The ‘Vegan But Cheese’ Theory Could Make Us Happier, Therapists Say

Posted on 16/10/2026 by Boris Clair

I first saw the suggestion on TikTok, but it’s also on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). In response to people who say they’d go vegan but love cheese too much to do so, plant-based creators have a simple response: “Then go vegan, except for cheese,” TikTokers like @Maggieeatsvegan advise.

Of course, cheese doesn’t actually fit into a vegan diet. But we know that eating more plant-based foods is good for both us and the planet, and that cutting down on meat and dairy consumption, but not eliminating it altogether, could still lower our bowel cancer risk and help us to meet sustainability goals.

“Vegan but cheese” might not feel like a 100% perfect answer. However, it’s a lot better than doing nothing.

And speaking to HuffPost UK, BACP-certified therapists Susie Masterson and Eve Menzes Cunningham said there are lessons to be learned here when setting other goals, too.

“An all-or-nothing mindset is actually quite punitive”

Menzes Cunningham, who is vegan herself, said she “LOVES” the vegan but cheese theory as a way to approach personal goals. She added that a lot of her clients have an “all or nothing” mindset regarding their aspirations, which might actually hold them back.

“Focusing on… the direction you want to move in rather than [the] fraction of [your goal] that isn’t for you at the moment… is still a huge move,” she advised.

For instance, the therapist explained, she ate food outside of her usual vegan diet a couple of Christmases ago. Menzes Cunningham said her younger self might have gone back to eating meat, having seen this apparent “lapse” as a total failure – but accepting it as a “human” mistake made returning to her established eating habits easier.

Masterson agreed, saying: “Goal setting is less about achieving an outcome and more about the process of working towards something. Anticipation and quests produce dopamine, which helps us feel good about ourselves and keep[s us] motivated”.

She called our obsession with perfection quite “punitive”, adding: “I’ve met so many people who have goals: marathon, house, kids, and they feel empty.

“Because the goals don’t mean anything to them. They were for other people or for social media. Goals are not stamps to collect.”

Being kinder to yourself could make you more resilient

A review of studies previously found that self-compassion – treating yourself as you would a friend – is linked to more success and better relationships.

Menzes Cunningham says she often reminds clients of toddlers, who naturally want to grow and improve without being yelled at to crawl or walk, when advising them on how to engage with self-talk.

“Remind yourself that you’re human, notice what else is going on in your life, see what additional supports you might be able to put in place” when aiming for a goal, she said.

“Recognise that progress is soooo much better than perfection (which doesn’t exist!)”.

Masterson, meanwhile, ended: “Scientists don’t fail; they learn and pivot. In sports we get injured, but that doesn’t mean we stop training or conditioning.

“I always recommend setting intentions rather than goals. To find a rhythm and practice that enhances our lives, rather than constantly looking for another peak to climb.”

There’s A Reason Your Periods Can Get Heavier In Your 40s, Expert Says

Posted on 12/10/2026 by Boris Clair

For many women, perimenopause, or the period that leads up to menopause, begins in their 40s. This happens when your body is getting ready to stop having periods for good.

Often, the process changes your menstrual cycle. It can make your periods irregular, longer, or shorter. And it can lead to heavier periods, too.

Here, HuffPost UK spoke to Dr Ghazala Aziz-Scott, a specialist in women’s health at the Marion Gluck Clinic, to work out why this happens, what’s normal, and when you should speak to a GP.

Why do some people’s periods get heavier in their 40s?

During this decade, Dr Aziz-Scott explained that the amount of progesterone women produce during the second half of their menstrual cycle (the luteal phase) can decline.

Meanwhile, some women actually start to produce more oestrogen in perimenopause.

Progesterone “is a hormone that stabilises the endometrial lining and oestrogen has the opposite effect of stimulating the endometrial lining,” the doctor stated.

If your progesterone declines while your oestrogen rises, you might become what Dr Aziz-Scott calls “oestrogen dominant”.

This “imbalance leads to the endometrial lining being less stable and a greater blood loss”. Some people don’t ovulate at all for certain menstrual cycles during perimenopause (anovulation), which can also make periods heavier.

