Everything you need to know about self-isolation amid coronavirus ou…
1 HR AGO - With the total number of people infected worldwide by coronavirus – otherwise known as COVID-19 – Expand
1 HR AGO - With the total number of people infected worldwide by coronavirus – otherwise known as COVID-19 – now standing at over 80,000 the NHS has warned that many more people may be asked to self-isolate to Collapse
Can the government really eradicate smoking in just 10 years?
21 HRS AGO - England is predicted to miss the government target of being smoke-free by 2030 because so many Expand
21 HRS AGO - England is predicted to miss the government target of being smoke-free by 2030 because so many poorer people are still using cigarettes, says Cancer Research UK. Collapse
Core blimey: how a 62-year-old man planked for eight hours – and what he can teach us
21 HRS AGO - George Hood, a former US Marine, broke his own world record this week. Here’s how you can improve Expand
21 HRS AGO - George Hood, a former US Marine, broke his own world record this week. Here’s how you can improve your techniqueThis week, George Hood – a 62-year-old former US Marine – broke the world planking record with a time of 8hr 15min 15sec, adding an extra 14 minutes on to the previous record. Hood had originally claimed the record in 2011 with a paltry 1hr 20min, before losing it in 2016 to Mao Weidong, a police officer from China, who broke the record by more than seven hours.Eight hours is a long time spent doing anything, especially with your face hovering 20cm away from the floor of a gym, but the benefits of a good plank go a very long way. “The plank is excellent because it’s all about stability,” says Chris Magee, the head of yoga at Psycle London, and a former personal trainer, rugby player and martial artist. “That’s key to an active, healthy lifestyle. You want to feel – when you’re walking around, running around or even sitting down – that your spine is strong and protected.” Collapse
Hyperbaric oxygen chamber: I’m under a lot of pressure – and I love it!
1 DAY AGO - I’m basically inside a balloon, breathing 100% oxygen through a mask. I fall into a deep, Expand
1 DAY AGO - I’m basically inside a balloon, breathing 100% oxygen through a mask. I fall into a deep, restorative nap and awake hungry for moreI wonder what the pedalo does as I slip into a waffle robe … I’m at Bellecell, a central London molecular-wellness clinic that offers “hyper-personalised science-based solutions to health” – this place could be a Bond villain’s laboratory on the moon.I am standing in a hushed, blue-lit underground brick tunnel with Kubrick-white furnishings and so many fascinating toys: EMS suits, laser IVs, and what looks like an exercise bike built into a love boat, with a vacuum for your legs. Continue reading... Collapse
Sharron Davies says tragic mum 'should still be here' after hepatitis C trauma
1 DAY AGO - EXCLUSIVE: The swimming legend and former Gladiator is still coming to terms with the death of her Expand
1 DAY AGO - EXCLUSIVE: The swimming legend and former Gladiator is still coming to terms with the death of her mother Sheila after she contracted the disease during an operation to remove her gallstones Collapse
Greta Thunberg was nearly hospitalised due to disordered eating, say…
2 DAYS AGO - Greta Thunberg’s mother has revealed how her daughter struggled with disordered eating and Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Greta Thunberg’s mother has revealed how her daughter struggled with disordered eating and spending extended periods out of school during her early teenage years. Collapse
Five ways to improve flexibility
2 DAYS AGO - Try tai chi, pilates or yoga to boost strength, eat enough protein, and dissolve tension in a warm Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Try tai chi, pilates or yoga to boost strength, eat enough protein, and dissolve tension in a warm bath. And give it time – make it part of your lifeYoga, pilates, tai chi and stretching are all recommended for improving flexibility by the NHS. While pilates and yoga concentrate on building strength and flexibility, yoga is generally regarded as having a deeper focus on increasing the range of joint motion. “Within the physical movements, there are lots of opportunities to elongate the muscles,” says Chris Magee, head of yoga at Psycle London. Tai chi loosens muscles and stretches the whole body. It is especially useful for people with limited mobility, recovering from injury or balance problems as it can be adapted to suit a range of abilities. Continue reading... Collapse
