Preventing REPETITIVE STRAIN

A computer mouse can cause damage if you are using it for hours and hours every day. Thirty three per cent of participants in a recent survey reported that the computer mouse and its location are the primary causes of pain or discomfort caused by computer work. Here are some tips from www.kos.ie:

  • Work with your mouse as close to you as possible to eliminate unnecessary movements.
  • Use an ergonomic mouse to change the way you physically use the mouse.
  • Learn keyboard shortcuts/hotkeys to reduce stretching for the mouse.
  • Consider getting an ergonomic keyboard.
  • Consult a physiotherapist and act on their advice.

    • EPILEPSY APP:

    Epilepsy Ireland has launched a new mobile app to help people with epilepsy and the parents of children with epilepsy manage their seizures. Free on android.

    MENTAL WELLNESS APP:

    Irish charity Suicide or Survive (SOS) has launched a new mobile app. Features include how to take a mindful minute, mindfulness diary and timer, a tracking device for your mental wellbeing over time, a “feed your wolf of hope” feature and short video presentations that can be watched.

    Within your app store, search for Suicide or Survive and download the app for free.

    SHOPPING GUIDE FOR DIABETICS

    Stay around the perimeter of the supermarket when you shop because that’s where the healthier foods tend to be placed. The further you go in, the more processed the foods. Approach salad bars and deli counters with caution also as they can be a minefield. Those are just some of the tips for all shoppers from Diabetes Ireland. Download A Supermarket Shopping Guide for People with Diabetes at www.diabetes.ie/patientbooklets.

    MINDFUL EATING TIPS

    Qualified dietitian Paula Mee had some mindful eating tips at the National Dairy Council and Donegal Creameries Health and Wellbeing evening in Letterkenny recently.

    “If you skip a meal or don’t eat because you’re trying to manage weight or lose weight, then you will become ravenous later on and ultimately you risk overindulging,” she says. She recommends a mindful approach:

  • Recognise when you are hungry and full.
  • Reflect on the health consequences of particular foods.
  • Evaluate portion sizes.
  • Slow down and enjoy your food. It can take 20 minutes after eating for our stomach to tell our brains that we are full.

    • 10 TIPS TO HELP CUT YOUR CANCER RISK

    The Marie Keating Foundation (www.mariekeating.ie) has issued 10 top tips for reducing cancer risk in 2015.

  • 1. Scale down: Be a healthy weight.
  • 2. Get moving: Being fit helps you fight disease.
  • 3. Butt out: Stop smoking.
  • 4. Don’t go against the grain: Eat plenty of wholgrain.
  • 5. Trim the fat: Limit fat to 20-35% of your calorie intake.
  • 6. Skin: Don’t scrimp on sunscreen.
  • 7. Fruit and veg: Arm yourself with nature’s anti-cancer arsenal – fruit and vegetables.
  • 8. Be the designated driver: Alcohol increases cancer risk.
  • 9. See your GP: Be on the lookout for changes in your body and see your GP if you notice anything different.
  • 10. Say yes to the test: BreastCheck, CervicalCheck or BowelScreen are all free and quick and could catch problems early.

    • get your bra size checked

    When should you get your bra size re-checked? The experts say that this is a must if you’ve lost or gained weight since you were last measured for a bra. The contraceptive pill, exercise and age can also have an impact on your bra size. Surveys by lingerie companies have shown that 70-80% of Irish women wear the wrong sized bra. Here are some fitting tips from the experts:

  • The underwire should sit flat to your body.
  • Your bra shouldn’t move about.
  • Bra straps shouldn’t leave a mark.
  • No double boobs – bra cup is too small.
  • No back boobs – band shouldn’t dig in.

    • Advice is to get measured correctly and get measured regularly. Don’t assume that you’ve stayed the same size. Incentive? The consensus is that a proper-fitting bra can make you look taller and thinner and will help you avoid shoulder and back pain, particularly if you are well-endowed.

    Have you got epilepsy?

    Tap2Tag medical alert wristbands, designed to provide potentially lifesaving information during an emergency, are now available through www.epilepsy.ie. When activated, usually with an internet-enabled smartphone, the devices provide near instant access to information about the wearer’s medical condition, such as epilepsy, and their identity. Once the device has been activated, the Tap2Tag system can also be used to send a message, either as text or email, to designated family members or carers to alert them to the emergency. A YouTube video explaining how the system works is available online or see www.tap2tag.me or www.epilepsy.ie

    DID YOU KNOW?

    • It costs €38,000 to train one pup to become a working guide or assistance dog. 100 children with Autism are waiting for one. 262 have them.

    • People with disabilities and their families are demanding that the Government scrap the 144-year-old Lunacy Act 1871 that still refers to persons with an intellectual disability, mental illness or brain injury as “idiot”, “lunatic” and of “unsound mind”, stating that such legislation has no place in modern Ireland

    • Every resident of the Republic of Ireland is to be given an individual health service ID number

    • Alzheimer’s Tea Day takes place on 7 May. €430,000 was raised last year. See www.teaday.ie.

    • Seventy five per cent of Irish adults have pulled a sickie in work due to a hangover. (Source: Lifeline Hangover Defence survey).

    • More women than men die from strokes in Ireland every year.

    WHY DO WE NEED TO DRINK LOTS OF WATER?

    We all need about two litres of water a day just to stay hydrated. That’s because we lose water through our skin, when we breathe, in faeces, urine and in normal perspiration. What happens if we are dehydrated? If you don’t consumer enough water, your blood is literally thicker than it should be and your body has to work much harder to make the blood circulate. You will then find it more difficult to concentrate and you will also feel more tired.

    ,ch>HYDRATION TIPS FOR SPORTS PLAYERS

    Refuelling and rehydrating between sports sessions is very important, according to sports dietitian, Noreen Roche who has worked with the Kilkenny senior hurling team since 1998. She was speaking at a National Dairy Council seminar on sports nutrition for young players in Bunclody, Co Wexford. Here are her tips:

  • 1. Always take full bottles of drinks to training and matches.
  • 2. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
  • 3. Begin training fully hydrated (200-400ml beforehand).
  • 4. Drink 100-150ml every 15 minutes during exercise.
  • 5. Continue drinking fluids after training has finished – water, milk etc.