Theresa May faces angry NHS workers during radio phone-in

Theresa May was put on the spot by a doctor considering resigning over understaffing in the NHS and low morale caused by the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, as she took questions from members of the public on an LBC radio phone-in.

The prime minister was told by Romeena from Leeds that healthcare professionals were finding it “near impossible” to provide safe care for their patients. The paediatrician said she was considering resignation after 12 years “because things have got so bad on the shop floor” and questioned why Hunt was still in his job following the doctors’ strikes.

“I’ve witnessed organ transplants being cancelled because there haven’t been enough nurses to provide post-operative care,” the doctor said. “Whatever the government is doing, it is clearly not enough – and you have reappointed as health secretary somebody who has demoralised the whole workforce.

“It seems like you stand up and support somebody who allowed junior doctors to go on strike, who seems to be allowing nurses to go on strike and that doesn’t fall in line with what the frontline of the NHS want to see.”

May dodged a question about whether she knew how unpopular Hunt was and maintained he had sorted out the row with junior doctors over their pay and conditions satisfactorily.

“What I would say is Jeremy Hunt has done a very good job in saying to everyone what we need to focus on is the quality of care,” she said, adding that she had experienced care as a type 1 diabetic.

The prime minister claimed the Conservatives had responded to a request from the NHS for £10bn by 2010 in real terms, although this figure is disputed, and that more money would be going to A&E departments because more people are going to be treated there.

May was hit with tough questions from members of the public over the state of public services, her record on failing to meet the Conservative target on immigration, low morale in the armed forces and insufficient help with childcare.

A listener called Sophia, who also worked in the NHS, said she was thinking of voting Labour because she was not yet convinced that May was helping the “just-about-managing” people with childcare costs of around £700 a month.

“I think it’s great you’ve increased it to 30 hours for three- and four-year-olds but there is a great gap there for two-year-olds,” the listener said.

May cited cutting the personal allowance and free hours of childcare for three and four years, but acknowledged there was “more work to do” when it came to helping just managing families with their costs.

Nick Ferrari, the LBC interviewer, interjected many times with follow-up questions, pressing the prime minister particularly on whether she would be raising taxes, as the party looks set to abandon its promise not to raise VAT, income tax or national insurance for the next five years.

She declined at least three times to say she would make that promise for the full parliament, saying: “We are a party that believes in actually trying to ensure we have low taxes … we have no plans to increase the level of tax but what I’m saying is that’s because we are party that believes in a low tax … as a government, we would go into government with no plans to raise the level of tax.”

May was confronted with remarks made earlier on Thursday by her predecessor, David Cameron, who said May needed to win a strong majority in the election so she could stand up to people in the UK and Europe who wanted an “extreme Brexit”. She said Cameron had been right about the need for the election but the reason for that was the requirement for “the security, the stability for five years of greater certainty that can take us through Brexit and beyond”.

The half-hour programme contained personal revelations from May, as she talked about being “very said” not to have had children with her husband Philip. “Of course, we are not the only couple that finds ourselves in that situation and when you do I suppose you just get on with life,” she said.

Asked if she would have been able to devote so much of herself to work if she had children, May replied: “I look at some of my parliamentary colleagues and people who have been in the cabinet who had children and yes, they do apply themselves, they are just very well organised. I think that is the key thing.”

And amid reported tensions with Philip Hammond, her chancellor, the prime minister raised some eyebrows by claiming that the most important Philip in Downing Street was the one who shared her flat in No 10 rather than the political occupant of No 11.

The prime minister did not shy away from talking about her faith in the interview; she said her Christianity helped her through the death of her father and mother when she was in her 20s.

She also discussed her love of cooking, saying she has more than 100 cookery books and would make Donald Trump a slow roast shoulder of lamb if the US president came to dinner.

Theresa May faces angry NHS workers during radio phone-in

Labour would ban junk food adverts during TV popular with children

Adverts for junk food and sweets will be banned from hit TV shows including The X Factor, Hollyoaks and Britain’s Got Talent under Labour plans to tackle childhood obesity.

A £250m-a-year fund aimed at making UK youngsters the healthiest in the world would also see investment in school nurses.

