Hair Health

7 Things Your Hair Can Tell About Your Health

Hair Health

Our hair showcases our style and personality as well as boosting our self-esteem. However, it’s not just a weapon of vanity as  Clip Hair prove. Here, Brenda Lee Intignano at the brand presents the 5 things your hair can tell you about your health.

 

Shedding some light on your health

The average person sheds around 100 strands of hair when they wash it. If you notice that your hair is shedding a lot more than usual, it may indicate a health condition.

Telogen Effluvium is temporary hair loss that can occur when a person experiences severe stress or trauma. The hair follicles encounter the telogen, otherwise known as the resting phase, of the growth cycle. Telogen Effluvium sees that the hair stays in the resting phase, not entering the next phase. The hair then sheds, without new growth developing.

Hormonal changes, events such as childbirth or persistent stress can lead to Telogen Effluvium. The condition can last several months and usually resolves itself without treatment.

 

A vitamin ‘dry out’

Just like our skin, our hair adjusts to our environment. The warmers months can lead to dryer strands of hair, that in turn, can lead to breakage. Other external factors can be the use of excessive heat, harsh shampoos, and lots of dying. However, dry hair that rapidly appears and leads to the hair becoming brittle may suggest an internal health condition.

Deficiencies in Vitamin E, Iron or Vitamin C can all lead to brittle hair. Vitamin E is essential for a healthy scalp as it aids in the production of sebum, without iron the hair follicles cannot fully function, and vitamin C ensures that the body produces sufficient collagen which is essential for healthy hair growth.

 

Earl-y Greying

Grey hair is often part of the ageing process as the hair follicles produce less pigment. Although genetics is a contributing factor to greying of the hair, stress can also play a role. Research shows that consistent stress can manipulate DNA, impacting the cells that produce pigment for the hair. As a result, grey hairs begin to appear. If you notice grey hair appearing at an accelerated rate, this may be the result of severe stress.

 

A bit of a flake

Dandruff is caused when the scalp sheds its cells at an accelerated rate. However, persistent flaking may not be dandruff, but Psoriasis. The cause of Psoriasis is not fully understood however, it’s thought that it’s the immune system fighting healthy cells by mistake. Genetics and environment play a role in the occurrence of Psoriasis.

Several over-the-counter medicines can remedy Psoriasis. If the condition persists, medical shampoos and ointments can be prescribed.

 

Splitting up

A strand of hair is 25% water, seeing that if your body is dehydrated, your hair will feel (and show) its occurrence.  When the body is dehydrated, it uses its much-needed to water to help operate its critical organs. The body doesn’t consider hair critical, so will not direct its much-needed moisture its way. As a result, the hair will experience ongoing dryness, leading it to break and incur split ends.

If you notice that your hair is breaking at an unusual rate, it may be time to increase your water intake. Avoid consistently using heat on the hair as this will cause further dryness.

Female cyclist in safety gear

Safe Cycling for Women: What to Wear on the Roads

In 2020, the number of cycling trips made by women in the UK increased by 56%, yet men still cycled twice as much. The pandemic meant less traffic on the roads, which encouraged more women to get on a bike, but the statistics still point to a lower bike usage among the female population.

So, what’s the main cycling concern women have? The answer is safety. According to a survey by bike insurance provider Laka, 41% of female respondents felt apprehensive about riding a bike due to safety concerns and the vulnerability of cycling alone. But it’s not just female cyclists who are vulnerable on the road – men can also be involved in a cycling accident.

Well-lit cycle lanes, cycle lanes separated from main roads, and direct routes can all provide more cycling safety for everyone. But alongside better cycling infrastructure, women can take control of their safety with yet another step – high-visibility clothing.

Together with Ben Mercer from the cycling clothing division at Leisure Lakes Bikes, we explore how female cyclists can dress with safety in mind.

 

Safety with high-visibility clothing

Most cycling incidents happen at dawn and dusk, when it’s still dark and the visibility isn’t great, especially during the winter. That’s when the chances of ‘Sorry, mate, I didn’t see you” (SMIDSY) incidents are higher.

There are a few reasons why bike riders might remain unnoticed on the road, resulting in hard braking and even accidents. These include peripheral sight limitations, noticing only lateral movement, and blindness by the sun.

One way to mitigate these issues and remain safe on the road is by wearing reflective or high-visibility clothing. Reflective clothing reflects any light that hits it and makes it visible everywhere. It works great in the dark, and it looks like another light is shining, making it perform for riding early in the morning or in the evening. However, it’s not always very visible during the day.

High-visibility clothing, known as high-vis clothing, on the other hand, fuses fluorescent material with reflective tape or shapes, which makes it ideal for all day around.

 

What colour of high-vis clothing is best?

Reflective and high-visibility clothing is often associated with construction and road traffic workers. It’s also an essential part of a cyclist’s gear, and there are many trendy items to choose from, ranging from waterproof jackets to reflective cycling gloves.

But which colour of high-vis clothing is the best?

Yellow is the brightest colour on the chromaticity scale and is the most used one for high-vis clothing. Orange, on the other hand, is a close second in terms of brightness with another added benefit – it’s associated with caution and danger, meaning that you will be easily recognisable on the road. Orange is easy to spot outside and is also featured in the auto-warning sign.

But picking the right cycling safety clothing isn’t just about the colour, and other factors come into play, such as conspicuity and contrast.

Conspicuity is the ability of an object to come to the attention of an observer, especially in environments with competing objects.

Contrast is also important for optimal results. When a fluorescent colour, such as yellow or orange, is used against a contrasting background within the clothing, such as black, detection is enhanced.

These high-vis and reflective clothing standards can be applied not just to jackets and vests but also gloves, pants, shorts, jerseys, and even shoes.

