Innholdsfortegnelse for Monday, March 20, 2023 i Woman's Own

There’s something so great about holiday anticipation – the excitement of going away with the person, or people, you love spending time with the most. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a far-flung adventure or something closer to home, it really is all about who you’re with – at least it is for me! On p46 we bring you some travel inspiration to get you in the mood for summer fun. But, before all of that, turn to p26 – I know some people who definitely have selective memories (I wouldn’t dream of naming names!) but there are some great and very simple ways to help give your brain a boost. Enjoy, and have a great week! The Woman’s Own Health & Beauty Special is on sale NOW! Join us online…

MENOPAUSE LEAVE Kemi Badenoch started out, as a politician from an ethnic minority, defending the rights of women and girls. At the age of 43 she’s now the Minister for Women and Equalities. Which, on the surface, makes it strange that she has rejected a suggestion to start a trial of menopause leave (giving women paid leave from work, separate from sick pay) and refused to add it as a protected characteristic to the Equality Act. If she had done, it would be illegal to discriminate against someone because of the menopause in much the same way it’s illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of their race or sex. Her argument is that there is already legislation in place to protect the rights of menopausal women. Where do…

Got a spare hour or thereabouts? Stop scrolling on your phone or mindlessly flicking through the TV channels. Instead, use the minutes wisely – you can do something to improve your health and mood in less time than it takes to watch an episode of Gogglebox. GET YOUR EYES CHECKED Around 65% of patients are avoiding eye tests due to the cost-of-living crisis, found a survey by Optegra Eye Hospitals. But eye tests can uncover conditions such as diabetes, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. Visit nhs.uk to see if you’re eligible for a free test, plus money towards glasses or contact lenses. If not, Boots, Specsavers and Vision Express offer 30-minute tests for around £25. DECLUTTER A messy home is associated with dissatisfaction* and can make us stressed, so have…

Fish, chips and tartare peas PREP TIME: 20 MINSCOOK TIME: 25 MINSCALS: 661 FAT: 19gSAT FAT: 3g CARBS: 80g SERVES 4 Swap the Friday night chippy run for this healthier homemade version. YOU WILL NEED 3tbsp flavourless oil 5 large potatoes (approx 1.2kg), cut into 1cm chips 4 x 120g skinless white fish fillets 3tbsp plain flour 1 egg, lightly beaten 75g golden breadcrumbs For the tartare peas: 350g frozen peas 1 shallot, finely chopped 2 gherkins, finely chopped 1tbsp capers, roughly chopped 2tbsp mayonnaise 1tsp Dijon mustard Zest and juice of ½ lemon To serve: ½ lemon, cut into wedges, tomato ketchup, and buttered bread (optional) HOW TO DO IT 1 Heat the oven to 220C Fan/Gas 9. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and drizzle…

READER QUESTION Q I’m in the process of finding a mortgage – what does a Decision in Principle mean? A A Decision in Principle, sometimes known as an Agreement in Principle or Mortgage in Principle, is a document from a lender that gives you an understanding of how much you may be able to borrow. It can be useful to show to estate agents if you’re looking to buy a house. Note, however, that a Decision in Principle isn’t the same as a mortgage offer – to obtain one of these you’ll need to complete a full mortgage application. Go green for less Check out Uswitch’s Utrack app: connect it to your smart meter and you’ll see a breakdown of when you use the most electricity. It’ll give you helpful…

14-20 March 2023 ASK ALEX A ‘WHAT IS MY HOROSCOPE TODAY?’ ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr Spending time outside will help you clear your head. Inviting family over will make you a sought after and popular relative. TAURUS 21 Apr – 20 May Why not take a Sudoku on your lunch breaks. While away the time focusing your brain, ready for the tasks ahead. GEMINI 21 May – 20 Jun Something exciting is coming your way while Mercury’s under Neptune’s influence. News of a wedding makes you happy. CANCER 21 Jun – 22 Jul You’ll see the magic in a situation that is making you feel insecure. If you take a chance, then things will move forward. LEO 23 Jul – 22 Aug Wake early to do some…

THE SECRETS OF HARTWOOD HALL by Katie Lumsden (£16.99, Penguin, HB) 1852. Young widow Margaret Lennox gladly takes a position as governess to Louis, a bright young boy at Hartwood Hall. Isolated from the village, where locals whisper of witchcraft, the country house is a strange dwelling. Figures melt into the shadows and mystery shrouds Louis’s mother Mrs Eversham. Although Margaret finds respite in a forbidden relationship with the gardener, she’s convinced that something sinister lurks within the walls… A creepy, captivating gothic tale. THE SECRET TO HAPPY: HOW TO BUILD RESILIENCE, BANISH SELF-DOUBT AND LIVE THE LIFE YOU DESERVE by Vicky Pattison (£9.99, Little, Brown Book Group, PB) If you often doubt yourself, you can be sure you are not alone. TV personality Vicky Pattison is no stranger to…

