Health &Wellbeing

Volume 4 Issue 4

Health &Wellbeing

‘Leading the way towards healthier, happier lives’

Contents

This month why not try making this hearty Lancashire Hotpot recipe. Full of root vegetables it’s an easy way to get some of your 5-a-day in, and taste’s 4 delicious too!

Find out about Parkinson’s awareness day on page 5 and MS awareness day on page 6. Including subtypes, causes and links to find out more about treatment and 5 management of both conditions.

On page 10 find information about this year’s London Marathon, taking place on Sunday 22nd April. Including start times for each wave, a link to download a spectator guide and information on news coverage of the event.

More information can be found on the London Marathon website including tracking runners and finding finishers times. 10

The Health & Wellbeing Team

Frankie Wythe Editor, social media management, awareness days and charity support

Qualified: BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy from St George's University of London

Aim: To promote healthcare, public engagement, awareness of health conditions and support charities.

Zoe Moore Muscle and Exercise of the Month

Qualified: Level 3 Diploma’s in sport, exercise referral and sports massage from Suffolk New College

Aim: Currently working as a part of the rehabilitation team I am keen to keep exercises varied to be able to adapt at home and gym environments to fit around everyone’s lifestyles and making exercise accessible to everyone

Will Edwards Monthly Sport Specific Training Programmes

Qualified: Level 4– Exercise Specialist in Cancer Rehabilitation

Aim: I love to show people different ways that they can add a bit more variety into their training plans. I believe it’s a case that we need to train smarter, not always harder

Francesca Davey Recipe of the Month

Qualified: BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy from Bournemouth University

Aim: I wanted to become part of the health and wellbeing team as a way of promoting health within our everyday lives. I believe being healthy is not always as difficult as people first believe, so I have created healthy recipes using easily accessible, often inexpensive ingredients to provide some alternatives of our favourite sweet treats.

Lee Platt Mental Health Awareness and Psychology

Qualified: MSc Physiotherapy University of Essex

Aim: Mental health and psychology affect everyone daily and are in everything we do therefore it's important to recognise ways of staying healthy and mindful of the mental health of ourselves and others.

Recipe of the Month

Ingredients

 1kg stewing lamb

 Knob of butter

 1 white onion

 3 garlic cloves

 1 leek

 2 medium carrots

 1 small sweet potato

 1/2 turnip Lancashire Hotpot

 500ml of vegetable or chicken stock

 25g plain flour Method

 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1. Firstly, preheat the oven to 160 degrees. 2. Prepare the lamb by chopping it into chunks. Dice the  1 tsp rosemary onion and garlic cloves. 3. In a large saucepan, add the butter and melt over a  1 bay leaf medium heat. When melted, add the onion, garlic and  900g white potatoes lamb. 4. Whilst the lamb is browning, prepare the other (Image from: flickr) vegetables—cut into chunks. You can pretty much add whatever vegetables you like at this point! Then sprinkle with flour. 5. Once chopped, add the other vegetables to the saucepan, then add the stock and bring to the boil. 6. Once boiled, turn down to simmer and add the Worces- tershire sauce, bay lead and rosemary. Simmer over a low-medium heat for five minutes. 7. Whilst simmering, peel the potatoes and slice thinly. 8. Add the lamb mix to a casserole dish, and top with the sliced potatoes. 9. Melt another knob of butter in a microwavable and brush over the tops of the potatoes. Put into the oven for one hour and 30 minutes. If the potatoes brown too quickly, then cover with tin foil. 10. Serve and enjoy!

Adapted from: /www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/9099/lancashire-hotpot

World Parkinson’s Day

11th April What causes Parkinson’s?  Loss of dopamine– the nerve cells that die and lead to the development of Parkinson’s are responsible for producing a chemical known as dopamine. Dopamine allows messages to be sent to the parts of the brain that co-ordinate movement. With loss of dopamine producing nerve cells, these parts of the brain are unable to work normally, causing the symptoms of Parkinson’s to appear.  Genetics– it is very rare for people to pass on Parkinson’s to their children, it is estimated there may be a genetic cause for 5 in every 100 people with the condition.  Environmental– there is some evidence that toxins may cause dopamine producing neurons to die and lead to the development of Parkinson’s. This could include viruses, bacteria, toxic chemicals and heavy metals.

Types of Parkinson’s  Idiopathic Parkinson’s– the most common type, with an unknown cause. The main symptoms are tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement.  Vascular Parkinson’s– affects people with restricted blood supply to the brain. Sometimes people who have had a mild stroke may experience this form of parkinsonism. The common symptoms include walking difficulties, urinary incontinence and memory problems.  Drug induced Parkinsonism– a small number of people diagnosed with parkinsonism develop symptoms following treatment with a particular medication. Neuroleptic drugs which block the action of dopamine are thought to be the biggest cause of drug induced parkinsonism. The symptoms tend to be static and most people will recover within months, hours or days once the drug is stopped.

