Micron Associates Health and Fitness: Dangers of Sitting Still

It's been proven: excessive sitting is a lethal activity.

That was according to Dr. James Levine, professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic. And it's not just him -- results from various studies keep on coming and they're all pointing to your chair/couch as the culprit for bad health. Apparently, one of the most terrible things we can do everyday is to sit still, which I imagine is what most of you are actually doing right about now.

According to studies on the impact of a sedentary lifestyle on health, staying on that seat for hours can lead to higher risks of getting a cardiovascular disease, obesity and disability. The findings are supported by a relatively new field of research called inactivity studies from Micron Associates Health and Fitness.

The thing is, this is not just limited to the classic couch potatoes -- even those who do regular workouts are equally at risk. Marc Hamilton, a scientist from Pennington Biomedical Research Center, explained that a person can be called sedentary if he's not up on his feet moving around.

What's their basis for linking too much sitting to health problems anyway? Actually, the link is still unclear to scientists but Micron Associates Health and Fitness' hypothesis is that sitting for long will cause sluggish blood flow and less fat-burning, both of which are precursors to cardiovascular diseases.

The negative effects of excessive sitting is something that's been debated for many years now but has only gained traction in the past 5 years due to a number of research about the so-called inactivity studies. There were also studies proving the importance of muscle movement in relation to how we process fat and sugar. After a couple of hours of barely moving, an enzyme (lipoprotein lipase) which takes fat from the blood stops operating. So instead of fat reaching the muscle to get burned as energy, it accumulates in the bloodstream, hence the cardio problems. Basically, when you're sitting (sedentary state), there is no muscle activity and metabolism is significantly reduced. It was even suggested that after a day of inactivity, the levels of good cholesterol can fall up to 20%.

Now, the typical counteraction for such a problem would be an advise to do even more exercise time. (And there's nothing wrong with doing a couple of hours of workout after your office shift.) But the bad news is, being an 'active couch potato' is not going to save you either. Apparently, sitting all day is such a big health issue that even a real vigorous exercise before or after slacking off is futile. But this does not mean we should not break a sweat at all; it just meant that relying only on your 1-hour intense workout is not gonna cut it.

For tips on how to avoid the effects of excessive sitting without quitting your job, check back for the second part.

Health Blog Micron & Associates: 7 Anti-Bloating Tips To Help Improve Weight Loss

Night time is critical to help your body lose weight, and bio identical progesterone is number one to do that, but the others might surprise you.

Just think how nice it would be to go to bed and sleep, knowing your body was working away to help you lose weight. Well actually it is, and if you want to help it does that even more efficiently try using these tips to help you do just that.

Tip 1 – Reduce estrogen dominance as estrogen adversely affects cell membranes, resulting in sodium and water influx into cells (causing water retention) and loss of potassium and magnesium. As progesterone is a natural diuretic it helps balance this by helping to reduce weight as excess water is expelled.

Tip 2 – Have a low salt dinner because salt stays in your system overnight, so you wake up puffier than you normally would. A good dinner to avoid this would be steamed vegetables and a lean protein flavored with herbs, not salt.

Tip 3 – Do some exercise before you go to bed and, despite what you may think, active people are more likely to say they usually get a good night’s sleep and that is essential for weight loss.

Tip 4 – Make up your lunch for the following day, because the average restaurant meal contains more than twice the number of calories you should be consuming in one sitting, according to a 2013 study. If you already have prepared a healthy, low calorie, option – and who has time to do that in the morning – then you won’t wreck your diet at lunchtime.

Tip 5 – Drink lots of water because it flushes out your system, which helps you get rid of any water you’re retaining. But make the most of this during the day to avoid lots of nighttime trips to the bathroom and make sure your last drink is at least one hour before bedtime.

Tip 6 – Make sure your bedroom is really dark as
 melatonin can help your body produce more calorie-burning brown fat, according to an animal study published last year in Journal of Pineal Research. You can only produce melatonin in complete darkness so make sure your room is light-free to boost weight loss.

Tip 7 – Keeping the bedroom cool is something that comes naturally to most menopausal women, but a National Institute of Health Clinical study found that people who slept in a 66F room burned seven percent more calories than those whose bedroom was a much warmer 75F.

Micron Associates Health and Fitness Blog

Health Blog Micron & Associates: Six Top Tips for Health Innovators

As the healthcare sector evolves, health organisations are turning to tech entrepreneurs to help solve industry challenges. While it is important to connect start-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with those commercial partnerships and opportunities, innovators also need to know how to build and sell relevant propositions from the start.

Here are six tips for tech entrepreneurs looking to break into the healthcare market, which came out of our knowledge sharing and networking event Digital Health Surgery earlier this year.

Doing business: networking and business models

With healthcare, as with any sector, you must think about how you can develop a sustainable business model for the products you are developing. Think about how you will make money from your service or product from day one. Figure out your routes to market, and the people you will need to get on-side in order to reach your intended user-base.

There are resources out there to help – you can join the Knowledge Transfer Network and related groups such as the Digital Health Special Interest Group, which is working to build a community in the digital health space.

Working with the NHS

Penetrating the NHS is a question of connections, and many start-ups worry about getting stuck at the pilot stage. To avoid this, you must involve clinicians from day one. It is also crucial to run focused trials and testing. Seek out fellow start-ups and SMEs who have been successful in getting their products and services in the NHS system. It is a tough environment to navigate, but there are plenty of professionals who are more than happy to share their experience. The NHS provides ongoing reports and resources across a range of platforms, so make sure you keep up to date.

Accessing and managing data

A question we get asked time and time again is “Where can I access good data?” Statistical analysis forms the bedrock of many health tech innovations, and data holders are often poorly signposted. There are plenty of NHS open data sources as well as open government data. The Connected Digital Economy Catapult also launched the beta version of its Open Health Data platform earlier this year, which aims to encourage innovation through collaborations and making a selection of datasets available

There are also plenty of pay-for data providers. Once you have established where to get your data, you need to build a constructive relationship with the holder – for instance, you don’t want to hit a paywall immediately, a common problem with data providers. Make sure you cover all bases and get expert advice if you are not sure.

Intellectual property: how to protect and exploit it

Intellectual property is a key concern for all innovators, not least those working in health. Before launching your product or service you should have an understanding of how to both protect and exploit your intellectual property. Another concern is data protection and privacy – how do you provide a brilliant new technology while still complying with the rules? This is always a sensitive area in healthcare because you are dealing with patient data.

