Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2021 i Woman's Weekly Living Series

Tonight around a third of us will get a poor night’s sleep. And experts estimate that figure has increased during Covid restrictions when anxiety and changes to our lifestyles and timetables have impacted our sleep patterns much more severely. Missing out on a decent night’s rest leaves us feeling tired and irritable, but can also have long-term effects on our health. Lower immunity and a raised risk of chronic conditions, such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes are just two associated problems. ‘Almost every ailment known to man (and woman!) is linked in some way to poor sleep,’ says Woman’s Weekly GP Gill Jenkins. ‘Sleep deprivation increases our risk of developing health issues and it reduces our body’s ability to cope with them.’ Understanding more about what may be keeping…

‘My breakdown led to a new business’ Karen Walker, 58, from Rossendale, Lancashire. As a teacher, I’d spent almost 30 successful years in the classroom, and as part of the leadership team in a lovely school. However, in 2013, when I took on a head-teacher role, I began to suffer with stress. Despite my best efforts, I was overwhelmed. I developed anxiety and depression, and left the role in 2015. ‘After my breakdown I was forced to re-evaluate my life’ When you have a breakdown, it’s hard to imagine that you’ll ever recover. Luckily, as well as medical help, I had my husband, Julian, by my side. We’ve been together 34 years, and with his support I began to heal. Julian has always been a great cook, and we used…

Many forms of viral hepatitis can lead to jaundice (yellow skin and eye whites), chronic illness, or even death. Hepatitis A can be caught from contaminated water or food, but although you’ll feel unwell, you should recover. Hepatitis B and C are caught from infected blood or body fluids and can cause severe acute and/or chronic illness. But newer antiviral drugs have cured more than 90% of almost 25,000 people treated for ‘Hep C’ in England during the past three years. The NHS wants to find people who don’t realise they’re infected. So if you think you may have been exposed to Hep C (or B), ask your doctor about a test. The symptoms Around 200,000 of us have chronic Hep C infection, but we may have had few or…

Growing delicious summer fruit really isn’t that difficult – you don’t even need a garden. Soft fruit bushes will thrive in a pot on a sunny patio. Plenty of sunshine, water and the occasional feed are the keys to success. And if you plant garden-ready soft fruit bushes and strawberry plants that are bulging with ripening fruits from garden centres in the coming month, you’ll be picking your own fruit all summer long. Raspberries Raspberries are high in fibre and vitamin C, and also an antioxidant that helps heal wounds and prevent chronic illnesses. The fruiting canes can reach up to 2m tall, so can be effectively grown as a screen. With just six canes, you can expect up to 5kg of fruit. Summer-fruiting varieties, such as the heavy-cropping ‘Tulameen’,…

Old age ain’t no place for sissies! So said Betty Davis. And she wasn’t wrong. For many of us, ageing comes at a cost – one or more long-term illnesses, disabilities and/or multiple medications. Some are bad luck, for example, those linked to accidents or our family history – but how we live our lives can make a difference to how healthily we age. Cell division and renewal slows down, our DNA (genetic material) starts to develop faults (mutations) and telomeres (protective ‘caps’ on the end of our chromosomes) start to shrink. Many of these changes are triggered by inflammation in the body, and environmental toxins – factors we can influence. We’re all familiar with the outward signs – hair and skin changes, stiffness/loss of flexibility, aches and pains, reduced…

Bird brain Keep your garden a little messy if you want to boost your mental wellbeing. It can encourage more of our best-loved garden birds, such as blue tits, chaffinches, starlings and blackbirds. Last year’s annual review of British gardens by BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine found that numbers were down last year, blaming fewer hedges and overly tidy and preened gardens. 3 great… BITS OF WALKING KIT 1 COLOURFUL LEGGINGS Flamenco Leggings, £55, famaraonline.com Make a statement with these bold-print lightweight leggings. Their flattering high waist helps keep them in place as you walk. 2 COMPRESSION SOCKS Light Merino Low Cut Socks, £19.95, cepsports.co.uk The compression effect supports muscles on longer walks and the merino wool keeps your feet warm. 3 DOWN JACKET Forclaz Woman’s Mountain Trek 100, £39.99,…