What is normal for periods in perimenopause?

Irregular ovulation and changes to hormones in our pituitary gland, like FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinising hormone), can make periods “erratic”, the expert advised.

The perimenopause “can go on for many years, with initially the odd anovulatory cycle to periods of amenorrhoea [having no periods at all] for several months,” she continued.

“Perimenopausal periods tend to be closer together, and much heavier; for example, a 28-day cycle might be 22 days. Periods can be clotty, and flooding may occur”.

But this can vary from woman to woman. Some might find that they see a sudden stop to their periods, “and it is also very common to have several months of no periods and experience spotting or very light bleeds”.

How can I make periods in menopause easier?

Eating well, including consuming more cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli and cabbage), milled flax seeds, and “a wide variety of colourful fruit and vegetables” might go some way towards balancing oestrogen dominance, the specialist said.

Hormonal treatments, including those which include progesterone or the Mirena coil, are “popular” among those with very heavy periods, she added.

“If periods are very heavy, medications such as mefenamic acid and tranexamic acid can reduce the blood flow while menstruating, as one of the common patterns of perimenopause is iron deficiency anaemia due to the heavy blood loss,” Dr Aziz-Scott told us.

In some cases, “a small dose of synthetic progesterone directly onto the lining of the womb [can] make periods much lighter or disappear altogether, restoring quality of life and decreasing the risk of anaemia”.

But in general, she added, you should speak to your doctor to work out what’s going on with your hormones.

When should I see a GP about heavy periods in my 40s?

The NHS said that you should see your doctor if you notice any menopause or perimenopause symptoms for the first time and want to know what you can do about them.

And Dr Aziz-Scott shared that you should speak to your GP if your periods are affecting your quality of life – you might also want to go for “education and reassurance about what is going on in your body”.

Sometimes, your doctor may prescribe appropriate treatments like mefenamic acid.

“It is also helpful to discuss any symptoms you may be experiencing and how to manage these,” the expert ended.

“Iron deficiency anaemia is a very common occurrence, and many women don’t realise this until they are really feeling unwell, with low energy, weakness and even breathlessness. So if you do have very heavy periods, checking your haemoglobin and iron levels is very important.”

‘Act Fast, Don’t Panic’: Experts Share What To Do If You Click On A Scam Link

Posted on 07/10/2026 by Boris Clair

If you’ve noticed more scam calls and increasingly convincing phishing emails recently, you’re not alone. The UK National Cybersecurity Centre (NCC) itself has said that “scams are getting smarter, and some even fool the experts”.

AI tools and voice cloning (where fraudsters use clips of someone’s voice to mimic a loved one on the phone) might make your online life feel increasingly fraught.

But what if you’ve already selected it by accident? Here, cybersecurity experts share their advice on what to do next.

General advice if you’ve clicked on a suspicious link

Tomas Stamulis, the chief security officer at digital privacy company Surfshark, said that you shouldn’t assume the worst if you’ve clicked on a suspicious link – though you should “act quickly”. In fact, all the experts we spoke to said speed matters here.

“Close the page straight away and avoid entering any personal information, passwords or payment details. If anything has downloaded or been installed, disconnect the device from the internet and run a full malware scan,” he added.

Neil Bayliss, director of IT support experts Hubtel IT, agreed that you should act immediately, but stressed you shouldn’t panic. “Scammers often count on you panicking and losing your ability to think rationally,” he explained.

And Stephen Bailey, director of client delivery at global cyber security company NCC Group, told us: “One of the biggest mistakes people make is delaying because they’re worried about admitting they clicked a link or opened an attachment.”

Both in your workplace or on a personal device, “taking action quickly can limit the damage and make it much harder for an attacker to gain further access”.

If you used, or think you might have used, a work account or device when entering your card details, contact your company’s IT team too, both Bailey and Bayliss shared.

What if I opened a link and shared my password?

Stamulis said that if you did enter some login details, change them from a “clean” device – not the one on which you received the scam email, text or call.

Start with your email address, he added, as access to your email can give hackers a path to other services via password changes. Stamulis advised using unique passwords and two-factor authentication.