In an effort to tackle child mental health problems, the plan would support counselling services in primary and secondary schools. Adverts for unhealthy products high in fat, salt or sugar are already banned on children’s television. Labour’s plans would extend the prohibition to cover all programmes before the 9pm watershed.

Campaigners have argued that the existing ban does not cover TV programmes popular with youngsters but not specifically aimed at them.

Labour highlighted figures suggesting the move would reduce children’s viewing of junk food adverts by 82%. The move is part of a strategy to halve the number of overweight children within 10 years in an effort to curb the £6bn annual cost to the NHS of obesity.

The shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, said: “The scandal of child ill-health is a long-standing, growing and urgent challenge. It should be a matter of shame that a child’s health is so closely linked to poverty and that where and in what circumstances you grow up can dramatically affect your life chances.

“Evidence shows the link between deprivation and poor health in childhood, so with child poverty on the rise, the need for action becomes more acute. The UK has one of the worst childhood obesity rates in western Europe. Tooth decay is the single most common reason why children aged five to nine require admission to hospital. Around 13% of boys and 10% of girls aged 11-15 have mental health problems.

“When it comes to our children we should be ambitious. It’s time we invested properly in the health of the next generation. That means the sort of bold action we are outlining today to tackle obesity and invest in mental health provision. Labour will put children at the heart of our health strategy and put measures in place to make Britain’s children the healthiest in the world.”

The £250m child health fund would be paid for by halving the amount the NHS spends on management consultants each year, Labour claimed. The money would be used to expand the public health workforce and help with promotional schemes. The opposition said England has lost 8% of its health visitors since January 2016, and 15% of school nurses since 2010.

Within 100 days of a victory for Jeremy Corbyn on 8 June, Labour would produce a plan to halve childhood obesity within a decade. A new child health bill would write into law the ambition for the UK’s children to be the healthiest in the world and require all government departments to have a strategy in place.

An index of child health would measure progress against international standards and report annually on four key indicators: obesity, dental health, under-fives – including breastfeeding, immunisation and childhood mortality – and mental health.

Labour would ban junk food adverts during TV popular with children

Hospitals "dangerously full" during winter crisis, says thinktank

Hospitals were dangerously full during the recent onset of the winter crisis and breached an edict from NHS bosses to keep one in seven beds free, a new King’s Fund analysis reveals.

England’s 153 acute hospital trusts were told by the health service regulator on 9 December to run at no more than 85% bed occupancy between 19 December and 16 January, the internationally recognised level that hospitals are meant to stick to in order to minimise the risk of potentially deadly infections and to maintain the capacity to deal with emergencies.

Hospitals only managed to meet the target for three days over that period and were running at far higher levels of bed occupancy, often exceeding 95%, the King’s Fund found. Occupancy only dipped below 90% on four days since mid-December, it added.

“Bed occupancy rates above 85% increase the chances of bed shortages and the risk of infection. The fact that hospitals have missed the 85% objective by such a significant amount is further evidence of the huge pressure facing hospitals,” said Richard Murray, the thinktank’s director of policy who undertook the analysis.

The NHS entered the winter period with bed occupancy rates already high by historic standards, given that they were at 87.5% in the normally “quiet” second quarter of 2016/17. “The NHS did indeed achieve occupancy rates below 85%, but only on 23–25 December, when bed occupancy often falls as hospitals discharge as many patients as they can for Christmas, ”said Murray’s analysis.

“However, whatever spare capacity the NHS managed to create was quickly eaten up. As a consequence, it should come as no surprise that early January was an exceptionally difficult time as occupancy rates rose quickly above the 95% mark, although they do appear to have eased somewhat since then.”

Hospitals were operating at close to capacity even though flu, the winter vomiting bug norovirus and extreme, snowy weather, which oridnally might make it more difficult for hospitals to cope, did not cause significant problems. But the fact that unprecedented numbers of trusts were forced to declare an alert in the early weeks of January underlined that hospitals have come under unprecedented strain in recent weeks, Murray said.

His analysis, posted on the King’s Fund website, adds: “So with the relative (to date) absence of flu, norovirus and snow drifts, where does the explanation lie? Almost certainly in the clash between the steady, year-on-year increase in demand for NHS services and the ongoing need to constrain expenditure and capacity in healthcare as a result of funding pressures. Cuts in social care have added to this mix by pushing up delayed transfers of care, and may also have contributed to rising numbers of older, frail people arriving at hospital needing admission.”

