Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2023 i Woman's Weekly Living Series

“Ready for winter? You will be once you’ve dipped into this issue because we’ve got stacks of expert advice about fighting bugs, improving your sleep quality and topping up your levels of health-boosting vitamin D. There are also tips on what to buy to supercharge your immunity and feed mature skin, plus how a daily stroll can overhaul your health and happiness. So what are you waiting for? Walk this way for your healthiest winter ever!”…

At age 15 she made history as the youngest Brit to compete at Wimbledon and achieved a world ranking of 24. And while she may have retired from professional sport at only 21 years old, Annabel Croft, now 57, has shown no signs of slowing down. Having said yes to the new challenge as a Strictly Come Dancing contestant, she has been opening up about widowhood, overcoming fears and the importance of friendships to keep healthy. The past few months have been tough for Annabel, who in May this year tragically lost her husband Mel Coleman after his short battle with cancer. But the mum-of-three is determined to stay positive and says her invite to appear on Strictly was a gift she simply could not refuse. ‘It has just come…

Collagen After you go through the menopause, your skin dramatically loses collagen, which means wrinkles look deeper and contours sag. Give collagen levels a boost from the inside out by drinking Revive Collagen Enhanced Plus, £39.99, revivecollagen.com, which has added vitamins that brighten and replenish skin. Topically, you can add a retinoid to your evening regime to boost collagen production. It can cause some irritation so beginners can start out with Primark’s PS... Retinol Booster Serum, £3.50, a gentle formula enriched with nourishing oils. For experienced retinol users, try Neutrogena Retinol Boost Serum, £27.99, Boots. Vitamin C Pigmentation is often an unfortunate side effect of the menopause, as hormonal changes stimulate the skin’s pigment-making cells to go into overdrive. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant with a visible brightening effect…

ALL UNDER £7.45 Risotto with peas and lettuce Use up lettuce that’s about to go in the bin in this creamy, warm dish. The suggestion to put cold lettuce leaves into a warm dish may seem unusual, but it is one of my favourite things. SERVES 4PREP 10 mins COOK 40 mins ✱ 300g rice such as arborio✱ 1tbsp oil or baking spread✱ 2 stock cubes dissolved in 750ml boiling water or 750ml chicken or vegetable stock✱ 2tbsp lemon juice✱ 200g frozen peas✱ ¼ head of lettuce 1 Take a wide, shallow-based non-stick saucepan and pop it on the hob. Shake in the rice and add the oil or baking spread, then turn up the heat to gently toast it at the edges for 1-2 mins. 2 Add…

Add hydration You won’t want to interrupt your feeling of calm when you get out of the bath by doing something energetic like applying body lotion, so make sure your bath is hydrating your skin to the max while you’re in the water by adding an oil. Plantopia Good To Go Bath & Shower Oil, £20, sephora.co.uk, drenches skin in moisture and smells delicious too. Best foot forward We often neglect our feet, even though they’re working the hardest to support us all day long. Use time in the bath to show them a little TLC and apply The Body Shop Peppermint Reviving Pumice Foot Scrub, £10, The Body Shop. Not only is it super-cooling, but it contains pumice that will gently slough away all the wear and tear from…

Fish paella Fresh and vibrant, this speedy paella uses easy-cook rice to save on cooking time. SERVES 4PREP 10 minsCOOK 20 mins ✱ 2tbsp olive oil✱ 1 onion, chopped✱ 2 garlic cloves, crushed✱ 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped✱ 400g tin cherry tomatoes✱ 900ml hot vegetable stock✱ 2 large pinches of saffron✱ 200g easy-cook long-grain rice✱ 250g chunky cod fillet, cut into chunks✱ 220g raw tiger or king prawns✱ 250g green beans, trimmed and halved✱ 2tbsp parsley, roughly chopped✱ 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve 1 Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Fry the onions for a few mins, to soften, add the garlic and pepper and fry for 2 more mins. 2 Stir in the tomatoes, stock, saffron and rice, season and…