Your first point of call should be the Health and Social Care Information Centre and Clinical Practice Research Datalink for useful information and resources concerning all aspects of healthcare data. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is a government body responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are safe.

Collaborations

In our experience, people think they want to collaborate but often go into talks without thinking through what they actually need. Make sure you research potential collaborators and ask them about their needs and expectations before entering into a partnership.

Funding and investment

In terms of follow-on investment, there has never been a better time to raise basic risk capital in Britain than now. But it is important to assess what stage you are at and whether you’re ready for investment. There are many health investors out there and if you think you are ready for them, talk to an advisor such as Capital Enterprise, who match start-ups with suitable investors, or Healthbox, who create collaborations between investors, entrepreneurs and healthcare industry.

Health Blog Micron & Associates - Vital Health Tips For Women

Here are science-backed tips to help women stay healthy and feel great, from "The Doctors":

Choose "powerhouse" veggies.

Those are the ones that are the most nutrient-dense, pack lots of vitamins and minerals into every calorie and are strongly associated with reduced risk of chronic disease. According to a new report that analyzed 47 fruits and vegetables, the top 10 are: watercress, Chinese cabbage, chard, beet greens, spinach, chicory, leaf lettuce, parsley, romaine lettuce and collard greens. The fruits and veggies that didn't make the list included raspberries, tangerines, cranberries, garlic, onions and blueberries. Although all contain vitamins and minerals, they are not densely packed with important nutrients.

Run (even just a little).

A new 15-year study suggests that runners may live an average of three years longer than people who don't run. That may not shock you, but this part is cool: Researchers say it appears that running at slow speeds, for just five to 10 minutes a day, can also help extend your life. In fact, reports on the study suggest the risk for death dropped just as much for those who ran for less than one hour a week as it did among those who ran more than three hours.

Regular physical activity provides a long list of benefits, from helping control weight and fighting disease to improving your mood and energy levels. Current exercise guideline recommend at least 75 minutes per week of running or other vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or 150 minutes of moderate-intensity per week. Before you start any new exercise program, talk to your doctor.

Get your blood pressure checked.

High blood pressure has no symptoms. Left untreated, it can cause damage to your arteries, heart and other organs and lead to heart attack and stroke, among other complications. It's important to monitor and treat risk factors for heart attacks, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes and smoking — particularly in younger women: A new study showed young and middle-aged adults are just as likely to have a heart attack today as they were during the previous decade (seniors experienced a 20% decline). Women ages 30 to 54 are more likely to fare worse from heart attacks than men, and take longer to recuperate.

Stick to good, old-fashioned sun protection.

Maybe you heard about drinkable sunscreen — water that claims to contain electromagnetic waves that neutralize ultraviolet rays to protect the skin. Experts at the American Academy of Dermatology are skeptical, to say the least; and there's no published science to back up the promise.

Sunscreen pills, however, have a little research behind them: Studies have shown a particular fern plant extract in some pills increases the amount of time it takes for skin to burn. The pills likely provide coverage equivalent to an SPF of 3 to 5, say experts; and more research is needed on the best way to use them and their long-term safety.

Nothing is more reliable than wearing protective clothes and applying broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.

Try acupuncture for hot flashes.

It has been used to treat a variety of conditions, including back pain, headaches, osteoarthritis, nausea and vomiting. Now a new meta-analysis of research suggests this ancient Chinese technique can also help reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes — the most common, and bothersome, symptom of menopause.

Other ways to find hot flash relief include: making such lifestyle changes as avoiding warm rooms and trigger foods; practicing meditation or yoga to reduce stress; taking slow, deep breaths during an episode; even losing weight, suggests new research from the University of Pittsburgh. Prescription hormone therapy with estrogen has been shown to be the most effective treatment overall, but it can come with certain risks and it's not an option for everyone. Talk to your doctor.

Know the difference between sad anddepressed.

The latter is not something you can simply snap out of. Women are nearly twice as likely as men to suffer from depression; and they are more prone to it in their 40s and 50s. The disease affects the way you think and behave and can lead to a number of emotional and physical problems. In fact, a new study suggests women ages 55 and younger who are depressed are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack or die from heart disease. Once diagnosed, depression requires treatment.

See your doctor right away if you recognize any of these symptoms: Persistent sadness, hopelessness and emptiness; loss of interest in favorite activities; feelings of worthlessness and guilt; significant changes in sleep or appetite; fatigue; inability to concentrate; or frequent thoughts of death or suicide.

Consume more calcium.

More than 27 million women in the USA have low bone mass, putting them at risk for osteoporosis, and more than 8 million women have the disease, according to estimates from the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

Your body needs calcium to keep bones dense and strong, and food is the best source: Choose from low-fat or non-fat dairy, including milk, cheese or yogurt; green leafy vegetables (like broccoli and kale); and products fortified with calcium, such as orange juice and cereals.

Women up to age 50 need 1,000 mg of calcium daily; 1,200 mg for those age 51 and older. Vitamin D is also needed for your body to absorb calcium. Some food sources include fatty fish, egg yolks and fortified milk. Before taking any supplements, talk to your doctor.

Health News Micron & Associates Blog: 3 Simple Tips that Can Have A Huge Impact on Your Health

You know that “getting enough sleep” is a healthy habit, and now new research from Finland reveals that getting at least seven or eight hours nightly also reduces a person’s sick days. Sleeping less than six hours (or more than nine) correlated with higher absenteeism on the job.

“Insufficient sleep—due to inadequate or mistimed sleep—contributes to the risk for several of today’s public health epidemics, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Getting at least seven hours of nightly sleep is a key to overall health, which translates to less sick time away from work,” said a spokesperson. Having trouble sleeping? Start with your healthcare provider, because everyone deserves a good night’s rest.

And while we’re on the subject of sleep, a study in the journal Neurology reports that when your sleep is interrupted or shortened, brain volume may decline. “We found that longitudinal measures of cortical atrophy (gradual and progressive degeneration of the outer layer of the brain, or the cortex) were widely correlated with sleep quality,” the authors write. “Poor sleep quality may be a cause or a consequence of brain atrophy (a decrease in size).”

