Innehållsförteckning för June 2023 från Top Sante

As regular readers will know, we always have a special section each issue covering a hot topic or particular health condition. This month, it’s the turn of diabetes, which now affects around 4.3 million people in the UK alone. And yet type 2 is largely avoidable through lifestyle changes. We live in a carb-filled and, for most, sedentary world. Since permanently working from home back in January 2020, my activity levels have plummeted. My former commute, albeit either in the car or on the train, at least got me up and moving more when I arrived, and I’d have a walk at lunchtime. These days, I often work through and don’t have a proper break. I have to collect my son from school mid-afternoon so I try to plough through…

INGENIOUS Beauty Ultimate Collagen (£48 for 30-day supply, feelingingenious.com). Independently clinically proven to strengthen hair, skin and nails, this clever supplement houses hyaluronic acid, natural astaxanthin and the lowest molecular weight marine collagen in a protective plant cellulose capsule, ensuring the collagen peptides reach your small intestine intact before being absorbed into the bloodstream. Tea & Tonic Inviting Sleep Golden Milk Wellness Tea (£16 for 28 tea bags, teaandtonic.co.uk). This caffeine-free dreamy bedtime tonic blends rooibos, turmeric, linden and lavender with ashwagandha to promote a rest and good night’s sleep. ● For more about adaptogens, turn to page 28. Paani Copper Water bottle (from £35, paanibottles.com). Copper is a natural material that infuses water with positive health properties. Paani bottles are a stunningly sustainable reusable copper water bottle, made from…

SAVE £18* ‘Subscribing to Top Santé 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 FIVE GREAT REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE! Pay just £18 for your first 6 issues*. Each issue delivered directly to your door for free. Never miss an issue. Receive our fantastic e-newsletter for free every week. Save £18 on the yearly cover price*. DON’T MISS OUT – ORDER TODAY! ORDER ONLINE at SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/TS0623 CALL NOW ON 01959 543 747** Quote ref: TS0623 ** Lines open Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5.30pm. Calls are charged at your standard network rate. Terms & conditions: UK…

SQUATS ● Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, resting your arms down at your sides. ● While bracing your core and keeping your chest up and neck neutral, bend your knees and push your hips back as if you’re going to sit in a chair. ● When your thighs are parallel to the floor, pause. ● As you rise back to the top squeeze your buttocks, then repeat. You can also hold some dumbbells to create more resistance. Do 10 times. SPLIT SQUATS ● Start in a split-leg position, with one leg forward and one back. Engage your core. ● Flex your knees and lower your hips until the back knee is just above the floor. ● Push back up through your front leg and return to the starting position.…

AS A FULL-TIME CARER TO TWO autistic teenagers, I often neglect my own wellbeing. In lockdown I was a size 22 and I had already been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes back in 2021. It had always been too difficult to get under control, and part of the reason I ate the wrong foods was to help manage anxiety and feelings of depression. My mood hit rock bottom after the death of our beloved dog Bob, a border collie, during the lockdown of September 2020. I felt bereft. It wasn’t long before Dafni joined our family to fill the void – she’s a Greek Harehound mix rescue dog, named after the village of Dafni, near Athens, where she was found and rescued by the DASH Dogs Rescue Shelter. Dafni is…

MUSCLE DENSITY is good to have at any phase of life but there is no more important time to keep it, and make more of it, than during and past your middle years. Muscle density drops dramatically as you age. Left unexercised, once youthful, shapely arms become flaccid. Getting some power back into your arms not only improves muscle and therefore bone density but also posture, carriage, power, confidence and makes for better symmetry. Shaping up your arms and filling out your shoulders can also give the illusion of a smaller waistline. Lots of women tend to cover up their arms later in life but a little sculpting and definition makes them worth showing off. All those dresses, neck lines and halter necks you’ve been avoiding for years will hang…

ROSACEA IS A VERY COMMON skin condition that affects up to a reported four million people in the UK, so it’s surprising that there’s still so much research to be done on the causes behind it. And more than half of rosacea sufferers say their symptoms are much worse during the summer, with the intense sun, hot humid weather and increased physical activities posing the biggest problems for people, as surveyed by the National Rosacea Society. ‘Rosacea is a long-term skin condition that affects the face, causing facial redness, blushes and flushes, or where visible blood vessels appear. An early diagnosis is important to reduce symptoms, which can develop into uncomfortable spots, burning or stinging sensations,’ says Lorena Öberg, skin repair expert and founder of Lorena Öberg Skincare (lorenaoberg.co.uk). Permanent…