BINGO NEWBIE? WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED… Online bingo is easier than real-life bingo in many ways and is a great alternative if you’re unable to get to your favourite bingo hall. Playing online bingo is simple. Just find a bingo game you like the look of at Woman’s Own Bingo and choose the number of tickets you’d like to buy. A lot of games cost as little as 1p a ticket, so if you’re a bingo newbie you might like to give these a go first. The bingo numbers are called out, and your ticket will be automatically dabbed by your computer, so you never need to worry about missing a number! There’s a chat box in all our bingo rooms too, so you can also talk to other members…

Real life in my experience Filling a cup full of bright blue slushie, I popped in a paper straw and smiled at my young customer. Standing on his tiptoes, peering into my snack van, he scanned my offerings. Hot dogs, chips, burgers and cocktails for the grown-ups. ‘A burger too, please,’ the young boy decided, as a queue began forming behind him, much to my delight. Just a few years ago, I was tired and stressed in my banking job. Flipping burgers at festivals and events had been just a dream, but now here I was, finally making that dream a reality. I began my career in banking in 2006, shortly after having my children, Darcie, and James. My first position was in customer services, but within a year I’d…

‘We could provide a safe home’ Emma Lloyd, 52, lives in Somerset with her husband Geoff, 63, their two children and their foster child, and is author of The Little Red Dragon (£8.99, tracebridgepublishing.com). When I was in my 20s, I never gave much thought to having children. I had a fulfilling career in the Royal Air Force, and loved being able to spend my free time travelling and riding my motorbike. But when I was 34, I realised that I actually did want to be a mother and before long I welcomed my son. Holding him in my arms for the first time, I was completely smitten. He was perfect. ‘FOSTERING IS THE BEST THING I’VE EVER DONE’ I loved running around after him, all the giggles and games,…

CAN THE NHS REMOVE MY LUMP? Q Several years ago, I had a fatty lump removed from my shoulder and have now developed the same thing on my upper arm on the other side. My GP says it’s nothing to worry about and isn’t cancerous. However, it’s quite unsightly and I’d like it removed, but I’m told the NHS doesn’t fund this any more. Is that true? A I’m afraid it is. I expect you have what is called a lipoma and because these are benign, the NHS considers removal to be a cosmetic procedure and therefore not covered by NHS services. You could look into having this removed privately, but I would advise checking costs before you commit, as it may be more expensive than you think. Cancer test…

Reader promotion Get a natural spring glow with Annabelle Minerals’ new range - and SAVE 20%! Introducing a new family of skincare products from Annabelle Minerals, which includes Repair Juice (retinol serum), Clarity Juice (niacinamide serum) and Glow Juice (vitamin C serum) Annabelle Minerals’ products are high quality and suit the needs of every skin type, from oily to dry and sensitive. The products are also suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Whether you are looking to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, or give your skin an extra hydrating boost -Annabelle Minerals’ new range of skincare has a product that’s ideal for you. The Repair Juice Serum effectively helps to reduce the visibility of pores, eliminates imperfections, and is suitable for acne-prone and sensitive skin. Clarity Juice Serum minimises the appearance…

It’s every parent’s, and dog owner’s, nightmare, but sadly, the number of dog attacks each year in the UK is rising. In 2022, a record 10 people – including four children – were fatally bitten by a dog. It’s still not clear exactly why we’re seeing bigger numbers than ever before and, most recently, the tragic deaths of four-year-old Alice Stones and 28-year-old Natasha Johnston, who were both killed in separate attacks by dogs, caused shock waves. Woman’s Own speaks to one mother about the impact a dog attack had on her young daughter, and investigates what needs to be done to prevent more of these incidents occurring. Powerful breed An extremely powerful breed that has been known to kill, American Bully XLs are dogs that have made headlines recently.…

