Hills Family Medical Practice

Are children raised in the country healthier than city kids? There are actually pros and cons to both.

It’s a popular belief that the fresh country air and wide-open space is better for kids and its true! Country kids often have more opportunity to be active and are less likely to be exposed to pollution. In addition, their greater exposure to nature has shown to reduce stress levels in rural kids.

However, city kids are generally less likely to use ci******es, alcohol, and illicit drugs than their rural counterparts, according to a study by Deakin University. The same study also stated that city kids were less likely to be affected by asthma, cardiovascular illness, diabetes and obesity.

Yoga, Pilates, meditation, and gluten-free everything; being healthy has never been trendier and many are turning to homeopathic remedies as the fashionable medicinal alternative. But do these remedies actually work?

Scientific studies have shown that homeopathic remedies actually have no more benefit than placebos. Medical experts agree that while there is no harm using homeopathic treatment, in general, using them to treat their health problems in lieu of physician-prescribed medicines is dangerous.

When in doubt ask your physician and always rely on scientific evidence rather than anecdotal ‘proof’.

Did you know that sitting at your desk all day is a dangerous activity?

Sedentary lifestyles where you don’t receive regular physical exercise pose numerous health risks, and according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one in four people simply aren’t moving enough!

A prolonged sedentary lifestyle has been proven to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and cancer. Recent German research even showed that people who spent the most time sitting had a 24% higher risk of developing colon cancer and 21% higher risk of lung cancer.

Another Australian study revealed that men who sat for more than six hours a day are 90% more likely to experience moderate psychological distress than those who sat for just three hours.

Combat these health risks by increasing your everyday physical activity. Trying to hit 10,000 steps a day is a great place to start!