SUMMER’S BREWING For a cooling summer-style brew with a fresh flavour, sip on the new KAYTEA Mango Yuzu (£19.99 for 12, kaytea.co.uk), a refreshing white tea drink. It’s slowly cold-brewed with organic whole tea leaves and delicately flavoured with botanicals. Yuzu is an East Asian citrus fruit with a fragrant lemony-mandarin orange taste. The tea is low calorie and contains only natural ingredients – so no artificial nasties. Available per can from Abel & Cole (£1.75, abelandcole.co.uk). CRUNCHY TREAT If you can’t resist an occasional mid-afternoon snack, step away from the crisps and instead opt for Olly’s Snacks Pretzel Thins (£12.50 for 10, ollys-ollys.com). The oven-baked treat comes in five flavours, Salted Original, Multi-Seed Sesame, Sweet Chilli, Sour Cream & Onion and Oh So Cheesy. Available as single bags from…

For a delicious, low-carb fibre-rich dish, this Kimchi Cauliflower-fried Rice by Fullgreen (available at sowandarrow.com) is the perfect comfort food. Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower support your liver, as well as provide fibre to allow healthy gut bacteria to flourish. ■ Sesame oil/olive oil, for cooking■ ½ onion, diced■ 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped■ 100g diced red cabbage■ 1 courgette chopped into half-moon pieces■ 1 small carrot, finely chopped■ 2 pouches of riced cauliflower■ 1 large handful of frozen peas■ 1 heaped tbsp of kimchi■ 2 tbsp soy sauce■ ½ lime, juiced■ Pinch chilli flakes■ 1 whole egg■ Extra kimchi for topping 1 Heat a little oil in a wok over a medium-high heat and cook the diced onion until softened. Add the garlic, cabbage, courgette and carrots, and continue…

HAVE YOU TRIED THE keto diet? With this issue having a diabetes focus, I thought it only fitting that I revisit the topic of the keto diet, which I wrote about in the February issue of Top Santé. Everything I read about keto, and all the experts I speak to, convince me it’s a great thing to do for many health reasons. Not only have countless people lost excess weight while doing the ketogenic diet – which focuses heavily on fats, fibre, some protein and very limited quantities of carbs – it also has benefits in terms of improved blood sugar levels. If you’re not picking at carby snacks every 30-60 minutes (er, guilty!), your poor pancreas isn’t having to constantly churn out insulin to cope with the influx of…

“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.”…

My pet hate is people that overly airbrush pictures on social media. We’ve had situations where make-up artists have taken pictures of us, loaded them onto Instagram and used one of those Hollywood makeover apps. We looked ridiculous and the whole point of Steph’s Packed Lunch is it’s inclusive and really real. I have to explain to my daughter, Betsy, that what you see on social media is not the reality of real life! I’ve been plagued with injuries from doing risky TV shows. When I took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2012, a disc dislodged into my spinal cord and I needed an operation to try to correct it. I could have done some serious damage. I was told that if the disc had gone into my spinal…

Anxiety, whether past-based rumination or future-focused worry, stems from thoughts within the brain’s higher-functioning cortex, so it’s useful to use mental strategies to overcome the negative thought patterns feeding the anxiety, rather than purely relying on in-the-moment stress response management. To start, it’s helpful to identify what types of negative thought patterns – often called “cognitive distortions” in psychology – you may be playing in your mind. Here are some of the most common categories: ● CATASTROPHISING: If I do badly in this job interview, I won’t get the job and my fiancé will lose all respect for me and leave me. ● MIND-READING: I can see that my date thinks I’m boring just by the look on their face. ● FORTUNE-TELLING: I know my meeting will just go to…

The benefits of green tea Did you know that drinking green tea could help reduce blood sugar levels? Researchers at Ohio State University in the US gave 40 volunteers green tea supplements each day, equivalent to drinking five cups of tea. Of the participants, 21 had metabolic syndrome – excess abdominal fat, high blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol and high blood sugar. The remaining participants were healthy. Both groups took the supplements for 28 days, and after the trial, blood sugar levels were far lower in participants taking the green tea extract than when taking a placebo. What’s more, the green tea was also found to help decrease gut inflammation and help reduce symptoms of leaky gut.…

According to Diabetes UK, the number of people with diabetes in the UK is estimated to be 4.8 million, which includes an estimated one million people that are undiagnosed. So, make sure you check your HbA1c, an important blood test that gives you a three-month average blood glucose reading, which is the standard way to diagnose diabetes. It is important to keep an eye on it, even if you aren’t overweight. There is certainly a strong correlation between being overweight and developing various diseases including type 2 diabetes, but age, genetics, race and other environmental factors are also thought to play a significant role. In 2017, my HbA1c was creeping up into the pre-diabetic range so I went on a low-carb diet and started exercising and losing weight. By the…