As the weeks pass, the numbers contracting COVID-19 grow. So too does the amount of successful recoveries, but bouncing back can take time – as with any illness – particularly if the virus caused severe complications. Some symptoms, such as fatigue, pain, mental trauma and problems with lung function, can take up to six months to disappear according to the NHS. Or up to a whole year if you were in intensive care. Continuing ill-health can happen even with mild infection, says a study of patients at St James’s Hospital, Dublin. It found that breathlessness and fatigue were common complaints more than 10 weeks after diagnosis. The NHS suggests this as a normal recovery timeline if you’ve been hospitalised* AT 4 WEEKS: Most chest pain and phlegm has reduced. AT…

Your gut is amazing And it’s complicated! It contains around 100 million neurons – ‘the same number as in a cat’s brain’, says TV doctor Michael Mosley, author of The Clever Guts Diet. ‘And it includes a richer diversity of life than in a rainforest.’ There are 50 trillion (1-2kg) of microbes living in it – the weight of a couple of bags of sugar – made up of more than 1,000 different species, including bacteria, fungi and viruses. It’s called your microbiome and its effects are felt way beyond just your gut (large intestine). Scientists now believe it has a huge impact throughout your body, including regulating your moods, altering your immunity levels and even dictating how much weight you gain. The brain link Your microbiome takes bits of…

One hour’s cycling adds a year to your life. That’s the finding of Cambridge University’s Professor of Risk, David Spiegelhalter. It supports previous research that suggests middle-aged cyclists have a life expectancy two years above the norm. Recent studies show it can also hold back ageing and boost the immune system. Scientists at the University of Birmingham found cyclists preserved muscle mass and strength with age, while maintaining stable levels of body fat and cholesterol. They also produced more immune cells – a number which usually starts to drop in your 20s. The beauty of cycling is that it’s a ‘stealth’ exercise, says Dr Melanie Wynne-Jones: ‘You can integrate it into your life as part of your movement, like running errands, so you’re more likely to keep it up.’ Regular…

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) inflames and narrows airways and damages tiny lung air sacs, making it harder for oxygen to reach the bloodstream. It affects over a million people in the UK – there are around 115,000 new diagnoses a year. It can start in the mid-30s and is seriously under-diagnosed; two-thirds of people with mild/ moderate COPD don’t realise they have lung damage, and need urgent protection. Inhaled toxins, particularly smoking and air pollution outside, at work and at home are the biggest single cause. It’s more common with age, and in women. It’s also linked to lung diseases such as asthma, severe childhood infections, developmental problems, and the genetic disorder, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (A1AD). The symptoms COPD produces a chronic cough (or frequent ‘chest infections’), increased phlegm,…

SPRING GREENS CURRY This fresh and vibrant curry beats a takeaway any day of the week! SERVES 4-6 For the curry paste: ✣ 1 onion, roughly chopped ✣ 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped ✣ 1 fresh green chilli, roughly chopped ✣ 1 lemongrass stalk, bashed with a wooden spoon and chopped ✣ 2cm (¾in) nub fresh ginger, roughly chopped ✣ Zest of 1 lime ✣ 1tsp ground cumin ✣ 1tsp ground turmeric ✣ 1tsp ground coriander ✣ 30g (1oz) fresh coriander, leaves and stalk ✣ 2tbsp olive oil For the curry: ✣ 1 cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces ✣ 250g (9oz) purple sprouting broccoli, cut into small pieces ✣ 200g (7oz) mushrooms, chopped ✣ 1 pepper, cut into chunks ✣ Handful fresh thyme or 2tsp dried thyme ✣ 2 x…

It’s perfectly normal to lose up to 100 hairs a day. Hair follicles go through cycles – hair growth (around a centimetre a month to their approximate maximum, depending on whether they’re on the scalp or body), hair shedding, then resting before starting again. Fortunately, they’re all at different stages, but occasionally many hairs fall out over a short period (telogen effluvium). You’ll notice scary amounts on brushes and during hair-washing, and scalp hair may look thinner. This can occur during stressful periods or after a physical shock (such as major illness, surgery or weight loss). Or after trauma, chemotherapy, medication changes or childbirth, After a few months (which admittedly can seem like forever, as there’s no treatment), the follicles recover, and hair growth restarts. Your hormones Male pattern baldness…

