Too Many Toots? What Excessive Farting Says About Your Health

Posted on 07/02/2026 by Boris Clair

Whether it happens on your postprandial fart walk, right in the middle of yoga class or while you’re sleeping, everyone — even the poshest among us — farts.

According to Dr. Satish Rao, professor of Medicine at Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia, the average person farts seven to 24 times a day.

“It’s a normal physiological phenomenon,” he said, explaining flatulence as the byproduct of fermentation in the colon.

That fermentation creates gas, which is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen and more. One surprisingly smelly fact is that more than 99% of farts are odourless, but a foul smell comes from trace sulphur compounds. Unfortunately, our noses are extremely good at detecting sulphur, even in microscopic amounts.

Once that gas is formed, Rao said there are only two options for it to escape. “Some gas will move from the lining of the colon to the bloodstream, then get exhaled by the breath,” he said. “But the other pathway out is the fart. The gas will find its way out eventually, and if you produce a lot of gas too quickly, it won’t be absorbed, but will automatically push its way out through the anus.”

In general, a few farts a day are nothing to worry about, said Dr. Cait Welsh, postdoctoral researcher from Monash University and the Hudson Institute of Medical Research. “Most of the time, the release of gas is a healthy sign that digestion and gut microbiota are happy and functioning well.”

While you produce gas all day long, you’re more likely to let ’em rip during sleep, when your anal sphincter relaxes and gas escapes more easily.

Which People Are The Gassiest?

It might be hard to think of King Charles or the Pope as real toot machines, but Rao is positive that anyone who eats food, especially carbohydrates, is going to fart at least some time during each day. And some of us are certainly more, um, productive than others, said Dr. Folasade P. May, associate professor of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles.

“People who chew a lot of gum, drink carbonated drinks or eat too quickly may swallow more air, for example, which can cause flatulence,” she said. “Other people have gut bacteria that produce more gas. Diet, how fast you digest, and medications can also change how much gas you make and pass.”

If you’re thinking that President Donald Trump is making you fart more, you might be right. (Fun fact: An old Australian slang word for a fart is a “trump.”) Stress or anxiety, about the current political climate or matters closer to home, can have an impact on how much someone farts, May said.

“Especially in people with irritable bowel syndrome or other functional gut disorders, stress can change how fast we eat and digest, making flatulence seem worse,” May explained.

Stress can increase your flatulence, according to gastro doctors.

Foods That Can Up Your Fart Count

Dr. Ed Giles, a pediatric gastroenterologist and associate professor of pediatrics at Monash University, noted that the most well-known foods to cause gas are the so-called FODMAP foods, an acronym for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols.

The key term for these carbohydrates, Giles said, is “fermentable.” That means the foods have an ability to produce gas. “They feed the bacteria in the gut and the bacteria produce the gas, including methane, which smells,” he said.

May outlined some of the worst FODMAP culprits: beans, lentils, onions, garlic, crucifers like broccoli and cabbage, and some whole grains and fruits. “If you’re lactose intolerant, consuming dairy can also increase gas production,” she said.

When To Be Concerned

Gas is concerning when it’s painful, disruptive or different from your normal pattern. If you’re regularly releasing gas more than 23 or 24 times a day and it’s causing problems, it’s worth investigating. However, some people may experience more flatulence than that and it’s still considered normal; it all depends on your diet and your personal health factors.

“The most important thing is that if excessive flatulence is persistent or accompanied by pain, weight loss, diarrhea or blood in the stool, it’s worth consulting a clinician for evaluation,” May said. “If gas is persistent or accompanied by these other warning signs, a clinician can help sort out causes.”

Some of the conditions a health care professional will want to rule out include celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, lactose or other food intolerances, pancreatic enzyme insufficiency and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Connective tissue disorders like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and other diseases like multiple sclerosis also come with increased flatulence.

You might be asked to keep a food journal and, yes, even count the number of farts you produce each day. Luckily, there are now several apps to help you do this, including Gaslog, FlareCare, Gutly and Vitalis. These apps aren’t medical diagnostic tools, but might help you spot patterns in how your diet and lifestyle contribute to gas symptoms.

