BODY AND SOUL: Tips to help you through life

Fibre protects against bowel cancer

Pack your diet with fibre-rich wheat bran, beans, legumes, wholegrain, vegetables and prunes to protect against bowel cancer and help your body eliminate excess oestrogen, harmful bacteria, carcinogens and bile from the body. Aim for 25g per day, for example, by eating wholegrain cereal with seed and dried fruit at breakfast, a mixed salad at lunch and a bean stew with sweet potato for dinner.

Have you had your Pap smear?

Many women don’t go for cervical cancer screening due to many reasons, among them – ignorance, lack of facilities, fear of confronting the truth, or just being too busy. If you are under 35 years and avoid the Pap smear test in which the doctor or nurse takes a swab of cells from your cervix to look for pre-cancerous changes, you may be increasing your risk of cervical cancer. Screening is estimated to save thousands of lives each year. Become one of those saved from this deadly disease by going for your Pap smear today. Don’t ignore and then live to regret.

Outdoor exercise boosts mental health

Boost your mental health by going for a jog or walk outdoors, preferably in an area surrounded by grass, shrubs, flowers or trees. A study by Glasgow University compared the stress levels of people working out in the natural environments and non-natural environment such as the gym. People exercising in areas surrounded by vegetation saw a 50 per cent improvement in their mental health.

Sleep deprivation bad for mental health

While you may feel groggy, irritable and moody when sleep-deprived, long-term lack of sleep could be detrimental to your mental health. Experts at Oxford University in UK have linked disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar to disturbed sleep patterns. The areas of the brain controlling sleep and mental health share the same mechanisms, so if your body clock is out of sync, your mood will suffer. Avoid lack of sleep going to your head by sticking to a regular bedtime routine and ensuring you get a minimum of seven hours a night.

Start your day with exercise

Want to start your day feeling inspired? A good exercise session makes you more alert and sets you up for the day ahead. Research also suggests that getting physically active can also get your creative juices flowing. Cognitive psychologists have found that people who exercise at least four times a week are more creative in their thinking, coming up with a great number of ideas and insights than people who don’t. This is good reason for you to fit in a gym trip before a busy day at work if you want to be resourceful.