We’ve had a bit of a week of it at The Age-Well Project: Annabel’s computer blew up, leaving her without thousands of precious documents, notes and creative work. I’ve been juggling a sick teenager, an injured puppy, a defunct boiler (so no hot water) a broken dishwasher. And, to cap it all, Tuesday’s storms saw…
THE ASTONISHING POWER OF SUNLIGHT: PART 2
I’ve broken a bone in my foot, which means I’ve spent a fair bit of the week in hospital and a fair bit of time hobbling around, very slowly, in a big plastic boot or weird and deeply uncomfortable, back-to-front footwear. In the same week that Vitamin D made headlines, it’ll come as no surprise…
ANOTHER COMPELLING REASON TO FAST? HORTA ON TOAST
So far, the only intervention able to dramatically extend healthy life appears to be … fasting, otherwise known as Caloric Restriction (CR). Studies – on animals – suggest that regular fasting can extend healthy life by up to 30%. Susan recently wrote about her experience of fasting after trialling Professor Longo’s Longevity Diet, and we wrote…
THE POWER OF A NAP & VENISON WITH BLACKBERRY AND APPLE SAUCE
It’s that time of year when thoughts turn to fending off the inevitable coughs and colds of winter. Already my son is back from school with a streaming nose and a rasping cough. I’ve not caught it yet, but I’ve had a week of poor sleep, and in my experience, tiredness is a short step…
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…
HOW TO LIVE HAPPILY EVER LAUGHTER & FARRO SALAD WITH EGGS AND SMOKED MACKEREL
A few weeks ago I had dinner with one of the UK’s kings of comedy. Charlie Higson, writer, producer and comedian in shows like Saturday Live, the Harry Enfield Programme, Reeves and Mortimer and The Fast Show, had us all in stitches. After a while, we were laughing before Charlie even opened his mouth, almost…
WHY THE GREAT OUTDOORS (AND WALNUTS) WILL KEEP YOU YOUNG
Ever felt that deep yearning to be out in the wild? If you have, you’re not alone. If you haven’t, it’s time to tune in. There’s now a huge body of medical evidence proving that being with wildlife keeps you healthier and happier. I write this as a committed Londoner who frequently feels a deep…
WHY CARING FOR OTHERS (AND RED CABBAGE) COULD PROLONG YOUR LIFE
A few weeks ago, a girlfriend and I were discussing the Nepal crisis over supper when she mentioned that her father, a top surgeon at Montreal General Hospital, was just off to Kathmandu to set up a trauma centre. “What?” I spluttered into my healthy, vegetarian meal. “Isn’t he too old?” Well, shame on me!…
WHY MY 2015 CHEESE BOARD WILL BE ALL SWISS – JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE SOUP WITH SWISS CHEESE
You know that healthy glow Swiss people always have? Well, it turns out their über radiance comes not from the pure Alpine air they imbime, nor from their relentless hiking and ski-ing in sub-zero temperatures. Oh no – nothing as dramatic as that! It’s actually the cheese they eat. Yes, I know we’re all…
BOOSTING IMMUNITY FOR 2015, SOUP AND A SALAD
Last week Annabel posted about her key Kale and Cocoa resolution for 2015: to get more vegetables into her family’s diet, aiming for SEVEN portions a day (you can read why seven is the new five here). So here’s my New Year’s health resolution: to boost my immunity so I don’t get any sodding awful…