Health Hub

Having a Dry July has great health benefits. We've brought together a collection of articles that could help you with your Dry July.

How To Get A Good Night Sleep

By Melissa Ingram on

Every single one of us needs to simply stop and recharge – regularly! Most of us have experienced times where stress is high, deadlines are tight and yet we still seem to be able to move mountains. On the flip side, I can guarantee that all of us have also experienced periods of the same pressure yet feel we are not firing on all cylinders – resulting in lower quality of work being produced or it taking longer to complete.

Allow your body enough time each night to recharge. Start with attempting to get 7 – 8 hours of quality sleep every night. We are all different with regards to the amount of sleep we require to operate optimally, however the average 7 – 8 hours is a great place to start. While we sleep we unplug from our lives and...

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What Happens To Your Body When You Give Up Alcohol For One Month

By Chloe Mcleod on

We all love to indulge in alcohol every now and then, but a night out with friends brings social pressures in regards to frequent drinking. It can feel impossible to dodge having a drink when you want to be part of the group vibe - and before you know it, you’re waking up with a dry mouth and a nasty hangover again.

Dry July is a great way to reassess your relationship with alcohol consumption and see the health benefits of taking a month off. If you’re signing up to raise money, you’ll also be helping people with cancer.

Here are a few ways the human body can benefit from abstaining from alcohol for a whole month.

#1 Improvements to mental health

Alcohol may seem like a mood elevator when you’re dancing and having a great time with your...

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Watermelon, Strawberry & Lime Mocktail

By The Mindful Mocktail on

Ingredients (serves 2)

  • 2 cups watermelon
  • 8 strawberries
  • 1/2 cup lime juice

Method

  1. Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until combined.
  2. Pour into an ice filled glass and garnish.

Tip: Add some mint for extra kick! 

For more recipes like this, follow @themindfulmocktail on Instagram

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Raspberry Lime & Mint Mocktail

By The Mindful Mocktail on

Ingredients (serves 1)

  • 8 raspberries
  • 1 lime, quartered
  • 8-10 mint leaves
  • 1 tsp sweetener of choice (opt)
  • Sparkling water


Method

  1. Place raspberries, lime, mint and sweetener (if using) into a glass.
  2. Muddle together for about 1 minute to release the juice from the lime and raspberries, and the flavour from the mint. If you don’t have a muddler, use the back of a wooden spoon or similar.
  3. Top with sparkling water and stir gently.
  4. Add ice and garnish.

For more recipes like this, follow @themindfulmocktail on Instagram


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Glowing Green Mocktail

By The Mindful Mocktail on

Ingredients

  • 2-3 cms grated ginger
  • 3 cms grated cucumber
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 6 mint leaves
  • 125 mls sparkling water
  • 125 mls diet ginger beer

Method

  1. Muddle ginger, cucumber, and lime in a bowl. If you don't have a muddler, use the back end of a wooden spoon.
  2. Clap the mint leaves together in your hands to release the scent and add it to the ginger mixture. Give the mint a gentle press with the muddler.
  3. Strain mixture into a glass and add ice.
  4. Top with half ginger beer, half sparkling water.
  5. Garnish and serve.

For more recipes like this, follow @themindfulmocktail on Instagram


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How to Set Goals

By Melissa Ingram on

Many of us set ourselves tasks and goals to achieve what we feel will make a difference to our lives. Sometimes we find it difficult to achieve these goals as the journey becomes too long, too hard or it simply gets overshadowed by other ‘higher priority’ tasks and therefore these goals are pushed to the side.

Start by asking yourself some simple questions that can help you take control of your life and achieve your goals:

  • What are you trying to achieve?
  • What are your habits and what do you want to change?
  • What have you achieved in life?
  • Do you live in the moment?


What are trying to achieve and what is your ultimate goal? Is it to live cleanly, train for a 10km fun run, sleep better, lose weight, drink more water, change careers, start a...

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Preparing for your Dry July

By Dry July on

You’re doing something amazing – improving your own health, and helping to change the lives of people affected by cancer. We're with you every step of the way for your Dry July, so don't be daunted by taking some time off the booze!

Plus, remember the funds you raise will improve the comfort and wellbeing of people affected by cancer. 

Here are our top tips to help you prepare and stay dry this July:

In preparation:

  • In June try to slow down your alcohol intake to half of what you would normally consume.
  • Plan your social calendar. Offer to be the Designated Dryver on a night out, or if you have an event that you really want to drink at, ask someone to buy you a Golden Ticket. It will give you a night off the wagon, while also raising...
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Rose Lemonade

By The Mindful Mocktail on

This pretty, refreshing drink is perfect for one or a crowd. It looks so pretty served in a jug for guests, just increase the quantities.

Ingredients

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup sweetener of your choice

1/3 cup rose dried rose petals (found in health food shops)

Lemon juice

Sparkling water

- Add water and sweetener to a small saucepan and dissolve over medium-high heat. Don’t let it boil - you don’t want to water to evaporate!

- Turn heat to low, add rose petals and stir.

- Leave on low until the colour fades from the petals. It will only take a few minutes. You can remove from the heat and leave it longer to seep if you want a deeper flavour/colour.

- Strain and leave to cool.

To Serve

- Place 2 TBS rose syrup into each glass.

- Add 3 TBS...

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Motivation to Exercise

By James Anderson on

This whole “exercise thing” can be so annoying. From finding the time to finding the motivation, exercise – can be a real bitch. We both know it’s good for us, so why is it so difficult to stay on top of? Well, I think there are 3 main problems.

Problem #1 - It’s painful.

We’re genetically wired to try and achieve pleasure whilst avoiding pain. We create a “pleasure hierarchy” for ourselves, putting the most important things first and everything else, well, who cares. After all, which would give you more pleasure? Staying in your warm bed on a cold winters morning or doing burpees at 6am? So how do we overcome this?

Solution - Set goals.

Create an inspiring vision that allows you to rise above “the workout” and able to see the bigger,...

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