Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at You

You may be young or old, working endless hours, or retired. But there is one exercise you can still undertake almost anywhere, for however long or short a time: walking. According to health specialists, the simple act of walking “ticks so many boxes – improving our brain, mental and musculoskeletal fitness, as well as our...

After years of insisting that garden lawns should be left unkempt and blended with wild flowers, Monty Don the TV gardener has made a U-turn with his lawnmower. In a recent article in BBC Gardeners’ World magazine, he admits: “This spring and summer I have made a tightly mowed and evenly green lawn. This is...

Don’t believe everything you see on TV. Especially those programmes which show you how easy it is to do DIY jobs around your house. A recent survey has found that many people who watch these programmes and decide to ‘have a go’ at a home maintenance project, only end up causing damage. In fact, a...

The NHS is worried because eating disorders have risen by 52 per cent since the pandemic. And it suspects that part of the problem, for young girls and women, is their increasing use of energy drinks to suppress hunger and provide energy without calories. A huge range of these highly caffeinated drinks are now available,...

There has been an ‘exceptionally steep rise’ in young adults using e-cigarettes. New research from University College London (UCL) has found that 22.7 percent of 18-year-olds are long-term vapers – using e-cigarettes for longer than six months. Ten years ago, it was only 0.7 per cent. The new Government has said it will restrict the...

This month more than 10.7 million children will be going back to school. That means that millions of households across the country are now busy preparing for the big day. Regular bedtime routines are back, packed lunches are planned, uniforms are washed and ready to go. Some parents find it helpful to take children to...

Paddling with the Prophet Ezekial National Allotments Week – 12th to 18th August Getting along with your neighbours Drinking coffee is great for your microbes What gardening can do for your brain Ultra-processed foods ‘should have tobacco-style warning labels’ ** Editor: David Pickup, a solicitor, looks back on his days at the beach… Paddling with...

 Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward… (Ezekiel 47) I do not know if you have come across this passage, which is a bit odd. It is about the Old Testament prophet who visits God’s Temple, and notices...

We like allotments. In fact, as a nation, more than 250,000 of us have one, and reckon that it enriches our lives. This year the theme of National Allotments Week (NAW) is biodiversity. The NAW will encourage allotment holders with tips of how to increase pollinators and wildlife, how to do ecofriendly pest control, companion...

Summertime outdoor living reminds us just how close we live to our neighbours. How well you live beside them can make a huge impact on your life. If you are happy with your neighbours, it is hugely beneficial. One behavioural psychologist says: “Even just sharing a kind smile and eye contact with a neighbour is...

Your morning cup of coffee not only perks you up, it also helps your gut bacteria to flourish. This is because coffee contains several compounds that act as a prebiotic, which means they provide your gut bacteria with nutrients. These are some of the findings of a growing number of studies into the effects of...

Ultra-processed foods are as dangerous to your health as cigarettes. They should be made to carry a tobacco-style ‘front of pack’ warning. So says a leading nutritionist, condemning both UPFs and cigarettes as “life-threatening products made by profit-hungry corporations.” Prof Carlos Monteiro, professor of nutrition and public health at the University of Sao Paulo, was...