“There are around 7.6 million people living with heart and circulatory diseases in the UK,” the British Heart Foundation writes ― around four million men and 3.6 million women.
“We estimate that in the UK more than half of us will get a heart or circulatory condition in our lifetime,” they add.
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Despite that, not all of us are familiar with the signs of heart issues ― though to be fair, the NHS says some, like high cholesterol, ”[does] not usually cause symptoms.”
Most of us will need a blood test to diagnose high cholesterol.
However, the British Heart Foundation says that “if you have familial hypercholesterolaemia, you may have visible signs of high cholesterol.”
What is “familial hypercholesterolemia” and what are its signs?
Tendon xanthomata: a type of swelling that can appear on the knuckles, knees, or the Achilles tendon at the back of the ankle. It results from an accumulation of excess cholesterol.
Xanthelasmas: small cholesterol deposits that develop in the skin around the lower eye area and on the eyelid. They typically have a pale yellow appearance.
Corneal arcus: a pale white ring surrounding the iris, the coloured part of the eye. If you’re under 50 and have corneal arcus, it could be an indication of FH.
Other signs that aren’t visible include having a heart attack or stroke (especially at a younger age), noticing high cholesterol in your routine blood test, having a family history of premature heart disease or stroke, or knowing a relative has the condition.
Not everyone with FH will have all of those symptoms;get a genetic test if you’re unsure.
How can I lower my cholesterol?
Some people with high cholesterol will be put on medications called statins, but all will be advised to improve their diet and exercise more.
“To reduce your cholesterol, try to cut down on fatty food, especially food that contains a type of fat called saturated fat,” the NHS says, adding: “You can still have foods that contain a healthier type of fat called unsaturated fat.”
Stopping smoking, cutting down on or not drinking booze, and exercising for at least 150 minutes a week can all help too, they say.
Speak to your doctor if you’re worried about your heart health.
As a former cleaner, I notice the little details (like polished taps and doorknobs, or truly streak-free windows) that show an expert level of cleaning.
You don’t have to be a cleaner to meet those standards; I’ve even had clients whose homes were pro-looking spick and span before I turned up.
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Even in those houses, however, an important part of the bedroom was almost always ignored.
Freddie Garnham, Lighting Design Engineer at Dyson, shared that “unseen dust mites, allergens and dust contribute to an unhygienic environment” in our sleeping space in one neglected area in particular.
Which is?
People, you are meant to vacuum your mattress.
It makes sense when you think about it ― you may already vacuum your sofa, but for some reason, mattresses always seem to evade deep cleans.
That’s not a great idea, Garnham says.
“Regularly vacuuming your mattress will ensure a cleaner and more hygienic sleeping environment and a sleep undisturbed by allergies,” he said.
“While the frequency will depend on the mattress itself, it is recommended to be cleaned every six months with bedding changed once a week to keep dust and allergens at bay.”
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He’s not alone. Speaking to Ideal Homes, Jane Wilson, manager of Fantastic Cleaners, said: “Regular vacuuming of your mattress can help remove allergens, dust mites, and dirt, contributing to a cleaner and more hygienic sleeping environment.”
She added,“It’s generally safe and beneficial for most types of mattresses. This includes mattresses with materials such as foam, latex, innerspring, hybrid, and memory foam.”
How should I vacuum my mattress?
The good news is that you don’t need a specially designed tool for the task: a plain old Henry or other vacuum will do.
Mattress Online says you should get the nozzle on the bed part and begin “using small circular motions over the entire mattress to make sure you lift all of the dust, dirt, hair and dead skin.
“If you have one, you can also use an upholstery attachment to make vacuuming a little easier, but it’s not essential.”
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Once you’ve tried it, we can almost guarantee you’ll never go back.
Fall is in the air, and so are an increased number of viral pathogens.
Flu activity usually begins to pick up its pace in October, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and many of us will have already experienced the first trace of a sore throat or stuffy nose that heralds the beginning of the cold and flu season well before then. Clearly, now is the time to start building your defences. A healthy immune system depends on a lot, including quality sleep, solid hygiene, stress management and, not least of all, a well-balanced diet.