And just keep in mind that everyone — every single one of us — has experienced an ill-timed fart, and lived to tell the tale. So unless your gas comes with pain or surprises, you’re probably just doing what everyone else is doing, too.

A Couple Asked Me To Help End Their Marriage. They Didn’t Expect A 30-Year-Old Secret To Come To Light.

Posted on 07/02/2026 by Boris Clair

“You made a sex tape?!”

Susannah turned to her husband, Ron, mouth agape. He looked down, his cheeks reddening.

“It was right after college. I was experimenting,” he mumbled, twisting in his seat. “No big deal.”

As a couples therapist, I am always looking for how to mend the frayed edges of a relationship, but Susannah and Ron were different: they had come to my office to end their marriage.

I practice what I call breakup therapy — a short-term treatment I developed for couples who want to end their relationships without bitterness.

The premise is counterintuitive: instead of looking forward toward separate futures, we look backward at the relationship itself. It’s structured to look at the beginning, middle and end of their time together with exercises that focus on both their gratitude as well as their resentment.

The work culminates with the couple crafting a shared narrative about their union and literally writing it down – a story of what worked and ultimately what did not. Then, I ask them to sign it. In this way, they resolve the many unanswered, and often unasked, questions that can trap couples in recriminations and keep them from moving on.

The idea was born from my own bitter divorce. After my split, I was plagued by questions that repeated on an endless loop in my brain: “What was I thinking?”; “Why didn’t I see that red flag?”; “What is wrong with me – I’m a therapist and I should have seen what was happening.”

Then, one day, my therapist asked me a different question: who was I when I decided to marry? Suddenly, my internal feedback loop stopped.

“You’re asking me who I was, not why I married him?” I said, skeptically.

“Yes, I am,” she answered. “Marriages can be as much about identity as they are about a union. What were you trying to solve — or avoid — by marrying him?”

The question unlocked something for me. I’d been full of anger at myself, but I hadn’t really taken responsibility for my own actions. With her help, I crafted a story that I could hold onto about what function the marriage had served for me. Truly owning my choices helped me have more compassion for myself and less anger. The most startling realisation? When I had created a story that hung together, the nagging questions ended for good.

I have seen this same process unfold for many couples. But often, in the course of these sessions, new things surface.

“Susannah?” I said, surprised to hear the hurt in her voice. “This feels like a big deal for you. Why is that?”

Ron and Susannah had not been the most willing subjects for breakup therapy. During our first session, Ron blurted out: “You’re like a medical examiner doing autopsies on dead relationships! Your scalpel hurts. I don’t think you know what it feels like to be humiliated.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” I answered softly. “I have a teenager.”

Ron was not mollified.

“This feels stupid,” he said on another occasion. “She’s done, I accept that. What is there to say? This feels like horseshit.”

“See what I’m working with here?” Susannah said, throwing up her hands and shifting away from Ron on the couch. “I knew he wouldn’t take this seriously.”

“No, he’s right,” I said. “If it’s really true that you fully accept and understand her decision, Ron, then this is horseshit. But is that true?”

His silence was all the answer I needed.

Over the next few sessions, we went over how they’d fallen in love (“It just made sense, we fit”); the birth of their three children (“The unit held us together”); the unraveling of their connection (“We were ships in the night for as long as I can remember, but then one day I woke up and just wanted more from life”).

We mapped the patterns their marriage had fallen into over the course of three houses, two cross-country moves and their children’s exodus from home. It was a saga spanning decades.

Then, in our fourth session, Ron mentioned the sex tape.

“Something about this is landing hard on you,” I said to Susannah, her mouth still ajar. “Why?”

“Yeah, why?” Ron echoed.

Susannah paused and looked out the window.

“It’s that you … you tried something that – I don’t know – was out there … bold and different.”

A tear welled in a corner of her eye.

“It’s not you. You’re not brave! Or, at least you haven’t been with me, not in all these years together.”

Then she began to cry. Ron and I looked at one another.

“Susannah?” Instantly, I regretted breaking the silence.

“All this time, I decided you just couldn’t try new things,” she managed after a while. “I gave up.”

Ron put up his palms. “What is happening?” he said, exasperated.

“But if you can do that …” she continued. “What was it? Did I just not ask? Did I build my life around a lie?” She looked lost. “Was it that you never really loved me enough?”

