Innholdsfortegnelse for 15-Oct-2024 i Woman's Weekly

Best of British We British can sometimes be far too self-deprecating. For example, our food is some of the best in the world, with extraordinary regional dishes, exceptional ingredients and some of the finest restaurants, but very few Brits would ever concede that (although to be fair, the extended period of rationing through and after the war did rather help the nation forget good food for a decade or two). We are also, mainly, a pretty welcoming and friendly lot, who don’t like upsetting people or, indeed, complaining. Yet often it is down to people who were not originally British to point out what a lovely country we are lucky enough to live in. See page 15.…

Perched on a window-facing stool in a cafe at London’s Somerset House, Kate Humble’s eyes overspill with tears three times in under an hour. ‘I’ve always been a deeply emotional person,’ explains the former Springwatch presenter, 55, blotting damp cheeks with flattened palms. ‘My dad was a crier. It’s all his fault. I remember he would listen to a piece of music and he’d be off, just because the music was so beautiful.’ It’s almost six years since Kate’s 82-year-old father Nick passed away following a short illness, but today’s flood of feelings is, this time at least, not for him. Sipping a hot coffee, Kate chokes up as she recalls the ‘very emotional’ moment a fan approached her in Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport to say she had become a biologist after…

I wasn’t very good at maths at school, but I loved learning English, so was excited when I got to go on a foreign exchange trip at 14 to Stratford-upon-Avon. England was so different – and I loved it for that. Things are very strict in France. You have your breakfast of milk, bread, butter and jam, and you dip your bread in your milk, but then for lunch and dinner you have a three-course meal – and that’s every day. But when I went to stay with the family in England I was given this little plastic box called a lunch box. I remember opening it and seeing a sandwich – not a baguette but a sandwich made from white bread, no crusts, neatly cut into four small squares.…

Chicken ‘piccata’ pasta An Italian-American classic with zesty lemon, capers, parsley and lots of butter! SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOK 30 mins ✱ 2 large chicken breasts, sliced horizontally to make 4 portions✱ 3tbsp plain flour✱ 2tbsp olive oil✱ 50g unsalted butter✱ 2 shallots, chopped✱ 3 large garlic cloves, crushed✱ 3tbsp capers✱ 100ml dry white wine✱ 250ml fresh chicken stock✱ 1 lemon, zested, then thinly sliced✱ Small bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped, plus extra to serve✱ 300g spaghetti 1 Generously dust the chicken breasts with flour and season. Add the olive oil to a large, heavy-based frying pan and cook the chicken on both sides over a medium-high heat for a few minutes, until starting to colour. Add the butter and keep cooking until golden brown. 2 Add the…

Cholesterol and diabetes Peripheral neuropathy risk in people with diabetes is affected by plasma lipid levels, according to a Danish study. The strongest link is with high levels of triglycerides, as well as high non-HDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol. Diabetes tends to lower ‘good’ (HDL) cholesterol levels, and raise triglycerides and ‘bad’ (non-HDL) cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. This study adds further reasons to manage cholesterol in people with diabetes. MULTIVITAMINS UPDATE Combined data from three large, long, prospective studies tracking 400,000 participants for 30 years shows no evidence that daily vitamin supplements help you live longer, although this doesn’t rule out possible lesser benefits. In older adults, multivitamins might delay visual deterioration and cognitive decline, so have a healthy, balanced diet, with a variety…

Difficulty level YOU WILL NEED ✱ 20x25cm black felt ✱ 5x10cm orange and white felt ✱ Black, orange and white embroidery thread ✱ 10cm thin orange satin ribbon ✱ 50cm twine ✱ 8 mini wooden pegs ✱ Scissors ✱ Pen or pencil ✱ Embroidery needle 1 Photocopy the templates, cut out and transfer to the felt – the stockings to the orange, bloomers to the white and the rest to the black. You will need to cut two of each item but only one cat face plus four stockings and four shoes. Make sure you only cut the curve in the neckline of the dress for the front. 2 Split your thread and use only one strand. Work as described. 3 When all items are finished, hang them on the…

Wordwise You have 15 minutes to find as many words as possible using the letters in the grid. Each word must contain four or more letters, one of which must be the central square. No proper nouns, plurals or foreign words are allowed. There is one nine-letter word, for which the clue is: Male group member. Average = 20 More than 40 = well done SUDOKU To solve this puzzle, fill in the grid so that each 3 x 3 box, each row and each column contains the numbers 1-9. LINKWORDS Fit 10 words into the grid so that each links with the end of the word on its left and the beginning of the one on the right. Then unscramble the letters in the shaded squares to make a…

This is one of those stories which takes some time to reach the bit that makes you nod your head wisely and say ‘Ah yes, how true’, so we’d better get cracking. It all began a few weeks ago when we went to stay with our friends John and Denise at their cottage in Cornwall. I say ‘friends’ but I suppose we are related in some way as they are official in-laws to our son Oliver. We had a lovely time, thanks very much. I’m even prepared to overlook the moment on a secluded beach when Mr Dear, admiring my bright red costume, said I reminded him of those ex-naval mines that you see in seaside towns and which are now used as oversized charity collecting tins. How rude. That…

As with plenty of new ventures, BBC2 got off to a shaky start, when its launch was delayed due to a power cut. The new station – the first in Europe to broadcast in colour, from 1967 – was an alternative to BBC1 and ITV, championing new drama, comedy, sports and science. Its baby steps started appropriately, with the first airing of the preschool programme Play School on 20 April 1964. Through the window Who could forget guessing the window – round, square or arched – that would lead to films of outdoor visits and activities? Generations of children enjoyed more than 5,000 episodes of Play School, which encouraged learning through play, before it ended in 1988. Presenters included Baroness Floella Benjamin and Johnny Ball, but they shared the limelight…

