Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2024 i Woman&Home Feel Good You

If we’ve learnt anything during our time together, it’s that to feel good we need to be happy. And vice versa. So it’s fitting that my last issue as editor is packed with happiness strategies, from eating well, to moving with purpose. Happiness is relative. Nobody feels ecstatic 100% of the time, but we only have to read the headlines to know that many of us are very lucky. I love our feature on gratitude (p16) and I’ll also be taking our giggle workshop (p20) next time any blues appear. Finally, we have some excellent motivation from readers who have found ways to feel better. Whether it’s plunging into cold, fresh water (p86) or repeating a daily routine that encourages mindfulness (p112), harnessing those good-mood triggers is important. My own…

Have you had your boiler serviced recently? Has your car had its annual MOT? And what about your body? Are you getting your regular cervical screenings and mammograms, your eye tests and dental check-ups? How about your NHS health checks for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugars? If all of that is in order then that’s great news. But what about your mental health? While your diary may be littered with appointments for other checks, a scheduled MOT for your mental health is probably glaringly absent. But with one in six adults in England experiencing a common mental health problem such as anxiety or depression, it’s now more important than ever to make sure we check in with ourselves. Limited help Once you’re over 65, your GP will normally flag…

Ever pick up your phone, maybe to check the time or answer a message, only to find that 15 minutes later you’re mindlessly jumping between social media apps and scrolling, scrolling, scrolling? It’s not just teenagers who are addicted. A recent study in Sweden found that women spend an average of 81 minutes a day on social media, with Facebook users checking in at least six times within that period. Women aged 45-55 years are using an average of six different platforms* to regularly ‘connect’ with (and spy on) others. It’s becoming a serious habit, one that is causing many of us to form obsessive-compulsive behaviours, which can lead to feelings of overwhelm, anxiety and even depression. Staying connected is supposed to be a positive thing, but this addiction is…

Spiced chicken with red pepper and almond sauce Nuts contain polyphenols, which have been linked to improving menopausal symptoms. Serves 4 Prep 20 mins Cook 35 mins ✢ 2tbsp coconut or olive oil✢ 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs✢ 250ml chicken stock✢ Juice ½ lemon✢ Chopped coriander, to serve For the paste: ✢ 1 red onion, roughly chopped✢ 2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped✢ 1tbsp chopped fresh ginger✢ 4 garlic cloves, crushed✢ 2tsp red pepper paste✢ 2tsp ground cumin✢ 1tsp each ground coriander and ground turmeric✢ 75g flaked almonds (or ground almonds)✢ 1 red chilli 1 In a food processor, blitz all the paste ingredients to make a smooth paste, adding a little water to help it break down. 2 Heat the oil in a shallow pan and stir in the…

Smell the roses Rose is one of those scents that divides a crowd – you either love it or you hate it. To win over the naysayers, Jo Malone has launched three limited-edition rose scents, each £86, jomalone.co.uk, all showing a different side to this classic note. There’s Rose Blush, with an added twist of herbaceous basil and juicy lychee; Rose & Magnolia, which contains earthy patchouli; and Rose Amber, blended with clove for a spicy edge. For rose notes on the go, Jo Loves Rose Petal 25 Fragrance Paintbrush Gel, £40, joloves.com, is a full, blooming bouquet of Rose de Mai and Rose Absolute, designed to be painted on pulse points then popped in your bag. Next generation tool The latest tool to join the Dyson family is the Airstrait,…

The problem with spring is that one minute it’s freezing, then all of a sudden the weather changes, the sun comes out and it’s time for a wardrobe switch-up, swapping your boots for sandals. Don’t get caught out! A little TLC now will mean that once the thermometer starts to rise, your feet will be ready to bare. Soak & soften Start by soaking your feet in either a bath or bowl of warm water filled with a generous sprinkling of Westlab Recover Bath Salts, £7.50, holland andbarrett.com. Once dissolved in the water, they work to exfoliate and soften the rough skin on your soles. Leave to soak for 10 to 15 minutes to revive feet. Buff & file Next, dry your feet thoroughly, then using Boots Foot Pumice Stone, £2,…

‘ICE-COLD DIPS FIRE MY CREATIVITY’ Co-founder of award-winning Balance Me Skincare, Rebecca Hopkins, 53, from south London, swims and works with her sister and business partner, Clare, 50 ‘On family trips to the beach as a child, I would take some convincing to enter the sea. But I now relish the sense of clarity a cold dip gives me. My sister, Clare, feels the same, and cold-water swimming – the colder the better – has become a passion we share. We run our business together, and swimming first thing in the morning always sets us up for the working day. My local pool is the huge unheated Tooting Bec Lido. It’s 90 metres long, so great for a good workout – and it’s also become part of my social life,…