Apple and blueberry flapjacks Brazil nuts help thyroid health and sunflower seeds can encourage to keep cholesterol lowered. Plus, these are super-easy and great for on-the-go. MAKES 12 PREP 10 mins COOK 20 mins ✱ 200g unsalted butter✱ 200g caster sugar✱ 150g runny honey✱ 425g porridge oats✱ 2 red apples, peeled and grated✱ ¾tsp ground cinnamon✱ 100g dried blueberries✱ 75g sunflower seeds✱ 75g Brazil nuts, chopped YOU WILL NEED ✱ 15cm square baking tin, greased and lined with baking paper 1 Heat the oven to 160C Fan/Gas 4. In a medium saucepan, mix the butter, sugar and honey over a low heat until combined and melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients, mixing well to coat evenly. 2 Pour the flapjack mixture into the…

POWER UP YOUR DIET Don’t buy into the ‘spoonful of sugar’ myth, warns nutritionist Jenna Hope. ‘Sugary foods provide a quick energy boost – but they’ll quickly lead to a slump, leaving you feeling very listless. Instead of reaching for the sweet treats and processed carbs you crave, seek out high-fibre, high-protein combinations that will sustain your energy levels through the day.’ TRY THESE ✱ Breakfast well Start the day with some scrambled eggs or peanut butter on sourdough toast. Try high-fibre Bertinet Bakery Seeded Sourdough to keep you fuller for longer. ✱ Add green leafy vegetables Put them in smoothies, pasta dishes and rice bowls, and even chop them up to add to your eggs on toast. Greens are packed with iron, which boosts energy by helping transport oxygen…

Walking is a great way to stay active. Not only is it a fantastic form of exercise to boost your wellbeing, it’s free to do and can be adapted to suit all ages and fitness levels. Whether you’re taking gentle strolls along a flat pavement or challenging yourself with brisk strides up a hillside, every step is beneficial. ‘Walking improves heart health, boosts circulation, maintains leg strength and benefits our bones, so you get an all-round workout,’ says Julie Robinson, exercise instructor and expert in older-years fitness (moveitorloseit.co.uk). ‘Research shows that regular movement helps to prevent or reduce the risk of many conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.’ Everyone should have daily walks to stay healthy, although how far and how fast…

1 FIRST FLUSH Catrice Cheek Affair Blush & Highlighter Palette, £5.49, justmylook.com, will make you look as if you’ve been for a brisk autumn stroll, even if you’ve been hibernating indoors. Colour cheeks with a pop of raspberry blush then sweep cheekbones and eyes with a veil of golden highlight. 2 LIVING THE HIGHLIGHT Part blush, part highlighter, all gorgeous, Collection Filter Finish Blush Light Wand, £5.99, Superdrug, is incredibly flattering. Squeeze the tube then dab the sponge applicator across cheeks for a touch of dewy, natural-looking flush. 3 TASTY TIPS Make nails look as if they’ve been dipped in melted chocolate with Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Espresso, £3.99, barrym.com. This rich, glossy shade suits both short and long nails. 4 FINISH LINE A seasonal take…

‘Our early morning swims are wonderful’ However dark, however chilly, at 6am most Wednesday mornings, Helen Davis, 53, will pull up at Dead Man’s Corner – a beauty spot on the River Cam – to join her swimming buddies Kate, 49, and Jo, 59. ‘We’re all keen swimmers and met at the swimming pool, training with our local triathlon club,’ says Helen, a sports psychologist from Cambridge. ‘When the pool had to close for the first COVID-19 lockdown, we moved to the river – and even though we’re now back to our usual pool training, we still get together for weekly river dips. ‘Despite its rather ominous name, Dead Man’s Corner is an ideal spot for swimming, and even has a ladder into the river. Kate and Jo are more…

Constipation affects all ages, causing stools to be hard and lumpy. Usually temporary, it can become chronic, significantly affecting quality of life. Causes include inadequate fluid or fibre intake, such as fruit, vegetables and cereals, change in routine or lifestyle, ignoring the urge to pass stools, medications, anxiety and depression, and conditions including thyroid, bowel or neurological disorders. In children, consider poor diet, fear about the toilet or toilet-training. It’s more common in women, during pregnancy and when older. Normal bowel habits vary – some adults go daily, others every three or four days. Symptoms of constipation include passing stools infrequently, difficulty pooing, inability to completely empty the bowel, or abnormal stools. Stomach ache/cramps, bloating, nausea or foul-smelling wind may also occur. Treatment Self-treat constipation with simple dietary/lifestyle changes –…

