Eat raisins to live longer! Or until they make your leg drop off
Here is a summary of the stories concerning foods that are bad for you, and ones that are good for you, that have appeared over the past couple of days: steer clear of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), they're poisoning you, but do eat raisins every day at breakfast because they slash the risk of cancer and heart disease.
Oat milk, it has nothing on dairy milk, waste of time, and don't give your children those premade pouches because they're not nutritionally sound, but do fill your boots with plantains because they're as healthy as tomatoes, and the Paleo diet, up to you, but be warned. It is 'boring'. (© Gwyneth Paltrow.)
The important thing I want you to take away today is: it's never too
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Telegraph
6 days ago
- Telegraph
Six surprising daily changes to add a decade to your life
If you ever needed a reminder to make small changes to protect your health in the future, here it is: a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine has found that focusing on key cardiovascular risk factors (such as high blood pressure and cholesterol) and making the right lifestyle changes by the age of 50 can add a decade to your life. We asked the experts which small habits they would add to their day to help add 10 years to their lives. 1. Try the 'Scandinavian sleep method' or a 'sleep divorce' Thanks in no small part to Covid isolation, snoring and Gwyneth Paltrow, sleep divorce is increasingly becoming the nocturnal life choice for couples who crave blissful peace at bedtime. A YouGov study revealed that 37 per cent of Britons say they sleep better alone, and in the United States 35 per cent of couples are happily sleeping in either separate beds or separate rooms from their partners. And the benefits are bountiful. 'Changing the sleep environment can be transformative,' says Dr Stephanie Collier, a psychiatrist at the Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital in Massachusetts. 'Fewer night-time interruptions mean better rest, sharper thinking and more emotional resilience – and people are also less snippy. Physiologically, the benefits are just as compelling: reduced cardiovascular stress, stronger immune function, and even a lower risk of obesity and diabetes. Sleep also plays an important role in motor performance and concentration – areas that directly affect a person's risk for accidents.' In other words, the knock on effects for increased longevity are obvious. However, not all couples want to sleep apart. Or perhaps they do, but they just don't have the physical space to accommodate such a life change. In which case, why not try a sleep 'trial separation'? All the advantages, none of the inconvenience of trying to squeeze a bed into the home office. 'You don't need a second bedroom to start prioritising sleep,' counsels Dr Collier. 'Couples can stagger bedtimes or use silent alarms to avoid disrupting each other. If movement or temperature is an issue, try the 'Scandinavian sleep method' (separate duvets on the same bed). If your partner is a loud sleeper, white noise machines, fans or earplugs can work wonders. Even partial separation, like sleeping apart during workdays and reuniting on weekends, can lead to meaningful improvements in sleep.' A new study by Australian researchers published in the Sports Medicine journal reports that following a structured dance programme could offer greater psychological and cognitive benefits than some traditional exercise activities. By analysing participants ranging in age from as young as seven right up to 85, and from healthy subjects to those suffering from chronic disease, the findings suggested that several forms of structured dance activity were as good (if not better) for you as team sports, walking and even martial arts. ' Dance can improve several aspects of health – physical, psychological, and cognitive,' says Dr Alycia Fong Yan, a senior lecturer in exercise and sport science at the University of Sydney and lead author of the study. 'My research has found that dance is equally as effective, and in some cases more effective, as standard exercise. So if dance is an attractive physical activity for someone, then they will be more likely to engage with dance regularly, increasing their total weekly physical activity volume and reaping health benefits in the long term.' As a former professional dancer and dance teacher, Dr Fong Yan was not surprised by the results of the study in terms of dance's effectiveness in reducing fat mass, lowering triglycerides (a type of fat found in your blood) and improving cardiovascular fitness, flexibility and day-to-day functionality. She did, however, find it interesting that benefits on mental health were seen across the age spans and across many health conditions, too. 'We found the effectiveness of dance interventions was most evident in the domains of self-efficacy, anxiety, depression, motivation and health-related quality of life, particularly in older individuals,' she says. 