Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 i Woman's Weekly Living Series

"With the countdown to Christmas well under way, the last thing you might be prioritising right now is your wellbeing, but it’s crucial to stay fit and well to get everything done and enjoy the festivities. One of the best ways to keep healthy is to get enough sleep – and that’s not always easy with a growing to-do list. So in this issue, we’ve got your shut-eye sorted with expert advice on getting the best night’s sleep ever, plus the best slumber buys, ways to wind down, rev up your love life, and some common sleep conditions solved by our GP. We’ve even got a seven-day sleep plan guaranteed to get you snoozing sounder. Sweet dreams, and happy holidays!"…

TV presenter and now author Fern Britton is known for her bubbly, outgoing personality, which has won her fans on everything from This Morning to her stint on Celebrity Big Brother in 2024. But there has been a fair amount going on personally for her behind the scenes. Fern broke up with her husband TV chef Phil Vickery in early 2020, and she had to undergo a full shoulder replacement in 2023 after suffering with the agonising effects of arthritis. But for the 68-year-old, it was the catalyst she needed to get her into better health, and she’s undergone quite a transformation in the last few years. After being told by a doctor that she would need surgery, Fern took stock and realised she needed to change her lifestyle. ‘I…

Pesto beans and Parmesan fried egg A tasty upgrade on basic beans on toast, you can use any tinned beans you like. SERVES 1 PREP 5 mins COOK 8 mins ✱ 215g tin butter beans✱ 1tbsp olive oil✱ 15g finely grated Parmesan✱ 1 medium egg✱ 1 slice sourdough bread✱ 1tbsp basil pesto✱ Pinch chilli flakes (optional) 1 Put the beans and liquid from the tin into a pan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces to a thick sauce – about 8 mins. 2 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small, non-stick frying pan (with a lid) over a medium heat. Sprinkle over most of the Parmesan, so it’s roughly the same size as your bread. Crack the egg on top of the Parmesan, cover and…

1 GLOW GIVER PS… Revive & Hydrate Sheet Mask, £1, Primark, is bursting with vitamin C to boost your complexion. Save this bargain sheet mask for a big event and leave it on for up to 20 minutes the night before. Your skin will look super healthy, deeply nourished and radiant next morning. 2 RAPID REVIVAL After healthy-looking skin in an instant? Try Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb Green Tea Sheet Mask, £3.49, Superdrug. Containing the equivalent of a bottle of serum, nothing restores skin health as speedily. Leave on for as little as 10 minutes for a plumped and nourished complexion. 3 EXFOLIATION STATION Want to shed some of your drab winter skin? Bubble Deep Dive AHA + PHA Exfoliating Mask, £18, Boots, is packed with exfoliating and brightening acids…

There are currently around 900,000 people diagnosed in the UK, with figures expected to grow to 1.6 million by 2040 as the population ages. Until now, medication has been able to improve concentration but not stop the progression of the disease, yet the success of some new drugs offers hope. ‘This is a time to be optimistic,’ says Dr Susan Mitchell, head of policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK. ‘This is a field that’s not had any real innovations in 20 years.’ But changes in our understanding of helping prevent the disease, as well as spotting it earlier and new drugs, mean ‘in the next five years, we can look forward to radical shifts in how we treat people’. Ways to spot it Recognising dementia early is key to helping control…

Q When should you worry about a mole? A Most skin lesions of any sort are benign and can change as we age, but always look out for changes and show them to your doctor. It’s hard to be sure, as moles can get bigger naturally and can become raised or sink into the skin. Obvious events such as bleeding or discharging need urgent checking, but also report if there are two or more of the following signs, following the ABCDEFG rule about any changes: Asymmetrical moles are more likely to be a problem. Borders to the mole should be regular, so report if uneven or irregular. Colour can vary from pinks, reds, purple, fawn, browns or black but moles with more than two colours, especially in irregular patches, need inspection. Diameter…

