5 things celebrities like Victoria Beckham are doing to stay healthy

We could be forgiven for eternally wondering how celebrities such as Victoria Beckham manage a career, motherhood and looking great all at the same time.

So HELLO! Online have looked at what the stars' secret to health success is...

                               

Victoria Beckham

From super health foods, used by fashion designer and mum-of-four Mrs Beckham, to ingredients for healthy living from The Saturdays’ singer Rochelle Humes. We've compiled a list of things to help ensure you stay fit and hydrated.

Plus take a look at a super healthy recipe from celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, in our 5 diet tips from celebrities.

1. The gym, Rochelle Humes

"Gym O clock. Lots to get done today x," Rochelle wrote online recently. While we know getting to the gym is one the keys to keeping fit, fitting it into a hectic schedule can sometimes seem like too much. Take Rochelle's tip by putting a workout at the top of your to-do list.

Rochelle Humes makes sure she gets her fitness in at the start of the day

2. Juice, Victoria Beckham

"This cayenne pepper gets u going after an early morning work out! x vb," tweeted Victoria Beckham to her near-eight million followers, alongside a photograph of lemon ginger & cayenne pepper juice.

The juice, by Los Angeles-based Juice Crafters, creates healthy, vitamin-rich elixirs designed to give bodies a boost after a workout without giving stomachs the heavy feeling associated with eating vitamin rocks.

Victoria Beckham's vitamin-packed juice

3. Water, Gwyneth Paltrow

It may pass many of us by, but water is, as Gwyneth Paltrow recently tweeted, "Full of healing power". Not only is it hydrating, water keeps the skin looking young, helps weight loss by aiding the metabolism and boosts energy levels. Nutritionists recommend about eight glasses of water a day.

4. Bee pollen, Victoria

Another tip from super slender Victoria Beckham: "Totally obsessed with this Bee pollen! so good for u!! X vb".      

Victoria Beckham uses bee pollen

It's easy to see why Victoria is a fan – bee pollen contains about 22 amino acids, 18 vitamins, 25 minerals, is extremely rich in carotenes and is high in B complex vitamins and Lecithin.

5. Tuscan kale, Nigella Lawson

And if you have over indulged and you need a health kick, celebrity chef Nigella Lawson has the answer for a healthy dinner. "After a week of everything fried, cavolo nero (Tuscan kale), lemony asparagus and curried carrot and sweet potato soup," she tweeted alongside a picture of the healthy meal.    

Nigella Lawson shared her healthy recipe on Twitter

Known as a superfood for a reason, just a cup of kale provides more than 100 percent of the daily value of vitamins K and A, and 88 percent of the daily intake for vitamin C. Throw that in with nutrient-packed asparagus and carrots and you're in for a healthy, goodness-filled dinner.

Micron Associates Hong Kong Health Tips Top three health tips: Solutions for seasonal allergies

If you, like 50 million Americans, suffer from this perennial pest, you probably think you've tried it all. You've taken the do-nothing approach, optimistic your hay fever would vanish on its own. You've tested out-there "cures" that worked for your aunt's best friend's brother. And from an RX or two, you've gotten relief — plus pesky side effects. To find solutions that actually work, Women's Health magazine scoured the latest research.

Women's Health, published by Rodale of Emmaus, reveals three ways to cope with allergies:

RUN AWAY

1 Going for a jog is the last thing you feel like doing when you're stuffed up. But here's why it might be worth it: A moderate-intensity workout significantly reduced allergy symptoms in one study from Thailand. Exercise may decrease the body's release of irritating histamines and other biological mediators, the same way some medications do, says Dr. Sindhura Bandi, assistant professor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Real Acupuncture

2 Seasonal snifflers who got needled by an acupuncturist 12 times over the course of eight weeks showed more improvement in their symptoms and used medication less frequently than people who didn't get acupuncture or got a sham treatment, according to one clinical trial published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that acupuncture treatments can help bring the body into balance. Preliminary Western research, meanwhile, suggests that these strategically placed needles may help control inflammation by reining in chemicals that contribute to an allergic reaction.