Between now and the end of this winter, Murray warned: “We need to hope that no unpleasant shocks occur in terms of winter bugs or weather, because on current reckoning the NHS has precious little in the way of excess capacity to absorb them.”

Meanwhile, overcrowding has led two hospitals in Cumbria to breach NHS-wide rules that say male and female patients should not be treated on the same ward.

The North-West Evening Mail reported: “The trust in charge of Barrow’s Furness general hospital recorded 18 breaches of NHS standards on mixed sex wards in December. Of these, eight took place at FGH while the remaining 10 were at FGH’s sister hospital, the Royal Lancaster infirmary.

“Hospital bosses have confirmed the incidents were the result of an acute beds shortage at both sites which prevented patients on critical care wards from being transferred to a medical ward as they recovered.

“Critical care wards can accommodate both male and female patients, but a number were forced to remain in critical care beds for longer than necessary because there were no other places available for them in the hospital.”

The boss of the hospital trust featured in the ongoing BBC series Hospital has unexpectedly resigned after less than three years in the job. Dr Tracey Batten quit on Thursday as chief executive of Imperial College healthcare NHS trust, which runs five hospitals in central and west London. They include St Mary’s, where much of the filming for the series has taken place. The show has won widespread acclaim for its vivid portrayal of the acute pressures facing the NHS.

Hospitals "dangerously full" during winter crisis, says thinktank

How to avoid temptation during dry January | Abi Wilkinson

There’s no better time to try and quit booze than in January. Following weeks of festive over-indulgence, at least some of the people around you are also likely to be thinking about cutting down. Requesting a lime and soda rather than your usual gin and tonic when someone gets a round often elicits an understanding nod. “Dry January, is it?” The best option in this scenario is to simply smile in agreement. The alternative, as I learned the hard way, is awkwardly attempting to explain why you’re hoping to make it a permanent thing, as your conversational partner decides whether to feel pitying or judged.

Perhaps we should be encouraged to talk about the issue more openly. As things are, though, telling people on a boozy night out that you think you were developing an unhealthy relationship with alcohol tends to go down like a lead balloon. Though it never became the kind of dependency that requires professional intervention, over the past year or so I found myself relying on booze to lift my mood. The combination of Brexit, Trump, Labour politics and personal issues left me feeling hopeless and depressed. I began to fixate on the issue of climate change and the details of a potential future apocalypse. Only when I had a few drinks inside me did I feel capable of switching off.

It doesn’t help that my friends are used to me being the first to suggest a round of shots or a third bottle of wine

Over Christmas I came down with flu and spent a couple of weeks laid up in bed. I realised that increased drinking probably hadn’t left me in peak physical condition, and by the time I felt well again I was determined to keep it that way. The idea of risking a hangover filled me with dread. I also figured out that my political despair was exacerbated because I also felt I’d lost control over my own life, and that alcohol was part of the problem. It was a vicious circle I was determined to break and new year seemed like an obvious time to start.

I quickly stopped trying to explain my reasoning to enquiring acquaintances. The popularity of dry January has definitely made it easier to decline booze without awkwardness, but there have been a couple of incidents where I’ve had to stand my ground. It doesn’t help that so many of my friends are relatively heavy drinkers – nor that they’re used to me being the first to suggest a round of shots or a third bottle of wine.

I’ve discovered that the best option is to be proactive. If I’m going somewhere where people are drinking, I’ll mentally prepare for being pressured to participate and think about how to avoid temptation. It’s only been a couple of weeks so far, but I’ve found a few tactics that might be helpful for others:

1. Make sure you’ve always got a (soft) drink in your hand

This is simple but effective. It’s not just because of the alcohol that drinking works as a social lubricant – taking a sip is also an effective way to fill any awkward gaps in conversation, and going to the bar provides a handy exit strategy if you’re feeling trapped. Holding a drink also gives you something to do with your hands, which is more useful than I’d previously appreciated. What’s more, when someone’s getting a round in you can simply to point to your almost full glass. No awkward explanation required.

