On Hold!

Health and Holistic is on hold again! Oh, no, you say but don't worry, H and H will be back soon.

The problem, well, it's not a problem, but the reason is that my hosting company, Fasthosts, have just changed the hosting conditions and this has caused me to stop development and change tack somewhat.

In a way it's all to the good (which is why I'm implementing it!). They have given us all a mysql database to use included in the monthly hosting charge (which is also going up!). That means that I can use a content management software solution for a website.

In fact, tests are underway to prepare a website based on Drupal and I am hoping to have this ready by the early new year.

So, once again, apologies for the delay but I am sure that this is for the best in the long run as it will enable me to create a forum and many other useful applications to run with the website.

Downtime!

I'm afraid I have a couple of weeks downtime coming up - well, starting now actually, so there will be no more posts to this blog until around October 20th, 2008.

The photograph is of a motorway in the North of the UK and doesn't it make you want to put your foot down and accelerate away! I love driving and maybe one day I will have a car that I can drive myself.

Sorry about all this but, as something to look forward to, I will soon be back with more new material and interesting posts about health and holistic matters - see you all then!

The Dieter's Curse - Evening Eating

You know how it is, you come home from work, have dinner and then sit down to watch TV or listen to some music and you feel hungry. But this is not hunger for real food, this is hunger to eat something wicked, something like - and I'm going to use the 'c' word - chocolate!

Emotional eating
It's a problem and, no matter how much you have eaten during the day, you will still get that urge because this sort of hunger is not due to lack of food or a desire to eat because you need food but it is 100% emotional. You just need the taste of food in your mouth and on your hands to help you relax.

Of course, you can tell yourself, no, and make yourself not have a chocolate snack or you can hide all the chocolates on a high cupboard where you can't get at them but that doesn't always solve the problem. And telling yourself that you have to go without is a sure way to intensify the craving.

Now, I'm not pretending I know the answer, if I did I'd be a very rich man, but one way out of this circle is to continue your relaxation by doing something different to what you do during the day. And one thing that we all enjoy doing, even if we have difficulty in motivating ourselves to do it, is cleaning and tidying the place in which we live.

Tidying the home. Is this serious?
Do I really mean that? Sure, and you know it's true, start cleaning or polishing and in no time you are involved in what you're doing and beginning to enjoy it. OK, the problem is making a start but here's where we turn a had habit into a good one.

Make a list of easy jobs that you need to do like dust the woodwork or clean the cooker front. These are things that you know take only a few minutes but which you never get round to doing.

Now - and here's the trick - tell yourself that it's very therapeutic to do this and it will help make you feel, not just relaxed, but good inside. And you know this is true.

As soon as the chocolate urge bites and you feel like a nibble, pick up the list and do one of the jobs. Far from being a chore, it will be over in no time and you will enjoy doing it. Not only that but your craving will have been forgotten and you will feel good inside, pleased with what you have done.

Sitting down and watching TV is one way to relax in the evenings but it's not the only way. Often doing something constructive will help you to feel relaxed and maybe help you in other ways too.

Let The Seasons Change Your Diet

It's Autumn here in the UK but fall in Michigan and the wind is swirling while the leaves are starting to change colour and fall as I write. I had an idea today that you could use this change in the season to help motivate you to change your life with a diet.

I'm not talking fad diets here, I'm talking about diet plans that involve good food, as much as you want, and slow (but steady) weight loss.

You know what you should and shouldn't be eating so make a promise to yourself that you will do these three things as Winter approaches. Then you will start 2009 as a new slimmer, healthier you with a new and better outlook on life.

1. Throw out the fat and the sugar, the fad diets and the convenience food and eat as much fresh food as you can get your hands on

2. Plan to eat less red meat and fill your plate with delicious fruit and vegetables instead

3. Make this change to your lifestyle: spend less time sitting and more time walking, standing or doing something that is active and fun

Our bodies are tired and out of condition because of the food we put in them and the exercise we don't get. So use this change into Winter to get yourself out of the rut you're in and onto the gentle upward slope that leads to a slim, healthy and happy future!

Try To Avoid Colds - And Particularly Don't Get Flu

With Winter approaching, colds and flu can be a problem and so it's time for a timely reminder on how to avoid colds and also a tip for how not to get flu.

