Category Archive

Mindfulness is a word of our times but how many people know what it means? And even fewer would know how to practise it. So what exactly is it? I try to use mindfulness when I can, in a very simple form … Read More

Early diagnosis is key to survival from cancer – allowing quicker treatment, better outcomes and fewer deaths. This is especially true for lung cancer. About 47,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer in the UK every year, 41,000 of who … Read More

Portugal sets an example we could all learn from. Drugs aren’t legal in Portugal but drug users aren’t treated as criminals. In 2001, possessing up to 10 days’ supply of any drugs, including heroin, became a civil rather than a criminal … Read More

Standing up at my desk with my laptop on a trestle means I stand for several hours a day. I’m not sure that it does me any good, but tell you what, it’s better than sitting at a desk. Too … Read More

You might think vegetarians, since they don’t eat meat, are automatically healthier than meat-eaters. Not necessarily so according to new research reported in the British ­Medical Journal. The study shows vegetarians have a higher risk of stroke but a lower … Read More

Recently I wrote about how too little sleep disrupted the body’s internal clock which upsets our metabolism. Now a new study suggests that even if we’re getting enough sleep in terms of hours, irregular sleep can also send it haywire. … Read More

About six million people in this country take statins and I’m one of them. I was started on mine even though I had no heart symptoms. It was a precaution, for a slightly raised cholesterol level, and I’m glad I was. We … Read More

Years ago when I was writing a book, Everywoman’s Lifeguide, and was comparing the ­happiness achieved for ­different life ­options, I came across research that said marriage was bad for women. It made them unhappy. For women, I thought, marriage … Read More

Backache is common to most pregnancies as numerous women will attest, particularly in the last three months when a woman’s body is gearing up to give birth. This backache is due, in large part, to the joints of the pelvis … Read More

Chronic peripheral  nerve pain can ruin your life. The unremitting agony can replace all thought. Though I haven’t suffered it I have witnessed it at close hand. My sister, in common with many people who suffer long-term pain, sustained a … Read More