Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2022 i Woman's Weekly Living Series

When dementia takes hold, it can be difficult to keep it at bay. But scientists are beginning to understand more about how to help prevent it. And it could take only a handful of adjustments in your life. Lifestyle is responsible for up to 76% of changes in the ageing of the brain, says Age UK. What you eat, how much you exercise and how you spend your time may all have an effect. One of the best things you can do is to alter your daily routine. Doing something different helps to stimulate your prefrontal cortex, which can delay Alzheimer’s and related symptoms. And make time for family and friends because maintaining social connections and keeping an active social life are crucial, too. One study found that lonely people…

We’ve all been there – grabbing our favourite clothes only to find that they’re just a bit too snug. But fear not, with this easy-to-follow plan, you’ll be doing them up in no time. Try these tasty mix-and-match recipes alongside endorphin-boosting exercises to get your tummy back in shape within a week. WHAT TO DO Follow the plan for two weeks. ✢ Make sure you drink plenty of water and green or herbal tea. Mix and match the meals if you feel like it. ✢ It’s essential that you do the workout four times a week, to tone up, as well as to burn more fat. MONDAY BREAKFAST Detox fruit salad: Pear, orange, ½ grapefruit, 2 handfuls blueberries, 1 slice melon and 2 figs. LUNCH Sliced hard-boiled egg with olives,…

Get moving Many digestion problems are lifestyle related – the key one being inactivity. Exercise aids digestion by helping food move through your digestive system, preventing bloating and constipation, says GP, Dr Gill Jenkins. ‘A daily walk has been shown to improve bowel motility and reduce constipation, as well as being generally good for most bodily functions.’ Eat yogurt Fermented foods, such as yogurt, kefir, miso and sauerkraut, have undergone controlled microbial growth and fermentation. They often contain higher levels of gut-friendly probiotics and prebiotics, helping to populate the gut microbiota, which is linked to immunity and hormones and our digestion. Smell your food Take time to savour it before eating, too. Good digestion starts before food enters your mouth. ‘The smell and thought of food can prompt the production…

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a gradual deterioration in kidney function, associated with ageing, but worsened by other chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension, especially if they’re poorly controlled. Other conditions that can lead to kidney disease include prostate problems, kidney stones and rarer conditions such as lupus. Some medications can harm kidney tissue, including long-term non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, omeprazole and lithium. CKD is more common in people of black or South-Asian ethnic origin, or those with a family history of kidney disease. Most sufferers live long lives just being monitored, but, rarely, the kidneys stop working altogether. The symptoms You may experience no symptoms at all, especially in the early stages where the kidney reserve is high, and it may simply be found on routine urine or…

1 RICE – rest, ice, compression, elevation – is the mantra for most sprains and strains or muscle and ligament tears – usually, but not exclusively, in the leg. 2 The immediate aim is to reduce the initial pain with paracetamol or ibuprofen, and reduce swelling and support the torn muscle or ligaments until they heal. 3 If it doesn’t settle, longer-term support bandaging or even a more solid walking boot and crutches may be needed to stop movement disturbing healing. 4 Rarely, you may need to see a doctor, have X-rays or MRI scans to exclude fractures or persistent tears, which sometimes need surgery.…

Nature’s confetti White, pink and rose-red flowers burst into bloom on trees from March through to June, smelling divine and attracting bees and other pollinators emerging from winter slumber. When the petals fall, they form a beautiful wedding-confetti carpet on the ground. Good-value bare-root trees can be planted until March or April (so long as soil is not waterlogged or frozen), allowing time for the roots to settle before the growing season. The May tree Tough and beautiful, the hawthorn or May tree (Crataegus) flowers from May through to June. Popular as a hedging plant (its thorny stems form a secure barrier), it’s also a fine garden tree and is especially valuable for wildlife, providing food for 150 different types of insect, plus winter food for birds. The common hawthorn…

