Please go to our HealthNotes section for detailed and referenced information about all conditions related to heart and circulation.

Simvastatin is a member of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor family of drugs that blocks the body’s production of cholesterol. Simvastatin is used to lower high cholesterol and to reduce the risk of heart attack and death.

If you have been prescribed this medication here is what you need to know as regards its use and other ways you can improve your health.

Because this medication can deplete your levels of CoQ10, an essential nutrient in energy metabolism, it is really helpful to take as a supplement to boost your energy levels.

Do…

• Support your medication’s effectiveness with omega-3s 900 to 1,800 mg each day of the omega-3 fatty acid EPA, found in fish oil, may improve pravastatin’s cholesterol- and triglyceride-lowering effect.
• Keep up your CoQ10 levels 30 to 100 mg of co-enzyme q10 per day may prevent this heart-healthy nutrient from being depleted by your medication, and it may reduce the likelihood of a potential side effect.
• Try cholesterol-lowering margarine Using margarines containing sitostanol (Benecol), which is made from naturally occurring unsaturated sterols from soyabean oil (Take Control), can help lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

Don’t…

• Disrupt your medicine with grapefruit Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice (and potentially pomegranate) as they may inhibit the body’s ability to break down simvastatin, making it more toxic.
• Take red yeast rice with statins Although red yeast rice (Monascus purpureas) extract has been shown to lower moderately high cholesterol and triglycerides, it contains small amounts of natural HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and should not be used with statin medications

Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise Moisturiser will fill in gaps and cracks, restoring elasticity and giving your skin a smooth, supple appearance. A moisturiser containing Hyaluronic Acid or a serum for a more intensive effect can really help. Since HA actually attracts water, taking oral HA as well as using HA creams or serums can help by increasing the hydration in the dermis.  Attracting a water layer on top of the skin surface will also protect against dryness and dehydration.  Collagen makes up 70% of the dry weight of the Dermis layer in the skin.  HA moisturisers are useful to keep the collagen hydrated therefore helping to reduces dryness and wrinkles.

Don’t forget the sunscreen Remember, the winter sun can give you a sunburn and protecting the skin against harmful rays can prevent premature ageing.

Wear gloves religiously Your hands will thank you, as they are often exposed to the harsh winter air.  When you have finished applying your moisturiser, always rub any excess into the back of your hands for added protection.

Wash wisely Water strips the oil from your skin, so wash sparingly during the winter months.

• Use mild soap-free cleansers, which don’t dry your skin as much (Active Age Defence Whipped Cream Cleanser is gorgeous)

• When you wash your face, use a warm water wash and a cool rinse. A cool rinse constricts the blood vessels and calms the skin to retain the moisturiser in your cleanser.

• Get in and get out of the shower as quickly as possible. And apply moisturiser within three minutes of washing to seal in moisture.

As the clock strikes midnight on the 31^st of December does anything really change?  We still have the same issues to deal with be they good or bad and the beginning of a year can be inspirational, and it can also be disheartening!

I usually begin my year with lists and goals and the best of intentions and to a certain degree this one is not any different.  I have hit the scales, planned my diary and even got back into my exercise regime but this year I have decided to be very low key.  I haven’t made any New Year Resolutions and gotten too carried away with anything unrealistic.

I have decided to re-focus after a couple of week’s indulgence and make my choices because I WANT TO and not because of January the 1^st!

What do you think?

“…..as we age,  levels of it deplete, which can contribute to those dark specks in your vision.  Taking a supplement such as Syno-Vital could help to reduce floaters and lower the risk of glaucoma and detached retina.”

This is great news for those who wish to improve eye health and as an added extra HA also helps maintain healthy joints and hydrated healthy skin!

Taking Liquid HA can help to top up your natural HA levels.

We have been commended for our outstanding range of supplements and specially sourced anti-ageing skincare.

This really does mean a lot to the team at Modern Herbals as it is the result of much hard work.  We are an independent, family run business and our team take great pride in providing a good service to all of our regular customers.

A recent survey, which included nearly 90,000 post menopausal women, found that over 3 years, women who consumed 800iu of Vitamin D per day significantly lowered the chances of experiencing symptoms of depression.  Women who had not experienced symptoms also lowered the risk by 20% at levels of 400iu per day.

Women can reduce their risk of Depression if they eat foods rich in Vitamins D such as; oily fish e.g. salmon and mackerel. Non-fish options include vitamin D–fortified foods and drinks such as cereal, margarine, yoghurt, milk, and orange juice. To a lesser extent, eggs and sardines are also sources of vitamin D.

Of course, balance is important and this goes for diet and lifestyle.  Fresh air and exercise is also an excellent tonic and important to mental and physical wellbeing.

Grab the kids or Grandchildren and I encourage you to wrap up, get out and about and enjoy those crisp winter days ahead of us; I for one will not be ignoring the local parks just because winter is here!

With ‘smog’ and early reports of snow, it is time to start thinking about boosting our health and immune system ready to fight the winter cold and flu season.  Early indications show that in the UK we are likely to have a serious flu outbreak this year.  According to BBC’s radio 4 our immunity is low this year because of relatively light outbreaks in the last two years.

We have acquired immunity but also we have our inbuilt immunity which serves as the first line of defence from infection.  We can strengthen this by using a specific type of Beta-Glucan and this is especially useful for vulnerable adults who may be compromised due to lifestyle, stress or simply getting older!

We can also support out immune system and help it to respond to infection with herbs such as Echinacea (see our licensed herb section of the website) or simply Vitamin C.  Click on the link below for some of our best remedies.  Remember that you can shorten the duration of colds if you treat quickly and this is particularly useful for out breaks of ‘Man Flu’ where immediate action is required to reduce down time!

This could be for the cost childcare, cleaning, ironing and all those other tasks involved in running a family household (usually around working and all the other tasks that need to be crammed into the week).

Regardless of our monetary worth here are the daily supplements to keep us girls healthy. We can all benefit from taking supplements to ensure the correct levels of essential vitamins and minerals that the diet may not always provide.

• A happy family of multi-vitamins and minerals including Vitamins C (200mg to 1000mg) and full spectrum of B Vitamins.
• A woman’s bones need extra help to prevent loss of bone mass and calcium is a mineral that we often do not get enough of through food sources. About 1000mg per day or 1,200mg if over 51. 400iu to 800iu of Vitamin D will help with absorption of calcium and has other immune boosting benefits too.
• Essential fatty acids(Omega family) can also protect against a wide range of conditions including osteoporosis, heart disease and depression. Good sources in the diet are cold water fish, walnuts and flaxseeds. It is easy to add a good quality supplement to your diet and you can even buy ground flaxseed as an easy addition to cereals, muesli or cooking.

Invest in your daily health and add some health insurance to your daily routine.

The day is further intended to draw global attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to negative health effects, which currently lead to 5.4 million deaths worldwide annually. The member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) created World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) in 1987. In the past twenty years, the day has been met with both enthusiasm and resistance across the globe from governments, public health organizations, smokers, growers, and the tobacco industry.

What do you think?