A lot of people in the UK suffer from Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD) and as we head towards the darker winter month’s people will feel it more and more. Many people use a SAD light on a morning to help boost their mood over the winter months. However eating correctly can also help you too.

With SAD many people turn to comfort eating to make them feel better however comfort eating sugar-loaded carbohydrates and fat-rich foods will actually do little for you. Instead make sure you eat the following to help SAD:

Eggs are very good for your health, over the past few years health experts have said they can do more harm than good although it was never really proven, now however health experts are in agreement that they are good for you, shocker! Eating eggs for breakfast make a really good start to the day, they contain folic acid and are protein-and-fat-rich but don’t cause fluctuations in blood sugar.

Avocadoes are another food that gets health experts in a tizzy however it has been shown that they are full of depression-fighting magnesium as well as B6 and folates. They also contain quite a lot of monounsaturated fat, which aids your metabolism and helps to lower your cholesterol. Mexican food uses avocadoes in most recipes and side dishes so why not have some Mexican feasts to brighten up your winter.

Sweet potatoes make for a good alternative to the spud, because they contain B6 vitamin, they affect the neurotransmitters in your brain and increase your mood. They are also low on the glycaemic index so means you won’t experience a peak and trough in your blood sugar. They are easy to cook with and can be treated pretty much in the same way as a normal spud, however make the most of them by roasting them with spices for a healthy potato wedge.

Oily fish have numerous health benefits which is why experts say we should incorporate them a lot more into our everyday diet. Fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids have been used to successfully treat depression plus they do wonders for your skin. They are a great option for breakfast, lunch and dinner so why not add some of these little god sends to your diet to beat SAD.

For millions of people who suffer from allergies, the summer can be a miserable time of year however a new vaccine designed could be on our shelves within the next four years.
Over 10 million British people suffer from a number of allergies, including hay fever, asthma, eczema and reactions to cat fur and dust could benefit from a single vaccine that has been developed by Swiss researchers.

Experts say the jab would be the ‘holy grail’ of vaccines due to its ability to protect against multiple allergies, making it cost effective, easy to manufacture and administer. The scientists behind the pioneering vaccine from Cytos Biotechnology found that a course of the vaccine was almost as good as steroids at keeping asthma under control.

 In recent trials conducted 63 asthmatics were given a course of the dummy drug for two to three months, asthma attacks and symptoms were cut by a third, they also found that one injection a week, for six weeks, cut reactions to house dust mites, runny noses and weepy eyes, by nearly 39%. Experts believe the jab in future could also have the potential to help people with allergies to shellfish and peanuts.

The vaccine which is formed of synthetic DNA similar to those found in the bug that causes tuberculosis is known as CYT003-QbG10, it tricks the body into thinking it is under attack from a dangerous bug, prompting a multi-pronged response.

A spokesman for Allergy UK said: ‘It does sound a very promising treatment, giving hope for those with severe asthma or allergy symptoms for whom the usual treatments aren’t enough, but there is still a long way to go before it will be available.

Experts now warn that half the UK population could suffer from hay fever within the next 20 years currently some 15 million Britton’s suffer from it however with more people moving to cities the number of sufferers will double to 32million by 2030.

The Hay Fever Health Report says that the rise will be fuelled by air pollution in urban areas which exacerbates the symptoms of sneezing, runny nose and eyes triggered by pollen. Professor Jean Emberlin the report’s author said: “As the urban population rises over the next 20 years, we can expect to see the number of hay fever sufferers double, if not more.”

She also stated:” Hay fever is the type of thing that people don’t take seriously until they suffer with it. It has a lot of economic implications. Individuals have to go out and buy medication or take time off to see their doctor. People only work at roughly 65 per cent productivity and if they are really rough, they will take a day off.”

Look in at areas that will be most affected the report forecasts the biggest rises in London and Birmingham, with 45 per cent of the cities’ population affected, up from the current 25 per cent. People who live in coastal areas and Scotland will be better off, with 39 per cent expected to suffer.

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Picture courtesy of Per Ola Wiberg ~ Powi

Hayfever it’s an awful allergy that most commonly causes, itchy eyes, sore throat, sneezing, runny nose and headaches.

Some people get only mild systems where as some people find it hard to cope with day to day life with their hayfever.

Below is a email that we have recieved about a Hayfever sufferer

I myself suffer really bad with sneezing fits which can just be the odd 1 sneeze to up to 10 in a space of minutes.  I also get a runny and blocked nose which you might not think is to bad, but in turn for blowing your nose you often get sore and dried skin around your nostrils and this is another painful problem.  Itchy eyes also hit me hard although i have found that wearing glasses does help.

You can get nasal sprays and hayfever anti histamines from your doctor, which some people find cures or ease’s their hayfever. 

In all honesty none of these have worked for me so for the past 3 years I have been having a hayfever injection called Kenalog or its full name Kenalog intra-articular/intramuscular injection (triamcinolone). For the past 2 years this has been injected directly into my arm and it pretty much stopped my hayfever, but this year it’s a different scenario as it was injected into my bum by my local GP over the Nurse who has done it for the last 2 years, and it really hasn’t worked. I have itchy eyes, sore nose and can’t stop sneezing.

 I pretty much went to my GP within a week of the same period that I went last year so the only thing that’s changed is where I was injected so I’d recommend to have it injected into your arm even though it does ache for a few days after.
Having this steroid injection for hayfever works by lowering your immune system so it doesn’t get as bothered by all the extra pollen floating about.  This therefore leaves me at a higher risk to catch other infections.