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PATY STATE/TERRITORY WINNERS 39 with good hydration is crucial to maintaining healthy hair. • Regular, restorative sleep ensures protein synthesis of the hair follicles, helping to maintain hair growth. James Brown, NSW – Blaxland Day n Night Pharmacy What is your advice to customers who want to manage their heart health and to keep blood glucose levels in check? Globally, heart disease has become one of the leading causes of death, with Australia being no exception. Staying active and eating healthy are both great ways we can all maintain our cardiovascular health. Stress is another factor that influences heart health. Managing stress helps in reducing the risk of heart disease, so enjoy a break occasionally. Another factor that can tremendously increase the incidence of cardiovascular disease is smoking. Quitting smoking is one of the best health decisions you can make. Not only will it save you money, but it will also assist in developing an overall better state of health. Have a talk with your doctor or pharmacist about ways to quit smoking for good. Metabolic syndrome is an assortment of conditions that may increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Monitoring and managing blood glucose levels are important aspects of preventing metabolic syndrome. For managing blood glucose levels, keep track of what increases and decreases your blood sugar levels, avoid high sugar food items such as soft drinks and sweets, control food portions and have regular check-ups with your doctor so that you can monitor and have feedback on your blood sugar levels. What is your advice to customers who are looking to improve their hair from the inside and out? Hair care is an important aspect of physical health. Not only can it improve self-esteem, but it can also improve the overall quality of life. With so many hair products available, it’s easy to be confused or unsure about which products may be best for you. Diet is very important for healthy hair, foods such as fish and leafy green vegetables are a great source of iron, Conditioners are an important aspect of hair care and are excellent for improving hair manageability, allowing for easier grooming. omega-3 and -6 fatty acids and vitamins, which all may assist in maintenance of strong healthy hair. Whenever I recommend a shampoo, I choose those that are suitable for the individual’s hair type and that will not strip the hair of all its natural oils. Conditioners are an important aspect of hair care and are excellent for improving hair manageability, allowing for easier grooming. Hair oils are incredible at helping to restore shine and hydrate dry ends. An oil such as argan oil can help to restore moisture and shine to the hair, and coconut oil may also help to hydrate, smooth and restore shine. In addition to hair oils, taking an OTC hair, skin and nails supplement may also help assist in the management of strong and healthy hair. Start your routine off by shampooing the scalp (avoid applying shampoo directly to the ends of the hair), gently massaging until the product has been worked in, then rinse. Follow this by conditioning the ends of the hair (not the scalp) and leave for two-to-three minutes. Gently rinse and towel dry hair. Follow this by massaging your hair with a drop of hair oil and you’re done. Soft, manageable and shiny hair has never been so easy. Emma Smallbone, Queensland – Zammit Street Pharmacy, Deception Bay What is your advice to customers who want to manage their heart health and to keep blood glucose levels in check? Get familiar with your medical conditions. If you’ve had a diagnosis of one or both of these conditions \\\\\\\[heart disease or metabolic syndrome\\\\\\\], knowledge is power. When you’re being told what to do, what to eat (or not eat), check this and do that, you can often feel out of control with what’s happening. Understanding why these changes are important will help you realise why adopting these changes is essential for your overall health and slowing down the progression of these chronic illnesses. Take advantage of referral to dietitians, exercise therapists and diabetes educators. They have a wealth of knowledge and would love to share that. Keep regular appointments with your physicians and make sure you take along your blood glucose results for review. Managing these conditions is not a sprint but a marathon. Making small changes will have a long-term impact. What is your advice to customers who are looking to improve their hair from the inside and out? Your skin and hair are windows on how your body is functioning on the inside. Brittle, thinning and lacklustre hair could be clues that we may need some tweaking with our diet. Foods abundant in amino acids, omega-3 and -6, collagen, biotin and vitamin A, B group vitamins and zinc give your hair the right nutrients to function optimally, but with the modern Australian diet we may not meet all our needs. Food rich in these include oily fish like salmon, TO PAGE 40 RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • APR 2021