'Structured dance was found to be equally as effective as exercise for improving anxiety, depression and Parkinson's disease-related quality of life.' Although the study didn't suggest any single dance program to be more effective than others, both partnered and individual routines were found to be beneficial. 'From an exercise science perspective, higher intensity dance genres with faster tempos will increase heart rate and meet the moderate to vigorous physical activity recommendations,' Dr Fong Yan concludes. 'For older adults, dance styles with challenging balance elements, quick changes of directions and complex movement sequences will mimic the exercises in falls prevention exercise programs. Dance styles that include some bouncing, jumping and rapid footwork will be beneficial for bone health as the loading on the lower body is novel, high impact and fast to stimulate bone growth. Any dance genre that has music that you enjoy will motivate you to keep going back.' 3. Take an omega-3 supplement If you want a healthy heart, better brain function and a reduction in inflammation – the tent poles for a longer, healthier life – you need your omega-3 fatty acids. Nutritionists will point to oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines) and plant-based alternatives (flaxseed, chia seeds, walnuts), but a recent study found that upping your omega-3s might also help delay the ageing process. The science is that these fatty acids could play a role in preserving our telomeres – the protective caps made from DNA and protein that are located at the end of our chromosomes. Telomeres shorten as we get older and are linked to age-related diseases. In the study, taking an omega-3 supplement was found to lengthen those telomeres. 'Inflammation and oxidative stress can shorten telomeres, and each of these processes have been associated with faster ageing,' explains Dr Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, an academy professor at the Ohio State University College of Medicine. 'Omega-3 can reduce those two conditions, and thus could buffer telomeres from their damaging effects. Large studies have already linked higher omega-3 levels with lower all-cause mortality, but our research showed that omega-3 supplementation had positive effects on inflammation, oxidative stress and telomere length, providing one obvious pathway for these reductions in mortality.' An additional study suggested the omega-3 supplementation benefits could be further boosted if accompanied by doses of vitamin D and regular exercise. 'Omega-3's benefits likely depend on the person's starting point – their age, weight, activity level, sleep, dietary omega-3 intake and mood,' Dr Kiecolt-Glaser adds. 'But the research is promising.' We all know walking is good. Exactly how many steps we should take a day, however, is trickier to pin down. A study in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology found that as few as 2,337 steps a day started to reduce the risk of dying from heart and circulatory diseases. The same study also established that at least 3,867 steps reduced the risk of dying from any cause. For older adults, walking between 6,000 and 9,000 steps a day lessened the risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 50 per cent. If you really want to get the maximum health benefits from your perambulations though, you should walk faster. A new study by Dr Elroy Aguiar, an assistant professor in the exercise science department of kinesiology and his team at the University of Alabama found that the quality as well as the quantity of exercise had a significant impact. 'Our study, and several others, have shown that even small amounts (1-5 minutes) of higher intensity activity are associated with better outcomes,' says Dr Aguiar. 'These higher intensity minutes challenge the cardiovascular and respiratory systems the most, and elicit faster and stronger adaptations in aerobic fitness, even within as little as one week of exercise. Over time, this leads to better health overall.' Increasing the intensity of exercise was shown to improve the five cardiovascular risk factors for metabolic syndrome – abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, low HDL (or 'good' cholesterol) and elevated sugar levels. However, the biggest impact according to Dr Aguiar's study, was on blood pressure. To put this in the context of steps per day, if you're doing 8000-10,000 steps per day, you could focus on completing 2000-3000 of these steps (approximately 20-30 minutes) at a higher pace that elevates heart rate. 'Walking cadence above 100-steps-per-minute is associated with moderate intensity,' Dr Aguiar suggests. 'So walking for 20-30 minutes per day at a cadence above 100 steps per minute would be an excellent strategy to get better results, especially for those who are just starting out with exercise or who might prefer walking as their choice of exercise.' 