One of TV’s most cringy moments was, in my view when lightweight Kendra Wilkinson offered up far too much information on live television during I’m A Celebrity Get me Out of Here. After a dismal performance, she blamed her lack of stars on the fact that ‘she was on her period’.

I recall Ant, poor lad, turning away in embarrassment, whilst cheeky chappie Dec, bravely glossed over the statement and battled on regardless.

Of course ‘boys’ these days, are taught about these mysterious ‘girl’ things at around 11 years old, and as my own Grandson reliably informed me, even during THE lesson many of them were hiding behind their hands, sniggering in the back of the classroom, and have probably been going ‘yuk’ ever since.

Personally, I’d far rather ‘Miss’ had banged on to the boys a bit more about treating girls with kindness and respect, which will stand them in more good stead than knowing how a tampon expands in a glass of water!

So even though mature men know all about the inner workings of the female body, I think most of them just want to leave it there, no further informative updates are required, thanks very much.

And I agree with them.  I think girls today share far too many intimate details about their bodies with their partners, and indeed in Kendra’s case, millions of strangers.

I mean seriously, of all the inappropriate things to say, in the jungle in front of Ant and Dec on live television, ‘I’m on my period’, must get TV’s embarrassing moment of the year award!

She was almost loud and proud; BUT in reality, ‘I really look forward to my period’, said NO woman EVER!

Let’s be honest, it’s a messy and sometimes painful old business, and unless you are some tree-hugging, Mother Earth, nut job, who loves to embrace her inner woman, it just interferes with our lives and we hate it.

Men generally want their women to be a vision of loveliness at all times.  Yes of course they ‘know’ that periods happen, but don’t really want it spelled out to them that it is actually happening, like today, right here,  right now!

I’d love to see girls going back to being a little more mysterious and discreet, ‘I’m not feeling too good today’ can be far more effective than a full-on period alert, and who is really interested anyway.

Yes, when it comes to men and the monthlies, NOT sharing, IS more caring!

How do you feel about it? In this day and age, should girls ‘share’ or do you think some things should remain personal.

 

Image Courtesy of Pixabay

Maybe it’s happening already, lol. I think we need to talk about the big one that we all avoid. Let’s talk about dementia. Wow. The “D word”. But the fact remains dementia is a strong possibility for all of us as we get older. It’s more of a blanket term for age-related issues like forgetting things, diminished mental capacity, and language problems. But I think you will agree that dementia is an essential subject to discuss.

It’s a terrifying subject, and if you want to avoid talking about it, I understand entirely. But it’s not wise to avoid the real issues. But as French philosopher Charles de Montesquieu once stated, “Happiness is not the absence of problems, but the ability to deal with them.” Corny, I know, but together we can help each other face real issues like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

It Might Happen to You

Currently, there are approximately 50 million people globally with dementia-related illnesses. I think you will agree with me that this is a shockingly high figure. Even more shocking, though, is projected to increase by 204% to 152 million by 2050. This means that if you are in your 40s or 50s now, you could potentially be a part of this statistic. This is because dementia is more common at the age of 65 and above.

The effects of dementia-related illnesses are pretty severe. You’re probably aware of the memory problems caused by Alzheimer’s and the uncontrollable shaking of Parkinson’s. But there are lots more serious symptoms that might require someone to seek out respite care. For example, the blood vessels to the brain can become restricted, causing vascular dementia. This causes stroke and impaired cognitive function to the point of constant care requirement.

Can We Avoid It?

I can give you some good news, though. New studies have shown that the effects and illnesses related to dementia can be reduced. Basically, we need to look after ourselves. That’s it. This means regular exercise, a healthy diet, and NO SMOKING. Yeah, the big one. Smoke. I shouldn’t have to tell you how bad smoking is for your health in this day and age. Oh, yeah, and the health of others; In the United States alone, second-hand smoke accounts for 41,000 deaths and over 7,000 cases of lung cancer each year.

Seriously though, the Alzheimer’s Society has some great information. While there is no guaranteed way to prevent dementia, doctors can see a correlation between a poor lifestyle and related illnesses. So I want you to be as healthy as possible, ditch the cigarettes and alcohol, eat less harmful sugar, eat more fresh fruit and vegetables and stay active. Literally, get your skates on. 

Going Mental

In addition to a healthy and active lifestyle, the onset of many of the cognitive issues associated with dementia can be delayed by regular mental exercise. I know you’re probably thinking, “what does that mean?“. Mental exercise is simply anything that stimulates the brain. This can be completing puzzles, writing crosswords, solving arithmetic riddles like Sudoku, or learning a new language.

I know some of those might be a little on the nose, so reading a book or playing a game like Scrabble are also viable options. Recent studies have also found that playing video games can help with dementia-related illnesses. Of course, I’m not suggesting that you go and steal your grandkids’ PlayStation. Still, smaller smartphone apps provide games designed specifically for memory and logic puzzles.

 

I’ve never had a flu jab in my life, and I never will. But does my decision make me a potential burden to the NHS, if I succumb to the flu through my own negligence, and consequently need to see a Doctor, or even worse, be hospitalised. Frankly, I’ll take my chances on that one, but here are just a few reasons why you should say no to the flu vaccine.

Here are the scenes at my local surgery at around 11.00 am last Sunday,  where people were queuing to have an injection to prevent something that will probably not happen.

There they stood confirming their support to the NHS, and on exiting, almost courageously fist pumping their bravery, albeit with a slightly sore arm.

 

By the law of averages, I’d hazard a guess that within the queue, there may have been more than one person who might describe themselves as allergic to pollen as it gives them a runny nose, perhaps one or two who couldn’t eat dairy as it upsets their stomach, some who wouldn’t touch shellfish as just looking at a prawn makes them feel sick. Yet, whilst all of these people won’t go near these perfectly natural things, they were still happy to offer their body up to be injected with some of the following chemicals.

• Formaldehyde
• Aluminium
• Aborted Fetal DNA
• Fetal Bovine DNA

I think you’ll agree it’s a heady mix, and the above is only the tip of the iceberg.  However every year when the banner goes up outside the local surgery, offering free flu jabs, people put blind faith in what they are told and can’t wait to be first in the queue.

Doctors recommend that people get flu jabs to boost their immune system and prevent getting them flu. However, flu vaccines have been shown to be highly ineffective and toxic for humans.

AND WHAT ABOUT SHEDDING?

Viral shedding means that those who are vaccinated breathe out more influenza virus and spread it more than the unvaccinated. So when your surgery offers the vaccine by telling you “the vaccine protects you and those around you,” it is simply not true.

What they are actually doing is ‘selling’ the vaccine to you, which generates vast income for the giant pharmaceutical companies.

Viral shedding also means that those who are vaccinated are spreading more virus into the air around them just by breathing compared to those who have not had the vaccine that same year and/or the flu vaccine from the previous year.

The implication is that those who are vaccinated are a greater risk to the vulnerable, such as cancer patients, the elderly and the very young, AND that the unvaccinated spread the disease LESS and protect others better!

I know which side I’d rather be on!