Herbs for your heart Adding just a spoonful and a half of herbs to your cooking each day could improve your heart health. It lowered blood pressure readings over a four-week period in people who had risk factors for heart disease, such as being overweight, according to recent research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Herbs used included turmeric, thyme, coriander, cinnamon and garlic. And smile! We look older to other people when we smile – unless we’re aged over 60. Then our wrinkles are so ingrained it makes no difference, according to research by Western University in Ontario, Canada, and Ben-Gurion University, Israel. We think smiling is so good that we don’t care how old it makes us look. It promotes friendliness and spreads happiness – that’s…

After suffering two bereavements and a dyslexia diagnosis while completing a degree as a mature student, Beth Wickes, 53, thought she would take a well-earned break after her graduation. But rather than jetting off to a beach, Beth felt the time was right for an adventure. Inspired by a story she’d read online about a man litter-picking his way around the British coastline, Beth decided to follow in his footsteps and walk the coastal paths of England, Wales and part of Scotland – alone. As well as coming to terms with her dad’s death while studying, Beth had also lost her mum in 2011 to asbestos-related lung cancer – and her illness played a part in Beth’s decision to take on the challenge. ‘[From] Mum’s diagnosis to death was only…

A sprain is similar to a strain, but generally a sprain is used to mean torn or twisted ligaments, and a strain means overstretched or torn muscle. Management is very similar. It’s very easy to twist and tear some of the muscle fibres, or non-muscular connective tissues we call ligaments, in our limbs or around joints, especially in the knee and ankle, but also in the back, neck and arms. Simply turning your ankle on uneven ground is enough, while common sporting injuries have the same effect. Usually there may be pain and swelling, even bruising, in the area, and this will take several days or even weeks to settle. Afterwards, for several more weeks, that joint will be a little more prone to further injury, as it will be…

Your bedtime skin routine To get the most out of your skin creams and make them work even harder, try to apply them in the right order. Generally start with the lightest formula, saving the heaviest, thickest creams until last. Serum How much? A 5p-sized blob As the lightest, silkiest step in your skincare regime, serum should be the first thing you apply before bed. Serums are often filled with the most potent ingredients in tiny molecules to penetrate deep into the skin. You can’t beat Estée Lauder advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex, £60, esteelauder.co.uk, which maximises your skin’s night-time repair processes. Massage into clean, dry skin. This one targets lines and wrinkles for a smoother, more radiant complexion. Eye cream How much? A grain of rice for each…

Sleep needs are individual. The average ‘normal’ amount for an adult is around seven to nine hours a night, while babies and children need more and the elderly may sleep less. Without enough sleep, or good-quality shut-eye, you’ll feel tired during the day, which affects your ability to work, plus your emotional state. You may feel irritable or find it hard to concentrate. Most sleep problems resolve with no long-term issues, but chronic insomnia may affect immunity and growth. Lifestyle factors Sleep problems present in different ways, including difficulty falling asleep, waking frequently, or waking early and being unable to drift off again. There are many medical factors that affect sleep, from acute anxiety, stress and depression to long-term physical illness, such as pain or breathing difficulties. New parents can…

Recovering from COVID-19 and it’s taking a while? Or you have avoided the virus but are now feeling anxious about starting to return to normal? Either way, it may take a while, says psychologist Professor Margareta James, Founding Director at the Harley Street Wellbeing Clinic, (harleystreetwellbeingclinic.co.uk). ‘Once again our routine is about to change and uncertainty can cause stress,’ she explains. Her advice is to take a phased return. ‘You could ease yourself into the normality of everyday life by starting slowly, for example, by going to the shops when they’re less busy – they’ll be open for longer, so that will help with avoiding crowded places.’ There are also lots of other ways to relieve your anxiety, build immunity and cope with the after-effects of the virus. Build immunity…

No matter how old you are, you have the power to change things that influence how long you live – and make yourself healthier and happier. We can’t do much about our genetics, but we can control how we live our lives. Years of research prove what effect this can have on our life expectancy and general health. Here are 10 steps recommended by health experts – each of which could give you an extra year of healthy life… PRIORITISE SLEEP Aim for six to eight hours a night. Sleep for less and you raise your risk of heart disease and death, according to a worldwide study published in the European Heart Journal. Studies have also found that sleeping for longer than eight hours increases your risk of illness and…