5. Add potassium-rich avocado, banana and salmon to your weekly menu Around one in three adults suffer from hypertension in the UK, meaning they are at a great risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, kidney damage and cognitive conditions such as dementia. Recent research by the University of Waterloo in Ontario suggests eating more potassium-rich foods may be more effective in lowering blood pressure than simply reducing salt and sodium intake alone. Because early humans ate lots of fruits and vegetables, the hypothesis is that over time our body's regulatory systems may have evolved to work best with a high potassium, low sodium diet. Anita Layton, professor of applied mathematics, computer science, pharmacy and biology at the University of Waterloo, and co-author of the maths-based study, concluded that adding more potassium-rich foods to your diet, such as bananas or broccoli, might have a greater positive impact on your blood pressure than just cutting sodium. 'We decided to look at a potential link between dietary potassium and blood pressure because our modern diet is so very different from that of our ancestors,' Layton explains. 'We eat so much sodium and so little potassium, whereas that ratio is reversed in our forebears, as well as people in isolated tribes, where high blood pressure is very rare.' The University of Waterloo findings reached a similar conclusion to research that appeared in the European Heart Journal that suggested people who had the most potassium in their diet were 13 per cent less likely to have a heart attack or stroke than people who consumed the least. 'In general, fresh vegetables, fruits and nuts are good sources of potassium,' says Prof Layton. 'Our model simulations also suggested that men may have a stronger response (measured by reduction in blood pressure) to an increase in dietary potassium-to-sodium ratio. That said, while healthy eating would almost certainly help, it won't entirely protect you from developing high blood pressure. Unfortunately, that is almost inevitable when you get older.' 6. Prioritise your interpersonal relationships When the 'epidemic of loneliness' became a seriously worrying problem at the end of the last decade, the World Health Organisation (WHO) was so concerned at the dangers it presented that they set up a task force to encourage behavioural health scientists to investigate it. Since then, studies have shown that prolonged periods of isolation are associated with increased stress and related changes in brain structure. Having healthy social networks, research shows, can increase the odds of living a long life by as much as 50 per cent. Julie Gibson Clarke, an independent but self-proclaimed 'reluctant' biohacker, is in no doubt how important social interaction is. As a 56-year-old single mother who has been able to reduce her biological age to ten years less than her physical age, and at a fraction of the cost of biohackers like Bryan Johnson who famously spends $2million a year to achieve similar results, we should pay attention. As Gibson Clarke says: 'In a world that often celebrates hyper-independence and optimisation, genuine connection is still one of the most powerful, evidence-backed ways to extend both lifespan and healthspan.' She has spent a year close to the top of the Rejuvenation Olympics leaderboard (a competition that challenges competitors to slow their biological ageing process) and maintains that investing in connections is vital to living longer. 'So many of the things that support longevity work synergistically, so it is hard to say which is the best… but if I had to choose one I'd say: prioritise meaningful relationships,' she says. 'And I say that as an introvert! For me, it doesn't mean being constantly social – it means being fully present when I'm with friends and family, investing in a deeper understanding of the people I care about, and favouring warm, positive interactions even over the occasional 'perfect' wellness routine.'
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Gwyneth Paltrow reveals the great lengths she is going to in order to stop her blonde hair from falling out
She's well known for her gorgeous golden blonde locks all over Hollywood. And Gwyneth Paltrow, 52, has now revealed the great lengths she goes to to stop her hair from falling out. The actress revealed she's tried a handful of treatments over the years, including injecting her scalp. She said: 'So many women I know are quietly dealing with hair loss. 'I've tried a handful of treatments over the years, nothing seemed to move the needle – not even injecting my scalp with actual needles.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The actress revealed she's tried a handful of treatments over the years, including injecting her scalp The latest treatment she's tried involved a plastic surgeon and a device that uses acoustic sound waves and air pressure to stimulate hair growth. Discussing how the treatment has worked for her, she said: 'It was completely painless. Honestly, I think my hair's already feeling a bit fuller.' According to the Cleveland Clinic, studies show that more than 50 per cent of females will experience noticeable hair loss. There are several possible causes of hair loss in women, including damaged hair follicles, rapid weight loss, stress, chemical hair treatments, an underlying health condition, and hormonal changes. Gwyneth's interview comes after she displayed her incredible figure on Monday, as she shared a slew of snaps modelling pieces from the Goop clothing sale. The actress took to her Instagram to share a sizzling mirror selfie showing off her chiselled