clothes due to losing weight. I hate to buy something then find it doesn’t fit a month later. However with my holiday coming up and the warm weather I decided enough was enough and went a little bit mad. However I now have a summer wardrobe that actually fits me, so thought I would share my buys with you.

Dresses// Primark- £11 Ebay- £6 Primark- £17

Bag// Ebay £15 Shoes// Primark £8 Necklaces// BooHoo £8 Primark £5

Jeans// Primark £9 Running Shorts// Sports Direct £22

T-Shirts// BooHoo and Primark £4 each

Crop Tops// BooHoo £4 each Midi Skirts// BooHoo £8 each

Shorts// Dorothy Perkins £12 Primark £10

Bikini// Next £20 Sunglasses// Next £14 Bikini// Next £18

T-Shirts// Pull and Bear £5 Pull and Bear £5 Ebay £8.99

As you can tell everything was a bargain! I am refusing to spend too much money on clothes that I will be selling on ebay once they become too big in a few months. But despite putting myself on a budget I still managed to buy a good range of clothes that will see me through the summer. As I mentioned above most of it was bought with my holiday in mind, especially the bikinis!

In Primark I bought a good few t-shirts that can also be worn to the office, and at only £4 I have started quite a collection. I also bought the skinny jeans on a whim and am quite pleased with them. They are a very thin denim material so perfect for the hot days we have been having and for lounging around in.

It has been many years since I bought anything from BooHoo as I have always had the impression that it was cheap looking (says the girl who shops in Primark!) However once my t-shirts and skirts arrived I was very impressed. I was actually very brave ordering these items from Boohoo as they were my first crop tops! Having toned up significantly this year I decided to be courageous and bare the most toned part of my midriff. I wore them a few times on holiday once and was quite proud of myself for doing so… yeah for body confidence!

My buys from ebay were a bargain and thanks to the gorgeous Victoria at VIPXO. As soon as I saw the t-shirt, bag and dress I knew I had the buy them. I wore the dress and bag to the races and was complimented many times on it, however I was very disappointed when my bag broke only a few hours into wearing it. I must have overloaded it as the shoulder strap came straight off the bag. Luckily I took off the straps and wore it as a clutch bag for the rest of the day. I love the T-shirt but only wear it at the weekends as don't think it's office appropriate!

The Nike running shorts were part of my holiday preparations as I couldn’t bare to think about running in the heat in Spain in my usual leggings. I bought these from Sports Direct and even though they were some of the more expensive pairs I’m glad I bought them. They are made of the Dri-Fit fabric meaning they keep you cool when you are warm and warm when you are cold. They also have a key pocket on my bum and a drawstring fasten at the waist… perfect for those losing weight. They fit perfectly, are figure hugging but not tight and do not rid up when moving… I would definitely recommend them.

Have you been treating yourself to any summer clothes? Where have you been buying your summer wardrobe?

Check out Jennifer's perfect lifestyle blog English Rose From Manchester. Pretty, Personal and interesting... what's not to love!

Run off Your Cancer Risk

Run off Your Cancer Risk

Male athlete running barefoot and fast on a walking trail

Hitting the trails could pay dividends: Runners are two-thirds less likely to develop kidney cancer, according to a new study from the University of California at Berkeley.

Researchers analyzed more than 90,000 runners and walkers through national surveys for 5 to 7 years and found the most active group—runners who logged at least 15 miles a week—cut their risk for developing kidney cancer by 76 percent. Even 10 miles a week was enough to slash cancer risk by 61 percent, compared to inactive people.

It makes sense: “Runners, as a group, typically have healthier habits and diet,” says Larry I. Lipshultz, M.D., a professor of urology at Baylor College of Medicine. “This healthy lifestyle that is often a by-product of being active helps lower your risk for all diseases, including cancer.”

Don’t run? Don’t worry. To gauge activity level, the researchers didn’t actually go by miles logged, but instead used a measure called METs, which gives activities a value in relation to how much energy you expend doing something versus sitting still. So whether you bike, row, or swim, moving for at least 8 hours a week can cut your risk of kidney cancer by over half, the study says.

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Can Your Diet Derail Your Relationship?

Can Your Diet Derail Your Relationship?

Does healthy eating lead to cheating? Giving up your favorite foods might make you more likely to stray from your partner, according to recent Monmouth University research.

In the strange study, people in committed relationships were more inclined to accept a date offer if they had to eat radishes while eyeing cookies, compared to participants who did the opposite.

It’s a huge stretch to say that your diet could make you an adulterer, but the study authors’ explanation is interesting: When self-regulation stores are depleted (by something like a plate of cookies staring you in the face), you’re more likely to give in to temptation—in any part of your life, explains lead researcher Natalie Ciarocco, Ph.D.