EAT YOURSELF HEALTHY £30, Michael Joseph Jamie Oliver is back – with 120 tasty recipes to energise, nourish and revitalise you. It includes helpful, healthy hacks and a nutritious two-week meal plan to kick-start your wellbeing journey. Featuring surprise inclusions, such as meatball tray bake and chocolate orange pots. HOW TO AWAKEN YOUR INNER GODDESS £8.99, Vie Books Transform your relationship with yourself with this empowering little book. From affirmations and rituals of self-love to practical tips on building self-esteem, energy and confidence, this guide by Sally Brockway gives plenty of great advice. HOW TO ADD FLAVOR £19.99, Robert Rose Inc Transform your food – and your health – with the magical art of herbs and spices. Father and daughter food team Kate McIntosh and Ian Hemphill show you how…

Glowy skin When it comes to your base, avoid anything too heavy and opt for radiance-boosting products that create a more natural, healthy-looking complexion. Always start with a primer to smooth over the skin and prep your face while adding hold to your make-up. Milk Makeup Hydro Grip + Glow Primer, £30, Boots, will brighten your complexion while also providing better staying power to your foundation. When choosing your coverage, plump for an illuminating base like No7 Radiance+ Brightening Foundation, £17, Boots, which will balance skin tone and hide any blemishes while giving your skin a luminous glow that lasts. Merry manicure Nail colour at this time of year should be all about high-shine metallics and seriously glittery shades that will inject some glamour into your look. Multidimensional gold tones…

Decorated ’do PENELOPE CRUZ The simplest way to take your tresses from daytime to playtime is to add a showstopping accessory. Whatever length your hair is, a velvet hairband such as Oliver Bonas Cara Ruched Black Velvet Headband, £22, oliverbonas.com, will look and feel special (and can disguise greasy roots if you’re between washes!). Or try using a couple of sparkly slides, like these Gold Tone Bow Hair Slides, £4.99, newlook.com, to keep hair tucked neatly behind ears, or to add the wow factor to a simple updo. Hollywood wave NAOMI WATTS This look adds some old-school glamour and works on most lengths, particularly shoulder-length or bobbed styles. Start by rubbing some styling cream, such as Umberto Giannini Blow Out Frizz, £9.95, Boots, through damp hair to protect…

Butternut squash mac and ‘cheese’ Cashews and butternut squash fool your taste buds with a creamy richness that mimics the dairy-laden original. SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins, plus soaking COOK 30 mins ✱ 125g cashew nuts✱ 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed✱ 1 onion, cut into wedges✱ 1tsp smoked paprika✱ 2tsp garlic granules✱ 1tbsp olive oil✱ 300g macaroni✱ 50ml whole oat milk✱ 2tbsp nutritional yeast or Marmite✱ 1tsp English mustard Juice✱ ½ lemon✱ 12 sage leaves✱ 1tsp pink peppercorns, crushed 1 Heat the oven to 200C Fan/Gas 7. Put the cashews in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 40 mins. 2 Put the butternut squash and onion on a roasting tray. Sprinkle the paprika and garlic granules over them, drizzle over half the oil, and season with…

Greek grain bowl This nourishing Mediterranean salad is packed with protein and fibre to keep you full for hours. SERVES 2 PREP 10 MINSCOOK 5 MINS ✱ 60g quinoa✱ 400g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained✱ Juice ½ lemon✱ 1tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling✱ ¼ cucumber, chopped✱ 100g cherry tomatoes, quartered✱ Small bunch each dill and parsley, chopped✱ 100g black olives, chopped✱ 40g feta, crumbled✱ 4tbsp houmous✱ Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling 1 Cook the quinoa according to pack instructions, drain and toss through the chickpeas, lemon juice and olive oil, season and set aside. 2 Mix the cucumber, tomatoes and herbs together. Divide between 2 bowls along with the olives, feta, houmous and quinoa/chickpea mix. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. COOK’S TIP You can swap the chickpeas…