How to clean your makeup brushes
2 DAYS AGO - Synthetic or natural, they will last longer if you wash and dry them carefully once a week – Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Synthetic or natural, they will last longer if you wash and dry them carefully once a week – without using hot waterAs a professional, I clean my brushes after every use, but if you are using your own brushes for your own makeup, once a week would be good. When I’m on a shoot, or out and about, I use a professional brush cleaner such as Parian Spirit, which is made from citrus and is environmentally friendly. It is also good if you are a bit lazy and don’t want to shampoo your brushes. Spray some on to a tissue, and wipe the brush until there is no product coming out of it.To wash, use lukewarm water – if the water is too hot, it will destroy the glue and loosen the hairs – and shampoo or a good washing-up liquid. Point the brush with the hairs facing downwards, so the water doesn’t run up into the brush. Lather up some shampoo and wash the bristles. When you rinse, squeeze until the water stops bubbling. Dry gently with a towel and dry them flat overnight. Continue reading... Collapse
I fight all the time with my young boyfriend. Can we work it out? | Dear Mariella
3 DAYS AGO - He may be sexy and exciting but you are bound to find someone who is half your age immature, says Expand
3 DAYS AGO - He may be sexy and exciting but you are bound to find someone who is half your age immature, says Mariella FrostrupThe dilemma I’m a 50-year-old male one year into a relationship with a man half my age. We don’t live together as I’m a resident parent to a young child from a former marriage, but we see each other weekly and speak every day. Despite the mutual physical attraction and occasional moments of loving companionship, our relationship is characterised by our struggle to find commonality around our different interests, lifestyles and needs.Whether it be my railing against his poor choices (such as spending what’s left of his monthly wage on nights out with his friends, leaving me to pay for most things we do), or his insecurity when I fail to contact him when out with my friends (he’s been known to read my phone and park near my home when feeling insecure), with each blistering argument we find ourselves losing the support of family and friends. I’m finding it hard to justify Collapse
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Dear Coleen: I'm stuck in the middle of a war between friends about lost money
17 HRS AGO - A property venture went wrong and people have behaved badly, but I don't want to get dragged into Expand
17 HRS AGO - A property venture went wrong and people have behaved badly, but I don't want to get dragged into the fallout Collapse
Core blimey: how a 62-year-old man planked for eight hours – and what he can teach us
21 HRS AGO - George Hood, a former US Marine, broke his own world record this week. Here’s how you can improve Expand
21 HRS AGO - George Hood, a former US Marine, broke his own world record this week. Here’s how you can improve your techniqueThis week, George Hood – a 62-year-old former US Marine – broke the world planking record with a time of 8hr 15min 15sec, adding an extra 14 minutes on to the previous record. Hood had originally claimed the record in 2011 with a paltry 1hr 20min, before losing it in 2016 to Mao Weidong, a police officer from China, who broke the record by more than seven hours.Eight hours is a long time spent doing anything, especially with your face hovering 20cm away from the floor of a gym, but the benefits of a good plank go a very long way. “The plank is excellent because it’s all about stability,” says Chris Magee, the head of yoga at Psycle London, and a former personal trainer, rugby player and martial artist. “That’s key to an active, healthy lifestyle. You want to feel – when you’re walking around, running around or even sitting down – that your spine is strong and protected.” Collapse
Ozzy Osbourne says Parkinson's battle has been 'f***ing hell
1 DAY AGO - Ozzy Osbourne has opened up about his battle with Parkinson’s disease, describing the last year as Expand
1 DAY AGO - Ozzy Osbourne has opened up about his battle with Parkinson’s disease, describing the last year as “hell”. The musician revealed he was diagnosed with a form of the illness – Parkin’s II – in January Collapse
The toilet rebellion: will Britain's locked coffee-shop loos soon be open to all?
