Blog Entries

Picking up your sex drive with pomegranates

harriet@viveka.co.uk — Mon, 14 May 2012 09:59:58 +0100

Looking for a super food? For the latest craze, look no further than pomegranate juice. It's credited with a multitude of
benefits ranging from increasing virility and sex drive (and that includes
reducing erectile dysfunction) to reducing blood pressure, slowing the ageing
process and fighting some cancers.

The revelations follow a study carried out
by researchers at the Queen Margaret Hospital in Edinburgh. In the study, 60
volunteers (men and women) drank 500m [...]

Prostate Cancer Screening

harriet@viveka.co.uk — Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Men: If you're over 40 it's time for a general checkup, which you can have with GP Laila Kaikavoosi. At the very least, once you're in your 40s it's good to have a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test, done simply from a blood sample. Like any cancer, the earlier it is detected, the better the outlook. And for small, localised tumours the new high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is giving very promising results and, in the small trials so far conducted, leaves men without [...]

Advances in Fertility Treatment

harriet@viveka.co.uk — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Talha Shawaf was on good form last Tuesday night when he led a forum to discuss advances in fertility treatment.

Talha began by talking about IMSI, a cutting edge technique (Intracytoplasmic Morphologically-Selected Sperm Injection) where the sperms are viewed at a magnification of x6000 and the best ones are selected and inseminated directly into an egg for conception. A similar technique called ICSI has been used for years, but the magnification is only x320. The new IMSI system all [...]

Can sugar make your skin look old?

harriet@viveka.co.uk — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Can too much sugar add to your wrinkles?

If you're a sugar lover this may not be good news for you - but the more sugar you consume, the older your skin may look. One of the many, many effects of sugar on the body is the way it damages the collagen and elastic protein fibres in the skin. It also makes your skin more vulnerable to the damaging effects of the sun.

More and more research is becoming available about sugar's harmful effects. It's not just the sugar you add [...]

How to get rid of Acne?

harriet@viveka.co.uk — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Leena came in today with an article about treating acne with - wait for it - a natural herb. According to the Metro, thyme may hold the key to getting rid of acne.

Leena said, 'As an adult sufferer myself, I have tried creams, lotions, antibiotics and even went on roacctune. For me personally I have tried all conventional medicine. Never thought about going on the route of homeopathy remedies and herbs. So I might give this a try.'

The NHS report that lies behind [...]

Ovarian Cancer, Symptoms & Screening

harriet@viveka.co.uk — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100

March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month with Ovarian Cancer Action, which is calling for ways to raise awareness of the symptoms of this form of cancer.

Good to know:

~ Ovarian Cancer is most common in women over the age of 50, but can occur earlier
~ One in fifty women is affected
~ Early detection gives the best outlook; but at present 2 out of 3 cases are not diagnosed until the later phases of the disease

Symptoms of ovarian cancer are often overlooked, or wro [...]

Sleeping Problems? Tackling Insomnia Without Pills

vision@viveka.co.uk — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Having difficulty sleeping and don't want to take pills?

You may have heard the news about the health risks of sleeping pills. The Huffington Post was one of many that reported the findings of a study that revealed the alarming news that even taking fewer than 18 pills in a year can increase the risk of death significantly. The findings were based on a large study conducted between 2002 and 2007 reported by the BMJ.

If you're one of many who have difficulty sleeping and want th [...]

Sugar and Breakfast Cereals

harriet@viveka.co.uk — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100

How much sugar do your children eat for breakfast?

More than 50% sugar in cereal? It's not new information - but somehow the amount of sugar in some commonly eaten foods is often overlooked. Here's an alarming set of statistics showing the percentage of sugar in breakfast cereals:

   1. Kellogg’s Honey Smacks, 55.6%
   2. Post Golden Crisp, 51.9%
   3. Kellogg’s Froot Loops Marshmallow, 48.3%
   4. Quaker Oats Cap [...]

Don't have time to exercise?

harriet@viveka.co.uk — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100

The most common reason for not exercising enough? It's time!

If you've ever tried to change or improve your exercise regime, the chances are you have at some point decided that you don't have enough time. It's one of the most common reasons given by people who want to exercise more than they do.

The truth is, however, that we each have 24 hours in a day. Getting up an hour earlier, or swapping an hour's TV viewing for an hour's run, might be easier than yo [...]

Chin Hairs? Out in the open ...

harriet@viveka.co.uk — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100

If you google 'chin hairs' you'll be surprised with the results. There are forums and blogs discussing it - a problem that tens of millions of women struggle with, and are embarrassed by.