There’s a way to fight off the effect, though. The more you do something, the more it becomes ritual (and the less self-regulation you need). So to develop new habits, focus on one specific goal, like limiting sweets. Research shows that adding more objectives—nixing sweet snacks and developing a new gym routine at the same time—is likely to sabotage your success by making each goal feel less important, according to a new Dutch study.

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The Bad Kind of Happiness

The Bad Kind of Happiness

All happiness isn’t created equal. Some forms of joy can fire up genes linked to chronic stress and inflammation, suggests new research from the University of North Carolina.

The study found that hedonic happiness—physical pleasures like a good meal—causes your body to turn on DNA associated with things like heart disease and arthritis. But happiness that comes from a selfless place, like helping a buddy move, has the opposite effect and shuts down those genes.

Hedonic pleasures are like empty calories, says study author Barbara L. Fredrickson, Ph.D. Alone, they might make you feel good, but the lack of greater purpose puts your body into threat mode, activating genes linked with stress, she explains.

Does that mean every time you enjoy something physical—like sex or a great burger—you’re one step closer to your doom? Thankfully, no.

“Most people experience both forms of happiness together,” Fredrickson says. In other words, if you’re out enjoying a brew with the guys, you’ll experience the physical pleasure of the beer, but also the sense of community from being with your friends. Ditto sex, where the raw thrill comes coupled with connectedness.

If you want to supercharge your good happiness levels, volunteer with friends—it reduces stress levels in 78 percent of people who do it, according to recent research by United Health Group.

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Your Lunch Break Done Right

Your Lunch Break Done Right

Is breaking bad? In a new German study, people who stepped away for an hour lunch with a friend performed worse on cognitive tests than those who ate a 20-minute meal alone at their desks, according to new German research.

The results don’t mean you should be a permanent lunchtime loner, since office isolation can seriously affect your health. (A 2012 study found people lacking friends at work were 2.4 times more likely to die in the next 20 years than their more-social counterparts.) Researchers aren’t quite sure what accounted for the difference, but how long you eat (an hour vs. 20 minutes) might have a bigger effect on a postlunch brain slump than who you eat with.

So what is the perfect lunch break? Follow these three steps for a lunch that will fill you up, keep you alert, and get you through to dinner.

Take it before 3 p.m. Late lunches can stymie weight loss, finds recent Spanish research.
Get outside. Eating al fresco can prep you for tough tasks better than staying holed up in the office, according to a study at the University of Sussex. Plus, sunlight boosts alertness.
Cut down on carbs and avoid large meals. Both make you sleepy, suggests research in Clinics in Sports Medicine.

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How Your Friends Protect Your Bottom Line

How Your Friends Protect Your Bottom Line

Feeling out of the loop? Watch your wallet. In a new Chinese study, people who felt lonely or isolated were 87 percent more likely to make a risky financial decision than those with social support.

People obtain essential resources like food, shelter, and companionship either from their personal relationships or from financial assets, says study author Rod Duclos, Ph.D. And so when you lack one of those, you tend to lunge for the other to fill the gaps in your life, he adds.

Even temporary feelings of social isolation—say, if one of your buddies blows you off this weekend—can trigger stupid monetary decisions, Duclos says. To protect your bottom line, spend a few minutes online looking through your own Facebook pics if you’re solo. So long as you avoid your friends’ vacation shots (which can trigger negative emotions like jealousy), you’ll actually feel happier and more connected, studies suggest.

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The Healthiest Vacation You Can Take

The Healthiest Vacation You Can Take

Can’t get any shuteye? Pitch a tent. Camping in the wilderness could help reset your sleep cycle, reports new research from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

When a group of people roughed it outdoors for a week, their internal clocks were set perfectly to the natural light-dark cycle at the end of the trip. The campers banned flashlights and iPads, and were only exposed to light from the sun and campfires. That made people’s levels of the sleep hormone melatonin rise at an earlier time, so the campers started feeling sleepy around sunset and woke up shortly after sunrise, says study author Kenneth Wright, Ph.D.

If you’re a night owl by habit, you could be at risk for obesity and mood problems, Wright says. But being exposed to more natural sunlight and less electrical light can help you achieve earlier bed and wake times.

Unfortunately, not many guys can call off work to go camping for a week. In that case, re-tune your circadian clock by upping your sunlight action during the day—go for a morning walk, open your shades, and take outdoor work breaks. And don’t forget to turn the lights down and dim computer screens at night, especially an hour before bedtime, Wright says. (The bright lights snuff melatonin production.)

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