1 DAY AGO - A website has shared a list of access codes online for those caught short in cafes and shops. But Expand
1 DAY AGO - A website has shared a list of access codes online for those caught short in cafes and shops. But can the loo coup stop people weeing in the streets?It is an act of the purest social altruism. Two citizens – or, as they are now known, toilet activists – have built a database of loo codes for cafes and shops across the capital. Are these two young people who need the loo a lot? Or are they tireless crusaders against an ever-more-marketised version of society, where human needs that were once accommodated as a shared responsibility have been outsourced to commerce? To put it simply: nobody any longer cares about whether you need a wee, unless you also need a cappuccino.The privatisation of toilets is one of the least contested areas of the public realm. This is not, I think, because toilets are immune to politics – witness the agonies over the unisex loo, which this database explicitly references – but because the state of needing the loo is such a temporary one that it doesn’t Collapse
Dear Coleen: He dropped affair bombshell but now refuses to discuss it
1 DAY AGO - He said he was very sorry and that it was “only sex”, and that he never loved this other woman
I quit my boring job for university at 30. The expense was daunting, but my self-worth soared
2 DAYS AGO - I felt stuck in a dull but cushy career. When I left it, my limitations and inhibitions seemed to Expand
2 DAYS AGO - I felt stuck in a dull but cushy career. When I left it, my limitations and inhibitions seemed to drop away – and I found creative satisfactionThree years ago, I felt stuck. Life was a monotonous routine dominated by work and fitting in the odd bit of fun around it – my job was no longer fun. I was in my 10th year at the same retail company, having switched from working in shops to a communications role at head office. It was my job to inform people about the business for the staff magazine, and although my title was reporter, I felt more like a PR person promoting the company to its own employees. It was good experience but work felt corporate and stuffy. I had been there too long and worried that I would never leave, although that I was dissatisfied.Eventually this feeling of disaffection began to seep into other areas of my life. I struggled to find purpose and, especially, creativity. The lack of both ate at my mind while I contemplated what to do about it. I had thrived on Collapse
Five ways to improve flexibility
2 DAYS AGO - Try tai chi, pilates or yoga to boost strength, eat enough protein, and dissolve tension in a warm Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Try tai chi, pilates or yoga to boost strength, eat enough protein, and dissolve tension in a warm bath. And give it time – make it part of your lifeYoga, pilates, tai chi and stretching are all recommended for improving flexibility by the NHS. While pilates and yoga concentrate on building strength and flexibility, yoga is generally regarded as having a deeper focus on increasing the range of joint motion. “Within the physical movements, there are lots of opportunities to elongate the muscles,” says Chris Magee, head of yoga at Psycle London. Tai chi loosens muscles and stretches the whole body. It is especially useful for people with limited mobility, recovering from injury or balance problems as it can be adapted to suit a range of abilities. Continue reading... Collapse
Caring for my brother after his brain injury showed me a world of compassion
3 DAYS AGO - Seeing the hidden world of care, after my beloved brother’s devastating accident, taught me about Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Seeing the hidden world of care, after my beloved brother’s devastating accident, taught me about people’s remarkable strength and graceI often find myself thinking back to a fairly unremarkable afternoon in 2010. I was sitting in the day room of a care home while my older brother Miles slept beside me, in his wheelchair. Steve, one of the other severely brain-injured residents dotted around the room in wheelchairs, was in distress. His hands were up by his face in tight fists and he was weeping. Nothing anyone did to comfort or soothe him worked; the look on his contorted face was one of pure anguish.And then, just as Miles was waking up, Steve’s wife Natalia entered the room. Seeing her husband, she dropped her bags and ran to him, holding his face in her hands and covering it in kisses. Normally an outspoken and wonderfully foul-mouthed woman, she spoke now in gentle, incantatory whispers. I’ve never seen relief like the relief that flooded Steve’s face; it spread over his face Collapse
How to survive the menopause despite UK's shortage of vital HRT drugs
3 DAYS AGO - Millions of women rely on HRT to help them navigate the menopause - but due to a national drugs Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Millions of women rely on HRT to help them navigate the menopause - but due to a national drugs shortage many have been left suffering Collapse
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Heavy issues: 'I'd think there was something wrong with anyone who found me attractive
18 HRS AGO - Beware of stories that begin with ‘I’ll deserve love when ...’, writes advice columnist Eleanor Expand
18 HRS AGO - Beware of stories that begin with ‘I’ll deserve love when ...’, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith. They can become impossible to satisfyI am 45, 165kg and lonely. I am struggling to lose weight despite the adverse impact on my health. I desperately want to have the confidence to meet someone, but loathe myself so much, I would think there was something deeply wrong with anyone who found me attractive.I have never developed a sexual or fantasy life, largely due to my weight, but intermittently go on dating apps which help only briefly. I sometimes end up having explicit conversations with men I have no intention of meeting or pursuing in any meaningful way. This often feels overwhelming but has been the case for so long (nearly 20 years) that any route out feels impossible. I otherwise have a “good” life, a great job and lovely friends, but this feeling of loneliness pervades and keeps me stuck. I’d love to think things can change but then remember my limits each day, Collapse