Up to 80% of the body’s immune cells are found in the gut, and experts increasingly understand that what you eat affects the unique mix of friendly bacteria in the GI tract known as the microbiome, which influences overall immunity.
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“The immune system is a complex network of organs, tissues and cells,” said Dr. Carlos Zambrano, a board-certified infectious disease physician and the head of the COVID-19 task force at Loretto Hospital in Chicago. “Clinical deficiencies of [some key] nutrients can weaken immunity and increase susceptibility to infections.”
Nearly half of American adults fail to meet the most basic dietary guidelines. “So even a little boost can help,” said registered dietician Toby Amidor. While she cautions that there is no “magic bullet” food or drink that will “boost your immune system through the roof,” the following are foods that nutrition and infectious disease experts keep stocked in their own pantries. Find out why and what to add to your grocery shopping list.
“It works to upregulate certain chemicals in the immune system responsible for fighting viruses and bacteria and also targets inflammatory cells,” said Dr. Tania Elliott, a spokesperson for the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
While heat can destroy some of those benefits, researchers at Penn State University found that crushing or chopping the cloves activates their main bioactive compound. So, if you want the benefits without the bite of raw garlic, chop it and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before cooking.
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Chilli peppers
While people default to citrus as a source of vitamin C, green or red chilies (serrano, jalapeño, poblano) have nearly as much of this potent antioxidant, which has antiviral properties and may stimulate antibody production, which may help fight off bacterial infections when you have the flu, according to Dr. John La Puma, author of ChefMD’s “Big Book of Culinary Medicine.”
“You should have vitamin C-containing foods twice daily so you can fully absorb it,” he said. As a bonus, Elliott said that spicy foods contain capsaicin, a compound that can thin out mucous, making it less habitable for inflammation-causing viruses and bacteria.
by Elena Veselova via Getty Images
“Ginger contains gingerol, compounds that act as anti-inflammatories,” Amidor said.
Ginger
Like garlic, this root has antiviral and antibacterial properties and may be especially good at warding off or soothing a sore throat. One in vitro study found that a ginger solution was effective against three pathogens that commonly cause throat infections, and another found a ginger solution comparable to antibiotics in treating the bacteria that cause strep throat.
“Ginger contains gingerols, compounds that act as anti-inflammatories,” Amidor said. Studies have tested ginger extract in amounts from 20g/100mL to 100g/100mL and indicate more is better, so grate or slice some fresh ginger into soups, smoothies, broths or tea for the benefits.
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Sunflower seeds
Amidor likes to keep these on hand for snacking because they are a potent source of vitamin E and several minerals related to immunity. Not having adequate vitamin E is associated with reduced activity of white blood cells, which normally keep invading viruses from spreading, Zambrano noted. Sunflower seeds also contain magnesium, and skimping on that mineral is associated with decreased immune cell activity, increased oxidative stress and increased inflammation, according to recent research.
Canned salmon or other fish
Most people struggle to get enough vitamin D, particularly in the colder months. “In winter, too little vitamin D is made in your skin because the angle of the sun is too low,” La Puma said.
Harvard researchers found that people with low levels of this nutrient were about 40% more likely to have had a recent respiratory infection compared with individuals who had plenty of vitamin D. This may be because vitamin D triggers the production of antimicrobial compounds that can help neutralise the activity of infectious agents, including the influenza virus.
Salmon is one of the best sources of this nutrient, with one 3.5-ounce serving to deliver two-thirds of your daily value of D per USDA data, and shelf-stable cans or pouches make adding some to a salad or spreading on crackers easy.
Raw Manuka honey
Zambrano’s sweetener of choice is a specific kind of honey produced by bees in New Zealand. Manuka honey has antibacterial properties and contains a natural compound that can help with cough as well or better than over-the-counter cold medicines, according to research.
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Sea salt
Too much salt in your diet can get a bad rap, but Elliott likes to have coarse sea salt on hand to soothe a sore throat. “Gargling with warm salt water when you are sick, especially sea salt, can have an anti-inflammatory effect,” she said. “It works by helping to wash away viruses, bacteria, allergens and mucus in your throat. The rougher the salt, the better.”
One study found that participants who gargled with sea salt reduced the duration of their colds by an average of nearly two days, reduced their use of over-the-counter cold medicine by more than one-third, and were less contagious to members of their household.
