Hate being jet lagged?

Jet lag

Hello!

A lot of you may have experienced jet lag in the past when travelling, and will understand how frustrating it can be adjusting to a new time zone. Jet lag is actually caused by the de-synchronisation of our ‘body clock’. Our bodies are not equipped to cope with sudden changes in time (e.g. going on holiday and travelling to another part of the world where time is different) and it can take several days to adjust to the new time zone. Symptoms can include insomnia, nausea and loss of appetite, fatigue and mild depression. However, this is only a temporary condition until our brain adapts to the new time zone.

If you are travelling from west to east, you will be taking time off your clock, meaning you body clock will have to be shortened. This will be more difficult to adjust to (known as phase advance). Although, if you are travelling east to west, you will be lengthening your cycle (because you will have more time so can go to bed later than usual) making it much easier to adjust to (known as phase delay).

A successful time zone shift depends on knowing the exact times to seek and avoid bright light. Exposure to light at the wrong time can actually make jet lag worse. Personal variables are important too; if you're a 'night owl' you'll typically need a different schedule to a 'lark'.

On my way back from Turkey, 2009

Tips to combat jet lag

Sleep well before you travel
Make sure you're fully rested before you travel, and try to sleep on the flight if flying during night time.

Plan when to take medication
People who have to take medication at certain times of the day should seek medical advice before travelling. Your GP will be able to tell you what times you should take your medicine when you’re crossing time zones.

Adjust to your destination as soon as possible
A few days before you travel, start getting up and going to bed earlier (if travelling east) or later (if travelling west). During the flight, try to eat and sleep according to your destination's local time.

Keep hydrated
Dehydration can intensify the effects of jet lag, especially as aeroplane atmosphere is generally very dry. Avoid alcoholic drinks and drink plenty of water instead.

Be active
Try to exercise and do light stretching during your flight. You can stretch your legs and rotate your ankles in a circular motion. Take a walk to the toilet in your plane cabin.

Natural light
Spend time outdoors in the daylight when you arrive, if possible. This will help regulate your body clock. 

Stay up
Don’t nap as soon as you arrive. This will only confuse your body clock, making it difficult to re-adjust.

Use remedies with caution
Sleep medication is not recommended as it doesn't help your body to adjust naturally to a new sleeping pattern. Many airline staff take melatonin, a sleep hormone, to try to fight jet lag.  

Hope you guys will find these tips useful.

Take care!
Ayesha xxx

P.s. My blog is now one month old! Yayy! :D

Eating disorders

#EDAW2014

Hello!

So this week is eating disorders awareness week and I thought it would be optimum to talk about eating disorders. The majority of us are focused on our appearance, which normally is okay, but when this leads to extreme behaviours to achieve a certain goal it becomes unhealthy. For the mind and the body.. therefore leading to eating disorders.

Let’s start by mentioning the two main eating disorders: anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). AN involves the individual trying to remain as ‘thin’ as possible and being significantly underweight. The sufferer may starve themselves, or may use laxatives and force themselves to vomit to avoid chances of weight gain. They will constantly worry that they may gain weight. A major factor of AN involves the individual having an incorrect perception of their body, denying their low weight status. In simpler terms, an AN sufferer may believe they are ‘fat’ (even though they are underweight) and therefore, attempt to become slim by (unhealthily) trying to lose weight.

Bulimia nervosa, contrary to popular belief, does not necessarily mean the sufferer is underweight like AN. Many BN sufferers can have their BMI (body mass index) above their ideal for their height/age. While trying to control weight with restricted eating, BN sufferers tend to present recurrent episodes of uncontrollable binge eating. In such instances, food is often eaten in secret and not for pleasure, with 1000’s of calories being consumed at once. This can lead to feelings of guilt and depression. Of course, the individual would try to counteract their excessive eating episode, by harmful measures (vomiting, use of laxatives). Generally, BN sufferers engage in forced vomiting after eating meals too. Similar to AN, they base their self-evaluation upon their body weight/shape.

http://www.eatingdisordersadvice.co.uk

As you may understand, eating disorders are more serious than most people take them to be. They are unfortunately very common too. YOU CANNOT ALWAYS TELL IF SOMEONE IS SUFFERING FROM AN EATING DISORDER, IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT WEIGHT. A sufferer may not necessarily display low weight, or even if they do, it doesn't mean you'll see it. A person with AN does not seek approval of others (with contrast to BN). BN sufferers typically want to seem attractive to others, whereas in AN the individual is more concerned about how they look for themselves.