She turned back to Ron and banged her fist on the couch.

“I did ask! I asked you to look at porn together when we stopped having sex, to take classes with me, to go on that whale-watching tour. … You just ignored me!”

This time, I held my tongue.

“Is that a thing?” she went on, turning to me. “That you can reach the end of a relationship and not even have known what was possible?”

“I made that tape 30 years ago,” Ron blurted out. “She’s upset over something I did when I was a totally different person!”

This was the impasse that I had expected, that arrives in most of my breakup therapy work – the moment when two people realise that as well as they think they know each other, there are things they don’t know or have lost track of. It’s my job to help them hold that bitter realisation. Then it’s my job to help them arrive at forgiveness or some kind of reconciliation – if not with each other, then with what happened to them.

“It was 30 years ago, Ron,” I said. “But you aren’t a different person. You’re the same person, and she’s wondering why you couldn’t have been that with her.”

I turned to Susannah and said, “You have a right to be hurt, but were you truly honest with him? Did you give him the space and the safety and the encouragement to be that person? Do you think you both can forgive each other for what you weren’t?”

It was three weeks before they appeared again in my office, having canceled two sessions in between appointments.

“I was stirred and moved by what happened here last time,” Susannah began. “When we left, I thought: Maybe there’s enough left between us?”

Ron’s eyes were downcast.

“But I realised I can’t,” she said. “I just can’t open up that part of me with him anymore. I want … I need this divorce.”

I nodded. “Ron? How do you feel?”

“I can see where we are … I’m not fighting it.” His voice broke. “I’m just really sad.”

Often it requires some kind of shock to break through the built-up layers of anger, resentment and disappointment in a couple in order to illuminate the cracks in their relationship – something true that has been avoided or left unsaid. In this case, it was the surprise of an ancient transgressive act that lay bare how little they knew each other and how misaligned they’d become.

Susannah moved closer to Ron on the couch and laced her fingers with his.

“You guys seem calmer – closer. Tell me what you are feeling,” I said.

I knew something about that calm after the storm. After my own divorce, we had maintained an uneasy truce for years, until one long car ride after dropping our daughter at camp. As we rode in silence, I suddenly remembered my therapist’s question: Who was I when I decided to get married? For the next two hours, we talked over that question and everything else, and together realised how lonely we had been — two Israelis who, instead of understanding why we had both chosen to leave, had clung to each other and to a shared language. Before long, we were laughing as we had not laughed since the early days of our marriage.

“So, where do we go from here?” Ron asked me in their last session.

“Well, in my experience, when a marriage ends, a different relationship can sometimes be created,” I said. “That’s up to you guys. All endings are sad, but not all endings have to leave you broken. There’s an opportunity here to get to know each other in a different way. And …” I leaned forward to make eye contact with each of them “… to know yourselves better.”

After they left, I sat quietly in my chair for a while. I allowed myself to remember that moment in my therapist’s office when I realised that I had been using my marriage to escape a question I had been avoiding and what a relief it had been to finally face it.

When a sex tape from decades ago unlocks two people’s grief, it’s not so much about the end of the road as it is about the roads never taken – the versions of a marriage they never tried. It is a sad moment, but also a generative one.

They’d come to me to bury their marriage. What they found instead was a way to know each other – maybe for the first time in years – even as they said goodbye.

Note: Names and some details have been changed to protect the identities of the individuals appearing in this essay.

Sarah Gundle, Psy.D., is a psychologist in private practice and an assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center. She is currently writing a book about breakups. You can find her on Instagram @dear_dr_sarah.

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Sick Of Waiting For A Wedding, Single People Are ‘Solo Honeymooning’

Posted on 06/02/2026 by Boris Clair

I’m going to be honest: I find travelling with other people pretty draining.

There’s the compromise. There’s constantly being “on”. There’s the horrifying prospect of someone you love seeing you at your post-airport worst, and the nightmarish possibility of being expected to talk on a plane.

So I’ll admit I’m sympathetic with TikTok’s “solo honeymoon” trend, which cuts arguments, different itineraries, and “active vs resting” holiday discrepancies completely out of the question.