Stock up on supplements Anabel explains, ‘The nutritional requirements of your hair are high, and it can be difficult to meet these needs through diet alone. Supplements can be handy, as they give your hair extra internal support. In instances where hair loss is being caused by a vitamin or mineral deficiency, they can make a world of difference.’ If you’re new to the world of supplements, a great place to start is Together Health Beautiful Hair, Skin & Nail, £15.99, Superdrug, as it’s a great all-rounder for boosting collagen production and adding strength to brittle strands, as well as your skin and nails. The formula is vegan, and packed with 12 minerals, vitamins and extracts to help reduce hair loss. WHAT CAUSES HAIR THINNING? According to consultant trichologist Anabel…

His YouTube job worries me Q My 24-year-old son has given up a well-paid job to make YouTube videos. He’s making a lot of money but I’m worried, as this job has no security or a career path. He’s happy but it makes me anxious. Rachel, Brighton A That sounds pretty impressive to me! It isn’t easy to be successful in that medium. Think for a minute what he’s learning: how to generate ideas and turn them into something that has a financial reward, plus marketing, technology, planning and production, to name a few. They all sound like valuable skills in our modern world. I understand this may not be long-term, as things change, but he will have those skills when he applies for other jobs. I think many employers would be impressed and see him as an…

What we eat has more of an impact on our wellness than we think. ‘A well-balanced diet is important for maintaining a healthy level of nutrients,’ says GP Dr Donald Grant*. ‘These nutrients support the body’s overall health and function in a range of ways, including preventing diseases and boosting bone health.’ While there’s no one single superfood, there are plenty of ingredients you can easily add to your diet which can contribute to your overall health and wellbeing. Try these. DAIRY FOODS FOR YOUR BONES Foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt are calcium-rich and a big boost for strong, healthy bones. ‘Dairy products are a good source of calcium,’ says Dr Grant. They’re also important for vitamin B12, ‘which is essential for red blood cell production, energy production…

Growing up in a showman family, Gina Gray spent her childhood criss-crossing the UK with a fairground. She helped her parents run their carousel, popping corn and spinning candyfloss, and eventually operated her own ride – a children’s mini-wheel – from the age of 18. ‘It was a tight-knit and supportive community, and lots of fun,’ Gina remembers. ‘But it was also one built on old-fashioned values. There were certain things that people considered private and personal – and I never heard of anyone going through breast cancer.’ You just wouldn’t talk about that kind of thing, according to Gina. But it was still something she worried about. ‘I’ve been sensitive about breast lumps all my life – and always feared finding one,’ she says. Gina, now 45 and settled…

3 GREAT... Swim buys 1 MAKE A SPLASH in this bright red Reebok Adalia swimsuit in a figure-flattering fit. £37.99, Sports Direct. 2 PROTECT YOUR EYES with Speedo Women’s BioFuse 2.0 swim goggles, which stretch and adapt for a super-snug fit for your face. £24, Millets. 3 GUARD AGAINST the damaging effects of chlorine and salt water on your hair with Umberto Giannini Swim Proof Heat Protection Cream with nourishing coconut and olive oils. £8.95 for 150ml, Boots. NEWSFLASH Eat 30 plants a week to ease menopause symptoms A high-fibre diet with plenty of leafy greens helps ease midlife hormonal changes, such as hot flushes and mood swings, says a study by King’s College London and Zoe, the science and nutrition company. Researchers found that…

JOHN LEWIS & PARTNERS GEORGE HOME HABITAT…

Difficulty level MEASUREMENTS To fit age 4-7 years. Hat circumference 48cm/19½in. Hat height 39.5cm/15½in. Beard width 19cm/7½in. Beard length 16.5cm/6½in including moustache. MATERIALS 1 x 100g (164m) ball of Emu Classic Chunky (100% acrylic) in Red (Red Ruby 185), 1 x 100g (282m) ball of Emu Classic DK (100% acrylic) in each of Yellow (Lemon 149) and White (101)*. Size 5.5mm and 4mm crochet hooks; stitch marker. TENSION Not critical for this project, but adjust the hook size if necessary to produce a firm fabric. ABBREVIATIONS Ch, chain; dc, double crochet; dtr, double treble crochet; htr, half treble crochet; slst, slip st; st(s), stitch(es); tr, treble crochet; trtr, triple treble crochet. NOTES Yarn amounts are based on average requirements and are approximate. Figures in square brackets are worked as stated…

Books Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout (£16.99, HB, Penguin) When a local loner stands accused of murdering his mother, Bob Burgess, a 65-year-old semi-retired lawyer living in Maine, takes on the case. Bob has grown close to Lucy, who listens more to him than his own wife. Lucy, a writer, has forged a storytelling friendship with Olive, who lives in a retirement community. Through these and other complex yet lightly drawn relationships, this book of stories within stories (featuring characters from previous Strout classics such as Olive Kitteridge and My Name is Lucy Barton) is a gentle meditation on the power of human connection and love. What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci (£20, HB, Penguin) Is there anything more comforting than watching or reading Stanley Tucci…

Horoscopes ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR You may find your energy comes in spurts this week. Remember to rest, and you’ll easily accomplish your goals. TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY Relaxation is your keyword now. If you can carry out all your duties with a calm and peaceful attitude, your whole life experience will be a breeze. GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN You may get fascinating news that changes your perspective. Get ready for some life-changing ‘aha’ moments. CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL This is a time for learning how to trust and keep your faith. If you can go with the flow and allow events to unfold naturally, you will feel lighter and brighter. LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG You are extremely creative and…