Keep an eye on your bank, email, and “other important accounts for unfamiliar logins, password changes, or transactions over the following days and weeks,” he continued.

“Be particularly vigilant about unexpected calls, texts or emails offering to help with the issue, as scammers can use the situation to pose as a trusted company or support service and try to gather more information from you.”

What if I opened a link and shared financial details?

You should call your bank at once if you shared any financial information like your card or account details, stated Bayliss. “Make sure you use its official website or app, or call the contact number on the back of your card,” he said.

All the experts we spoke to said scammers might use the aftermath of a data breach to get more financial information from you, too.

Maybe your initial click on the link didn’t lead to any information they could use to directly draw money from your account.

But people should be very cautious of any unsolicited requests for credentials, financial information, or urgent action. “Instead, verify information through official channels and trusted sources before taking any action,” stated Bailey.

How can I report scam links?

Stamulis said that if the scam came via email, report it to your email provider and the National Cyber Security Centre. Don’t click on the link again, and don’t reply to the scammers.

You can also “forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and suspicious text messages to 7726 free of charge,” Bayliss said.

You can also report scam calls to 7726, per Ofcom. Just select the phone number that called you (don’t dial it), copy it and paste into a SMS message to 7726.

How can I spot scam links going forward?

“There used to be quite common signs of a scam such as spelling mistakes or suspicious-looking links, but some criminals use AI tools to create convincing and polished messages,” suggested Bayliss.

Scams have gotten more “sophisticated” but one giveaway can be a sense of urgency.

If you receive a message or call that tells you you need to take immediate action, like resetting a password or following a link, consider it suspicious.

Bayliss warned: “Don’t let yourself become pressured or lose sight of clear red flags.”

And Stamulis said you should “treat unexpected contact with caution, avoid clicking links in messages and go to the relevant website or app independently”.

“It is also worth changing any reused passwords, enabling two-factor authentication and keeping an eye out for unusual account activity or unexpected password-reset requests,” he said.

Dorothy Whipple: The ‘Forgotten’ 20th Century Author Austen Fans Will Love

Posted on 03/10/2026 by Boris Clair

Though I think Victorian novelist Elizabeth Gaskell deserves more love, I have to concede she’s not exactly obscure: her work was on my university curriculum, and her novel North & South was even adapted by the BBC.

But after picking up my first Dorothy Whipple book recently, I had my first true “how have I never heard of her?” double-take. That’s not just because of how much I enjoyed her writing, but also because she used to be a bestseller – and is now all but forgotten.

Who is Dorothy Whipple?

Born in 1893 in Blackburn, Lancashire, she was the daughter of an architect.

She finished the first of her eight successful novels in 1927, when she was 34. But Dr Cynthia Johnston, a Senior Lecturer in the History of the Book at the School of Advanced Study, University of London who is working on a biography of the interwar writer, said she’d caught the writing bug early.

Aged just 12, she started publishing work in The Blackburn Telegraph under its “children’s corner”.

Two of her “immensely popular” novels (They Knew Mr Knight and They Were Sisters) got turned into feature films, and many were Book Society Choices or Recommendations.

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This success came even though she lacked some of the social connections her contemporaries made in universities like Oxford.

Partner in Austen publishing firm, John Murray, Ronald Barnes, the Third Lord Gorrell, helped to secure her success: he published her second book High Wages, after rejections, and suggested she was quite like Austen.

This book was one of her many hits. Dorothy’s last novel, Someone At A Distance, however, was somewhat critically ignored.

What books has Dorothy Whipple written?

Her titles are:

Young Anne (1927)
Greenbanks (1932)
High Wages (1932)
They Knew Mr. Knight (1934)
The Priory (1939)
They Were Sisters (1943)
Because Of The Lockwoods (1949)
Every Good Deed (1950)
Someone at a Distance (1953)
Tale of Very Little Tortoise (1962)
The Smallest Tortoise of All (1964)
Little Hedgehog (1965)
Mrs. Puss and That Kitten (1967).

Why should I read Dorothy Whipple?

