Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2023 i Top Sante

How often do you get to think about eye health? I recently went up in prescription in my glasses and lenses, with the latter now different in each eye. I was hesitant to have a different prescription for each eye as I’m convinced the weaker one will now continue to get worse. But there’s no denying my right eye needs help. My close sight is still good but now when using a computer, things sometimes look a bit blurry. This is because of my right eye, as when I close it and only look through my left, everything becomes sharp! Whether there is a way to correct this, I don’t know (let me know!) but what I really wanted to talk about was all the things that can affect eyes,…

Origins Checks and Balances™ Milky Oil Cleanser & Makeup Melter (£26, origins.co.uk). From dirt and pollution to sweat and make-up, your skin faces a lot throughout the day. This clever cleanser, which combines oil and water, shakes up into a milky formula to effectively dissolve make-up and impurities while leaving skin feeling soft and refreshed. The vegan formula is headlined by rice oil, almond oil and squalene, alongside oat extract to make it super soothing. JP’s Originals The CBD Collection (£28.99, jpsoriginals.com). Enjoy CBD… but in a tea! Featuring CBD infusions for morning to evening, this trinity of teas supports your evolving energy through the day. Each 15mg bag contains full-spectrum, water-soluble CBD, in its most bioavailable form for maximum wellness benefits. Milky Plant (£340, milkyplant.com). Create your own plant milk…

SEPTEMBER 2023 COVER STORY Myleene Klass INSIDE Improve your gut with our special section, plus sleep better now AUGUST 2023 COVER STORY Tess Daly INSIDE Why keto eating helps you lose weight, plus haircare award winners! JULY 2023 COVER STORY Davina McCall INSIDE Feel forever young with our bumper special anti-ageing section JUNE 2023 COVER STORY Denise Van Outen INSIDE Recipes, exercise tips and advice to manage type 2 diabetes MAY 2023 COVER STORY Lisa Faulkner INSIDE Walk yourself well with our 2-week walking plan, plus kit review APRIL 2023 COVER STORY Dr Julie Smith INSIDE Sleep better with our expert advice, including 9 ways to wind down MARCH 2023 COVER STORY Mariella Frostrup INSIDE Celebrating 30 years of Top Santé with recipes and tips for health FEBRUARY 2023 COVER…

REASONS TO QUIT JUNK FOOD! Did you know that for every 10 per cent increase in the amount of junk food (and drink) you consume, your risk of dementia increases by 25 per cent?! That’s according to researchers from Tianjin University in China, who looked at results from 72,000 people aged 55 and above from the UK Biobank study. People eating the worst diets were consuming around 814g of processed food or drink every day – and just one slice of pizza is around 150g! The researchers estimated that swapping just 10 per cent of your usual processed food or drinks for healthier options, such as fruit or vegetables, could reduce your dementia risk by almost 20 per cent. Food for thought!…

PET-PROOF LEGGINGS! Looking for leggings that can keep up with you, no matter the activity? The new ACAI Outdoorwear On The Go Leggings (£49, acaioutdoorwear.com) provide everything you could want from your legwear – and more! Boasting four-way stretch and an anti-slip waistband, they are 100 per cent squat proof. They feature breathable, moisture-wicking, quick-drying properties along with UV protection to keep you cool on hikes. What’s more, they’re even pet-hair resistant, making them ideal for walkies! Available in four colours from sizes 6-18, they’re sure to become a daily wardrobe staple. TOP Santè Follow us online at topsante.co.uk for more fitness features and advice! CYCLING IN STYLE Designed to inspire more women to discover the joys of cycling, the Rapha + Shrimps capsule collection (from £38, rapha.cc) combines Shrimps’…

FIRM IT UP While your facial care routine undoubtedly takes centre stage – do you tend to neglect your neck? That’s where Inlight Beauty Neck Firming Serum (£68 for 50ml, inlightbeauty.co.uk) can help. The skin on your neck and décolleté has fewer oil-secreting sebaceous glands and is almost as delicate as eyelid skin, making it much more prone to creasing, according to Dr Spiezia, founder of Inlight. This serum contains organic herbal extracts and raw oils to stimulate elastin and collagen. Star ingredient, cacay nut oil, is rich in natural retinol (line-smoothing vitamin A), vitamin E and linoleic acid to boost skin-cell renewal while smoothing and keeping pigmentation at bay. British beauty brand Inlight’s entire range is certified 100 per cent organic by COSMOS (cosmosstandard.org). BIODYNAMIC BEAUTY Grab your introduction…

