Most people realise that what we eat can make us feel unhappy. But is the opposite true? Can eating so-called happy foods give us a lift? In mulling over that puzzler I remember the first time I learned that turkey was a mood enhancer … Read More
Beer can cut the risk of having a stroke and developing heart disease
We’ve all heard about the health benefits of tea, coffee, chocolate, red wine, some only half true, but what would you say if you heard that beer – the cause of unhealthy beer belly – could be good for you? Pull the … Read More
It’s possible to snack but remain on track with healthy alternatives
We all find it difficult to resist snacking – crisps in the office drawer, biscuits in the car, chocolate watching the telly. So much so that we’re now officially a nation of snackers and, boy, it’s bad for our health. … Read More
HIV-positive men can safely father children with sperm washing technique
I lived through the worst of the AIDS epidemic, starting in the early 1980s in San Francisco. I knew friends who succumbed in front of my eyes and now it’s hard to imagine the hysteria that surrounded the illness. Well, … Read More
Offering hugs and friendly touches is a primal instinct we should embrace
We all love hugs. I know I do. And when we see someone we know is distressed, our immediate reaction is often an empathetic “come here and have a hug”. This need for physical comfort is deeply ingrained in us. … Read More
UK view on cannabis is harming medicine and forcing the sick to break the law
Cannabis should be legalised – for medical use at least. I had a friend with MS who got great relief from muscle spasms by smoking grass – but she was forced to get her supply from a drug dealer. I thought … Read More
Get off your phone for your children’s sake
Does it surprise you when children behave badly if their parents are distracted by a smartphone? Me neither. But now we have a sophisticated study that shows us just how much we adults play into the hands of our children when … Read More
Hot is no better than cold for cleaning hands and antibacterial soap is no better than normal soap
Last year England’s deputy chief medical officer said no one spends long enough washing their hands. Dr Gina Radford said each wash should take around 45 seconds – as long as one verse of “God Save the Queen”. And that you … Read More
Crinkle cut your portions by using a wavy plate
One way of eating less is to serve your food on small plates. Even those of us who like to clean our plates would eat less if we used a smaller plate. A variation on this theme is a crinkly plate. This … Read More
Don’t be like Gwyneth Paltrow when it comes to your vagina and resist wasp nest quackery
Some people are prepared to do things to their bodies that are unproven, verging on crazy, and even downright dangerous. Vaginal steaming, touted by Gwyneth Paltrow, springs to mind. But here’s yet another idiotic fashion – again aimed at the vagina … Read More