Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2023 i Woman's Weekly Living Series

Dig for victory – it may have been a wartime campaign but the message might also apply as a motto for a healthy life these days. Doing a spot of gardening could help extend your life and make it a happier and healthier one, because finding a regular activity that you enjoy and that slips effortlessly into your life is key to keeping fit and strong. Read all about how on p60. Often it’s the little things that make the biggest difference, so, with that in mind, we have simple lifestyle tweaks to give you more energy, on p6, sleep sounder, on p14, and have thicker hair, on p46, plus recipes for no-stress suppers, on p20. If you’re looking for simple ways for a happier life, read on……

Ever since her days as a rookie newsreader back in the 1970s, Angela Rippon has had a certain glow about her. And now, as she approaches her 80s, she looks just as ready to face any challenge that comes her way. For the broadcaster – who has worked on everything from the news to high-kicking on The Morecambe and Wise Show to Rip Off Britain – age is just a number. ‘Personally, I don’t think about ageing now,’ she explained. ‘I’ve met people at 92 who still have the enthusiasm for life of a 30-year-old – and I’ve met 30-year-olds who, frankly, have one foot in the grave! The way I see it, you only have one go at life, so get as much out of it as you can,…

Change the bed The key to a good night’s sleep in summer is not overheating. Think about the materials your bedding and duvet are made from. We often perceive that cotton bed linen with a high thread count is luxurious and cool but, actually, the higher the thread count, the less airflow cotton bedding gives, meaning something like Egyptian cotton is not the best material for summer. Try bamboo or a heat-regulating synthetic fibre such as SteadyBody to help your body to breathe. And try having a separate duvet or sheets from your partner – sharing a duvet means sharing their body heat! ✱ James Wilson, aka the Sleep Geek, sleep behaviour expert Journal before bed Writing down your thoughts helps you to make sense of your emotions and gain…

Baked fish stew Make use of some nifty powerhouse ingredients to add maximum flavour with minimal effort in this deliciously healthy stew. SERVES 6 PREP 10 mins, plus marinating time COOK 30 mins ✱ 1kg monkfish or cod, cut into chunks✱ 2tbsp sundried tomato pesto✱ 1tsp smoked paprika✱ Finely grated zest 1 lemon✱ 3tbsp olive oil✱ 1 red onion, chopped✱ Small bunch parsley, chopped, plus extra to serve✱ 2 garlic cloves, crushed✱ 3 small carrots, finely chopped✱ 1tsp ground cumin✱ ½tsp cayenne pepper✱ 400g tin tomatoes✱ Leafy salad or steamed greens, to serve (optional) 1 Toss the fish, pesto and paprika and lemon zest together in a bowl and set aside for 30 mins to marinate. 2 Heat oven to 170C Fan/Gas 5. Heat the oil in an…

1 BEST SHADE SELECTION Fresh by name, fresh by finish, The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation, £20, thebodyshop.co.uk, is light and luminous, with a buildable formula that goes from sheer to medium coverage. It’s available in 40 shades, so there’s one for every skin tone. 2 BEST FOR SUN PROTECTION It’s a good idea to switch to tinted moisturiser as temperatures rise, since lighter make-up means there’s less to slip off in the heat. Garnier Skinactive Anti-age BBCream, £9.99, Boots, is our favourite, with a breathable formula, SPF25 protection and pigments that even out skin tone. 3 BEST FOR DRY SKIN A foundation for those of us who aren’t really keen on foundation, Sculpted by Aimee Tint and Glow Skin Enhancer, £23, sculptedbyaimee.co.uk, delivers the softest veil of coverage. It’s…

Screening isn’t a test for cervical cancer, but helps to prevent it. Women from 25-64 are invited for screening – a trained nurse takes a sample of cells from the cervix. It’s checked first for high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV are related viruses, some spread by sexual contact, and the high-risk strains can cause cancer of the cervix, anus, vagina and mouth. If HPV isn’t found, you won’t need more tests until your next smear; if found, the cells are checked microscopically. If you are HPV positive but your cell results are normal, you’ll be invited back for a repeat test in 12 months – if still HPV positive, you’ll be referred for a colposcopy. Occasionally, after previous negative HPV tests, a positive HPV occurs. With a new…

The lost or impaired sensation of taste is heavily linked to impaired smell, as much of what you sense as flavours is actually a combination of taste and smell sensations. Complete loss of taste is rare, usually there is only a temporary alteration of the sensation, such as a metallic taste or altered flavours, sweetness or sour, or a dusty taste. Impaired taste is often simply a sign of normal ageing, possibly affecting 75% of the over- 80s. Othercausesrange widely, from viral infections, such asa cold, flu or recently COVID-19, and allergies, such ashay fever, to moreserious medical conditions involving the mouth, nose, respiratory system or central nervous system. Infections or inflammation of the nose, throat, gum or teeth, sinuses or salivary glands all reduce or alter smell and taste.…