Speaking to HuffPost UK, Dr Johnston said: “I find her subjects and writing to be compelling and realistic. She has the elusive quality of ‘umputdownableness’, although she always said she was much better at character than plot.

“She is certainly ‘proto-feminist’, and her contemporary readers certainly recognised that in her writing. Readers identified with her characters; there is a realism to the novels that may have led readers both male and female to feel that these books spoke to their lived experiences.”

My first Whipple book, A Stranger at a Distance, was filled with the domestic politics and wry humour I loved as a long-time Austen reader. It was also more explicit about the work of running a house: it is clear who does all the planning and hard graft, and who sacrifices in a nuclear family.

Whipple “has a following (which apparently includes Queen Camilla), but I would argue that she is largely ‘forgotten’ by those who aren’t part of the Persephone catchment, as lovely as those readers are,” Dr Johnston added.

Publisher Persephone Books has released multiple editions of the author’s work (it’s how both Dr Johnston and I first encountered the writer).

Perhaps it’s time she was more widely recognised.

“Last year I gave a talk then held a discussion with sixth formers at Blackburn Central Library (where Whipple was from),” Dr Johnston recalled.

“We read a few of the short stories, and they absolutely loved them. So many of the female readers identified with [the] feelings of the young protagonists. I thought it was such a shame that this author, who still spoke so strongly to modern teenage readers, should be unknown to them, especially in her hometown.”

I’m already a huge fan, and can’t wait to get stuck into more of her novels.

If you’re wondering where to begin, the professor said: “I would start at the very beginning and read all eight novels, but not too quickly!

“My favourite is probably Greenbanks, but They Were Sisters is an astonishing proto-feminist work”.

Wherever you start, we doubt you’ll be able to stop.

Most Scientists Agree Alien Life Exists, Study Finds

Posted on 27/09/2026 by Boris Clair

However big you think the universe is, it’s almost certainly bigger.

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is 100,000 light-years across (one light-year is about six trillion miles).

And according to some estimates, there could be one to two billion galaxies in the universe. So perhaps it’s no wonder scientists have long wondered whether we can really be alone in that endlessness.

In fact, our intergalactic solitude seems so unlikely to some that a puzzle – the Fermi paradox – centres on its improbability. Given how statistically likely other life seems to be, it asks: where are all the aliens?

Of course, we’ve only been looking for other extraterrestrial beings since about the ’60s, and the very vastness that makes alien life so probable might also make our likelihood of meeting them next to impossible.

But a paper published in Nature Astronomy shows that most scientists agree they’re probably out there, somewhere.

What did the study show?

This research involved four surveys, all sent out to scientists like astrobiologists (those who study life outside our planet), biologists, and physicists.

These were all about “the likely existence of basic, complex, and intelligent extraterrestrial life”. That means they wanted to know whether experts thought anything from bacteria to plants or even conscious beings were probable.

When the results came back, 86.6% of astrobiologists said they “agree” or “strongly agree” that this was likely.

While 12% were more neutral on the topic, only 2% outright disagreed.

Among non-astrobiologists, meanwhile, the response was even more strongly positive. A whopping 88.4% reckoned there probably is life out there somewhere.

What about aliens, though?

“Extraterrestrial life” does not mean ET, or any other thinking, communicating being you might imagine when you hear the word “alien”. It could be as simple as a single-celled amoeba.

So it’s a good thing researchers also asked scientists how probable they thought “complex” and “intelligent” forms of life were, too.

67.4% of astrobiologists agreed this is likely, compared to 58.2% of other scientists.

Only 10.2% of astrobiologists outright disagreed that this was plausible.

These results, the study reads, “offer a snapshot of community opinion and reveal a significant degree of consensus that extraterrestrial life is likely to exist”.

Rete Ovarii: The Female Body Part Ignored For Decades May Be Key For Ovary Health

Posted on 21/09/2026 by Boris Clair

Ever heard of the “rete ovarii”?

If you answered “no”, you have every reason. Even though it was discovered and described in humans over 150 years ago (drawings of it appear in early copies of Grey’s Anatomy, an anatomy reference book that’s been running since 1858), scientists quickly dubbed it purposeless.