‘SIT UP STRAIGHT and ‘stand tall’ are familiar phrases you’ll no doubt have heard, but do you think about your posture when you walk? For example, do you catch yourself scuffing your feet, or maybe you tip forward? Does your stride feel laboured and stiff? Do you experience knee or lower back discomfort during or after a walk? These are all tell-tale signs your walking posture needs a little help. Poor walking style also affects joints, exacerbating knee, back and shoulder pain either through hours sat at a desk, from previous injuries or pain, as well as the aches that can accompany the menopause. How you walk also affects how you feel, as being hunched over reduces the oxygen you can get into your lungs, so you’ll feel more tired…

NYX Professional Makeup HD Photogenic Concealer Wand (£6, nyxcosmetics.co.uk). ‘This affordable product comes in a range of colour-correcting undertones to provide confidence-boosting coverage, including purple, green and yellow to neutralise sallowness, redness and dark circles,’ says Lucy Phillips. Laura Kay London Illuminate Highlight (£29, laurakaylondon.com). ‘Mixed in with your regular foundation, the icy blue undertone helps neutralise red skin as it illuminates and reflects the light giving you a natural glow. Use a few dabs and blend it in with your usual foundation or concealer, and softly brush on the affected area,’ recommends Laura Kay. Croma Farewell Irritated Skin (£18 for 5ml, or £109 for 30ml, uk.cromaskincareshop.com). Made from natural ingredients, this face serum for irritated, sensitive skin contains hyaluronic acid, madecassoside, niacinamide and D-panthenol to soothe irritations, reduce redness…

WHY IS BALANCING your blood sugar so important? It’s because science has found links between imbalanced blood sugar and the risk of chronic illness, particularly increasing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. When you eat food, your blood sugar levels increase. How much of a rise you have depends on your personal glucose tolerance as well as the sugar content of the food you are eating. As sugar levels in the blood rise, insulin is produced by the pancreas. Insulin is an essential hormone, which transports sugar from the blood into the cells of your body. Insulin unlocks the door of the cells to allow sugar to be used as energy by your body. The more sugar you have in your blood, the more insulin your…

WHILE I GREW UP IN Eastbourne, splashing in the sea on the south coast of England, my Italian husband Giancarlo spent his childhood playing in the mud on a small farm in rural Tuscany. We met 25 years ago when I painted a mural in his restaurant. Together we set up two Italian restaurants and a cookery school, which now employ our two sons. I have since written nine Italian cookbooks, so you could say I am fully immersed in Italian food. However, more recently, I have written five low-carb cookbooks, so this project is a marriage of those two worlds. But how can a diet of pizza, pasta, focaccia and tiramisu ever be low-carb? It’s a conundrum I have faced for the past 10 years, as Giancarlo wanted to…

YOUR CAT UNDERSTANDS YOU! If you’ve ever worried that talking to your beloved feline might mean you’re a crazy cat lady: this one’s for you. A study published in the Animal Cognition journal found felines can distinguish their human companion’s voice and do recognise when you’re talking to them. Researchers investigated how 16 cats reacted to pre-recorded voices from both their owner and that of a stranger, when saying phrases in cat-directed and human-directed tones. Most cats increased behaviour intensity by turning their ears to the speakers, increased movement around the room and had pupil dilation, when hearing their owner’s voice directed at them. Cats decreased behaviour intensity when a stranger was speaking or when their owner was speaking to another human, suggesting what cat companions everywhere have known all…

COMPOSTABLE COFFEE Grind Nespresso® Compatible Coffee Pods (£15 for 30, grind.co.uk) are the UK’s first certified home-compostable coffee pods that will decompose quicker than garden grass cuttings! Made from organic and biodegradable PHA, the plastic-free pods keep your coffee fresh for months, without losing its flavour or quality. Seven blends are available, including the new Dark Blend Decaf. CREATE YOUR OWN SPA Want a more relaxing home environment? Try The Copenhagen Company Retreat Aromatherapy Range (from £11, thecopenhagencompany.com), which has a collection of aromatherapy candles, diffusers and room sprays. We love the natural and uplifting Escape Candle, which blends notes of warming cedar wood and fresh vetiver with sweet citrus and fragrant orange blossom. SUMMER SMOOTHIES Nothing says summer like fresh smoothies. Create your own with the new Smeg Personal…