 

Feeling safe on the road can encourage more people to cycle, especially women. While developing better infrastructure is vital, there are things we can do to enhance our safety right now, such as investing in high-visibility or reflective cycling clothing.

Medovate

Dedicated Developments

Medovate

Cambridge-based medical device company Medovate – the ‘Best Medical Device Innovation Development Company – 2022’ for the UK, is a business with a unique – and now proven – business model, working closely with clinicians to support the development of NHS-developed innovation. Spun out of the NHS in 2017, Medovate has made a name for itself for its ability to identify and develop high potential innovations into award-winning products which are available for the benefit of patients and clinicians across the globe.

The company is a dedicated medical device development vehicle for the NHS and prides itself on working closely with clinicians to develop valuable medical technology innovations with the potential to improve patient safety. Using its exceptional expertise to help guide them through the entire, and often complex, development pathway – from design, manufacturing, regulation and quality, feasibility testing, and clinical trials, through to product launch, marketing and distribution.

In the space of just four years ago, the company has established a proven platform to bring medical products to market and has pressed ahead with licensing and building a portfolio of medical devices to improve patient safety relating to the specialist areas of anaesthesia, airway management, critical care and surgery.

Today a celebrated, multi-award-winning company, Medovate has achieved a great deal in its first few years and is now confidently looking forward, building on all it has achieved so far, expanding its product portfolio and planning new product launches.

Through its unique medical device development pipeline, the company aims to improve patient care and safety by supplying innovative MedTech solutions to global healthcare systems, which are facing some of the most pressing challenges of the modern era.

The pandemic has indeed created an environment of enhanced safety measures. At the heart of Medovate’s expanding portfolio is its revolutionary technology SAFIRA® (SAFer Injection for Regional Anaesthesia) – its first product to be brought to market. The device – already launched in key markets across the world, from the United States to the UK and Europe, Australia and New Zealand – has been designed to make injection during regional anaesthesia safer.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the European and the American Societies of Regional Anaesthesia both produced joint COVID-19 recommendations stating that regional anaesthesia should be preferred over general anaesthesia as the need to minimise aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) took precedence.

The device, which has been designed in collaboration with NHS clinicians, includes a built-in safety mechanism to automatically limit injection pressure, helping to reduce the risk of nerve damage and promote patient safety. As the practice of regional anaesthesia grows globally, the use of SAFIRA® for regional anaesthesia procedures has the potential to make a significant impact on improving patient safety.

The system has since been developed to include the option of using an NRFit® connector, together with either a foot or palm operator, offering greater choice and versatility to clinicians. Medovate has successfully secured CE mark approval and FDA clearance for the SAFIRA® system.

As impressively, the game-changing technology has also been found to have potential to make a difference in veterinary care and this is being explored with partners in global veterinary markets to see how the technology could make regional anaesthesia safer for animals. A male lion at the Five Sisters Zoo (FSZ) in Scotland became the first-ever animal in the world to have dental surgery using SAFIRA® last June.

The technology is fast attracting considerable attention in regional anaesthesia circles and developing a reputation as a device of choice for supporting safer regional anaesthesia practice. SAFIRA® was awarded the prestigious ‘Patient Safety Innovation of the Year’ at the HSJ Awards in September 2021 – a recognition of its capabilities as an outstanding example of healthcare innovation which has clearly improved safety for both patients and staff, and a further stamp of approval for Medovate’s unique business model.

Having successfully launched its first FDA-cleared and CE Mark certificated medical device in multiple international markets, Medovate now has agreements in place to make the technology available in 60+ countries over the next few years. The company also has a number of exciting additional innovations in the pipeline, including their novel HME safety device HUMIDICARE®, a novel heat and moisture exchanger (HME) which has a safety engineered warning system to promptly visually alert staff to a dual humidification error in a ventilation circuit, helping prevent potential harm to patients.

In the field of critical care, the company has developed Glucosave®, a patient safety solution designed to help prevent incidences of unnecessary administration of insulin following blood sampling where a glucose containing flush solution has been inadvertently connected, something which can have serious consequences for patients.

With the wind firmly in their sails, Medovate is also actively pursuing further regulatory approvals and distribution agreements for other key markets across Asia-Pacific, Canada and South Africa. With further regulatory approvals for the promising technologies in the Medovate portfolio imminently anticipated, and additional technologies approaching clinical trials and market launch, this is just the beginning for this fast-growing company, which has grown from an initial team of 2 to a team of 16, including a consultant based in the US – the home of its first product launch.

Medovate now continues to work with distributor partners who are global leaders in their field to bring its innovations to market, such as Vygon in markets including Europe and the UK; and Mercury Medical, through which it is working to distribute SAFIRA® across the whole of the United States.

The company also has a co-promotional partnership agreement with Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas Inc. – a world-class provider and market leader in medical diagnostic imaging – to promote best practice in ultrasound guided regional anaesthesia across the US. The partnership was formed to highlight the provision of Ultrasound Guided Regional Anaesthesia’ and how the ground-breaking SAFIRA® can be used in conjunction with Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas’ Inc. range of pioneering ultrasound solutions.

Today Medovate continues to work with partners to uncover further NHS innovations to add to its portfolio, keep the positive cycle of developing NHS innovation going and realising its potential to help support further NHS innovation; while also raising awareness of the amazing innovations generated by the NHS which can benefit clinicians and patients beyond the UK. Through its partners and co-promotional partners, the company continues to work towards its vision to promote patient safety through healthcare innovations arising from the UK’s world leading institution – which, as an additional benefit, remains a key stakeholder for the organisation. The company operates a unique model ensuring the Trusts where its new device ideas originate receive a share of the profits from successful commercialisation, thus helping it to feed into the healthcare innovation cycle in an exceptional way.