The structure, which lies near the ovaries, became so ignored that it was eventually removed from textbooks altogether. It was considered a “functionless vestige” of the adult ovary, meaning experts decided it was a useless evolutionary holdover.

But a study from Duke University suggests that the body part might play a role in fertility and ovarian health and maintenance for those with wombs.

While the research was conducted on mice, researchers think the findings could apply to humans too; the structure has been seen in lots of other mammals, and our sex organs develop in a manner very similar to those of a mouse.

What is the rete ovarii?

Sometimes shortened to RO, the rete ovarii is a horseshoe-shaped “network of tubules and cords” that is attached to the ovary.

As it happens, those with penises have an equivalent: the rete testis, which we know helps to transport sperm.

What does the rete ovarii do?

We don’t know yet – but new imaging technology has offered exciting suggestions which would render the rete ovarii far from useless.

The “rediscovered” rete ovarii was found to have three distinct regions in both living mice and animals’ dissected tissue:

The intraovarian rete (IOR), found in the ovary
The extraovarian rete (EOR), made up of that network of tubes we mentioned earlier
The connecting rete (CR), which joins up the IOR and CR

The EOR seems to contain and produce proteins like insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 2 (IGFBP2), which may play a role in ovary function.

And after placing fluorescent dye in the EOR, they found it seemed to propel liquid towards the ovary, too. That suggests it may have a role in how the appendage operates or maintains itself.

Not only that, but experiments pointed to the possibility that the rete ovarii might switch on genes that affect how hormone receptors work.

The paper reads: “The direct proximity of the RO to the ovary suggests that it is functionally linked to the ovary and may play an important role in ovary development and homeostasis [self-regulation].

“Based on the cell biology, transcriptome and proteome of the RO, I hypothesise that the RO acts as an antenna for the ovary and plays an important role in ovary homeostasis and fertility.”

This could prove a springboard for further studies

More research is needed to confirm or disprove that hypothesis, or indeed to find any other possible uses of the rete ovarii.

Speaking to Live Science, the study’s lead author, Dilara Anbarci, said: “There’s still so much we can’t even begin to comprehend about female anatomy.

“I hope this encourages more investigation in reevaluating what we don’t already know about the ovary.”

‘It’s Never Over’: 6 Women On The Good And Bad Of Life Post-Menopause

Posted on 15/09/2026 by Boris Clair

Menopause and perimenopause – the lead-up to losing your period, which can last for years – are linked to symptoms like hot flushes, palpitations, poor sleep, stiff joints, and many more.

All in, the entire process can take over a decade. But less is said about the next life stage – postmenopause – in which women remain for the rest of their lives.

The Cleveland Clinic points out that this is not always a neutral or symptomless state. Some menopause symptoms can continue years into postmenopause, and low oestrogen levels increase the risk of heart conditions and osteoporosis.

Postmenopause is also linked to depression, urinary incontinence, changes in sex drive, and dry skin.

Nonetheless, there are some benefits to the life stage, too.

Compared to those in menopause, women in postmenopause have better memory. In general, over-70s sleep better, and following a lull in our mid-50s, life satisfaction rates seem to rise again soon, peaking at about 69.

So what do postmenopausal women themselves say about the experience?

On Reddit’s r/Menopause, site user u/wlftn asked: “when menopause is finally over do you feel better mentally, physically?”

Here are some of the top responses:

1) It’s “different”, but symptoms are “never over” for some

For poster u/leftylibra, the experience of menopause never really felt “over”, even though she found her mood swings settled as her hormones stopped fluctuating as “wildly”.

“We are led to believe that all other symptoms stop once we reach post-menopause, and this simply isn’t true,” she wrote.

“For instance, according to Harvard Health, studies indicate that 30% of women still had hot flashes 10 to 19 years after menopause, and 20% had hot flashes more than 20 years after menopause.”

Postmenopausal symptoms, including aches, the thinning and drying of the vaginal lining, and bone and muscle loss, continue, the poster added.

She saw some benefits from lifting weights (which has been described as “critical” for maintaining muscle mass and improving bone health after menopause).