Shoot for a cure

3 Most treatments relieve symptoms; immunotherapy, or allergy shots, offers an actual cure — and it's usually covered by insurance. A small dose of the allergen is delivered with each jab to train your body to tolerate it. Of course, it's somewhat inconvenient — immunotherapy entails getting weekly injections for about six months, followed by monthly boosters for three to five years. "We typically go to that step when patients fail with other therapies or are at risk of asthma, or per patient preference," Dr. Bandi says.

6 Tips for Eating Healthy on Minimum Wage

When it comes to eating healthy, most people picture farmers markets, fresh fruits and most importantly, money. But eating healthy doesn't have to be expensive, even if you're making minimum wage. And if you think the cost of food is the only thing standing between a dinner of chicken breast, quinoa and a salad or a Big Mac, think again.

Approximately 1.6 million people in the United States earned the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour in 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Working 40 hours per week, minimum wage earners could find themselves with little more than $100 per week for food, making fast food and other unhealthy, but cheap, items attractive. But minimum wage earners are more likely to be obese than higher earners, according to a 2010 study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, indicating they are precisely the group that would benefit most from a healthy diet.

If you’re living on minimum wage and want to eat better, here are six ways to eat greens without spending a lot of green – in fact, experts say eating healthy will actually save you money down the line.

[See: U.S. News Best Diets.]

1. Plan accordingly. Healthy eating starts well before you get to the grocery store, says Ruth Litchfield, associate chair and professor in the department of food science and human nutrition at Iowa State University. Litchfield took part in the SNAP Challenge in March – where she spent a week with the food budget of someone who receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, formerly known as food stamps. For her week, she had a food budget of only $84 for her family of three, but found that surprisingly, her budget wasn't the biggest issue.

"It takes a lot of planning," Litchfield says. "People think it can’t be done because of the cost of healthy food, but the constraints are more about time. The time it takes to look at what’s on sale, plan your menu and actually prepare the food is incredibly consuming."

Litchfeld sat down with all the weekly flyers from her neighborhood stores, scouring them for sales. During her challenge week, she found chicken hindquarters on sale – a 10-pound bag for $10. "Once I saw that, I knew that would have to be the prominent protein for the week," she says. "I planned all my meals around it."

[Read: How to Eat Healthy on a Budget.]

2. Do the math. Just because something is cheaper, doesn’t mean it’s the best value, Litchfield says. Figure out the price, then divide by the weight of the item you're buying to determine its unit cost. Use that to compare the true cost of two products.

"I was looking at buying a pineapple," Litchfield says, "and even once I accounted for how much I was going to cut off and throw away, it worked out to be a better bargain than frozen."

[Read: Eating Healthy on a Budget Starts at the Grocery Store.]

3. Fresh isn’t always better. Don’t be scared off from frozen fruit. Some is just as good frozen as it is fresh and lasts much longer to boot, says Kathy Wright, nutrition program director at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. Berries freeze best, she says, and offer a great opportunity to stretch your dollar by avoiding costly spoilage.

"Fresh berries are not a good value because they have a short shelf life," Wright says. "During most of the year they have to be trucked to the northern parts of the U.S. Very few fruits and vegetables freeze as easily as blueberries."

[See: The Best Berries for Your Health.]

4. Buy long-lasting foods. If you’re eating healthy on a budget, spoilage is your enemy. Frozen food can last months, but not every healthy food freezes well. So when you buy fresh, opt for foods that won’t spoil quickly.

"Apples tend to last a long time," Wright says. "Root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, turnips and sweet potatoes have a long shelf life and can be prepared in a variety of ways. Throwing food away is a huge expense, and choosing items that are less likely to spoil quickly allows more opportunity to put it to use."

And if you find yourself with an excess of fruit, don't let it go to waste. If you don't think you'll use it before it goes bad, turn it into something that will last – ​ make jam, can it or freeze it.

[Read: 8 Ways to Eat Well and Save Money at Home.]