Next, you may wonder why you see so many reports about the benefits of exercise. The reason is: It works! Here’s yet another one, this time lauding the fact that doing an hour of moderate exercise or half-hour of vigorous exercise might reduce heart failure risk by nearly 50 percent—for both men and women.

“You do not need to run a marathon to gain the benefits of physical activity — even quite low levels of activity can give you positive effects,” a study co-author said. The best advice: Get moving and do it every day. And regarding what is “moderate”? Check out this chart from Harvard School of Public Health. You may be doing more than you think.

Finally, I want to share a story of my fifth-grade friend, Barbara, whose mother repeatedly urged her to “Eat your fruit, Barbara!” My pal never did love fruit. She should have, because we have even more evidence that’s it’s great for your health.

Daily consumption of fresh fruit could cut cardiovascular risk by up to 40 percent, according to new research conducted in China. In fact, the greater the quantity of fruit consumed, the greater effect it had on risk levels. Study participants ate between one and five portions of fruit. Sometimes the simplest things make the biggest difference, don’t they? Starring now in your local produce department: strawberries, apples, nectarines, peaches and so much more. Chomp.

Health News Micron & Associates Blog — How To Keep Your Brain Fit: 5 Health Tips To Help Avoid Alzheimer's Disease Part 2

While everyone wants to get fit and look good, we often forget we have to exercise our brains!

With September being World Alzheimer's Month, we sat down with neurosurgeon Dr. Brett Osborn to learn what we can all do to keep our noggens in shape. Miss Part One of our talks with the expert? Check it out here and then read up on the rest of Osborn's tips below:

Don't sweat stress. There is such a thing as good stress, including the acute bodily stress involved in strength training.

"Of course, there's the bad stress, such as psychological stress associated with work or interpersonal relationships, and environmental stress, derived from pesticide-laden food - toxins. As always, you have a choice."

Osborn says you don't have to accept mental stress in your life either. "Reconsider toxic relationships. Rethink how you handle pressure at work. Perhaps adopt a lunchtime exercise routine."

Fuel a better body and brain. "I don't believe in 'diets,'" Osborn explained. "Fit individuals were around for eons before the term existed, and I associate the term with temporary and, often, self-destructive behaviors."

"Again, it's all connected. A healthy balance of food and activity will inevitably be good for the entire body: the heart, skeleton, muscles, brain, etc. Proper nutrition is a natural mood enhancer, and good health will inevitably improve self-esteem," Osborn stressed.

Feed your head with smart drugs. Osbron says some pharmaceuticals may help enhance cerebral blood flow and increase concentration, including Hydergine, Deprenyl and Prozac, to name a few. The expert advises to ask your doctor about these.

"There are also over-the-counter smart drugs to consider. Piracetam is one of the oldest and has been shown to have a variety of positive effects in patients with cognitive disorders like dementia and epilepsy."

"Vinpocetine has potent anti-inflammatory effects, and inflammation is a key component in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, and others. You may also want to check out gingko biloba and pregnenolone."

Health News Micron & Associates Blog: Fall Health Tips To Keep You Strong This Season

Now that fall is officially here, you've probably already noticed people sniffling or appearing a bit less cheery than they did throughout the summer. And though the season is undeniably beautiful, it does require a bit more of an effort to keep yourself healthy and happy.

Emilie McBride, chef to pro surfer Kelly Slater and author of The Raw Food Beginner's Deck, has passed along some tips to remind yourself of easy ways to boost the immune system, calm the mind and most of all, keep warm.

Eat A Superfood In The Morning

Chef and author Emilie McBride recommends starting your day with a touch of chia. "According to the USDA, a one ounce (28 gram) serving of chia contains 9 grams of fat, 5 milligrams of sodium, 11 grams of dietary fibre, 4 grams of protein, 18% of the RDA of calcium, 27 per cent phosphorus and 30 per cent manganese and antioxidants. Translation: That is a whole lot of goodness for your body before 9:00 a.m.!" She notes it's also easily digestible and hydrating for the body, and that chia slows down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrate calories into simple sugars. Here's her recipe for a chia pudding for breakfast, via The Raw Food Beginner's Deck: 1/4 cup chia seeds 2 cups of your favourite nut or seed milk 1 tsp. vanilla extract Toppings: nuts, fresh berries or other fruits, dried fruits.

Strengthen Your Immune System

Fall is a great time of the year to detox/cleanse so you can strengthen your immune system to prevent the pesky seasonal colds, notes McBride. She recommends eating raw for a day for a quick detox cleanse. "Raw and living foods contain nutritional, digestive enzymes that are compromised when food is heated to about 115°F," she explains. "By keeping food below 115°, those enzymes are kept intact."

Eat In Season

There are many reasons to Reap the health benefits -- more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants -- save money, and be good to the environment, too. Best eats for the season? Apples, corn, pumpkin, butternut and roots vegetables.

Look Inward

"Autumn suggests a downward movement — a time to get ready for a more introspective time," says McBride. "In this season it is especially important to listen to our inner selves, to our body and to slow down." She suggests taking out your journal if you've been neglecting it, and reflecting on the various experiences you had during the summer.

Stay Balanced

"In Ayurveda, autumn is a 'vata' season, and the quality of vata is dryness and movement," explains McBride. "It's important to keep your dosha (one of the body's three humours, according to Aryuveda) balanced, because vata is the force that moves all the others doshas." Some suggestions: • To balance dryness: apply moisture or give yourself a massage using cold-pressed organic oil, using gentle motions toward the heart • To balance cold: apply heat. Wear warm clothes and make sure your home/office has enough humidity. Warm herbal tea is helpful. • To balance movement: slow down, exercise gently, rest, meditate and sleep well.

Use The Moon For A Fresh Start

"New moons symbolize new beginnings and growth," says McBride. It's a great time to start something new, she notes, like a new exercise regimen, or even skincare. Mark your calendar for three new moons in the fall to set your intentions. - September 24th at 6.14 GMT - October 23rd at 21.56 GMT - November 22nd at 12:32 GMT

Take Care Of Your Skin

"Changes in humidity and temperatures can drastically affect your skin’s balance," notes McBride. She advises keeping your skin hydrated, especially on areas of the body that tend to get drier, like elbows and feet. "Get a facial for your skin type," McBride says. "Don’t wait until winter when it may be too late to prepare your skin for harsher temperatures."