midriff in a navy bikini top and shorts. The Oscar winner put her best fashion foot forward as she gave fans a look at how she had styled her favourite items from her brand. In one casual look, Gwyneth put on a leggy display in a pair of denim cut-off shorts and a striped red-and-white T-shirt. While she showed off her toned figure in a pair of skin-tight brown leggings and a cropped hoodie, as she headed for a workout. Captioning the photos, Gwyneth promoted her brand, writing: 'A few of my favorite looks from the @goop sale.' The Hollywood star launched the wellness company in September 2008, with it evolving into an e-commerce site, lifestyle publication and even a Netflix documentary titled The Goop Lab With Gwyneth Paltrow. But while she has become renowned for revolving her life around Goop, Gwyneth was recently accused of not being as hands-on with her brand as much as she makes out. Last week, she attended the 2025 Mindvalley Manifesting Summit and spoke about the brand's now infamous 'This Smells Like My Vagina' candle. But fans questioned how much truth there was to her recounting of the controversial candle's origins, suggesting it was a 'fake PR story'. Goop released a candle called 'This Smells Like My Vagina' with the company Heretic in 2020, going instantly viral. Detailing how they came up with the product, Gwyneth explained that she was working with the perfumer Douglas Little to create scents for Goop when she jokingly picked one up and said: 'This smells like my vagina.' She recalled: 'That product is so fascinating because we were messing around with different scents one day. And I smelled something and I was like, "Oh, that smells like... you know". 'I was joking. And then [Douglas] was like, "Oh we should make that a candle and put it on the site." The entrepreneur thought Douglas was kidding and sarcastically agreed that it 'sounded like a winner.' She continued: 'All of a sudden, it was literally on the website. And then we broke the Internet again. And then it took us a long time to live that one down'. However, Gwyneth said she decided that she liked the idea, saying: 'But, I kept it on the site because there is an aspect to women's sexuality, that I think, we're socialized to feel a lot of shame. 'And I sort of loved this kind of punk rock idea. "We are beautiful and we are awesome and go f*** yourself."' And while the story emitted applause and laughter from the sold-out audience, fans are now becoming increasingly dubious. Some pointed to the story as proof that Gwyneth isn't as enmeshed with the brand as she says she is, taking to Reddit to suggest: 'It is possible she has little to do with the day to day running of the business. 'A lot of these celebrity businesses are run by actual business professionals and the celebrity takes all the credit. 'It's not like she's designing products or has a background in marketing and finances. She may just be the mascot.' But others accused Gwyneth of fabricating the entire story for the sake of an exciting PR spin. They wrote: '"I just make jokes and then my team goes rogue without thinking of potential PR issues, and I have no say in what is produced, labelled or goes on the website for my own brand." Sure, Jan'. 'Out of touch millionaires really want us plebs to believe they say things jokingly in meetings and entire product launches happen by accident?' 'Hate these fake PR stories'; 'They knew it would sell because of the buzzy name, no need to be cheeky.'
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Gwyneth Paltrow sparks health fears after fans spot worrying clue in her latest home video
Gwyneth Paltrow has sparked health fears among fans after they spotted a worrying clue in her latest Instagram clip shared over the weekend. The Oscar winner, 52 - who has been slammed as 'out of touch' over 'fake PR story' for her Goop brand - made a batch of pancakes along with a strawberry compote in the reel uploaded on Saturday. But at the beginning of the clip, the actress excitedly lifted her hands into the air and revealed a small, circular patch on her left arm - with some viewers speculating that she was wearing a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) monitor. A CGM is usually used by individuals who have type 1, 2 or also gestational diabetes and aids with glucose management. has reached out to Paltrow's reps for comment. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Social media users jumped to the comment section to share their thoughts on the patch on Gwyneth's arm. One penned, 'Why do you have a type 1 diabetes blood glucose monitor, are you diabetic!?!' and another added, 'Are we diabetic? Round arm sensor?' 