For further information, please visit medovate.co.uk

Electric Wheelchairs: What To Know Before Making A Purchase

Electric wheelchairs are a big purchase. You want to ensure you know all the essential aspects before deciding. Electric wheelchairs are excellent mobility aids for those who require help staying active. These devices use battery power that helps to move the wheelchair and travel long distances. Electric wheelchairs are also easy to operate, and many models have features that allow for a comfortable ride.

One of the most important things to remember before making a purchase is understanding what you will be using the chair for most?  Are you someone that travels a lot? If so, finding a portable and lightweight electric wheelchair should be on your list.

For those who want a power wheelchair for home use, you will want a wheelchair that can turn and maneuver in tight spaces.  When considering an electric wheelchair, it is crucial to consider the following factors: weight capacity, seat widths and depths, and price. Doing this will allow you to make the best possible decision and find the best electric wheelchairs for your needs.

What is an electric wheelchair?

An electric wheelchair is a battery-powered chair that uses motors to move the wheels. A joystick controls electric wheelchairs, and voice commands or head movements can operate some models. Electric wheelchairs are different from manual wheelchairs because they do not require the user to push the wheels around. Electric wheelchairs typically have a weight capacity of 250 pounds or more.

Who should use an electric wheelchair

Electric wheelchairs are typically used by people with a disability that makes walking difficult or impossible. Electric wheelchairs can also be used by people who cannot operate a manual wheelchair. In addition, electric wheelchairs are sometimes used by people who have a temporary injury or condition that makes walking difficult.

Understand your needs

Before purchasing an electric wheelchair, it is vital to understand your needs. Electric wheelchairs come in various sizes, and the right size for you will depend on your height and weight and precisely what you plan on doing with the electric wheelchair. Combing these factors will ensure a much better buying experience during and after you get your chair home.

Weight capacity

Every electric wheelchair will have a recommended weight capacity limit. These are in place to ensure the wheelchair can support the user without tipping over. Most electric wheelchairs have a weight capacity of 250 pounds or more. However, some models may be able to accommodate up to 300 and higher. These are heavy-duty electric wheelchairs meant to support more significant users.

Seat widths and depths

When choosing an electric wheelchair, it is vital to ensure that the seat width and depth are appropriate for the user. If the seat is too small, the user may be uncomfortable or unable to use the wheelchair.

If the seat is too large, the user may have difficulty maneuvering the wheelchair. having the proper measurement is crucial for the best experience when using an

Electric wheelchair pricing

Electric wheelchairs vary in price depending on the make, model, and features. You can expect to pay anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 for a basic electric wheelchair. More luxurious models with additional features can cost up to $10,000. Make sure you understand your needs, as this can decrease pricing or more depending on the configuration.

Different types of electric wheelchairs

While all-electric wheelchairs function similarly, different types will meet the need of the user better than others. Below are just some of the more popular models of power wheelchairs.

Lightweight electric wheelchairsLightweight wheelchairs are great for those who travel and need to transport an electric wheelchair to different places. However, many wheelchairs are heavy and require the chair to be dissembled into smaller pieces to transport them. New lightweight models have a single-fold mechanism and can weigh under 40 pounds.

Heavy-duty power chairsHeavy-duty power chairs are best for users that require a durable product because of their weight or because they will be using the wheelchair on rougher terrain. Heavy-duty electric wheelchairs can accommodate up to 700 pounds and have wider seats and more robust motors than a lightweight power chair.

Pediatric power chairsPediatric power chairs are designed for children and have features that make them easier to operate than an adult wheelchair. These features include a joystick positioned closer to the child and smaller wheels. Electric wheelchairs for children also have adjustable seats so they can be used as the child grows.

Final thoughts

Electric wheelchairs can provide a level of independence for those that have difficulty walking. However, it is important to understand your needs before purchasing, as many different electric wheelchairs are available.

Once you understand your needs and match them to the specific power chair you experience, it will be much better both before and after you get the wheelchair.

Healthy Eating Week 2022

Healthy Eating Week 2022 – Supporting Healthy Eating In Your workplace

Healthy Eating Week 2022

By Elizabeth Simon, BABCP Accredited Therapist, Supervisor and Trainer Deputy Clinical Lead at Onebright 

Between the 13th and the 17th of June, Healthy Eating Week 2022, will raise awareness about the importance of healthy eating all over the UK.

Binge Eating Disorder is a very serious condition where people use food as a coping mechanism, with meals and snacks being consumed in a short period of time, which then in part affects an individual’s ability to control their thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Unhealthy eating behaviours often have a trickle effect on appearance, body weight concerns and over-exercising. 

According to the eating disorder charity Beat, over 1 million people in the UK suffer from eating disorders, with binge eating disorder, bulimia, anorexia, and avoidant or restrictive food intake being other serious forms of the condition.

 

Spotting the signs of eating disorders 

There are many forms of eating disorders that can affect a person in their daily life, relationships, and productivity at work:

  • Cycles of binges, with eating large amounts of food at once, sometimes followed by purges (getting rid of food by forced vomiting or laxative use).
  • Very strict controls around eating and drinking – including the type of meal or snack, where you decide to eat or drink and the time of day you decide to eat.
  • Distorted body image and a deep fear of gaining weight
  • Feelings of disgust, shame or guilt related to eating or exercise
  • Low self-esteem, irritability and mood swings

 

How to support employees who may have eating disorders 

It’s important for businesses to have a deeper understanding of supporting their employees with not just their mental wellbeing, but their physical wellbeing as well. Here are some ways you can support employees who may find it difficult to cope with an eating disorder, which could affect their productivity and performance at work:

 

Listen & Educate

It can be challenging for someone to open up about how they’re truly feeling and how eating affects them in their daily life. If an employee decides to talk to you about their thoughts and feelings, don’t judge, lend an ear. Sometimes the most significant step of all is them admitting how they are feeling to someone, especially if they have been battling with their eating disorder alone for a while.