Spend Time In Nature

This is a good idea at any time of year, but particular when the colours of fall are at their height.

Get Hot

If you haven't yet discovered a sauna or hammam (Turkish bath) near you, now is the time to find one and go. "The heat will help get rid of the toxins and it will keep you warm ... and always drink plenty of water," says McBride.

Start Eating Mindfully

Your meals may usually have more to do with your mouth than your mind, but Caroline Beliard-Zebrowski, Deckopedia's yoga expert, suggests changing that up this fall for a healthier start. Focusing your attention on all your senses allows your mind to reconnect with your body. Practice this meditation for about five minutes before and as you start your meal. 1. Before you start your meal, pause for a moment. Take a deep conscious inhale and a deep intense exhale. 2. Let go of any hurry to start your meal and calm your mind down. 3. Try identifying what you feel at this moment, with simple words attached to each feeling. 4. If your mind starts wandering, acknowledge it, but come back to your breathing. 5. Now, contemplate what you have in your plate. Become interested and ask yourself questions about the food you are about to eat: Where does it come from, what is it made of? Does the thought of eating this food makes me feel healthy? 6. Bring your attention to the smell of the food by exploring the different aromas. 7. Take your fork consciously, and take your first bite. First, listen to the texture of the food breaking down in your mouth as you start chewing and feel the sensation of cold, warm, crunchiness, or smoothness of the food in your mouth. 8. Finally focus on the taste of your food and explore each flavor you encounter.

Try A New Yoga Pose

A new way of moving your body can help detoxify the internal organs — and if done in the evening, can calm the body after a stressful day. Legs up the wall This pose can help relieve headaches, energize the body and calm the nervous system, stimulate blood and lymph circulation and stimulate digestive organs. To do it, sit on the floor parallel to and against the wall with your knees bent. As you lay down, keep your buttocks and bottom of your feet against the wall. Come onto your back and bring your legs up the wall. Straighten your legs. Stay there for at least 10 long deep breaths. Your exhales must be longer than your inhale in order to slow down your heart rate and nervous system. Your hands can stay alongside your body, palms facing up, or on your belly. To come out of the posture, bend your knees and roll down to the side. Come back to a seated position.

Health News Micron & Associates Blog: Health tips - Have a hearty meal

Heart disease is a simple term for a complex of problems that affect the heart and its ability to pump blood efficiently. Often the problem involves the network of arteries and veins that provide the heart with their own blood supply. However, there are a number of things that you can do to help prevent problems from arising.

It's only natural that most see fat as the enemy. It's the temptation we feel guilty about eating, the indulgence with which we reward ourselves, even though we know we shouldn't and it is the first thing we think of cutting from our diet in order to achieve a healthy heart.

On our journey to good health, we tend to take some impulsive decisions of including and excluding some foods from our diets.

But there are better choices and worse ones and shifting the balance to include more of the right kind — meaning, in addition to fruits and vegetables, grains, that are as intact as possible — is one of the most important foundations of healthful eating.

The Mediterranean way

The Mediterranean diet consisting of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and olive oil in balanced amounts is considered as a heart-healthy diet as it emphasises healthy essential fats and healthy complex carbohydrates that improve your metabolic state as compared to an emphasis on overall reduction of fat in the diet.

The key components

Whole grains

Instead of simply cutting carbohydrates, shift from more refined carbohydrates (such as white bread) and quickly digested starches (such as potatoes and white rice) to whole grains, high fibre foods (like whole wheat bread and brown rice), beans and other legumes. They will give you longer lasting energy and lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Vegetables and fruits

If you don't eat them, try to eat five to nine servings of vegetables and fruits a day. For the most part, they are low calorie foods that you can enjoy in generous quantities and they are among the most effective and important foods for health-building and disease prevention.

Nuts

A great source of protein and further nutritional goodness. Along with being a healthy source of proteins, nuts do contain large amount of fat but it is mostly unsaturated fat which reduce LDL cholesterol and keeps HDL cholesterol high. Time and again studies have proven that eating nuts (5-6 almonds and 3 pieces of walnuts) on most days of the week can greatly reduce the risk of heart related diseases. Just remember to eat them as a replacement for junk food or less healthy snacks, not in addition to these foods.

Good fats

Don't indiscriminately cut fat. Eat less saturated fat and avoid trans-fat but do eat plenty of unsaturated fats. They can improve levels of cholesterol and other fat particles in the blood, strengthen the heart against dangerous erratic heartbeats and fight the gradual clogging of the arteries.

Eat less saturated fat — Whole fat dairy products, including whole milk, cream, butter, cheese, full-fat yoghurt, ice cream, meat, coconut, coconut milk.

Eat more monounsaturated fat — Olives, olive oil, canola oils, almonds, avocados.

Eat more polyunstaurated fat — Vegetable oils, including corn, soybean, sunflower, legumes, including soybeans and soy products, fatty fish, like tuna and salmon.

Avoid trans fats — Margarines not labelled as trans-fat free, vegetable shortening, deep fried food stuff, most fast foods, most commercial baked goods.

Health News Micron & Associates Blog: 10 tips for a healthy festive Eid

Meat is something difficult to digest in comparison to fruits and vegetables

Traditional Eid-time cooking can be healthy, but when you’re celebrating, it’s easy to forget and indulge in too much food that has a lot of salt or saturated fat. But even during celebrations, it’s good to check it you’re still eating healthily.

Health care tips are important in this regard, and one must take care of this to ensure better health in the time when there an abundance of meat. Eid-al-Azha health care tips have serious direction towards meat lovers. The list of given health care tips will enable you to ensure better health. Following, are the Eid-al-Azha health care tips.

Don’t take excessive meat

Meat is something difficult to digest in comparison to fruits and vegetables. It is better to avoid excessive meat. Look out for the leaner cuts and remove any visible fat before cooking. You can ask your butcher to make the mince from leaner cuts of meat.

Morning or evening walk

Health care tips cannot be complete without giving due importance to walking, specially in the days of Eid ul Azha. The walk will enable your stomach to work properly and will help to digest food. Health care tips for Eid-al-Azha includes walking as the most important part.

Fix time of meal

One of the abuses we find in our society is lack of routine in eating food, especially on the occasion of Eid. Try to keep your routine intact even in the days of Eid. If you feel hungry then you can take some vegetable snacks or sugar free drinks or coconut water.

