Hints and Tips
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Useful hints and tips for the home
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If you are wondering why your waistline is expanding – don’t watch what you eat but how you eat!
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Family Fun for Less at London Theatreland
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Beat Disease with Simple Lifestyle Changes
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Lower Your costs with London Lettings Top energy Savings Tips
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Back to Your Best with Hanue"s Top Tummy Tips
If you are wondering why your waistline is expanding – don’t watch what you eat but how you eat!
Scientists suggest the modern manner of eating too quickly – and until absolutely full – is a significant factor in the obesity epidemic and could lead to Type II diabetes.
Such eating habits pile on the pounds much more so than expected. It takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to register being full so have a break before the next course. The longer you chew your food, the fuller you will feel and the less you will eat. Some experts suggest chewing a mouthful up to 20 times. Chewing breaks down food molecules, exposing them to saliva, which begins the digestion process. Watching TV whilst you eat or reading at the dinner table prevents your brain from getting signals about the food. Instead, try to focus your mind on the food you are chewing. You will appreciate the texture and taste of the food far more. It is a wonderful experience . . . why not give it a try.
Useful hints and tips for the home
How to make your hot water bottle last longer
Put a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a new hot water bottle before use. This ensures added life for the bottle, as the oil protects the rubber.
Are you unhappy about smelly shoes?
To freshen up smelly shoes, place a few drops of your favourite aromatherapy oil on an old nail brush and use it to brush the insoles. I find lemongrass and lavender oils work a treat.
To remove ingrained stains on the chopping board
If you find it difficult to get rid of ingrained stains on your chopping board, sprinkle a little sea salt over the surface and then scrub with half a lemon – it will shift the stains in an instant.
A holiday should be a time of rest and relaxation, but all too often we arrive back at work feeling exhausted and in need another break! Here are a few hints and tips to make your next holiday as refreshing as you deserve…
- Set up an out-of-office autoreply telling people when you will be back. And record a voicemail prompt asking callers to ring again on your return rather than leaving a message.
- Delegate tasks where you can to minimise the work that will be waiting for you when you get back
- Leave colleagues with a list of useful names and numbers. If you do leave yours make it clear it’s only to be used in emergencies!
- Don’t schedule any meetings in the weeks before and after your holiday. Give yourself the breathing space you need to feel the full benefits
- Leave your PDA behind or switched off until you return home.
- While you’re away, slow yourself right down and savour precious moments – sipping a cold beer, taking a dip in the pool or watching the world go by at a pavement café.
- On your return, when things start getting stressful, take a moment to breathe deeply and cast your mind back to your time away.
Useful web links:
- www.stressbusting.co.uk is all about stress and how to beat it. It provides a wide range of authoritative information about stress symptoms, therapies and relief, plus stress news, features and competitions, a unique Relaxation Zone, and a guide to stress-busting breaks
- The UK National Work-Stress Network is committed to eradicating the causes of work-related stress and associated illnesses, and campaigns for a more caring supportive culture in the workplace.
- www.ivillage.co.uk is the leading online information network for women. It focuses on the issues that matter most to women, including stress, and offers interactive services, expert advice, information and support.
Have you got flu or is it just a cold?
At this time of year colds and flu are common hazards of London life. But how do you know which you’ve got? And what should you do when you know?
What’s the difference?
In general flu comes on suddenly while cold symptoms creep up on you and get worse gradually.
Cold symptoms mainly affect the nose, throat, sinuses and upper chest. A blocked or runny nose, headache and sneezing may make you feel lousy but you’re unlikely to be incapacitated by it.
On the other hand if you have flu you’ll also have a fever, causing hot and cold flashes and shivers, and you’ll feel achy and exhausted.
What to do…
Whether you have a cold or flu there are certain things you can do to make yourself feel better and hasten your recovery:
- Up your intake of vitamin C through fresh fruit and veg, juices or supplements.
- Eat lots of garlic, ginger and chilli – the phytochemicals will fight off the virus.
