Get Up & Go Breakfast - Awareness Health - Dr Wendy Christien

Exposure to chronic mould or mycotoxins can cause an inflammatory immune response in sensitive people. Mould-contaminated indoor spaces can negatively impact human health. An increase in upper and lower respiratory conditions is linked to chronic mould exposure. Mould spores can trigger the production of cytokines and chemokines, which mediate inflammatory and immune reactions. Mould exposure can cause asthma, but it can also contribute to atopic skin symptoms as well.

Salt, otherwise known as sodium, is necessary in small quantities for our body functions. Salt helps for the conduction of nerve impulses, the contraction and relaxation of our muscles, and it plays a role in the fluid and mineral balance in our bodies. Too much salt intake can cause health problems including our blood vessels and brains.

Spring is a time of renewal and as the weather starts to get warmer it can be a good time to detox our bodies. Detoxification can help to alleviate the sluggishness that we can feel after eating too many comfort foods over the winter months and to help get our weight back on track. It can also help to lift our mood.

Blood pressure is the term given to the pressure of the blood that pushes against the walls of our arteries as it circulates around our bodies. Last week Wendy focussed on High Blood Pressure. This week she looks at the various types of Low Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the term given to the pressure of the blood that pushes against the walls of our arteries as it circulates around our bodies. The arteries transport blood from our hearts to the rest of the body and this pressure can fluctuate throughout the day. When our blood pressure is measured, the readings are based on two factors...

Our heart is a very important organ. It is a muscular organ about the size of a fist, located just behind and slightly left of the breastbone. The heart pumps blood through the network of arteries and veins called the cardiovascular system. If it stops or if something hinders its activity, we have a serious problem! What is helpful to heart health?

Sleep is important to keep our bodies well and healthy. Good quality sleep protects our mental health and physical health and has a profound impact on our quality of life. The way we feel while we're awake depends in part on what happens while we're sleeping. Many metabolic processes take place at night while we sleep to support healthy brain function and maintain physical health...

Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are the two main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the pancreas’s beta cells so that the body cannot produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is more commonly a lifestyle disease. Wendy tells us more...

Glucose is a type of sugar we get from the foods we eat, and it is what our bodies use for energy. Insulin is the hormone that the body produces in response to the foods we eat and is necessary to transport the glucose from our bloodstream into our cells so that it can be utilized or stored. Wendy shares more on this intricate system.

Many of us work at a desk or spend a lot of time in a car all day, then we go home at the end of the day and sit down for dinner, then sit on the couch. Added to this most people travel to and from work and to any leisure activities by car, bus, taxi, or train. More and more people are inactive or have sedentary lifestyles. This is a lifestyle with little to no exercise and a lot of sitting or lying down.