5. Cook! With such a tight budget, there’s no room for prepacked or prepared foods, Litchfield says. Cooking for yourself saves money and can also leave you with leftovers to eat the next day or week.

"That’s something that the general consumer may not know how to do​, and may not want to take the time to do so," she says. "It takes a lot of time to plan out your menu, bring it home and cook it, but it’s worth it."

Wright adds that you pay a premium for the convenience of prepared and prepackaged foods, but there are easy workarounds.

"Buy large containers of yogurt and mix in your own fruit or jam, rather than buying several small containers of yogurt," she says. "Buying dried beans is a good value compared to canned beans, which also tend to be high in sodium."

[Read: Building Your Kitchen Confidence.]

6. Do it today. While it may not always be easy, Litchfield says eating healthy on a budget is a worthy investment in yourself and in your future. "People make the assumption that eating healthy is out of range on their budget, but it’s having the skills to take the time to figure that out," she says. "A healthy lifestyle can deter health care costs down the line."

Mental health tips for parents of teens, young adults

(StatePoint) If you are the parent of an older child or teen, you may not think about his or her day-to-day medical needs as often as you did during early childhood. But older kids also are dependent on you, especially when it comes to emotional health and wellness.

“Life transitions, romantic situations, stress and exposure to drugs and alcohol are just a few of the challenges facing teens and young adults,” says James Perrin, MD, FAAP, 2014 president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). “As a parent, you can help ease these transitions and encourage positive choices.”

May, which is Mental Health Month, is a good time to take stock of your child’s emotional well-being. The AAP offers these tips for parents to foster good mental health:

• At each new stage in your childs life, be extra vigilant for signals that he needs extra support. Be ready to provide it.

• Check in often and keep the lines of communication open. If your child is away at college or has moved out, speak regularly by phone. Children should know that they can talk to you about anything. Be committed to broaching tough topics. Talk about your own experiences and fears when you were an adolescent.

• If your teen has a mental health diagnosis, he or she will need extra support. Pediatricians, school counselors and mental health professionals are important resources.

• Watch for mental health red flags, such as excessive sleeping, personality shifts, excessive moodiness, noticeable weight loss or gain, excessive secrecy or signs of self-harm.

• Don’t skip the annual physical. Not only are teens still on a vaccination schedule, but check-ups are a crucial opportunity to talk to your pediatrician about any concerns, as well as diagnose any potential physical and mental health issues. It’s also a great time for teens to seek confidential advice.

• Safeguard your home against prescription drug abuse by keeping your own medications locked. According to the AAP, prescription drug misuse by adolescents is second only to marijuana and alcohol misuse. The most commonly abused prescription drugs include Vicodin and Xanax.

• Provide logistical support for young adults like completing health forms and physicals for college; setting up accommodations at school if they have a mental health diagnosis; finding physicians to care for their adult needs; and signing up for health insurance. Your pediatrician’s office can help.

• Help limit teens’ stress. Don’t encourage them to take on excessive time-consuming extra-curricular activities. Avoid comparing your children. Every child has his own strengths.

• Encourage habits that reduce stress and promote physical and mental health, such as a well-balanced diet, getting at least seven hours of sleep a night, and regular exercise.

• At this age, it’s important for parents to arm their older children with coping skills that will serve them throughout life, rather than handling everything for them.

More health tips for parents of older children, teens and young adults can be found at www.HealthyChildren.org.

As your child gets older, don’t let physical and mental health take a back seat to other considerations.

Micron Associates: Plan now to meet rising costs of dementia patients

Looking back can sometimes show the way forward. An example is Hong Kong's mortality statistics for the last 10 years and the implications for health care. The top 10 causes of death remained the same in 2013 as they were in 2003, except for changes in the order. But the number of deaths attributed to them rose by 18 per cent, from 31,101 in 2003 to 36,552 in 2013, compared with a rise of 5 per cent in the population to 7.25 million. The discrepancy is not explained by more deaths from other causes. It results from a demographic phenomenon of which economists and policy advisers have been warning us - ageing of the population.

The percentage increase in deaths from the top 10 causes was actually in line with an increase in the elderly population - people over 65 - of 19 per cent from 818,800 to 978,000, as average life expectancy increased by five years.

