Following on from my last post which recommended we should all eat more eggs, a study from the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, has suggested that exercise may improve academic performance in children, as it increases the blood flow and therefore oxygen to the brain. There is of course no reason why this shouldn’t have the same effect on adults. This is good news as my aim for the new year is to get fit again, as I have a little Xmas indulgence weight to lose, and my fitness regime has definitely slipped in the past couple of years.

The traditional time to eat an egg for the British is still I think at breakfast, although the idea of an ‘all-day’ breakfast is catching on, but as recent research suggests eggs are an indirect ‘stimulant’, we should maybe be looking at incorporating them much more into our daily diets.

Another sign of the times here in Spain, but unfortunately not a good one, as abortion rates are climbing, indicating no doubt a change in attitude amongst the younger Spaniards.

113,031 voluntary abortions were performed in Spain in 2010, a 1.3% rise (or 1,550 more) compared with 2009.

The increase has occurred despite the fact that a new law on sexual and reproductive health was brought in on july 5th this year, which had as one of its fundamental aims a reduction in the number of abortions performed in Spain.

Macworld have a great list of iPhone applications for all you girls out there that love your technology, but not your meat!

Healthy living requires that you eat healthy. If we eat unhealthy foods like those with a lot of fats, we put our health at risk. But does aiming for a healthy life also mean going through the remainder of your life without delicious food? Of course not! You can still eat food that provides you with post-bite bliss. You need only to create delicious and easy-to-make healthy meals.

Depressing article in the Digital Journal that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, scientific studies in Europe show an increase in the frequency of type 1 diabetes, primarily in young children.

Someone needs to tell the children in Spain that energy drinks are for those that have expended energy exercising! No wonder child obesity is such an issue here in Spain, with the market growing by 13% in just 5 years.

Not only do the drinks contain around 270 calories, but they also include caffeine, which can reach toxic levels up to 14 times greater than in other soft drinks.

Coming to Spain and starting my business, and being successful, all went as planned. I did not expect I would be looking at maternity wear and swimwear this Summer. I have found I am pregnant, and it has come as quite a shock. I write this article to share my experiences on what I have discover, had to deal with, and some issues I am yet to solve, as a UK expat here in Spain.

Problems may arise for former expats who held medical insurance plans that cannot be transferred out of their adopted country.

Those with a history of heart trouble, cancer, asthma, back or knee pain will probably find cover with a new provider unaffordable.

However, one insurer offering hope for those with a medical history is the little-known society, National Friendly.

Rather than the routine underwriting – in most cases a medical examination – the society sets the applicant policyholder a few simple questions.

Expats are forced to make difficult decisions when relatives at home become ill.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I got the phone call that every expat dreads: “If you want to see your loved one alive, don’t leave it till the weekend.”

It concerned my husband’s mother, who had been diagnosed with lung cancer a few weeks earlier. At first, her prospects had seemed good and the doctors were hopeful, but then she was suddenly rushed into hospital.

There is now a vaccine but its administration is quite complicated

Between eight and fifteen people die in Spain every year from stings from solitary bees or wasps. An estimated 800,000 people in the country are allergic to the venom in the stings. 60% of those suffer the risk of asphyxia when stung.

The Deputy President of the Catalan Allergy and Immunology Clinic, Lluis Marqués, gave the number in the presentation of a study carried out by them in Tarragona.

Before moving to Madrid, I used to look forward to going out to eat. But now it’s a nightmare.

Being a vegetarian and living in Madrid do not go together. The Spanish capital could be described as one of the most carnivorous cities in Europe and dining out has turned into a battle.

The Madrileños take great pride in their pork-eating culture and are not afraid to show it.

A new survey shows that 24 percent of secondary school students get drunk every weekend

The latest State Survey on Drug Use among Secondary School Students in Spain, shows that youngsters are getting more drunk, but that cocaine use has fallen.

The report indicates an increasing awareness about the risk of hard drugs, and shows that alcohol and tobacco are the first drugs of choice, followed by cannabis. Total alcohol consumption did not increase over 2008, but the amount of binge drinking was up. 24% of the adolescents questioned said that the get drunk every weekend, up from 17% in 2007.

The falling birth rate and economic crisis make it crucial for governments to support families who desire more children, the Council of Europe said Tuesday.

“The decision to have children is first and foremost an individual choice, but … it must be a real choice,” deputy secretary-general Maud de Boer-Buquicchio told journalists at the start of a two-day conference of family affair ministers from the council’s 47 member states.

Spanish police said Tuesday they have seized more than 9,000 fake Viagra pills produced in China and India and sold over the internet.

Four people were also arrested in the eastern city of Alicante suspected of importing tens of thousands of the fake versions of the impotence drug, which netted them an estimated EUR 50,000, police said in a statement.

The pills were sold over the internet without prescription and could “cause a serious health risk (Via Expatica)

A man’s chances of dying early are cut by a fifth if their bride is between 15 and 17 years their junior.

The risk of premature death is reduced by 11 per cent if they marry a woman seven to nine years younger.

The study at Germany’s Max Planck Institute also found that men marrying older women are more likely to die early.

The Spanish cabinet has agreed to liberalise the country’s strict abortion laws, allowing abortion in most cases up to 14 weeks of pregnancy.

The proposals must go to parliament, where Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero lacks a majority.

His deputy, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, said changes were necessary to preserve the “dignity of women”.

Anti-abortion groups have condemned the proposals and the Roman Catholic church has started an anti-abortion campaign.

The patients include two adults and four children in London, and an adult from the east of England.
Health officials believe that the four youngsters and one of the adults picked up the virus after coming into contacted with someone infected at their school.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) refused to name the school, but said that the five people “were swabbed last week and may have acquired their infection before the closure of their school”

Policyholders are offered “the benefit of full medical cover” and also in their country of nationality on higher levels of the plan.

Lee Gerry, the healthcare manager, said: “The Primario Health Insurance Plan is ideally suited to English-speaking expatriates who want the flexibility to move freely between Spain and the surrounding regions.”

A male patient in south-eastern Spain has tested positive for the virus and 17 people are under investigation, the Spanish health ministry has said.

European Union health ministers are to hold an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the outbreak, which has killed more than 100 people in Mexico.

The EU’s Health Commissioner, Androulla Vassiliou, has advised against non-essential travel to any affected areas.