Ulcerative colitis: bacteria findings raise hopes for new treatment
21 HRS AGO - Sufferers found to have low levels of gut microbes that convert bile acids into other Expand
21 HRS AGO - Sufferers found to have low levels of gut microbes that convert bile acids into other substancesHopes of developing a new treatment for ulcerative colitis have been raised by research suggesting the condition may be linked to low levels of certain bacteria in the gut.Ulcerative colitis is a long-term condition in which the colon becomes inflamed. According to the NHS, it is thought to be an autoimmune disease and affects one in every 420 people in the UK. Sufferers need to empty their bowels frequently, develop ulcers in their colon and have recurring bouts of diarrhoea with blood and pus in the faeces. Continue reading... Collapse
Sex with my boyfriend is consistently mediocre
1 DAY AGO - There’s no communication, neither of us climax and I’m becoming more and more hesitant about Expand
1 DAY AGO - There’s no communication, neither of us climax and I’m becoming more and more hesitant about initiating intimacyMy boyfriend and I have been intimate for several months, but the sex is consistently mediocre. Neither of us climax, and often I’m not sure whether I’m giving him pleasure. Our communication about sex is essentially nil; it’s just assumed that it will happen when we’re in bed together. I have attempted to open up conversations a couple of times, but he has never taken the bait. This lack of communication is making me hesitant to initiate intimacy, because I worry about how we’ll decide when to stop, or that we’ll continue through something neither of us are enjoying. How can I change this and encourage communication without making him feel self-conscious?You know exactly what is wrong, but perhaps you need help forming the words to improve your communication. To avoid sounding critical, always start with a positive affirmation. For example: “I really enjoy being with you, Collapse
Ecological grief: I mourn the loss of nature – it saved me from addiction
1 DAY AGO - I was struggling with my mental health when I started wandering daily on the marshes. The Expand
1 DAY AGO - I was struggling with my mental health when I started wandering daily on the marshes. The experience opened my eyes to the extraordinary healing power of the natural worldDuring a period of ill health a few years back, as I struggled with depression and addiction, three of the four elements that helped me to recover were straightforward: psychiatry; psychotherapy; and the support of others. The fourth was more mysterious, and I set out on a journey to try to understand it.In my teenage years, I had developed an aptitude for drinking, as many adolescents do. But it was while working as a music journalist in my 20s that my addictions accelerated. By April 2012, at the age of 27, I was on my knees. I knew that the drink and drugs had to go: the highs were getting harder to achieve; the lows were becoming more dangerous, more self-destructive. I knew my mental and physical health were deteriorating, but I couldn’t seem to stop or cut down. After months of trying to do this alone, I found Collapse
Dr Miriam Stoppard: We must talk and plan to achieve a dignified death
1 DAY AGO - Many doctors don’t like discussing death and prescribe invasive treatment for terminally ill Expand
1 DAY AGO - Many doctors don’t like discussing death and prescribe invasive treatment for terminally ill patients when end-of-life care is appropriate Collapse
Soreness is good and scales are pointless: the 10 biggest myths in fitness
2 DAYS AGO - Advice for how to get fit and healthy is often confusing. But there are some simple truthsWith new Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Advice for how to get fit and healthy is often confusing. But there are some simple truthsWith new exercises invented every week, new gurus trending by the day and a fresh study that contradicts all the other ones released every time you think you’re getting the hang of things, it’s easy to think that fitness is confusing – but it isn’t.The fundamentals stay the same, and the science is pretty well agreed – so by simply arming yourself with a few basic facts, you can step into any gym forewarned against whatever fresh nonsense the #fitstagrammers are preaching. These are the 10 biggest myths in fitness – exercise your synapses for a couple of minutes by memorising them, and do your curls with confidence. Continue reading... Collapse
How to beat high blood pressure - the silent killer that many are unaware they have
2 DAYS AGO - The country is facing a health crisis. From heart disease to high cholesterol, millions of Brits Expand
2 DAYS AGO - The country is facing a health crisis. From heart disease to high cholesterol, millions of Brits are developing life-shortening conditions – and they are often triggered by lifestyle choices. Our brilliant new series will help you reduce your risk and make vital changes – before it’s too late. This week, Pat Hagan takes a closer look at hypertension Collapse
Seven ways of curing or relieving chronic pain without resorting to painkillers
3 DAYS AGO - With addiction to painkillers on the rise, people living with the agony of chronic pain need to Expand
3 DAYS AGO - With addiction to painkillers on the rise, people living with the agony of chronic pain need to find alternatives. From sleep or exercise to cannabis oil, these could help you Collapse
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