Wellbeing

Family: Gwyneth’s Postnatal Depression

The latest news and holistic views to keep your clan’s wellbeing tip-top

Water for Life

A recent study, published in the journal Appetite found children associate sweet,soft drinks with salty or fatty foods. So, if you want your little one to have a healthy tooth rather than a sweet one, it’s best to encourage them to drink more water.The research also found that early palate development may influence choices later in life so it’s important to get them to eat sensibly now in order to keep them healthy in the future.

Shining a light

Gwyneth Paltrow has opened up about her struggle with postnatal depression, which we think is great as the subject isn’t discussed enough among women who suffer. I think we feel such shame. I just didn’t know what was wrong me,”she said on US television show The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet. “My husband actually said I think you have postnatal depression,’” she recalls. “I was mortified. And then I started researching and I was like, ‘oh, yes I do.’ If you think you’re suffering it’s important to get help.

Log on to mind.org.uk for more information about the symptoms and how to get help.

Did you know?

On average fathers in Britain put on a stone and a half after having a baby!

Fact file

Don’t forget to take good care of your mental health when pregnant as stress can affect your baby’s iron levels in the womb

Balance your internal rhythm

When trying for a baby, you need to think about your circadian clock (body clock) as well as your biological one! So make sure your sleep cycles are consistent. A study disrupted the circadian rhythms on mice – one group got an extra six hours of light, while another lost daylight. The results showed that only 20 per cent of the mice that lost daylight had litters.

Amazing Grace

Holistic supermum, Janey Lee Grace, explains why children and alcohol don’t mix

With Jubilee celebrations back in June and the Olympics in starting late July, I’d guess most people across the UK have enjoyed a drink or two as it is thought that we’re a nation of boozers! Quite a shock then that Oxford University’s recent research advises that to prevent chronic disease we should be drinking only three glasses of wine. ‘Phew!’ I hear you say, ‘at last night’s BBQ I only had two!’ Nope – advice is three small glasses or one and a half pints of beer per week! This is contrary to long-standing guidelines which states four times that amount is safe and claims moderate drinking has health benefits. The confusion is enough to drive anyone to drink! But a what age is it okay for kids to have alcohol?

I attended a talk recently by Dr AricSigman who produced some very scary statistics. He dispels the myth that introducing children to alcohol early will ‘get them used to it’. It’s now proven that exposure to alcohol at an early age increases a child’s likelihood of becoming a heavy drinker. We’ve become pre-occupied with the parental, social and cultural factors that determine whether children could develop an alcohol problem while ignoring the profound neurological evidence that shows early exposure carries serious health risks.

“Delay your child’s first drink as long as possible,”says Aric. If you’re thinking‘oh no, my grumpy teenager will just call me a party pooper,’ Aric’s best advice is show them the scientific facts. ‘Hey it’s not my view – it’s all about ‘tissue vulnerability!’ Those of us with fully developed brains can still have the odd glass though…..

Article by

Janey Lee Grace

is a holistic lifestyle expert. She is the author of Look Great Naturally – Without Ditching the Lipstick (£8.99, Hay House)

Discover more

Article by

Janey Lee Grace

is a holistic lifestyle expert. She is the author of Look Great Naturally – Without Ditching the Lipstick (£8.99, Hay House)

Discover more