- Try an immune-boosting herbal remedy like echinacea or goldenseal.
- Take a cold and flu remedy from the pharmacy to ease the symptoms.
- Wrap up well and sip lots of warm, soothing drinks.
If it’s a cold you’re suffering from those tips should help you feel well enough to be able to work. If it’s flu, on the other hand, it’s wise to take a couple of days off. This will give your immune system the best chance of fighting off the bug and prevent you passing the virus on to your colleagues.
If you have catarrh, keep an eye on the colour. White – no worries, yellow – you’ve got a mild bacterial infection, green – visit your doctor for antibiotics.
If you’re worried refer to the NHS Direct website or call their helpline on 0845 4647.
There’s a mouse loose about the house
House mouse infestations in London increased by 17 percent last year. With this worrying trend looking set to continue, at LondonLetting we’re keen to help our tenants avoid being affected.
The problem
Mice can cause serious damage to property by gnawing at woodwork, water pipes and even electric cables. They also present a real health hazard, contaminating food with urine, droppings and fur, spreading disease.
Unfortunately once an infestation sets in it’s difficult to control because of the rate at which mice breed – a female can produce ten litters of up to six young in a year!
What to do
We ask our tenants to get in touch with us straight away if they suspect they may have a problem with mice. We’ll call in pest control experts to investigate.
Signs of an infestation may include scuffling noises (especially at night), droppings (up to ¼” long), gnawed food, fittings or furnishings and musky smells.
Following a few simple rules can help you keep mice at bay:
Don’t leave food or food waste out overnight.
Avoid leaving dirty dishes hanging around.
Clean work surfaces thoroughly.
Wash kitchen floors daily with disinfectant.
Wipe out food cupboards on a weekly basis.
Make sure to keep the lid tightly on your dustbin.
Check that spaces around pipes etc are less than 6mm.
Let’s try and tackle this problem together.
How to improve your digestion?
The stressful lives many of us lead these days have led to a rise in indigestion. If you’re affected, here are a couple of simple ideas that could help.
1) Chew gum
Chewing sugar free gum stimulates the production of saliva. Saliva is alkaline and swallowing it helps to neutralise the troublesome acid in your stomach.
Of course chewing gum also washes away food remnants, bacteria and plaque, helping protect your teeth between meals.
2) Chew Fennel seeds
In India it’s traditional to chew fennel seeds after a meal. The aromatic oil this aniseed-scented spice releases aids digestion by stimulating the movement of food through the stomach and intestines. In higher doses fennel can even stop intestinal spasms.
Lab experiments have revealed that certain substances contained in fennel have the ability to dry up phlegm and destroy germs and it’s also an effective breath freshener!
Save money and the environment!
Did you know that by turning your heating down by one degree you can cut 8% off your annual heating bill? Of course you’ll not only be saving money but also reducing your impact on the environment at the same time.
And did you know that the energy used by your TV or computer monitor, if you leave them on standby overnight, could cook seven plates of spaghetti?
By making small, common sense changes you can significantly reduce your energy consumption. You will be cutting the amount of carbon dioxide you’re responsible for creating, and minimising your contribution to climate change. The fact that you’ll be saving money at the same time is an added bonus!
Energy-saving tips
- Make the most of natural light by opening curtains and blinds during the day
- Always make sure you switch off lights when you leave a room
- Don"t leave anything on standby - you could be wasting up to £37 each year leaving appliances waiting to be switched on
- Draw curtains and blinds when it gets dark to keep heat in
- Replace normal lightbulbs with energy saving ones
- In the evening, if you’re not using a room, switch the lights off
- If you’re at home alone consider leaving the heating off and using a heater
- Leave plenty of space around radiators to allow heat to circulate
- Turn down the radiators in rooms that are used infrequently
- Don’t turn up the heating unless you have to – try putting on an extra layer first
You can calculate your current carbon emissions and find out more about how to reduce your energy usage at The Carbon Gym.
Keeping your computer safe
We all know how important it is to protect our computers from viruses and other nasties. Nowadays many of us are getting increasingly exasperated with the amount of spam arriving in our inboxes too.