2. Realise you can still have fun

At the age of 26 I’ve made a miraculous discovery: I don’t actually have to be drunk to dance in public. When everyone around you is feeling happy and unselfconscious, it’s surprisingly easy to catch their good mood. (Especially when you remember that you’re the only one who’s not going to wake up with a headache.) If you’re heading to an event where people will be drinking, go with the expectation that you’ll enjoy yourself. Otherwise, what’s the point?

3. If you’re not going to have fun, don’t bother going out

If you’re feeling tired, anxious or stressed, step two might work. Sometimes I’m just not in the mood to socialise. My previous approach to this situation involved quickly downing a couple of drinks in an attempt to get in the mood, but I’ve realised I’m far better off making my excuses and curling up at home with Netflix and a takeaway. If you get somewhere and realise you’re not feeling it, it’s fine to prioritise your own wellbeing and slip off early.

4. Find social activities that don’t involve drinking

If, like me, your social life tends to mainly revolve around the pub, consider having a go at something else. Your friends might drag their feet a little, but if you’re prepared to do most of the organising, most people can be roped in. Art galleries and museums, the cinema, rollerskating, bowling – going out for food also makes alcohol less of a focus. Along with a couple of female friends, I’ve started regularly visiting the local Turkish baths.

5. Come up with alternative ways to reward yourself

Overexcited by various “new year, new you” guides, I originally considered cutting out sugar at the same time as quitting alcohol. This was a terrible idea. Whenever I had a difficult day and wanted to treat myself for getting through it, my usual solution was to reach for the bottle. Failing that, I’d opt for a bar of chocolate or a slice of cake. If I tried to drop both at once I’d be setting myself up to fail. Whether it’s sugar, video games or watching Ryan Gosling films, it helps to find alternate ways to give yourself a dopamine hit.

How to avoid temptation during dry January | Abi Wilkinson

Tips for How to Stay Healthy During the Holidays

Holiday season is getting near and everyone is preparing for it. It is, certainly a season when food is just about everywhere and it is challenging to stay healthy. Those who are on a diet will have to work on their willpower to stick to it during the holidays. One may think that holidays are hard for those who want to eat healthy; many people don’t realize that even though they find themselves indulging in the most delicious food, they can still eat healthy. Here are some tips how to do that.

1. Can you have one cheat day a year?

If you are on a low-carb diet, allow yourself to have one or two cheat days during the season. Let it be Thanksgiving and Christmas. And follow your low-carb diet during the days in between. When you allow your body to indulge during these cheat days, it is easier to stay truthful to your diet plan during the rest of the days. You are satisfied with the food you’ve craved for long, and it there will be no temptation to continue overeating. If you have constant food cravings, you are more likely that you have emotional issues you need to address.

2. Use your free days to relax

Holiday season is when you have some rest days. It is much more easier to stay healthy when you are not in work mode because you can give all the necessary time for preparation of the healthiest food choices you’ve always wanted but you didn’t have time to prepare them. Furthermore, there is more time to workout, go for a walk, and spend some time resting. All these are healthy habits you can stick to when the holidays are over. Therefore, staying healthy during the holidays is not a difficult task.

3. Healthy Chrismas treats

Sometimes you need to give your body your favorite Christmas treat without counting calories and feeling guilty. Staying healthy is not only about restraining from your favorite food and becoming a strict dieter without taking care of your soul. If you don’t take proper care of it, your brain makes it hard to lose weight. You need to nourish your soul as well as your body. If you let yourself indulge once a year, it wouldn’t do much harm to your health as long as you don’t overeat. A homemade pie and a good puzzle can be your brain’s annual reboot. Plus, you can find many healthy recipes for your favorite Christmas treats using healthy sugars, such as honey or stevia. Thus, you can enjoy your Thanksgiving or Christmas and stay healthy and refreshed after the holidays are over.

4. Outdoor activities

This holiday season is an excellent time for winter activities when you can burn all the extra calories. Skiing and snowboarding are one of the sport activities that you can burn a lot of calories and strengthen your legs and core muscles. Therefore, make this season the healthy one by spending some time doing winter outdoor activities to relieve stress and stay healthy.

5. Healthy socializing

Don’t get carried away with the overdrinking, overeating and extra partying that comes with the holidays. It is unnecessary and unhealthy. Socialize with your family and friends in other ways, like singing, playing the guitar or the piano, dancing, playing outdoor games, puzzles, etc. It is a fun way to build healthy relationships with your closed ones. Thus, you will never lose your willpower to follow your principles and be disciplined during the holidays.

