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…
DEMENTIA: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW, and black bean burritos
Two important reports have been published this week, in different areas of Alzheimer’s research, and you need to know about them. A link between dementia risk and pollution becomes more likely with each report published on the subject. This week a team from Kings College, London, revealed research showing a positive association between residential levels…
FINDING THE SWEET SPOT – CUCUMBER SOUP
Over the last 4-5 years of our Age-Well Project we’ve tried hard to uncover longevity sweet spots, by which I mean the right balance or the perfect quantity of something. We’ve always considered a balance of protein, carbs and vegetables/fruit as the optimal way of eating. So we were thrilled with the big study that…
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…
IS ALCOHOL GOOD FOR YOU? GINGER KOMBUCHA
It’s June and, in the UK, that means party-time. June has always been the month of weddings, big parties, Ascot, Wimbledon, Henley Royal Regatta and so on. This year – in my household – June has featured a celebratory bash every weekend, with several more during the week as my daughters celebrate the end of…
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…
HOW TO COMBAT AIR POLLUTION & LENTILS IN A LEMON AND TOMATO SAUCE
The most difficult chapter of our book to write (so far) has been the chapter on air pollution and what it’s doing to our bodies and brains. Why so difficult? Not because of the lack of research (oh no, plenty of that!), or the complexity of learning about PM2.5 (relatively simple compared to grappling with…
YOUR BRAIN WANTS YOU TO LOOK AFTER IT RIGHT NOW, and griddled asparagus with miso dressing
Alzheimer’s is a disease for old people, right? Wrong! While the symptoms of Alzheimer’s may not appear until later in life, the pathology – the changes in the brain which lead to this devastating disease – starts much earlier. So if we want to reduce our dementia risk, the work needs to start now. Middle-aged…
WHY WE’RE NOT VEGAN, AND A PLANT-BASED FAMILY DINNER
McDonalds sells vegan burgers, Gordon Ramsay offers dairy-free pizza and frozen food brand Iceland has a plant-based burger. No wonder supermarket chain Waitrose has declared 2018 the year veganism went mainstream. There are many ethical and environmental reasons to go vegan, of course. There’s also a longevity argument for giving up meat and dairy, which…
CAN YOU HELP SCIENCE? YES YOU CAN… SPICED NETTLES WITH GREEN OLIVES
Is it time to make yourself available to science? And I don’t mean donating your dead body (although we’re big supporters of organ donation too) or giving blood (another good thing to do), but taking part in a living, breathing research project. Over the last four years of blogging, we’ve become increasingly aware of the…