Instead, “solo honeymooners” – often single people who are sick of waiting ’til they find a spouse to enjoy their dream honeymoon – are taking matters into their own hands.

Here, experts from TrustedHousesitters shared how to achieve the perfect one.

What is a “solo honeymoon”?

It’s basically booking a holiday by yourself, but the term seems to have helped some TikTokers to navigate the feelings and motives behind solo travel.

In one video, an app user said she’s calling her trip to Bali a solo honeymoon because “while I’m not married to a human being, I am kind of married to my work”.

She decided to give herself a break after closing an important business project.

Yet another person said they were “travelling to a honeymoon destination as a very single person” because “you don’t have to wait until you’re in a relationship to go somewhere”.

He added, “I never thought I’d be here single, but here I am”.

“Let’s normalise single people taking themselves on a honeymoon,” a separate video stated.

Commenters often said they wish they’d felt OK doing something like that sooner. “I should’ve done this after I finished my master’s degree,” an app user wrote: “You have no idea how you have encouraged me to do let go of the fear and do this,” another stated.

And in response to a TikToker’s video about taking a safari trip for her “solo honeymoon,” a commenter wrote, “This was my honeymoon idea, and now I’m like F it I need to go.”

How can I plan a “solo honeymoon”?

Trusted Housesitter advised people seeking a “solo honeymoon” to consider the following:

Checking flight times: “For those who love sitting back for a long time with a book, make the most of the solo flying time and travel long haul, but if you’re a little more on the nervous side, choose a shorter, familiar route to start your me-moon stress-free.”
Checking the area’s safety: “Make sure to research ahead and make sure where you head to has good contact points.”
Planning activities in advance: “Many activities are designed for couples or groups. So make sure you won’t face extra costs, and don’t be deterred if something is marketed primarily to pairs or groups; you can still participate and enjoy the experience.”
Not worrying about others’ expectations: “Plan activities that support your own well-being. Whether it’s spa treatments, meditation sessions, hiking, or simply time to read and reflect, tailor your itinerary around what makes you feel recharged and happy.”
Choosing accommodation carefully: “Think about the type of place you want to stay and whether it will enhance your self-care.”

I Just Learned You Can Subscribe To Dyson Stylers From £6.24 A Month, And I’m Sprinting To The Checkout

Posted on 04/02/2026 by Boris Clair

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI – prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

Look, I am human, and I have a lot of hair. That can only mean one thing: like millions of style-conscious people before me, I covet every Dyson styler on the market.

Mind I say “covet,” and not “own”. That’s because the brand’s offerings are notoriously on the pricier side, and while my colleagues assure me it’s worth it, I’d rather not pony up that much cash upfront if I can help it.

So you can imagine how excited I was to read that refurbished tech company Raylo is currently allowing customers to subscribe to quality-checked, refurbished Dyson products, including the Dyson Corrale, from as little as £6.49 a month.

Less money upfront, and less waste? I’m sold (and so, it seems, are the 20,700+ reviewers who gave Raylo a 4.5-star average rating on Trustpilot).

You can pick from 12-month, 24-month, 36-month, and rolling monthly subscriptions. And when your set period runs out, you can choose to upgrade, renew your subscription, or return the device.

Personally, I’ve got my beady eye on the Corrale straightener, which is the only kind that has flexible copper plates which gather your hair together for better control.

It uses less damaging heat on your hair and is completely cord-free (like all refurbished Dyson products on Raylo, it’s rigorously checked to ensure it meets the company’s famously high standards).

Not bad for as low as £6.24 a month, eh?

But that’s not the only styler on the site. You can also nab a refurbished Dyson Supersonic hair dryer, which people who usually find drying their hair a plan-cancel-worthy ordeal have probably craved for years, from £6.66 a month.

And it’s not just styling products: snap up a refurbished Dyson V11 cordless vacuum from £6.99 a month, or a refurbished Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool purifying fan heater from £8.16 a month.

BRB, just reaching for my card…

Autism Goes Undiagnosed In About 90% Of Over-40s. I Asked Experts How To Spot It

Posted on 03/02/2026 by Boris Clair

You might have heard that autism diagnoses are on the rise in the UK. Some even argue it’s being “overdiagnosed”.