 

Sources:

Success.com

MensFitness.com

Greatist.com

Tips for How to Stay Healthy During the Holidays

Is It Safe To Eat Papaya During Pregnancy?

Some believe that papaya is harmful during pregnancy. Yet, many pregnant women still eat this fruit to get rich vitamins and minerals. Papaya fruit grows in tropical areas and is characterized by the outer green cover and it has a yellow color from the inside. It’s also known as the angels fruit.

This tropical fruit has many benefits and widely present in weight loss diets to boost the immune system, digestion and the renewal of skin cells. It’s rich in Vitamins “C” and “E”, in addition to dietary fiber which exists in abundance. Papayas also contain folic acid, a vitamin that is recommended taking during pregnancy. Papayas are best when eaten in the mornings during breakfast.

Papaya health benefits:

1. Papaya fruit contains a high percentage of fiber that prevents constipation and works to facilitate the digestion and absorption of food in the intestine.


2. One of the papaya prominent roles is reducing the oxidation of cholesterol in the body because they contain a variety of antioxidants, which also supports the protection against cancers.


3. Papaya fruit is very rich in vitamin A, which strengthens the sight and maintains the human hair.


4. They contain vitamins A and C, which makes it an important factor in building a strong immune system.


5. It helps to protect the body from infections, especially arthritis.

Papaya during pregnancy:

Papaya provides nutritional benefits for pregnant woman and the fetus. However, it should be avoided if its unripe (immature papaya), because it contains a substance called latex that can be harmful during pregnancy.

Research has shown that a high concentration of latex in the body can cause uterine contractions, which may lead to abortion.

There are advantages of eating this fruit according to papaya in pregnancy guide, as it helps to ease out the bowel movement and neutralizing acid formation in the stomach. In addition, to reduce the gaseous distension which is a regular symptom in pregnancy.

It is best to avoid unripe papayas or even a semi-mature once during pregnancy. And eat fruit ripe papaya in moderation during pregnancy to avoid any risk. Also, pregnant women that suffer from contraction pain regularly should avoid this fruit.

Finally, it’s better to be taking the advice of your physician before taking papayas to take caution.

References:

1. http://www.babycenter.in/x1023025/is-it-safe-to-eat-papaya-ipapitai-during-pregnancy


2. http://www.superbabyonline.com/papaya-in-pregnancy/

Is It Safe To Eat Papaya During Pregnancy?

What happens to your body during a workout

Now that you’ve kicked off your fitness journey and are in the swing of things, you may be experiencing a lot of changes with both your physical and mental state. A lot of things happen in your body when you work out that you may not even be aware of, but rest assured that they’re all very good things. From increased energy and awareness, to even a boost in your libido, physical fitness benefits more than just your physical appearance. Below, a breakdown of what happens to your body during a workout:

Heart and Lungs

First things first, you’ll notice a change in your breathing. If you’re going for a run for the first time in months, you’ll experience a higher heart rate and heavy breathing on your end which is completely normal and part of the process. Your body needs a lot more oxygen (from 12 liters of air a minute up to 100 litres of air a minute!) when you exercise and an increased breathing rate is simply your body taking in more oxygen to be delivered to your muscles. Over time, your body will get used to the change and working out will become easier. In fact, with regular exercise, your heart actually gets bigger, causing your blood vessels to become more elastic and your blood pressure and heart rate to lower. Change may be difficult at first, but it’s most definitely a good thing!

Muscles

The first thing you’ll experience when you start a regular workout routine is muscle soreness. While it sucks, it’s perfectly natural to feel tenderness at the beginning and it’s actually a good thing. It shows that you’re making progress and the pain you’re experiencing are your muscles tearing and repairing themselves as changes occur. Fitness apps can be helpful in keeping with your fitness momentum if you’re second-guessing your workout plan but rest assured: Over time, your muscles will get stronger and more defined naturally as your fitness journey progresses.

Brain

The brain gets an incredible boost from regular exercise. Exercise improves oxygen flow to the brain, and will cause your brain to start functioning at a higher level. This increased cell function aids in protecting you from various diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and even strokes.