The words eczema and dermatitis are often interchanged to mean a group of conditions causing skin to become dry and irritated. Causes include allergens (substances causing an immune response in the skin) and irritants (substances directly damaging the outer layer of skin). Atopic dermatitis, or atopic eczema, caused by allergens, is commonest, runs in families and links to other atopic conditions including asthma and hay fever. Varicose eczema (on the lower legs) is due to blood-flow problems through leg veins. Sensitised On first contact with an allergen, your body becomes sensitised to it, but doesn’t react until you’re exposed to the substance again, when the skin becomes red and itchy. Allergens include plants, cosmetic ingredients (such as fragrances, preservatives, hair dye and nail products), and metals such as nickel in…

Sea bream with veg couscous Fish is great for a quick meal as it cooks in no time. Any white fish would work here. SERVES 4 PREP 5 mins COOK 15 mins ✱ 2tbsp olive oil✱ 250g cherry tomatoes✱ 2 aubergines, roughly chopped✱ 1 garlic clove, crushed✱ 500ml hot vegetable stock✱ 200g giant couscous✱ 4 sea bream fillets✱ Zest and juice of 1 lemon✱ Small bunch of basil, shredded✱ 2tbsp pine nuts 1 Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the tomatoes, aubergines and garlic. Cook for 10 mins until the aubergines are golden. Pour the stock into a large saucepan, add the couscous and simmer over a low heat for 6- 8 mins until tender. 2 Heat the grill…

HOW TO FIND CALM IN FIVE MINUTES A DAY £8.25, Summersdale No time to de-stress? Then this little book includes more than 60 prompts and ideas for finding peace and connecting to calm – even on the busiest of days. It includes everything from relaxation techniques and calming mantras to writing down worries and visualisation tricks. A BOOK TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY £16.99, 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 from the much-loved Instagram sensation, Murphy’s Sketches. FEEL-GOOD GARDENING £12.99, Vie Books Gardening is great for your physical and mental health, and this inspiring guide offers simple tips and practical advice about…

STAY PRESENT There’s nothing you can do to change whatever happened yesterday – and it’s pointless worrying about what is yet to come, says psychologist Susie Pearl. ‘If you can stay in the moment, everything will feel much more manageable.’ HAVE A CUPPA We Brits love to reach for a cup of tea to pick us up. For a real mood booster, try brahmi tea, which you can find in loose leaves or teabags online. ‘Brahmi is a classic herbal brain tonic, used to calm anxiety and release tension,’ says herbalist Sebastian Pole. LOVE YOUR GUT Your brain and gut are connected by the vagus nerve, and you can nurture this gut-brain axis by eating more veg, fruit, nuts, seeds and wholegrains, says clinical psychologist Hanna Silva*. ‘By contrast, sugar,…

Adding more spice to your meals will give your wellbeing a boost, because whichever way you turn up the flavour, the Spice Girls were onto something when they urged us to spice up our lives to ‘feel fine’. Adding just a teaspoon and a half of herbs and spices to your diet a day could lower blood pressure, according to research*. And the good news is it’s not just heart health it helps – from fresh breath to preventing COVID-19 and fighting depression, spice can do you good. So turn up the heat and reap the rewards… CINNAMON This spice, sometimes made into a tea to ease digestive discomfort, may improve gut health. Various spices were pitted against each other during one study, and cinnamon scored best for increasing…

Q Why does my granddaughter blink so much? A Blinking is a reflex, lubricating and cleaning your eyes, spreading tears, protecting it from irritants, bright light and foreign objects. Infants only blink twice a minute, which, by adulthood, increases to 16 times a minute – more when you’re talking, nervous or in pain; less while reading or if sensing danger. Many things cause excessive blinking. In adults, it’s commonly irritation, such as irritants, smoke, pollen, pollution, corneal scratches or eye strain (after focusing hard on one thing, if under stress or fatigued). Some people get into the habit of involuntary excessive blinking as a nervous tic, especially during stressful times. In children, blinking excessively on purpose is the commonest cause, especially in boys around the age of five, often…