This page is where we can share some hot tips to help and entertain us the coming winter.
DISCLAIMER
This site cannot offer medical or health advice. The information is general information for educational purposes only and not suitable as professional advice. Please consult with a professional as appropriate.
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The NFWI are supporting the Warm this Winter campaign to call on the Government to put in place a package of measures to address the cost-of-living crisis and the climate crisis. The campaign is calling for immediate emergency financial support to the most vulnerable for energy bills, whilst also calling for action that leads us away from the UK’s broken energy system towards cleaner, greener and cheaper forms of energy.
They will be asking the Government to:
• Give emergency financial support to vulnerable households
• Develop and implement a nationwide energy efficiency programme that includes home insulation
• A roll-out of onshore wind generation
• An end to offshore oil and gas expansion
So, what are they asking you to do?
• Sign the petition on the Warm this Winter website.
• Use their template letter to write your MP to call for emergency and longer-term policies to address the cost-of-living crisis and the climate crisis.
• Stay up to date with the WI’s work with the Warm this Winter campaign.
On Mywi website you can also see a list of support which may be helpful to you or a family member or a friend
• Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice has dedicated cost of living resources available on their website.
Trained Citizens Advice advisers can be contacted over the phone through the Citizens Advice national phoneline, or you can visit a Citizens Advice centre in-person.
• Money Saving Expert
The Money Saving Expert website, founded by Martin Lewis, includes a range of resources, guides, money saving checklists, budget calculators and tips focused on the cost-of-living crisis.
In particular, the website includes a 10-minute benefit check calculator where you can make sure you are receiving all the money you are entitled to, and tips on how to claim pension credit.
The website also includes a ‘heat the human, not the home’ guide, and guidance on how to claim free insulation and boiler grants.
• StepChange
StepChange is an organisation that offers free, flexible debt advice based on a comprehensive assessment of your financial situation. Any advice provided is confidential and will not affect your credit score. StepChange have put together resources focused on the rising cost of living.
No 1 tip from Martin Lewis
“If you are struggling to pay for your energy bills, contact your energy supplier as soon as possible. The rules from energy regulator Ofgem state that your energy supplier has a duty to help you and can help to set an energy payment plan that you can afford.
Options to help you include a full payment plan review, affordable debt repayment plans, payment breaks, payment reductions, more time to pay, or access to hardship funds.”
Tips to Ward Off Dementia -a brain expert’s habits
1. Breakfast Cut down on coffee, which has been shown to be associated with reduced grey matter in the cerebral cortex. Cereal has been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease – muesli is a good choice.
2. Learning anything new can build cognitive reserve eg a language, or musical instrument
3. Lunch – usually tuna sandwich or low fat yoghurt and fruit. Blueberries are high in antioxidants that prevent cell damage.
4. Exercise – a brisk, one-hour walk is recommended. Exercising is vital for physical health, brain health, cognition and mood. Find an exercise you enjoy, so you’ll stick to it. Supper – usually chicken and dark vegetables which are important for brain health, due to the protective effects of Vitamin K and other nutrients.
5. Socialising. Studies have shown that socially isolated individuals had a higher risk of developing dementia. Keep in touch with family and friends.
6. Sleep. Studies have shown that 7 hours of sleep is ideal in middle and old age, for cognition and mental health. The brain recharges itself and stores memories during sleep, as well as removing toxic waste by-products and boosting the immune system.
10 Tips on How to Survive the Common Cold
1. Spray to breath. A nasal spray will contract the congested veins to open up the nose, so you can breathe. Boots Dual Defence and Vicks First Defence are recommended.
2. Take your meds with a double espresso. Feeling tired and sluggish? Try taking your painkillers – ibuprofen, aspirin or paracetemol, in the morning with a double shot of espresso to overcome the malaise. In the evenings, it’s better to take something like Benadryl or Sudafed Plus, which will make you drowsy and help you sleep.
3. Add spices to breakfast. Antioxidants help to boost immunity and reduce inflammation. A breakfast of scrambled eggs with cumin, garlic, turmeric and chilli is recommended. Also try taking zinc at the first signs of a sniffle, found in sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
4. Exercise if you can. It may relieve nasal congestion, but with fever, chesty cough or breathing difficulties take things more gently.