Your mood levels will be elevated both immediately following a workout and long term thanks to exercise boosting the growth of neurotransmitters. Your brain will release endorphins and experience a surge in serotonin levels (a neurotransmitter that controls mood). Your brain will also experience a boost in dopamine, glutamate and GABA levels, all neurotransmitters that help in healthy cell growth and function.  

Your memory and learning capabilities will also experience a pleasant boost, thanks to exercise making the hippocampus more active, the area of the brain that aids in new brain cell growth. And don’t forget the pituitary gland! This pea sized gland attached to the base of the brain experiences a great boost during exercise, helping in healthy muscle growth and repair.

Sex Drive

You may not think it but exercise can actually have a major positive effect on your sex drive! Exercise leads to increased blood flow and circulation which plays a big role in increasing sexual arousal in the pelvic regions in both men and women.

Appetite

Brace yourself; exercising burns calories and uses energy, making it perfectly normal to be hungry right after a workout. While there’s nothing wrong with fueling up post-workout, it’s important to the eat the right kinds of food in order to properly recharge your body.

Bowels

The one sure thing you will notice when you start to exercise regularly is the change in your bowel movements. As it turns out, the more you exercise the more you’ll need to hit up the bathroom. Awkward, but true. And there are two specific reasons for it. First, exercise helps boost natural contractions in your intestinal muscles, hereby removing stools more quickly. Exercise also cuts down on the amount of water taken from your stool into your body, allowing food to pass through the large intestine at a much quicker rate. 

What happens to your body during a workout

Top Simple Tips To Sleep Better During Menopause

Top Simple Tips To Sleep Better During Menopause

Improve Mental Clarity During Anxious Moments Without The Need For Medication

Anxiety can be good or bad depending on how you deal with it. You can even benefit from it if you improve mental clarity.

Recall a recent panic attack. What were you thinking at that time? Pay attention to the way you reacted and the sensations you felt. Is what happened a real catastrophe, or is it just about being frightened?

Did you feel any of the following?

• Racing heart


• Breathlessness


• Dizziness


• Confusion

These sensations can be scary in themselves and make you think that your health or sanity is threatened, but were you really in danger?

Evaluate the Threat

It’s likely that you felt uncomfortable sensations because you were anxious and not because your health was in peril. It’s also possible that you have been worrying about something that was harmless or non-existent all along.

Whenever you experience these again, tell yourself that these are normal and will soon pass.

Learn more about the things that trigger your panic. What were the thoughts, sensations, or circumstances involved? Why did they make you feel that way? Take another look at it and ask if your panic was justified. Try to react differently the next time you encounter them.

It helps to catch the panic early before your fears have escalated. Keep your reactions under your control so they do not escalate the problem. To give yourself peace of mind, keep a phone with emergency numbers in it so you can call for help when you really need to.

Calm Yourself Down

Control your breathing – your breath affects what you feel, so if you breathe slower, you will feel calmer. Do this with the intention of becoming more serene. You can also imagine or recall peaceful scenes.

Distract Yourself

Turn your attention to something else instead of focusing on the things you fear or what is happening to you. Be busy, talk with others, move about, or think of another thing. The conscious mind has a limited capacity. If you occupy it with your chosen target, it will be unable to churn up worrying ideas.

Take Action

If there really is a problem and it’s not just you worrying too much, ask yourself first: is there anything you can do about it? Work out what you could do. Perform the action immediately if you can. If you can’t do something right now, plan what to do and when to do it.

If you can’t do something about it right now or ever, stop worrying about it and distract yourself. Worry is an emotion that is designed for action. It’s useful even if it’s uncomfortable because it motivates you to solve a problem or evade a threat. But, if it just makes you ill, drop it.

Reduce Stress

Reduce your stress and overall level of anxiety. Perform relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, and mild exercises. Avoid stressors that you don’t need to deal with. Learn to say no to toxic people and situations. The longer you are stressed, the more prone you are to developing anxiety, so minimize your stress levels when you can.

Always remember that your emotions are a result of what you think about. Strive to improve mental clarity during anxiety. Be more aware of your thoughts and how they make you react. Change them when you can so that they are more realistic and helpful. When your anxiety is justified, turn it into a motivating force instead of a debilitating burden.

