A lot of people are highly dependent on caffeine to the point that they can no longer go through a whole day without it. The problem with caffeine is that the body builds tolerance to it – eventually, you’ll need more coffee/soda/energy drinks to achieve the same effect. Too much caffeine then leads to palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, and other negative side effects that can make you counterproductive.

Over time, the habitual overconsumption of caffeine leads to adrenal fatigue, which is when your adrenal glands get too tired and can no longer do their job properly. When this happens, you’ll need lots of coffee just to experience the energy you had when you’ve never had coffee. To help regain your natural energy back, it’s a good idea to stay away from caffeine for a while to let your adrenal glands recover from caffeine abuse. Here are a few alternatives with little to no caffeine that you can use:

Wheatgrass Juice – While there haven’t been a lot of clinical studies to fully discover what wheatgrass really does to your body, a lot of health conscious people swear by it because of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients it contains. It’s quickly and easily digested by the body and provides a steady, powerful energy boost without the crash.

Flaxseeds – Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil are known for being great sources of Omega-3 essential fatty acids, fiber, and lignans. Omega-3 essential fatty acids have been observed to improve cognitive function. Fiber helps you with your metabolism while making you full. Lignans are known to have anti cancer properties and help strengthen the immune system. The minerals contained in flaxseeds like potassium give you a steady supply of energy throughout the day.

Warm Lemon Water – it’s a great alternative to morning coffee as it gently gives your system a gentle boost in energy. It detoxifies your body, aids in digestion, strengthens your immune system, helps prevent acne breakouts and wrinkles, relieves joint pains, and much more. Because it’s rich in potassium and vitamin C, it gives you an energy boost while shielding your body from various diseases.

Acai Berries – Faithful, old Acai! Hailed as a type of super food, acai berries are rich in vitamins, minerals, anthocyanin, and antioxidants. They’re often included in a lot of workout supplements because they provide a good, clean boost in energy while removing free radicals in your body. If you don’t have them in your diet, you can take pure acai berry supplements instead so that you don’t have to eat a lot of them to reap the benefits they offer.

There are a lot more alternatives to caffeine available that can give you an energy boost without taxing your system. Caffeine is a great energy booster, but it’s a good idea to keep it out of your system so that when you need a powerful energy boost, your body is sure to respond to it.

Menopause is a natural phenomenon that happens to women approaching mid-life. A lot of the changes that happen can be overwhelming; the body seems very chaotic and out of control due to the imbalance of hormones. Frequent mood swings and hot flashes are common side effects of these hormonal imbalances caused by menopause. Fortunately, these side effects could be suppressed by making a few lifestyle changes and a bit of help from both modern and traditional medicine. A shift towards a healthier lifestyle not only means less discomfort from menopause, but also slower aging and better resistance to disease.

The most common solution to hormonal imbalance is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Your body produces estrogen and progesterone to regulate your reproductive cycle among a few things, but as you age, the amount of estrogen and progesterone decreases, especially during menopause. HRT restores the lost hormones therefore giving you back a bit of youth. HRT is also known to help reduce diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases that could have been caused by hormonal imbalances. Unfortunately, some studies seem to find a link between HRT and breast cancer. It’s always best to consult with your doctor regarding the risks and benefits of this treatment before proceeding.

It’s never too late to shift to a well-balanced diet if you haven’t already. Fruits, vegetables, and other natural and organic food give your body the nutrients it needs to help manage menopause and give you more energy in the long run. The antioxidants present in fruits and vegetables decelerate aging as well.

Not a lot of diets can give you all the nutrients that your body requires, which is why it’s often a good idea to take supplements. The basics are often multivitamins and fish oil. High quality multivitamins come with chelated minerals, which means that your body can absorb them better and they don’t end up going to waste. If you want to take a step further from the basics, there are other supplements known to have profound effects in hormone balance, anti-aging, stress response, and overall health if you’re willing to invest in them. Perfect Harmony is a well-known natural alternative to HRT. Acai berry supplements are also becoming popular due to a multitude of effects they cause, e.g., weight loss due to increased metabolic rate, energy and stamina boost, anti ageing, detox, etc. It’s always a good idea to consult with your doctor first before trying any form of supplementation though, so that you’re sure that none of the supplements you take will cause problems with any medications you’re taking or any medical conditions you have.

Daily exercise and quality sleep do wonders to the body. They work hand-in-hand in regulating your hormone levels and in general, keeping you happy and perky. No matter how many hours you sleep, if you don’t reach the deep stages, you won’t experience its full benefits. To make sure you get a good night’s rest, it’s important to do mentally and physically exhausting activities during the day so that your body doesn’t keep you up at night. Doctors recommend at least thirty minutes of daily exercise. You should also avoid caffeine at least six hours before bedtime. Lastly, melatonin, a hormone that helps you sleep, is only released when it’s dark so make sure that your room is comfortably dark and that you avoid using your phone or any other gadgets before you sleep.

Menopause brings quite a few uncomfortable changes with it, but it also brings a few welcome changes as well like the absence of the dreaded PMS and embarrassing stains on your favorite outfit. Whatever your perspective is, it’s important that you listen to your body so that you can reap mostly the positive effects of menopause and be comfortable, happy, and healthy for the rest of the years to come.