“Menopause is a time to look inward and figure out how we want to spend the next 40-50 years of our lives, and that means taking an active role in our health by managing exercise, sleep, stress, dietary needs, etc. Overall, we do feel better without the nagging cycles, but it’s a whole new different way of being,” the Redditor ended.

2) “My years of insomnia left”

Site user u/curiously71 said that her long-standing issues with sleeplessness seem to have stopped after menopause. Early postmenopause seems a particularly good period for sleep, especially compared to menopause.

But this poster added that for her, a “lack of energy and motivation” has continued three years after menopause.

One study found that “postmenopausal women endorsed higher levels of anxiety, as well as lower levels of vitality and overall mental wellbeing compared to perimenopausal women”.

Another showed that early postmenopausal women were about two to four times more likely to experience a major depressive episode than women who hadn’t experienced menopause yet.

The NHS has information on its site on how to access its mental health services.

3) “There is a sense of relief”

“I think there is a sense of relief that the ‘ride’ of peri[menopause] has concluded,” writes u/citychickindesert.

“Once you know the periods are over, for example, there is some sense of calm – there is for me anyway.”

The Cleveland Clinic notes on its site that while issues remain for some, many women feel relief from menopause symptoms during postmenopause.

4) “I feel 1000% better”

Though postmenopause can bring its own challenges, one survey showed that about 65% of women feel happier than they did before menopause.

This seems to be the case for u/HelicopterJazzLike73, who shared that leaving menopause “was like a weight being lifted from my shoulders and 30 lbs from my body.

“I feel a lot less angry, and the hot flashes are once every six months now. I’m so glad it’s over”.

5) Hormones feel more “balanced”

Redditor u/Secretvault-tH20 added, “I actually do not feel like any hormones are out of balance. The only problem I have is less tolerance to being hot.”

Some experts think changes in temperature tolerance like these are down to differences in vascular function, which is controlled in part by oestrogen.

6) “We are all different”

A now-deleted user said that for her, things did get better after menopause.

“Some symptoms may stay, but they are way less intense. My insomnia is almost gone; I get hot flashes maybe once or twice a week, but less intense,” the poster stated.

“Anxiety got… better, but [I] still sometimes feel the waves. It’s definitely better than in the midst of it.”

Still, she pointed out that everyone is “different”.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, research has her back here. The NHS says that some women will see a complete cessation of menopause symptoms once it’s done, but for others, they can remain for years.

While a high percentage of postmenopausal women say they’re happier and more confident than they’ve ever been, a notable section faces mental health issues.

Physically and mentally, the postmenopause experience can vary from person to person. The NHS says you should speak to your GP if you experience vaginal bleeding after sex and/or recurring or chronic UTIs, and if your mental health is suffering, reach out to a qualified expert.

A healthy diet, strength training, and attending scheduled screenings can also help to keep you well during postmenopause.

Doctor Shares Five Simple Daily Habits That Could Add Years To Your Life

Posted on 02/09/2026 by Boris Clair

It turns out that tiny changes – minutes more exercise, a few grams more veggies – can make a surprisingly large difference to your longevity and heart attack risk.

And Dr Dominic Greenyer, a private GP at The Health Suite, said that those lifestyle changes become medically obvious in time.

“If you followed two twins over time, you would often see clear differences in their skin, body composition, energy levels and overall health depending on how they live,” Dr Greenyer said.

“Ageing is not just about time passing. It’s about how well the body is maintained.”

Here, he shared the five factors he feels make all the difference:

1) Building and maintaining muscle

As we age, our muscles begin to wane – a process called sarcopenia. If we do nothing to maintain or build it, some research says we’re expected to lose half our muscle mass by 80.

“One of the biggest predictors of healthy ageing is muscle mass,” Dr Greenyer said.

2) Prioritising sleep and recovery

“Chronic poor sleep can accelerate ageing at a cellular level,” Dr Greenyer said.

“It affects hormones, recovery, inflammation and even visible signs like skin quality.”

Experts think that following a “7-1” sleeping rule (getting at least seven hours of sleep a night, with no more than an hour’s variance between bedtimes and wake-up times) could add years to your life.

