Trawling through the mountains of research for our book has made us think long and hard about the many factors involved in ageing well. We usually focus on what goes into our bodies, either through what we swallow or what we inhale. But what about all the things we put on our bodies? Researchers still…
Why Alzheimer’s Is A Women’s Issue
I’m not being sexist. Women account for two-thirds of Alzheimer’s cases. In the over-65 age group 1 in 6 women will develop Alzheimer’s by 2050, the figure is 1 in 11 for men. Furthermore, a report published this week revealed that half of all middle-aged women will suffer dementia, Parkinson’s or a stroke. The figure…
HOW HAVING A DOG CHANGED MY LIFE
My beloved dog died this week. After fourteen years and three months she passed away, quietly and at home, in the arms of me and two of my daughters. The sadness comes in waves, dimming as the days go by, then resurfacing when I find something of hers: a stray ball of dog hair, a…
GREEN SPACE IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH
Do you have time in the countryside planned this summer? I hope so. If not, find a bit of green space nearby (city parks are great) and aim for some Green Time every day. We’ve been singing the praises of trees and the great outdoors for some time now, but in the last few weeks…
SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, SADNESS AND BRAIN-BOOSTING BISCUITS
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…
WHY ‘INFLAMM-AGEING’ COULD START IN THE GUT AND HARISSA-ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD
While wrinkles and grey hair may be the external signs of ageing, there’s a whole other process going on inside our bodies. ‘Inflamm-ageing’ is the term coined by doctors to describe the low-grade inflammation intrinsically linked to the process of growing older. It plays a central role in the all the chronic conditions of ageing:…
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…
THINNING AGEING HAIR – WARM CHICKEN LIVER SALAD
A few weeks ago, as I was preparing to leave the hairdressers, I politely asked the stylist if she could stop my hair from sticking up, static-style, from the top of my scalp. For some reason, lots of short stray hairs were standing upright – and yes, it did rather ruin the look! But when…
INCREASE YOUR MICROBIOTA – AND PEA & SOYBEAN SALAD
Preparing to hunker down for the cooler months? Feeling gloomy about the end of summer? Stop right there! If Susan’s last post on Vitamin D and dementia didn’t get you up and out, then tune in to this week’s BBC Horizon programme (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04g507y/horizon-20142015-5-allergies-modern-life-and-me) on the explosion of allergies in the developed world. Horizon covered not…
HOW TO THICKEN AGEING HAIR – PEA AND ROASTED GARLIC SOUP WITH BASIL AND FARRO
OK … thinning hair may seem frivolous in the context of degenerative disease, but when your crowning glory starts falling out in handfuls, just because you’ve reached that age, a girl needs to take action. Hair loss is a typical symptom of ageing – and I’m no exception. I should point out that I’ve never…