Plastic surgery stats for 2013 are in - and breast augmentation surgery tops the charts yet again. A staggering 11,123 boob jobs were performed last year, which is 13% rise on 2012 numbers. Not bad for a recession, hey? The bad news is that that's over 11 thousand women who weren't happy with their shape, who ended up resorting to major surgery. If you're sitting there thinking of heading down the same route - before you go under the knife - we've rounded up some top tips to help you make the most of the boobs you have and keep them looking their best, without needing to take drastic and expensive measures.

How are Those New Year's Resolutions Going.

With 2014 now well underway, many of us who resolved to do things differently in the year ahead may be finding it tough going. So if you're currently counting the calories, or have made a resolution to improve your general health and wellbeing - you're definitely not alone.

The bad news is that for many people, New Year's resolutions are doomed to fail.

The good news, though, is that we've pulled together five top tips to help you stick to your goals for this year.

Lots of us suffer with joint pain at some time or other. And, with symptoms often made worse by cold weather, many of us are experiencing problems with our joints at this time of year. If you’re currently suffering with sore knees or achey hips, you’re definitely not alone.

Indeed, 10 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with arthritis, with 8.5 million affected by the most common form of the condition – osteoarthritis. But joint problems can affect us all, especially if we put a lot of strain on our joints through certain activities like high impact sport such as running. It’s tempting to pop some painkillers and get on with our lives, but drugs can only really offer a short term solution – there are steps you can take to help get to the root of the issue and improve your overall joint health.

Why is my sore knee worse in the winter?

Doctors are not sure why joint pain is felt more acutely in cold weather, but many people report an increase in their symptoms in lower temperatures. One theory is that because we often have a tendency to feel a little depressed in the winter months, this makes everything feel worse – including medical conditions.

That’s not to say “it’s all in the mind” – but that by improving our general mental state we improve our perception of pain.

Tips to improve joint health

A good way to improve mental wellbeing (and lessen our perception of pain) is to take regular exercise. However, it’s important to pick the right exercise if you have joint problems. Swimming, yoga, and pilates are all good for both mind and body. And they generally tend to take place indoors, so you don’t even have to get too cold.

Other non-drug treatments to improve joint health include physiotherapy and weight loss. Physiotherapy may well include some massage techniques, which is something you can also try at home with a suitable massage lotion. Aloe and Collagen Massage Lotion is particularly suitable if you suffer from joint pain due to its unique combination of Collagen, Aloe Vera and a number of herbal extracts that can provide relief from aches and pains. Taking an Aloe Vera capsule such as Perfect Aloe Matrix may also help improve joint problems naturally, without painkillers or prescription drugs, because of the plant’s natural anti-inflammatory properties. What can I say? Aloe Vera doesn’t get called the 'miracle plant' for nothing!

Another supplement that has been found to help with joint problems is pure collagen. More potent than most of the market, Pure-Col 100% Pure Collagen is taken by many sports people to help maintain joint, tendon and ligament condition. This is because collagen both protects cartilage from damage, and is also the crucial ingredient for repairing damaged joints. Collagen can also reduce oxidation damage to joints, which in turn reduces joint pain, tenderness and swelling.

Digestive problems are a common ailment at any time of the year. Indeed, some experts suggest that 40% of people have at least one digestive symptom at any one time. But with the festive season well and truly upon us, we’re probably a bit prone to overindulging than usual – and therefore more likely to be experiencing some of the digestive consequences of that second helping of turkey (or third mince pie of the day...)

What are the most common digestive symptoms?

The most common digestive problems are:

• Abdominal pain
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
• Indigestion
• Heartburn
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Excess wind

And these are such common issues that we more or less take them for granted – treating them with over-the-counter remedies to provide quick fixes and getting on with our lives.

Could a digestive symptom indicate a serious problem?

We’re so used to experiencing digestive problems that we often fail to pay much attention to them. But there are some warning signs that you shouldn’t ignore. Contact your doctor if you experience any of the following:

• A sudden, persistent change in how your bowels work
• Bleeding from the back passage
• An increase in heartburn, indigestion or other stomach pain
• Sudden, unexpected weight loss
• Difficulty swallowing.

You should also speak to your doctor is you’ve been taking an over-the-counter remedy for a digestive symptom for two weeks with no improvement.

 What causes digestive symptoms?

Digestive problems are usually caused by lifestyle choices – so, the amount of exercise we do and the types of food we eat. Simply, if we don’t get up and move about enough, and don’t manage to eat a healthy balanced diet, we are more likely to experience digestive symptoms.

Other common culprits include medicine that we’re taking for other conditions. For instance, certain tranquillisers, painkillers, iron tablets and cough medicines can cause constipation. Some people get diarrhoea while taking blood pressure pills. And you’ve probably heard horror stories of the havoc that antibiotics can wreak on the digestive system!

What can be done to ease digestive symptoms?

Luckily, it’s usually possible to see real improvement to digestive problems after taking a few relatively simple changes.

• Eat or drink three hours before going to bed to give your body a chance to digest food properly before lying horizontally for the night
• Eat three to four small meals during the day rather than having a large dinner or lunch
• Take regular exercise and eat a balanced diet – this will help in itself, and will also help you to maintain a healthy weight, which is another important factor
• Quit smoking

Take Aloe Vera capsules – often called ‘the miracle plant’, Aloe Vera has properties that make it a potent anti-inflammatory agent. This helps to protect the intestinal wall, which in turn normalises the digestive system. Aloe Vera has already helped thousands of people worldwide experience tremendous improvements to their digestive problems!