Choose vegetable oil

Try using a vegetable oil like rapeseed or sunflower, instead of ghee or butter when you’re cooking. Start by measuring the amount you would normally add and gradually use a bit less.

Fruits and green vegetables

Never forget about fruits and vegetables even in the days of Eid-al-Azha. These are the vital components of health especially in the days of Eid-al -Azha. Mix it up by tossing lots of different vegetables into a salad. You can include lettuce, tomato, cucumber, radish (noola), carrots, peppers and sweetcorn. Spice up a fruit salad by using chaat masala (a spice mix) with fruits like apples, pears, oranges, papaya and pomegranate seeds. Use fruit juice to add sweetness, rather than sugar or syrup.

Less use of carbonated beverages

Studies of health care tips have shown us that the impact of soft drinks is very temporary. One should avoid the use of cold drinks in the days of Eid-al-Azha due to a number of reasons. Health care tips discourage the use of any soft drink.

Green tea

Include green tea at least after one meal. It is established that green tea would make digestion as an easy process.

Less spice and pepper

Major cause of health problems is the excessive use of spices. It is clearly marked that the use of spices should be minimised for better health.

At least 6 hours break between the meals

Researchers have shown that the delay between two consecutive meals should not be less than 6 hours at least.

Homemade food

In context of our country, it is clearly marked that the homemade food as an important ingredient to health. In the days of Eid-al-Azha, try to cook every possible food at home in the best possible hygienic way. So it is strongly suggested to avoid meals at restaurants.

Health News Available at Micron Associates Blog: 45 Best Health Tips Ever

(Health24 – Live a Great Life)

We've done the legwork for you and here they are: the 45 best health tips. Make that 46 - taking the time to read this tops the list.

1. Copy your kitty: Learn to do stretching exercises when you wake up. It boosts circulation and digestion, and eases back pain.

2. Don’t skip breakfast. Studies show that eating a proper breakfast is one of the most positive things you can do if you are trying to lose weight. Breakfast skippers tend to gain weight. A balanced breakfast includes fresh fruit or fruit juice, a high-fiber breakfast cereal, low-fat milk or yoghurt, whole-wheat toast, and a boiled egg.

3. Brush up on hygiene. Many people don't know how to brush their teeth properly. Improper brushing can cause as much damage to the teeth and gums as not brushing at all. Lots of people don’t brush for long enough, don’t floss and don’t see a dentist regularly. Hold your toothbrush in the same way that would hold a pencil, and brush for at least two minutes.

This includes brushing the teeth, the junction of the teeth and gums, the tongue and the roof of the mouth. And you don't need a fancy, angled toothbrush – just a sturdy, soft-bristled one that you replace each month.

4. Neurobics for your mind. Get your brain fizzing with energy. American researchers coined the term ‘neurobics’ for tasks which activate the brain's own biochemical pathways and to bring new pathways online that can help to strengthen or preserve brain circuits.

Brush your teeth with your ‘other’ hand, take a new route to work or choose your clothes based on sense of touch rather than sight. People with mental agility tend to have lower rates of Alzheimer's disease and age-related mental decline.

5. Get what you give! Always giving and never taking? This is the short road to compassion fatigue. Give to yourself and receive from others, otherwise you’ll get to a point where you have nothing left to give. And hey, if you can’t receive from others, how can you expect them to receive from you?

6. Get spiritual. A study conducted by the formidably sober and scientific Harvard University found that patients who were prayed for recovered quicker than those who weren’t, even if they weren’t aware of the prayer.

7. Get smelly. Garlic, onions, spring onions and leeks all contain stuff that’s good for you. A study at the Child’s Health Institute in Cape Town found that eating raw garlic helped fight serious childhood infections. Heat destroys these properties, so eat yours raw, wash it down with fruit juice or, if you’re a sissy, have it in tablet form.

8. Knock one back. A glass of red wine a day is good for you. A number of studies have found this, but a recent one found that the polyphenols (a type of antioxidant) in green tea, red wine and olives may also help protect you against breast cancer. It’s thought that the antioxidants help protect you from environmental carcinogens such as passive tobacco smoke.

9. Bone up daily. Get your daily calcium by popping a tab, chugging milk or eating yoghurt. It’ll keep your bones strong. Remember that your bone density declines after the age of 30. You need at least 200 milligrams daily, which you should combine with magnesium, or it simply won’t be absorbed.

10. Berries for your belly. Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries contain plant nutrients known as anthocyanidins, which are powerful antioxidants. Blueberries rival grapes in concentrations of resveratrol – the antioxidant compound found in red wine that has assumed near mythological proportions. Resveratrol is believed to help protect against heart disease and cancer.

11. Curry favour. Hot, spicy foods containing chillies or cayenne pepper trigger endorphins, the feel-good hormones. Endorphins have a powerful, almost narcotic, effect and make you feel good after exercising. But go easy on the lamb, pork and mutton and the high-fat, creamy dishes served in many Indian restaurants.

12. Cut out herbs before ops. Some herbal supplements – from the popular St John's Wort and ginkgo biloba to garlic, ginger, ginseng and feverfew – can cause increased bleeding during surgery, warn surgeons. It may be wise to stop taking all medication, including herbal supplements, at least two weeks before surgery, and inform your surgeon about your herbal use.

13. I say tomato. Tomato is a superstar in the fruit and veggie pantheon. Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful cancer fighter. They’re also rich in vitamin C. The good news is that cooked tomatoes are also nutritious, so use them in pasta, soups and casseroles, as well as in salads.

The British Thoracic Society says that tomatoes and apples can reduce your risk of asthma and chronic lung diseases. Both contain the antioxidant quercetin. To enjoy the benefits, eat five apples a week or a tomato every other day.

14. Eat your stress away. Prevent low blood sugar as it stresses you out. Eat regular and small healthy meals and keep fruit and veggies handy. Herbal teas will also soothe your frazzled nerves.

Eating unrefined carbohydrates, nuts and bananas boosts the formation of serotonin, another feel-good drug. Small amounts of protein containing the amino acid tryptamine can give you a boost when stress tires you out.

15. Load up on vitamin C. We need at least 90 mg of vitamin C per day and the best way to get this is by eating at least five servings of fresh fruit and vegetables every day. So hit the oranges and guavas!