Got to keep moving Back pain is the largest single cause of disability, according to NHS England. It affects 39% of the UK’s population, who take an estimated 30 million working days off sick a year because of it. And according to physiotherapist Neil Velleman, most is caused simply by sitting too much. ‘Moving helps with both the recovery from, and prevention of, back pain,’ says Neil. ✣ Take breaks from sitting. Get up and walk about every 20 minutes. Stand up and hug your body – right hand on left shoulder and left on right. Breathe in and out to stretch your back. Shrug shoulders and try torso twists to ease the spine. ✣ Five times a week, aim for at least 30 minutes’ heart rate-raising exercise, such as…

TRICEP STRETCH This move is good for stretching key muscles at the front and backs of your arms, as well as the shoulders and wrists. Do these poses either seated or standing. ✣ Stretch your right arm overhead and bend your right elbow so your palm is touching the middle of your upper back. ✣ Reach your left hand up and over your head to take hold of your right elbow and add a little pressure to gently push your right palm further down your back. ✣ Hold for five to 10 breaths and repeat on the other side. WINDSCREEN WIPERS This flow focuses on hip mobility and feels good to practise if you’ve been sitting down a lot. ✣ Sit on the floor with your legs bent and feet…

Eat little and often THE TRUTH: The fact is, constant grazing is one of the main reasons health experts think that we have an obesity problem. And our obsession with snacking has spawned a multimillion-pound industry that encourages us to eat even more between meals. Try to stick to three balanced meals a day without snacks to help keep your weight under control and give your digestion a rest, says GP Dr Melanie Wynne-Jones. ‘Fasting – no snacking and/or prolonging the time between your evening meal and breakfast the next day – can help blood sugar and insulin levels and other metabolic processes.’ Fat is bad THE TRUTH: On the contrary, fat is essential to health. ‘It’s really important to eat optimum amounts of good-quality fats, such as olive oil,…

We’re more likely to get sick because we’re huddled together indoors with the windows shut, to breathe in moisture from others breathing and spread infections. There is also evidence that viruses, such as the influenza virus, survive better in cold, dry weather and are therefore better able to invade our bodies. Our immunity levels in winter may be reduced as a result of several factors. Higher energy needs, changes in sleep and activity levels, and reduced light leading to lower vitamin D levels can all play a part. Common infections The commonest winter infections are viral. ‘Colds’ from a variety of viruses, including adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, respiratory syncytial virus and influenza, cause unpleasant symptoms but usually can be managed at home. Similarly, viral ear infections, chest infections, sinusitis and cold sores…

Choose eggs for breakfast ‘Eggs are a real super food, full of protein and nutrients,’ says Laila Lewis, nutritional therapist at nourishingbynature.co.uk. They’re high in vitamins A, D and B12, vital for healthy teeth, bones and muscles, and strong immune and nervous systems. Eat with wholemeal toast, not white, to reduce your risk of coronary heart disease. Have five mins’ fun Listen to a favourite song or watch a funny YouTube clip. Whatever makes you happy, do it, says TV doctor Rangan Chatterjee. ‘Research shows that regularly doing things you love makes you more able to cope with stress. One thing I’ve realised in nearly 20 years of seeing patients is that we have massively overcomplicated health. We think everything we need to do for our health takes a lot…

At the side of the seemingly deserted river bank we find a green sentry-style box with a bell hanging on the inside and the painted instructions ‘bitte läuten!’. We reach in and pull the rope and within minutes, the ferryman arrives in his small wooden boat to transport us to the other side of the Danube at Engelhartszell. The counter enterprisingly doubles up as a small bar selling shots of fiery schnapps to any passengers in need of a quick pick-me-up. It was one of many delightful cameos during a week-long cycling trip along part of EuroVelo 6, the cross-European cycle route running from France to Romania. We had opted for the most popular and scenic stretch; a 180-mile trip from Passau to Vienna, following the Danube. The reason…