The forward fold is simple and is great for reducing stress and can also assist with circulation and the regulation of the nervous system.
The most traditional way to do this would be sitting on the floor with your legs together in front of you – you can bend them slightly to reduce tension in the hips or hamstrings – and then allow your upper body to fold forwards over the legs.
Take a few deep breaths while focusing on relaxing your upper body, and then slowly roll up to a seated position. When upright, roll your shoulders a few times to bring your body back into alignment.
You can do this in a chair too. While seated, keep your feet flat on the floor and let your upper body gently fold forwards.
We all know regular exercise is good for our bodies — but did you know it’s great for your eyes too?
From boosting circulation to lowering the risk of serious eye conditions, staying active plays an important role in keeping your vision healthy.
Why Blood Flow Matters for Eye Health
Your eyes rely on a rich supply of oxygen and nutrients delivered through tiny blood vessels. Good circulation helps keep these vessels healthy, supporting the retina and optic nerve — two key players in how well you see.
Poor circulation, on the other hand, can contribute to eye problems like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration.
How Exercise Helps
Regular physical activity supports overall cardiovascular health, which in turn benefits your eyes. Exercise can:
1. Improve blood flow to nourish delicate eyes
2. Lower blood pressure and reduce strain on eye vessels
3. Help regulate blood sugar – important for people with diabetes
4. Reduce inflammation that can impact eye health.
Even moderate activities like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming a few times a week can make a difference.
The Long-Term Benefits
Staying active isn’t just about avoiding disease — it’s also about maintaining your quality of life. Better circulation supports sharper vision for longer, helping you keep doing the things you love — from reading and driving to enjoying the great outdoors.
Extra-virgin olive oil contains oleocanthal, a compound that reduces inflammation in a way similar to ibuprofen, by blocking inflammatory enzymes.
A 2005 study showed that these anti-inflammatory effects could help ease inflammation-related pain. It found that consuming around 50g (about 4 tablespoons) of extra-virgin olive oil daily would provide a small, regular dose of oleocanthal.
Extra-virgin olive oil is expensive and if cost is a concern, you can alternate with other anti-inflammatory options such as rapeseed, flaxseed or avocado oils.
Digestive issues are on the rise – 86% of Brits have had gastrointestinal complaints, ranging from bloating to extreme pain, and Google searches for ‘gut health’ have risen by 400% in recent years.
The good news is that improving your gut health can have a massive impact on both your physical and mental health, and it needn’t be complicated or require expensive ingredients or supplements
Here are some of the main reasons you might need care, and simple changes you can make.
1. Limit ultra processed. They are bursting with additives and emulsifiers, which can have a negative effect on our microbes. Aim to eat a diet higher in natural foods that don’t come with a long ingredient list, such as wholegrains, lean meats, vegetables and fruit.
2. Enjoy more fibre. A lack of fibre can negatively affect your microbes. Get more plant diversity into your life to increase your fibre intake. 30 different plant variants a week is a good target. Try mixed bags of salad, different colours of peppers, mixed frozen veg, lentils, pulses, and use a sprinkle of nuts and seed mixes on soups and salads.
3. Reduce stress. Stress is bad news for your beneficial microbes and one of the biggest hurdles in modern life. Take three deep breaths before eating, to switch to rest and digest mode. Planning your meals and taking your time to eat can help reduce overeating (and stress).
4. Don’t eat late at night. Overindulging before bedtime can disrupt your sleep and your microbes. Research shows the better quality of sleep you have the more likely it is that you have a greater number of beneficial microbes. Try going to bed earlier too – aim for at least seven hours a night.
5. Post antibiotic remedies. Antibiotic can be lifesavers, but they’re like a nuclear bomb on your microbes! These can regenerate in time, but not always in a good balance. Having a regular intake of fermented foods rich in probiotics (good bacteria) can help improve this. Good choices include live yoghurt, miso, kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir and kombucha.
6. Move more. Exercise can positively change your microbes and how they function. Studies in women have shown that those who did at least 3 hours of exercise a week had increased levels of gut bacteria associated with a lean BMI. You don’t need to do high-intensity exercise (as this can stress out the body and can therefore negatively influence your microbes) simply do more exercises you enjoy, such as walking with friends.
7. Cut down on booze. Excess alcohol can damage your gut lining and reduce beneficial microbes. Binge drinking can be particularly problematic, with studies suggesting negative gut results can last 1 to 2 weeks. If you’re going to have a drink or two, then red wine is a good option as it’s packed with healthy polyphenols (plant-based chemicals) which can help your microbes be more efficient.
There have been many years of science to show how good walking is for you, it’s great for your mental health and your sense of well-being.
A walk around the park is great, but do it mindfully. Think of it as a little holiday in your day, even if it’s just 15 minutes.
Resist having your phone on or listening to a podcast. Just people-watch or look around you at your environment. It costs nothing, but the value of it is immense.
The idea of exercise snacks is that you fit short periods of exercise into your day. We think we have to do 30 minutes in one go but we don’t.