Diagnosis  A Parkinson’s specialist will diagnose by looking at past medical history, neurological and medical examination Differentiating between types of parkinsonism is not always easy:  The first symptoms of the different forms of parkinsonism are very similar  In many cases parkinsonism develops gradually and symptoms which allow your doctor to make a more specific diagnosis may only appear as the condition progresses  Everyone with parkinsonism is different and has different symptoms

Join the global Parkinson's community on World Parkinson's Day, Wednesday 11 April 2018, to show people what Parkinson's truly is. We're weaving stories from around the world together to create a film that uncovers what living with Parkinson's truly is. Will you join us? On 11 April, help us spread the message using the hashtag #UniteForParkinsons.

www.parkinsons.org.uk

MS Awareness Week

23rd-29th April Gluteus Maximus

During MS awareness week this year the organisation are encouraging people to dress up in blue for a to raise money for the MS Trust.

What is MS and what causes it?  Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition affecting the central nervous system that affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord  The causes are not well understood, some factors thought to be linked include exposure to certain viruses and carrying certain genes but there is no definitive answers at the moment  MS is not considered an inherited condition as it’s not passed on in a predictable way and most people have no family history of MS

Types of MS  Relapsing remitting MS– the majority of people with MS are diagnosed with this form. This means they will have periods when symptoms flare up followed by periods of good or complete recovery. Some relapses are mild but every relapse is different and it isn’t possible to predict when relapses will happen or how often.  Secondary progressive MS– many people initially diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS find that over tine their MS changes. They have fewer or no relapses but their disability increases. As this follows an initial primary relapsing remitting phase, this is known as secondary progressive MS.  Primary progressive MS– in this type of MS, disability increases from the beginning and it is rare to have any relapses. However the rate of progression varies from person to person and there may be times of improvement or times where symptoms remain the same.

Symptoms of MS There are a wide range of possible symptoms but most people experience only a small number around the time of diagnosis and won’t go on to experience them all. Some of the most common first symptoms:  Fatigue  Stumbling  Pins and needles or numbness  Slowed thinking  Problems with eyesight ll of these early symptoms can also be symptoms of other conditions. If you are concerned that you may have warning signs of MS, it is important to consult a health professional so that you can get the correct diagnosis.

Treatment  Managing MS well usually involves using several approaches at once. As everyone’s MS is different, the best combination of treatments will be different for each person. Treatment may include medication, physiotherapy, complimentary or alternative medicines.

www.mstrust.org.uk

Muscle and Exercise of the Month

Gluteus Maximus

Origin:

Surface of the ilium, posterior to posterior gluteal line and posterior High Step Up inferior surface of sacrum and coccyx

Insertion: 1. With one foot up on a high step Gluteal tuberosity of femur and 2. Push off with the foot on the floor, using your gluteal muscles to push you up iliotibial tract 3. As you step up, raise the opposite arm and bend the Actions: knee to 90 degrees 4. Repeat on each side Hip extension, lateral rotation and abduction

Nerve Supply:

Inferior gluteal nerve

www.mstrust.org.uk

Stress Awareness Month

April 1st-30th 2018

April has been stress awareness month since 1992 - The aim of this is to increase public knowledge of stress, what can cause stress and what can be done to reduce and manage stressful episodes – and to recognise that stress is a normal part of life that we all experience from time to time.

Stress can be caused by anything from a minor event to a potentially life threatening health condition – whatever the cause, the feelings of anxiety and stress can have a big impact on our life. Stress can have a big Impact on our mood, sleep, appetite and even our physical health if we develop poor coping mechanisms such as unhealthy eating , smoking, drinking and a lack of physical exercise. With our modern and demanding lifestyles, family commitments, increasing workloads and what seems like less time to focus on ourselves and unwind, it’s easy for stress to creep into our lives. The effects of stress can mean that we don’t always think about a situation in a rational way and can cause us to catastrophize what is happening and the bleakness of the situation. As well as feeling the way we do it can often result in us taking out our frustration on others and not thinking about what we are doing, only reacting to the stressful stimulus.

