WELCOME TO OUR JOURNAL

A really interesting subject to look at and one that aligns perfectly with the purpose of our 'Live Strong & Thrive Pro-Ageing Programme.'

In our daily life, at work, and through other commitments, we often push ourselves and have an unreal idea of how much we should be able to achieve. We try and be everything to everybody and forget about ourselves. It can be hard to 'step off the treadmill' and give yourself a break plus we don't always remember that there are different types of breaks we can all benefit from once in a while. With the bank holiday weekend coming up maybe it's a good time to press the pause bu

Feeling an ongoing lack of energy? Are you trying to solve it by getting more sleep only to find that you're still feeling exhausted? Well, the thing is; sleep and rest are not the same thing, although many of us incorrectly confuse the two. Many of us might be suffering from a rest deficit because we don’t understand the true power of rest. Rest should equal restoration in seven key areas of your life. 1. Physical Rest Physical rest can be passive or active. Passive physical

Exercise is one of the best things you can do to improve your symptoms of arthritis. Arthritis can make life tough by causing pain and making it harder to stay mobile. The symptoms of arthritis can vary from week to week and even from day to day. Many types, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, are long-term conditions. However, with the right treatment and approach you can manage your symptoms. Whatever condition you have, remaining physically active will help y

It can be a lovely wellbeing exercise to plan and decorate the Christmas table. Even if it's looking like there will be fewer people around the table this year, there is no reason why you can't go full out and be creative with your table setting decorations. Mixing new with old and bought with handmade can make a real feast for the eyes and create a wonderful Christmas atmosphere. I've taken a look at what's trending at the moment to kick start your inspiration and ideas gene

Although it's supposed to be 'the most wonderful time of the year', many of us find Christmas tough on our mental health. According to a YouGov survey, a quarter of the population finds Christmas more challenging than the rest of the year, while about one in four of us have struggled with anxiety or depression over the festive season, Feeling low around Christmas is especially common among people who are unemployed (38%), divorced (35%) or widowed (31%). It’s less so, but no

We're coming to the end of an extraordinary year that has changed something in every single person's life somehow. We have seen so much sadness during this year but on the flip side, there is one thing we can all thank 2020 for and that's teaching us to slow down. Our social calendars have suddenly become empty and we have been brought home to nest. It has brought families living together even closer together and many of us have brought out the dusty board games again as you

I love baking and I often get my children involved especially near Christmas. It can be very therapeutic and calming with Christmas music in the background, candles and fairy lights lit. I would like to share this recipe for Cranberry and Almond Thumbprints which are Vegetarian, Low Sodium and Soy-Free. Start by making the Cranberry Jam. Ingredients - Cranberry Jam: 2 ½ cups cranberries, fresh or frozen (295 ml) 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup water ⅓ cup orange juice 1 tablespo

Cold and windy weather together with the drying effects of central heating can leave your skin feeling dry and dull. We have looked at what you can do to keep your winter skin healthy and glowing going down the natural route. 1. Exfoliate Exfoliating removes the top layer of dead skin cells that make skin look dull and dry. Keep it gentle though, as using harsh exfoliators will strip your skin of its natural protective moisture barrier and limit to 2 or 3 times per week. For

As this week has seen the celebration of Women's Entrepreneurship Day, I thought it would be nice to celebrate someone I admire greatly, Sarah Clough, founder of Space Fitness & Wellbeing, She gets up every day with the purpose of helping people enhance their lives, improve their physical strength, range of movement and flexibility as well as their overall wellbeing both mentally and physically. She teaches her Pilates and fitness classes with such experience and ease that yo

As we're now in the middle of November we feel it's quite alright to start enjoying a lovely warm mulled wine. This recipe from Delia Smith is delicious and has the benefit of being non-alcoholic so you can still enjoy it even if you're driving afterwards. It's also wonderful to bring in a flask on a nice long walk. Ingredients: 1 orange ½ lemon 1 small orange 8 cloves 175 ml Belvoir Mulled Winter Cordial (or similar) 300 ml freshly squeezed orange juice ½ tablespoons

It's lockdown time again and this time around the days are shorter and we see less sunshine to make us smile. So, how can we keep ourselves happy and active? We have come up with a list of ideas to keep your lockdown time fun and interesting. 1. Learn a new skill There are so many things you can do at home, learn to knit, baking, write poems, belly dancing, painting, calligraphy, humour writing, basic home repairs, play an instrument, make your own facial, the list goes on. M

Today is National Stress Awareness Day and a perfect opportunity to look into how exercise can help relieve stress. The increase of stress and mental health problems have never been more important than now with the added challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. Almost 1 in 5 adults (19.2%) were likely to be experiencing some form of depression during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in June 2020; this had almost doubled from around 1 in 10 (9.7%) before the pandemic (July 2019

Here's a nice easy recipe for a Friday night. You can use your favourite vegetables and adapt how spicy you want it.

Inform yourself about how you can live better with Osteoporosis if you stay active and exercise regulary.

A healthy lifestyle will reduce the risk of breast cancer significantly. Here is some help to maintaining a healthy weight.

Adding a moderate amount of dark chocolate to our Pre-Workout or Post-Workout Snack can have a number of benefits.

As we're entering the season of colds and flu a recipe for a nutritious smoothie to help fight off the sickness is a great natural remedy.

A big welcome to our new local village shop in Addingham, Pura Eco Store, with local, sustainable products brought to us by Nicky Hopwood.

What a difference a day out in the wild can make. Bonding with nature and learning mindfulness exercises at the same time, a real treat.