Source: Managing Your Mind: The Mental Fitness Guide by Gillian Butler, Ph.D. and Tony Hope, M.D.

Looking for a way to detox your body after one too many holiday indulgences? Click here to access a 10-day whole food fruit and veggie detox course that won’t leave you hungry or short in nutrients.

Don’t forget to download my FREE Book “Amy’s Home Kitchen”, for healthy, clean and delicious recipes. Or connect with me on Facebook or Google+. 

Improve Mental Clarity During Anxious Moments Without The Need For Medication

Hypnotised patient sings during thyroid surgery to conserve voice video

A patient describes how she sang during an operation in France to remove her thyroid gland as doctors wanted to make sure they did not harm her vocal cords. Alama Kante, 31, a skilled singer, was offered health care hypnosis rather than an anaesthetic so she could stay awake. Mobile telephone footage exhibits her singing along to classic African music during the surgical procedure two months in the past. She says it was unpleasant, but it was like becoming in a dream

Hypnotised patient sings during thyroid surgery to conserve voice video

Antidepressant use soared during recession in England, study finds

The use of antidepressants rose significantly in England during the financial crisis and subsequent recession, with 12.5m more pills prescribed in 2012 than in 2007, a study has found.

Researchers from the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation identified a long-term trend of increasing prescription of antidepressants, rising from 15m items in 1998 to 40m in 2012. But the yearly rate of increase accelerated during the banking crisis and recession to 8.5%, compared to 6.7% before it.

The report also found that rises in unemployment were associated with significant increases in the number of antidepressants dispensed and that areas with poor housing tended to see significantly higher antidepressant use.

Nick Barber, director of research at the Health Foundation, said that the report, published on Wednesday, was the “most accurate and insightful study of medication in this area in this country” and raised questions about whether people were being treated appropriately.

“The rate of increase in prescribing had been still for some years and does seem to have increased from 2008 so it would suggest that recession and some of the associated problems such as unemployment could be part of it,” he said. “If depression has increased as well as the prescribing the question is: ‘Is it being treated properly?’ There’s also an economic question at the time of recession as to whether we’re using our medicine resources as well as we could be.”

The report says a rise in unemployment and in the cost of living during the recession “could have an impact on the prevalence of mental health problems and require changes in the service delivered”, although it does not specify what those changes should be.

The increase in prescribing was despite the coalition government providing extra funding for the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme, introduced by Labour in 2008 to help people in distress access talking therapies. “The question is whether that is just because it’s a relatively young service or whether it reflects that there are delays [in accessing IAPT],” said Barber. “If you’re a prescribing GP with a distressed patient, if you know there’s a delay in this service, I am sure you will be more likely to prescribe antidepressants.”

An NHS report published in January found that while GPs made 883,968 referrals for psychological support in England in 2012-13, only 49% of them led to someone suffering from mental health problems starting treatment.

The Focus on Antidepressants prescribing report, part of the Nuffield Trust and Health Foundation’s QualityWatch programme, which is tracking the quality of health and social care in England, found that over the 14 years covered by the report, the increase in prescription of antidepressants outstripped the rise in depression.

Dr Cosmo Hallström, a fellow at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said that while the figures were likely to raise concern in some quarters about over-prescription of antidepressants, he saw their increased use as a positive development on the whole, reflecting increased awareness of depression and how to treat it. “There needs to be a spectrum of treatments available,” he said. “Whereas antidepressants won’t be the best treatment in all cases they are of proven benefit and shouldn’t be denied to people who are waiting for something else.”

But he cautioned that they should not just be prescribed without follow-up. “You should review over a few weeks to see whether they are really working or not,” he said.

The researchers also observed wide variation in prescriptions between areas and different GP practices. For example, Blackpool residents were prescribed more than four times as many of the tablets each month per 1,000 people as Brent, in north London.

The report found that areas with more white people, more women, and more people over the age of 65 had the heaviest use of antidepressants, while GPs who prescribed more antibiotics also tended to prescribe more antidepressants, which Barber said “confirmed that some doctors are more inclined to reach for the prescription pad”.

London had a lower level of prescribing, which the authors put down to its younger and more ethnically diverse population, while the north-east, which has high rates of unemployment, had higher levels.

