Last week’s article was about encouraging you to simply drink more water, but should you also be more thoughtful about the water that you drink? This article’s aim is to make you think a little bit deeper about that…

Firstly, when at home, we usually will go to the kitchen tap to fill up a glass or a water bottle, but is your tap water really the best source of water to drink? Before you read on and be greatly alarmed, be rest assured that British tap water is among the best, and safest, in the world and millions of tests are conducted every year to guarantee the best possible quality.

What’s perhaps the most important healthy habit of them all? That’s right, it’s to drink plenty of water, every single day.

This is perhaps an unexciting habit to encourage you with today, but it’s one of life’s essentials and water plays such an important role in helping you to maintaining electrolyte balance and blood pressure, lubricate your joints, remove waste, circulate blood, regulate your body temperature, and promote your cell health.

Do you ever get that sense in your stomach that something bad is about to happen? Or maybe you had butterflies before a job interview or hot date? Well these are just examples of your microbiome-gut-brain (MGB) axis having a good chinwag amongst each other - and it’s quite a conversation as the human body contains more than 40 Trillion Microorganisms, outnumbering our human cells by 10 to 1 and making up to 3% of our body weight!

Winter has many lovely perks. Perhaps it is cosy nights in front of the fire, enjoying hot drinks after an outdoor walk, or reading a book with soft lights, blankets and a lovely hot water bottle! Just be aware though that reduced sunlight hours is one of the downsides of the season, and it can affect more than just your mood…

Oh so sweet and found in treats,tasting very nice to eat,but the truth is they’re full of deceitbecause now they’re even being found in meat!

Sorry if you don’t like rhymes, but the reality behind the silliness is that sugar is now being added to so many foods (known as free sugars)! Even if you don’t think that you eat that much sugar, you may be surprised to find it hiding in lots of different products such as convenience foods, low fat products like yoghurts, cereal bars, breads, sauces, dressings and cooked chicken! We also need to be careful about the natural sugars that occur in honey, syrups (such as maple, agave and golden), nectars (such as blossom), and unsweetened fruit juices, vegetable juices and smoothies. These also count as free sugars.

As we enter October and see the piles of leaves all off the trees and feel the air temperature start to drop a bit, you’ve maybe started to pull out the Winter Wardrobe essentials and prepare yourself for the cold season ahead.

The Winter season is also the most stressful season we experience - much due to the reduction in sunlight & increase in darkness which brings about the Winter Blues (SAD) - but it’s also always a busy period in the workplace, with a sprint from here through to Christmas and then there’s the added extra pressures from numerous different angles from family and community too. With elevated stress levels, more time indoors and closer contact with more people, it’s no surprise that winter season is also flu season, so what should we be doing to protect ourselves from going under this winter?

Chocolate: feeding human reward centres since 1641! 

4pm Friday was always one of my favourite weekly rituals when working with England Rugby as our chef produced some home made chocolate for staff to enjoy after we had completed another tough week of work preparing for gameday.

Now that I think about it, chocolate has never been too far away from several moments of joy in my life - birthdays, weddings and special occasions. Enjoying choco (of any kind) as an occasional treat is usually no bad thing, but did you know that regularly eating a small square (1oz) of dark chocolate may bring you a host of health benefits? 

Have you ever thought about the connection between what you eat and how well you sleep? Now when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense that these two should be related.

Several research studies have indicated that a diet that’s high in fiber-rich sources of carbohydrates including a variety of vegetables, beans, and whole grains and also contains plenty of lean protein may help you fall asleep faster as well as stay asleep longer.

Wanting to make healthier food choices? The key might be in your planning!

Have you ever heard the expression “fail to prepare, then prepare to fail!” It can certainly be applied to lots of areas of our life including our ability to make healthy food choices!

Guess what? Without drinking water we will die! And severe dehydration will greatly reduce your cognitive functioning. But, I’m guessing that you already know that?!

Have you ever thought about the connection between what you eat and how well you sleep? Now that you think about it, it makes a lot of sense that these should be related.