If you’re doing all the right things and eating all the right foods for gut health but things still aren’t improving, consider getting checked out. Nutritionist Christine Bailey says: ‘People often fail to consider that they might be carrying a parasite and 70-80% of the people I test with unresolved gut symptoms have one. If you have poor digestion but don’t know why, undertake a stool test to check for anything unwanted.’
Take a leaf out of professional manicurists’ book and turn a polish bottle upside down or roll from side to side rather than shaking it, which can result in bubbles.
Did you know that Himalayan Salt Lamps emit a warm glow that signals to the body that it’s time to wind down…? This can induce a deeper, more restful sleep without interfering with the body’s circadian rhythms.
Are you going to be filmed anytime soon? HD cameras manage to pick up even the tiniest bit of oil on the face. Translucent powder is the answer – but avoid the stuff that makes you look ghostly-pale. (We’re long-term fans of By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra-Powder, NB.)
Do you tend to power through your lunch hour, never leaving your desk? Take a leaf out of our friend Liz Earle’s book. ‘Try walking meetings,’ she suggests. ‘Natural daylight and fresh air increase our sense of wellbeing, happiness and ability to focus, so be sure to get outside in your lunch break – or even rope in colleagues and set up walking meetings or a lunchtime running club. Our offices are a stone’s throw from a park and I encourage the team to have walking meetings there whenever possible. We find two or three people is the optimum number for this and it is a great way of focusing the mind on what needs to be achieved on a 30-minute walk with quick notes scribbled down on a pad as you go, or a swift park bench stop.’
If you’re doing all the right things and eating all the right foods for gut health but things still aren’t improving, consider getting checked out. Nutritionist Christine Bailey says: ‘People often fail to consider that they might be carrying a parasite and 70-80% of the people I test with unresolved gut symptoms have one. If you have poor digestion but don’t know why, undertake a stool test to check for anything unwanted.’
Our friend Annee de Mamiel wants you to buy some red stationery dots. Then, she says, ‘Put a red dot on your wallet, desk, computer, screen – anywhere you’re likely to see it often. Every time you see that red dot, stop what you are doing and take a deep, calming breath. See it as a moment to be still.’
To get next week off to the best possible start, spend the last 10 minutes of each Friday afternoon planning the next week. In a perfect world, don’t just focus on work but schedule in time for relationships and just for yourself. Those tend to get squeezed when we’re busy.
There are so many ways to fragrance your home beyond lighting scented candles, which can give off sooty particles (much as we love them…) Spray fragrance into the air and onto bedsheets and curtains (and even cushions). Lightly spray napkins with a fresh Cologne, and seek out scented blooms when you’re buying flowers.
Depilatories are great for bumpy areas like under arms, the upper lip and bikini lines because they can be gentler on skin than waxing or shaving. But always remove hair at least 24 hours before sun, chlorine and salt water exposure and avoid alpha-hydroxy acid products on skin you’ve removed the hair from, to prevent inflammation.
To lengthen and lift lashes, try the ‘Push and Pull’ trick from Pat McGrath: ‘Swipe the wand from the base of the lash, zigzagging the formula back and forth through the lashes.’
The sun’s come out – which immediately triggers cold sores, in some people. Sunlight decreases your immune system’s ability to fight the HSV-1 virus. So wear a sunhat when outdoors and shield lips from sunlight with an SPF30. A lysine supplement can also help prevent breakouts.
We’re all trying to cut down on packaging. If you’re not vegetarian and you buy meat or fish from a butcher or fishmonger, take along your own airtight food container to carry your purchases home, rather than accepting plastic wrapping and/or carrier bags.
Get your blood sugar checked. Women over 45 make up to 60% of all new cases of adult-onset diabetes, we’re told. But if caught early, the disease can be controlled with exercise or diet.
Painting nails before bedtime will lead to dullness and smudges. If you must, apply only one coat of polish and wait at least 45 minutes before dozing off.
Fascinated by what makes us happy (or not)? Sign up for Yale University’s The Science of Well-Being course, which is apparently the most popular class in the history of the college, in which Professor Laurie Santos teaches the skills of ‘gratitude, happiness, meditation and savouring.’ coursera.org
When applying concealer to a blemish, deploy a fine-tipped brush – fingers can introduce bacteria to the area – to fan concealer around the pimple, blur the edges and tap it directly on top. (Be sure to clean the brush very regularly, though.)
The latest in an occasional series of inspirational quotes, from Linda Rodin, founder of Rodin Olio Lusso (and now an Instagram star, @linkawinks ). ‘Western culture tells women that we become invisible as we age, but now that I’m in my late 60s, I like to think that I’m old and interesting! A positive mindset and paying attention to how I present myself has made all the difference. My hair turned white early, so I embraced it rather than dyed it. I also love tinted glasses and strong lipstick. People say it’s a statement look but I never think of it that way – it just feels like me. I’ve been wearing jeans and sneakers since I was five years old and they still feel good – so why change now?’
If you like to body brush, switch from a hard-bristled brush to a soft brush at the neckline. This area calls for delicacy. Use a special facial brush (try Alexandra Soveral’s); just 10 seconds of gentle, northward strokes will rid the neck of dry, flaky skin.
When is the best time to embrace positive habits? New Year’s Day and the start of the school year are well-known, but times of change – such as a new job or moving house – are opportune moments to shape new habits, advises Gretchen Rubin, author of The Four Tendencies. Smokers who quit at the same time as moving house are often more successful, she says, as they have fewer triggers and associations to hamper them.