News that has made me happy this week. And news that has saddened me. And throughout it all my children – along with thousands of others – have been revising and sitting a relentless string of exams. Which is why today’s recipe is one you don’t often see on our blog: chocolate biscuits made with…
VITAMIN D – TO SUPPLEMENT OR NOT TO SUPPLEMENT?
As readers of this blog will know, I take no vitamin supplements. Except in December when I normally take a vitamin D supplement for a few months. But this year I didn’t. Until yesterday, when I did. Confused? I was too. And that’s the point. We are bombarded by constantly changing and often opposing information…
WHY YOU SHOULD BE DANCING (& CHRISTMAS NUTS)
What you doin’ on your back, aah/ You should be dancing yeah… Anyone remember those lyrics from the Bee Gees? Well, it turns out the Bee Gees were right. And as we’re in full party swing, I’m delighted to bring you the facts and figures showing why we really should be dancing (yeah). I’m not…
GET THEE TO A FOREST (ON FOOT) AND HERBY COURGETTE/ZUCCHINI SOUP
Now is the time to boost our immunity, particularly given recent predictions that this winter may see a severe flu epidemic. In addition to the usual dietary advice (more on this next month), there’s something very simple we can do – take advantage of these glorious autumn days and hit the woods. There’s a new…
WHY YOU NEED TO NURTURE YOUR LOVED ONES: ONE-POT COD WITH RED VEGETABLES
Yesterday I visited a friend whose Easter was spent battling for the life of her son. Not in a sophisticated London hospital but on a remote African island. Her twelve-year old son’s appendix burst somewhere between Madagascar and a tiny island, reachable only by a three hour choppy boat ride. The island had no hospital,…
HOW TO BE CALM – SMOKED MACKEREL BRUSCHETTA
I wrote recently about gratitude, after fracturing my skull and realising how lucky I was to be alive. But as I convalesced, other less positive thoughts also swam around my head. In particular, I began thinking about people who live with fear. Why? Because I too had suddenly become fearful: What caused my collapse? Would…
GRATITUDE – THE HOTTEST AREA OF NEUROSCIENCE?
Every now and then I’m made aware of what a huge privilege it is to be alive. However, like most of us, I spend the bulk of my time caught up in the hum drum of daily life. But not anymore. Two weeks’ ago, on my way home from London Book Fair, I collapsed in…
HOW TO BE HAPPY, AND CHOCOLATE PANCAKES
Can food make us happy? Not as in ‘Oh God, this cheesecake makes my tummy smile’, but in terms of micronutrients which boost mood. The short answer is yes, and the good news is that happiness is – theoretically – just a salad away. Studies from all over the world support the idea that those…
AGEING WELL: 12 LESSONS FROM 2015 – AND VEGETABLE TARTLETS FOR CHRISTMAS DINNER
The end of the year means it’s time to review all the reports on healthy ageing we poured over in the last 12 months. As ever, some of the research seemed (to us) a little ho hum, but every now and then along came a study that made us sit up and take note. I…
BEREAVEMENT, CARING AND A VERY SIMPLE SUPPER
There’s no easy way to say this: my mum died a couple of weeks ago after a very long battle with dementia. She was incredibly frail in her final days but soldiered on with fortitude. She was able to remain at home right to the end, thanks to her wonderful carer. Which is just how…