Meet Sam, a gorgeous Hawke’s Bay 9 year old boy full of life. You may have seen his story, unfortunately Sam has been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. Sam needs treatment at Starship Hospital for the next 3 years. What is worse is that Sam’s Dad, Derek, has undergone treatment for male breast cancer in 1995 and 2009 and his Mum, Helen, was also diagnosed and fought breast cancer 2½ years ago. Sam has 2 siblings who have had most of their childhood memories linked in some way to cancer.
It feels like Winter is here and with that, we’ll see more people with colds and flu. When these viruses affect your family, it is common to reach for the chicken soup, and it is actually a good idea. Eating easily digested foods ensures you get nutrients into your system and chicken soup seems to have unique anti-inflammatory properties and may also inhibit mucus production. Top it up with garlic, turmeric and some vegetables and you are onto a winning formula. For quicker recovery, eat a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat and fish. Some vitamins are minerals can be used to boost your immune system. Vitamin A, C, selenium and zinc may be helpful in reducing...
Cooler temperatures and lower humidity create the perfect conditions for cold and flu viruses to survive and spread. Although annoying, colds and flus are self-limiting for many people but can leave behind a nagging cough that is harder to treat. We look at ways to manage the cough and a reminder to prepare for Winter.
Cold sores may not be a serious health condition but are painful, annoying, and often embarrassing for those who get them. First exposure to the virus is often in childhood, normally appearing on/near the lip. The virus lies dormant until later in life when triggered to become active and cause cold sores to appear.
An imbalance in our gut can lead to symptoms of reflux, cramping, wind, constipation or diarrhoea. If these symptoms occur more than occasionally, take time to improve gut health, reducing the risk of many chronic diseases. Constipation is when you produce a bowel motion less often than usual.