Listen intently, be patient and educate yourself on what they may be dealing with. Psychoeducation plays a big role in the recovery of that person, so it can only help you to understand their issues too. Remember you are not taking the role of a clinician; explain avenues available for them to seek professional help and encourage them to do so at the earliest opportunity.

 

Positive adjustments 

Treating an employee any differently will only make them feel worse or they might feel like a burden in regard to discussing their eating disorder. Positive adjustments may be needed to support an individual – and managers need to act without making the employee feel like a burden. Employees will pick up on any change of treatment, so where possible, carry on communicating with them as you would any employee. It also helps to ground them and bring a sense of ‘normal’ in their lives.

 

Be conscious of the language you use

It is important for us to be aware that an eating disorder is a mental health condition, where people have a difficult relationship with food, this can become a way to feel in control of, or cope with emotions and other situations. A disturbance in someone’s eating can be the result of an underlying issue, this will differ from person to person.

Using compliments related to someone’s body image, weight, or shape to try and support them when they are struggling with an eating disorder might have unintended, unforeseen consequences. Body related comments, no matter how flattering, could do more harm than good. It is important to be conscious of our language when communicating with others as body-related remarks can generate the idea that how you look is important in the availability and provision of support. Additionally, these body-related remarks can be a major trigger of negative emotions and behaviours, especially for those struggling with disordered eating.

Shifting the tone of the conversation to be more focused on a person’s overall health and wellbeing can be helpful. Asking about how someone is doing and expressing that you are pleased to see them focuses more on the whole person and ensures people do not feel that they are just seen as having a problem with eating. Conversations and questions which are not appearance related will help people with eating difficulties to focus on their overall wellbeing and help them equate their self-worth to something other than their weight.

 

Psychiatric Care through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Psychiatric Care is a form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) that has been adapted to support and offer treatment to those who suffer from eating disorders. Psychiatry will provide a comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, treatment recommendations and medication where appropriate and ongoing review as and where required. 

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy allows for those at senior management levels to have a deeper understanding of how binge eating disorders can affect their workforce. It also helps to:

 

  • Reveal and challenge beliefs around eating and associated behaviours and educate them on the problem.
  • Understand eating and binge patterns, and how they may be related to mood and other stressors.
  • Address the underlying causes or accompanying difficulties, such as low mood, irritability, anxiety, or low self-esteem.

 

By having that deeper understanding of the ways in which eating disorders affect employees, businesses and organisations can make all important strides in promoting good mental and physical health among their workforce and ensure that employees receive the support they need to overcome it. I encourage people to remember that Eating Disorders are not about food, or weight even if this is how they present it. It is about retaining a sense of emotional control.

Medical Innovation

New Material Paves the Way for Remote-Controlled Medication and Electronic Pills

Medical Innovation

Biomedicines are produced by living cells and are used to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases among other things. One challenge is that the medicines are very expensive to produce, something that limits global access. Now researchers from Chalmers have invented a material that uses electrical signals to capture and release biomolecules. The new and efficient method may have a major impact in the development of biomedicines and pave the way for the development of electronic pills and drug implants.

The new material is a polymer surface* which at an electrical pulse changes state from capturing to releasing biomolecules. This has several possible applications, including use as a tool for the efficient separation of a medicine from the other biomolecules that cells create in the production of biological medicines. The results of the study were recently published in the scientific journal “Angewandte Chemie”.

Biomedicines are very expensive to produce due to the lack of an efficient separation technique, and new techniques with a higher drug yield are required to reduce production costs and ultimately the cost of treating patients.

“Our polymer surfaces offer a new way of separating proteins by using electrical signals to control how they are bound to and released from a surface, while not affecting the structure of the protein,” says Gustav Ferrand-Drake del Castillo, who publicly defended his doctoral thesis in chemistry at Chalmers and is the lead author of the study.

The conventional separation technique – chromatography – binds biomolecules tightly to the surface and strong chemicals are required to make them release, which leads to losses and a poor yield. Many new medicines have proved to be highly sensitive to strong chemicals, which creates a major production problem for the next generation of biomedicines. The lower consumption of chemicals results in a benefit to the environment, while the fact that the surfaces of the new material can also be reused through several cycles is a key property. The process can be repeated hundreds of times without affecting the surface.

 

Functions in biological fluids

The material also functions in biological fluids with a buffering capacity, in other words fluids with the ability to counteract changes in the pH value. This property is remarkable since it paves the way for the creation of a new technique for implants and electronic “pills” that release the medicine into the body via electronic activation.

“You can imagine a doctor, or a computer program, measuring the need for a new dose of medicine in a patient, and a remote-controlled signal activating the release of the drug from the implant located in the very tissue or organ where it’s needed,” says Gustav Ferrand-Drake del Castillo.

Local, activated drug release is available today in the form of materials that change their state in the event of a change in the surrounding chemical environment. For example, tablets of pH-sensitive material are produced where you want to control the release of a drug in the gastrointestinal tract, which is an environment with natural variations in pH value. But in most of the body’s tissues there are no changes in pH value or other chemical parameters.

“Being able to control the release and uptake of proteins in the body with minimal surgical interventions and without needle injections is, we believe, a unique and useful property. The development of electronic implants is only one of several conceivable applications that are many years into the future. Research that helps us to link electronics with biology at a molecular level is an important piece of the puzzle in such a direction,” says Gustav Ferrand-Drake del Castillo.

Another advantage of the new method is that it does not require large amounts of energy. The low power consumption is due to the fact that the depth of the polymer on the surface of the electrode is very thin, on the nanometre scale, which means that the surface reacts immediately to small electrochemical signals.