Tea
“Hydration is such an important part of supporting your immune system,” said Glassman, “and people often aren’t drinking as much as they do in the summer.” Her solution is to stock up on tea. She especially likes turmeric tea, which contains the compound curcumin, an anti-inflammatory.
One study found that consuming curcumin for 12 weeks reduced the time healthy Japanese adults experienced cold symptoms. La Puma likes green tea, which he says has been shown to lower the viral protein production of cells infected with the influenza virus. He explained, “Catechins in green tea change the physical properties of the viral membrane and block a protein, called hemagglutinin, from the flu virus so the virus cannot be absorbed into your cells.”
But if you’re anything like me, a delusional part of your brain probably also went: “That looks nice, I could do that.”
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Well, if you want to attempt the precarious pastry, it turns out that none other than GBBO’s former judge Mary Berry has a timeless recipe.
Sharing her know-how on BBC’s site, the Cordon Bleu-trained chef said: “These decadent pastries filled with praline and cream are like giant profiteroles, perfect for sharing.”
How does Mary make ’em?
She says you’ll need”a food processor, a piping bag, a star nozzle and a silicone mat” to perfect her recipe, which offers two Paris-Brests (a pair if you will).
She preheats her oven to 220C/200C, lines a baking sheet with baking paper, and draws four 10cm-ish circles on it before flouring the parchment.
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Then, she makes choux pastry by putting milk, salt, sugar, butter, and water into a pan, removing from the heat once it starts bubbling, and ― frankly ― beating the bejesus out of it “until it forms a dough that leaves the side of the pan clean.”
Then she places the mix back into the pan and heats it for five minutes or so.
Once cooled slightly, she beats eggs into the dough “until the dough is smooth and glossy,” and then place it in a piping bag.
She pipes four thick rings into the circles she drew earlier, then tops them with egg wash and almonds.
These should be baked for 10-15 minutes at full temp, and then a further 10 minutes at 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4; dry them out in an opened oven for three minutes afterwards.
Then, Mary makes a praline by spreading hazelnut-filled caramel onto a silicone mat, leaving it to cool, and whizzing it in a blender.
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She also makes vanilla whipped cream for the filling.
“Sprinkle half the praline onto the bottom halves of the choux rings, then pipe a generous amount of cream over the praline. Sprinkle the remaining praline over the cream and place the pastry lids on top. Dust with icing sugar and serve,” Mary says.
It was named after a bike race that runs between Paris and Brest, a port city; it was even designed to look like a bike.
The New York Times advises making your praline first, in direct contradiction with Mary Berry’s advice (should we make them cycle a race to determine the winner?).
“If you have too much liquid or too much fat in your cake batter, this can result in a cake with a weak structure which can cause it to sink in the middle.”
The starches and binders in the cake can’t do their strengthening job if their path is interrupted by too much liquid.
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This, along with a too-small cake tin, opening the oven door too soon, under- or over-mixing your cake batter, or having an oven that’s too cold can also contribute to the sinking, the baking pro adds.
Then she whisks all of the ingredients ― sugar, flour, marmalade, butter, sultanas, baking powder, cherries, eggs and milk ― into a bowl and chucks the lot in the oven for 40-45 minutes.
Pretty simple, right? And if the reviews are to be believed, it’s delicious too ― “A lovely, soft and fluffy traybake, this is more like a sponge cake in a tray than the usual slice,” A Tale Of 2 Kitchens writes.
If you struggle to get, or stay, asleep, you might wonder what’s “normal” and what’s genuinely worth worrying about.
The NHS says “A few sleepless nights are usually nothing to worry about, but it can become an issue if a lack of sleep starts to affect your daily life.”
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But where exactly is that line meant to be drawn?
Well, according to healthcare provider Mayo Clinic, noticing one dangerous tendency during the day (rather than at night) can be a giveaway.
Which is?
If you’re finding yourself nodding off during important moments of your day, it’s possible you have a sleep disorder, Mayo Clinic says.
“Being very sleepy during the daytime” is a common sign, they write.
“You may fall asleep at times that aren’t typical, such as while driving or while working at your desk.”