It’s 8am and the sleepy city streets are starting to rev up for the day. I’m gently stretching by the Storkespringvandet, the stork fountain at the heart of Copenhagen’s shopping district, cooling down from a morning run. Myself and fellow joggers take instruction from our running guide, Christine, as she points out some of the best thrift stores  and explains the history of surrounding buildings. We’re near the end of a 5km jog, just one of the activities offered free to guests at Hotel Kong Arthur, where I’m staying with my family. Our running tour has passed several sights, including the Rundetaarn (Round Tower), Copenhagen Cathedral and the iconic colourful frontage of Nyhvan. Christine has kept a steady pace, with plenty of opportunity for chitchat, giving commentary as we trot…

1 Sudden pain It’s your body’s way of telling you something’s wrong. If it’s sudden, severe and unusually persistent, see a doctor. ‘If a sudden, intense headache doesn’t respond to painkillers, seek help as soon as possible,’ says London GP Dr Jack Edmonds. ‘It could be a brain aneurysm or even a haemorrhage.’ A piercing pain from the middle to right of your abdomen could indicate appendicitis. Either side of your lower abdomen could be a ruptured cyst. Kidney stones cause pain in the back, side or groin, and gallstones the centre or upper right abdomen. If you have calf pain, redness and swelling, get checked out for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) immediately. 2 Insomnia Studies show that a lack of sleep weakens the immune system and can lead to…

Losing weight should be simple. But why is it so hard to maintain? Only 20% of dieters keep the weight off, with 80% gaining most, all or more of it back again. ‘The trouble with diets is they have a start and an end point,’ says celebrity trainer James Duigan, who works with models Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Elle Macpherson. ‘Once you’ve lost the weight it’s tempting to go back to old habits, which will pile it back on.’ James recommends following his lean way of eating for life to retrain your taste buds and metabolism. Try his 7-da y plan t o get you into the habit of eating well wit hout dieting DAY 1 BREAKFAST: Scrambled egg, smoked salmon and a cup of spinach LUNCH A grilled chicken breast…

We all know that regular hair masks can make our hair shinier and stronger, but the scalp plays a crucial role in the way our hair looks and feels, too. In fact, Cult Beauty has seen searches for ‘scalp’ increase by 196% in the last year alone. Hair specialist Dr Sharon Wong explains, ‘Our hair follicles are mini organs that are embedded into our skin, which means if we keep our scalp healthy, then it provides the best environment to support healthy growth.’ She adds, ‘By caring for the scalp and using exfoliants once a week, you can remove dead skin cells, dirt and grease and avoid common scalp conditions such as dandruff.’ Neglecting the scalp can also cause ‘significant inflammation that disturbs the growth cycle and can lead to…

1 Eat raw spinach It contains an antioxidant called lutein, which helps protect against eye damage. But cooking spinach can reduce its potency, while tearing it up and eating it raw can boost its effects, according to Swedish research. Give it an extra kick by eating it with dairy foods (with yogurt or milk in a smoothie, for instance), because the fat in dairy foods increases lutein absorption. 2 Lose some weight if you need to If you’re overweight and have high blood sugar levels, your vision can be affected because high blood sugar can make the eye lens swell, affecting the shape and focus of your eye. Continued high blood sugar raises your risk of cataracts and glaucoma, and causes the eye disease diabetic retinopathy, which can seriously damage…

We all have a natural, physiological, tremor. It’s caused by continuous ‘traffic’ down the nerves from our brains to the muscles that control bending and stretching each joint. But we’re not usually aware of it, unless it becomes exaggerated – for example, by the adrenaline surge we get when we’re anxious or angry. Hangovers or alcohol withdrawal can also cause temporary shakiness (a sign that you’ve overdone it). Many medical conditions can cause tremors, which can be embarrassing, inconvenient or occasionally disabling, so it’s important to find out the cause. Essential Tremor (ET) can run in families and becomes more common with age, affecting one in 25 older people. It doesn’t usually occur until you try to use the affected part, but may fluctuate, depending on what you’re doing, or…

Just like the food in your fridge, beauty products have a shelf life. If you know there are products lurking in the back of your cupboards that are more than a few years old, it’s time to throw them out. That includes your favourite lipstick you’ve had since 2002! And make-up brushes that have never been washed? They’re in serious need of a clean. We’ve got the low-down on how long you can keep those products and how to know when it’s time for an upgrade. It could just save your skin! Shampoo & Conditioner Most shampoos and conditioners should be used up within a year of opening. You can check on the bottle for the PAO (period-after-opening) symbol. This is something many beauty products have and shows an open…