“Electronics in biological environments is often limited by the size of the battery and the moving mechanical parts. Activation at a molecular level reduces both the energy requirement and the need for moving parts,” says Gustav Ferrand-Drake del Castillo.

 

The breakthrough began as a doctoral thesis

The research behind the technique was conducted during the period when Ferrand-Drake del Castillo was a doctoral student in Chalmers professor Andreas Dahlin’s research team in the Division of Applied Surface Chemistry. The project involved polymer surfaces that change state between being neutral and charged depending on the pH value of the surrounding solution. The researchers then succeeded in creating a material that was strong enough to stay on the surface when subject to repeated electrical signals, while also being thin enough to actually change pH value as a result of the electrochemistry on the surface.

“Shortly afterwards we discovered that we could use the electrical signals to control the binding and release of proteins and biomolecules, and that the electrode material works in biological solutions such as serum and centrifuged blood. We believe and hope that our discoveries may be of great benefit in the development of new medicines,” says Andreas Dahlin.

In the past year, the Chalmers researchers’ results have been passed on to product development, carried out by the spin-off company Nyctea Technologies. The company already has customers among leading pharmaceutical researchers and companies.

*Polymers are chemical compounds that consist of very long chains made up of repeated smaller units. Common plastics are a form of polymer.

Healthy Leader

How to Stay Healthy as a Business Owner

Healthy Leader

It’s easy to see the appeal of the entrepreneurial road. Beyond the freedom and control it gives you to run and shape the business how you deem fit, it can also be more rewarding when successful. However, it can be a demanding endeavor, especially if you’re just starting out. Moreover, it will affect your health if you let the stress and long hours overwhelm you.

Fortunately, you can keep yourself in excellent shape with preventative and wellness activities even with the colossal demands of being a business owner. This article will cover a few tips that will help you stay healthy.

 

Exercise and diet

You’ve likely heard it many times before—move more, eat less. However, while this may sound like essential advice, making sure that you eat healthily and engage in regular exercise is crucial to keeping a healthy body and mind. And if you think it’s a massive undertaking, you’d be wrong. You don’t necessarily need to do a marathon or eliminate entire food groups from your diet.

For starters, try walking whenever you can instead of using transportation. Doing so will enable you to engage in physical activity without having to adopt an intense workout routine. Try to increase your consumption of vegetables and fruits, too, while reducing meat-based products. Also, look for healthier alternatives when possible. For example, instead of carbonated beverages, you can go for turmeric latte, which has the potential to combat systemic inflammation. If you’re looking for one, click here.

 

Schedule downtime

You may find yourself burned out from running your business if you decide to work non-stop. However, even if you have to wear many different hats as an entrepreneur, you must always try to schedule enough downtime for yourself so you can engage in enjoyable activities, spend some time with loved ones like family and friends, and get enough rest.  

Also, never bring your work back home with you. Instead, keep it at the office. Doing so will ensure that you always get sufficient rest and keep you from turning your home into another workplace. It may sound strange, but you’ll be surprised at how much of a difference this can make in helping you stay healthy.

 

Hire the right people

Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of trying to do all of the work themselves. After all, no one is an expert in every single area of a business. Moreover, you’ll only end up exhausted by doing so and become more susceptible to potentially costly mistakes as a result. For this reason, it’s crucial that you hire the right people and trust them to do the work. You’ll be surprised at how much of a difference it’ll make.

 

Conclusion

When it comes to becoming a business owner, it’s not hard to forget about yourself. However, it would be best if you didn’t let the business run you but rather the other way around. By giving yourself enough time to commit to an exercise regime, adopt a healthier diet, get enough rest, and more, you’ll be able to maintain your health without making any compromises that could ruin your endeavor.

Cancer Support

Employers Need a Greater Understanding of Cancer Care to Support Employees

Cancer Support

Sunday 5 June was Cancer Survivors’ Day. This is a timely reminder that cancer is often survivable, given the right lifestyle, screening, diagnosis, and care. All of which are factors that employers are in a position to support.

Debra Clark, head of specialist consulting, Towergate Health & Protection, says: “Employee cancer services are often underutilised. Cancer care is included within a lot of employee benefits products but often the employers themselves are not aware of the full extent of the cover they may have arranged for their employees. Yet it’s vital that they’re aware: better understanding of the support available can lead to better health outcomes for employees.”

 

Prevention

Many cancers are preventable. Around four in 10 UK cancer cases every year could be prevented, which equates to more than 135,000 every year. This is why it is so important for employees to be provided with health and wellbeing support. In the UK, smoking is the largest cause of cancer, and being overweight or obese is the second biggest cause. Employers can assist with both factors by engaging employees with lifestyle, exercise, nutrition support and specific support, such as smoking cessation programmes.

 

Good behaviours

Many providers now offer reward schemes for good health behaviours (when employees take part in exercise, meet a step count, buy healthy food or join a mindfulness session, for example), and actively encourage employees to take responsibility for their own health.

 

Diagnosis

Screening plays a hugely important part in improving cancer outcomes. For example, lung cancer can be screened with an at-home sample test kit, with results in less than two weeks. The survival rate of 5+ years for lung cancer is 61% if caught at stage one, 39% at stage two, 15% at stage three, and only 4% at stage four. However, currently, nearly half (47%) of all cases of lung cancer in the UK are not diagnosed until stage four.  

“The message here is clear. Screening saves lives,” says Debra Clark. “Screening is a simple, cost-effective option that is easily implemented by employers and can be literally lifesaving.”

Offering access to virtual GPs has also become much more commonplace, and this can make a real difference in enabling employees to get concerns checked out.

 

Survival rates are high

Many cancers have very high survival rates. Melanoma, prostate, testicular, thyroid, follicular, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and breast cancer all have a survival rate of over 80% for five+ years and half (50%) of people diagnosed with cancer in England and Wales survive their disease for ten years or more. What is important, however, is for employees to receive good mental and physical care to help them through.

