My family had another Christmas of grieving this year. In our household, December is swiftly becoming synonymous with loss, absence and bereavement. But since my father died at Christmas two years’ ago (I wrote about the debilitating impact of grief here) , I’ve read many books and studies of grief. We’ve come a long way…
THE ENDURING MAGIC OF MOVEMENT AND A GIVEAWAY
I hardly need to remind any of our readers that movement is the single most important thing you can do for your future health, surpassing every supplement, every sleep aid and almost every dietary intervention. As the days shorten and darken, exercise is sometimes the first thing to go. And yet barely a week goes…
WALKING, APPETITE, PURPOSE AND A WEBINAR
It’s a week to the publication of my new book on walking in nature. To celebrate, my next few posts will be on some of the astonishing (and often little-known) benefits of walking. We hope you’ll also join our free book launch webinar – details below. May and June are our favourite months for moving…
MYSTERIOUS REASONS FOR WORKING OUR MUSCLES
A doctor friend recently messaged me to check I was still doing the odd plank or lifting the occasional weight. I confessed that I’d missed a few days in the aftermath of my father’s death. But explained that I’d also felt a strange compulsion to do bicep curls as I grieved. Lifting weights, I added,…
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…
AGEING WELL ON YOUR SUMMER STAYCATION, RASPBERRY CAKE – AND INVITATIONS!
This is the summer of the staycation – while some are bravely jetting off, I’m not one of them. There are so many wonderful things to do on our doorsteps here in the UK, many of which are corona compliant and can help us age well too. In my day-to-day life I juggle TV producing,…
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…
WHY WE NEED TO WALK BESIDE WATER
Three weeks ago I walked (backpacked actually, yes even at my age!) alone from Bordeaux to Toulouse. I cheated a bit and took a couple of trains, but I still clocked up between 20 and 35 kilometres every day, with a large pack on my pack. I’ll admit: I was very nervous before I left….
WISDOM, WONDER AND THE POWER OF WORK
Once upon a time there was an extraordinary musician called Pablo Casals. Pablo, a Spanish Catalan by birth, was a few weeks shy of his 97th birthday when he died in 1973. Still revered by many as one of the greatest cellists ever, Pablo dedicated his life to his two passions: music and justice. Whenever…
WHY WE NEED LIGHT
It’s exam season in the UK and all six of our children are mid-revision. We’re diligently feeding them blueberries, nuts, leafy greens and oily fish, not to mention our brain-improving coffee and chocolate biscuits. But there’s something else they need to perform at their best. And it’s something that’s often overlooked: light. Thank goodness the…