Cancer remained the biggest killer, accounting for 13,538 deaths in 2013, an increase of 2,000-odd over 2003. The figure would have been much higher but for earlier diagnoses and better and more targeted therapies. But the number that really sticks out is for dementia - most commonly Alzheimer's disease. As a cause of death it leapfrogged diabetes mellitus and septicaemia in rising from 10th to eighth, or nearly fourfold to 1,000 from 256. And that does not include death from complications. For example, deaths from pneumonia, a common immediate cause of death among dementia patients, rose by nearly 3,000 over the decade to 6,722, displacing heart disease as the second highest cause. Dementia-related conditions have displaced diabetes among the five biggest non-communicable causes of death in Hong Kong.

Globally the number of dementia patients is expected to double from 36 million in 2011 to 72 million in the early 2030s, according to London-based Alzheimer's Disease International. Few countries have kept up with the demand that places on medical and nursing care. Hong Kong is no exception. Care of a dementia victim can be financially and psychologically stressful for families. Experts say the one in 10 people who will get dementia in their 70s rises to three in 10 in their 80s. As it is now common for people to live into their 80s, every extended family should expect to experience dementia. The latest mortality statistics ought to remind the Hong Kong government of the need for a long-term strategy. Present proposals for health care reform do not specifically address policy and financing options.

Micron Associates: India's Fortis Seeks to Exit Singapore Healthcare Business -- Update

Fortis Healthcare Ltd. has put its Singapore assets up for sale as part of a push to focus on its domestic market, people with knowledge of the deal said, in what would be the latest overseas disposal by the Indian-owned hospital firm.

Run by billionaire brothers Malvinder Singh and Shivinder Singh, Fortis expanded in countries from Australia to Vietnam. But in recent years, the company has cut its overseas exposure with sales of hospital stakes in Hong Kong, Australia, and Singapore. It has, in the process, reduced its debt levels. It is now looking to sell its remaining Singapore interests, namely three hospitals--Fortis Surgical Hospital, RadLink-Asia and Singapore Radiopharmaceuticals--which could raise about US$150 million, the people said.

A Fortis spokesman declined to comment, but said the company is focused on its home market. "Our stated position is that we want to focus on India operations, particularly on hospitals and diagnostics."

The Indian company first moved to Singapore in March 2010 when it spent US$685 million to acquire a 25% stake in Parkway Holdings Ltd., a health care operator in the city-state.

But the investment was short-lived. Just four months after they bought the stake, the brothers lost a takeover battle for Parkway to IHH Healthcare Bhd., a hospital operator backed by Malaysian sovereign-wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd.

Parkway, which operates both Mount Elizabeth Hospital and Gleneagles Hospital in Singapore, has been aggressive in its Asian expansion. Last year, Parkway announced plan to build a Gleneagles Hospital in Hong Kong.

The Singh brothers sold their Parkway stake and made a profit of 116.7 million Singapore dollars ($92 million). Apart from that, Fortis has raised nearly another US$700 million with stake sales. It sold its investment in Hong Kong's Quality Healthcare for US$355 million late last year and unloaded Dental Corp. Holdings Ltd in Australia for another $276 million.

In selling its Singapore assets, Fortis is hoping to capitalize on a wave of recent interest in health care deals in the region. Last year, about $24.7 billion worth of health-care deals were reachedin Asia, according to Dealogic, a 72% increase from a year earlier and the highest level of deal activity for the sector in more than a decade.

Asia's growing middle classes are creating more demand for health-care services and private-equity firms have taken an interest, due to the steady returns offered.

In India, health care deal volume more than doubled last year to $4.7 billion. In Southeast Asia, volume more than doubled to $1.9 billion.

Fortis has health care operations in India, Singapore, Dubai, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. It has 65 facilities including projects under development, more than 10,000 potential beds, and more than 240 diagnostic centers. Fortis says the Indian health-care sector is growing at an annual rate of 15% and revenues are expected to hit US$150 billion by 2017.