 

Cancer care through work

A perhaps surprising amount of cancer care is available to employees via the workplace. Group private medical insurance (PMI) has a wide range of cancer support. This often includes fast-tracked access to diagnosis and treatment, access to medicines and additional support which may not be available on the NHS.

 

Cutting waiting times

Within the NHS, the target is for at least 85% of patients to start their first cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent GP referral. This target has not been met since Q3 2013/14. This is again where PMI can come into its own, ensuring a faster process in the treatment of cancer. Employees may choose to use a mix of NHS and private provision, to improve their access to care and lessen the burden on the NHS.

 

Post-cancer care

Employers should not underestimate the importance of post-cancer care. This too can be provided via health and wellbeing benefits and may include access to mental health support, therapy, physio, and rehab. For some employees, returning to work will be an important step in their recovery, and one for which they may need much support. It is possible for employers to offer access to specialist occupational health therapists, oncologists, and nurses to answer concerns and support return to work.   

 

Financial support

Support through cancer should follow the same four-pillars as any health and wellbeing support – physical, mental, social, and financial. An employer can ensure that employees with cancer and their families are provided for financially in many ways, from a lump sum on the diagnosis of cancer to payments if they are unable to work.   

 

Tailored communications

Cancer survival rates are higher in women than in men. While there may be biological factors, lifestyle may be another factor, alongside the ‘ostrich’ factor, where men may be more likely to stick their head in the sand and ignore signs and symptoms. Tailoring communications to specific demographics on support for cancer is, therefore, an important part in reaching all colleagues.

Debra Clark concludes: “Survival rates for cancer can be high if the right steps are taken. Employers are in a position to make a real difference but only if they understand the support available and help employees utilise that support before, during, and after cancer.”

7 Tips for Staying Healthy in College

You want to stay healthy in college to have the energy you need for your studies, extracurricular activities, and other things. Most college students don’t remember they should eat well to sustain their bodies, so sometimes the burnout is a reminder.

When clean eating is mentioned, most of us think of rainbows on our plates – those multi-coloured veggies and whole-wheat breads that are not always realistic for a college student with little time for a meal. Good news: while veggies are perfect, you don’t have to ditch the food you love.

Here are some things you can start doing to improve life quality.

1. Eat Nourishing Foods

Food keeps you fresher, better, nourished, and we should try to get as much of that as possible. “Some fast food options are okay, too, if you have them in moderation” says Joan Skimmer, a nutrition expert blogger who also works as a writer for PapersOwl. He adds: “We always demonize them, but maybe we should say that they are best paired with some veggies and healthy drinks and that we don’t have to binge on them every day”.

A balanced meal consists of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, and you want your daily dose of vitamins to boost your immunity for keeping you in perfect health.

2. Move Your Body

Some positive pressure is recommended for physical and mental wellbeing. You could do it alone or get some friends to join you. It doesn’t have to be anything drastic: walks, running, yoga, HIIT, or weight-lifting three times a week could be all the change you need. Cardio is excellent for the heart, and it comes with the benefit of making you look great.

3. Create “Time for You” Routines

School life stress sneaks up on you sometimes, so find something that is good for your internal strength on campus. You are almost always surrounded by others, so you may want to get some space where you quiet the noise and revel in the silence of your thoughts. Get a chill spot to read a book, journal, and even meditate alone.

4. Drink Your Water

Some habits are beneficial, such as drinking enough water daily. You will need to space it out ideally so you don’t feel uncomfortable. The skin starts glowing, you sleep better, and your thoughts are clearer just from hydrating. Some people joke it is the cheapest skincare in the world, and they are not wrong.

5. Catch Some Sleep

We talk about meals so much that we forget how our sleep patterns affect our moods. It’s not always easy to sleep the required eight hours, but you can try to get as much as possible. Ways to make that happen include freeing the mind as bedtime approaches, cutting off caffeine, and drinking teas that allow the brain to go into a nice Zen. You will always have your day and be in the mood for learning after you are well-rested.

6. Meditate or Walk

Not many can still their minds enough to meditate, but practice brings some progress. You can try a few things to see what will make you feel relaxed, including long walks. When you figure out the one thing that brings you back to equilibrium, schedule it and do it routinely as part of your self-care. A few steps a day could be a great way for you to stay healthy in college as a student.

7. Create Healthy Friendships

Even when school work demands too much, don’t forget to be a social bee. When you give yourself a break to become a part of a community, you will have people to take the load off you when you need a good laugh. Friendships made at college last a lifetime for most as they are formed at the point where you are mature enough to know what you want from pals.

Conclusion

Selfcare is a high form of self-respect as it means you value yourself enough to take the time to look out for yourself. You want to set some goals for things such as exercise, food, and internal breaks to achieve the preferred version of yourself. You could start with daily steps, then drop that extra cup of coffee, ditch a bit of sugar, add a vegetable a day for a week, and so forth. Better food and hydration impact your sleeping patterns positively, and before you know it, you could be prepping for a half-marathon!

Scientist working on medical research in a lab

Community-Based Sites: Casting a Wider Net to Close the Data Diversity Gap in Clinical Trials

The publish or perish culture surrounding clinical trials is influenced by politics, economics, and sociocultural factors, all either nourishing the research landscape or creating the equivalent of a hurricane. But while these overarching obstacles loom large in pharmaceutical company boardrooms, frontline investigators are grappling with other, more immediate, pitfalls impacting the volume and diversity of data coming out of clinical trials.

Low enrollment, lack of diversity, and limited research sites currently rank as the top impediments to robust data. However, one innovative company is enabling trial sponsors to pre-emptively stave off Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejections and limited efficacy by providing a foundational element for what could be the antidote: utilizing community-based research sites.

