Healthwatch by Shyft

Shyft Health

Shyft Health

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Shyft is your trusted source for health and wellness insights. We collaborate with a network of writers and health experts to curate evidence-based content. This content is further vetted and reviewed by our team of internal experts. Our platform is dedicated to providing you with reliable, accessible health information so you can make informed choices for a healthier life.

Articles from Shyft Health

Continue to read on a range of topics related to Exercise, Nutrition, Mental Health and Sleep Health.

Salt: Everything you need to know in one place

Salt: Everything you need to know in one place

Salt is an important part of our diet because it’s our main source of sodium, a mineral necessary for our body, but like carbs, they can be both friend and foe. So what does sodium do for the body? How much salt is too much per day? Which high-sodium foods should you avoid? We’ve done the research to provide all the answers. By the end of this guide, the fourth of our Foundations of Food series, we will unpack everything…

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9 minutes

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14 Mar 2024

Editor’s pick

Protein: Everything You Need to Know in One Place

Protein: Everything You Need to Know in One Place

Just like fats and carbs, protein plays a starring role in every person’s nutrition journey. But amidst the ocean of diet tips and health hacks, proteins often get a mixed rep – glorified by some and misunderstood by others.  In this comprehensive guide, the third of our Foundations of Food series, we will unpack everything about protein - the difference between ‘complete’ and ‘incomplete’ proteins, how to up your protein intake (especially if you’re a vegetarian), and answering that age-old…

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10 minutes

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07 Mar 2024

Editor’s pick

Here’s how to tell if your therapist is a good fit for you

Here’s how to tell if your therapist is a good fit for you

So, you’ve started therapy – congratulations! That's a huge step towards self-care and improving your mental wellness. But here’s a question that might be on your mind: ‘Is my therapist the right one for me?’ Finding the right therapist can be hard - but it’s crucial, because so much of your progress depends on your relationship with your therapist. If you’re struggling to understand if you’re with the right therapist, here are a few questions to ask yourself to figure…

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3 minutes

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07 Feb 2024

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Types of Therapy: Which therapy approach is best for you?

Types of Therapy: Which therapy approach is best for you?

Embarking on a therapy journey can feel a bit like finding your way through a maze. With so many different types of therapy out there, how do you know which one is right for you? Whether you’re new to therapy or looking to switch things up, understanding the different types of therapy is the first step to choose which approach - or a combination - might work best for you.  What are the different types of therapy approaches? You might…

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4 minutes

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07 Feb 2024

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What is Therapy? What You Need to Know Before You Start

What is Therapy? What You Need to Know Before You Start

While the conversation around therapy has definitely exploded over the last few years, there is not enough  So let’s break down the basics: What is Therapy? Therapy is an umbrella term for a number of medical treatment approaches that help manage emotional distress. It’s also often called ‘talk therapy’ or psychotherapy. It not only helps reduce the symptoms - such as anger, stress or sadness - but can also help identify root causes of people’s behavior. This, in turn, can…

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3 minutes

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06 Feb 2024

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Feeling unhappy? It might be connected to your wandering mind

Feeling unhappy? It might be connected to your wandering mind

Ever started day-dreaming in the middle of a meeting? Or found yourself lying awake in the middle of the night thinking about all the chances you didn’t take? Well, you’re not alone.  Mind-wandering - or the process of having thoughts that’s not immediately related to your current task or environment - is a universally human experience. In fact, humans might be the only species who actually does this: spend a lot of time contemplating past or future events or even…

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3 minutes

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02 Feb 2024

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What Happens When We Fall in Love? Our Brain on Oxytocin

What Happens When We Fall in Love? Our Brain on Oxytocin

The fourth, and final, of our How to Feel Good series. Check out the other parts of the series here: dopamine, serotonin and endorphins. That heady feeling you get when you’re just falling in love with someone? That might just be your brain releasing oxytocin.  Oxytocin is also called the ‘love hormone’, because it controls some of our most basic behaviors - like bonding with each other, sexual arousal, trust and romantic feelings.  What is oxytocin? Oxytocin, like dopamine and…

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3 minutes

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02 Feb 2024

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Feeling Good After Exercising? Our Brain on Endorphins

Feeling Good After Exercising? Our Brain on Endorphins

The third of our How to Feel Good series. Check out the other parts of the series here: dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin. Ever wondered what actually happens in your body when you stub your toe? Or accidentally cut yourself? Or when you’re feeling particularly stressed after a long day? Your body is releasing endorphins - its natural painkiller. Endorphins refer to a group of hormones your body releases to prevent pain, whether emotional or physical. They’re also released by the…

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3 minutes

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01 Feb 2024

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Fats: Everything You Need to Know in One Place

Fats: Everything You Need to Know in One Place

Welcome to our Foundations of Food series – where you can get comprehensive, beginner-friendly guides to the foundations of nutrition, to help you make better, more informed choices about your health. Fats have often been considered the enemy of a healthy diet. But like carbs, they're often misunderstood. Not all fats are bad for you. In fact, healthy fats are an essential component of a well-balanced diet. In this comprehensive guide, the second of our Foundations of Food series, we will unpack…