So what do women do about it? Tweezers is the most popular route ... with visits to a private mirror sometimes several times a day. But there are other options. Amanda Shayle, who has recently joined the Viveka team, struggled with this issue herself. She says she doesn't mind talking [...]

Aspirin and Heart Health

vision@viveka.co.uk — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Is a daily 75mg dose of aspirin a good idea or a bad idea?

For several years, popular opinion about the value of a daily dose of aspirin (in a low dose of 75mg) has been that it's a good idea: the 'blood thinning' effect of aspirin is thought to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke. New research, however, is throwing up a dilemma - in those who do not carry a significant risk of developing cardiovascular problems, taking a daily dose of 75mg seems to increase [...]

Calming Teen Anxiety

harriet@viveka.co.uk — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:34:13 +0100

Homeopath Gabrielle Pinto has been seeing a stream of teenagers recently. A common theme is anxiety - here are some cases showing how effective a listening ear and the right homeopathic remedies can be.

"A sixteen-year-old boy came for help for his acne; he was also having nightmares of being chased by snakes. I asked if there was anything difficult happening at school and he told me that one of his old friends had turned against him and he felt powerless to deal wi [...]

Who was at your baby's birth?

harriet@viveka.co.uk — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:53:07 +0100

Who was at your baby's birth?

Amanda Edwards shares her views on the importance of support - and this includes the dads.

Research has shown that birth experiences are more favourable when those attending the mother are known to her. This seems pretty obvious to me, that we are more relaxed in the company of people that we know and trust.

So often today, with lack of funding and a lack of midwives, women and their partners meet their midwife for the first tim [...]

Homeopathy in the news

harriet@viveka.co.uk — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:00:48 +0100

Little Pill, Big Trouble

This is the title of a thoughtful article by Will Stor in the Telegraph last weekend. In it, he considers the history of homeopathy and the trials and results that have been used - and sometimes apparently mis-used - to support or undermine arguments for homeopathy's efficacy as a treatment for all manner of illnesses. There are many stories of it having extremely positive effects; and also a history of doubt from the sceptics.

In our experience at Viveka, [...]

Rewire your own brain!

harriet@viveka.co.uk — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:28:43 +0100

Gone are the days when being 'stuck in your ways' was a matter of course for anyone over the age of 30. It's now unequivocal - neuroscientists have proven that our brains keep changing (and we can even grow new brain cells) whatever our age. Changing the way you think and the way you relate to other people can profoundly affect the structure of your brain and alter your behaviour and your happiness. Powerful ways to bring this about are:

in relationship: your brain resonates with the ot [...]

Where to give birth?

vision@viveka.co.uk — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 10:38:26 +0100

As the newspapers buzz with debate about the new NICE guidelines on elective caesareans, it's no surprise that birth is a hot topic of conversation among the doctors and practitioners here at Viveka. When we met as a group for our forum earlier this week, discussion was animated: many of us are passionate about supporting women and families through pregnancy and helping them feel fully informed about pros and cons of natural/caeserean births for them and their babies; and we're here to suppo [...]

Teens in the Spotlight

harriet@viveka.co.uk — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:54:46 +0100

Teenagers and teen issues are in the news a lot at the moment, and at Viveka practitioners are seeing more and more adolescents. Their issues range from stress to sleep difficulties, from tummy pains (and IBS) to acne.

Looking at the newspapers there is a common thread: teenagers are keen to get the support they want - rahter than the support their parents think they need. While sometimes parents have it just right, it's important to give teenagers private space where they f [...]

Christmas Gift Ideas

vision@viveka.co.uk — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:27:31 +0100

It's that time of year again. What might your best friend, your mum,
your sister - or even you - like for a special treat? We're putting on
some special Christmas offers ranging from Botox to First Aid Training
at a discount .... check out the discounts.

Safer Caesareans?

vision@viveka.co.uk — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 08:50:37 +0100

There's a lot of buzz around Viveka at the moment, with classes in the hall downstairs bringing mums and babies in and a regular group of people keeping fit and toning up with Jodie's pilates. And we have a few new faces joining our team. In our next newsletter we'll be introducing you to a new gynaecologist whose stunning invention helps to reduce the diffficulties that can come with emergency caesarean sections ... watch this space for more and sneak a preview of the simple but effective fe [...]

Menopause Problems?

harriet@viveka.co.uk — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:03:12 +0100

The International Menopause Society (IMS) has announced that this October is World Menopause Month. They're trying to get the word out that there's no need to suffer in silence, and we agree - Why Suffer if you don't have to - this stage of life can be a wonderful phase.

So if you're getting hot flushes, mood swings, aches, pains or unusual bleeding - there is a lot of help out there, with ways to reduce symptoms ranging from lifestyle and diet adjustments, to medication. Check our [...]