By connecting sponsors with smaller community trial sites, Inato is paving the way for greater enrollment diversity and amping up the data flowing out of clinical trials.

 

The Data Diversity Challenge

To provide some perspective, clinical trials take an average of eight years between initial testing to product approval, with only one in six gaining full FDA approval. A retrospective review of all FDA submissions between 2000 and 2012 showed that nearly 16% of rejected studies could have salvaged their research had they enrolled a larger, diversified population sample.

Given that nearly 95% of the population is excluded from study participation solely because they live too far away from academic testing centers, the consistent lack of diversity is not surprising. A whopping 70% of all clinical trials worldwide occur at just 5% of research sites, which primarily draw patients from populations within 40 miles of trial sites. In terms of inclusivity, racial diversity is a significant issue. For example, FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research’s (CDER’s) Drug Trials Snapshots Summary Report found that just 6% of trial enrollees were Asian. Further, 75% of the patients enrolled in industry-sponsored clinical trials in academic medical centers and community hospitals are white.

The diversity problem goes beyond race, however. Consider that only 8% of cancer patients enroll in cancer trials, and less than 2% of cardiovascular disease trials reported any female sex-specific cardiovascular risk factors. Racial, gender, demographic, and geographic limitations drive up costs, dampen external validity, prolong timelines, and limit the generalizability of findings to the population at large.

 

Enabling a Patient-centric Approach

Decentralized trials, which depend less on traditional research facilities and specialist intermediaries for data collection and instead leverage virtual tools (e.g., telemedicine, sensory-based technologies, wearable medical devices, home visits, patient-driven virtual health care interfaces, home delivery of study drugs and materials), are often held up as the solution to the diversity problem. However, direct involvement and care of a physician is still crucial – particularly with complex trials. Engaging community-based sites overcomes this limitation, allowing patients to seek treatment close to home while receiving necessary support.

By enabling the participation of community-based research sites, companies like Inato are helping to improve representative data collection on a global scale and, in some cases, salvage existing trials that are struggling with enrollment. As a part of a patient-centric approach to clinical trials, community research sites bring access to patients worldwide, including those populations who have historically lacked access to clinical research.

Inato advances inclusion through its Marketplace platform, which reinvents the partnership model between sponsors and sites by reliably matching sites and clinical trials worldwide, opening access to a broader range of sites, and expanding the patient pool. Since June 2020, the company has built a network of over 1,500 community research centers in 40 countries to enroll patients in more than 70 disease areas.

Showcasing the success of this model is a global healthcare company that, due to the pandemic, faced delays in its trial timelines, fewer patients participating in trials, and the rising need to enroll patients quickly as more trials were taking off. Within their portfolio, an increasingly challenging disease area was multiple sclerosis (MS), for which several trials were running simultaneously. These included trials for Relapsing MS (RMS) – a historically arduous recruitment and enrollment area. The sponsor decided to post the trials to Inato’s Marketplace platform, allowing sites the opportunity to self-identify which trials worked best with their patient population and availability. The working relationship between Inato and the sites also enabled the trial sponsor to have a comprehensive view of each sites’ capabilities, ultimately selecting several to successfully participate in multiple MS trials.

For populations that are typically harder to recruit for, like RMS, Inato works closely with community sites to identify those with access to qualifying patients. In this case, the extensive process of pre-identifying patients that met trial criteria allowed one community-based center from Inato’s network to achieve the US First Patient In (FPI) in the RMS Phase II trial. In all, over 70 patients were identified for the RMS trials alone, with one site screening two patients within the first week of activation for a Phase III study.

 

The Power of Community

For the global trial sponsor, Inato’s approach to bridging the gap between sites and sponsors translated into the successful launch of eight studies across several disease areas and nine countries. Using Inato’s Verified Commitment, the sponsor’s team could ensure the trials will meet enrollment goals before they begin screening and receive verified patient commitments from nearly 250 patients across these eight trials.

That organization has since expanded its relationship with Inato to include asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is a strong business case for the power of expanding clinical trial opportunities to often-underutilized community sites, which sets the stage for employing an inclusive research model.

The reality is that traditional clinical trials face more obstacles than ever due to rapidly evolving political, economic, and socio-cultural shifts that are exacerbating existing data and enrollment diversity challenges. By enabling access to the personalized care of community-based doctors, Inato optimizes the advantages of patient-centric trials. Its online marketplace platforms connect large sponsors with diverse community sites and provide those smaller sites with valuable enrollment support, leading to broader population representation and the benefits that come with it.

Increasing diversity, inclusivity, and reach in clinical trials through companies like Inato is emerging as the antidote to publish or perish.

Vape pen

6 Ways To Vape As Safely As Possible

Although vaping has given its users a delightful experience, you should always be careful when using electronic cigarettes. Vapes still contain chemicals that can put your health at risk.

This is why you need to take the following measures to ensure you’re safe while making sure that you have a great vaping experience.

 

1. Learn How To Use Your Vape Properly

First, you should know the right way to inhale and exhale. You should know how to draw the vapor in properly, as wrong inhalation will result in a bad nicotine rush. Remember, the way you inhale is determined by your device, so it’s vital to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on this.

When choosing a vape and the best new atomizers, it’s essential to choose a device that has all the features needed by a beginner. A reputable brand will come with all of the necessary features. It’s one that offers safety, reliability, and durability. 

Another major tip is to never share your vaporizer. Whether it’s a vaporizer or an e-cigarette, sharing a device puts you at risk of contracting diseases.

 

2. Avoid E-Liquids With High Nicotine Content

E-liquids contain different types of chemicals. Some are safe to consume, and others are not, so the amount you take in should be determined by the brand and nicotine content. Nicotine is one of the most dangerous ingredients in cigarettes and e-liquids. It increases the risk of breathing problems. 