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9 minutes

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01 Feb 2024

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What Happens When We’re Feeling Low? Our Brain on Serotonin

What Happens When We’re Feeling Low? Our Brain on Serotonin

The second of our How to Feel Good series. Check out the other parts of the series here: dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins. If you’re feeling particularly content today, you might be experiencing what is known as a 'serotonin boost'. Serotonin is one of the body’s crucial neurotransmitters and hormones, and has long been associated with regulating our moods - earning it the nickname ‘the happy hormone’. In fact, serotonin is associated with our feelings of satisfaction and optimism. It also…

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3 minutes

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01 Feb 2024

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How Do We Reward Ourselves? Our Brain on Dopamine

How Do We Reward Ourselves? Our Brain on Dopamine

The first of our How to Feel Good series. Check out the other parts of the series here: serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. Remember that rush of pleasure you get every time you go shopping? Or bite into that cookie you’ve been craving? Or get a bunch of likes on your latest social media post? That’s the ‘dopamine rush’ - a feeling of pleasure we get because of dopamine, one of the ‘feel-good’ chemicals produced by the brain. Although we tend…

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4 minutes

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01 Feb 2024

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Carbs: Everything You Need to Know In One Place

Carbs: Everything You Need to Know In One Place

Welcome to our Foundations of Food series - where you can get comprehensive, beginner-friendly guides to the foundations of nutrition, to help you make better, more informed choices about your health. Carbs, or carbohydrates, are often the subject of debate in the world of nutrition - ranging from being called ‘essential’ to your diet to being labeled as ‘harmful’. There’s so much information out there to sift through that it often becomes hard to know what to believe. In this…

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12 minutes

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17 Jan 2024

Editor’s pick

Five Foods to Help You With Your Period Pain (and Four to Avoid)

Five Foods to Help You With Your Period Pain (and Four to Avoid)

Period pain, also known as menstrual cramps or dysmenorrhea, are cramps and pelvic pain that you may experience during menstruation. This happens because every month, the lining that has built up within the uterus is shed - unless you’re pregnant - and the muscles of the womb contract and relax in an irregular rhythm to do so. Prostaglandins, chemicals that induce uterine muscle contractions, are the primary cause of period pain. Estrogen, one of the primary reproductive hormones in women,…

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4 minutes

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17 Jan 2024

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Your Ultimate Guide to All Trending Diets

Your Ultimate Guide to All Trending Diets

Whether you’re just getting started on your health and fitness journey, or you’re an expert - it’s hard to keep track of all the new diets that are always popping up in the health and fitness world. What’s more, it’s often difficult to know what to trust about the new ‘miracle diet’ that everyone’s raving about. Fear not! We’ve put together a comprehensive list of all the diets that you could possibly want to try - for you to figure…

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4 minutes

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05 Jan 2024

Five easy mental tricks to build an exercise habit in 2024

Five easy mental tricks to build an exercise habit in 2024

It’s that time of the year again. The time we all make ‘new year, new me’ resolutions about getting fitter, eating healthier and leading a more balanced life. The problem is, many of us find it difficult to sustain the habit and most new year resolutions are dropped by March. Even if you’re already on the fitness wagon, it can be difficult to regain the motivation to start your routine after a few relaxed weeks of end-of-year festivities. We spoke to some…

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5 minutes

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28 Dec 2023

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Managing Holiday Weight Gain: Myths v/s Realities

Managing Holiday Weight Gain: Myths v/s Realities

December marks the height of the holiday season - with Christmas, end-of-year celebrations, weddings and general festive spirit. But it also brings in a challenge familiar to those of us who are trying to manage weight gain or stick to consistent nutrition routines: holiday weight gain. If you’re finding it difficult to keep on track of your health and fitness goals this time of year, you’re not alone. Is holiday weight gain real? Unfortunately, yes. Research has shown that most…

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7 minutes

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22 Dec 2023

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Mental Health Support During Pregnancy

Mental Health Support During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is an exciting time for expecting mothers, but it can also be challenging if a mother is experiencing significant anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues. It can affect her physical health and the health of the foetus. Hormonal changes, physical changes, and anxiety about the future can all take a toll on a mother's mental health. Mental health during pregnancy can also have an impact on the postpartum period. Research has shown that mothers who experience mental health…

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4 minutes

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19 Aug 2023

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Breaking patterns and addictions- understanding harmful health habits

Breaking patterns and addictions- understanding harmful health habits

We all have habits that we wish we could break. Whether it's smoking, excessive drinking, overeating, or not getting enough exercise, harmful health habits can be difficult to break. These habits are often deeply ingrained patterns of behaviour that have developed over years, if not decades. But breaking these patterns and addictions is essential for our overall health and well-being. Harmful health habits are often deeply ingrained patterns of behaviour that have developed over years, if not decades. These habits…

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5 minutes

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19 Aug 2023

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