16. No folly in folic acid. Folic acid should be taken regularly by all pregnant mums and people with a low immunity to disease. Folic acid prevents spina bifida in unborn babies and can play a role in cancer prevention. It is found in green leafy vegetables, liver, fruit and bran.

17. A for Away. This vitamin, and beta carotene, helps to boost immunity against disease. It also assists in the healing process of diseases such as measles and is recommended by the WHO. Good natural sources of vitamin A are kidneys, liver, dairy products, green and yellow vegetables, pawpaw, mangoes, chilli pepper, red sorrel and red palm oil.

18. Pure water. Don’t have soft drinks or energy drinks while you're exercising. Stay properly hydrated by drinking enough water during your workout (just don't overdo things, as drinking too much water can also be dangerous).

While you might need energy drinks for long-distance running, in shorter exercise sessions in the gym, your body will burn the glucose from the soft drink first, before starting to burn body fat. Same goes for eating sweets.

19. GI, Jane. Carbohydrates with a high glycaemic index, such as bread, sugar, honey and grain-based food will give instant energy and accelerate your metabolism. If you’re trying to burn fat, stick to beans, rice, pasta, lentils, peas, soya beans and oat bran, all of which have a low GI count.

20. Mindful living. You've probably heard the old adage that life's too short to stuff a mushroom. But perhaps you should consider the opposite: that life's simply too short NOT to focus on the simple tasks. By slowing down and concentrating on basic things, you'll clear your mind of everything that worries you.

Really concentrate on sensations and experiences again: observe the rough texture of a strawberry's skin as you touch it, and taste the sweet-sour juice as you bite into the fruit; when your partner strokes your hand, pay careful attention to the sensation on your skin; and learn to really focus on simple tasks while doing them, whether it's flowering plants or ironing your clothes.

21. The secret of stretching. When you stretch, ease your body into position until you feel the stretch and hold it for about 25 seconds. Breathe deeply to help your body move oxygen-rich blood to those sore muscles. Don't bounce or force yourself into an uncomfortable position.

22. Do your weights workout first. Experts say weight training should be done first, because it's a higher intensity exercise compared to cardio. Your body is better able to handle weight training early in the workout because you're fresh and you have the energy you need to work it.

Conversely, cardiovascular exercise should be the last thing you do at the gym, because it helps your body recover by increasing blood flow to the muscles, and flushing out lactic acid, which builds up in the muscles while you're weight training. It’s the lactic acid that makes your muscles feel stiff and sore.

23. Burn fat during intervals. To improve your fitness quickly and lose weight, harness the joys of interval training. Set the treadmill or step machine on the interval programme, where your speed and workload varies from minute to minute. Build up gradually, every minute and return to the starting speed. Repeat this routine. Not only will it be less monotonous, but you can train for a shorter time and achieve greater results.

24. Your dirtiest foot forward. If your ankles, knees, and hips ache from running on pavement, head for the dirt. Soft trails or graded roads are a lot easier on your joints than the hard stuff. Also, dirt surfaces tend to be uneven, forcing you to slow down a bit and focus on where to put your feet – great for agility and concentration.

25. Burn the boredom, blast the lard. Rev up your metabolism by alternating your speed and intensity during aerobic workouts. Not only should you alternate your routine to prevent burnout or boredom, but to give your body a jolt.

If you normally walk at 6.5km/h on the treadmill or take 15 minutes to walk a km, up the pace by going at 8km/h for a minute or so during your workout. Do this every five minutes or so. Each time you work out, increase your bouts of speed in small increments.

26. Cool off without a beer. Don’t eat carbohydrates for at least an hour after exercise. This will force your body to break down body fat, rather than using the food you ingest. Stick to fruit and fluids during that hour, but avoid beer.

27. ‘Okay, now do 100 of those’. Instead of flailing away at gym, enlist the help – even temporarily – of a personal trainer. Make sure you learn to breathe properly and to do the exercises the right way. You’ll get more of a workout while spending less time at the gym.

28. Stop fuming. Don’t smoke and if you smoke already, do everything in your power to quit. Don’t buy into that my-granny-smoked-and-lived-to-be-90 crud – not even the tobacco giants believe it. Apart from the well-known risks of heart disease and cancer, orthopaedic surgeons have found that smoking accelerates bone density loss and constricts blood flow. So you could live to be a 90-year-old amputee who smells of stale tobacco smoke. Unsexy.

29. Ask about Mad Aunt Edith. Find out your family history. You need to know if there are any inherited diseases prowling your gene pool. According to the Mayo Clinic, USA, finding out what your grandparents died of can provide useful – even lifesaving – information about what’s in store for you. And be candid, not coy: 25% of the children of alcoholics become alcoholics themselves.

30. Do self-checks. Do regular self-examinations of your breasts. Most partners are more than happy to help, not just because breast cancer is the most common cancer among SA women. The best time to examine your breasts is in the week after your period.

31. My smear campaign. Have a pap smear once a year. Not on our list of favourite things, but it’s vital. Cervical cancer kills 200 000 women a year and it’s the most prevalent form of cancer among black women, affecting more than 30 percent.

But the chances of survival are nearly 100 percent if it’s detected early. Be particularly careful if you became sexually active at an early age, have had multiple sex partners or smoke.

32. Understand hormones. Recent research suggests that short-term (less than five years) use of HRT is not associated with an increase in the risk of breast cancer, but that using it for more than ten years might be. Breast cancer is detected earlier in women using HRT, as they are more alert to the disease than other women.

32. Beat the sneezes. There are more than 240 allergens, some rare and others very common. If you’re a sneezer due to pollen: close your car’s windows while driving, rather switch on the internal fan (drawing in air from the outside), and avoid being outdoors between 5am and 10 am when pollen counts are at their highest; stick to holidays in areas with low pollen counts, such as the seaside and stay away from freshly cut grass.

33. Doggone. If you’re allergic to your cat, dog, budgie or pet piglet, stop suffering the ravages of animal dander: Install an air filter in your home.

Keep your pet outside as much as possible and brush him outside of the home to remove loose hair and other allergens. Better yet, ask someone else to do so.

34. Asthma-friendly sports. Swimming is the most asthma-friendly sport of all, but cycling, canoeing, fishing, sailing and walking is also good, according to the experts.

Asthma need not hinder peak performance in sport. 1% of the US Olympic team were asthmatics – and between them they won 41 medals.