Some e-liquids contain more than the recommended dosage of nicotine, which can be dangerous to your health. Hence, it’s important to know the exact amount of nicotine that’s present in each bottle. In addition to this, it’s important to remember that nicotine levels can vary among different brands. To ensure that nicotine levels remain accurate, e-liquid manufacturers should implement more stringent quality control measures and regulate the industry.

 

3. Inhale Less Vapor Than Usual

If you’re thinking of quitting smoking, you might be wondering how to vape safely by using less liquid than usual. Inhaling vapor is still harmful, but the higher the amount, the more dangerous it’s likely to be. One way to reduce the amount of vapor you inhale is to vape more slowly. You can do this by simply holding your mouth open for a few seconds, like you would when smoking a cigarette.

 

4. Use Temperature Control Feature

Using a temperature control setting to vape safely can help you maintain the right temperature for your chosen flavor. This way, you create the perfect vaping experience. Some vaping devices allow you to choose your own target temperature range, so you can control the amount of flavor that you get from your favorite e-liquids. Using a high-quality temperature control device can help you get the most out of your drags.

Many devices offer temperature controls, but this feature isn’t available on all devices. This feature can help you keep your coil and cotton from burning or overheating. It can also help you get the best vaping experience by ensuring that the device’s temperature is as you prefer it.

 

5. Always Practice Oral Hygiene

Practicing good oral hygiene is one of the most important steps for those who wish to vape safely. Not only does vaping cause gum recession and irritation, but it can also lead to sore and tender gums. To prevent these symptoms, practice good oral hygiene and follow proper brushing and flossing techniques.

Although not as harmful as smoking, vaping can be extremely damaging to your teeth. Vaping brings bacteria into your mouth. These bacteria then contribute to plaque buildup and can cause cavities.  It’s important to practice good oral hygiene while vaping to prevent any dental problems down the road. You should also visit your dentist regularly for cleaning and oral screenings to prevent gum disease and tooth decay.

 

6. Vape In Moderation

Nicotine can be addictive. As such, the key is not to let yourself vape too frequently. If you can vape only once a day or even just occasionally, you can stay as safe as possible. Vaping too often can lead to health issues involving the lungs, brain, heart, and mouth. Having breathing difficulties, bacteria in the mouth, and raised blood pressure is possible. With regard to the brain, control issues over mood, learning, and impulse are possible effects.

 

Final Thoughts

While vaping is an excellent way to quit smoking, it’s important to use the right device. If you’re a beginner, you’ll feel overwhelmed. But with the right guidance and the tips above, you’ll be well on your way to vaping safely. 

Why Exercise Benefits Your Mental Health

Exercise isn’t just about physical endurance, muscle size, or losing weight, even though movement will improve your sex life, waistline, and life expectancy. By staying active, you can also improve your mental well-being and symptoms of several mental illnesses and disorders.

How to Stay Motivated to Exercise

A lack of motivation is a common symptom of depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses, making it hard for you to develop a consistent workout routine. Self-doubt, avoidance, discomfort, and poor goal setting are other reasons why it can be challenging to exercise.

However, practicing self-care can keep you motivated. Make sure to drink plenty of water, sleep 8 hours a night, and avoid unhealthy habits, like eating and drinking. Make time for leisure, fun, and socializing with friends or by joining an online fitness community, like Physeek.Fit.

The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise

Regular exercise can improve your outlook on life, increase your energy levels, and promote healthy habits. But, most importantly, it can decrease symptoms of mood or trauma disorders.

How Exercises Alleviates Depression Symptoms
Depression is a common and severe mental illness that shrinks specific regions of the brain and inflames others. As depression affects the brain, neurons in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortices, and thalamus shrink, which lead to memory loss, brain fog, and other symptoms.

Coupled with an inflamed amygdala and reduced oxygen levels, the brain undergoes a lot of stress when you’re depressed. Exercise can release endorphins that make your brain and body feel great, which takes the pressure off of the locations in your brain that are affected the most.

How Exercises Alleviates Stress Symptoms
Stress is like a mild, nagging anxiety attack that typically doesn’t accompany hyperventilation, but it can. When we’re stressed, cortisol and adrenaline are released. These two hormones prepare our body for “battle” by tightening up our muscles and raising our blood pressure.

Prolonged stress can severely affect our physical and mental health, but exercise can release endorphins in your brain, relax muscles, and relieve excess tension from your body.

How Exercises Alleviates Anxiety Symptoms
Anxiety is your mind and body’s reaction to dangerous, stressful, or unfamiliar situations. A certain level of anxiety is normal, but if you feel anxious daily, you’ll start to become hyperactive to threats (real or imagined), which trains your brain to hold on to negative memories.

During an anxiety attack, your body releases the stress hormone cortisol, which makes it difficult for us to think rationally. Exercise is a healthy coping mechanism for anxiety because it helps our minds focus on something else. It also boosts your self-confidence and social skills.

How Exercises Alleviates ADHD SymptomsADHD is associated with low levels of neurotransmitters like noradrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine transmitting between the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortical area. This causes the brain to be in a prolonged depressive state, which causes most common ADHD symptoms.

Exercise can boost the stores of these neurotransmitters in the brain, which help to improve focus. However, exercise shouldn’t be used as a substitute for medication in extreme cases.

How Exercises Alleviates PTSD Symptoms
PTSD and other traumatic episodes cause your brain to get stuck in danger mode. The amygdala, a part of the brain that regulates mood and fear, is more active in people with PTSD. Over time, PTSD can cause the hippocampus, the area that controls memory, to shrink.

Exercise can help your brain become “unstuck” by moving out of the immobilized stress response. People with PTSD should focus on how their body is feeling during exercise, as it can help reduce symptoms faster. Speak to a doctor to get further support for trauma and PTSD.