3) Reducing inflammation through lifestyle choices

In and of itself, inflammation isn’t a problem – it can help our bodies to heal and may be an important part of muscle growth.

But “inflammaging” can occur when inflammation is chronic, and might contribute to conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and frailty.

It “is influenced by diet, stress, alcohol intake and overall lifestyle,” Dr Greenyer said.

Those who eat whole foods, stay active, and manage stress well may have less unwanted inflammation, he added.

4) Maintaining “metabolic flexibility”

This is the ability to respond well to changing metabolic demands. It allows you to switch between burning carbohydrates and fat; a more flexible metabolism is linked to better ageing.

“When this is impaired, people are more prone to energy crashes, fat gain and insulin resistance,” Dr Greenyer said. Exercise, eating well, and avoiding constant snacking may help, he added.

5) Enjoying life, in moderation

There’s lots of research to support the idea that enjoying ourselves – be it through socialising or even eating some candy – might help us to live longer.

“There is good evidence that polyphenol-rich foods such as dark chocolate can support cardiovascular health when consumed in moderation,” Dr Greenyer added. “Just as important is maintaining strong social connections, which are consistently associated with longer lifespan and better mental wellbeing.”

He ended, “The difference comes from small choices repeated over years – but they should still allow you to enjoy life.”

The Vegetable A Cardiologist Says Is ‘Underrated’ For Heart Health

Posted on 31/08/2026 by Boris Clair

It doesn’t really matter which fruit and vegetables you choose – the British Heart Foundation (BHF) says that eating at least five portions a day can lower your risk of heart and circulatory disease.

And eating roughly two servings of fruit and three of veg daily could even lead to a longer life.

But once you’ve hit those goals, the kinds of produce you choose might make a good thing even greater.

Cardiologist Dr Francesco Lo Monaco, founder of the National Heart Clinic on Harley Street and author of Heart Saviour, has shared a vegetable he deems “underrated” for heart health: beetroot.

It’s “one of those foods that looks simple, but works on your cardiovascular system in remarkable ways,” the expert said.

Here’s how:

1) Beetroot could support your blood vessels

Beetroot is high in nitrates, which our bodies turn into nitric oxide. And nitric oxide is really good at helping our blood vessels to relax and dilate.

“This means better circulation, lower blood pressure, and a healthier endothelium, the inner lining of your vessels,” the expert said.

Some small studies have linked beetroot juice consumption to lower blood pressure, though the BHF has said kale, spinach, celery, bananas, and strawberries are also high in nitrates.

2) Beetroot could help to prevent stiff arteries

“Beetroot helps your arteries stay elastic, something medications alone can’t always achieve,” Dr Lo Monaco explained.

One study, which focused on men over 60, found the result after giving them beetroot juice supplements. Again, though, the study’s lead author said: “it doesn’t need to be beetroot juice, just a good, healthy source of nitrate.

“A big green leafy salad does the same thing. The added benefit of fresh vegetables is that they also have the ability to reduce oxidative stress, another problem that increases with age.”

3) Beetroot could help the heart to recover from stress

“Beetroot can reduce the damage caused when blood flow returns to the heart after being temporarily restricted,” the cardiologist stated.

A 2014 paper found that patients who’d suffered an ischemia-reperfusion injury saw better heart function after consuming beetroot juice.

4) Beetroot could help to protect the hearts of those already at risk

“Hypertension, diabetes, inflammation, high homocysteine – beetroot supports many of the pathways that become dysfunctional in these conditions,” Dr Lo Monaco.

Among those with type 2 diabetes, eating 100g of raw beetroot a day for eight weeks was associated with better metabolic health and improved cognition. And the nitric oxide effect we mentioned earlier may make the food especially beneficial for those with high blood pressure.

So, while it should never be used to replace medication and though a balanced overall diet is still better than consuming one “superfood”, the cardiologist ended: “Beetroot actively supports vascular repair, arterial youth, and heart performance in ways most people never hear about.

“Making small changes such as this is how you improve retention and longevity.”