The NHS adds that you may also have longer-term sleep issues if you:
find it difficult to fall asleep
lie awake for long periods at night
wake up several times during the night
wake up early and be unable to get back to sleep
feel down or have a lower mood
have difficulty concentrating
be more irritable than usual.
“Longer-term sleep problems can affect our relationships and social life, and leave us feeling tired all the time, eating more and not able to do daily tasks,” they add.
What are some common sleep disorders?
Insomnia, sleep apnoea (where you stop breathing for short periods of time throughout the night), restless leg syndrome, night terrors, sleepwalking, and even snoring can all disrupt a good night’s sleep.
“But talk with your doctor or other healthcare professional if you regularly have trouble getting enough sleep, if you don’t feel rested when you wake up or if you feel overly sleepy during the day.”
Some lament the ‘LOL’ or deride the ‘delulu,’ but I’m not one of them.
I grew up with smartphones and think that, just as the invention of the printing press gave us words like “clique” and “uppercase,” Internet lingo adds something interesting to our vocabulary.
But of course, the web giveth and the web taketh away; some conventions, like the proper letter formatting we learned in school and cursive handwriting, have fallen a little by the wayside.
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Whether or not that matters at all is a question of opinion. The same goes for another grammar rule I had no idea hundreds of years of writing brought in, and the computer took out ― double spacing after a full stop.
Why did it change?
According to Thesaurus.com, even the style guide APA, who they call a “staunch defender” of double spaces in general, changed their view on the post-full-stop spacing style in 2019.
“In 2020, Microsoft also struck a major blow to all the double-spacers out there when it officially categorized a double space after a period as a writing mistake in their popular Microsoft Word program,” they add.
Though some attribute the standardisation of double spaces after full stops to typewriters, Thesaurus points out that Bibles dating as far back as 1611 followed the rule.
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Both printing presses and typewriters faced a similar problem: typesetting the end of a sentence so that it didn’t crowd out the following one was tricky.
That’s because, former copy editor for the New England Journal of Medicine Jennifer Gonzalez (who “learned to type in 1987 on an IBM Selectric typewriter”) says on her site The Cult Of Pedagogy, “every character was given the exact same amount of space on the page.
“That meant the letter i was given the same amount of space as the letter m, even though it clearly didn’t need it.”
New computer keyboards have something called proportionally spaced fonts, which consider the size of the character when compiling them ― spelling the end of the double space after a full stop.
It’s proved a generational gap
On her site, Gonzalez says “Nothing says over 40 like two spaces after a [full stop].”
Of course, that was written in 2014 ― it’s 50 now, by that logic.
But she adds that it was drilled into some generations’ heads for so long that it can be a very hard habit to let go of ― “We got our papers marked wrong if we didn’t. It takes a long time to unlearn that,” she wrote.
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Her copy editing job, which she started in 1999, helped her adapt to the new way, she adds.
Still, it was enough of a common style choice in 2011 to incense a Slate writer, who wrote, “What galls me about two-spacers isn’t just their numbers. It’s their certainty that they’re right.”
“Studies have shown that, beginning with millennials, younger generations widely prefer the single space after a [full stop],” they added. Boomers and Gen X, however, tend to use a double space.
I’ve always thought UTIs were a bit like period pain; they just seem to be the luck of the draw.
The NHS explains that they’re more likely to happen to women, as: “Women have a shorter urethra than men. This means bacteria are more likely to reach the bladder or kidneys and cause an infection.”
Having sex, pregnancy, not drinking enough fluids, a weakened immune system, and “not keeping the genital area clean and dry” can increase your risk, they say, though they add that some people are simply more susceptible to chronic UTIs than others.
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But according to Harvard Health, if you get UTI after UTI, “You may be surprised to learn that family history may also play a role.”
How?
It’s down to genetics, which experts think can make you more or less likely to get the condition many times over.
“Having a first-degree female relative (parent, sister, or child) with a history of more than five UTIs means you may be at higher risk for recurrent UTIs,” Harvard shared.
A 2010 study found that “six out of 14 genes investigated in humans may be associated with susceptibility to recurrent UTI in humans.”
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Harvard adds that “recurrent” UTIs are defined by someone having three infections or more in any 12-month period, or two infections in any six-month period.
