I’ve been thinking about sleep recently. We all know it’s important. But how important? And what else should we know? Three years ago, when I met Professor Hornberger, an expert in dementia and ageing, he was adamant that the quality of sleep mattered most – not the quantity. He explained the importance of slow-wave sleep…
COULD WINTER SEA SWIMMING LIFT YOUR MOOD?
Last week Teenage Daughter asked me to go for a sea swim with her. It was February. It was cold. I had just rolled out of my deliciously warm bed. But having spent the last year saying ‘No’ to all her requests (Can I see a friend? No. Can I go out? No. Can I…
WHAT IF THERE WAS ONE VITAMIN THAT SLOWS AGEING? AND A LONGEVITY-BOOSTING RECIPE
Wouldn’t it be lovely if there was just one thing we could do, one food to eat or one supplement to take which would slow down ageing? It would make everything so simple. But ageing is such a complex process that one quick fix is as likely as flying pigs. There has, however, been a…
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR BODY AS YOU AGE, AND A BRAIN HEALTH MASTERCLASS
Hi there, how are you feeling? I was so hoping that 2021 would be a fresh start for us all, but here we are (in the UK at least) back in lockdown and facing a rather grim first few months of the year. So I’ve been looking at fresh starts in other ways – not…
HOW TO BEAT STRESS, ENHANCE NEUROPLASTICITY AND A FABULOUS TREAT FOR YOU
These long months of uncertainty have left me feeling stressed and often unrested, even after a decent night’s sleep. How’s our current state of semi-normality impacting you? Reconnecting with life as much as we can, while knowing that it’s not the same, creates a constant, low thrum of stress. Everybody is facing uncertainty and challenge…
COFFEE AND YOUR HEALTH: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
This is me, about to take – I kid you not – my first sip of coffee in 20 years. I gave up when living in California in 1999 (my body was a temple, and all that). The withdrawal symptoms were so debilitating (like a 10-day flu bug) I vowed never to go back. But…..20…
IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY BY WALKING BACKWARDS, THROWING PARTIES AND OTHER THINGS BESIDES…
One of the questions we’re often asked is: How can I improve my memory? Few of us beyond mid-life can claim to have a perfect in-our-twenties memory. But is this natural ageing or can we do something about it? After I hit my head on a London pavement and cracked my skull, my memory disappeared…
CAN YOU EAT TO BEAT POLLUTION?
Worried about pollution? We are too. This week, researchers announced that air pollution is now killing more people than smoking. The new study focuses on ozone and PM2.5 (they’re the tiny particles of Particulate Matter invisible to the naked eye but able to penetrate our lungs and – possibly – cross into our blood). The…
DO YOU KNOW HOW TO REDUCE DEMENTIA RISK?
We all fear dementia, yet half of us can’t identify any of the key risk factors, according to new research. Alzheimer’s Research UK wants us all to be clear on the six risk factors for dementia: Heavy drinking Genetics Smoking High blood pressure Depression Diabetes And we also need to know that physical exercise is…
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…