To help you make sure that you’re as well protected as possible from unwanted intrusions, Microsoft has launched a free service to review your security systems. It’ll also help you get rid of junk from your hard disk, improving the performance of your machine. Just visit http://safety.live.com to check your system.
RECYCLING can seem daunting.
Here are some ideas on how to dispose of items responsibly.
GIVE IT FOR FREE and save the planet
If your item has no resale value or you just want to get rid of it, try Freecycle at www.freecycle.org
This online organisation has groups throughout the UK . It matches people who want to give something for free, with others who are interested in having it. The organisation is based on a policy of avoiding items going into landfill and ultimately helping to benefit the community and the planet. No money changes hands.
GIVING TO CHARITY
Many charities can turn your old items into something worthwhile, accepting these as “gifts in kind”. Try Mercy Ships, an international Hospital Ship charity which needs all sorts of items for its hospital ships around the world. See www.mercyships.org.uk
Fonesforsafety.org.uk – www.fonesforsafety.org.uk turns old handsets into 999 only phones for women at risk whilst old PCs can be recycled by Computer Aid International. See www.computeraid.org for more details.
SELLING ON
If you’d like to make some money, sites like eBay are a good way of selling old technology on. If you’re happy to sacrifice around 30 percent of the profit, take the pain out of the process and employ a professional seller to do it for you – visit www.trading4u.com
Let us know if you try one of these – we’d love to hear how you get on
Travel Tips
Holidaying with friends
Enjoy cheaper accommodation costs by joining up with friends and renting a holiday cottage or villa all together. There are lots of organisations with properties all over the UK and Europe and usually the price for a cottage that sleeps six is not double the price for a cottage that sleeps three. It can also mean lots of fun to be had and often a better property
Travel outside school holidays
It’s cheaper! If you don" Direct.gov.uk - the government"s information site. It has all UK term dates and school holidays listed and you can search using your postcode. Put "school holidays" into the website"s search and you"ll find it quickly.
Sign up for special offers by email
Make the most of promotional offers and sales events at travel specialists by setting up a free email account to use for newsletters and giving details to the companies you prefer. This way you get to know first about any great offers whilst avoiding clogging up your usual inbox and can pick and choose your preferred suppliers. And don’t just limit yourself to travel agents – some hotel chains such as Holiday Inn have newsletters too so you get to hear about special deals.
Some useful links: www.travelbag.co.uk, www.trailfinders.com, www.expedia.co.uk
Bus it
The bus is an increasingly cost effective alternative to the train or plane. The appearance of the Megabus has forced other bus companieshttp://www.nationalexpress.com/ to offer competitive fares so the news is that you can reportedly now travel to lots of UK destinations in a quality coach for as little £1 single. . National Express also own Eurolines which operate all over Europe and have fares to Ireland, Paris, Amsterdam and other destinations for just £15 single.
Travel Britain using a railcard
Two out of three Britons qualify for a travelcard. Mature students and 16- to 25-year-olds may get a third off all rail fares across Britain with a 16-25 Railcard. The Senior Railcard will take a third off rail fares for those over 60. If you are travelling in a group with children, consider a Family & Friends Railcard.
Beat Disease with Simple Lifestyle Changes
Boost your body’s natural defences simply by making the right choices. Dr Servan-Schreiber wrote “ A Way of Life” after suffering a stroke at only 31. Here are just a few tips based on his book (publisher Michael Joseph)
Diet and Exercise
High density farming means that many of the staples of the traditional western diet such as red meat, eggs and dairy products, are not always the best choice. It isn’t just about food, though. Poor stress management, lack of exercise and toxins in our environment all contribute.
Health Boosting Hints
Many of our favourite foods can still be enjoyed: simply choose organic or free range versions. Pasta and bread made from whole wheat and the Mediterranean favourite, olive oil, all provide tasty and healthy alternatives.
Combine with 30 minutes of exercise six times a week, some fresh air, and a little laughter and relaxation and feel the benefits.
