Latest 7 magazine

Hypnotherapy can help you overcome anxieties & control your weight

There are times when we can all feel stressed, anxious and unhappy. Often, it is a response something life throws our way and is something we get over in time. Sometimes, however, the feelings linger, having an effect on our self-esteem and wellbeing. Hypnotherapy and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) can help you overcome your phobias and anxieties, by going to the root of the problem, and making a change for the long-term.
Read the rest of this article »

Zara Baker puts the many questions surrounding laser eye surgery to Mr Pillai, medical director of Advanced Vision Care

As a glasses and contact lens wearer, all the advertisements for laser eye surgery get me thinking. Could I? Should I? How painless is the procedure really? And what should I expect during treatment and after? Mr C T Pillai is medical director of Harley Street clinic Advanced Vision Care (AVC), and a pioneering refractive surgeon with over 20 years’ experience. He kindly took the time to answer all my questions surrounding laser eye surgery.
Read the rest of this article »

Your queries about natural health answered by Jacquie Lane from the College of Naturopathic Medicine

Despite working with a personal trainer I still can’t lose my belly. I eat healthily but I’m stressed. Is it true that this can have an effect?
AM, Brighton

Yes! Normally excess weight tends to settle around the middle for men, and around the hips and thighs for women, that is unless other factors come into play, such as one of the stress hormones like cortisol.

When your body gears up to deal with either mental or physical stress, the hormones adrenaline and cortisol are released to jump-start fats and carbohydrates, to give your body quick energy. These stimulate insulin to be released for the maintenance of blood sugar levels. The end result can be an increase in appetite so that you have the necessary energy to meet the increased needs of your muscles or brain to respond to the stress (think, running from a hungry lion). If you don’t need the sudden power surge, however, excess calories may end up being stored in the metabolically active fat cells around our middle.
Read the rest of this article »

Bupa International has a huge involvement in this month’s TAKEPART Festival. Zara Baker finds out more

If you haven’t already heard (where have you been?!) the TAKEPART?Festival of Sport arrives in Brighton & Hove this weekend. On Saturday 25 June the launch event in Preston Park is a fun packed day full of free activities with hundreds of different sports and activities for the public to try. Healthy food concessions and spectacle events with Team Extreme will start the festival in style.

TAKEPART is all about getting the public excited about sports, showcasing the diversity we have in the city from volleyball and street funk dance classes to mediatation and scuba diving.

Bupa International is a huge sponsor of this year’s festival. The importance of physical activity for our health and wellbeing is at the forefront of the festival, along with leading a healthy, balanced diet, and finding a sport that gets you motivated.

“Exercise is one of the most effective lifestyle changes people can make”

“Bupa International has chosen to sponsor the TAKEPART Festival as part of the Bupa 2011 Global Challenge, which will see thousands of Bupa employees joining together with communities around the world in June to encourage more people to get active,” says Alistair How, managing director, Bupa International. “As one of the largest employers in Brighton, hundreds of staff at Bupa International’s head office will be volunteering at TAKEPART events across the city throughout the festival.

“The Bupa Global Challenge is all about getting people moving through a range of activities including dancing, walking and sports, so getting involved with the TAKEPART Festival is an ideal way for us to do this. We want to help keep people well so they can live longer, healthier, happier lives.”

At the TAKEPART Festival, Bupa International will host the Bupa Zone, where festival goers can take part in a fitness class, try yoga for the first time, or even chance their luck in the Xbox Kinect challenge! In addition, around 100 Bupa International staff will be helping out at the various events at the Festival, to ensure people really enjoy themselves and get active.

“The festival is open to everyone, and with opportunities to try over 80 different sports including, athletics, rugby, hockey and mountain boarding, there is something for all ages and abilities,” Alistair continues. The second weekend of events sees the festival move to Brighton seafront where the Paddle Round The Pier charity watersports festival and skate jam is taking place. The final weekend (9–10 July) is the TAKEPART?local weekend, where five local areas showcase events.

The key message Bupa is sending out that is reinforced by their sponsoring the TAKEPART?Festival of Sport is that exercise is one of the most effective lifestyle changes people can make to reduce their risk of developing long term conditions and improve their emotional wellbeing. There is a wealth of free health information and support available at www.bupa.co.uk/health.

TAKEPART?Festival of Sport, 25 June–10 July. For the full programme of events see www.takepartbrightonandhove.co.uk