Do you struggle with seasonal allergies? Almost half of adults in the UK have experienced hayfever symptoms, according to a study by Allergy UK. What’s more, climate change is extending the pollen season, so sufferers are struggling for longer. To further add to our woes, symptoms such as sore eyes and sniffles aren’t just annoying, they can cause premature ageing. ‘Although hay fever predominantly affects the respiratory system, skin can become dry and irritated, which can cause it to look aged,’ says pharmacist Abbas Kanani, from chemistclick.co.uk. ‘Inflammation can also trigger the breakdown of collagen and elastin, which is important for maintaining skin elasticity and firmness.’ If you want to look fresh, here’s how to ease symptoms. Prevent unwanted wrinkles Halting hay fever as early as possible is essential as…

Tell us about your exercise regime. I’ve got a Peloton bike and I do half an hour most mornings, at least five days a week. It’s brilliant because you don’t have to leave the house and travel to exercise, which can be time consuming. Instead, I go downstairs, do my workout, shower, have my breakfast, then I get on with the rest of my day. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Who do you work out with? Because I’m at home, I exercise alone but even though you’re not talking to the on-screen instructor, you kind of have a relationship with them. It’s just like being in a gym class but from the comfort of your home. And what’s your diet like? I do intermittent fasting and have an app…

Beat ‘chub rub’ Don’t let sore thighs ruin your spring. Apply Lanacane Anti-Chafing Gel (£8.40, Boots) to irritated areas – it creates a breathable barrier to prevent and heal friction rashes. EMBRACE THE CHILL Plunging into icy water can help to improve circulation, deepen sleep, boost your energy and even beat menopause symptoms, such as hot flushes. Feeling brave? Splash out and get the benefits at home with the Lumi Recovery Pod Portable Ice Bath (£125, lumitherapy.co.uk)*. Is coffee the culprit? Consider yourself a caffeine addict? That morning cappuccino could be making you smell, says nutrition expert Ashleigh Tosh from Prepped Pots. ‘Caffeine goes to our apocrine sweat glands, which are responsible for producing fatty sweat that bacteria on our bodies eat – as the bacteria eats this sweat, it…

‘Ten years ago, I was working in a fast-moving, super-toxic environment. I was an assistant buyer, sourcing men’s accessories for a major retailer. On paper, it was a great job. But the reality was that I hated it. I felt the culture was bitchy and back-stabby, and I struggled to get out of bed in the morning – feeling sick at the thought of returning to the office. ‘I was constantly exhausted and always going down with colds. I had weekend migraines that started every Friday. Even on a Saturday night, I had no desire to see my friends, and my Sundays were wiped out by a feeling of dread knowing Monday loomed. ‘The obvious solution would have been to leave my job but that seemed impossible. I couldn’t imagine…

Can’t remember the last time you had a good chuckle? With what feels like constant bad news reports, it’s no surprise that 69%* of us feel like there isn’t much to laugh about these days. Here’s how to inject more joy into your day. Make it happen Try these laughter exercises from yoga teacher Sarah Highfield… ✢ THE CLAP HAPPY MOVE ‘Walk around, clapping your hands to a 1-2, 1-2-3 beat and chant, “Ho-ho, ha-ha-ha” to the clap beats,’ says Sarah. ‘The chant should come from the diaphragm with deep inhales and exhales.’ ✢ THE GIBBER-GABBER TRICK ‘Talk complete gibberish, making up words and sounds, fast and slow, high pitched and low pitched – all of it without meaning and conveying different emotion,’ says Sarah. ✢ THE GRADIENT GUFFAW ‘Fake…

Clothes, books, younger family member’s artwork, old documents… so much stuff. Research by eBay found that, on average, we each have £2,600 worth of unwanted possessions in our home. But these things don’t just take up physical space, they hog our mental space, too. Ditching the clutter can help you have a clear home and a clear mind. Here’s how… Messing with our heads When the noted Victorian textile designer William Morris said, ‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful,’ he was really onto something. By getting rid of items we no longer use, we make room in our lives. This not only makes our environment more enjoyable, but it improves our mental health. This is because a messy…