5. Sip on a sugary sweet cordial. Try a hot blackcurrant and orange cordial and sip it throughout the day.
6. Facial Steams. Steam can loosen mucus in your nasal passages, improving congestion. Fill the sink with warm water, place a towel over your head to trap the steam and lean over the sink to inhale deeply. A hot shower or bath before bed can also help.
7. Stock up on good tissues. Tissues with balsam are recommended. Also try Vaseline under the nose to soothe irritation.
8. Keep the fluids flowing. Drink fluids regularly, as this helps your nose and mouth eliminate bacteria and viruses when coughing, sneezing and breathing. Warm water with lemon and honey can soothe sore throats and give the body an antioxidant boost. Gargling with salt water is effective for killing bacteria too, as it works well for loosening mucus and easing pain.
9. Cold-proof your bedroom. Prop yourself up if you’re coughing, and try a menthol rub on your chest and neck to relieve nasal congestion when you’re lying down.
10. Feed your cold…soup. Make soup with high levels of vitamins A and D, and zinc to give your immune system a helping hand. So include leafy green veg, carrots, sweet potatoes and red peppers. It’s a cliché, but chicken soup when made with plenty of vegetables can be a great source of phytonutrients, which are a key for a functioning immune system.
3 Ways to Boost Your Immunity for Winter
1. Top up your micro-nutrients. The important ones are Vitamins C, D and zinc. Vitamin C is abundant in citrus fruit, peppers, berries, tomatoes, potatoes and veg such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Vitamin D is in short supply in winter when there is less sunlight, so it’s best to take a supplement. It’s also found in oily fish, mushrooms and eggs. Zinc is found in meat and seafood, and can also be topped up with a supplement.
2. Get enough of the tree Gs. Garlic, ginger and green tea are great for supporting immunity. You can add sliced fresh ginger to green tea. Also good is a bowl of stir-fired green veg with added garlic.
3. Nurture your gut health. 70% of our immune tissue is found in the gut. The digestive tract is one of the easiest ways for bugs to enter the body, So having a rich and diverse gut microbiome is key to supporting our immunity. It’s important to eat a wide diversity of plant foods as possible, eat foods containing probiotics (live yoghurt, cheeses and fermented foods such as kimchi; kefir and kombuchas) and prebiotics (garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, bananas, apples and oats).
Eating dinner early could be the key to a healthy life.
Breakfast like a king; lunch like a prince; dinner like a pauper. So the old saying goes. A new study suggests there is science behind the idea that eating earlier can help people maintain a healthy weight. The odds of people feeling hungry during the day were halved when they ate their final meal at 5pm compared with those eating dinner at 9pm. If eating at 5pm isn’t possible, try to finish dinner around 3 hours before going to bed to allow time for better digestion.
Make your diet healthier in 20 easy steps
1 Try to eat 30 types of plant each week. This can include fresh herbs, spices, seeds and nuts as well as fruit and vegetables.
2 Add mixed spices regularly to your cooking for gut health. Turmeric and saffron have anti-inflammatory effects and mixed spice can improve your gut microbiome and metabolism.
3 Use extra virgin olive oil for cooking and dressing your food. The high polyphenol content is highly beneficial. The longest living populations use it for everything and it makes scientific sense to do so.
4. Sunbathe your mushrooms before eating them. This results in increased Vitamin D.
5 Eat the colourful outer parts of your veg, don’t peel and discard them. Always rinse well to remove pesticides in non-organic items.
6 Use miso instead of a stock cube. This sticky, dark paste is a perfect addition to soups, stews, sauces and dressings, and will maintain its probiotic properties if it’s added at the end of cooking (avoid boiling temperatures that kill it). Adding probiotic foods (live microbes) such as miso to our cooking is an excellent way to support our gut health.
7.Choose Tabasco chilli sauce. It contains high amounts of plant chemicals from the mix of spices and peppers it contains, and it is also a fermented food.
8 Chop your onion and garlic 10 minutes before cooking. This preserves the beneficial sulforaphanes that normally break down when they are cooked. A good tip is to batch-chop then freeze your garlic and onion.
9 Swap boring green iceberg lettuce for colourful, polyphenol-rich types eg lollo rosso.
10 Choose spelt or chickpea pasta for a fibre boost. This will also avoid a glucose spike and reduce stress on the body.
11 Swap pasta for beans/legumes and use the same sauces. A simple way of making beans delicious is to combine them with your favourite sauce. They are a wonderful source of protein, fibre, polyphenols and carbohydrates, and they are cheap. We would all benefit from eating more of them.