The language people use around a sufferer is vital. Constantly praising someone for looking good because they have lost weight can reinforce their belief that they NEED to be slim to be appreciated. This is not true! No one should think that, but of course many do. Unfortunately, society and the media have placed so much emphasis on the idea that being a ‘size 0’ is attractive that a lot of young girls and boys think they need to adhere to that. It is important to understand that what we see in the media is NOT ALWAYS A CORRECT PERCEPTION OF REALITY. There is often a lot of editing and airbrushing that is done on photos of models. It is best to stick with a healthy weight for your age and height (check your BMI) while eating a balanced diet with exercise! If you maintain a healthy lifestyle, your weight will follow!

Eating disorders can be dangerous in many ways, especially to the person’s health. It is necessary that people receive support and help to make this hard time easier for them, and to allow them to come out from their disorder. You can get help from your family/friends, but if you are not comfortable doing that then you can always contact your GP. Other useful sites are:

B-eat (beat eating disorders)
You can also ring their helplines:
Helpline 0845 634 1414
Youthline 0845 634 7650

Student Minds


Time to change 

You can ring Get Connected 0808 808 4994


If you spot an eating disorder in someone else, you could save their life by providing them with help. Common signs someone may show are:
- Complaints of being fat
- Missing meals
- You do not see the person eat, even though they claim to have done
- Excessive focus on calories consumed
- Constantly worried about weighing themselves
- Looking pale
- Rapid loss in weight
- Often wearing loose clothing to hide weight loss
- Calluses on knuckles (from using hand to induce forced vomiting)
- If female, the person complains to have been missing periods (known as amenorrhea)
- They are also experiencing depression/anxiety/obsessive-compulsive disorder

Remember, eating disorders can be treated. All you need to do is get help, for yourself or whoever it is that you know is suffering.
 
Keep well and stay healthy!
Ayesha xxx


Olivia Burton Wonderland dusty pink & gold watch ♥

Olivia Burton watches
Hello!

So my first ever blog post was me raving about a vintage watch brand I had discovered, Olivia Burton (see post here). Unfortunately, the hummingbird watch I purchased turned out to be faulty and I had to (sadly) return it. Still with faith in OB I went on to purchase another of their watches, but this time a different model. I still have love for the hummingbird design but the bad experience prevented me from buying that specific one again.. though I still wish I had it :(

 ANYWAY. So, after browsing their fantastic collection (view here), I settled for the Wonderland watch in dusty pink and gold. I ordered from The Dressing Room (view here), somewhere I have never shopped from before. Their delivery was fast and they even offered 10% discount for first time shoppers. When my parcel arrived I was definitely not disappointed! 

 It came in a gorgeous pink gift bag with their label on it, with the watch box wrapped in black tissue paper. It was just very impressive for an online order as normally items come in a plastic bag or standard box. The watch itself was absolutely gorgeous and I fell in love with it as I expected (yay)!

Lovely packaging and OB branded box
Brand name featured on watch back and strap
Gold plated with leather strap

Sandblasted face allows face to reflect light differently, making watch look varied gold colours (see below)


Light being reflected with flash turned on


Due to the watch face being sandblasted in nature, I have noticed the watch appears to be a varied colour of gold in different light settings. I have shown various photos above to help you guys see what I mean. I am quite fond of this feature though!

It is water resistant (not water proof) and has Japanese quartz movement. Overall, I am extremely pleased with this watch but I just hope it doesn't disappoint like the last, or I will be heartbroken! :( It is available in lilac & gold, brown & rose gold, and mink & rose gold too.

Keep well guys!

Ayesha xxx