Ever wondered why holidays stand out in our memories? It’s because the brain loves novelty. Our brains are hardwired to respond to things that are new or different and to effectively sear them into our memories. Sometimes called the ‘novelty response’, this reaction can also help our brains survive the threat of dementia. Which is…
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…
POLYAMINES – THE NEW SECRET WEAPON FOR AGEING WELL & MOROCCAN SPINACH AND CHICKPEAS.
The big ageing news in the last week has been polyamines (yes, new to me too!). Thanks to research from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, headlines about a new ‘wonder anti-ageing diet’ involving polyamines were splashed across several newspapers last week. I liked the sound of that, but to flesh out these extravagant…
WHY THE GUT IS WHERE IT’S AT – AUBERGINE, TOMATO AND CHICK PEA STEW
Would you put your own child on a diet of fast food in the name of research? No, neither would I … but I know a man who did. And the results were frightening. Professor Tim Spector’s newly launched book, The Diet Myth, is a riveting read. It’s all about the microbiome (the bugs living…