12 Use slow-cook, steel-cuts oats for breakfast rather than the instant variety. Add seeds, nuts and fresh fruit to the porridge, avoiding sugar, syrups and jams that are high in freely available sugar.
13 Steam your veg minimally to preserve nutrients.
14 Use frozen peas and beans as cheap, healthy alternatives. They are picked and frozen within hours, so nutrient content is preserved.
15 Add small amounts of fermented food to your daily routine. We only need a little in our daily diet, so putting a little kefir in your yogurt, a pinch of sauerkraut on your salad or cheese, or a teaspoon of miso in your soup is an easy way to achieve this. Or swap a soft drink for kombucha, which is fermented tea, is another easy way – and better for your glucose metabolism, too.
16 Always eat full-fat yogurt without added flavours or sweeteners.
17 Eat dark chocolate with more than 70% cocoa rather than milk chocolate. Research shows it’s good for our gut health, our blood-vessel health and has a positive impact on our mood and taste buds. Just a couple of squares a day!
18 Choose unpasteurised or artisan cheese instead of highly processed varieties. They have live probiotic strains in them and they also taste better.
19 Pick sauerkraut without vinegar to ensure it has live microbes.
20 Drink a single glass of red wine rather than white wine or beer for polyphenols. Enjoy a glass with a meal to provide benefits for your gut and your heart.
Beware Additives in our Food & Drink
Highly processed foods can be cheap, convenient and tasty but the hidden extras they contain could be harming our health.
Food colourings
Titanium dioxide was banned in the EU in August over concerns that it could cause DNA damage, which can lead to cancer.
Top culprits: chewing gum, white chocolate, sauces eaten by toddlers and infants, baked goods and confectionery.
Artificial sweeteners
These have been linked to increase risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Studies also suggest they may be detrimental to our gut microbiome and disrupt blood sugar regulation, triggering inflammation and weight gain.
Top culprits: diet soft drinks, bakery products, desserts, ready meals and sweets.
Emulsifiers
These are often added to improve the ‘mouthfeel’ of food to make it more appealing and to stop ingredients from separating. More that 60 emulsifiers are approved in the UK, and found in 6,600 foodstuffs. Yet, despite their use, research has linked them to bowel disease, and it’s thought they also affect our gut microbiome and metabolic health.
Top culprits: Packaged bread, chocolate, dairy products and frozen desserts.
Nitrates and nitrites
These chemicals aren’t bad in themselves, but they can react with other compounds in meat to form nitrosamines, which are linked to an increased cancer risk.
Top culprits: bacon, ham, salami, somecheeses.
Improve blood cholesterol levels
Help stabilise yours with simple tweaks to your daily diet. Raised cholesterol levels affect nearly 40 per cent of the UK population.
1. Have oats for breakfast
2. Snack on nuts. Peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, almonds and Brazil nuts are especially beneficial.
3. Eat plenty of oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines.
Keeping Strokes at Bay
The single biggest risk factor for stroke is high blood pressure. Smoking, drinking, obesity and sedentary lifestyles all increase the risk.
1. Monitor your blood pressure. Healthy blood pressure is between 90/60 and 120/80. High blood pressure is considered anything over 140/90. Have your blood pressure measured at your local pharmacy or buy a device to monitor it at home.
2. Lead as healthy a lifestyle as possible. Cut down on alcohol, stop smoking and maintain a healthy weight.
3. Make sure you take any prescribed medications for conditions such as diabetes or high cholesterol.
4. Accept NHS screening tests and talk to your doctor if you have a family history of stroke.
Know the signs of heart attack
Doctors still miss the vital warning signs of heart disease in women. Know the signs, which include:
Central chest discomfort
Chest pressure, tightness or heaviness that could go to your jaw, arms or back
Nausea
Feeling sweaty or clammy
Feeling faint
Anxiety
If you’re worried check with a medical professional. Spell out what you’re worried about. It’s better to be checked out even if it turns out to be a false alarm.
How to improve sleep
1 Do practice the principles of CBTi (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for insomnia). This can help change your thoughts and behaviours. See sleepio.com
2 Don’t turn your bedroom into a war zone. Try to keep a bad night in perspective and take the pressure off.
3 Try a weighted blanket
4 Do get out of the house first thing when the natural light helps reset your sleep clock and banish sleep hormone melatonin from your brain.