But the National Autistic Society says that about 750,000 autistic adults in the UK remain undiagnosed. And a 2025 review estimated that 89% of autistic adults over 40 remain undiagnosed, with that figure rising to 96% for over-60s.

Here, HuffPost UK spoke to the review’s author, research fellow and co-leader of the ReSpect Lab, Dr Gavin Stewart, about why those numbers might be so high, and how autism might show up among older adults.

Why are these numbers so high?

Dr Stewart said that in his research, an overwhelming majority of autistic people aged 40 and older remained undiagnosed.

He explained that there are “many reasons” for that.

“First, the diagnostic criteria for autism have greatly evolved over the past several decades. It was originally conceptualised with very narrow diagnostic criteria,” he said.

“This meant that it was a rare condition, affecting around 1 in 3,000 people in the 1960s.”

But as our understanding of autism expanded, he said, so too did the diagnostic criteria; autism is now recognised as a “spectrum affecting around 1 in 100 to 1 in 33 people.

“This means that many middle-aged and older people were likely overlooked when they were young as they did not fit the narrow diagnostic criteria being used at the time.”

Some members of this group, however, can go on to get a diagnosis under the new criteria, he added.

Why does it matter if people stay undiagnosed into older age?

Having autism without realising it can affect people’s lives in many ways, the study author told us.

“For some, it might mean that they are not able to access help and support that would be available to them if they did have a diagnosis. For example, autistic people often benefit from additional support while as a child in school, or as an adult when in higher education or in employment.”

Their physical health might be affected, too.

“Autistic people often have more complex health support needs, including age-related health conditions as they get older. While accommodations can be made to make healthcare more accessible for autistic people, if the person has not been recognised,” Dr Stewart said.

And a lack of tailored support can take its toll on autistic people’s mental health, too.

“They are more likely to become socially isolated and have poorer well-being, which in turn can lead them to be more susceptible to periods of crisis like suicide.”

What are some signs of undiagnosed autism in over-40s?

Some signs of autism are “common” among both diagnosed and undiagnosed autistic people, said Dr Stewart.

These can include:

1) Social difficulties

“In social situations, an autistic person might find it hard to read what other people are thinking or feeling, and they might struggle to tell when someone is joking or being sarcastic.

“Making and maintaining friendships can feel effortful, and people might
perceive them as being quite blunt or uninterested without meaning to. This might make them feel quite anxious and uncertain in social situations, meaning they prefer to be on their own.”

2) Very consistent and rigid routines

“In daily routines, an autistic person might have a strong preference for sameness, so doing things the same way every time, and when things change, it can be quite distressing,” said Dr Stewart.

3) Special interests

“They may also have very focused interests, which can be beneficial for
some but not always.”

4) Becoming overwhelmed and/or overstimulated often

“They may also find certain sensory environments quite
overwhelming, and notice details that many other people do not, like the way a room smells or the buzzing of overhead lights.”

Dr Stewart noted that some autistic people, especially women, will have learned to “mask”, meaning they “have learned to hide parts of themselves to fit in
better, but this is an effortful process and can have an impact on their wellbeing.”

What if I think I have autism?

Dr Stewart advised speaking to a healthcare professional, like a GP, if you think you might have autism and want to explore an assessment.

“There are also charities and organisations, like the National Autistic Society in the UK, who can provide information about accessing autism assessments as an adult,” he added.

You can reach out to the National Autistic Society through this link.

6 Signs An Oncologist Says Under-50s Should Never Ignore

Posted on 02/02/2026 by Boris Clair

Between the ’90s and late 2010s, early-onset cancer diagnoses – those given to people aged between 25 and 49 – rose by 22%.

About 90% of cancers still affect those over 50. But, Dr Jiri Kubes, radiation oncologist and medical director at the Proton Therapy Centre in Prague, said: “We are seeing far more younger patients than we would have expected a decade ago.

“The issue isn’t just that cancers are appearing earlier – it’s that symptoms are often subtle, and many people don’t think cancer is something that could affect them at this age.”

Here, he shared the signs people under 50 should look out for.

What symptoms should people under 50 check for?

Dr Kubes said “persistent changes are what matter”.