HITS THE SPOT Now you can get a taste of what keeps Hollywood leading lady Gillian Anderson feeling uplifted, with her G Spot Drinks (£17.99 for six, thisisgspot.com). The sparkling soft drinks are filled with wellness-enhancing adaptogens and nootropics to boost performance and cognitive function. Lift is infused with cordyceps and lion’s mane to increase energy levels; Protect has warming ginger, turmeric and chaga for immune support; and Soothe contains magnesium, maca and ashwagandha to calm your mind. Made in the UK without artificial sweeteners, the drinks are also caffeine-free and low calorie. Sign up to the Top Santé newsletter at topsante.co.uk/newsletter for weekly health and food inspiration! NEW FOOD READ Honey: Recipes from a Beekeeper’s Kitchen, by Amy Newsome (£27, Quadrille). In her culinary love letter to honeybees, cook…

Having low levels of essential fatty acids (EFAs) is linked to increased risk of depression, bipolar and dementia. While oestrogen helps to protect your brain by increasing the connectivity between brain cells, it needs fats to do it, particularly EFAs, which help maintain connectivity, optimise blood-flow, and improve cognitive function and memory. Oily fish is an ideal source of EFA omega-3, or you can supplement with a high-quality fish oil. Vegans can try the unique, plant-based source of complete omegas, Regenerative Omegas (£29.99, sowandarrow.com), which not only helps to increase the levels of fats needed by your brain, but also benefits gut health. I love it as it’s made in Britain from regeneratively grown ahiflowers.…

THE… ERR… IT’S THAT thing… you know… the thing… that thing you use to stir food. This is the kind of utterance that leaves my lips now on a daily basison (later I will recall the word, in this case spatula). Or, I’ll insert the wrong word word entirely into a sentence, into suchas “Can you put your sock in the dishwasher”, meaning washing machine. Note: this mostly happens when speaking to my son as I can’t keep up with him, and he makes my brain speed up even more. I also sometimes merge merge words, for example, I’ll be about to say shoes, then my brain will think of boots, so it comes out as boos. When I was a child, and stayed over at my grandparents’ house, I’d…

“We believe every woman has the ability to maximise her health and beauty at any age, regardless of health history. With a balanced diet, effective exercise and a positive mindset, you can stay younger for longer, inside and out. We’ll bring you the latest information on wellbeing, fitness, food and beauty, empowering you to make informed choices now and for your future health. What’s gone before can’t be undone or redone, so let’s leave it in the past and focus on what can be changed today! We’re here to help you, one small step at a time.”…

I never used to think about menopause because it seemed so far away, and I just didn’t want to know. I’d not fully understood about perimenopause, which is that pre-phase before you get into menopause. The development of the perimenopause programme in my Jennis app came from listening to our customers saying, “we’re heading into this new phase where our cycles are changing massively, and we don’t have those distinctive four phases. How can you cater for us?” And that’s why we created a product to serve those women. When you hit puberty, your hormones increase rapidly and erratically so you have all these hormonal changes and mood swings. But perimenopause is the decrease of those hormones in an erratic and often rapid way. Hearing about it from the women…

REDUCE CAFFEINE Excessive caffeine intake has been associated with eye spasms and elevations in intraocular eye pressure (IOP), increasing your risk of developing glaucoma. ‘How much caffeine is too much depends on a myriad of personal factors but some good indicators are heightened nervousness, noticeably elevated heart rate, insomnia, headaches, muscle tremors and eye spasms,’ says Nimmi Mistry, professional services optician at Vision Direct (visiondirect.co.uk). If your eyelids often go into spasm or flutter, try regulating your caffeine intake to see whether that helps. SIMPLE SWAP Try herbal tea instead. Most are not teas but “tisanes” so don’t contain caffeine! LESSEN THAT STRESS! Easier said than done… but eye twitches can also be caused by stress. If stress-related vision problems are under control, they tend not to be as problematic.…

YOUR BRAIN WORKS HARD so it’s important to fuel it with the right nutrients. From vitamins and minerals to adaptogens and herbs, the world of supplements offers numerous active ingredients proven to boost brain function. If you’re struggling with brain fog, decreased focus or even memory loss, brain-boosting supplements could help you function better. The top nutrients for supporting brain health include medicinal mushrooms such as lion’s mane, spices such as turmeric and minerals such as iodine. THINK B FOR BRAIN! Vitamin B12 is another key nutrient for brain and nervous system health. ‘B12 is important for producing dopamine and serotonin, which are mood-enhancing neurotransmitters, as well as improving focus and memory,’ says Lola Biggs, registered dietician at natural health supplement brand Together Health (togetherhealth.co.uk). You can also support your…

LIFESAVING SUPERMARKET TROLLEY! Believe it or not, a trip to the supermarket could save your life. That’s if you get your hands on a shopping trolley embedded with tech to detect irregular heart rhythms. Scientists from Liverpool John Moores University embedded electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors into 10 supermarket trolley handles to test whether they could effectively identify shoppers with atrial fibrillation. Shoppers were asked to hold the handle for at least 60 seconds. If the sensor didn’t detect an irregular heartbeat, it lit up green. If an irregular heartbeat was found, it turned red. A manual pulse test was performed to check the result. From 220 participants, atrial fibrillation was diagnosed in 59 people, 39 of whom were previously undiagnosed. Atrial fibrillation is a common heart arrhythmia that increases your risk…