We need sleep. Anyone who has struggled with insomnia knows the impact it can have on all aspects of our lives. ‘Sleep is fundamental for our physical and mental health,’ says physiologist and sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan*. ‘When we achieve consistent, good-quality sleep, we have the physical and mental ability to deal with the burden of uncertain times.’ Simply put, we need sleep to get us through our waking hours. Adequate sleep during busy periods, like Christmas, is crucial to help us recharge. And, we need more of it in winter. People undergoing sleep studies at St Hedwig Hospital, in Germany, found that they slept about an hour longer in winter and, more significantly, spent more time in deeper, restorative REM sleep (by about 30 minutes). REM sleep is…

When it comes to romantic settings, a candlelit restaurant or a moonlit walk on the beach might spring to mind. But for Emma Ball and her husband Clint, their romantic backdrop couldn’t have been more different. In fact, the couple, who wed in 2011, fell in love in the unlikely setting of a hospital kidney ward. Emma, then a single mum to young son Daniel, was visiting regularly for dialysis as she waited desperately for a kidney transplant, while Clint was working on her ward as a healthcare assistant. When he told her he’d had a transplant himself, Emma, now 55, thought at first it was a chat-up line. ‘Clint and two friends he worked with used to try and make me smile,’ recalls Emma, from Stoke-on-Trent. ‘Having them to…

Alongside physical symptoms, there are the psychological effects of the menopause to deal with. These include problems sleeping, anxiety, fatigue, low mood and depression, insecurity, reduced confidence increased irritability and anger, as well as the emotional swings that worsen feelings of ‘not coping’ with the physical symptoms. Embarrassing flushes and night sweats may occur, interfering with sleep and relationships, coinciding with other significant life events, such as losing elderly parents or offspring leaving home. As a result, low mood, anger and irritability may highlight loss of life control. Brain fog causes forgetfulness, memory and attention issues, difficulty recalling words and being easily distracted, resulting in anxiety. Although HRT may help, talking with friends can make a difference. Sharing experiences increases self-esteem. Making positive lifestyle choices, such as eating healthily, sleeping…

Difficulty level FINISHED SIZE: 21x11cm YOU WILL NEED: ✣ Tracing paper and pencil✣ Access to a photocopier✣ 40x40cm square of patterned fabric✣ 25x15cm rectangle of medium-weight wadding✣ Bodkin✣ 60cm of 1.8cm-wide bias binding✣ 37cm of 1.5cm-wide elastic✣ Matching sewing thread STOCKIST: Tilda Bloomsville Flowertangle cotton fabric, £3.75 per fat quarter, Hollies Haberdashery, hollieshaberdashery.co.uk 1 Trace the template (above right) onto folded tracing paper, matching the broken lines to the fold. Mark the arrows and dots, then enlarge on a photocopier. Cut out and open out flat. From patterned fabric, cut one 48x5.5cm bias strip for the elastic channel and one pair of sleep masks. From wadding, cut one sleep mask. 2 Fold the elastic casing lengthwise in half, with right sides facing. Stitch the long edge, taking a 1cm seam…

Avocado chocolate mousse A clever twist on a classic mousse, it’s dairy-free and naturally sweetened. SERVES 6 PREP 10 mins CHILL 3 hrs ✱ 75g dark chocolate✱ 100ml coconut cream✱ 100ml honey or maple syrup✱ 2tbsp cocoa powder✱ 1tsp vanilla extract✱ 2 ripe avocados✱ Edible gold leaf or berries, to serve 1 Break up the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of boiling water – but make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. 2 Stir in the coconut cream, honey, or maple syrup, cocoa powder and vanilla until smooth. 3 Hull out the flesh of the avocado into a blender or a food processor. Whizz with the melted chocolate mixture until silky smooth. 4 Divide the…