“Ongoing digestive issues, unexplained weight loss, unusual lumps, changes in bowel habits or fatigue that doesn’t improve should never be ignored – even in your 20s or 30s.”

He added that often, persistence can matter more than severity: “If something lasts weeks rather than days, it deserves attention.”

He warned to keep an eye out for:

Persistent changes in bowel habits
Unexplained weight loss
Ongoing fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest
Lumps or swelling that doesn’t go away
Frequent headaches or neurological changes
Unusual bleeding or pain that persists.

Dr Kubes added: “Many early cancers are painless. Waiting for pain before acting is one of the biggest mistakes people make.”

Why might some cancers be developing sooner?

We don’t know for sure. But Dr Kubes said modern life has changed “dramatically”.

“Sedentary behaviour, poor sleep, ultra-processed foods, obesity and chronic inflammation are all being studied as possible contributors,” he explained.

But, he added, the point isn’t to create panic. “The goal is awareness, not fear,” he stated.

“When cancers are detected early, treatment is usually simpler, more effective and far less disruptive to quality of life… that’s especially important for younger patients who have decades of life ahead of them.”

What should I do if I think I have one of these symptoms?

Dr Kubes said it’s a good idea to trust your instincts if you feel something is off.

“If something feels wrong and it doesn’t go away, get it checked… being proactive is not overreacting. Early action saves lives.”

After all, he added, early detection is key: “Cancer is no longer just an older person’s disease – but early detection means outcomes have never been better.”

This Trend Is Exploding Among Millennials And Gen Z – And Honestly, It’s Worth Celebrating

Posted on 31/01/2026 by Boris Clair

As more research emerges about the harmful health effects of alcohol, fewer people – namely, younger people – are consuming it.

According to a 2025 Gallup poll, 54% of American adults say they drink, the lowest percentage since Gallup started polling.

With fewer folks relying on alcohol as a social lubricant, a healthier way to interact with others has gained traction. Enter “daylife”, a term coined by the fitness social app Sweatpals.

“Daylife” refers to daytime social outings involving alcohol-free fitness as a way to meet new people with similar interests.

“It’s just the concept of using wellness, using movement as a way to meet, as a way to get entertainment and to socialise, versus relying on alcohol,” Sweatpals co-founder Salar Shahini told HuffPost.

People are certainly still using alcohol-fuelled gatherings to meet new people, whether at a happy hour or a full-on party. But it’s less popular among young millennials and members of Gen Z as they drink less than older generations.

Shahini thinks this shift is partly due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “During Covid, all we could do for a few years was get together outside and just move and work out.”

For younger generations, that type of activity became the norm, Shahini said. During the pandemic, at-home fitness equipment and at-home fitness apps also surged in popularity.

But now, community-based fitness such as Hyrox competitions (which are commonly team-based) and run clubs are only becoming more popular – proof that people are looking for community.

“And we’re going to see more of that,” Shahini predicted.

More and more young people are turning to social gatherings that don't center alcohol. — More and more young people are turning to social gatherings that don’t center alcohol.

“Daylife” allows people to make new friends without centering alcohol

People who are drawn to daylife-aligned activities want to meet people and want to go out, but don’t want social gatherings to be centered on drinking, according to Shahini.

Research shows that alcohol consumption is linked to a higher risk of cancer, including colorectal cancer and breast cancer and an increased risk of dementia.

Beyond the health impacts, Kathryn Cross, a licensed professional counsellor with Thriveworks in Atlanta, said people are avoiding alcohol for its mental health impact, too.

“We are seeing that people are starting to prioritise other activities and other forms of socialisation just because we are in a season where everybody, for different reasons, is feeling heavy and alcohol tends to highlight heaviness in many different ways,” Cross said, “whether that’s aggression, irritability, sadness, it kind of traps people in their mind a little bit, and people are trying to find a better outlet for being so internalised in their thoughts.”

Shahini added that people are aware of the side effects of drinking alcohol – hangovers, bad sleep, getting drunk, bad decisions – which is also leading this shift.

Movement-based social gatherings lead to feelings of joy and accomplishment

“When you work out and feel that high that comes from working out … you keep feeling better. I think that’s much more interesting,” Shahini said.