Stylish support Make a style statement and support your posture with a Summit At Home Ergonomic Office Chair (from £199.99, summitathome.co.uk). With a range of styles available, all boasting lumbar support and body balancing technology, each chair is handcrafted to suit your specifications and preferences. We love the new Harris Tweed fabric range, handwoven using pure virgin wool. MORE HEAT, LESS ENERGY Rather than heating your whole home this autumn, warm up your office with the Ecostrad iQ Ceramic WiFi Controlled Electric Radiator (from £259.99, electricradiatorsdirect.co.uk). This 100 per cent energy-efficient electric radiator features smart home-integrated WiFi and voice control, a handy motion-sensor mode, convenient 24/7 programming and a large touchscreen display for simple heat management. Plus, the heat-retentive ceramic stone core continues to emit warmth after being switched off…

AFTER OVERINDULGING during the summer holidays, I find myself fantasising about going to another health retreat. I usually leave retreats feeling physically lighter, mentally rebalanced and brimming with good intentions. The problem is that, once home, all good intentions tend to fly out of the window. So, when I come across a retreat in Somerset that promises to support you for a whole year after the retreat ends, I book in immediately! The founders of Combe Grove Metabolic Health Retreat, just outside Bath, understand that it’s not what you achieve on a week’s retreat but what you consistently practise over a long period of time that shapes your life. They also believe that most health conditions are rooted in metabolic dysfunction, so their aim is to bring you back into…

‘Subscribing to TopSanté is a great way to keep abreast of the latest health advice, and is also a thoughtful gift for a friend or relative! Every issue is packed with health, beauty, nutrition and fitness ideas aimed at midlife women to keep you feeling and looking good!’ Katy x GREAT REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE • Enjoy one whole year of TopSanté• Each issue delivered directly to your door• Never miss an issue• Receive our fantastic e-newsletter for free every week• Save up to £48* DON’T MISS OUT – ORDER TODAY! ORDER ONLINE at SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/TS1023 CALL NOW ON 01959 543 747** Quote ref: TS1023 COMPLETE THE FREEPOST POSTAL COUPON **Lines open Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5.30pm. Calls are charged at your standard network rate.…

MY GRANDMOTHER, OR BA AS we say in Gujarati, was a very calm, kind and religious woman. She devoted her life to practising the Jain religion after losing her husband at a young age. I loved hearing stories of her childhood in India. The best thing she taught me was how to discipline your life and to do something positive. As Jains we believe in karma, so your actions in this life affect your future lives. Ba lost her ability to communicate and speak during the last four years of her life due to Alzheimer’s disease, and this had a lasting impact on my desire to help people stay as fit as possible for as long as possible. The impact of staying active for people with dementia’s quality of life…

THERE ARE LOTS OF things we take for granted in our youth, fitness being one of them. As skills you may once have had are no longer practised, it can lead to physical and mental deterioration. This can include your balance, coordination, reflex, speed, mobility and not least the mental agility to pick up something quickly. This is particularly common in my age group: the mid 50s. The culmination of working hard for years and managing a home and family coupled with an accumulation of unmanaged emotion and body issues, all makes for a tired nervous system. It comes to a head when cortisol levels are depleted, and oestrogen and testosterone subside too. Just as you have downed tools, you realise you haven’t got it in you to pick them…

1 Victor & Garth, London:Cosmetic Acupuncture (from £40, victorandgarth.co.uk). Experience the benefits of expert facial acupuncture. A course of 10 sessions is recommended for best results. 2 ESK Ageless: Dissolving Microneedle Patches (£91 for 16 patches, eskcare.com). Offering an accessible way to experience the benefits of microneedling at home, each patch features 2,600 dissolving microneedles embedded with active ingredients, including hyaluronic acid, retinal, caffeine and more. 3 Dr Bejma Medical Clinic, Leeds:Morpheus8 Treatment (from £300, drbejma.com). Achieve a more radiant and youthful complexion with this pioneering treatment, which combines radio frequency energy with microneedling to improve the skin’s texture and complexion. 4 FaceGym Faceshot Electric Microneedling Device (£215, currentbody.com). Visibly reduce hyperpigmentation and fine lines with this at-home skincare tool, complete with medical-grade microneedles to infuse the skin with brightening…

WE ARE A NATION of carb lovers: bagels, bread, biscuits, pastry, pasties and pies. While the thought of cutting out carbs might send chills down your spine, it’s really more about curbing them and becoming conscious of your intake of carbs, not avoiding them altogether! It’s about becoming aware of how specific foods impact blood sugar and the long-term consequences of continuously raising your insulin. We all have varying “glucose tolerance”, which affects how well we can cope with an influx of sugar into our blood and how quickly we shift the glucose into our cells to be used as fuel. This glucose tolerance tends to come down to a few key points: how much and for how long you’ve been spiking your blood sugars, your muscle mass, and your…