‘THE GREATEST, most-lasting achievement of the post-war Labour government, was the creation of the National Health Service, and we British remain fiercely loyal to the system as it is – or as we perceive it,’ we reported in our 1993 launch issue. But it seems even 30 years ago the NHS was in trouble, as we had one line opening with ‘Despite problems with the NHS…’, so it was clearly struggling back then, though perhaps nowhere near as much as today. In the early 90s, hospital waiting lists in the UK were apparently ‘the worst in the European Community’. On average, they were longer than a month, with one-in-seven patients having to wait four months or more. Patients in Hungary, by comparison, could expect a hospital appointment within a couple…

1 DIABETIC HEALTH COACH Vanessa Haydock, aka The Diabetic Health Coach (see pic above), is a unique and brilliant health and fitness professional and behavioural analyst who has lived with type 1 diabetes since she was a young girl. When I joined her online programme I got access to lots of useful guidance and support. She checks in with me frequently to keep me focused on my weight-loss goals and is such an encouraging and inspirational person to work with. As part of the programme, she connects clients to a community of people who are all in a similar situation as it’s great to have a support network. ● Discover more at diabetichealthcoach.co.uk. 2 WEIGHT-LOSS INJECTIONS Blood-sugar medication Ozempic has been hitting the headlines this year for its weight-loss benefits.…

PADDLE ON Few things beat a sunny day spent floating on the water, but you can upgrade your paddle boarding time by investing in a pair of grippy shoes that will keep tootsies protected. Enter the SUP Water Shoe (£99.95, clarks.co.uk), a technical outdoor shoe from Clarks Shoes All-Terrain Leisure range, which has been made in collaboration with paddle board pros, Red Paddle Co. The meeting of minds has resulted in a low-profile water shoe that will keep you feeling close to the board, with great traction and grip. What’s more, the shoe has also been made using recycled materials. Water sports don’t get much better than this! UPGRADE YOUR SPORTS WATCH Do you wear your sports watch all day and night? Then you might want to consider upgrading the…

COMPLEXION PERFECTION This will soon become your all-year-round staple. MONAT BB Cream SPF30 Broad-Spectrum Tinted Moisturiser (£44, monatglobal.com) has introduced its first vegan make-up product and we’re hooked. The multi-tasker can be used as a primer, as a concealer to hide imperfections, to hydrate skin and also even out your complexion thanks to MONAT’s trademarked proprietary blend of 13 botanical oils and natural plant extracts. It’s ideal if you don’t want to wear heavy make-up every day but need a boost of colour with skin benefits. It’s also lightweight with buildable coverage, so can take you from day to night without clogging skin, plus it has the added bonus of SPF30. Choose from nine shades. SIMPLY SOAPER Keep your skincare simple with handmade Evergreen Soaps in Charcoal, Rose & Cedarwood…

1 USE BROW SERUM Our brows can begin to thin as we age, so to address this, I highly recommend incorporating a growth serum into your daily routine. My favourite is Beverly Hills MD Thick + Full Brow Enhancing Serum (£66, beverlyhillsmd.com) to help boost the appearance of thinning or sparse brows, provide the hair with the nutrients it needs to thrive. Or, for a full-on brows spa treatment, try RevitaLash Lash & Brow Masque (£46, revitalash.co.uk). 2 MAKE THE SHAPE While we all love to follow the latest brow trends, it’s important to stick to a shape that complements your natural features. A common myth is that you should never pluck the top of your eyebrows, but I suggest shaping from below and using brow scissors to trim the…

1 BE CONSCIOUS OF YOUR CARBS. Lowering your carbohydrate intake allows your body to take advantage of its natural ability to burn fat. But lowering carbs doesn’t mean no carbs! It means becoming conscious of your carbs. Limit your intake of sweets, fruit juices, pastries, pasta and breads, and choose low-carb alternatives, such as the stir-fried cauli rice recipe, right. If the thought of ditching bread is too much, there are many delicious, low-carb options packed with gut-boosting fibre that taste just like the real deal. Find a wide selection at low-carb specialist Sow & Arrow (sowandarrow.com). 2 PRIORITISE YOUR PROTEIN. Protein provides building blocks for all tissues of the body, including muscle. Muscle uses lots of energy, so when muscle is built, you’re mopping up more sugar from the…

DEVELOPMENT EXPERT Dr Amanda Foo-Ryland is a development coach, TEDx speaker and author of Knowing You (£3.99, Kindle). Q I'm in my early 50s and I've just been made redundant from my job. I'm feeling stressed and scared. I'm most worried that I won't be able to find work in my sector again as employers will choose younger candidates. How can I feel more positive? A When faced with stressful situations, it’s difficult to maintain a positive mindset, and you can fall into the trap of focusing on the negatives and heading into a downwards spiral. Big life changes such as losing a job can really trigger these negative feelings, but it is important to stop these thoughts in their tracks and deflect them using a positive mindset. Focusing on…