One day, when I was 9 years old, I hopped on my bike with my friend Simon. We cycled down the road, then took a shortcut through a gap in the fence. This took us on a winding trail on the edge of an old industrial area that had been reclaimed by nature. The path was hugely overgrown on either side, so we had to be careful of nettles and thorns. At one point, I remember stopping on my bike…
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There was a story that did the media rounds a few weeks back, based on a new report by consumer magazine, Which? I read it in The Times, but it was replicated elsewhere online, so you probably spotted it, too. The original report was headlined, ‘The health products you don’t need.’ As you can imagine, I was eager to find out what the verdict was! The Which? report begins, “From rosemary hair oil that suggests it can cure hair loss…
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The other day I was sent a link to a groundbreaking study by Plant & Food Research. It has revealed something special about New Zealand’s mānuka honey and the trees it comes from. Turns out that the mānuka from New Zealand is not only unique in its genetic makeup… But it also significantly different from varieties found in other regions, such as Australia. This is crucial when thinking abouut its health benefits. Because if you want to all those famous…
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What do the following people have in common…? The Dalai Lama Eric Clapton Jack Black Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. Marilyn Monroe. Any ideas? They’ve all had their gallbladders removed. Eek. Marilyn Monroe’s operation caused a massive scar, which she had during filming of her final movie, Something’s Got To Give. Footage photo from the film was retouched to remove the scar – but then she was fired from production and the film was binned. It’s never pretty when you…
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My son was home the other day with his girlfriend and for some reason he felt the urge to get out the old family album. I do like seeing pics of the kids when they were young. But seeing my old self can causes me a pinch of sadness. On those pages are the images of a happy dad cradling his bundles of joy; clear skinned, flat bellied and with a full head of hair. Twenty-five years ago I was…
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Have you ever heard of a ‘Karen’? It’s a derogatory term dished out to middle-class women who are excessively demanding. The kind that become visibly enraged by poor service… Who are relentlessly pushy in all situations… Who demand to speak to the manager… And whose behaviour goes way beyond what is deemed appropriate in public situations. Some people say that the term ‘Karen’ is sexist, and smacks of women being expected to behave in a constrained way (for example, wind…
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