PICK YOUR PASTA You can use white or wholegrain pasta for this dish, although wholegrain contains almost three times more fibre and a higher level of vitamins than white. ✢ TRY wholegrain fusilli or penne (about 75g per person). If you’ve opted for white pasta, then add extra veg to increase nutrient levels. THE RIGHT FATS Drizzle cooked pasta with oil before it cools, to stop it sticking together. ✢ TRY a heart-protecting oil, such as extra-virgin olive oil or rapeseed oil. A SKIN-FRIENDLY RECIPE This is a great dish for your skin – red peppers and tomatoes contain skin-boosting vitamin C, and cucumber is very hydrating. ✢ TRY adding protein, such as Parmesan shavings (if you’re vegetarian, make sure to use a veggie version). For an extra protein hit,…

FADE DARK SPOTS L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum, £31.99, Boots With niacinamide as the hero ingredient, this hard-working serum targets dark spots impressively quickly, so you can head into summer with a clearer complexion. RESURFACE AND REVEAL Relevant Sol Tone Resurface & Glow Solution, £56, sephora.co.uk Packed with three different types of alpha-hydroxy acid, plus ascorbic acid (also known as vitamin C) and tranexamic acid, this does a brilliant job of whisking away old, no-longer-needed cells from the skin’s surface. EVEN SKIN TONE Indeed Labs Pepta-Bright II, £24.99, sephora.co.uk Part serum, part cream, this lightweight formula harnesses the power of peptides to fade dark spots without lightening the skin.…

We’ve all experienced the joyful boost you get when someone compliments you on a new hairstyle, or the despair after a bad-hair disaster. It may seem superficial, but a good- or bad-hair day can make or break our confidence. According to research by hair brand Monpure London, 87% of women feel their hair is a reflection of their identity, which makes it hard to bear when those strands aren’t looking great. Happily, there’s a wealth of amazing products to get your hair looking and feeling gorgeous. Whatever the reason for your bad-hair day, we have the solutions to get your locks back on track. Hair problems solved GREY GONE WIRY? ‘Grey hair can have a different texture to non-grey hair,’ says Sam Burnett, owner of Hare & Bone salons. ‘This…

Whether you want to build up to hitting 10,000 steps a day or enjoy a brisk stroll with the dog without pausing to catch your breath, walking is one of the best ways to get moving, shed unwanted pounds and improve your overall fitness. Not to mention that it’s completely free! Rather than simply seeing it as a way to get from A to B, transforming your stride into a workout will not only strengthen your leg muscles, but help to improve heart health, bone density and stamina. So, where do you start? Focus on the important muscle groups, says fitness coach Suzy Alvarez. ‘Targeting your hamstrings, quads, glutes, hip adductors and calves – all of the leg muscles – is great for walking because these are the main muscles…

We all know that how much we move our body influences our health. What we eat, and how much, also plays a part. The third piece of that jigsaw is sleep, a function fundamental to wellbeing. When we sleep, our body and brain slow down to enable recovery. That recovery is what makes us fire on all cylinders the next day, both mentally and physically. During the night, we cycle through two categories of sleep – REM sleep (rapid eye movement, when we may dream) and non-REM sleep. The latter has three stages, one of which is deep sleep, when the body repairs itself. It’s when our bones and muscles grow, get denser, firmer – it’s when we’re asleep that the muscle fibres you tore will now be repaired to…

Experiencing lethargy, brain fog, lack of libido or mood swings? It could be your hormones. ‘After you hit your mid-40s, hormone levels start to change, causing a whole range of symptoms, which can really affect everyday life,’ says nutritionist Pauline Cox, author of Hungry Woman (£27, Ebury). Take our quiz to find out what’s going on and how you can fix it. Take the test Circle the answer that best represents how you’re feeling at the moment… 1 WHAT’S THE BIGGEST HINDRANCE TO YOUR SEX LIFE? A Sex life? What sex life! B You’re managing monumental mood swings C You hate how you look D You lack energy and motivation 2 WHEN YOU’RE SHOWERING, YOU THINK ABOUT… A When you last had sex B Whatever it is you’re stressed about…

FEEL-GOOD GARDENING £12.99, HB, Vie Books Gardening is great for your physical and mental health, and in this inspiring guide Claire Stares offers simple tips and practical advice about harnessing the benefits of nature. Learn how aromas and colours can relax or invigorate you, while you tone muscles, improve flexibility and energy, and boost your mood. A BOOK TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY £16.99, HB, Hodder Catalyst This is a heart-warming treasury of life-affirming quotes, inspiring poems and beautiful, uplifting illustrations, and it’s the perfect way to lift your spirits on a dark day. It’s brimming with positivity and joy, brought to you from the much-loved Instagram sensation Murphy’s Sketches. THE KNOWLEDGE £22, HB, Aster Celebrated GP Dr Nighat Arif brings women’s health to the forefront in this extensive guidebook, which…