Grilled chicken with orzo pasta salad This hearty and healthy salad is great on its own, but also makes an excellent addition to a barbecue buffet. SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins, plus marinating COOK 25 mins ✱ 4 skinless chicken breast fillets✱ Few sprigs oregano, finely chopped✱ 3 cloves garlic, crushed✱ Zest and juice of 2 lemons✱ 3 peppers, quartered and deseeded✱ 250g orzo pasta✱ 250g frozen broad beans✱ 200g green beans, trimmed and halved✱ 150g reduced-fat feta cheese✱ 4tbsp olive oil✱ Small bunch parsley, finely chopped✱ Handful fresh mint leaves, torn 1 Put the chicken breasts in a bowl with the oregano, 2 of the garlic cloves and the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Season and mix well, then cover and chill for at least 30 mins…

Bookshelf health THE LITTLE BOOK OF BREATHWORK £6.99, Vie Find calm, boost your energy levels and improve your focus with this beginner’s guide to the ancient art of breathwork – combining breathing, movement and mindfulness for better health. It includes easy-to-follow, step-by-step techniques that you can use wherever and whenever you need them. THINK YOURSELF RESILIENT £8.99, Thread Publishing Are you often overwhelmed by stress? Does fear and lack of confidence hold you back? This book promises to help by teaching you how to harness your emotions to transform your life. Former soldier James Elliott has taken the mental resilience he learnt in the Army and translated it into everyday advice. MOVE YOURSELF HAPPY £18.99, Watkins Publishing Strictly pro dancer Dianne Buswell shows you how to make joyful movement a…

It can be tricky to shift unwanted fat around the middle, but it’s not impossible. With this diet plan and waist-whittling exercises you can watch that muffin top start to melt away in under a week. What causes it? A muffin top could indicate there’s a problem with the adrenal glands and overproduction of the stress hormone cortisol, which can raise blood glucose levels. This, after a while, releases insulin that tells the body to store excess glucose in pockets of fat around the tummy. The main thing to watch is refined sugar – the white kind – white flour, white bread, white rice and alcohol, all of which can cause sugar spikes. How the diet works Our five-day plan focuses on foods that have a low glycaemic index (GI)…

Imagine a time when, instead of blood pressure pills, sleeping tablets or antidepressants, your GP sends you off with a prescription for a healthy dose of gardening to fix your woes. Gardening as a form of social prescribing is not yet universally available – but, all going well, we should be able to look forward to more of this kind of drug-free therapy in the future. And, yes, it really can lower your blood pressure, help you sleep better and improve your mood. It has even been said that the NHS could save billions if we all had equal access to quality green spaces. Study after study has shown that gardening is good for our health, but it doesn’t have to be heavy -weather work like digging, according to researchers…

Looking after your mouth isn’t just about preventing tooth decay. ‘The oral cavity has the second-largest microbiota after the gut,’ says dental expert Professor Liz Kay, president of the Oral Health Foundation. It’s home to more than 700 species of bacteria and, as well as being the starting point for our digestive system, it’s crucial for maintaining not just good oral health but overall wellbeing too. The type of bacteria you have in your mouth could be responsible for lung cancer if you’re a non-smoker, according to a report in The BMJ last year. And it could even make gut inflammation and inflammatory gut disease worse, says a study from the University of Michigan. ‘Many chronic medical conditions are evidenced in the mouth and first discovered in routine visits to…

Q Should I be treated for Lyme disease if I suspect I have it but didn’t find a tick? A Your GP will try to make the diagnosis from your symptoms, plus any rash or recent tick bites you know about, but Lyme disease is difficult to diagnose. The symptoms are varied, resembling other conditions, and there’s not always an obvious rash or bite mark. Blood tests help confirm or exclude Lyme but aren’t always accurate in the early stages, so you may need retesting if symptoms persist. If your GP suspects Lyme, they’ll prescribe a course of antibiotics, usually for 21 days, before the test results are back or even if they’re negative. You must finish the course, even though you might feel better. Some people with severe initial…

Fruity fennel and pancetta salad Gut-friendly grains like freekeh make a nourishing base, while fennel and figs are great for digestion. SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 18 mins ✱ 225g freekeh✱ 100g sliced pancetta✱ 2 small oranges✱ 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced✱ 75g watercress✱ 4 figs, quartered✱ 1tbsp olive oil✱ 1tsp Dijon mustard✱ 2tbsp chopped roasted hazelnuts 1 Cook the freekeh in 600ml boiling water with a pinch of salt for 15 mins, then drain. 2 Cook the pancetta in a frying pan over a high heat for 2-3 mins until crisp, then set aside. 3 Using a small serrated knife, peel and segment the oranges over a bowl to catch all the juice. Squeeze the pith to get as much juice as possible. 4…

Pineapple cheesecake pots Make these summery pots ahead for a delicious and fuss-free end to any meal. SERVES 4-6 PREP 20 mins, plus chilling time ✱ 100g amaretti biscuits ✱ 50g pistachios, roughly chopped ✱ 1 small pineapple, peeled, core removed and chopped ✱ Finely grated zest 1 lime ✱ 3tbsp light brown sugar ✱ 200g extra-light soft cheese ✱ 200g 0% fat Greek style yogurt ✱ 1tsp vanilla bean paste ✱ Pineapple flowers to serve (optional, see tip) YOU WILL NEED: ✱ 4-6 glasses 1 Blitz the biscuits and half the pistachios in a small food processor to fine crumbs. Divide between the glasses. 2 Mix the pineapple, zest and 1 tbsp sugar together in a bowl. Divide half between the glasses and set the rest aside. 3 In…