Researchers Warn Autism In Menopause Is A Major Overlooked Gap In Women’s Health

Posted on 30/08/2026 by Boris Clair

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about how menopause is increasingly driving women with suspected ADHD to get a formal diagnosis. The life stage can “amplify ADHD-related challenges,” Eve Lepage, a reproductive health specialist at Clue, shared with us previously. Scientists have long suspected that hormones like oestrogen can affect how ADHD presents.

But researchers only began formally tracking ADHD symptoms across women’s menstrual cycles recently, with scientists calling the much-reported issue scientifically “overlooked”.

And in an article published in Frontiers in Reproductive Health, study authors wrote that “Autistic women navigating the menopause transition face a constellation of challenges that remain critically understudied”.

Issues with body awareness, sensory overstimulation, and systemic barriers can make the experience uniquely challenging for autistic women, they added.

Here, HuffPost UK spoke to Dr Claire Agathou, a GP with a specialist interest in women’s health and the co-founder of A-Z General Practice at HCA’s The Wellington Hospital, about the topic.

How might autism affect menopause and vice versa?

Dr Agathou told us that menopause “can affect virtually every aspect of a woman’s wellbeing from sleep and mood to concentration, memory and temperature regulation – and for autistic women there may be an additional layer of complexity”.

Emerging research suggests that autistic women might experience an intensification of autistic traits during the transition – “In particular, sensory
sensitivities may become more pronounced, emotional regulation can become more difficult, and changes in sleep, concentration and executive function may have a disproportionately disruptive effect on everyday life”.

Take, for instance, a hot flush, the GP said. “For someone who already experiences heightened sensitivity to temperature, clothing or touch, it may become intensely uncomfortable or overwhelming.

“Similarly, sleep disruption and the cognitive symptoms commonly described as ‘brain fog’ may compound existing difficulties with executive function, planning or managing competing demands”.

As with women who have ADHD, Dr Agathou continued, autistic women might find it harder to “mask” their neurodivergence during menopause.

Strategies they may have spent years adopting in order to hide struggles or navigate their professional or social sphere could be harder to maintain, which may be distressing, “particularly for women who have spent much of their adult lives functioning at a very high level, some without recognising that they may have autism”.

However, the doctor stressed that not every autistic person going through menopause will necessarily have a more intense experience.

“Menopause itself varies enormously between individuals. At present,
the evidence base is relatively small, so we need to listen to women’s individual
experiences rather than make assumptions based simply on a diagnosis,” she said.

Both autism and menopause are “historically neglected” in scientific research

When asked how we can support autistic women through menopause, Dr Agathou said it’s important to recognise the experience isn’t uniform.

“Healthcare professionals should actively ask about sensory symptoms, sleep, emotional regulation, executive functioning and the impact symptoms are having on day-to-day life, rather than focusing solely on hot flushes or changes to periods,” she said, adding that clear, written explanations and avoiding info-dumping on patients might also help some women.

“We should also recognise that autistic women may describe or experience internal bodily sensations differently, which can sometimes make identifying and communicating symptoms more difficult”.

But unfortunately, she continued, the intersection of menopause and autism simply isn’t all that well-studied.

“There are two historically neglected areas intersecting here. Women have traditionally been under-recognised in autism research because our understanding of autism was largely developed from studies of boys and men.

“Many autistic women… therefore reached adulthood without a diagnosis, often becoming very skilled at masking their difficulties. At the same time, menopause itself has historically been under-researched, and, for many years, women’s symptoms were too readily normalised or dismissed,” the GP explained.

“When those two gaps overlap, it isn’t surprising that autistic women going through menopause have received relatively little attention.”

This, despite some early evidence suggesting that menopause can be especially difficult and/or have unique side effects for some autistic women.

“The key message is that we shouldn’t assume menopause looks the same for every woman,” Dr Agathou ended.

“If somebody tells us that this transition has fundamentally changed how they are able to function, we need to listen, explore why, and provide care that reflects their individual needs.”

Meanwhile, the Frontiers In Reproductive Health study argued: “As the autistic population ages, and as researchers continue to learn more about the presentation of autism in the female population, it will be imperative to support autistic females in their experience of menopause”.