What can you do this April for stress awareness month:

 Talk about stress with friends, family and colleagues – talk about the effects of stress and what you do to reduce stress in your life  Support others who are stressed – check they are coping, what helps them to relax and avoid stressful situations  Think about what stresses you and try to look after yourself if you suffer from stress  Take time to enjoy the things in life that make you happy and keep you stress free

Tips for managing stress Keep yourself healthy – there are so many benefits to keeping healthy and getting yourself into good shape. Whether it is changing your diet, exercising more or getting a health concern investigated, feeling as though you are in control of your body will help you to feel in control of your life. Make the changes you have been thinking about – if you’re not happy with something in your life and you have the power to change, make it happen this month! Do something that works towards a positive change in your life. Live in the present – it’s already happened or it may never happen but you are in control of right now. We can’t change the past and we can’t know what the future holds. Enjoy life now and spend more time doing the things that make you happy. Try not to dwell on the negatives – think about all the great things you can do and the things that make you and others happy – tell people and remind yourself of all the positive things in your life. Laughter is the key to happiness – what makes you laugh? Is it a funny story, a ridiculous video or spending time talking to that friend you haven’t spoken to in a while – do something that makes you smile, or better yet makes you laugh out loud. Laughter is a great cure for stress. Consider meditation – this doesn’t have to be in a temple in Tibet; take the time to sit down, close your eyes and enjoy the peace and quiet. Try 5 minutes every day this April to take a deep breath, clear your mind and slow down. Happiness journal – every day this month, write down one or two things that made you smile or made you feel good. It’s easy to forget the things that make you happy and relaxed when you’re feeling stressed. Reading this back can help to remind you that stress isn’t a constant state. Life is challenging – some things in life are tough, try to think about how you can turn disappointments into positive experiences – what can you learn from these experiences? What can you do different next time? How you can you use this experience to grow and avoid disappointments in the future? Help others – stress can be relieved and forgotten about when we are helping others and it can be a rewarding experience helping those in need. Can you help someone who is getting stressed out and really needs a helping hand? Don’t let yourself get rundown – say no to things that you know will pile up and cause you to become stressed out. Sometimes stress situations can’t be avoided so make sure you also make the time to unwind and relax whether this be reading, playing bingo, spending time with friends, going for a bike ride, getting a good night sleep or whatever it is make sure you are getting a balance in your life.

And finally… Stay positive and enjoy life!

www.nopanic.org.uk/stress-awareness-month/

London Marathon

The London Marathon is taking place on Sunday 22nd April 2018.

Start Times

 08:55 – Elite Wheelchair Races

 09:00 – World Para Athletics Marathon World Cup ambulant races

 09:15 – The Elite Women's Race

 10:00 – The Elite Men's Race, British Athletics & England Athletics Marathon Championships and Mass Race

Download the free spectators guide www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com

Guinness World Records Guinness World Records is partnering with the Virgin Money London Marathon for the 11th year running, giving participants in the world’s greatest marathon the chance to become official record title holders. At the 2017 event there were 40 new Guinness World Records titles achieved with attempts by 73 runners, ranging from the Fastest marathon in a two-person costume – a Jamaican bobsled to the Fastest marathon dressed as a toilet roll!

TV and Radio Coverage

The BBC’s coverage of the Virgin Money London Marathon is multi-platform, with the audience able to follow the action on the BBC Sport website, the Red Button service and social media – as well as on traditional mainstream network television and radio. The BBC's television coverage schedule for the 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon will be available in the build-up to Race Day.

The core television coverage has dedicated expert presenters, reporters and commentary teams guiding viewers through the event on BBC One – including highlights of the Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon and Mini London Wheelchair Marathon. The Red Button TV service gives separate expert commentary on a dedicated combined elite race feed, for those who want only elite race coverage, and then offers Finish Line coverage of all runners as they complete the race– accompanied by a graphics ticker containing messages sent in by friends and loved ones. Network television will also show highlights of the whole day on BBC Two.

BBC Radio 5 live will also give comprehensive coverage of the event as usual – fronted by John Inverdale with lead commentators Mike Costello and Ed Harry, and reporters including Colin Paterson, Jennie Gow and Sonja McLaughlan. BBC Radio London will feature live coverage and reports through the afternoon on BBC Radio London 94.9, BBC Radio London digital radio and BBC Radio London online.

Yoga Pose of the Month

Gate Pose

1. Kneel on the floor and stretch one leg out to the side, pressing the foot into the floor. Keep your knee of the other leg directly below your hip. 2. As you inhale, bring your arms out to your sides, parallel to the floor with palms down. Bend to the side over the extended leg, stretching your torso. Place your hand on your knee. 3. With an inhalation sweep your opposite arm over the back of your ear and side bend to drop the torso towards the floor. 4. Stay in this pose anywhere from 30-60 seconds. 5. Repeat on both sides.

www.yogajournal.com

Find us on social media

‘Leading the way towards healthier, happier lives’