Money & Work / Tips & Advice
High-protein diet and exercise could ‘reduce risk of heart disease and diabetes’ in older adults
After 16 weeks, researchers saw ‘significant’ declines in so-called ‘bad’ cholesterol levels in older people given whey protein drinks alongside an exercise regime. A higher-protein diet alongside exercise may contribute to reducing the risk of diabetes and...
Going to ground: How to use coffee waste in the garden -and what to watch out for
As an organic grower for restaurant royalty, Anna Greenland uses everything at her disposal to help her plants flourish, including used coffee grounds, as she explains here. Chances are there’s at least one coffee drinker in your household. In ours it’s my husband...
More single-use plastics to be banned: Tips for avoiding them – in and out of the house
From rethinking your bathroom products to understanding where your Christmas decorations will end up, an environmental expert shares some advice. Silver Surfers reports that single-use plastic items such as plates, cutlery and polystyrene cups look to be banned next...
The seven types of rest: I spent a week trying them all. Could they help end my exhaustion?
When we feel fatigued most of us focus on sleep problems. But proper relaxation takes many forms. I spent a week exploring what really works. “Are you the most tired you can ever remember being?” asks a friend. Well, yes. I have it easy - my caring responsibilities...
‘The pandemic lit a fire inside me’: How three high-fliers retrained as garden designers
From the lawyer turned landscaper to the pilot who won a flower show prize, meet three career-switching gardeners. A table and chairs covered in lichen; a grubby patio; an overgrown bed teeming with weeds … those of us with outdoor space all have corners that need...
‘Truffle Hound’: Truffles are the most expensive food in the world -here’s how to find them and where they are in the UK
The tiniest spot of what looks like a buried egg peers out of the ground. When I lean down, scents of garlic and salami joyously greet my nostrils… It is the white truffle - the world’s most prized food. In the orange light of a Mediterranean sunrise, I find myself...
Better walking and cycling infrastructure crucial to keeping over 50s healthy
A new report emphasises that well-designed neighbourhoods that enable people to walk and cycle are vital to helping people in their 50s and 60s stay active. Centre for Ageing Better reports that 38% of people aged 55-64 and 43% of those aged 65-74 don’t get the...
Over-50s want climate crisis addressed ‘even if it leads to high prices’
Research finds almost two-thirds of older people want UK government to move faster on green initiatives. The majority of over-50s believe the UK government should be doing more to address the climate crisis, even if it leads to higher prices, a study has found. A...
How working from home during Covid pandemic has given a much-needed boost to local economies
The pandemic has provided people with a glimpse of what life outside of a rigid office-based work culture looks and feels like. In its 2019 manifesto the Conservative Party said it would be “levelling up every part of the UK,” recognising the increasingly unbalanced...
Golden slumbers: 10 glorious woodland retreats for an autumn break
With our forests about to burst into colour, we pick cosy woodland cottages and eco-cabins for making the most of a British autumn. Cream of cottages, New Forest There’s no better time to visit the New Forest than autumn, when the trees blaze auburn and saffron and...
Meditation, vodka and vinegar: Can the morning routines of the rich and famous make me a better person?
I am not empowered or optimised by my current morning routine. I am a bleary-eyed doom-scroller. So I spent a month ditching my phone, exercising, journalling and embracing the dawn, to find out what really works. Are morning people better than night owls? I was...
Edinburgh social enterprise puts tourists in the hands of guides who have experienced homelessness
Vicky Spratt walks a Royal Mile in another person’s brogues on an enlightening tour of the Scottish capital. In 1998 Angus Stirling became homeless for the first time. It was a stint on the streets that lasted several years. In 2009, a relationship breakdown left him...