Adam Roberts, senior research analyst at the Nuffield Trust, who was one of the report’s authors, said: “The variation isn’t explained by rates of depression, which is what you would think. Someone with more expertise should look at defining what the appropriate rate is and how the variation is explained. We tried to explain it to a certain extent but we couldn’t fully explain it.”

The authors have created a modelling spreadsheet for GPs and clinical commissioning groups to calculate their expected level of prescribing of antidepressants, based on factors such as the profile of patients in their area and socioeconomic indicators, and compare that with their actual prescriptions.

Researchers also discovered that a 1% rise in unemployment over time typically meant one and a half more tablets were given out per person on a GP list per year. By contrast, comparing practices in different geographical areas, rather than analysing trends over time, did not show clear links to unemployment, although areas with worse housing tended to see significantly higher antidepressant use.

Antidepressant use soared during recession in England, study finds

During therapy, I realise I don"t know myself very well

‘I’m searching my mind frantically for honest answers, but I can’t think of a single, solid reason.’

As I share the back seat of a taxi with my friend after a night out, it strikes me that we could kiss and it would most likely be nice. She is lovely and I’ve kissed women before, and it hasn’t made me question my sexuality because I’m certain that I fancy men more than women – although that could change.

But when it comes to other matters, I realise that I don’t know myself so well.

“What is it that you want from this?” the therapist asks me, about future hopes for my relationship with R.

I feel like I’m a contestant on Mastermind and I have to ask her to repeat the question: it isn’t complex or delivered in a manner that is trying to catch me out. Talking about what I want from a relationship is stuff I know, surely. She’s not quizzing me about the signing of the Magna Carta, or the history of silent film.

“I don’t really know.”

I’m searching my mind frantically for honest answers, but I can’t think of a single, solid reason. Not because the feelings for R aren’t there, but because I’m unable to talk about what it is that I want. If I were writing an essay, I’d skirt around the central issue and talk about why I first got together with him: to see if I could fall in love with someone who said he loved me first; to share the responsibility of bringing up my daughter and possibly have more children together; to explore how far a relationship could exist beyond a one-night stand.

Being asked to express desire, need and want isn’t as easy as it sounds. I thought I knew myself well and yet if I had to sit an exam on the subject now I think I’d stumble at the first question. My adult years have been defined by motherhood and marriage, and I don’t think I’ve rebelled at all until recently because being carried along with all that responsibility and duty had given me a false sense of safety, made me passive to change.

How I react to a person’s behaviour – or situation – has informed how my life has rolled on. As a mother I’ve been the carer. As a wife I’ve tried to control, to keep things tidy. For many years I based decisions not on how I felt, but on how others reacted. I never really wanted to have to analyse my feelings about anything; I wanted choice to lie in other people’s hands. Now I can see why it is hard to know what I want at all.

“And what would you like to ask your wife?” the therapist says to R.

This question is different, but R only pauses for a second before answering. He looks me in the eye, which is rare.

“I’d like you to stop interfering. For example, when I talk to the children or if I tell them off, you try to tell me how best to deal with them. You rarely just let me get on with being a father in the way that I want to be a father, and often you treat me like a child.”

I want to answer back with a “how dare you!” but realise that what he’s saying is totally fair. R usually likes  to shy away from confrontation, make everyone feel like he’s in the wrong all the time. I am strangely exhilarated by his sense of injustice because for once he’s standing up for himself.

Next time we visit the therapist, I want to be able to offer at least one answer to her question. Surely I want all the things that everybody wants: love, security and companionship. But for myself? A bit more self-knowledge wouldn’t go amiss, however abstract that might sound.

Last week, I wanted to be dragged, to get drunk, to be taken anywhere but home. At the end of the night, of course, I had to go home. In my mind, the zenith of romance in life has always been about someone taking my hand and leading me away from the things I just don’t want to face.

All the adult duties that have scared me – from looking at my bank statements to dealing with authority – have simply been manifestations of my inability to look at myself.

It’s such a boring thing to have to do, to enter into such existential – sometimes selfish – territory. I’d much rather spend my days getting to know other people and admire their strengths and scrutinise their faults as a way of passing the time. It is fun for a while to define myself against people and places and things; to be taken along for the ride, whatever the consequences. But that’s not a sustainable way to live any more.

During therapy, I realise I don"t know myself very well