Fitting short bursts of exertion into your day – things like a brisk 10 to 15 minute walk, running up and down the stairs a few times, doing 60 seconds of star jumps or dancing enthusiastically to a couple of songs – can also boost your energy too.
When you sit there lethargically, your blood sugars can go up and your blood pressure might rise. Moving your body pumps more oxygen into your brain and stirs you up.
It is recommended that some of your exercise snacks include resistance exercise exercises, such as press-ups and squats, to build muscle.
It is hugely important that we stand for regular periods throughout the day. The average person sits for 9 and a half hours a day and we just aren’t designed to be that way. Our ancestors would have been roaming around a lot more.
We know from many studies that sitting a lot is increasing our risk of heart attacks, strokes and other health issues so it’s recommended we get up and move around for a few minutes every 30 minutes.
Find ways to slot more standing into your life including using a standing desk, standing on public transport or getting up every time you receive a phone call.
So it seems there is truth in the saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’.
We know that the skin of apples is rich in fibre and flavonoids (a beneficial compound) and research has shown that apples feed the good bacteria in your gut and help stop sugary cravings.
Flavonoids from fruit can increase the production of a molecule in our body called nitric oxide that regulates blood pressure and maintains blood vessel health.
Most of an apple’s flavonoids can be found in or just under the skin so ideally you should eat your apples unpeeled to gain the maximum benefits.
Last month I posted an article explaining which foods you can fill up on to see an improvement in your hair health. Here are some more foods you can try adding into your diet to help you achieve lovely locks!
Fill up on beans for longer lengths: Zinc is also an important mineral for lovely locks. It helps maintain hair condition and is involved in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, and influences hair follicles and hair growth. A deficiency of zinc can lead to brittle hair and hair loss. Food providing zinc include beef shellfish, dairy foods (especially cheese), eggs, beans and chickpeas, bread, wholegrain cereals, nuts and seeds such as pumpkin seeds.
Avoid breakage with sweet potatoes: You might often noticed biotin mentioned in hair supplements. This vitamin is crucial for hair health, acting like a catalyst in the production of keratin, the protein that forms the hair shaft. Without enough biotin, hair can become brittle and prone to breakage, and growth may be hampered. Thankfully, biotin deficiency is rare, and incorporating foods like eggs, nuts seeds, sweet potatoes and mushrooms into your diet can help maintain healthy levels.
Protect your locks by eating olive oil: Vitamin E can protect cells from damage. It helps to provide protection to hair from the negative impact of strong sunlight, pollution, smoke and chemicals. It may also help prevent scalp dryness. Good sources include plant oils such as rapeseed oil, olive oil and sunflower oil, nuts and seeds and wheatgerm (found in cereals and cereal products).
Eat the rainbow for all round hair health: Eating a variety of colourful foods is vital for her health. It’s important to increase antioxidant consumption to maintain a healthy scalp and hair. The easiest way to do this is to aim to eat at least one serving per day from each colour group – red, orange/yellow, green and blue/purple. This way you’ll get the full spectrum of powerful antioxidants such as resveratrol, chlorophyll, beta carotene and anthocyanins.
Beautiful hair starts from within and it all comes down to the nutrients you feed it in fact, scientists have found evidence that your hair is a living record of your diet. The following explains which foods you can fill up on to see an improvement in your hair health. And be sure to check out next month’s post to find out some more!
Fill up on protein for stronger: Protein foods are vital for maintaining healthy and strong hair, as it is made of protein. Not having enough in your diet could lead to dry, brittle hair. Always include a form of protein such as, lean, unprocessed meat, fish, eggs and dairy. There are also lots of plant protein sources that are useful to include in your diet such as soya and soya products, lentils, beans, chickpeas, quinoa, buckwheat, nuts and seeds.
Choose Brazil nuts for a healthy scalp: Studies have found that selenium is an important mineral for hair health. This nutrient is a powerful antioxidant that keeps cells healthy, including maintaining a healthy scalp. It is found in fish, meats, eggs, bread, cereals, and nuts. Brazil nuts are a particularly good source, and eating just two or three a day will help provide you with adequate selenium.
Eat shellfish to keep your colour: Copper has been found in scientific studies to contribute to hair pigmentation melanin is a natural pigment that determines the colour of your hair. The mineral copper is involved in the production of melanin and therefore can help maintain the natural colour of hair. Copper is found in a variety of foods such as shellfish, almonds, peanuts, wholegrain cereals and dark chocolate.
Superfood salad for thickness: Iron deficiency is the most common in the world, especially in women, and it’s seen in many women experiencing hair loss. The hair follicles and roots are fed by a nutrient-rich blood supply. Iron is essential for healthy blood, and therefore, a deficiency in this mineral can disrupt the blood supply to hair follicles and impact their hair growth. To get adequate iron in your diet. try adding more lean red meats, tofu, eggs, beans, lentils, chickpeas, and green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and chard.