'Are you wearing a glucose monitor?' a fan questioned, and one shared, 'Delicious!! Is she diabetic? Looks like a libre on her arm. Curious my daughter is type 1.' Freestyle Libre and Dexcom are both brands that offer sensors to help monitor glucose levels. Another wrote, 'Omg are you wearing a CGMS?!' and one asked, 'Do you have diabetes? My daughter who is type 1 has a glucose monitor.' A follower asked, 'What's on her arm?' and another replied, 'dexcom cgm.' A fan in the comments then explained 'that's for blood sugar and stuff.' After the video kicked off with Gwyneth tossing her arms into the air, it cut to her measuring dry ingredients into a clear bowl - such as coconut flour. In a separate bowl, the star then whisked together eggs and added what appeared to be maple syrup and milk. One penned, 'Why do you have a type 1 diabetes blood glucose monitor, are you diabetic!?!' and another added, 'Are we diabetic? Round arm sensor?' After mixing the dry and wet ingredients together, Paltrow ventured outside to pick fresh strawberries from her garden. While the strawberry compote was simmering in a bowl on the stove, the actress began to pour the pancake mix onto a griddle. The clip concluded with her stacking the freshly made pancakes onto a plate - which were then topped with the warm strawberry compote. Coldplay's track Strawberry Swing played throughout the background of the new reel. Chris Martin - the band's lead vocalist - was notably married to Paltrow from 2003 until their divorce was finalized in 2016. The former couple share two children: Apple, 21, and Moses, 19. Paltrow kept it casual for the Instagram video, and donned a pair of comfy white shorts as well as a fitted, light gray tank top. In the caption of the post, Gwyneth typed: 'Grain-free almond and coconut pancakes with a strawberry compote situation to kick off the holiday weekend - made in my favorite goop pot (on sale now).' Paltrow has been open about her health over the years - such as an interview with Harper's Bazaar last year. 'My dad was diagnosed with cancer when he was only 54, and my mom has had some battles with cancer as well,' she expressed to the outlet. Her father Bruce passed away at the age of 58 due to complications with oral cancer. 'So I am proactive in terms of having blood work looking for cancer markers, getting advanced imaging and all that kind of stuff. Once a year I try to be really good about check-ups.' The Iron Man actress continued, 'There's so much that we can know about ourselves through genetic testing. 'I actually need a lot of support to detox – and using a sauna is an important part of that. I have a little individual one outside, and I go in that a few times a week for about a half an hour.' And while previously talking to The Times, the actress recalled helping her father during his cancer battle - and giving him canned food through a syringe. The process made her start to question what exactly was in the food she was giving him. '...But I looked at the can and it was the longest list of chemicals, different things I couldn't pronounce. And I was, like, is this good for him? 'And that put me down this whole crazy path of examining everything from nutrition, environmental toxins, gut health, all this stuff that nobody was really thinking about.' Paltrow further stated, 'I was doing a ton of research, and it was very fringe at the time. 'People talking about eating healthier for positive health outcomes, examining if gluten was a potential allergen, is sugar not good for you? All these things were considered really fringe.' The star later told the outlet, 'I think in my father's case, I mean, his illness changed my life and the way I treat my body to such an extreme degree. I'm so conscious of trying to keep a healthy body. 'I make sure I do scans and blood tests and screenings, so I don't want to, like, live in the [fear], but, you know, you're right. It's weird, right? There is a little bit of, wow, I'm outliving this.' Gwyneth's latest post comes shortly after she celebrated her daughter Apple's 21st birthday earlier last week. The star jumped to her main Instagram to page a sweet tribute to her eldest child and uploaded an assortment of photos of her daughter from over the years. 'To the light of my life, my ray of sunshine, my hilarious, brilliant, best buddy. Happy 21st birthday!!' she wrote. 'You are exceptionally kind and utterly wonderful. I am incredibly proud of your strength and your intellect. Your goofiness and your big laugh. You are just the best. The absolute best.' The mom-of-two added, 'Thank god for you, Apple Martin. I cannot wait to see what this next chapter brings for you. Love, Mama.' Along with raising her children whom she shares with ex Chris Martin, she is also stepmother to her husband Brad Falchuk's own kids. During a recent interview with People, Paltrow made rare comments about raising her children and said, 'I think I really encourage them to be true to themselves and like to do what feels right to them. 'I think like all the mistakes I made were being talked in or out of something. I really want them, even if I don't agree with it, like, I want them to be really true to their idea of their purpose and their individuality...' Back in April, she also reflected on blended families and the hardships of being a stepmom at times. 'In an ideal world, the relationship that you have your kids in works out, and your kids never have to experience divorce or blending families or anything like that. But a lot of times, that's not the case.' She continued, 'Step-parenting is a pretty tricky arena. It requires a great deal of accountability, vulnerability, understanding your triggers – and nothing quite seems to trigger somebody, especially women, like stepmothers.'
