Category: Health & Well Being

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Movement is Life 🧬@HealthBlackrock 💜❤️

Blackrock Health

@HealthBlackrock

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Blood pressure, cholesterol, alcohol, diabetes, smoking, overweight, stress and sleep all affect the risk of developing heart disease. Learn more about your modifiable risks and help protect your heart here.

https://croi.ie/heart/risk-factors/

Risk Factors • Croi Heart & Stroke Charity

Risk Factors For Heart Disease & Stroke A risk factor is anything that raises a person’s chance of developing heart disease and stroke. There are two types of risk factor, … Risk Factors Read More »

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Therapeutic massage targets specific health concerns by working on muscles and soft tissue to reduce pain, improve mobility and support recovery. It’s often used alongside other treatments and tailored to your individual needs.

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Intuitive eating is an approach to food that focuses on identifying and trusting your hunger cues @ClevelandClinic

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The health of mothers and babies is the foundation of healthy families and communities, helping ensure hopeful futures for us all. @WHO

https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1ynKOlrpYWWGR

The health of mothers and babies is the foundation of healthy families and communities, helping ensure hopeful futures for us all.

World Health Day, celebrated on 7 April 2025, will kick off a year-long campaign on maternal and newborn health. The campaign, titled Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures, will urge governments and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritize women’s longer-term health and well-being.

WHO and partners will also share useful information to support healthy pregnancies and births, and better postnatal health.

Visit the World Health Day 2025 campaign page
 

Helping every woman and baby survive and thrive

This task is critical. Tragically, based on currently published estimates, close to 300 000 women lose their life due to pregnancy or childbirth each year, while over 2 million babies die in their first month of life and around 2 million more are stillborn. That’s roughly 1 preventable death every 7 seconds.

Based on current trends, a staggering 4 out of 5 countries are off track to meet targets for improving maternal survival by 2030. 1 in 3 will fail to meet targets for reducing newborn deaths.

Listening to women and supporting families

Women and families everywhere need high quality care that supports them physically and emotionally, before, during and after birth.

Health systems must evolve to manage the many health issues that impact maternal and newborn health. These not only include direct obstetric complications but also mental health conditions, noncommunicable diseases and family planning.

Additionally, women and families should be supported by laws and policies that safeguard their health and rights.

Campaign goals

  • To raise awareness about gaps in maternal and newborn survival and the need to prioritize women’s longer-term well-being.
  • To advocate for effective investments that improve the health of women and babies. 
  • To encourage collective action to support parents as well as health professionals who provide critical care.
  • To provide useful health information relating to pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period.
     

Get involved

Here’s what you can do to support the campaign:

  • Spread awareness: share information about the campaign using #HopefulFutures and #HealthForAll.
  • Participate: attend our global events to learn more about what it will take to end maternal and newborn mortality.
  • Donate: contribute to the WHO Foundation which supports WHO’s work to protect mothers and babies in countries around the world.
  • Share your lived experiences: share your own experiences or stories of pregnancy and birth and thank those who provide quality care.
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Colorful fruits and vegetables are packed with phytonutrients that help calm inflammation — a natural process that, when chronic, can contribute to heart disease, arthritis and diabetes. by Tamara Soerense @MayoClinic

Can eating the rainbow help to reduce inflammation?

11/6/2025 by Tamara Soerense

nFruitRainbow

Inflammation is a natural process initiated by the immune system in response to illness, trauma, toxins, physical stress and chronic disease. While acute inflammation is protective and allows our bodies to heal, it can become harmful if it persists, leading to chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation, in turn, can lead to conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes.

Several foods can contribute to inflammation. These include highly processed foods, refined carbohydrates, or foods high in added sugars. Conversely, other foods can help calm the immune system, decreasing inflammation.

Let’s explore which foods help lower inflammation and how they can be incorporated into an anti-inflammatory diet.

  • Fruits and Vegetables: Colorful fruits and vegetables naturally contain various phytonutrients and bioactive compounds that help keep inflammation in check. These foods form the foundation of the anti-inflammatory diet and can be enjoyed in abundance. For an extra boost of protection, try drizzling antioxidant-rich olive oil on your veggies..
  • Protein: Choose primarily from plant-based sources such as legumes, soy, nuts, and seeds, with smaller amounts from lean cuts of animal protein and fatty fish. The fats in these proteins, mainly monounsaturated and omega-3, play a significant role in combating inflammation. The American Heart Association recommends 6 to 8 ounces of fatty fish and 5 ounces of legumes, nuts, and seeds per week.
  • Whole grains: Whole grains contain all parts of the grain, whereas refined grains remove the germ and bran, eliminating important inflammation-reducing compounds. Of these, fiber is a bit of a superstar, shown to help reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Aim for at least 50% of your grains from whole grain sources, such as rolled oats and brown rice.
  • Herbs and Spices: Herbs and spices add flavor to your food and help reduce oxidative stress, which can trigger inflammation. Add ginger, turmeric, clove, cinnamon, oregano, and garlic to your next meal.

What change can you make today to shift your body into a less inflamed state?

Consider adding one colorful fruit or vegetable to your diet each day. Suggestions include tomatoes, oranges, yellow bell peppers, arugula, blueberries, pumpkin and broccoli.

Tamara Soerensen completed her bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara and her master’s in nutrition at Bastyr University. She is currently a dietetic intern at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Special interests include digestive health and the utilization of diet for disease prevention.

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Blackrock Health Womens Health Centre is officially open at 2-5 Warrington Place, Dublin 2!

Blackrock Health Womens Health Centre is officially open at 2-5 Warrington Place, Dublin 2!

From gynaecology to menopause, cardiology to pelvic health – we offer a wide range of services for every stage of your health journey.

Don’t delay your well-being and book your appointment today.

You can access our clinic directly through our website, or with a referral from your GP. Learn more about our patient-centred approach and book an appointment here: https://ow.ly/jGy850XsMvR

#WomensHealth#BlackrockHealth#NewClinic#BookToday#EmpowerWomen#PuttingWomenFirst

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Physiotherapists allowed to refer patients for medical radiological procedures for the first time @RCSI_Irl

RCSI welcomes progress in physiotherapist referral for medical radiological procedures

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has welcomed the policy decision to permit physiotherapists to refer patients for medical radiological procedures, and the progress made in implementing this important new measure which will make it quicker for patients to access a diagnosis and begin their treatment.

Physiotherapist referral for medical radiological procedures results in fewer health professionals being involved in the patient pathway. At present, physiotherapists with advanced training can refer their patients for radiological investigations, such as X-ray, in several jurisdictions including England, Sweden, Canada and New Zealand. 

Physiotherapists in Ireland will soon be invited to undertake advanced training which will allow them to refer their patients for radiological procedures. Initially, clinical specialist physiotherapists working in roles in specific clinical areas in the HSE are being invited to train for the authority to refer. In early 2025, application to the training programmes will then be opened more widely.

Professor Suzanne McDonough, Head of the RCSI School of Physiotherapy, said: “This is an important development which will lead to efficiencies in the patient pathway and reduce barriers to effective treatment for a range of musco-skeletal conditions.

“The evidence from the countries which already permit physiotherapist referral for radiological procedures is positive, with no serious adverse events reported and with many advantages for the patient and the health system,” added Professor McDonough. 

An Expert Working Group was established in March 2024 to support the development and implementation of this policy. The group includes representation from Department of Health, Health Service Executive, CORU, UCD and the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists.

Established in 1999, the RCSI School of Physiotherapy aims to educate professionally safe, competent, reflective and analytical physiotherapists.