35. Deep heat. Sun rays can burn even through thick glass, and under water. Up to 35% of UVB rays and 85% of UVA rays penetrate thick glass, while 50% of UVB rays and 75% of UVA rays penetrate a meter of water and wet cotton clothing.

Which means you’ll need sunscreen while driving your car on holiday, and water resistant block if you’re swimming.

36. Fragrant ageing. Stay away from perfumed or flavoured suntan lotions which smell of coconut oil or orange if you want your skin to stay young. These lotions contain psoralen, which speeds up the ageing process. Rather use a fake-tan lotion. Avoid sun beds, which are as bad as the sun itself.

37. Sunscreen can be a smokescreen. Sunscreen is unlikely to stop you from being sunburned, or to reduce your risk of developing skin cancer. That’s because most people don’t apply it properly, and stay in the sun too long.

The solution? Slather on sunscreen daily and reapply it often, especially if you’ve been in the water. How much? At least enough to fill a shot glass.

38. Laugh and cry. Having a good sob is reputed to be good for you. So is laughter, which has been shown to help heal bodies, as well as broken hearts. Studies in Japan indicate that laughter boosts the immune system and helps the body shake off allergic reactions.

39. It ain’t over till it’s over. End relationships that no longer work for you, as you could be spending time in a dead end. Rather head for more meaningful things. You could be missing opportunities while you’re stuck in a meaningless rut, trying to breathe life into something that is long gone.

40. Strong people go for help. Ask for assistance. Gnashing your teeth in the dark will not get you extra brownie points. It is a sign of strength to ask for assistance and people will respect you for it. If there is a relationship problem, the one who refuses to go for help is usually the one with whom the problem lies to begin with.

41. Save steamy scenes for the bedroom. Showering or bathing in water that’s too hot will dry out your skin and cause it to age prematurely. Warm water is much better.

Apply moisturizer while your skin is still damp – it’ll be absorbed more easily. Adding a little olive oil to your bath with help keep your skin moisturized too.

42. Here’s the rub. Improve your circulation and help your lymph glands to drain by the way you towel off. Helping your lymph glands function can help prevent them becoming infected.

When drying off your limbs and torso, brush towards the groin on your legs and towards the armpits on your upper body. You can do the same during gentle massage with your partner.

43. Sugar-coated. More than three million South Africans suffer from type 2 diabetes, and the incidence is increasing – with new patients getting younger. New studies show this type of diabetes is often part of a metabolic syndrome (X Syndrome), which includes high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease.

More than 80% of type 2 diabetics die of heart disease, so make sure you control your glucose levels, and watch your blood pressure and cholesterol counts.

44. Relax, it’s only sex. Stress and sex make bad bedfellows, it seems. A US survey showed that stress, kids and work are main factors to dampen libido. With the advent of technology that allows us to work from home, the lines between our jobs and our personal lives have become blurred.

People work longer hours, commutes are longer and work pervades all aspects of our lives, including our sexual relationships. Put nooky and intimacy on the agenda, just like everything else.

45. Good night, sweetheart. Rest heals the body and has been shown to lessen the risk of heart trouble and psychological problems.

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Exercise and Women’s Mental Health

By Dr. Joti Samra, R. Psych (The Vancouver Sun)

Exercise, eat healthy, and get enough sleep. Sounds easy enough, right? Then why do most of us struggle with sticking to healthy behaviors?

We all know what we should do when it comes to our health behaviors – and what we need to do to live a happy, healthy, balanced, long life. For most of us, however – even in the best of times – it’s hard to consistently stick to all of these healthy behaviors. In fact, data tell us that only about 5% of North American adults do.

We often struggle in sticking to the best of our intentions because we fall into a common trap: making non-specific goals that are too lofty, unrealistic, and therefore unattainable.

In our technologically-driven, not-enough-hours-in-the-day society, prioritization of time and effort is a must. So, if you have to choose, what do you move to the top of the list?

Well, if you are a young girl or woman struggling with a mood issue, the answer is a no-brainer: exercise.

Women are up to twice as likely as men to experience psychological health issues in their life, with anxiety and depression being the most common presenting issues. There are many reasons why this is the case but they include the fact that women are more likely to experience a sexual assault or abuse, and are more likely to be impacted by violence in their intimate relationships. Additionally, women continue to bear the burden of childcare and eldercare responsibilities– even as they are becoming exponentially more likely to be equal or primary breadwinners. Conservatively, 1 out of 5 females will experience depression; newer data suggests the numbers may be as high as 1 out of 2.

My personal thoughts, based on my clinical and anecdotal experience? All of us will at some point be impacted by symptoms of depression or anxiety – perhaps never warranting a full diagnosis -but that will significantly impact our quality of life in some way.

So, when it comes to improving women’s mental health, I put exercise at the top of the list. A burgeoning body of literature underscores the beneficial impact that exercise has on our mood: releasing feel-good chemicals in the brain that operate as the body’s natural antidepressants; elevating body temperature (which can have calming effects on the mind and body); and, reducing the release of harmful immune chemicals that can worsen depression.

In addition to enhancing mood, exercise has a number of secondary impacts that also positively enhance mood: providing an outlet for socialization and interaction – after all, we are social creatures and we not only survive, but thrive when we have good, solid social supports around us; boosting our self-esteem and self-confidence; providing distraction from our day-to-day troubles and worries; and, enhancing our physical health.

We know that our physical health is intimately tied to our emotional health, and that improvements in one area lead to improvements in the other.

It is for all of these reasons and more that I feel that public campaigns such as the Shoppers Drug Mart Ride Don’t Hide initiative are so absolutely fantastic. Not only does Ride Don’t Hide aim to break the stigma of mental illness, but it also makes the connection between exercise and mental health.

If you’re getting ready to participate in the ride, you’ll certainly be making some health behavior changes so that you can hit that 10km, 20km, or even 60km riding goal. Here are some tips that can help you make those health behavior changes actually STICK.

1. Pick a specific behavior to change. Start with no more than one to two behaviors to change at a time. Precisely define what you want to change. Ensure that your goal is measurable. If you need to revise your goals later on, you will have to know where you are headed, and how to determine if you are getting or have gotten there. Ensure that your goal is realistic and time-limited. Set a specific period of time in which you will accomplish it.

