What Is Stress? We all know what stress is and have all encountered it at some point in our lives. Stress can be brought on by a real threat, for example if we were being chased by a wild animal. In this instance the body brings on important changes in our body to help us fight or run, this is called the fight or flight response or the stress response. Stress can also be brought on by a perceived threat, for example if we are worrying about something that may happen in the future, also called catastrophising. There are also many other factors in life that can cause us to become stressed e.g. heavy workload, loss & bereavement etc. When we are stressed the body produces a number of hormones,

How Amazing Is Your Body? The body is an amazing machine with all of its different functions working together like a well-oiled machine to keep going day after day. It has many functions to perform such as respiration, digesting food, circulating oxygen and nutrients to all of your cells, sending thousands of electrical impulses so that you can think, feel, touch, smell etc. The body has certain requirements to keep it functioning well, this involves providing it with healthy food, getting plenty of oxygen from the air you breathe and of course drinking water to keep it hydrated. Nutrients are involved in all body processes and it is important that you get a good balance for your body so tha

Food allergies, food intolerances and coeliac disease are all becoming more and more common now-a-days and it can be confusing trying to understand the difference between them all. I have tried to describe each one in simple terms if you need help in knowing the difference. FOOD ALLERGY Certain foods contain particular molecules (known as allergens), which are normally harmless, but can bring on an allergic reaction in certain people. When these allergens are ingested, the body mistakes them as a foreign body. The body then produces antibodies to fight off the allergen to try and destroy and neutralise it. During the immune response a number of chemicals are also produced; the main one being