BLOG — Health

Our body responds to the environment around it. It is constantly protecting us from attacks from our external environment. Imagine our immune system being the cellular level guard against foreign substances (antigens). When they enter our body, our immune system works to recognise them as foreign to our own cells and neutralise them.   The integrity of our immune system is affected by a variety of environmental factors such as pollution, viruses and other infections, stress, and ageing. Combined and separate, these factors have the ability to strengthen or compromise our immune system.   Our lifestyle affects our immune system...

  The state of your health depends on how your body responds to the world around it. Our bodies are constantly on guard, protecting us from, and processing a barrage of assaults from the external environment. At a cellular level, our immune system is the bodies protection against foreign substances (antigens). When antigens enter the body, the immune system works to recognise the antigens as foreign to our own cells and neutralise them.   Environmental factors such as radiation, contamination, pollution and toxins, viruses and other infections, stress, diet and, inevitably ageing, all impact the integrity of our immune system....

Is what you’re eating ‘Boosting your Immunity’? With everything that’s going on in the world today the phrase ‘you are what you eat’ has never been more relevant. With all the nasties flying around we have been preoccupied with hand hygiene, cough etiquette, social distancing, restricted access, border closures, resort shutdowns. With all this, no wonder we are feeling a little on the messy side.  While keeping the nasties at bay externally it is just as important to build up immunity on the inside. As COVID-19 hit vitamin sales went through the roof. Somehow, we felt comfortable knowing that we were at...

Like many people diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, John Leith knew virtually nothing about the condition – the risk factors, the symptoms or long-term health impacts of the disease. Type 2 Diabetes is a progressive condition, so many people don’t display any noticeable symptoms. Another factor delaying diagnosis is that the tell-tale signs such as fatigue, being thirsty, dizziness or gradual weight gain are easily ignored or dismissed as a normal sign of ageing, stress or lifestyle choices.  This is what makes a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes all the more shocking for someone in the prime of their life....

By Kim Clerke, Microbiologist When you think about what parts of the body get the most attention, it’s often on the outside; your hair, eyes, teeth, skin, nails and overall appearance. The beauty industry tells us we’re worth it. We all want great looking bodies, but what about a great functioning microbiota?   Do we ever think about what’s happening in our gut? Once upon a time, our gut was thought to do one simple thing – digest food. More recently, scientists have discovered that the microbiome – the name given to the trillions of microbes (between 300 and 500 different...