Mad dogs in Mexico City were the first sign that inhaling polluted air might cause brain damage. Neuroscientist Lilian Calderón-Garcidueñas, noticed that elderly dogs living in heavily polluted areas often became confused, disoriented and unable to recognize their owners. She examined their brains (after they died, of course) and found greater quantities of amyloid b (the…
GRATITUDE – THE HOTTEST AREA OF NEUROSCIENCE?
Every now and then I’m made aware of what a huge privilege it is to be alive. However, like most of us, I spend the bulk of my time caught up in the hum drum of daily life. But not anymore. Two weeks’ ago, on my way home from London Book Fair, I collapsed in…
CARING, DEMENTIA AND TOMATO SOUP
A couple of weeks ago, a report came out claiming those who lived near busy roads had a higher risk of dementia. Both Susan and I live near a very busy road, so our thoughts turned, once again, to dementia – and to how we look after dementia sufferers. Back in November, I wrote a…
DEMENTIA AND WINTER FISH SALAD
A few months ago I found an elderly man in my street, cowering against a wall. It was dark and he was clearly disoriented, upset and frightened. He wasn’t fully dressed and appeared to have wet himself. I confess I had no idea what to do or who to call. The police? The ambulance? Wouldn’t…
WHY STRESS MATTERS – FREEKEH WITH ARTICHOKES
It’s been a stressful time in British politics. Our political elite appear to have disintegrated in the space of a week. As I’ve watched Tony Blair, David Cameron, Barack Obama and a host of other politicians on screen, I‘ve distracted myself with close scrutiny of their appearance. And I’ve been struck by how quickly they’ve…
NOW IS THE TIME TO EAT NETTLES! SOUP, CURRY & SAUCE
Big apologies for the long silence but Ms’s Kale & Cocoa have been work-swamped. However, we’re coming up for air in time to make the most of my favourite foraging ingredient – the ubiquitous stinging nettle. Award winning health journalist, Susan Clark, describes the common nettle (usually thought of as a weed with a nasty…
WHICH AGE-WELL DIET IS A WINNER FOR WEIGHT LOSS?
Bear with me writing about diets again, but it is still January. And what does ‘diet’ really mean? The word is usually associated with weight loss, of course, but there are ways to alter eating habits to bring both health benefits AND weight loss where needed. The honest truth is that many of us could…
2016: THE YEAR TO CUT YOUR CANCER RISK AND PLAY PING PONG
So. Now we know: 70-90% of cancers are caused by lifestyle choices. That’s scary. But it’s also hugely empowering. And we think it’s a great note on which to start the new year! We’re not fans of dieting and detoxing, but by making a few lifestyle changes and sticking to them (yes, that means to…
SEAWEED – IS IT ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE? WAKAME & CARROT SALAD
If you asked me to name the most hyped food of 2015, I’d have to say seaweed. This year’s seen a spate of headlines on the benefits of eating seaweed – not to mention numerous glossy supplements in which celebrity chefs offer up their favourite seaweed recipes. In July scientists in the US made the…
EAT BEANS EVERY DAY & BEST EVER BLACK BEAN SOUP
Eat beans every day – that’s the message from Dan Buettner, whose third book on Blue Zones came out earlier this year. It’s a message I like – beans are cheap, convenient and delicious. So to discover they’re now, officially, the world’s number one food for longevity was music to my ears. Thanks to Jamie…