LISTERINE ADVANCED DEFENCE GUM TREATMENT MOUTHWASH, £5.99 for 500ml, Superdrug Bleeding when brushing? Use this mouthwash twice daily. Clinically proven to treat gingivitis – the earliest stage of gum disease. URTEKRAM FRESH MINT FLUORIDE FREE WHITENING TOOTHPASTE, £3.85 for 75ml, amazon.co.uk Specifically designed to help boost enamel, this organic whitening toothpaste contains a special complex to help control the build-up of hardened plaque, fight cavities and whiten teeth. ORAL B SATIN TAPE, £2 for 25m, Boots Crowded teeth? This floss slides smoothly between tight spaces and below the gum line for an easier clean. It will leave your mouth minty-fresh, too.…

✢ THINK IN REVERSE ‘What we call “backward chaining” is an effective way to start a process like decluttering,’ explains clinical psychologist Linda Blair. ‘Envisage the last thing you need to do to achieve the perfect result, then gradually work backwards, task by task, until you are at the starting point. This helps you to visualise the path ahead.’ ✢ MAKE IT MANAGEABLE ‘Don’t think you have to do everything at once – you’ll get stuck,’ advises Linda. ‘Think of each task in small chunks. For example, rather than totally reorganising the kitchen, start with the cutlery drawer and go from there.’ It can also help to set a timer for each task so there’s an end in sight. ✢ DELEGATE TASKS If you live with others, explain what you’re…

Sausage and broccoli pizza Broccoli is a great source of magnesium, which has been said to help sleep and relaxation. Makes 1 pizza Prep 5 mins Cook 25 mins ✢ 1tsp olive oil✢ Large handful of leftover mixed tomatoes, roughly chopped or squashed✢ ½ clove garlic, crushed✢ ½tsp sugar✢ 1tbsp tomato puree✢ Few leaves of fresh oregano, chopped✢ 1 ready-made pizza base✢ 2 sausages, cooked and cut into chunks✢ 50g tenderstem broccoli, blanched✢ ½ mozzarella ball, torn into pieces✢ 1tsp dried chilli flakes✢ Handful of rocket, to serve 1 Heat oven to 180C Fan/Gas 6. Heat the oil in a pan; add the tomatoes and garlic. 2 Cook gently for 5 mins, until the tomato breaks down. 3 Add the sugar and tomato puree, cook for a further 10 mins,…

We all judge our skin in different ways when we look in the mirror. But whatever your skin complaint – whether it’s the fine lines around your eyes that are bothering you, dark spots on your cheeks or a neck that gravity seems to be dragging down – there’s a host of ways to tackle it, from at-home skincare to treatments at a clinic. However, with so many options, which path should you take? That’s where we come in. The w&h beauty team has spoken to lots of experts and tried many treatments and products to find the best ways to deal with your beauty gripe. Read on to find a solution for yours. LINES AND WRINKLES These are the first changes we notice in our skin as we age.…

Forget serums and expensive face creams, if you want great skin, you have to start with your cleansing regime. There’s no point layering on other skincare to a dirty face loaded with grime and make-up. You need a clean slate to allow the products that you apply afterwards to sink in and do their work. But there’s so many different kinds of cleansers on the market, how do you choose the right one for you? The woman&home beauty team have revealed their top picks, so you can buy with confidence. GREAT FOR DRY SKIN Byoma Creamy Jelly Cleanser, £9.99, boots.com They say: This skincare brand is all about protecting and boosting your skin barrier – the secret to healthy and hydrated skin. It uses a blend of three ceramides to…

From the odd twinge to chronic pain, back trouble can range from occasional stiffness to life-limiting agony. The NHS describes it as ‘the largest single cause of disability in the UK’. What’s more, 41% of British adults are missing out on exercise – including 30% on walking – as a result, according to research by Mind Your Back*. Bad habits Modern life doesn’t do us any favours, with everyday bad habits contributing to our troubles. ‘The main causes of back pain are poor posture, lack of exercise – which results in a stiff spine and weak muscles – and muscle strains or sprains,’ explains physiotherapist Sammy Margo. ‘We’re simply not designed to sit on a chair or sofa for long periods. Slouching over a desk eight hours a day, interspersed…