Healthy attitudes

Seeing things differently

By now you're probably all aware that I like to look at things differently.  I think it's important, and when it comes to our health I think it's extra-important.

I'll give you two examples: what we eat, and what we drink...

Diet — lots of people hear the word and think it means doing something — eating less or eating the right things to lose weight, and it can mean that, but the word diet is also a noun, it means the sum total of the food we eat. So a weight-loss diet is only one of many.  There are gluten free diets, vegetarian diets, pescetarian diets (for people who eat fish but not meat), even a thing called ketogenic diet (a high fat, low carb diet used to treat epilepsy in some children).

I know what you're thinking: What does it matter that we see diet as a verb and not a noun? It matters because people often go on ‘a diet’ to lose weight, then when they reach their target weight they shift back to the old diet and put the weight on again: just think of Claire Richards from Steps. 

Actually, when someone is unhealthily overweight the best thing they can do is change their attitude towards food, and commit to it long-term. Otherwise their weight is just gonna yo-yo.

Alcohol -- What is alcohol? For some it’s an escape; for some it’s a way to relax; for Homer Simpson:

But actually, it’s a poison.  A healthy attitude to alcohol is to realise that it can be dangerous and it should be treated with respect.

Did you know

·         More than 36,200 people were admitted to hospital because of the toxic effect of alcohol in England in 2011/13 (16,600 men and 19,600 women) – that’s nearly 700 every week.

·         360 people died from accidental alcohol poisoning in England in 2011.

·         From 2007-2010, 20,000 under 18s were admitted to hospital in England as a result of drinking alcohol.

I want you to watch a video about drinking fails

In fact I want you to watch it twice: once to see how funny it is, and the second to see how funny it really isn't.  It’s sad and pathetic.

Take the woman in red who brings a tent down on a wedding party,  or the guy at the wedding who rushes in to grab the bouquet and crashes into a little girl. It’s just embarrassing.

Drunk and classy?

Fail

Local News

Wedgewood  Centre, Mirehouse gets a facelift with help from the Copeland Action Group.  

It's amazing what you can do with paint and elbow grease.