People want to take care of themselves, he noted, which is a major feature of the run clubs, Pilates classes and other fitness activities that are booming in popularity right now. And while exercise helps you build muscle, bone strength and cardiovascular fitness, it also has measurable mental health benefits.

“Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, the feel-good hormones in your body, which would help reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression,” Cross said.

Joining a fitness class or run club to meet people already gives you a baseline level of connection

If you go to a certain gym or certain fitness club, you already have something in common with the other people there, Shahini said. You have similar fitness interests and you probably live in the same area.

This makes it easier to build a friendship with someone. Think about it: You can bring up your latest workout or your new fitness goal with another person who understands the kinds of workouts you do.

Social connections help us feel less isolated, Cross added, which is necessary in a country that has an epidemic of isolation and loneliness.

If you want to try out daylife, start with gyms in your area – sign up for classes on the same day and time each week so you eventually get to know the people who go to the gym then. You can also look at local groups on Facebook to learn more about local Pilates groups, running clubs and more, Cross noted.

When you do eventually make it out to one of these fitness groups, don’t be nervous about meeting or talking to new people. As mentioned above, you already have something in common.

Plus, “everyone is looking for an opportunity to feel seen by others, and everyone could use connections,” said Cross.

Help and support:

How To Tell If Rice Is Perfectly Cooked With A Single Glance

Posted on 31/01/2026 by Boris Clair

Cooking rice sounds easy, but making it truly perfect is surprisingly challenging.

Experts say that rinsing the grains, picking great varieties, and even cooking rice in the oven can help you to achieve fluffy bliss at home.

But even though I pride myself on my stovetop method, which took years to perfect, I still sometimes find that the side is more or less cooked than I expected after completing the absorption method.

This involves letting rice steam in a lidded pot with the hob turned off for at least 10 minutes after all the water has boiled out of the pan.

According to one chef, though, a simple sight test can confirm whether your rice is perfectly cooked or not.

If rice stands up, it’s perfectly cooked, says chef

Sometimes, once the water has cooked away, I notice that the grains of rice in my saucepan all “stand up” at the top, as if they’re looking up at me.

According to chef and teacher Erica Wides, that’s a sign it’s been perfectly steamed.

Like me, she lets the rice sit for 10 minutes after cooking it, so that the steam trapped under the lid makes it “fluffy”.

Once it was done, she showed her Instagram followers a pan full of rice which, also like mine, seemed to be standing on its end.

“You see how these rice grains are actually standing up, like, at attention?” she said. “That’s how you know that this is properly-cooked rice.”

It likely happens when the grains are steamed at the end of cooking. However, it’s not the only way to test its doneness.

How else can I tell if rice is cooked?

If you ask the late Julia Child, the secret lies under the channels (gaps) that steam makes in the rice as it cooks.

In a video showcasing the technique, she previously said: “If you notice, there are those little holes… but you can still see… liquid” at their base when the rice isn’t cooked.

But, she added, when the rice is done, you can “lift up an edge [of rice] and tilt the pan, and if there’s no liquid there” that means it’s good to go.

BBC Good Food, meanwhile, advises: “Check the rice is cooked at the end by trying a grain – this should also be indicated by the appearance of small holes on the surface and all the water having been absorbed.”

New Twice-Yearly Injections May ‘Help Millions’ With High Blood Pressure

Posted on 30/01/2026 by Boris Clair

As part of a global trial called KARDIA-2, researchers injected people with hard-to-treat high blood pressure with a medication called zilebesiran.

This is designed to be administered every six months.

It was given to 663 people with poorly-managed hypertension (high blood pressure) alongside their existing treatment.

The participants’ hypertension was not well managed with their existing medication.

The results, published in JAMA Network, suggest these injections may have the potential to “help millions with high blood pressure”, Queen Mary University of London, whose researchers led the study, said.

What did the injections do?

In this study, participants were given a dose of zilebesiran alongside their usual treatment.

Zilebesiran stops the production of a protein called angiotensinogen in the liver. Blocking that protein helps blood vessels to relax, thus lowering blood pressure.

The hypertension of the participants in this study was better-managed with the assistance of angiotensinogen injections alongside the “normal” medication, which, for one reason or another, was not working optimally for them.