They add that “abnormalities in the urinary tract or trouble completely emptying the bladder may make a person more vulnerable to frequent UTIs.”
The NHS says chronic UTIs may not show up in urine tests and “can have a big impact on your quality of life.”
How can I protect myself against UTIs?
If you have recurrent UTIs, it can be helpful to see your doctor.
As we head into winter, cold and flu season draws ever nearer.
Those of us trying to prime our immune system for the onslaught of diseases might be reaching for supplements alongside staying active and trying to eat well.
But the NHS says some of those efforts may be in vain.
Though the service advises British adults to consider taking vitamin D in the darker months, their entry on the common cold reads: “There’s little evidence that supplements such as vitamin C, echinacea or garlic prevent colds or help you get better more quickly.”
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Why not?!
It can be a tough pill to swallow, even if it means one less actual capsule to gulp down.
But it’s not so much that supplements like these are proven to be bad or even completely ineffective: it’s just that the NHS isn’t convinced by the conflicting evidence that they do work.
Microbiologist Morticia shared a video explaining that “there is actually no such thing as an ‘immune booster’” outside of vaccines, adding that ingredients like vitamin C and ginger root are “not boosting your immune system.”
That’s not to say eating a balanced and varied diet isn’t good for your immune system or even that vitamin C isn’t part of a good immune response, but that vitamin supplements may not act as straightforwardly on our bodies as we think.
Morticia mentions how iron supplements for iron deficiency can take months to work, despite seeming like a straightforward answer to the issue: she also points out that hydrogen peroxide is crucial to white blood cells’ disease-fighting power, but nobody is suggesting drinking that to see us through a sniffle.
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A 2013 review of studies by Cochrane found that “trials of high doses of vitamin C administered therapeutically, starting after the onset of symptoms, showed no consistent effect on the duration or severity of common cold symptoms.”
Why is the immune system so complicated?
Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale University, told BBC Future that “There are three different components to immunity.”
“There’s things like skin, the airways and the mucus membranes that are there to begin with, and they provide a barrier to infection. But once the virus gets past these defences, then you have to induce the ‘innate’ immune response,” the immunologist explained.
If those fail, Dr Iwasaki added, our adaptive immune system, which provides specific antibodies to fight the disease, comes online: though these antibodies can take “a few days or weeks to emerge.”
That last stage is triggered by infection or vaccines, hence the microbiologist’s comments earlier.
In fact the BBC says most symptoms of a cold “aren’t actually caused by the virus itself. Instead, they’re triggered by your own body, on purpose: they’re part of the innate immune response.”
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So truly “boosting” these would more likely lead to a runny nose or muscle aches (a little like some people experience after a vaccine) than glowy skin or a sniffle-free winter.
“Vitamin supplements aren’t beneficial to your immune system unless you are deficient,” Dr Iwasaki shared.
Even though my favourite alcoholic beer is actually ginger-flavoured ― and though ginger wine has turned a bit trendy in recent years ― I’ve always wondered why completely child-safe fizzy ginger gets called “beer.”
After all, we don’t call lemonade “citrus ale” or cola “caramel shandy.”
It was fermented, and was often 11% alcohol ― that qualifies it for the “beer” title, if you ask us.
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Brittanica’s online encyclopedia explains this original recipe was “made by fermenting a mixture of ginger, water, sugar, cream of tartar, and yeast. Lemon peel and juice or citric acid may also be added.”
The name simply stuck, it seems.
Traditionally-made ginger beer will use fermentation, making it less fizzy than ginger ale; but nowadays, food site The Kitchn says, “Some ginger beers are brewed with champagne yeast, and some are finished with forced carbonation.”
But those are pretty rare craft products: some modern ginger beers are simply carbonated, like ginger ale (which was almost never alcoholic).
Ginger beer’s cloudiness or clarity is determined by its filtering process.
Anything else?
According to Tayport Distillery, ginger beer and ginger ale were both popular during America’s Prohibition because they were good at masking the smell of alcohol.
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“This clandestine use further cemented ginger ale’s place in mixology history,” they add.
The distillery says ginger ale, which was not usually fermented, was possibly invented in Ireland and made its way to Canada in the 1900s to huge success.
