Vitamin C protects your knees

Try this trick to be happy

Unpleasant life events are easier to recall than positive ones and can over-shadow day-to-day happiness, according to studies. To remember the good times, you simply have to work harder at it. Use this quick trick to help you recall those happy moments and find the joy in every day. During a happy moment, pause and note details. Replay them in your head before bedtime and when you wake up in the morning.  Soon pleasant memories will be top of your mind more often.

Get your Pap smear

A woman and over 30? Give yourself the best Christmas gift – get a Pap smear. The rate of women dying from cervical cancer has plunged in countries where Pap smears are done routinely. This is not the case in this country. Pap smear is a screening test that can detect cervical cancer (caused by certain strains of the human papilloma virus) in its earliest stages when complete cure is possible. Many women in this country have never had this test, or even heard of it, and others don’t have it regularly. Experts recommend yearly Pap smears if you are under 30 and are sexually active or haven’t had three consecutive normal ones in three years. If you are over 30 you should get the test every six months or as your gynaecologist recommends. Pap smear is painless and non-invasive as all the doctor does is use a swab to get cells from the entrance of the cervix, which is taken to the laboratory to be tested for any presence of pre-cancerous or cancerous cells.

Vitamin C protects your knees

An orange a day may keep those achy joints at bay. An Australian study shows that the more vitamin C adults consume, the less likely they are to develop bone and tissue problems that can lead to arthritis. So load up on citrus fruits, broccoli, and tomatoes to avoid becoming one of the many people who develop arthritis.

Garlic can help you fight fat

Fermentable carbohydrates found in foods such as garlic, artichokes, asparagus and chicory could help suppress hunger and help control blood sugar levels, helping to fight diabetes. Imperial College London researchers investigating how these carbohydrates work to suppress appetite say they are good for fighting fat and weight gain. They recommend including these foods in your diet.

Published in December 2014