Family Fun for Less at London Theatreland
Don’t miss this great opportunity to share some top quality theatre with the kids, at a fraction of the usual price. Kid’s Week runs from 15- 29 August 2008 – offers include buy a full price adult ticket and a child comes free. Tickets go on sale on 15th July so pop the date in your diary now!
Lower Your Costs with London Lettings Top Energy Savings Tips
If the press is right, then energy suppliers could be increasing their prices by 20% or more, sooner than we think. With the overall economic squeeze, saving money where and when you can makes good sense. Here are our thoughts on how you could help keep expenditure down:
> Choose Dual Fuel
There can be some real savings to be had if you choose a dual fuel option with one supplier. If you are in London and have never switched, you are likely to be with both British Gas and EDF (now French, originally London Electricity). If you take average fuel costs for each supplier individually, compared with the dual fuel option offered by EDF, research suggests you could make real savings on your annual bill as the average is lower with potential savings of over £100 per annum. It’s also worth looking at energy costs comparison sites such as uswitch – visit www.uswitch.com for further details.
> Pay by Direct Debit
Using the above example, you could make an additional saving of over £42 a year by switching to direct debit payment
> Get online – FAST
Join your supplier on line. British Gas has not increased its online tariffs in the latest round of hikes, so it is still offering good deal. Most experts predict “Click Energy 5” from British Gas will be withdrawn soon from new customers.
> Take control of your meter reading
Your energy supplier only comes to read your meter every 6 months but your bills are sent quarterly. The bill is based on an estimate only. You can identify it by the E at the end of the meter reading. Read your meter and send them the reading to adjust your bill. The amended bill will come back with your reading ending A, which means customer reading. EDF energy customers are also rewarded with Nectar points for submitting their own meter readings.
> If you want to fix the tariff you pay, move quickly
Despite last week’s energy price hikes, industry experts predict a further 40% rise by early next year. Npower has been heavily advertising a fixed price deal for 2 to 3 years. We were told they would soon stop this offer due to heavy subscription. Experts from the price comparison site, Moneysupermarket.com reported “For those less willing to take a gamble a fixed tariff is by far the best solution”. The cheapest deal still available appears to be offered by EDF, which is fixed until November 2009. There is a £50 cancellation fee.
> Check out New Market Players
EQUIGAS AND QUIPOWER owned by EBICo Ltd could also be of interest. A non-profit making company founded on Christian principles, the business was established specifically to provide a new kind of market choice for energy customers. Their core philosophy is based on helping the whole community to get a fair deal from the benefits of competition regardless of how much energy is used. Teaming up with Scottish and South Energy, sign up is done online at www.ebico.co.uk. Alternatively contact them for further details on 0800 458 7689.
Back to Your Best with Hanue’s Top Tummy Tips
Having a tummy upset is literally no fun so here are a few tried and tested ways to beat those holiday bugs.
So what are the symptoms? Soft stools, frequent trips to the toilet, nausea, tummy cramps and even vomiting can all be indicators of the common holiday bug. It’s your body’s way of telling you that you have taken something which is upsetting your stomach, and can be caused by anything from bad water to food contamination, or even alcohol. Most of us have had it at some time and it can often arrive on holiday when we are in unfamiliar places.
Helping You Get Better
Firstly, drink plenty of freshly boiled and cooled water. Rehydration supplements such as Dioralyte will replace electrolyte and minerals lost through diarrhoea. Take small amounts of plain food such as boiled rice or dry toast. Avoid dairy products and fresh fruit or vegetables. You can take medication to reduce intestinal movements – ask your local qualified pharmacist for suitable recommendations. I personally prefer the old remedy “Kaolin and Morphine Mixture”. The small amount of Morphine in the mixture slows down the gut movement, and the kaolin absorbs any toxic material in the stomach. The mixture has a very small amount of alcohol which warms up the tummy. Have a rest and you will soon start to feel better. If the symptoms persist for a few days, seek medical advice
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