Hormones Letters

Stress ages our skin

Glynis BarberSkincare, Stress Management Leave a Comment

Is there anything that stress doesn’t affect? The answer is a resounding no and in this article, written by Shabir Daya, a pharmacist at Victoria health, it also ages us and in particular our skin. Yes I know, it’s a bit dispiriting but there IS hope The first takeaway from this is that managing stress needs to be a top …

Glynis and Johnny Miller

Breathwork as therapy (video)

Glynis BarberStress Management Leave a Comment

Deep breathing has long been used to counter stress and restore a Zen-like state. It activates the para-sympathetic nervous system and lowers cortisol (the stress hormone) levels. But so many of us don’t even think about how we breathe and are actually shallow breathers. And yet deep breathing has so many benefits. Breathing can calm down feelings of panic Wim Hof, …

Woman Playing Guitar

The incredible health benefits of music

Glynis BarberHealth 3 Comments

Listening to music is (usually) a very enjoyable past time. Of course we all have wildly different tastes in music and one man’s rock and roll is another man’s country and western. But when we listen to our favourite kind of music, there’s no doubt that it’s a pleasurable and relaxing experience. We lose ourselves in it and go into …

Doctor Face Mask PPE Fastening

A survival guide to wearing PPE – Part 2

Glynis BarberHealth Leave a Comment

This week we continue looking at some of the issues that arise for frontline workers wearing PPE all day. These many issues can take their toll on skin, health and stress levels. We will be looking specifically at the immune system, sleep and wearing heavy equipment. Last week, with expert advice from pharmacist Shabir Daya and wellness expert Marie Reynolds, …

Unhappy Cappuccino

Keep calm and carry on?

Glynis BarberHealth Leave a Comment

We live in a very stressful world and it would appear to be getting the better of a lot of us. Stress and all its associated conditions – like anxiety and depression – are now in epidemic proportions. To understand why, we need to look at what stress is and its evolutionary purpose. Put simply, stress is the body’s reaction …

Woman Yawning

Why sleep is vital

Glynis BarberHealth 2 Comments

We all know how terrible it feels not to have enough sleep. Our brains become fuzzy and don’t function properly, concentration becomes difficult and we start to crave sugary foods to try and get some energy. But the truth is that the real cost of being sleep deprived goes a lot further. And this is far from just being a …

Looking Up and Forwards Smiling

Laugh yourself to health

Glynis BarberHealth 5 Comments

I really do love laughing so much that I’ve even been known to do it on stage which is very, very naughty of me. Mind you it’s amazing what you can get away with! So of course I had to do a bit of research and then do an article on it for Natural Health Magazine. The good news is …

Chocolate Coco Nuts and Physalis Banner

The wonder of chocolate

Glynis BarberDiet & Nutrition, Health Leave a Comment

What better way to kick off the Christmas and seasonable festivities than by extolling the virtues of chocolate? Oh yes a little bit of the dark stuff will not only be nutritious but will also even help with the often accompanying stress of this time of year. But as they say, moderation is key. Enjoy! It’s not often that there’s …

Ageing Gracefully

How Hormone Therapy Can Slow Down Ageing-Part 2

Glynis BarberHealth 2 Comments

Why oh why do women lose their waists and become “apples” instead or “pears” with the approach of the menopause? Dr Yehudi Gordon explains and looks at the connection between nutrition and hormones. Nutrition, of course, being something of great interest to me. The truth is that emotions play a large part in how and why we eat. Women have …