The drug, which is far longer-lasting than medication which patients may have to take daily, matters because blood pressure is both hard to spot and vital to consistently treat.

It can lead to heart attacks and strokes if left unmanaged. It usually has no symptoms and is “very common,” the NHS said.

It affects about one in three UK adults.

What’s next?

KARDIA-3, a follow-up project, will investigate the effects of zilebesiran on people with high blood pressure and established cardiovascular disease, as well as people at risk of heart conditions.

And a large global outcomes study is set later this year to see how it affects stroke, heart disease, and cardiovascular event risk.

The study’s lead investigator, Dr Manish Saxena, said: “Hypertension is a global health concern as blood pressure control rates remain poor and is a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.

“This study demonstrates the efficacy and safety of zilebesiran when added to commonly used first-line blood pressure-lowering drugs. The novelty of this treatment is its long duration; giving just one injection every six months could help millions of patients to better manage their condition.”

Ask A Pharmacist: Why Does My Cold Keep Coming Back?

Posted on 29/01/2026 by Boris Clair

Cold and flu season is miserable enough without raised norovirus cases and talk of “super flu”.

In fact, I know three people who’ve had colds on and off for the past two months or so – just as it seems to get better, new symptoms start to reappear.

Speaking to HuffPost UK previously, Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor, said it’s quite common to see “a combination of genuine influenza, circulating Covid-19 variants, RSV, and other viral illnesses that overlap in symptoms and timing”.

Here, the superintendent pharmacist and director of Pyramid Pharmacy Group, Amir Bhogal, explains why colds can recur and what to do about it.

1) Chronic stress

Stress can wreak havoc on your immune system, the pharmacist said.

“When you’re under sustained pressure, your body produces elevated levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that actively suppresses your immune response. This reduces the production of white blood cells responsible for fighting infections, making them less effective at responding to threats.

“Due to this, you can become more susceptible to catching colds, and your body may struggle to clear infections once they’ve taken hold.”

If possible, try to rest and de-stress if your colds keep coming back.

2) Poor sleep

Sleep is key to recovery, Bhogal added.

“During deep sleep, your body increases production of cytokines, proteins that play a central role in immune function and inflammation control,” he explained.

“When you’re sleep deprived, this process doesn’t happen properly. Instead, your immune response weakens, and your body loses the opportunity to repair itself. In reality, pushing through a cold whilst maintaining your normal schedule can prolong your symptoms and make it harder for your body to recover fully.”

Getting seven to nine hours of sleep is crucial, if you can – try “painkillers, saline rinses, or throat lozenges” if symptoms keep you up at night.

3) Smoking

This not only affects your immune system, the expert said, but also “compromises lung function, making it harder for your body to clear infections”.

Additionally, “smokers typically experience worse symptoms and longer recovery times”.

Immune system recovery happens impressively quickly after quitting smoking, he added.

“When you’re ready to quit, some pharmacies, such as Pyramid Pharmacy Group, offer smoking cessation services which typically include nicotine replacement therapy as well as ongoing support for those who are struggling with withdrawals.”

4) Booze

Alcohol also harms your immune system. “It reduces the activity of key immune cells involved in fighting infections, while also contributing to dehydration and disrupted sleep, both of which are essential for recovery,” Bhogal said.

Even a little drinking can have an outsized impact, he added, so try to rein it in when you’re not feeling the best.

5) Close contact environments

Parents are all too aware how easily diseases spread in close contact environments like schools and nurseries.

This is true, Bhogal said, for places like open-plan offices too.

“If you’re regularly exposed to others who are unwell, you’re at higher risk of catching successive colds, rather than dealing with one persistent infection,” he said.

To avoid this, make sure to practise good hand hygiene, keep your distance from visibly unwell people, and stay home if you’re sick yourself.

6) Underlying health conditions

Sometimes, recurring colds can signal something else is going on with your immune system, said Bhogal.

“Immunocompromised individuals are more susceptible to infections and may take longer to recover. Beyond that, viral infections can also lead to secondary bacterial infections like acute bronchitis or sinus infections, which require different treatment approaches,” he said.

“If your symptoms aren’t improving after two weeks, seeking guidance from a qualified medical professional is sensible. They can rule out complications and identify underlying causes of repeat infection.”