Slug blog

Vitamin C supplements have been religiously touted for years as a magic remedy to all sorts of ailments and dietary issues; colds, flu, poor diet and lack of fruit and vegetables etc. And I’m certainly no angel, I’ve taken my fair share of vitamin C pills over the years.

But why has it reached almost mythical status in the minds of many? Could it be because clever marketing has persuaded people that it will resolve many of the issues that simply eating a healthy diet, based on plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables would provide, but all in the convenience of an easy to pop pill?

I don’t normally give Friday the 13th a second thought, not being superstitious it’s not really at the forefront of my mind each time it comes around. However today, Friday the 13th 2005 has started to worry me, perhaps there is something in it after all.

It’s the time of year when between 15-25% of the population in the UK start to suffer sneezing, runny noses, sore eyes and all the other nasty effects of hayfever.

What is hayfever? It’s an allergy to pollens, the male reproductive parts of plants, grasses and trees. When the pollen comes into contact with the sensitive lining of the nose or the eyes it triggers an immune reaction and you get sneezing, itching, runny noses and sore eyes.

It's a question I've been asking myself over the last couple of weeks. If you can't fit in your normal workout/exercise routine, is it better to skip it altogether? or do as much as you can fit in?

The easy option is to say “it’s not worth getting all sweaty for only 20 minutes”, or “it’s not worth getting my running shoes out for such a short time, I’ll do extra tomorrow”.