3 Easy Ways to Beat Fatigue
Here are 3 key micronutrients to keep you feeling awake and alert during the winter months
1 Increase iron. Eat more iron-rich foods like dark-green leafy vegetables such as kale, as well as fortified cereals and bread, red meat, dried frit like apricots, prunes and raisins, and pulses (Pease, beans, lentils).
2 Top up your magnesium. A lack of nuts and vegetables in the diet can lead to magnesium deficiency, characterized by fatigue as well as muscle weakness and cramps. There are lots of delicious magnesium-packed foods that will help resolve this, such as wholegrains, leafy greens, nuts and seeds, avocados, bananas and dark chocolate.
3 Boost your B vitamins. An adequate supply of the various B vitamins is needed to produce energy within our cells. Older adults are amongst those more at risk of vitamin B deficiencies. The most common is B12 deficiency, which affects around 6% of over 60s, rising to 10% of over 75s.
Key sources for vitamin B12 are oily fish, shellfish, meat, eggs and dairy.
Hobbies that can make you healthier
Dancing can improve balance and therefore reduce falls among older people. It can also improve brain function.
Puzzles can have some benefits, especially if they involve new learning. So step away from the daily Sudoko and try a new puzzle.
Gardening may reduce stress, anxiety and sadness. It has also been shown to reduce the likelihood of vitamin D deficiency, heart attacks and stroke.
Cooking improves general and mental health. It can also be social, which elevates moods.
Knitting and crochet can combat memory loss and serve as a helpful distraction from pain, and reduce blood pressure and breathing rate, which can bring a feeling of relaxation.
Creative writing which expresses emotion can minimise negative impacts on our bodies (eg after surgery).
Joining a choir can improve lung function as well as reducing stress and increasing immunity.
Language classes can result in a marked improvement in cognitive function.
Science tells u that if we take up demanding hobbies that require new learning – whether brain games, art or dancing – there will be distinct brain health benefits. Such activitiesalso represent our best chance of diminishing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
7 ways to reduce your dementia risk
1. Stay connected, spend time with family and friends.
2. Keep moving. 10,000 steps a day is good, but a faster pace shows more benefit
3. Eat a Mediterranean diet
4. Quit smoking
5. Cut back on alcohol
6. Find a sense of purpose
7. Get your hearing tested
A Dementia Risk Reduction Programme is about to be launched, which will offer podcasts.
The solution for a healthy brain may lie in your gut.
Scientists are exploring how diseases such as Parkinson’s and dementia could be affected by the microbes we have inside us.
5 things you can do for a healthier gut
- Eat a high fibre, Mediterranean-style diet
- Try fermented products, such as yogurt, miso, sauerkraut, kimchi and tempeh
- Consider taking probiotics and prebiotics to help healthy bacteria grow in the gut
- Kep windows open. This will help reduce the bad microbes in the air you’re breathing in
- Regular exercise has a beneficial effect on the brain
Healthy Tips for Weight Loss
1.Don’t worry so much about what you eat – it’s the daily tally of calories that counts.
2 Beware of low-fat foods that replace fat with extra sugar.
3. Health fats are your friend. Nuts and avocados can help you feel full for longer.
4. Avoid highly processed foods. They tend to be lower in both fibre and protein and really will make you pile on the pounds.
5. Eat foods as close to their natural state as possible. You will feel more satisfied and will crave fewer snacks.
6. Don’t fall for the age myth – you can burn calories and lose weight at any age.
Boost brain health through diet
Dementia is fast becoming our greatest public health challenge, with cases in the UK predicted to soar by 75 per cent to 1.6.million by 2050. It’s already the leading cause of death for females in this country, and second only to heart disease for men.
Obesity and high blood sugar are both risk factors for dementia, so what we eat is key to helping preserve our brain health. Here are 3 ways your diet can help the old grey matter…
- Cram in the cranberries. Studies have shown a cup a day can improve memory performance and improve circulation of essential nutrients to the brain. Other types of berries also contain the all-important plant chemicals, so if you aren’t keen on cranberries be sure to eat more berries generally.
- Eat lots of leafy greens. A daily serving (65gm) of raw or cooked leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale, chard and watercress was associated with slower age-related cognitive decline.
- Spice things up. Spices such as ginger, cinnamon and turmeric are known to have anti-inflammatory properties and studies have shown that including them in the diet may lower the risk of neurodegenerative disorders.
Wantage WI 