Woman's Weekly Living Series April 2024

“Sleep - it’s so important to good health. From our immunity and energy levels to our concentration and mood. It’s essential to help us fight disease in the future too. Recent research has shown poor sleep in midlife can affect brain health in later life. That’s why we’ve dedicated a lot of this issue to getting great sleep - with stacks of expert advice. And there are plenty of other great health tips, too. So you can sleep easy tonight - safe in the knowledge that you have the best advice for a happy, healthy life. Sweet dreams…”…

Get moving Women might benefit more from regular exercise than men, according to new research. The US study found that men had to exercise twice as much as women to reap the same benefits to health generally – and heart health in particular. Researchers believe that this may be because women’s bodies have to adapt more to accommodate the same movement as men, who have bigger hearts and lungs and higher muscle mass, enabling women to reap higher rewards from the same exercise. Once upon a time Reading to children at bedtime and sitting down for regular mealtimes can help their sleep patterns and brain development, says a study. Having more structure in their lives leads to better sleep, which boosts development of regions of the brain linked to language,…

How to move The way we exercise is essential to help keep our bones strong. ‘The key is weight-bearing exercise with impact and muscle-strengthening,’ says Kirsty Came, a specialist nurse with the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS). ✱ Weight-bearing exercise is anything that involves being on your feet, and impact is anything that sends an extra jolt through your skeleton. So try walking or jogging, sports such as tennis and badminton, and workouts including star jumps and hopping and jumping. ✱ For muscle-strengthening, try weights, resistance bands and body-weight exercises such as squats, press-ups and lunges. ‘Bones are strengthened by the pushing and pulling action of weight training,’ explains Kirsty. ‘Plus, stronger muscles protect the bones more if you do fall.’ ✱ Regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight,…

There’s something quite remarkable about Dame Maureen Lipman. During her almost eight decades, the actor has had more than her fair share of grief. Her husband of 30 years, the playwright Jack Rosenthal – father to children Adam and Amy – died of cancer in 2004 aged 72. She then lost her subsequent partner, Guido Castro, who had a form of Parkinson’s disease, in 2021 after he contracted COVID-19. But despite her losses, the 77-year-old has an unwavering ‘get on with it’ attitude. ‘I’ve seen so many friends and loved ones struck down, and when you’re in this decade I believe you just have to think: let’s go for it,’ she says. Maureen explains, ‘I’m not living the life of someone who’s been grief-stricken twice. I’m not living that life.…

Overindulged this week? Clothes getting a tad tight? Don’t panic! Help is at hand. With this easy, one-day eating plan* you’ll get your diet back on track to feel slimmer, trimmer and back in control. Designed to help you to de-bloat and burn fat, you can expect to lose up to an inch off your waist overnight. HOW IT WORKS This plan is low in calories, but also low in carbohydrates and salt to help you to get rid of excess fluid. It’s high in protein too, to keep you feeling full, and includes metabolism-boosting foods that give you the edge when it comes to zapping fat. WHAT TO DO 1 Stick to the plan exactly, as the foods have been chosen specifically to maximise results. 2 Eat when you’re…

It’s my hormones! Insomnia during menopause is common, due to decreasing levels of progesterone and oestrogen, both sleep-promoting hormones. Night sweats and emotional issues can make things worse. ✱ Establish a relaxing wind-down routine where you ban screens. You might not have had to think about your sleep before, so this may be new to you. Setting a regular bedtime and get-up time that you stick to can also help improve your sleep. ✱ Go easy on the booze. ‘Alcohol can impair the restorative part of sleep known as REM, when we dream. It can also interfere with the flow of calcium into nerve cells affecting the part of the brain that controls sleep,’ explains nutritionist Rob Hobson. ✱ Try a flatter pillow. ‘The best sleep position, when lying on…