Cover story It’s safe to say that Coleen Nolan has been pretty unlucky in love during her many years in the spotlight. Married to Shane Richie in 1990, they split in 1997 after he cheated on her, and her second marriage, to Ray Fensome, came to an end in 2018 after 11 years. She thought she’d finally found her happily ever after in logistics worker Michael Jones, but their romance came to an end last spring, when he reportedly finished things after struggling to cope with Coleen’s fame. Woman’s Own recently reported that the pair are giving things another go and even spent Boxing Day together. But it seems Coleen is so terrified of getting hurt again, she’s struggling to relax into the relationship, with a source now exclusively telling…

Have you heard about? A SPLASH OF MILK CAN CUT RISK OF CHRONIC DISEASES Prefer your coffee black? You might be missing out, says new research**. Findings showed that consuming foods rich in polyphenols (an antioxidant), alongside those packed with amino acids – such as cow’s milk – makes the antioxidants even more effective at fighting inflammation. This can help to reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. It worked for me Alexandra Harrison, 48, Leeds ‘As I’ve got older, I’ve found it harder to feel energised and focus at work. I often felt tired – especially in the afternoons. I now take one Doctor Seaweed’s Weed and Wonderful Pure Organic Seaweed supplement (£12.95 for 30 capsules, doctorseaweed.com) daily. It’s high in iodine, which supports thyroid hormones –…

Health ask us I feel taken advantage of at work Q I’ve worked in the same company for several years and I started working from home over lockdown. Recently, several people have been let go, which has changed things to the point that I hate work. I get called a number of times on my day off and I receive messages at all hours. I answer but I feel angry about it. Now I’m being told I am expected back in the office two days a week. I am so frustrated and don’t know what to do. A All jobs have minor to major frustrations. The trick is to work out what you can change (messages out of hours and calls on your day off) and what you can’t (being…

Pain seared through my stomach as the safety bar pushed down. But my relief that the metal barrier had managed to click into place over my size-22 frame was replaced with panic as I imagined the rollercoaster jolting from side to side at speed – the bar digging deeper and deeper into my flesh. As my friends chatted excitedly next to me, I called the ride attendant back. ‘I need to get off,’ I whispered. Hot tears pricked my eyes as I walked back past the queue, my head hanging in shame. It was 2018 and, aged 34, I’d met my university friends at a theme park for a fun reunion. Only, I now realised it wasn’t going to be any fun for me. This was the second ride I’d…

Global inf luence Colour pop Scandi shapes…

CLUES & ARROWS Fill in the clues in the direction of the arrows. Wordwise: Anvil, avail, avails, avian, avid, diva, divan, lava, mavis, naval, saliva, salvia, savin, silva, silvan, vail, vain, valid, vandal, vial, viand, visa. Answer: VANDALISM Sudoku To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 box, each column and each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Word search Liverpool footballer Gerry Byrne played the entirety of the 1965 FA Cup final, setting up a goal, despite breaking which bone in the first five minutes? The answer is the one missing from the grid. CARPALCLAVICLECOCCYXFEMURFIBULAHUMERUSJAWPATELLARADIUSRIBSCAPULASKULLSTERNUMTIBIAULNA CROSSWORD ACROSS 6 Cry of approval (5)7 Slaughterhouse (8)10 1997 historical epic film directed by 13 Across and starring 4 Down, 16 Down & 17 Down (7)11 Tombstone inscription (7)12 Cold compress…

MOLLIE KING Singer Mollie, 35, and cricketer fiancé Stuart Broad, 36, became parents in November last year when Mollie gave birth to daughter Annabella. Tragically, just days later, the new mum lost her father to a brain tumour. In a touching tribute to the tot’s late grandfather, Mollie revealed her name, sharing, ‘Annabella has given us lots of hope over these past few difficult months, so Hope had to be one of her middle names. She has been our ray of sunshine and I know she’s going to continue to light up our lives.’ CHLOE MADELEY Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan’s daughter Chloe welcomed her first child in August 2022. The 35-year-old, who shares daughter Bodhi with husband James Haskell, 37, told fans, ‘We’re delighted to welcome to the world…

Jesy Nelson ‘I’M A CATASTROPHE IN THE KITCHEN!’ The former Little Mix singer enters the Bake Off tent… More famous faces hope to impress judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood with their baking skills as The Great Celebrity Bake Off returns to C4 for a new five-part series. Jesy, who found fame on The X Factor, is among the first batch of celebrity bakers to appear on the show to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer. Joining Jesy is Friends legend David Schwimmer, comedian Rose Matafeo, and King Gary star Tom Davis. Later in the series, the other celebrity bakers include diver Tom Daley, Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden, The Repair Shop’s Jay Blades, Loose Women’s Coleen Nolan, and Top Gear presenter Paddy McGuinness. Jesy will follow in the…