Colds
Colds and similar aliments are caused because the body's immune system is breached allowing bacteria to get inside and multiply. The way to help prevent this is simple: beef up your immune system!

The immune system functions on vitamins and similar foods so you need to eat a diet that is rich in fruit and vegetables. Lucky you! Now you can fill your plate with the best that the fruit and vegetable store has to offer and use it as an excuse to cut down on rich, fatty meat products.

So, for a few months concentrate on what vegetables you are going to eat for your main meal, not what meat will be on your plate and see how many different vegetables you can fit into a week. Variety is the key to getting a good supply of vitamins.

At the same time, try to swap to leaner cuts of meat and avoid foods that are high in fat.

Exercise is also an immune system booster so make a point of upping your exercise level as the days lengthen and you will avoid the worst of the Winter colds and sniffles.

Flu
I'm talking about real influenza now, the sort that leaves you confined to bed for a week and feeling terrible for another two. Believe me, you definitely don't want to have flu and there is one sure-fire way to avoid it - get the flu jab.

How easily you can get this seems to depend on where you live but make enquiries and try your best for I can assure you that it is well worth while. My wife and I have our flu jab this coming Saturday.

Getting And Beginning The Wii Fit

The Wii Fit is like no other computer game since it comes in a very large and quite heavy box. You can see from the picture the size of the box against the CD inside which is a normal sized CD in a DVD box.

Unpacking and storage
The Wii Fit consists of a game CD but has a large balance board as well that you stand on while doing the exercises and games. Be careful and follow the instructions for unpacking so that the balance board does not fall out of the box!

You use it the same way you use any computer game by connecting it to the TV with a scart socket. In use you stand on the board while watching the TV and holding the controller in your hand.

Bearing this in mind, you will see that you need quite a bit of space between you and the TV and it also helps if the TV is as high as possible. Our TV is at waist height which is fine for my wife but too low for me as I find I am bending slightly to look at it.

Some of the games need you to step on and off the balance board to the left and right side and so you need space on either side, too.

You are advised to use the balance board in bare feet and so it is best to have handy some spray to disinfect the board after use and you might want to have a towel or similar to lay over your floor covering.

Overview
Once connected and working, operation is as simple as following the onscreen instructions and the instructions in the supplied booklet.

Be sure to check out the Wii Fit Plaza to find the graphs and be aware that once you create a player it seems impossible to delete them - unless I am missing something obvious!

The machine communicates with you in written dialogs along with 'Chipmunk' styles noises which you can't understand. Some of the 'patter' is well done while some of it gets on your nerves after a few weeks. However, overall, we thought it was as well done as it is possible to do for this sort of game.

We unpacked, connected and began the Wii Fit without problem and, so far as we can see, you will be unlucky if you encounter difficulties even if you are not used to computer games.

Food Shopping - Work Rest And Play The Sitting Down Way

There has never been a better time to sit down! You can sit and food shop at home from your computer, getting up only to let in the delivery man. Leaving the house, you sit in your car to take you to the store or drive-thru where you fill up with an incredible selection of the finest foods. Yes, it's a great time to be alive!

Or is it? Our bones, muscles, even our mentality is designed for a very different purpose and enforced idleness (yes, that's what it is!) causes us to suffer the two great problems of modern day life.

Physical
You know what I'm going to say. Because of the lack of exercise, those muscles are getting fatter by the hour. The machine that is our body is made to do physical work each day to use up the fuel that we put in. Lack of exercise is what is making us fat but it does, and can, go far beyond this for lack of exercise makes bodies work inefficiently and so they work less well when we need them.

Mental
Physical work, in some way, is beneficial since it produces a good feeling when we do it - or rather when we stop - as every person who has ever exercised will testify.

Not doing physical work, however, causes us to feel stressed and ill-at-ease, as if an important part of being human is denied us. This stress, for that is what it is, is what we see all around us in cities across the world.

Breaking the cycle
Breaking the cycle and moving back to a more natural way of life is easy. You simply need to do something more physical each day.

OK, going to the gym is one way, but simply taking time out to walk more or even spend time doing household chores or working in the yard or garden will make a good start. But best of all, go out and kick a ball about or play with your children or with others of your own age.

If you don't believe me then try it and see how you get on. You only have to start doing it to begin to see the results but be careful because exercise is addictive!