2. Identify your readiness to change. Before you begin, ask yourself questions such as: “How ready am I really?” “Is this the right time for me to make a change?” “What are the pros and cons of changing?” Consider the benefits of the change. How can you begin to change in a realistic fashion? What would life be like if you didn’t do it? Is it worth it – how or why? Consider how the change fits with other important life values you hold. Prepare to change. Gather the information and tools that you need. Anticipate setbacks. Remember that small change is better than no change. Get supports as you begin the changing process. Consider how you’ll build on your changing behavior over time. What other behaviors can you add in? Once the changes have been made, consider how you’ll transition to a long-term maintenance plan.

3. Identify barriers. Anticipate setbacks. If you had tried to make a change in the past, what got in the way of success? Be brutally honest with yourself about why you failed. Then solve the barriers that you encountered in the past. Identify the pros of not changing your behavior – this can often help you appreciate why the change hasn’t happened yet. Identify the cons of changing – the reasons the change may be difficult to do. Establish a specific contingency plan for each of the barriers you identify.

4. Implement change. Approach behavioral change gradually. Make small, specific changes. Make a schedule with yourself to build change activities into day-to-day life. Follow the “double-time” rule: Schedule double the time you think it would take to achieve the change.

5. Revisit and revise. Do not get discouraged by setbacks. If you are not on track with the changes you identified, work to identify the barriers again. Were your expectations too high? Was the specific goal you set too ambitious? Revise your goal as necessary. Expect and visualize success.

6. Reward yourself. Set milestones that help you track your progress and ensure that you schedule in regular rewards for each one that you achieve.

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Would you Like a Dose of Food Poisoning with That?

EVERY year there are more than a million cases of food poisoning in the UK.

Chances are you’ll never know the precise cause, blaming your upset tummy on a bug that you’ve picked up somewhere.

However the blame often lies within the home and to be more precise, in the kitchen.

In fact one study found that the average kitchen sink contains 100,000 times more germs than the bathroom.

As the weather gets warmer germs tend to multiply quickly.

It’s also the time when we dust down the barbecue, another common source of food poisoning.

Most victims will be back on their feet within a few days but each year about 20,000 people end up in hospital.

We should all be taking steps to reduce the risks.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is this week running a campaign against the most common cause of food poisoning, a bug called campylobacter.

Found mainly in poultry, it spreads easily and causes more cases of food poisoning than E. coli, listeria and salmonella combined.

It’s estimated that 65 per cent of the UK’s chicken flocks are infected but the bug is killed by high temperatures so there’s no problem if meat is thoroughly cooked.

Handling raw chicken or failing to cook the bird properly are the causes of campylobacter poisoning.

Symptoms can take up to four days to appear and include diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, fever and generally feeling unwell.

This form of food poisoning can also lead to a form of arthritis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and affect the nervous system.

Older people and under-fives are most at risk of severe symptoms.

A common mistake is washing or rinsing raw chicken under the kitchen tap.

Bob Martin, an expert in food-borne diseases at the FSA, says: “Most bugs are on the surface of the skin and even thorough washing won’t kill them.

"All it does is help spread them around by splashing them on to hands, work surfaces, clothing and cooking equipment.

"A splash of water can reach up to a meter from the sink.”

Here are some other tips to cut down on germs in your kitchen and make sure your summer isn’t ruined by food poisoning:

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IF YOU DROP FOOD, BIN IT

It’s amazing how many people think its fine to pick up a piece of food which has accidentally dropped on the floor.

One popular myth is that if it’s retrieved within five seconds and given a quick rinse or wipe, there’s not enough time for germs to stick.

A team of scientists at Queen Mary University of London put this to the test using pizza, apple and buttered toast.

They found that even if the dropped food was in contact with the ground for less than a second it became heavily contaminated.

The same goes for the kitchen floor, carpet or the patio.

Microbiologist Dr. Ron Cutler, who carried out the study, says: “The five-second rule has little effect on the amount of bacteria you would pick up from a heavily contaminated surface.

"If you drop food, put it in the bin, not in your mouth.”

HAND WASHING

Hands are the biggest spreaders of germs in the home.

Wash them every time you go to the toilet and before and after preparing food and handling meat packaging.

Wash hands before popping meat in the oven, not afterwards.

Get into the habit of giving your kitchen sink and washing-up basin a regular scrub with soap and water or disinfectant to reduce bugs.

CHOPPING BOARDS

A typical kitchen chopping board has around 200 per cent more fecal bacteria on it than the average toilet seat.

Hygiene experts advise you to use separate chopping boards for red meat, poultry, fish and veg.

DON’T RELY ON YOUR NOSE

A food label’s “use by” date is the most important guide to deciding if food is still safe to eat because many harmful germs are odorless.

“It’s tempting just to give your food a sniff to see if you think it has gone ‘off’,” says Bob Martin.

“Food bugs such as salmonella, E. coli and campylobacter don’t cause food to smell, even when they may have grown to dangerous levels.

"Food can look and smell fine but still be harmful.”

CLOTHS AND SPONGES

A used kitchen sponge can contain thousands of bacteria per square inch, including E. coli and salmonella.

The sponge’s moist micro-crevices are a trap for germs and are difficult to disinfect.

Replace them frequently.

The same goes for dishcloths and washing-up brushes.

Dish towels and aprons should ideally be washed on a hot cycle after no more than a week’s use.

CHECK FRIDGE TEMPERATURE

The factory setting of most fridges is about 8C but health experts believe it should be much lower.

Most bugs don’t like the cold but listeria grows twice as fast at 8C as it does at 5C, which is the ideal temperature.

Kaarin Goodburn of the Chilled Food Association says: “It’s worth investing in a fridge thermometer as dials on fridges don’t usually provide a good indication of temperature.”

Raw meat should be kept at the bottom of the fridge to avoid blood or juices dripping on to other food.

In warm conditions a thousand germs can become a million in less than two hours so don’t leave food standing on kitchen surfaces.

WELL DONE?

Beef and lamb are the only meats that can be eaten rare.

That’s because any bugs tend to be only on the surface and are killed off first during cooking.

However it’s important to cook burgers more thoroughly because mincing beef or lamb means the surface parts are mixed up.

The thickest parts of chicken and pork, where bugs can thrive, should be cooked to a temperature of 70C.

To be safe, invest in a meat thermometer costing a few pounds.

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By: Adrian Lee